The Energon Pub

So, this thread is really the idea of Shajaki, from over in the collections forum. I thought it would be a good topic to open up to the wider audience of here.


What was the first Transformer you purchased on eBay?

shajaki wrote:Your very first eBay purchase! Another good one!

I guess my answer to this could also in part answer the question of what really kicked off my "adult collecting" habits.

It was this guy:



Well, actually, not this exact guy. This is BT-07 Smokescreen. I'm talking about BT-01, the first Binaltech figure. My BT-01 is currently in attic storage, so I can't take a picture of him.

Anyway, this was my very first eBay purchase, as well as my first "adult" Transformer. What I mean by that of course, is this was my first figure that wasn't part of the main line, past or present.

Binaltech was something amazing. An actual licensed scale model vehicle, with a detailed interior no less, that was fully transformable into a robot that was NOT a brick. More than anything else we had gotten (if I remember right, this was a few months before the first Masterpiece was released), this figure was a sign of the advancements made in the art of transforming toys. In many ways, the Binaltech line still holds its own today, though it has been some what lost in the shadow of Masterpiece figures.

It was either an incomplete G1 Grimlock or G1 Rodimus Prime. I got them roughly around the same time, hard to remember ... it was about 15 years ago.

I was going through my worst period of depression and I just happened to look up Transformers on E-Bay. Said to myself "I always wanted <whichever one it was> as a kid. The Transformers I had were so much fun" so I grabbed him. It spiralled from there.

I'll retell my story, directors cut version! (I forgot some details )

I made an eBay account when I was probably 12 or 13? All you needed was a credit card to verify age, which I wasn't, but for some reason my mom agreed to it. It's more odd now that I think about it as there's people out there TODAY who are still too scared of online buying to do so. We were kind of pioneers back then! But anyways, I paid for stuff by mail in money orders, and the first thing I bought was a Takara BW Tigatron. He was one of the few Axalonians I didn't have, and he was stupid cheap. What's also funny is that I didn't have a great understanding of Takara and Hasbro back then, and I wasn't even sure if it was a legit product or not

And I honestly don't remember what else I eBay'd after that. The only things that really come to mind are when I was 18/19, a Botcon (Jetstorm) Cyclonus, and later two MP-1's. One for me and one for my bro. Those were some good times, and I remember those being the actual flood gates to my eBay'ing, online buying, and adult collecting. You kids these days have no idea how easy you have it

2009

Takara Fire Convoy

Universe Cyclonus; less than a year ago. In fact I'm pretty sure it was last Summer...

Though tell a lie, it wasn't exactly Universe Cyclonus. It was the Battle in Space one, and even though he came without Nightstick, £15 for that is an insane deal.

A knockoff RID Ruination (japanese colors). Those things (KO combiner sets) were all over the place super cheap new back during the early 00's. It's been standing next to my real Ruination (US colors) pretty much ever since.

As far as I know, my first was Takara Beast Wars Tigatron. Needless to say I was surprised when Shajaki said that already. It was also my first Takara TF. I managed to find a good deal on TFL's page around January of last year.

I think it was RotF Thrust. The red one. When Terradive came out I scrambled to make a Seeker Squadron; got Starscream and Dirge, but since at this point Thrust was long gone from shelves my options were either a) buy that Target-exclusive 2-Pack with that dreadful Bumblebee or b) figure out this internet thing. Having somewhat regretted purchasing that Tailwhip/Arcee set I went with Option B. (IIRC Thrust was also only like $8 on eBay)

Thrust was also my first customized figure -- nothing big, just a couple little tweaks to improve his bot mode.

My first and only eBay Transformer turned out to be a regret because it was a knockoff G1 Abominus. It wasn't that it was a knockoff that had me upset but the fact that he came out together as Abominus, and the instructions only showed how to form Abominus instead of how to separate the Terrorcons and change them into their monsters. I wound up getting rid of the set of Terrorcons.
God bless, Jason Scott Irelan

wow, hard to say. This takes me way back. Either Transmetal Rattrap of Beast Wars Optimus Primal.

It was not Universe Aveo Swerve in September of 2007, but I don't remember the real answer to this question and that's as far back as my emails can go (I initially used my now defunct ncsu.edu account for eBay) so I'll go with that as a half answer?

I can't seem to trace that information at this time "sorry". But I've had an eBay account for many years so that is hardly surprising.

SureShot18 wrote:As far as I know, my first was Takara Beast Wars Tigatron. Needless to say I was surprised when Shajaki said that already. It was also my first Takara TF. I managed to find a good deal on TFL's page around January of last year.

Ha! Come to think of it, that also had to be my first Takara TF too. Great minds

shajaki wrote:

SureShot18 wrote:As far as I know, my first was Takara Beast Wars Tigatron. Needless to say I was surprised when Shajaki said that already. It was also my first Takara TF. I managed to find a good deal on TFL's page around January of last year.

Ha! Come to think of it, that also had to be my first Takara TF too. Great minds

While I didn't get it off of eBay, it was my first Takara purchase as well!

Was Tigatron hard to get or something? I can't remeber why I went Takara. It was a long ass time ago.

Ironhidensh wrote:

shajaki wrote:

SureShot18 wrote:As far as I know, my first was Takara Beast Wars Tigatron. Needless to say I was surprised when Shajaki said that already. It was also my first Takara TF. I managed to find a good deal on TFL's page around January of last year.

Ha! Come to think of it, that also had to be my first Takara TF too. Great minds

While I didn't get it off of eBay, it was my first Takara purchase as well!

Was Tigatron hard to get or something? I can't remeber why I went Takara. It was a long ass time ago.

Hasbro's was a weird off white color, while Takara's was a nice bright white color. I know that's why I got it at least.

Great minds indeed.

Ironhidensh wrote:

shajaki wrote:

SureShot18 wrote:As far as I know, my first was Takara Beast Wars Tigatron. Needless to say I was surprised when Shajaki said that already. It was also my first Takara TF. I managed to find a good deal on TFL's page around January of last year.

Ha! Come to think of it, that also had to be my first Takara TF too. Great minds

While I didn't get it off of eBay, it was my first Takara purchase as well!

Was Tigatron hard to get or something? I can't remeber why I went Takara. It was a long ass time ago.

Nice!

I don't think so though. I think he was harder to get than Cheetor though. I know for sure that Cheetor got more than one release, just from the "rock bubble" to "soft bubble" transition, and Tigatron possibly only had the one release. I DO know that he's pretty in demand these days, as he's only had 3 releases (OG Hasbro, OG Takara, and Telemocha) where Cheetor has had a slew of releases and repaints.

First TF purchase off ebay was shortly after I started collecting, which was shortly after CW started. It was either a MISB Motormaster or a MIB Megatron.

While I'm in this thread, can someone remind me who the reliable ebay sellers from China are again?

2005. Oversized Korean Bruticus

Can't remember exactly, and it looks like I deleted my old eBay emails from the early 2000s. I did find some Snarl's Shop newsletters from 2004 which would have been from ordering the Micromaster combiners trading figures, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the oldest. I think I either bought a loose complete RID Optimus Prime in a lot or a loose complete G1 Powermaster Prime in a lot before that.

I also found some Western Union BidPay receipts. Remember that? Oh, the days before PayPal.

Emerje

A three pack of Thrilling 30 Megatron, WFC Skywarp, and Generations Armada Starscream. All in perfect condition, except for Megatron's right arm, the ball joint is a bit loose, as in the arm flops around. Anyone know how to fix a loose ball joint?

My first ebay Transformers purchase was Armada Powerlinx Optimus Prime about a decade ago.

My first purchase was actually getting one of my parents to register an account to get a Beast Wars Transmetal Megatron that I still have in pretty decent condition. I started buying things online in about early 2000 or so. It's actually been better buying online for me because I've been able to get a lot of things I wasn't able to find offline.

My first eBay purchase was Cybertron Override in 2009.