This takes some explanation I think.
For me it was a random trip down the toy isle for no particular reason.
I saw what I now know to be the cybertronian megatron which is I.M.O a damn good G-1 rendition and all at once this flood of nostalgia that I was unaware existed in me up to that point flooded my senses and I just had to buy him.
I couldnt even resist the urge to open him up and once I opened him, I felt like a child with a new toy. It was great!
After that though,I thought it was over. I stood him up at bedside and went on with life.
My next trip to walmart however had me wanting to go back to look at transformers again. I reluctantly and somewhat embarrassingly snuk back to the toy isle hoping no other adults would see me looking at toys and thats when I saw dirge and thrust. The same nostalgic feeling swept over me and all of the sudden I didnt care who saw me. I think I even made a loud noise like "AWWW!!" When I saw them.
Ofcourse I bought them and again couldnt resist opening them. I even opened thrust in the car! lol!
Once again, after the feeling had left, I would have bet the farm that the end of that little....what ever it was... had come.
That is until my NEXT trip to wal mart came. This time I didnt fight the urge to go look through the toy isle. It was that trip that I found cup,the hot rod/ cyclonus two pack and more importantly cyber optimus prime! Man finding that optimus sitting there was an awesome feeling! I couldnt understand how these toys were impacting me, a grown man, like they were.
I was hit hard with the very same feeling that I had forgotten having as a child when I walked into the isle and saw so many of the new figures I wanted, but knew Id only be able to have one or two of. What A wonderful feeling that was/is.
Luckily as an adult I had the income and more importantly the ability to make the decision to buy all of the figures at once! I got them home and starting with prime of course, opened them up and felt like a child again.
I swear I even had the impulse to PLAY with these figures the same as if I were a child.
I have to admit that feeling to play both scared me and made me feel like a weirdo. I kind of pulled the reigns back for awhile after that and sat trying to think on the psychology of what was happening to me with the "weird toy hunting" impulses I was having.
*Was it that I was reliving my childhood?
*Did I love the feeling of being able to buy in mass all at once what I could only work up to one at a time as a child?
*Was it something else that I was just missing, or was I just crazy?
*Did I need help? Should I tell someone?
LOL! I really did think this way at first and I concluded that my new habbit was more than likely a bit of MOST of the above reasons and I was fine with that!LOL!
Still, the urge to actually PLAY with my figures was really bugging me.
So I sat down one day, a 30 yr old man and arranged every figure I had in cool poses and placed them in a war like setting and was about to actually indulge this urge to play when suddenly, that urge completely left!
As I was looking at the figures all posed and looking awesome, I felt The same satisfaction then that I felt when I physically played as a child.
It was then that I realized I loved to pose my figures and display them and that was the urge I was having.
From that moment on, I felt ALOT better about my "weird addiction" of buying toys as an adult.
After that breakthrough, I started to make frequent stops at stores actively seeking out transformers classics and buying only the ones that I loved as a child.
Its also when I began to look on the internet and ultimately found this very sight to help me find what I was looking for. I had no idea how deep the figures went, the elaborate lines and line names, japans figures vs u.s.a figures, or most important, that I was NOT alone in my addiction by any stretch of the imagination.
After reading you guys posts and seeing that there were others out there, ALLOT of others like me I truly began to completely indulging my collecting habit whole heartedly and without feeling odd for doing it. I have a BLAST looking and hunting for these things and Im not going to let anyone rain on my fun.
That finishes up my story and brings me to today!!
I have to admit that finding that the majority of my favorite figures were only available at this point on ebay for five times their worth and learning of scalpers and exclusive figures etc knocked the wind outta my sails a bit, as I had a hard time justifying spending so much money on "toys".
In the end though I decided that It wasnt that big a deal. People spend lots of money on all sorts of things. These figures, although kind of expensive, have brought me so much joy and right outta the blue too, that I cannot put a price on them.
Any time I feel the need to experience the rush of nostalgia and joy I had as a child and have reclaimed as an adult, all I need do is walk over to my shelves and gaze over my collection. The feeling it brings me is instantanious and well worth what Ive spent
The continued feeling and anticipation of acquiring the figures I still need and figures that have yet to be released will be well worth what I spend in the future as well.
I have procured 3/4 of the G-1 figures I need and have saved the best and most expensive for last (and that is no coincidence lol!).
I only need a half dozen or so of the killer third party figures that are making their way to us in order to complete my collection.
I truly hope that hasbro will continue to create superior,original product so that when I do finish collecting the G-1 figures that I want, they will have won me over with a whole slew of new figures that give me that must have feeling the way that the figures Im collecting now have given me.
I want to thank the pioneers that created this sight because I was really struggling with feeling weird for my impulses to buy figures before reading the threads in this forum and others like it. Now I know Im not alone!
My wife is also so supportive it shocked me. She says its cute and she has bought me several of my favorite figures, even going so far as to procure every G-1 cartoon in the form of a boxed set that comes in a matrix carrying case and the 80s cartoon movie. I have watched every one over and over, especially the movie and the exhillerating feeling it leaves with me is awesome!
Im so gald to have found that megatron that started this all.
Thats my story folks! I hope it didnt bore anyone or sound soupy of silly.
I guess I have a few questions as well.
To all of you who have been collecting for years and years,does this feeling ever fade? How long does it last? Does anyone relate to my story, or collect figures because of the feeling it gives you?
If so, Would anyone else care to share their story? Id love to read it!
Thanks again and take care!
