The Energon Pub

You! Yes! You! Come over here!

I've always wondered why collectors keep their toys in the box. So if all those MISB collectors could just answer these questions.. I mean survey, then I think my mind will be settled.

1. Why do you keep your figures in a box?

2. Do you care more for the box than the figure itself?(i.e. If the box is damaged, but the toy is fine, will you still buy it off Ebay)

3. How do you showcase your collection?

4. How many figures do you have?

5. How much space does your MISB collection take up?

6. What do you think of the statement "Toys are meant to be played with. They weren't taken off the assembly line just to be sitting in a box"?

7. Did you immediately start keeping your toys in mint boxed? If not, when did you start?

Thanks a bunch,

-Blurrz

That probably wasn't the best way to ask those questions.
I'm not a MIB collector but I understand why they do it. A lot of loose collectors display their figures rather than play with them. They usually try to display it in the best pose possible. If the toy is already posed the best possible way in the packaging, why not keep it there?
Take Titanium Cobra Megatron for example. The only thing you can do with the thing is display it. You can either display it like this:
[url]http://www.seibertron.com/toys/fullsize.php?id=902&size=1&image=1

or like this:
[/url]http://www.seibertron.com/toys/fullsize.php?id=902&size=1&image=18

Blurrz wrote:You! Yes! You! Come over here!

I've always wondered why collectors keep their toys in the box. So if all those MISB collectors could just answer these questions.. I mean survey, then I think my mind will be settled.

1. Why do you keep your figures in a box?

2. Do you care more for the box than the figure itself?(i.e. If the box is damaged, but the toy is fine, will you still buy it off Ebay)

3. How do you showcase your collection?

4. How many figures do you have?

5. How much space does your MISB collection take up?

6. What do you think of the statement "Toys are meant to be played with. They weren't taken off the assembly line just to be sitting in a box"?

7. Did you immediately start keeping your toys in mint boxed? If not, when did you start?

Thanks a bunch,

-Blurrz

Good questions, here's my answers:


1. Re-sale value, re-sale value, re-sale value!

2. The box is extremley important. Again goes back to the value of the item. Think about it, a box is cheap cardboard, the toy is plastic. Cardboard is sooo easily damaged. Imagine 30 years from now if you had a pristine box with sealed figure vs. the figure alone. Jackpot.

3. Ideally in AFA acrylic cases on book shelves. I have a lot of loose figures as well, but when people come over to my house and see me collection, they're instantly drawn to the MISB in the acrylic.

4. 40+ at the moment. Working on the Movie 2007 line right now (Damn you concept BB....damn you!!!)

5. Two book shelves in my home office.

6. That statement to me means that the more MISB toys I have, the better. To me, thats the whole reason to collect MISB. Toys are not meant to stay in the box, which means it's extremly rare to find them IN THE BOX......See answer #1.

I rest my case (acrylic AFA case that is).

Ah, then that leads to a question that begs to be asked.

Twenty years from now, how many people will you see willing to pay the premium for a MISB Movie figure vs. buying a cheaper loose one from someone?

Personally, from my perspective, I would much rather buy the loose figure. Of course, I have just about the entire line already, but you get my point.

Blurrz wrote:You! Yes! You! Come over here!

I've always wondered why collectors keep their toys in the box. So if all those MISB collectors could just answer these questions.. I mean survey, then I think my mind will be settled.

1. Why do you keep your figures in a box?

2. Do you care more for the box than the figure itself?(i.e. If the box is damaged, but the toy is fine, will you still buy it off Ebay)

3. How do you showcase your collection?

4. How many figures do you have?

5. How much space does your MISB collection take up?

6. What do you think of the statement "Toys are meant to be played with. They weren't taken off the assembly line just to be sitting in a box"?

7. Did you immediately start keeping your toys in mint boxed? If not, when did you start?

Thanks a bunch,

-Blurrz

Hmmm....

Answers to you questions...

# 1. Because my wife makes me. She made this decision because she likes the looks of them MIB and fears parts will come up missing eventually. When I get the extra cash, I want to buy doubles of each in order to have one for display (and tinker with from time to time).

# 2. No. The figure as to be mint for me to buy it. The box can have minor flaws but nothing too noticeable. Too much damage ruins the beauty of their design. Also, one of my fears is that if a box is too damaged, then the toy may have hidden damage too not visible at first.

# 3. Currently, high up on shelves to keep them away from my kids. They are kinda displayed like you would buy them in a store.

# 4. Just started collecting them again this summer. Currently 20 plus and growing.... (Whenever my budget can afford them.)

# 5. I have set aside 1/4 of a spare room for my Transformers collection. The other 1/4 is reserved for my Bandai Godzilla toys, 300 toys, and Halo collection. The other 1/2 belongs to my wife where she keeps her goodies and scrapbooking supplies.

# 6. I agree with this which is why I want doubles. I don't collect for resale and therefore want a display MIB and one for posing. I will never get rid of them. However, I'm a big 37 year old kid.

# 7. When I was younger, no. But with the release of the new movie, my wife convinced me to keep them MIB since they look pleasing to the eye. My halo toy collection is completely loose.

Fender Bender wrote:Ah, then that leads to a question that begs to be asked.

Twenty years from now, how many people will you see willing to pay the premium for a MISB Movie figure vs. buying a cheaper loose one from someone?

Personally, from my perspective, I would much rather buy the loose figure. Of course, I have just about the entire line already, but you get my point.

I guess it does come down to personal preference. But I have no doubt with all the collectors out there, someone will buy the MISB for the graded value.

Example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1984-TRANSFORMERS-W ... dZViewItem

vs.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Transformers-G1-WHE ... dZViewItem

$1675 for MISB Wheeljack vs $90 for loose.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not collecting just to make money, but the MISB just makes it better for me. I'll quote the 40-year-old virgin when I say "I got this when I was 7 years old! Do you know how hard it is for a 7-year old not to open that!?"

Blurrz wrote:You! Yes! You! Come over here!

I've always wondered why collectors keep their toys in the box. So if all those MISB collectors could just answer these questions.. I mean survey, then I think my mind will be settled.

1. Why do you keep your figures in a box?

2. Do you care more for the box than the figure itself?(i.e. If the box is damaged, but the toy is fine, will you still buy it off Ebay)

3. How do you showcase your collection?

4. How many figures do you have?

5. How much space does your MISB collection take up?

6. What do you think of the statement "Toys are meant to be played with. They weren't taken off the assembly line just to be sitting in a box"?

7. Did you immediately start keeping your toys in mint boxed? If not, when did you start?

Thanks a bunch,

-Blurrz

1. because thats how i like to keep them
2. first i look for the ones with good packaging, then out of those i look for the ones with the best figure (i.e. best paint apps, nothing broken, etc.).... i only buy from ebay if its loose or if its something i know i will open.
3. in storage in my closet and garage. i only display certain figures, mostly loose. also i dont only display TFs, i also have some star wars, metal gears, a few vinyl toys, other robot stuff, and such and such....
4. too much to keep track of
5. a lot, my closet and parts of my garage.
6. i do play with them.... aside from the toys i keep boxed, i sometimes buy double or even just singles of the ones ive opened.... i collect both boxed and opened toys.... both having equally just as much as the other.... which is a lot of toys.
7. nope.... when i wanted a toy, but never really had the time to open them that i just kept them in the box 'til i lost interest. also i believe it will keep its value.... it is a collection and somewhat of an investment. and in some cases they just look cooler in the box, seen as a collection piece rather than just toys.

The Chaos Bringer wrote:That probably wasn't the best way to ask those questions.
I'm not a MIB collector but I understand why they do it. A lot of loose collectors display their figures rather than play with them. They usually try to display it in the best pose possible. If the toy is already posed the best possible way in the packaging, why not keep it there?
Take Titanium Cobra Megatron for example. The only thing you can do with the thing is display it. You can either display it like this:
[url]http://www.seibertron.com/toys/fullsize.php?id=902&size=1&image=1

or like this:
[/url]http://www.seibertron.com/toys/fullsize.php?id=902&size=1&image=18

was that last pic taken after he met up with Grimlock..?

dgarvey981 wrote:

Fender Bender wrote:Ah, then that leads to a question that begs to be asked.

Twenty years from now, how many people will you see willing to pay the premium for a MISB Movie figure vs. buying a cheaper loose one from someone?

Personally, from my perspective, I would much rather buy the loose figure. Of course, I have just about the entire line already, but you get my point.

I guess it does come down to personal preference. But I have no doubt with all the collectors out there, someone will buy the MISB for the graded value.

Example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1984-TRANSFORMERS-W ... dZViewItem

vs.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Transformers-G1-WHE ... dZViewItem

$1675 for MISB Wheeljack vs $90 for loose.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not collecting just to make money, but the MISB just makes it better for me. I'll quote the 40-year-old virgin when I say "I got this when I was 7 years old! Do you know how hard it is for a 7-year old not to open that!?"

Ah, but aren't most MISB box buyers, just looking to buy them second hand, only to sell them for more further down the line.

I'm under the impression that that MISB Wheeljack has changed hands several times, increasing in value during each transaction. So to me, MISB collectors are really less like collectors and more like Stock Brokers. The moment a flaw is seen in a box, the item is treated like Enron Stock.

To me, the real collectors are the ones who buy the MISB and open them. They want to open the toy to get a feeling of nostalgia of when they were young. They open/buy it because they want it, not because they want its value.

Mind you, I'm not trying to flame anyone who is a MISB collector, it's just something I've observed.

Frist off, im 43 yr and been collecting since 1993( I think )Second, Trandformers are not the only thing that I collect and display. Third, with 6 grandkids, Im not letting nothing happen to the loose one let alone the ones that's MISB. Now to your questions:

1. Why do you keep your figures in a box?

No room to display all of them. With 3 bookcase of Zoids and 7 shelfs of gundams. i just dont have the room for all of them


2. Do you care more for the box than the figure itself?(i.e. If the box is damaged, but the toy is fine, will you still buy it off Ebay)


Yes, and NO. I like perfect boxes or cards but will buy if I want and like the item.

3. How do you showcase your collection?

In boxes in the basement. NO ROOM TO DISPLAY THEM!

4. How many figures do you have?

With the movie line at last count 350

5. How much space does your MISB collection take up?

Lets just say alot!

6. What do you think of the statement "Toys are meant to be played with. They weren't taken off the assembly line just to be sitting in a box"?

The statement is true, but when you collect more than one Line of toys where do you find the time to play with them? Plus Im 43, not really playing with them anyway. But will build a model!

7. Did you immediately start keeping your toys in mint boxed? If not, when did you start?

No, 10-15 yrs ago I was playing with the loose one's and the wife would laugh at me. Now I dont play with them but love to go to the basement and just sit and pull them out the boxes just to look at them.



blkbitcloud1

Blurrz wrote:You! Yes! You! Come over here!

I've always wondered why collectors keep their toys in the box. So if all those MISB collectors could just answer these questions.. I mean survey, then I think my mind will be settled.

1. Why do you keep your figures in a box?

2. Do you care more for the box than the figure itself?(i.e. If the box is damaged, but the toy is fine, will you still buy it off Ebay)

3. How do you showcase your collection?

4. How many figures do you have?

5. How much space does your MISB collection take up?

6. What do you think of the statement "Toys are meant to be played with. They weren't taken off the assembly line just to be sitting in a box"?

7. Did you immediately start keeping your toys in mint boxed? If not, when did you start?

Thanks a bunch,

-Blurrz

1. To save for my son when he grows up

2. Sometimes just depends on how desirable the figure is..

3. On shelves and pegs

4. ALOT!

5. See answer to question # 4

6. I agree with it some where down the line the toy will be played with... In most instances I agree with this more for TFs than any other figure!

7. No... Only after I learned the joys of serious collecting did I start to keep them in boxes..