The Energon Pub

So around April the ABC show Collectors did a segment on a guy called Tibor and his Transformers collection which is in excess of 1600 figures. I apologise if this has already been posted but I couldnt find it, so I thought you guys might want to check this out. Also Tibor if your a member here man send me a PM id love to chat

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/collectors/seg ... 534549.htm

Quote from ABC's website:
"Children who see Tibor’s collection of in excess of 1600 transformers can’t help but be over-awed by the vastness of the collection and the formidable presence of transformers on-mass. Tibor keeps his transformers in a locked room, with a thumb-print as the “key”. He loves to see the reaction of visitors to the collection.
Tibor’s first transformer was given to him on his 9th birthday by his grandmother; it was Optimus Prime, the Leader of the heroic Autobots. He still has this transformer, and it is an important one in the collection.

Originally the toy or play component of transformers appealed to Tibor. As the collection grew, his interest in the transformers changed. He now finds it’s the design, the engineering and the back-story that is more transfixing. Transformers appeal to his intellect and his scientific interest; they provide a wonderful escape from the real world.

The high security necessary for Tibor’s collection is mostly because he wanted to buy the “baddie” transformer, Megatron. Megatron was a recent recreation and transformed into a replica firearm. As such objects were prohibited from entry into Australia, Tibor through hard work, the help of others and knowledge of the legal system was successful in having the law changed. NSW owners of such objects as Megatron, as with other replica firearms, have to pass a criminal check, must be members of a collectors club have to have secure premises – barred windows, locked door and cabinets – and a good reason for wanting to own such an object.

Tibor is the president of the Megatron Club Inc."

amazing.... kinda inspiring actually

Nightscreech wrote:The high security necessary for Tibor’s collection is mostly because he wanted to buy the “baddie” transformer, Megatron. Megatron was a recent recreation and transformed into a replica firearm. As such objects were prohibited from entry into Australia, Tibor through hard work, the help of others and knowledge of the legal system was successful in having the law changed. NSW owners of such objects as Megatron, as with other replica firearms, have to pass a criminal check, must be members of a collectors club have to have secure premises – barred windows, locked door and cabinets – and a good reason for wanting to own such an object.

If I ever utter even the remotest wish to move to Australia, someone please remind me of this. I'm sure it is a lovely country, but freaking out about a toy that just happens to be *shaped* like a gun? (As in, not a real gun, not actually capable of killing anyone). Sheesh, I thought New York state was a bunch of fascists. I had to go through less nonsense (and believe me, it was a lot of nonsense) to be able to get my pistol license for actual scary kill-people-dead firearms than this poor guy did to get his toy.

I'm impressed by his perseverance.

HK, "To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them." George Mason, 1788.

hellkitty wrote:

Nightscreech wrote:The high security necessary for Tibor’s collection is mostly because he wanted to buy the “baddie” transformer, Megatron. Megatron was a recent recreation and transformed into a replica firearm. As such objects were prohibited from entry into Australia, Tibor through hard work, the help of others and knowledge of the legal system was successful in having the law changed. NSW owners of such objects as Megatron, as with other replica firearms, have to pass a criminal check, must be members of a collectors club have to have secure premises – barred windows, locked door and cabinets – and a good reason for wanting to own such an object.

If I ever utter even the remotest wish to move to Australia, someone please remind me of this. I'm sure it is a lovely country, but freaking out about a toy that just happens to be *shaped* like a gun? (As in, not a real gun, not actually capable of killing anyone). Sheesh, I thought New York state was a bunch of fascists. I had to go through less nonsense (and believe me, it was a lot of nonsense) to be able to get my pistol license for actual scary kill-people-dead firearms than this poor guy did to get his toy.

I'm impressed by his perseverance.

HK, "To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them." George Mason, 1788.

I agree that the crap Tibor ("Ah Tibor, how many times have you saved my butt"- Homer Simpson couldn't resist ) went through just to get Masterpiece Megatron is completely crazy. It's a bloody toy, stupid legal Australian system. Get tough on drugs and violence and stop being so soft with sentences learn to be bad ass like our US friends.

Wow, I could get lost in that room for about a month! That's cool he still has his first TF. Mine are long gone...

Yeah, those gun restrictions are a little crazy, huh?

Yep Tibor or better known to OTCA members (Australian TF collectors group) as Tiby is a moderator there. Very down to earth guy. Met him a few times during Parramatta Toy fairs ( quarterly toy fair near Sydney). Yeah its kinda annoying for us down under about this law against the Megsy toy, apparently when he constested this in court magistrate ( he is a lawyer by profession) he was shown "home made" fake guns and to the untrained eye it just looks real. They argued that when your being held up you dont bother to check if its a real gun anymore as fear takes over. Apparently these homemade are about the same size as MP Megsy gun mode which made them consider including Megsy in the prohibited replica. So to get around this law he found the loophole that if your a member Collector ( which you have to show certification as proof)of Megsy club you CAN own it. you just go through the proper procedure and viola you can own him, of course there are specific things you need to do like the locked access to the toy. Sigh, unlike there in the US you just need the big yellow or orange plug and its all good. We here have to get through loopholes

link to his website and the Megatron gun club process
http://www.csapo.com.au/ttf/tiby%27stransformers.htm

Thanks for bringing this segment to our attention, Nightscreech!

What a collection! Tibor seems to be a very cool collector, he has a great attitude about things.

Thanks for the segments, it was quite interesting.

So, you need to have a security clearance, fingerprint id, bars on your windows, and a lockable cabinet to own MP Megatron. Wow. I thought the orange barrel plug was annoying.

SJ21 wrote:So, you need to have a security clearance, fingerprint id, bars on your windows, and a lockable cabinet to own MP Megatron. Wow. I thought the orange barrel plug was annoying.

My thoughts exactly. MP Megatron's alt mode, while having fair likeness to a Walther P-38, is not close to being realistic for the simple fact that it's not 1:1 in scale. It's obviously oversized. One could assume it's a custom made Walther P-38 for a giant human...I suppose.

Also, considering it's an expensive item that is created specifically as an adult collector's item, it's not the same situation as making an easily accessible Nerf gun that closely resembles a real gun model. The average youth will not have an MP Megatron.

I can't see how the gun/toy law is really reasonable in this case. To go through the conditions of having an MP Megatron is excessive and a perfect example of people "following the system" rather than looking at the particular situation and making a rational judgement.

I want to post this as news but I remember that it was covered before, in two separate articles. Interesting that the guy everybody envied as he would be showing up on TV for being a TF collector is the same guy that founded a special Australian club so people could own MP Megatron.

SJ21 wrote:So, you need to have a security clearance, fingerprint id, bars on your windows, and a lockable cabinet to own MP Megatron. Wow. I thought the orange barrel plug was annoying.

Makes you love the States customs laws now huh?