The Energon Pub

I got lost into the world of Transformers after seeing the movie twice. I was never a big fan of the cartoon when I was a little kid but the movie was just so entertaining and bad ass that it drove me into this hobby.

I thought about just compling a bunch of Autobots and Decepticons together in one bad ass fight scene, but as I've researched the hobby, I've become confused.

There are tons of different collections and sizes and scales and I don't even know where to begin.

Can someone take some time to help out a newb and explain the different series and reccomend some good starting bots?

Thanks,
SB

WELCOME TO SEIBERTRON!

Don't mind the maniacs on this site, the insane asylum's is on summer break!

Unfortunately, the Movie toys are the only ones you can get right now, (unless you're very lucky and find some of the classics toys.) I'd recommend getting the Real Gear or Deluxes first, most of it is simple, it's not as complex as the Voyager or Leader figures. Since you're new to Transformers I'll give you some hints: take your time, the insturctions may not be clear, but if your patient, you should be able to figure it out.

Well, if you were attracted in by the movie then I'd recommend starting there. They're readily available (or soon will be, no '08 Bumblebee complaints!:-x ) and relatively inexpensive.

There are three classes that you would most likely be looking at.

Deluxe
Voyager
Leader

There are others, but those are what I would consider the main part of the movie line.

Deluxes are the smallest of the three and retail for $10. These include Bumblebee and Barricade.

Voyagers are in the middle including Starscream and Ironhide. They retail for $20.

Leaders are the largest, retailing for $40 and include Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Brawl.

Most of the previous lines have the same sizes plus some others that you could look into as well. Perhaps someone else can help fill in on other lines.

Ericus Prime wrote:WELCOME TO SEIBERTRON!

Don't mind the maniacs on this site, the insane asylum's is on summer break!

Unfortunately, the Movie toys are the only ones you can get right now, (unless you're very lucky and find some of the classics toys.) I'd recommend getting the Real Gear or Deluxes first, most of it is simple, it's not as complex as the Voyager or Leader figures. Since you're new to Transformers I'll give you some hints: take your time, the insturctions may not be clear, but if your patient, you should be able to figure it out.

what do u mean with maniacs?!!!!! about takin his time to transform em..to heck with em just dont force em to move to a place here they cant after u dont know what to do read the instructions. and id recommend u to look for Cybertron toys...maybe it will be hard to get but they will be cool but ur first objective should be the movie ones or classics

same as you i was never a tf fan but i do know the characters and it's just that im a movie themed collector and that brought me in collecting tf movie toys so far the best among deluxes are bb 08 and barricade and some exeptional non-movie toys like arcee or wreckage on voyager im not sure because i only got ironhide and the leader class they said prime is the best and im not sure yet with brawl because his just recently released... anyways warm welcome to you...

Thanks for the welcome guys!

I took a trip to TRU this morning with my TRU credit card in hand (lol) and was amazed at how bare the pegs were. There were a few deluxe figs (no bumble bee, just jazz, brawl, and wreckage), and all the gimmicky figs. I did manage to find a voyager Ironhide and man it looks awesome. I havent yet freed it from its plastic prison because I have to go to work in 30 minutes and I'm the type of collector who likes to spend at least 30 minutes playing around with each new fig.

I also got the 20th Anni Movie DVD. It looks pretty sweet and it will help me learn the hobby more. I almost picked up 2 Slumble Bees (1 for me, 1 for my gf) and a Softimus Prime, but I figured I want to keep my first trip under $50, lol.

The cool thing was that the cashier and I got talking about the movie. After I said no to a gift receipt, he said that Ironhide was a great fig and we talked about the movie for like 5 minutes. I think a lot of TRU staff are just like us. Pretty cool first TF buying experience.

Man, tho, the pegs have been really raped since the movie out. I remember like 2 months ago seeing pegs full of cyberton figs, but now only a few movie deluxe figs, the Beast War 10th Anni boxset, two cyberton optimus primals, a cybertron demolisher and 4 backstops (no love for the rhino?) are left.

Sorry for the long post, it was just a great trip and experience this morning. Pics of my new Ironhide should be up by Tuesday in here and in the Pose thread.

Thanks for the help, any other info would be greatly appreciated.

SB.

i also got slumblebee you know the plush stuff toy so cute my gf love it and we are planning on buying clothes for him... we just call him slumblebee

Make sure to find the clearance aisle in Wal-Mart. You should be able to pick up a Classics Cliffjumper and Mirage there. If you're VERY lucky there may be some other Classics and Cybertron figs as well. The only thing on the toy aisle right now will be movie figs, or empty pegs FOR the movie figs.

K-Mart should be pretty stocked with stuff, no one hardly ever goes there, but they will be 2 or 3 dollars more than anywhere else.

softimus_prime wrote:same as you i was never a tf fan but i do know the characters and it's just that im a movie themed collector and that brought me in collecting tf movie toys so far the best among deluxes are bb 08 and barricade and some exeptional non-movie toys like arcee or wreckage on voyager im not sure because i only got ironhide and the leader class they said prime is the best and im not sure yet with brawl because his just recently released... anyways warm welcome to you...

lol, nice name.

How is Ironside? I hope he is as bad ass as he looks in the package.

I think I have about as much hope of finding Prime as I do of finding 08 Bumble Bee. I might just have to break down and buy the old Camaro version that I saw in K-Mart.

SB

Loki41872 wrote:Make sure to find the clearance aisle in Wal-Mart. You should be able to pick up a Classics Cliffjumper and Mirage there. If you're VERY lucky there may be some other Classics and Cybertron figs as well. The only thing on the toy aisle right now will be movie figs, or empty pegs FOR the movie figs.

K-Mart should be pretty stocked with stuff, no one hardly ever goes there, but they will be 2 or 3 dollars more than anywhere else.

Sweet, I will have to try Wal-Mart in the next week.

My K-Mart has a few of the movie toys and I might just end up buying the '77 Bumble Bee from there. They also have Jazz, Brawl, and Wreckage I think. Jazz looks eh, lol, but I will end up getting Brawl and Wreckage once I compile a nice Autobot force.

SB

If you know where a 77 BB is, go get it. those are getting as hard to find as the rest of them.

thanks he IS a bad ass ironhide is my very first tf toy and it took me an hour transforming him due to exitement and not reading the manual and you might experience it as well because once you have the arms and legs fixed the torso issue will occur the legs are facing opposite on the front body DONT forget to twist the torso 360 degrees... just an advise

softimus_prime wrote:thanks he IS a bad ass ironhide is my very first tf toy and it took me an hour transforming him due to exitement and not reading the manual and you might experience it as well because once you have the arms and legs fixed the torso issue will occur the legs are facing opposite on the front body DONT forget to twist the torso 360 degrees... just an advise

Good advice, as he is my first TF fig as well. I think I will spend a good hour or two transforming him back and forth before finally posing him, lol.

Just a question to everyone else: How well do the movie TFs fit in with the other lines? I've noticed that the other TF lines are so vibrant and colorful, but the movie line really isn't. Can you tell much difference between them?

SB

im not sure it's just that the movie line is being respectively atleast at the same color scheme with the cgi render...

The movie toys will stand out stylisticly from previous lines. The thing I do is display mine , the ones not in storage anyway , w/ their respective series. Still some times figures from one line do fit in nicely w/ other lines for example cybertron or energon downshift makeS for a nice wheeljack in my classics collection. Also since your new to the hobby if your interested in previouse discontinued series of toys try comic shops. I go to a fantastic place in Louisville KY called The Great Escape and pick up loose/complete figures all the time. Now older(G1) & rare{imports/exclusives} will demand higher prices, but stuff from the last couple of years you can get below retail. Welcome to the fandom. TX

Weclome to the world of Transformers! (thought I would try something different)

Once you get hooked, there's no turning back. You just get addicted to the things, lol. I like the movie toys, just a pain sometimes with the automorph part of it. Alot of the figs that came out in the begining are getting hard to find now, like Barricade and classic camero Bumblebee. I was lucky enough to find them last weekend. Here's a pic. of my TF collection. Mind you, it's just some of them, not all.

Welcome to Seibertron & the glorious world of TF Collecting. As mentioned before, focus on the movie line first. Those will be easier to get. Also, Hasbro will be releasing repaints of some of the movie figures; some in G1 (Generation 1—the original 1984 TF toyline) color schemes. Get the figures you want (liked them in the movie, liked in video game, etc). You don't have to try and get everything released because it will be too costly. The different class sizes of modern transformers are: Basic, Deluxe, Voyager, Leader and Supreme. They differ in price point, complexity and in the last three inclusion of lights/electronics. FAB or Fast Action Battlers are more oriented towards children due to their simpler transformation.

As for the other TF series, Cybertron and Classics are indeed on clearance in most stores and you can pick up some very inexpensively. The Classics line is a reimagining of the G1 series but with updated sculpts. Cybertron is another great series with a lot of unique figures that pay homage to many previous TF toylines. The style of these two lines does radically differ between the movie toys; they have a more Japanese robot style to them than the movie figures.

I would recommend starting small and get figures that are easy to find. If you see a few Classics or Cybertron figures on clearance and they are inexpensive, pick up one or two to see if you will like the rest of the line. Also pick up the movie figures now because they are abundant and easy to find. Eventually you will probably have to resort to eBay for any figures that are no longer sold in stores. And that can get expensive. I would also look on Seibertron's vast toy galleries to get the next best thing to holding one in your hand. While it isn't complete yet, Ryan's been working hard on getting galleries for every toy released by Hasbro and Takara. Also use this forum to ask any questions (tip: search to see if it has been answered before you ask) on collecting. The fans here are a friendly & knowledgable bunch who don't mind helping out a new collector. Finally, have fun.

hhhmmm... that's weird when i was new here i was not welcome as warm as this but anyways at least i tend to meet and know other collectors not personally but atleast through messages...

Starscream's Girl wrote:Weclome to the world of Transformers! (thought I would try something different)

Once you get hooked, there's no turning back. You just get addicted to the things, lol. I like the movie toys, just a pain sometimes with the automorph part of it. Alot of the figs that came out in the begining are getting hard to find now, like Barricade and classic camero Bumblebee. I was lucky enough to find them last weekend. Here's a pic. of my TF collection. Mind you, it's just some of them, not all.

Thanks for the welcome and man, what an awesome collection you have. Which TF is your favorite?

I can already tell what a great and ridiculously addictive hobby this is going to be. But thats the fun of a hobby. Why deal with the stress of life when instead you can dive into the world of Transformers? lol.

I'm pretty set on ordering the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime off the internet. Man he just looks bad ass. Does anyone know of a good place to order it from? The best price I can find seems to be $40. Plus I figure Ironhide will need some guidance and leadership. I know he is a skilled tactacian and all, but I just see him charging the Decepticons, guns a blazing, lol. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.

Anyways, thanks again Starscream's Girl, I really appreciate your help. I already feel like I've made new friends and I've only had this hobby for less than a month. I guess it pays to collect Transformers =)

SB

SnapTrap wrote:Welcome to Seibertron & the glorious world of TF Collecting. As mentioned before, focus on the movie line first. Those will be easier to get. Also, Hasbro will be releasing repaints of some of the movie figures; some in G1 (Generation 1—the original 1984 TF toyline) color schemes. Get the figures you want (liked them in the movie, liked in video game, etc). You don't have to try and get everything released because it will be too costly. The different class sizes of modern transformers are: Basic, Deluxe, Voyager, Leader and Supreme. They differ in price point, complexity and in the last three inclusion of lights/electronics. FAB or Fast Action Battlers are more oriented towards children due to their simpler transformation.

As for the other TF series, Cybertron and Classics are indeed on clearance in most stores and you can pick up some very inexpensively. The Classics line is a reimagining of the G1 series but with updated sculpts. Cybertron is another great series with a lot of unique figures that pay homage to many previous TF toylines. The style of these two lines does radically differ between the movie toys; they have a more Japanese robot style to them than the movie figures.

I would recommend starting small and get figures that are easy to find. If you see a few Classics or Cybertron figures on clearance and they are inexpensive, pick up one or two to see if you will like the rest of the line. Also pick up the movie figures now because they are abundant and easy to find. Eventually you will probably have to resort to eBay for any figures that are no longer sold in stores. And that can get expensive. I would also look on Seibertron's vast toy galleries to get the next best thing to holding one in your hand. While it isn't complete yet, Ryan's been working hard on getting galleries for every toy released by Hasbro and Takara. Also use this forum to ask any questions (tip: search to see if it has been answered before you ask) on collecting. The fans here are a friendly & knowledgable bunch who don't mind helping out a new collector. Finally, have fun.

Wow, that is one hell of a response, dude. Thanks a lot. Although I have somewhat of a completist nature, money is thin right now so it looks like I'm only going to be snagging a few here and there. I really like the looks of the older lines because they are vibrant and colorful. I'm hoping those lines and movie lines with mesh in well together. I've got OCD when it comes to my displays, lol.

I like the Classics a lot, and I'm sure I will like them more once I watch the 20th Anni Movie I bought today. The Cybertron series is cool too, but I don't understand the Cyber Keys or Minicons, or even the entire storyline behind the series, lol. Oh well, the next couple months will be a giant TF learning experience.

The galley on here is amazing. Hopefully I will be lucky when I go out hunting next week to find some good clearance figs.

SnapTrap, whats your favorite fig you have?

This forum has been awesome so far and great with helping me start this hobby. It's a place like this that will make this hobby even more rewarding.

Thanks.
SB

btw if your planning to get a bb toy try the new one atleast because if you haven't heard yet there is a problem with classic camaro bb the automorph feature is also like a classic automorph if you know what i mean and as an advice dont take them for granted like you just want them all so that you can just be on the top love them as well and just get those toys that you really need so bad that you cant sleep without having it as for me im having difficulties looking for slumblebee and now that i have it i always sleep with slumblebee and try not to lean on him... (kinda childish)

Welcome, man! I'm new to this, too. I got interested from seeing the movie, like you. I had a few figures as a kid (namely the SeaCons and Powermaster Optimus Prime), but not enough to call it a "collection."

I'm just going to start with the movie figures and go from there. There's no way I will be able to go back and collect old series, I don't think. So I'm not going to worry about them.

My original thought was to just get the figures that were actually in the movie, but now I'm working on getting them all. (Other than duplicate figures. I may not get Rescue Ratchet or Final Battle Jazz. Haven't decided.)

Most important: Have fun!

M-State_Moc wrote:Welcome, man! I'm new to this, too. I got interested from seeing the movie, like you. I had a few figures as a kid (namely the SeaCons and Powermaster Optimus Prime), but not enough to call it a "collection."

I'm just going to start with the movie figures and go from there. There's no way I will be able to go back and collect old series, I don't think. So I'm not going to worry about them.

My original thought was to just get the figures that were actually in the movie, but now I'm working on getting them all. (Other than duplicate figures. I may not get Rescue Ratchet or Final Battle Jazz. Haven't decided.)

Most important: Have fun!

Thanks for the welcome bro!

I havent decided how much of the movie line I'm going to get. I didnt want to get Jazz and I wanted to get the 20th Anni version Prime, but then I saw the picture in Bumbled (I think thats his name)'s sig with all of the movie alts posed and it just looked incredibly bad ass. I don't know what I'm going to get now. I might just get movie Prime because it fits in with the other movie figs and I've heard that its still a very sweet Prime.

I do like how Ratchet looks now, but I might get the rescue version just so he looks more medic-like.

Who knew there was so much decision making involved in this hobby? lol or maybe its just me.

Oh and softimus prime, I admire your passion for this hobby. I always treat all of my toys with respect just because I spent my hard time and money on them, plus they're like family =) Hopefully I will be able to develop the same passion as you for this.

SB

thanks it's just that there something that more than meets the eye on toy collecting and my non tf toys are also my pride specially my master replicas darth vader light saber collectible and i usually clean and dust them every week and i open all my toys because i feel sad when they are in their plastic and twisties prison...

softimus_prime wrote:hhhmmm... that's weird when i was new here i was not welcome as warm as this but anyways at least i tend to meet and know other collectors not personally but atleast through messages...

Awww...I'm sorry. (Guy hugs Softy!) S'up?

Welcome to both of you cuddlies! Anyway, I suggest some good ol' back to roots G1 figures like Starscream, and a Masterpiece or two. Takara is releasing an Encore edition of Megatron, Prime, Starscream, and Soundwave that are re-issues of their G1 selves. Also Walmart will be having a Masterpiece Starscream in G1 color scheme that I recommend nabbing.