The Energon Pub

A couple of weeks ago, my Daughter had her 15th Birthday party at the house. This was a big deal as she is now a Freshman in high school, and she was inviting boys as well as girls over to play video games, eat pizza, and have birthday cake. This was also important because this was a new mix of friends and I had not met many of them.
Those of you who have seen the pictures know I have a Transformer room where I keep my collection. viewtopic.php?f=206&t=57545 It happens to be in my office, there is no door, you can't enter the house and not notice the Transformer room. That being said, I have been getting grief over the years from my Daughter over the collection, only because she actually likes the toys and cartoons and hates to admit it. But I digress, she was concerned about what her friends would think about her having a Dad who is a toy collector, and we were about to have 8 of her friends come over. I was concerned with having 9 teenagers in the house!
So the friends begin to arrive, first was a couple of her girl friends. Then one of her male friends who has been here before, Then came in a friend she met just this Summer during gym. I won't refer to him by name, but I'll call him "W". My Daughter shows him the Transformer room and I followed. He just stood there, as if in shock, then right out of "Wayne's World" he did the "I'm not worthy" bow... Asked me to pass on my secrets to collecting, I laughed and said it's all in the research. Before he left, I gave him the web address to Seibertron and told him to start here... Finally, all her friends arrived and everyone had a great time, when it was time to for everyone to leave, I now had my Daughter's friend's parents marveling at the collection. Asking questions, all the "ooh's and aah's".
Later that week, I asked my Daughter what her friends thought of the party and the house. She replied, begrudgingly, that now all her friends want to come over all the time and that they thought I was a cool Dad. I thought it was funny how something she used to gripe over now brought her "street cred". To me it was one of the greater moments that I've experienced over 8 yrs I've been collecting, so I thought I'd put together my list of the top 5. So, here they are, not in any real order....

5 - Knowing my collection gives my Daughter "Street Cred". Seeing a bit of myself in her friend, "W", and passing along collecting info to another generation...

4 - First time realizing I had enough Transformers that I needed a room to put them in. Watching how the room has changed through the years, as more furniture was being pushed out to make room for displays...

3 - First time I had friends and Family over after getting the room together. Especially my Brother who is a few years younger then me, and used to watch the Transformers cartoons with growing up. I don't see him often.

2 - First time I posted pictures of the collection on sites like Seibertron and Facebook, and reading the reactions from both people who I've never met, and friends who I've not seen in over 20 years.

1 - First time I had another "Collector" actually see the collection in person.

What are your top 5 greater moments in collecting...

First I wanna say, SoundStang.... OMFG (bows down)
I've only been collecting for a few months, something about seeing the second Transformers movie just made me realize how valuable the toys actually are, and renewed my love for Transformers. As a kid I only received 2 toys, Optimus Prime and Beachcomber. They are still in my basement somewhere. Don't have 5 moments, but I will just go over the moments that I had.

3) Driving all the way to Target to get ROFT toys on 4th of July with my cousins and ended up getting 3 when I only wanted 1.

2) Finding these awesome online stores to buy G1 toys such as Devastator.

1) Looking for a bookcase to store my collection which is only about 15 or so.

Buying G1 Reissue Megatron after waiting 18 years to get him.

My ex fiancee bought me oversized KO Bruticus and a set of 32 G2 TF's in the space of a week for my birthday.

Setting up my den and the reactions of old friends upon seeing the collection upon entering.

My workmates' positive reaction on seeing various G1 toys such as Soundwave, Prowl, Sideswipe and Starscream.

My workmates wanting to go to the opening of TF1 with me because having a friend who was a fan would enhance it for them.

3. Replacing my old, broken Dinobot, with the Universe version.
2. Getting a shelf for my figures.
1. Realizing that Protoform Prime and Voyager Megs were size accurate.

5) Finding a Noisemaze Production Type, and just happening to have enough to afford him.
4) Finding a mislabeled BotCon Shokoract auction and getting him for a steal.
3) Randomly strolling into a K-Mart and finding a Cybertron Primus with Unicron Head among all the normal ones, two weeks after I gave up on finding him at retail.
2) Going to CyberCon one year with my wife, and she won me a KO Monstructor in a trivia contest.
1) Getting a hand-painted plate from my wife with Barricade's insignia and quote ("to punish and enslave") that she did at an art class one day.

5: My wife getting me Star Convoy, completing my Optimus Prime collection to that point.

4: Getting WST Magnus and Hot Rod for a total of $10 from blind boxes in an import store.

3: Finally getting a Unicron toy after a 16 year wait. (Armada)

2: Finally seeing Megatron win. Mind you it was Beast Wars Megatron but I'll take what I can get. (Beast Wars: the Agenda Part 3)

1: Getting off from work for 4th of July weekend in March in 2007. When the release date got bumped up to the 2nd, I talked my manager into just counting the whole blacked out week as my vacation, breaking a whole slew of company policies. (the Movie 2007)

What an awesome experience, SoundStag! I hope I get to experience something similar someday.

Hmm, I'm a newer collector so I don't have a wealth of moments to draw from but here's my current 5 favourite moments:

1) Simply getting into Transformers collecting. My first figure was TFA Blurr. It's a figure that looks great in alt and bot mode. The figure design is great and the transformation design is great. There's no waste in the transformation, every piece has a precise part to play.

2) Getting Classics Hound. This is my favourite figure. I think it perfectly captures the essence of G1 aesthetics in a contemporary fashion. The transformation design is wonderful too. It's not complicated at all, it may be seen as simple but I think it's elegant. It makes transformation fun and intuitive without being overly simple.

3) This is a double whammy of Optimus Prime. Basically when I acquired RotF Leader Optimus Prime and 20th Anniversary DVD Edition Optimus Prime, I really saw how far Transformers has come for me. I remember owning the original G1 Optimus Prime toy when I was very young. Too young to appreciate it but it was a fun toy nonetheless. Seeing the G1 incarnation so perfectly represented in toy form was a big moment for me. RotF Leader Optimus Prime was something similar but more for technical reasons. Simply, the toy design never ceases to impress me on all levels.

4) Getting my younger brother into Transformers. He's not as a hardcore fan as I am but he enjoys Transformers and it's something we can enjoy together.

5) Last but not least, experiencing the fan community for the first time and continuing to experience it. I just find it so wonderful that I can share my enjoyment of a hobby with so many other people. I love seeing the passion and enthusiasm that people have for Transformers. I also am continually amazed by the camaraderie in the fan community. I was bestowed some figures by a fellow forum member who said that they wanted to see the figures in the hands of someone who would enjoy them. In a pastime that largely involves the act of acquisition of items, such an act of generosity really touched me.

1. Managing to find a MISB Metalhawk back in 1992 in a thrift shop flea market (the box ain't so MISB anymore but Metalhawk is just as good as he left the assembly)

2. Again, finding (1992) a complete Hasbro G1 metal Predaking/Predacon group. This is the metal version........long before I realized that this one was one of the holy grails in tfdom.....cost around $US20 back then.

3. My dad buying me a Fortmax after passing the licensure exams (1992)


4. Getting the re-issue Starconvoy around 2005

5. Just a month or so ago finding a near MISB Skygarry for less the SRP on ebay

1. Buying my first ever TF with my own salary, a Classics Mirage.

2. Actually finding a Takara MP USA edition Starscream a full year after it was released.

3. Buying a ML Soundblaster on sale at the local store AND later getting a ML Soundwave as a surprise gift. The closest I'll ever come to owning two of the same high-end figure, unless I get a raise

4. My nephew insisting I gave ROTF Long Haul a chance, and I'm glad I listened to him.

5. Upon hearing that Takara was releasing its MP series.

5. Finding Armada Unicron.

He ended up being very common and went on clearance most places. The first 3 weeks of his arrival were tortuous though. He was nowhere to be found. The Wal-Mart I worked in at the time had a case or two come in and one of my fellow co-workers took them straight off the truck to eBay (where he was making $200 profit off each one). I remember being in the middle of a move to a new apartment and living in my (then) girlfriend’s dorm at the time. I made a quick trip out to a 24 hour Wal-Mart on a Friday night and found Unicron on a palate. It took some convincing, but one of the more helpful employees got him for me. Then I had to check out…it was very strange to be buying a huge $50 toy on a Friday night in a college town where everyone in front of me in line was a drunk Greek. (seriously, it must have been a whole sorority and their frat counterpart)

4. TFC Reissue Megatron

I supported myself through college. I got essentially very little if any help at all from my family. This meant most semesters (4 month blocks), I would survive the entire thing on $500 or so. This left very little room for a hobby. Now, I was given a expensive bottle of gin from some good friends for my birthday that year. I didn’t know about importing toys yet, but the local toy shop had a TFC Megatron. So…I pawned enough video games and returned the expensive bottle of gin to the store in order to afford my reissue Megatron. That situation in of itself set the stage for my attitude about collecting and getting the things you want. It’s one of the reasons why I am savage in regards to complaints over “fairness”, especially in regards to getting to BotCon.

3. Getting Fort Max as a kid

I got one. My grandparents got him for me. A winner, was me.
(side note, my parents sold him for essentially nothing at a garage sale. “TIME TO GROW UP” they said. I never even got the couple of dollars they got from it…)

2. Being a part of this community

I’ve made countless friends and connections here. You all know who you are. I’ve had strangers introduce themselves at BotCon. I’ve helped people complete collections. I’ve had deals come to me out of respect alone. I’ve seen opinions change and have at the same time had my horizons expanded by other’s viewpoints. I’ve had moderators wise enough recognize that I was arguing a point and not attacking a person. I’ve had savage discussions with people who don’t like me, but that I would still like to have a beer with. I’m lucky enough to know people all over the world who share this insane enthusiasm. I get the chance once or twice a year to host a gathering for local collectors/friends. I’m counting on you all to buy up pieces of my collection when I eventually get hit by a bus or eaten by a dinosaur or something.

1. BotCon 2007

I don’t think it can be topped. Location, event, toys, first time etc. The convention was insane. There was so much going on, so many things to see, and so many people to meet. Some of my best friends have come out of that meeting. My wife was able to attend which was really, really cool to let her get immersed in the whole thing with me. We had such an amazing trip that it has fueled my desire to go for the past two years, even when I’ve thought better of making the long and difficult trip. Still, the contacts I made in 07’ and the friends I met up with have made opportunities for cost cutting available as well as a host of great stories.

hmmm...top 5 you say? I don't know if I have five, but I will post something

1. My best find so far has been my G2 Optimus Prime. I'm not much of a OP fan; however, I do enjoy the G2 series. I found it at an old antique store that was going out of business. I usually never go in there due to their overly priced items, but they were having a sale. I went up and down the store with my sister when I notices a little red truck...instant thoughts were 'SCORE!'. I picked him up and bought him for 25 cents. He was missing his trailer but for a quarter, I was happy.

2. For Christmas my friend gave me an Optimus Prime poster, I still have it hanging up in my room.

3. Getting the nickname Optimus Prime...this was more like torture since I was always a Con fan. The name was given to me in the 7th grade and I've had it since then. Sometimes I hate it and sometimes I love it.

4. My findings of Blitzwing and a collector's mall. He was nasty and sticky and I had no idea it was actually Blitzwing at first. When I picked him up, I had no interest in buying him until I saw the insignia. ^_^ I immediately bought him and cleaned him up.

I haven't had many big findings, but I am quite pleased with the transformers I have now and how I found them.

In no particular order:



Getting Leader Brawl for my birthday from the girl I was going out with at the time

Putting up my display shelves for the first time

When ever someone comes round and stares in awe and admiration at my collection



Can't think of any more special moments.

5. Getting my first transformer at K-mart in 1985, it was Bumble Bee, I still have the figure in my collection and he still transforms (though a little rickety in the head area)

4. Finding a complete Omega Supreme figure at a flea market at the age of 14 (1990 ish) and paying $15 for it. Then having my grandparents (who I was traveling with at the time) put the figure in a box in their attic when I went home (as I left in a hurry and forgot the figure). I had forgotten the figure then 5 years ago I was helping them move into a smaller house and found the preserved figure.

3. The day my Takara G1 inspired Megatron arrived in the mail.

2. The week I have spent reading these forums and realizing that I am by far, not the only middle aged "nerd" that is still obsessed with Transformers.

1. When I met my wife, she saw my then fairly small Transformers collection for the first time and lost her mind with excitement over my G1 Soundwave. She got me a G2 Galvatron for our first anniversary mint and in the packaging, that is a rare find a woman that likes Transformers...

Cheers

Good topic. There are really so many that it was hard to isolate 5, but I might as well try.

5) Discovering Ebay - There were some cool Transformers I had as a kid, but very little of that original collection had remained entering this decade for various reasons. However once I got onto Ebay and started winning some auctions suddenly my apt was overrun with Transformers.

4) Classics hit the store shelves - This and another happening that ALMOST made the list (the TRU reissues being released) have so much to do with why I collected as an adult. However, Classics coming out meant slightly more because Hasbro showed they cared enough about those characters to make brand new molds of them.

3) The ultimate sick day - I was in elementary school and ended up getting sick. To this day I don't remember what I was sick with or how I ended up at that toy store, but somehow I remember my mom taking me to a toy store and buying me Shockwave. EPIC WIN!

2) First Communion Toy Haul - I got about a half dozen TF's for this, including the one and only Optimus Prime in all his G1 glory.

1) Botcon 07 - My wife and I disagree about whose idea it was to go to this but even though her memory fails her, it was actually hers. I was bummed that the seekers were only going to be Botcon exclusives and then she said we should go to Botcon then. I certainly didn't protest and since then we have gone every year, making some great friends along the way.

heh, lol. At first I thought this was about the top 5 moments for buying pieces to the collection. Another example of not judging the book by it's cover. To be honest I have to agree w/ Soundstang on many on that list.

1) Showing off my collection to every new person who visits my apartment. And then watching their jaw drop at how many I have. I still haven't decided if this should be part of this one, or a new one. But I also enjoy asking them to find the transformer I spent the most money on (and I usually exclude the bigger ones like Fort Max). I don't think anyone has yet to guess it correctly.

2) Going to the store to buy yet another book shelf system to display my TFs on. And I still need to get 1 or 3 more.

3) Taking pictures of my collection, then months later going back to update my collection. It's always cool to post them online and read people's responses. It gives a satisfying sense of accomplishment w/ what I have collected.

4) I've recently had to offer up my Fort Max as collateral to borrow some money and replace the engine in my car. It's quite amusing to hear my friend talk about inviting other people over to play w/ Fort Max. I'm not the only one my age playing w/ toys.

5) Those times when I lay in bed and just stare at my collection. I examine each piece and wonder, "do I want to play w/ this one? or this one?"

5) Getting my Henkei Optimus Prime, one of my favorite Transformers.

4) Buying a G1 Slag for a dollar at a junk barn.

3) Completing the Animated line up to its current point.

2) Having my brother help me make a custom classics Jazz to compliment my Classics Collection.

1) When the Fansproject box arrived at my house with the city commander armor inside.

I started collecting TF's in '06 when I heard about the movie coming out. I had them as a kid, but all those are long gone. While I haven't been collecting long, I do have some favorite moments so far. These are not ranked in any particular order.

1. Finding this website and signing up. There are other people out there that collect toys! I love being able to come on here and talk about the collection and see all the new stuff thats coming out. The people on here are polite, helpful, and informative. Keep up the good work!

2. Buying my first adult TF. When I heard about the '07 movie I got interested in TF's again (they started advertising it in '06). I was wondering through Target one day and I stopped in the toy aisle and there were some Classics figures. I grabbed Ramjet. I opened him in the car and I was hooked.

3. Showing people the shelves of TF I have in the house. I have a shelf in the living room with a lot of the more recent stuff on it. That shelf is one of the first things people go for when they come to our house. If they are really into it, I take them upstairs and show them the "Prized Shelf". Thats all my G1 stuff, Masterpiece, and larger figures.

4. My first Ebay win. I got a G1 Jetfire with all the pieces except for the little gun clip for $32. I was extatic.

5. My TF themed 30th birthday party. My girlfriend rented out a restaurant and decorated the whole place with TF stuff. Many of my friends brought little TF related gifts, and we had a Transformers cake. It was great.

5) Winning Hammerstrike on ebay

4) Finding and buying Henkei colored Classic Megatron

3) Moment I owned so many I replaced my old drawer unit with huge baskets and dust-proof liners (I can't add shelves)

2) Transforming my log into a personal fanon-based Wiki (aka: the "I'm officially a nut" moment)

1) My first mod: Animated Lockdown's wrists

Like the topic! Never really thought about it before, but here goes...in no particular order.

1. The beginning--getting the two G1 Jumpstarters for Easter way back when I was 9 or 10. That started the whole craze for me, and my brother and I had all kinds of fun watching those two zip around and then flip to a standing position. They still work, too!

2. TFs come back--I thought the TF franchise was over when I was in college. I'd collected G1 (what I could as a kid) but largely ignored G2. Then I saw these new "Transformers" figures showing up on shelves--Beast Wars! I couldn't believe that my hobby was back! Ever since then, I've been all over every new toy line (except the movies, for some reason).

3. Completing G1--many points here: finally getting all the original G1 Autobot cars; finally getting all the original seekers; all the orginal Targetmasters; all the cassettes; all the minispies. It was just awesome to see all of them in my possession. Of special note are G1 Tracks, Hound, and Ramjet--always envied kids with those, but had never even held them until I could get them as an adult. Again, awesome.

4. Completing all the G1 Gestalts--yeah, closely related to #3, but in a league of its own, as anyone who has set out to do this will agree. So many pieces and years of scouring e-bay for the perfect deals... Getting my reissue Predaking in the mail after only owning one of the figures as a kid... Realizing what a "Piranacon" was, since I'd never even heard of it before... They may be the pride and joy of my G1 collection.

5. Return of G1--Love those Classics! What a great move by Hasbro/Takara to bring back the old days with some (usually) better figures! And the Botcon Games of Deception set--a special memory for me, as it's my only Botcon set to date, but I think I made a good decision to go after that one. Maybe one day I'll get to attend a Botcon in person and meet all the collectors on this site that have been a part of my hobby now for the last few years.