The Energon Pub

So we all laugh and joke about the Transformers hobby being plastic crack. But I just wanted to have a frank discussion with my fellow Transfans; how real is this "addiction"? I know that some of my personal behaviours towards collecting would, if they were aimed towards drugs or alcohol, be considered serious business worthy of intervention. While I'm frugal in most other areas of expenditure I spend recklessly on Transformers and would feel ashamed if friends or family knew the extent of what I spend. I hunt relentlessly for the new figures, often checking shops repeatedly in a short period of time and traveling considerable distances on a hunch. If I am looking for a figure and can't find it I can feel my mood worsening and if I can't find figures I want I'll seriously consider buying figures I DON'T want just to satiate some sort of need. And, perhaps most tellingly, I always manage to convince myself that if I get just this one more figure I'll be happy but this always ends up being only temporarily true.

Normally I salute the casual tongue-in-cheek attitude of this forum but since I'm baring my soul here I would appreciate it if the flippant remarks and jokes could be kept to a minimum; if you don't have anything to say please don't say anything.

Diem wrote:While I'm frugal in most other areas of expenditure I spend recklessly on Transformers and would feel ashamed if friends or family knew the extent of what I spend...and if I can't find figures I want I'll seriously consider buying figures I DON'T want just to satiate some sort of need.

Exactly the same here.

I've found myself buying stuff that i normally wouldn't (like some movie stuff) in order to feed the addiction.

These end up being sold/given away/traded.

I've promised myself that i'll only buy a couple from the DOTM line

When I have lots of cash and not much to worry about, I become to the poster child to reckless spending.

This is the pattern I normally follow for every line that has come out.

1. Buy up all deluxes
2. Buy all Voyagers
3. Buy all Leaders
4. Buy Supremes if available
5. Buy whatever other exclusives are coming out
6. Fill Gaps in the collection of older lines. (Usually from whatever other money I have left)

Keep in mind that this does not take into account Christmas or birthdays since the cash I get from that is directed into TF's if I can manage it. Exclusives and the occasional big MP figure are usually given to me for Christmas.

Also, I buy sales when I can which cuts back on costs to an extent. I usually go for the must buys and hold off for a while on figures that I know will warm pegs for a while.

My main rule is that I don't buy unless I know it won't hurt me financially. TF's for me are a luxury item. As much as I like them I really can go without. They'll always be there and I'll always be able to pick it up on ebay or sale threads later.

A drug addict won't give up his "hobby" even if it will hurt him financially. That the difference.

When I'm working again, I'll be in a state where I can work, have a savings, and be a little more reckless in what I spend. When I finally settle down and get married, I'll have to modify my budget to reflect the needs of a family.

It's all about how you manage your funds and keep yourself stable. If you do that then no one should care and you shouldn't care what they think.

You however might be somewhat addicted. Try setting a budget.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Well, some of those points do sound like cause for concern. Maybe you should try doing something about it? Cut back a little? Sell some stuff off? If you're buying just to buy and spending too much cash, then those are definately troubling signs. After all, you have to think about your future and to save up for it.

Under the circumstances this may sound like denial but the amount I spend is probably the least of my worries...I'm spending as much as or less than a typical person might spend on something like a gym membership, home cinema systems or things like that. The amount I spend is not a problem, it's my attitude towards spending.

The thing that inspired me to make this topic was my attitude towards Alternity Thundercracker. As readers of this forum may know I'm a huge fan of the Alternity line and I already own Starscream and Skywarp from the same line. Thundercracker, however, bores me both in terms of colour and character. Previously I felt a very vague desire to own him simply to complete the trio but nothing more.

Somehow though, reading more about the Alternity line the little switch in my brain that goes from "vaguely want" to "must have" got triggered. If this were a Transformer dry spell that would be one thing but this is the middle of Generations/RTS; I only recently got Masterpiece Rodimus (another result of that little brain switch) and I'm also considering dropping some funds on a Nintendo 3DS. Somehow in the middle of all of this I'm looking at Hobby Link Japan and thinking "$35 and $15 shipping for a figure I previously felt ambivalent towards? What a bargain!"

And the worst part is that from past experience I know that the warm glow of owning him would be replaced, after a few transformations, by bland contentment, and I would simply hunger for the next figure.

And I know all this. And I still want him. And I'll still feel a faint unease until I either get him or another figure trumps him in terms of appeal.

I understand. I can't go into a Walmart or Target without checking the toy aisle. If I'm traveling and drive past a Toys R Us I have to stop there just in case. I buy and sell a lot on eBay to help fund my hobby, so many times I've left the wife and kids in the car while I run in to "check for eBay stuff." Today I dropped $300 on G1 Thunderwing and another $60 on the Takara targetmaster exclusives Haywire and Fracas. Yep. I understand.

I limit myself by not buying a figure I won't appreciate.

For movie line I stick to the best incarnation of an on-screen character.

Classic/Generations figures must homage a recognizeable character (which is pretty much all of them).

I had a 95% complete G1 collection but I stopped because I was down to paying a lot of money for figures I did not care for (like some of the Pretenders, Actionmasters, etc...). Once I gave up being a completionist I sold the figures I did not like.


If what you enjoy is also making you feel shame and guilt, then it is time to reconsider what you are doing. Unload some of the burden and set limits. It gets easier over time.

robofreak wrote:When I have lots of cash and not much to worry about, I become to the poster child to reckless spending...

It's all about how you manage your funds and keep yourself stable. If you do that then no one should care and you shouldn't care what they think.

As I partly mentioned in my answer to Gauntlet I'm certainly unconcerned about the amount I'm spending; it's definitely well within my means. If I had to describe my spending in one in one word I might say "naughty" or "shopaholic" but definitely not "irresponsible" or "dangerous".

Truth be told, I'm more worried about the emotional side of things. I have a tendency to lapse into idee fixe a little too easily in all aspects of life, including figures I want to buy. But once I have what I want I feel unsatiated and move on to something else.

Sometimes I buy figures I don't even care for to get a fix. Does this count?

Like the other day, just because of the serious drought that's going on and being tired of not buying anything, I picked up Hailstorm. I just wanted to have something to fiddle with that was fresh and new. Ten minutes after opening him, I thought he was full of suck. Pretty much did the same thing with Drift and ROTF Brawn.

Diem wrote:So we all laugh and joke about the Transformers hobby being plastic crack. But I just wanted to have a frank discussion with my fellow Transfans; how real is this "addiction"? I know that some of my personal behaviours towards collecting would, if they were aimed towards drugs or alcohol, be considered serious business worthy of intervention. While I'm frugal in most other areas of expenditure I spend recklessly on Transformers and would feel ashamed if friends or family knew the extent of what I spend. I hunt relentlessly for the new figures, often checking shops repeatedly in a short period of time and traveling considerable distances on a hunch. If I am looking for a figure and can't find it I can feel my mood worsening and if I can't find figures I want I'll seriously consider buying figures I DON'T want just to satiate some sort of need. And, perhaps most tellingly, I always manage to convince myself that if I get just this one more figure I'll be happy but this always ends up being only temporarily true.

Normally I salute the casual tongue-in-cheek attitude of this forum but since I'm baring my soul here I would appreciate it if the flippant remarks and jokes could be kept to a minimum; if you don't have anything to say please don't say anything.

As long as you are taking care of all your financial obligations first then spending you extra money on the hobby, I say it's ok. Yeah, maybe you are on the more extreme side of it, but as long as the important things in your life are taken care of, you should be fine. Besides, it may SEEM like a drug addiction but this isn't a drug addiction so you are better off doing this than dabbling into the drug/party life. JMHO

Lapse Of Reason wrote:
If what you enjoy is also making you feel shame and guilt, then it is time to reconsider what you are doing. Unload some of the burden and set limits. It gets easier over time.

I feel shame about this hobby on a fundamental level though. My parents, sibling, wife and friends certainly know that I'm collecting but as cool as they are with it I don't feel cool about it. I've always felt self-conscious about the fact that I'm an adult collecting children's toys and that I'm spending money on things that are ultimately not functional.

I'm not hunting sympathy or trying to belittle collecting here. This is just the reality of how I feel.

So what are you going to do about it?

Diem wrote:

robofreak wrote:When I have lots of cash and not much to worry about, I become to the poster child to reckless spending...

It's all about how you manage your funds and keep yourself stable. If you do that then no one should care and you shouldn't care what they think.

As I partly mentioned in my answer to Gauntlet I'm certainly unconcerned about the amount I'm spending; it's definitely well within my means. If I had to describe my spending in one in one word I might say "naughty" or "shopaholic" but definitely not "irresponsible" or "dangerous".

Truth be told, I'm more worried about the emotional side of things. I have a tendency to lapse into idee fixe a little too easily in all aspects of life, including figures I want to buy. But once I have what I want I feel unsatiated and move on to something else.

These are the same feelings I have as well. Not only with Transformers but i also enjoy collecting old school bmx freestyle bikes and old racing 3 wheelers. This in my opinion is just the attitude of a collector who enjoys his hobby. It's almost like a lust for an item but it really just means enthusiasm in your interest. I think it is just normal human nature. Once you get an item you want that craving is satisfied and you still have enthusiasm about your hobby so the next item of interest comes along and you relive it. When you can't find a top wanted item you crave to fill in that gap with a lesser item in order to fulfill as much as possible. Honestly, I think is is just normal human nature. Your not ruining your life or stealing to support it. You're within your financial means so I wouldn't consider it a problem.

Then you have no reason to be ashamed.

You might have that urge to blow lots of cash on stuff you don't want. I get that urge everytime I look at Gunpla kits. I buy one kit and finding myself wanting to buy 15 more.

You need to make a budget and stick to your guns. The urge to buy useless stuff will always be there, but it will be kept in check if you stick to a budget.

I myself have to somehow figure out how to magically budget in enough money this year for DOTM, FF XIII Play Arts, DMC Play Arts, and some Doctor Who stuff. I'm most likely going to end up scaling back in certain areas due to the expenses and will most likely not get a lot of them.

Make a priority list. Those that you must buy. Then make a frivolous list, which can be anything you may want, but would require a sale for it.

Next, Set a limit to how much you will spend in the year. Let's say you drop $800 a year on TF merchandise. Maybe, make $400 a set expense on stuff you want. Then let the rest be wiggle room for whatever else.

My thoughts are a little random as it's late, but maybe it can give you a spring board on curbing the addiction to buy stuff you don't want.

Lapse Of Reason wrote:So what are you going to do about it?

Probably try to hold out until DOTM. The Alternity line has almost certainly finished, there are probably no Masterpieces on the way for a while and it looks like all the cool Gen/RTS repaints won't be coming out until after the DOTM line has had a chance.

Really, I appreciate hearing everyone's perspective. I guess everyone has their own line of latitude when it comes to collecting, but as long as one is well within one's means I suppose it's not an issue.

I don't think I'm addicted, however, I'm very partial to crystal figures and I buy anything henkei/united. I find myself going to great lengths to secure those items.

I know what you mean. I had been passing over RTS Prime over and over again, while hunting for Scourge and Kup. After weeks of disappoitments I finally gave in and talked myself into grabbing him (he's an awesome figure, just has no "place" on my shelves) now he stares at me taunting me from his forced place of honor on the shelf. Even worse, now I'm thinking about picking up that WFC Megatron that I had no "place" for so that RTS Prime can at least have someone to stick that sword through. Thank god, I have a wonderfully patient wife.

I look at this hobby as something akin to other peoples' passions for shoes, clothes, video games. If those people have the means to buy what they want as well as the things they (or their families) NEED, then I don't see a problem. I will know I have a problem when the time comes when I have to decide whether to pay the mortgage or buy a bunch of toys and then decide to go with the toys. As long as bills are getting paid, bellies are getting fed, money is being put away for retirement and everything is the way it needs to be, then I think it is entirely appropriate to spend some money of a few (or a lot) of the toys I think are nifty. Some people go out and drink every night or go gambling all the time, so I think Transformers are a pretty benign addiction.

I had noticed, years ago, that my Transformers collecting had been bordering on what could be classified by some as addiction. New figures would be bought up without hesitation, regardless of cost. Random figures I had no intention of ever owning would be bought up as placeholders until other more desirable figures came along. Entire groups of figures would be a "need" instead of a "want" to complete a certain set, team, or combination. The incredible distances required for me to travel to obtain such figures was a trivial matter in my pursuit of more toys. I'd even be willing to pay my hometown's obscene markup on figures just to get them. The list goes on...
Lately, however, Ive been finding less and less that I'm willing to go to extremes to find and buy new figures. The desire to own them is still there, and there are plenty of figures right now that I'd dearly enjoy owning, but even when faced with a figure I've wanted, sometimes I just can't justify it to myself. The six-hour (one way) road trip to the nearest TRU no longer seems the adventure it was years ago... and my hometown has, for all intents and purposes, stopped carrying good transformers. I still love my collection, but it is not growing very steadily anymore. Occasionally when a road trip to a bigger population center presents itself (for more "legitimate" reasons) I still go on a toy hunt, but the intensity of those earlier years is gone.

I posted a thread about this some time ago but I can't find it. I think it was called sometimes i worry about my addiction.

Small figures don't satisfy me as much as large figures.

Sometimes a figure (like MP Hot Rod) will keep me happy for ages and I don't feel the need to open any more for a while.

I help to control my urges by buying the figures I want (I am rather fussy and know that a crap figure will not appease the desires at all so I normally manage to pass on them) but not opening them. I put them in a big box in a cupboard and try and forget about them. I plan to open certain figures at certain times e.g. my best friend will be away that weekend so I'll open X then. If I feel down I may open one to cheer myself up. I like to have something good saved for birthday and Christmas.

It's always nice to know I still have something in reserve for another day.

heres my two cents as you lads like to say.as long as my bills are paid and obligations fulfilled I dont see anything wrong with splashing out on myself.I collct many lines(not just TF)

at the mpoment Im not buying naything because I had some heavy bills recently and had to pay my house insurance last month. and Im keeping some cash back for St Patricks Day and the weekend after which is busy for me.

rest assured though....after that Ill be buying myself Grapple,Wheeljack,Thundercracker and Windcharger.I also only buy stuff I like.....I wont buy stuff for the sake of getting it-I wouldnt like to have that habit.

Diem wrote:While I'm frugal in most other areas of expenditure I spend recklessly on Transformers and would feel ashamed if friends or family knew the extent of what I spend.

Yep.

I hate the amount of money I spend, I keep a spreadsheet and it's appalling how much I've spent. Also, the amount of space everything takes up is equally shocking. But, I don't really regret anything I've bought - if I don't want it, I sell it, and that's pretty much just stuff where a better version comes out (Classics Astrotrain for Henkei Astrotrain for example).

I reckon something you could try is to look at your toy cupboard/shelves every morning/evening and just look at everything you've got and try to appreciate it.

Just thought about what i said yesterday and deleted my post to say ,

I love this hobby and to share it with my girfriend is fantastic (she collects eeyores 100+) we have just recently completed our Movie 1 & ROTF collection and waiting on NEW waves of RTS & GEN and we can't wait for DOTM movie and toys.

I would say im only ''addicted'' every other month i get a great erge to get as many as i need to complete the collection and the money does'nt matter untill the high has warn off lol but i do buy at least 1 a week.

I can honestly say im obsessed with transformers and im so glad i found this site im on it every day learning new stuff about the old & new.

Thank you Seibertron.

Diem wrote:

Lapse Of Reason wrote:
If what you enjoy is also making you feel shame and guilt, then it is time to reconsider what you are doing. Unload some of the burden and set limits. It gets easier over time.

I feel shame about this hobby on a fundamental level though. My parents, sibling, wife and friends certainly know that I'm collecting but as cool as they are with it I don't feel cool about it. I've always felt self-conscious about the fact that I'm an adult collecting children's toys and that I'm spending money on things that are ultimately not functional.

I'm not hunting sympathy or trying to belittle collecting here. This is just the reality of how I feel.

i can totally relate to feeling some guilt/self consciousness about being a 30+ adult collecting. i mean for me every time i get a complement from a friend i get a criticism from someone else. when i started back up collecting in 2005 id by 5-6 figures per visit again like you i too can afford it. but lately being self conscious has led me to purchase fewer and fewer figures not for lack of variety but lack of interest.some of my more recent impulse buy's were pcc commanders and while i dont regret them i feel that the money couldve been better spent elsewhere.

I'm lucky that i'm only 19 with no family to support, but that doesn't mean i waste all my cash. I usually make a list of the figures i wanna get, which is usually all of them. except stupid repaints. I think making a list makes this hobby easier. However, when waves take forever to come, i find myself buying other toys such as g.i. joes i missed out on in the 2000s. I Wouldn't be ashamed, this hobby is fun! even my girlfriend buys me the figs i need, she gets really excited as much as i do. i say enjoy it and stay within your financial means!