The Energon Pub

Fairly new here. Like a lot of people my age, my interest in Transformers was re-awakened with the movie. I've been thinking about getting a small collection started.

I already had my G1 Optimus from when I was a kid. He's all scratched up but all the parts are there. About a year or so ago I picked up a Masterpiece Optimus for the sake of nostalgia (that, and the fact that it was on clearance for like 15 dollars). And this morning I got a Masterpiece Starscream.

I'm a little scared to go with Ebay. Are there any good online stores out there? I'm mostly interested in G1 figures but I like what I've seen from some of the newer stuff (Galaxy Force Optimus is beyond cool).

I've had really good experiences with bigbadtoystore.com ... to really get the deals is to get in on the pre-orders. Once the items are in, they find out what people are willing to pay, then jack up the price.

A good example of this is for the Binaltech Clear Mirage. I was able to pre-order it for $85 ... then when they got their shipment in... they sold their leftovers for $185.

Occassionally they do specials like 20% off... that is what I usually wait for.

A really nice thing about BBTS is that they don't charge your card until the item is in stock and ready to ship. This is really good for pre-orders.

For example... I went ahead and ordered the Takara Classic line... not too much is known about them yet. I'm sure more info and pictures will be released before BBTS actually gets them in stock... If after seeing the reviews and pictures I find that I don't want them.. I could simply cancel the pre-order.

One of my favorite things about BBTS is their "Pile of Loot" feature. Basically you could order as many things you want but they hold onto it until you push the "Send me my loot" button. I like this because I have a lot of pre-orders... I don't want them to send them one at a time as they become available because I have to pay for shipping for each one. I let them just pile up in my loot until I just can't wait to get them anymore... saves on shipping.

But the main reason why I like them is because they are close to me... UPS Ground only takes 1 - 2 days to get to me. Be sure to take this into consideration when selecting your on-line store.

Do a transformers item search on the store search, should get some good results, for G1.

Don't discount e-bay totally, especially if you're into G1. Just try to find reputable ebay sellers. dit138 is one example--a very established and reputable seller on ebay that has a ton of G1 items, both complete and in parts. Wheeljackslab also sells off quite a few TFs from time to time on ebay, although I've heard mixed reviews on his grading system. Myself, I've never had an issue on an item from his site.

Some places to check out:

http://www.wheeljackslab.com
http://www.transformerland.com
http://www.digital-toys.com
http://www.tfsource.com

There are others, but I've had success with these few.

Good luck!

TFsource.com is really great for G1 fans. 99% of their stock is G1 related items like G1 reissues and things like that.

They dont have a pile of loot feature like BBTS (big bad toy store) but the owner of TFsource is really good about helping collectors out with any questions they have.

I agree with TFBuyer, dont be scared of ebay, it seems daunting at first but once you have a paypal account and a few purchases under your belt, it becomes second nature.

I found this guy is really nice as far as ebay sellers go. I wrote him about the sixshot I just bought from him, and asked if it was a reissue or an orignal g1 figure and it turned out it was reissue he refuned me most of the shipping cost. He has an original sunstreak minus the box for sale and several different parts and pieces: here is the link: http://stores.ebay.com/Nukes-Toys

I have had good experiences with bigbadtoystore. Toywiz, which is located in New York is pretty good but can be pricey at times.

I also go through a private seller in Florida. He has a website http://www.transformerland.comif you would like to have G1, BW, and a few other toylines. He will sell accessories for the figures if you are missing a few. As for the figure, he will give a description on the condition of the figure.

Sometimes I go through Amazon particularly if I am looking for an Alt/BT figure.

Sid Burn wrote:I agree with TFBuyer, dont be scared of ebay, it seems daunting at first but once you have a paypal account and a few purchases under your belt, it becomes second nature.

For sure, while there are some bad eggs, inflated prices and scalpers out there, I've found some reputable sellers and good deals. As long as you know what you're doing and know when something's too good to be true, you should be alright.

Welcome the hobby and the board!