The Energon Pub

I'm sure "some" of you have done this before..maybe? but I just sold my entire, 25 years worth...collection of Transfomers. I'm not a HUGE poster around here, but I've been around a while. It's not something I did in great haste or anything, but it was necessary. No..it wasn't for a girl. I simply felt I needed the space and it was time to move on with other things.

Mainly though, whether cute or pathetic, I was tired of being defined by my possessions. After I got rid of them all I received a lot of "are you okay with it?" messages. Well, if I wasn't okay with it, I wouldn't have done it. Frankly, I am still the same person, sans a few hundred toys.

I'm just curious if anyone has had similar feelings on the subject. There is something very liberating about giving up something you love. I guess it's a Buddhist ideal. Does that mean I won't be around?, well...no. I do love the stuff still. I just think maybe in my recent travels I will stick to buying exotic guitars rather than toys. Oddly enough, I just started writing for a popular travel book and tv show, my "purge" as it were, was a major focus of moving on to bolder adventures.

Sacrilege or not? you decide. They did go to a good home though, rest assured.

I was like you once, getting rid of my collection to concentrate on real world stuff, but as I got used to my new life and found my groove, I regretted giving all my stuff away. I'm fine with getting rid of some of my smaller figures, but it's the larger, more difficult to find stuff that I wish I kept around.

Hopefully, when you find your own groove and settle in, you don't regret giving your stuff away. BTW, collecting things like exotic guitars and toys are not mutually exclusive.

I have never really considered getting rid of my transformers, at least not the small group that I really treasure. It's not about them defining me as a person, or being something that is necessary for my life. Hardly. Its my hobby, and I enjoy them.

I considering myself pretty geeky all around, but its hard for me to read through the internet into the minds of others who collect and browse the forums. Obviously we all share the same interest, but for lack of a better way to put it.... I don't know which people have nothing better to do with themselves BESIDES their geeky hobbies. For those people who are so focused and obsessed with their collections then obviously a big purge is somewhat critical to re-align the priorities in their lives. Its like an addiction that you have to get rid of. I am far from this category but still have a VERY healthy number of figures that I have been purchasing for literally 15 years myself, and received as gifts for my entire life.

That Beast wars Transmetal Optimus I will never sell means something else besides a fix for my addiction. That's a treasured memory, that's like a teddy bear that someone cuddled for their childhood.

So in short, I am in full support of people purging their collections when it has taken over their lives and they need to shock it out of their system. It's tragic, but then again necessary to move on. I am lucky I am not in this category and will continue to pursue my chosen hobby, continuously reminding myself of what I want from my hobby, and of my ever changing priorities in life.

As I say that I realize that purchasing many of these ROTF toys was ultimately not something that goes into my long term collections requirements, but I appreciate the engineering so much that I cannot help myself. Hopefully they will be worth something in a few years when I realize they aren't necessary for my collection anymore. (stupid Armada toys being worthless)

I haven't had a purge of my collection but I have sold off significant pieces of it to make room and as a "trimming the fat" process. I'd like to mainly have figures in my collection that I really like and not become too much of a pack rat. I bought a lot of figures and accessories on impulse and while they are certainly things I enjoy having, they weren't so vital to my collection that I couldn't part with them.

Right or wrong, good or bad, a purge's validity comes down to the owner's mindset. If you truly are passionate about a hobby and can maintain a balanced lifestyle then there's no need to purge. You can trim your collection to make it manageable but it's not necessary to get rid of everything to be able to "move on" or make a change in life. To me, it's not about what you have or don't have, rather it's about how you view your possessions.

At this point, I don't think I'll ever be getting rid of any of my transformers. I've spent too much money to simply get rid of them. I'm not buying all transformers, but the ones I have, i won't be getting rid of.

I performed the great purge in the early 2000's, selling off most of G1/Beast Wars/RID. I just didn't want the G1 stuff after getting into Alternators, and now that Classics and Universe have come along, I am happy that I got rid of the other stuff. I sold it all for quite the profit that went for a down payment on our house. I appreciate the G1 stuff, and still have some, but it seemed like I just had it to have it, I didn't enjoy it as much as I do the newer stuff.

Right now, there's a bunch of tf toys that I do want to get rid of in my collection. I was never a completist, but I did have a habit of picking up stuff that I really didn't need at times. Now I have one bookshelf up full of tf figures that I love and 3 tubs of stuff that I just don't need anymore. I still need to go through the bins, find what I really like, but for the most part, I feel I can part ways with a good chunk of my collection at the moment. I don't know if it's even worth it for me to sell it off on ebay, but I think that might be something I'll be doing this upcoming year. Hell, from my last move, I gave some general tf toys to the kids in my apt complex just to not throw them in the trash.

I know exactly what I want from my collection now and what figures will interest me. So I'm at that crossroads where I too am looking to "streamline" my collection. I think anykind of cleanout in life is necessary at times, and for me, that time is 2010.

Prime Evil wrote:Right now, there's a bunch of tf toys that I do want to get rid of in my collection. I was never a completist, but I did have a habit of picking up stuff that I really didn't need at times. Now I have one bookshelf up full of tf figures that I love and 3 tubs of stuff that I just don't need anymore. I still need to go through the bins, find what I really like, but for the most part, I feel I can part ways with a good chunk of my collection at the moment. I don't know if it's even worth it for me to sell it off on ebay, but I think that might be something I'll be doing this upcoming year. Hell, from my last move, I gave some general tf toys to the kids in my apt complex just to not throw them in the trash.

I know exactly what I want from my collection now and what figures will interest me. So I'm at that crossroads where I too am looking to "streamline" my collection. I think anykind of cleanout in life is necessary at times, and for me, that time is 2010.

Just put those 3 tubs on the curb, I'll swing by and pick them up for you, if only to save you the hassle of going through them! No need to pay me, I'll just do it to help you out

Over a thousand ... probably a dozen or more "tubs" full of them. I've contemplated off-loading a lot of it, mostly space, but also because recent lines (Movie, Animated) have just killed the enjoyment of collecting for me. Combine that with the fact i'm not finding a lot of figures locally so i'm forced to shop online and have trouble finding good deals, then yeah, the collecting bug isn't overly active.

I did however pick up a incomplete G1 Scorponok, had I waited a week I could have gotten a complete one for not much more, them's the breaks. But i'm enjoying tracking the pieces down. I also have a Trypticon on the way who'll need the same attention given to him. These are the last of the "big" bots I need in G1, not counting Fortress Maximus of course because I consider him an impossibility. Plus I have the mold in the form of Brave Maximus anyway.

Were I to sell off ... well i'd keep some figures, though given how many I like I don't think i'd sell off too many in the end.

Tis' a good thread.

Purges are a good thing - they help you redefine a collection, help you avoid collecting for the sake of it and give you a buzz helping out other collectors.

I've had three collections as an adult and I'm on my fourth. I've sold collections for different reasons; to slim down a collection, to focus on a particular series or keep the most important figures to me.

I've never actually met my goal in collecting TFs which was to get the complete series one figures in Gen 1 but now it seems irrelevant. I should have all the Decepticons with the help of the third Encore Cassette set.

However what I like now is representations of particular series whether by character or by series. I don't collect many figures but somehow I've managed to accumulate nearly 90 Transformers! The irony is that with my collection hardly any of them are on display because I don't own my own place and I don't have anything to display them in without the chance they'd be damaged.

I wish I could purge the Armada stuff I have. Upwards of 30 figures and all of the regular mini-con teams except like 1 of them. I would trade pretty much that entire series for a few select Beast Wars or Henkei figures. Doesn't seem to be much value in them, and I want to move them as a unit though.

Too bad too, they are all in terrific shape and with the boxes.

proximus wrote:Oddly enough, I just started writing for a popular travel book and tv show, my "purge" as it were, was a major focus of moving on to bolder adventures.

Sacrilege or not? you decide. They did go to a good home though, rest assured.

Congrats! That is literally my dream writing job to write and travel on someone else's dime.

And good for you for dumping the collection. You can always start it again if you'd like.

Hmm, this question never did occur to me, since I'm still a fairly early collector, and even at such an early stage, I'm pretty picky with which figures I buy. Like quite a few have already mentioned, I think it's more about letting TF collecting take over your life, rather than the actual number of TF's you own.

I think it's safe to say that most of us here hold stable jobs, have friends and family, and basically lead normal lives. Having a hobby of any kind is fine as long as you keep it from becoming the only focus in your life. That'd be sad.

So unless you starve yourself to save money for that new TF, I don't see the problem with owning a thousand TF's...well, there IS that one problem called lack of space.

Personally, I don't see myself doing any TF purging any time soon. It's not large enough to pose a problem with space, and my collecting is spread around wines (if you can call half a dozen bottles a collection), knives, Burago's, Macross VF's and the occasional Gundam. The Valks and Gundam, I will never part with; the former cost me a small fortune, and the latter took a lot of effort and time to build.

Burn wrote:Over a thousand ... probably a dozen or more "tubs" full of them. I've contemplated off-loading a lot of it, mostly space, but also because recent lines (Movie, Animated) have just killed the enjoyment of collecting for me. Combine that with the fact i'm not finding a lot of figures locally so i'm forced to shop online and have trouble finding good deals, then yeah, the collecting bug isn't overly active.

I did however pick up a incomplete G1 Scorponok, had I waited a week I could have gotten a complete one for not much more, them's the breaks. But i'm enjoying tracking the pieces down. I also have a Trypticon on the way who'll need the same attention given to him. These are the last of the "big" bots I need in G1, not counting Fortress Maximus of course because I consider him an impossibility. Plus I have the mold in the form of Brave Maximus anyway.

Were I to sell off ... well i'd keep some figures, though given how many I like I don't think i'd sell off too many in the end.

I think there is a lot of value in having to work to find and complete a version of a desired toy that you feel is in a condition acceptable by you. Sure it kind of sucks that for the same price, you may have gotten a complete one with a little more patience, but now you have the hunt to look forward to, and that has many rewards in itself, many times more so than a single one time purchase.

I think I'm ready to purge most of my boxes...I'll have to keep the MP boxes and the like, but most everything else can probably go.

Kibble wrote:I think I'm ready to purge most of my boxes...I'll have to keep the MP boxes and the like, but most everything else can probably go.

That is the one negative comment my wife has ever given me about TF collecting, and that the boxes go, only for space reason.

Convotron wrote:Right or wrong, good or bad, a purge's validity comes down to the owner's mindset. If you truly are passionate about a hobby and can maintain a balanced lifestyle then there's no need to purge. You can trim your collection to make it manageable but it's not necessary to get rid of everything to be able to "move on" or make a change in life. To me, it's not about what you have or don't have, rather it's about how you view your possessions.

Very wise.

I did this a couple of years ago for my wife. Nearly wiped out my entire collection. Wasn't very big to begin with, only 40 or so figs, but I did it in anger and haste, telling her to never buy me another TF again. It was an argument that I assume she later on regretted.

I ended up spending an enormous amount of time here on Seibertron, collecting vicariously through you all. Then, she comes home with Classics Magnus vs Skywarps two pack. Since then I've been trying to rebuild my meager collection, having to buy two of everything cause my son wants them too.

As long as you're happy with yourself, it really doesn't matter, but I find enjoyment in collecting. Everyone collects something. I'd rather collect TF's then bad habits or excuses.

To thine ownself, be true.

I'm actually contemplating on doing just this. I love my TFs, don't get me wrong, but not having enough space is a big problem. I would definitely hold on to all my Primes, Masterpiece Collections, exclusives, Japanese release, and Henkei TFs though. Most of my hasbro stuff that have been sitting in boxes may go very soon.

Coincidentally, a few days ago, I decided to "purge" my collection. However, I don't think I'd ever sell a single figure of mine...I'm a packrat like that. However, I have no reservations about putting them in storage. I have a pretty big closet, so it's not a big deal to put a few hundred figures into plastic storage containers and, like so many others have said, streamline my collection. Last week, I had over 400 figures on display. As of right now, only about 150 are on my shelves.

Now my shelves look WAY more organized instead of being so chaotic and full. It actually helps the entire room look a little more neat.

The point is? Pardon me but I believe proximus subconsciouly regrets his actions, maybe.......sometime in the future you'll go back to collecting TFs again. Me, I don't care how people define me by my possessions. I don't define them so why should they define me? They could all go to the Inferno for all I care. Just because TF goes under the category of a "toy". What about collectors of other genre?

If I do sell my TFs it will be as a last resort of monetary reasons.

proximus wrote:I'm sure "some" of you have done this before..maybe? but I just sold my entire, 25 years worth...collection of Transfomers. I'm not a HUGE poster around here, but I've been around a while. It's not something I did in great haste or anything, but it was necessary. No..it wasn't for a girl. I simply felt I needed the space and it was time to move on with other things.

Mainly though, whether cute or pathetic, I was tired of being defined by my possessions. After I got rid of them all I received a lot of "are you okay with it?" messages. Well, if I wasn't okay with it, I wouldn't have done it. Frankly, I am still the same person, sans a few hundred toys.

I'm just curious if anyone has had similar feelings on the subject. There is something very liberating about giving up something you love. I guess it's a Buddhist ideal. Does that mean I won't be around?, well...no. I do love the stuff still. I just think maybe in my recent travels I will stick to buying exotic guitars rather than toys. Oddly enough, I just started writing for a popular travel book and tv show, my "purge" as it were, was a major focus of moving on to bolder adventures.

Sacrilege or not? you decide. They did go to a good home though, rest assured.

I believe all toys go to a good home.

I think for me, I want to keep my collection. God has been good to me to get these toys I have at very good prices. New or second-hand, it does not matter. I have gone and went through 4 collections within 10 years. I started my collection in 2000 with primarily Japanese/U.S. Beast wars toys, and then collecting TF2000/RID. I phased out Armada and went straight to G1/Brave Transformers. I sold that collection, and started collecting Energon and Cybertron toys. Then when the Classics came out, I sold those too. Then I had a small collection, then sold that. However, I really, really want to build on this collection because I have two sons, and they love these toys. They may not keep their TF's in good condition, but they'll have mine to play with when I feel they are ready.

Personally I wouldn't sell mine, but I was never able, as a child, to get more than one TF... and was pretty poor (luxuries were a major backburner thing all through my youth up until almost seven years ago) until recently. BUT.

Selling them is no bad thing, if you didn't want them anymore, why keep them? It's also good that they went to a good home. The only time I get uncomfortable with selling them is when you're getting one for someone as a gift and they say "Well these'll get a good chunk of cash in 5 years if I decide to sell them." :/

But kudos to standing by what made you comfortable. A lot of people tend to keep things even when they don't want to because they worry about what others think.

Definitely not sacrilege.

Do what makes you happy. If getting rid of your TF collection makes you happy then do it. You can always go back and buy moer TFs later if you want to.

I have spent a lot of money in the past couple years building up my collection. I set up some rules for my collection that I have stuck to pretty strictly. Because of this I really only have figures that I really want.

I think that as your collection evolves, it changes. When I started collecting, I was looking for representations of G1 characters that I loved from growing up. So I bought Classics, Animated, and Universe figures. Once I discovered Ebay, I realized I could get the origional figures themselves. The emphasis of my collection is now in getting origional G1 figures. I haven't reached the point where I am going to purge a lot of things, but I could see how as my emphasis changes I might consider selling off some figures.

--B-- wrote:Prime Evil wrote:
Right now, there's a bunch of tf toys that I do want to get rid of in my collection. I was never a completist, but I did have a habit of picking up stuff that I really didn't need at times. Now I have one bookshelf up full of tf figures that I love and 3 tubs of stuff that I just don't need anymore. I still need to go through the bins, find what I really like, but for the most part, I feel I can part ways with a good chunk of my collection at the moment. I don't know if it's even worth it for me to sell it off on ebay, but I think that might be something I'll be doing this upcoming year. Hell, from my last move, I gave some general tf toys to the kids in my apt complex just to not throw them in the trash.

I know exactly what I want from my collection now and what figures will interest me. So I'm at that crossroads where I too am looking to "streamline" my collection. I think anykind of cleanout in life is necessary at times, and for me, that time is 2010.


Just put those 3 tubs on the curb, I'll swing by and pick them up for you, if only to save you the hassle of going through them! No need to pay me, I'll just do it to help you out

Hey, if you are putting stuff out the the curb, I can help you take care of that too. B, you shouldn't have to do all that work for him by yourself.