The Energon Pub

Hi All,

Let me start by stating my personal preference.

I don't collect multiples of the same mold. It just doesn't interest me. I like to transform my transformers, and buying one that does the exact same thing as another I already have would leave me a bit disappointed.

That said, there are a few re-decos that I am kinda kicking myself for missing out on: Generations Sandstorm, and Universe Sideswipe, namely. I may still pick these up one day if I find them cheap.

Now here is the dilemma for me; I love combiners, and so far the Combiner Wars line is fantastic, but when waves 3 and up hit, It seems they will be piling on the repaints/remolds. I would like to get all the main combiners, but unless I get them ridiculously cheap, I am bound to be disappointed by essentially buying the same toys again.

This obviously is not a problem for many here, as have read posts, and seen images of collections where people have no issue buying different versions of the same toy multiple times.

Some of the reasons I have seen are:

Troop Building (ex. vehicons, junkions, sharkticons, etc)
Completing a set (ex. getting all the seekers, etc)
Liking a design enough to buy multiple versions (ex. owning 13 different versions of ROTF Leader Prime)
Being a completionist (ex. gotta get em all!)
Adhering to nostalgia (ex. buying a Cliffjumper toy, even though it's just a red bumblebee)
Displays (ex. show off toy in multiple modes)

What do you folks think?

What makes you buy multiples of the same mold? When or why do you not?

What toys would you buy again in a heartbeat? What toys are you drawing the line on, and will never buy again? What toys do you regret getting multiples of?


Got a great army of troops? lets see some pictures!

On select figs that is. But cash is still king unfortunately.

I typically don't buy repaint also, retools on the other hand I sometimes jump on. It appears HasTak has taken notice of this and more repraints are becoming retools. I almost kicked myself for not grabbing a Springer. I had passed on previous repaints and chose Sandstorm initially. Thankful to have both now. As for CW, many of the upcomings will be retools or remolds of the released figures. I really thought CW motormaster was going to be a gray OP, the transformation is the same but they did go to legnths to differentiate the two, which I can appreciate. It's tough for me to pass up an OP.

It depends on the figure. Prime Grimwing/Darksteel, I only got Grimwing b/c Darksteel just felt like a lazy repaint money grab to milk the Prime line since the show was killed. The original Armada Starscream/Armada Thundercracker (recolor) and the remold into Armada Skywarp and Universe Ramjet all are different enough to warrant me getting them all.

I want a complete US show Classics lineup. I will buy repaints/remolds if they represent one of the original characters. Thankfully Hasbro has been changing up the molds of their repaints so that they represent the on-screen characters more accurately.

I'll buy the same mold twice (or more) if:
- I really like it ('hits the top 5 list' like, not just 'oh cool' like)
- the reuse looks different enough; even better if the mold has a few potential reconfigurations, like so
- it's cheap


The Prime Terrorcons and RotF Skystalker/Sunspot are molds I'd happily buy again and again. In fact it pained me to see a lot of the cool Terrorcon repaints ended up being out-of-the-way exclusives.

I think for most collectors (not myself I'm speaking of here), repaints only get picked up if it's an example of a repaint really getting them a new character. Prime Skyquake and Dreadwing are a perfect example. Only buy one of them, and you'll never have a full "show cast" of toys.

While I generally don't go for the repaints/remolds, I do appreciate that these days, Hasbro generally takes the effort to cast a new head, and generally vary the deco of a toy that it makes into a new character. This was not always the way.

It is especially great to see thoughtful pre-planning, such as with Universe Sunstreaker/Sideswipe. That was a great idea!

Sometimes if I know a redeco I am more interested in is coming, I will hold off on getting the original deco.

With TF Prime toys, I had the 1st Edition Optimus release, which I thought was far superior to the mainline release. But I did like the unique transformation of the mainline release, so I was really happy when it was redone as Beast Hunters Ultra Magnus.

Similarly with the WRC/FOC toys, I already had the WFC prime, and saw no value in the smaller, simpler FOC Prime. But I didn't have a problem picking up FOC Magnus.

I usually don't like collecting repaints. Major remolding is fine, like Prime Arcee VS Gen Chromia or Gen Springer and Sandstorm. I tend to avoid straight repaints but for two exceptions:

One: I collect Starscream and I have every molds of him. However, I love to have some sealed toys in their original packaging to illustrate the line they're from. Instead of buying double Starscreams, I buy Thunderckracker instead. I keep my TCs sealed because all my Starscreams are open.

Two: The Universe Voyager Inferno mold. I fell in love with the mold with RTS Grappel. For me, this is a fine example of a PERFECT TF. So, I had to collect them all. Some were REALLY expensive to get, like the original inferno (90$CAN shipped for a sealed one) Some, were a great deal (40$ in person for Henkei Inferno sealed) and one was really, really hard to find (Botcon Fruity Guy). And even if United Grapple don't have much difference with the Amercan version, I bought it anyway to HAVE THEM ALL!

fenrir72 wrote:On select figs that is. But cash is still king unfortunately.

Same situation here.

Did manage to get the main Six seekers for the deluxe CHUG mold. Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp. Thrust, Ramjet and Dirge.

Also Got Masterpiece Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker.

Use to (back when cash was an issue but I just didn't care ... though these days cash STILL is an issue) but room became an issue.

Like others, if it's a different character that's well established (Datsun boys, seekers etc) then I'll get them. But a repaint for the sake of a repaint? Meh, no thanks.

I ordered the Plat Ed Seeker set despite having a re-issued Dirge........only way to own the full Seeker set without breaking the bank.

The G1 Seeker mold.

Anything interesting that is vintage or a reissue that is funky will do. So things of particular note -

- IGA Mexican Thundercracker, Thrust and Starscream
- Anime reissue TFC Collection Starscream
- G2 Starscream and Ramjet

Once I get a full time job and can seriously start to hammer my collection again - those above are all top of my list.

But the same could be said of a lot of G1 toys. IGA Mexican 'Black' Prowl would be a good example, or any eHobby reissue.

How do I feel about multiples of the same mold?

Well, my collection mainly focuses on "Classics" style toys, and in that collection I collect characters, not molds. So if two (or more) characters happen to share a mold, then as long as the mold makes sense for both characters, then sure!

Examples include both characters who also happened to share a mold in the G1 days:









(I know I have one somewhere, but I can't right now find a decent pic of them together with Magnus armored up. But I figured it was unnecessary here anyway, since the point was to highlight that they used the same mold.)

And characters with "Classics" style toys that the designers planned ahead and made a mold that could effectively pull off two (or more) different characters with the help of some retooling and/or an alteration to the transformation scheme:







Somehow I haven't photographed them together outside of larger group shots, but the recent Springer and Sandstorm would fall into this category as well.

While I don't go in for troop building much, Scourge did need at least a pair of Sweeps:




And... well... the one time I delved into the dark world of knock offs, it was for more uses of the seeker mold:




And, of course, Wreck-Gar needed a hog:



And delving outside of Classics... I also collect Optimus Primes. And let us take, for example, the original G1 mold. I didn't feel a need to get the original G2 Optimus Prime, since he was basically just G1 Prime with his trailer colored black and a few extra accessories tossed in.

But there was one other variant I did have to have, as he was too fun to pass up:



He does have a very unique trailer, of course:



...that you can have fun stacking all sorts of stuff in!




In short, there are a lot of toys in my collection that I would not have if I looked at it and said, "Nope, already have that mold." Why would I only want to choose one between Wheeljack and Tracks? Or only one of the six (main) seekers? There would be a lot of great toys that I wouldn't have!

Of course, that all being said, as I said way back in the beginning, the mold has to make sense for the character! For example, even if I didn't already have two great Warpaths:



I wouldn't feel any great desire to pick up this guy when he comes out:



And in this case, it wouldn't even be a duplicate mold, since I never picked it up as Megatron! (Not to say it was a bad Megatron, I just didn't need another Legends Class Megatron.) But that mold just does not say "Warpath" to me, even when they stick Warpath's head on it.

Yes, if different characters mostly.

Whether I jump on the 'multiples collecting' boat may depend on how many unique molds are used by future combiner wars toys. We haven't really seen past Defensor yet, but it can probably be assumed that unannounced sets like Bruticus/Computron/etc will contain some more unique molds.

If I can complete a new combiner with only duplicating 1 or 2 pieces from a set I already have, I'll probably do that.

Or I might just bite the bullet and buy them all...

I'm hoping some future sets get announced and shown off before Defensor hits stores, that should help with the decision process a lot.

On a side note, great pics Kanrabat, Yotsuyasan, and Logan79!

That new Warpath, they should've made it Grand Slam instead. Give that guy a decent toy.

I collect characters, not moulds. Means I don't need to read instructions as often. Considering they're machine based characters in fiction, I don't really have a problem with bots looking like they're off the same assembly line.

I'm in the same boat re: the CW deluxes. I didn't realise the Aerialbots are basically the same, just one step different. I want the Protectobots but that will include another Aerialbot mold and three similar cars. I think I'll add them to the christmas list. They probably won't hit the UK until then anyway.

I bought the original mold Masterpiece Skywarp because Starscream suffered the wing breakage issue and I got Skywarp cheap. The only other duplicate I bought was TFP flight vehicon to go with the car vehicon. It's not QUITE a duplicate, but it's close.

Mykltron wrote:I'm in the same boat re: the CW deluxes. I didn't realise the Aerialbots are basically the same, just one step different.

Firefight is (so far) unique - unless you count the upcoming "Quickslinger" while Skydive and Air Raid share engineering/design, but most of the parts are seriously retooled. Very few parts are actually the same when you have a close look. Seems that the days of "new colour, new head" releases are gone.

I generally try not to as well, but several good exceptions already brought up in the thread, seekers, Sunstreaker/Sideswipe, Tracks/Wheeljack.

And as already mentioned, now they're often changing a lot than just a color scheme and head. Like CW Optimus and Motormaster. I got Optimus because I like getting Optimuses, I got MM because I needed a complete Menasor, and I was kinda shocked once I got MM just how few parts he actually shared with OP overall. Yes, they're clearly designed the same, but other than the legs almost as different as say, the original G1 Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were.

And I'm looking forward to "Quickslinger" quite a bit, despite being a retool of a figure I already have, just because of who he is.