The Energon Pub

What do you regret having done involving collecting Transformers (or other things, I suppose)? It could be selling something, passing something up, a failed customizing project, or something else.

My biggest regret (this applies both to Transformers and to my Lego collection) is something I did when I was younger. I used to frequently use Sharpies to customize Transformers and Lego. I still do mods with Sharpies, but am much more restrained/careful about it. Aside from using Sharpies, I also would put masking tape on figures if I wanted to do a major project involving changing the entire paint job of something. I have now had to spend lots of time getting the Sharpie off, and it can be even worse with some of the tape. Permanent marker can usually be removed by using a pencil eraser or colouring over it with another marker and wiping it off before it dries. The tape, however, can leave a very sticky residue that I haven't figured out how to remove yet, although I haven't tried soaking it. As frustrating as this is in relation to the figures I still really care about, it's even worse for the figures I want to try to sell, which currently probably outnumber the figures I am keeping and take up a ton of space.

As for figures I passed up, I really wish I had picked up Universe Sideswipe and Ratchet (especially Ratchet, since he's more expensive these days).

I regret trading my Supreme Class Cybertron Starscream for the Armada Unicron. If I would have know what Takara was going to do, I would still have it. I also regret selling my Classics Devastator.

You can remove sharpie and tape residue with rubbing alcohol.

I regret not buying certain figures when I had the chance. Now I have to pay a crapton of money for various figures.

When I got back into collecting I decided to start buying G1 originals and bought an absolute slew of them on Ebay. I really regret doing this as even the complete ones had loose joints, faded paint, peeling stickers etc (I know they're from the 80s but of course I was so disappointed with their condition).
So now I'M in the process of selling my entire original G1 collection (except Shockwave who is in perfect condition+100% complete).

I'll never buy an original G1 figure again because of the poor condition they are in and the MISB ones are so ridiculously overpriced.
G1 reissues all the way for me!! By collecting the reissues from the TF Collection/Commorative Series and Encores I've got a great G1 collection and they are all in perfect condition + 100% complete just the way I like them.

Buying a lot of figures in a short period of time, racking up a crapton of a money on my credit card bill.

Collecting G1 figs. Yeah I went there.

I had just completed my armada line, but was at a point in life where I wasn't earning a lot of money, so what I did earn went towards the G1 commemorative Figs, and a few cheap G1 figs that I found here and there instead of getting some of the neater (in retrospect) Energon figs that were being released at the time.

THey were on my shelf for probably 8 months, then assigned a plastic bin where I didn't even look at them for at least 4 years. Eventually I sold them off for 2/3's what I paid for them (estimated). I only kept a few G1 figs that looked imposing with my main love and focus: E/C, Classics and beyond.

Mkall wrote:Collecting G1 figs. Yeah I went there.

I had just completed my armada line, but was at a point in life where I wasn't earning a lot of money, so what I did earn went towards the G1 commemorative Figs, and a few cheap G1 figs that I found here and there instead of getting some of the neater (in retrospect) Energon figs that were being released at the time.

THey were on my shelf for probably 8 months, then assigned a plastic bin where I didn't even look at them for at least 4 years. Eventually I sold them off for 2/3's what I paid for them (estimated). I only kept a few G1 figs that looked imposing with my main love and focus: E/C, Classics and beyond.

Same story here. The G1 figures I bought ended up going into a cupboard in a big box and not getting shelf space/attention at all.
Now with the exception of Shockwave and Gnaw they're all going to be sold - I think i'll be able to make back the same amount as you 2/3 or thereabouts of the price I paid.
Encore and Classics all the way for me too (and G1 character Masterpieces).

Mkall wrote:Collecting G1 figs. Yeah I went there.

I had just completed my armada line, but was at a point in life where I wasn't earning a lot of money, so what I did earn went towards the G1 commemorative Figs, and a few cheap G1 figs that I found here and there instead of getting some of the neater (in retrospect) Energon figs that were being released at the time.

THey were on my shelf for probably 8 months, then assigned a plastic bin where I didn't even look at them for at least 4 years. Eventually I sold them off for 2/3's what I paid for them (estimated). I only kept a few G1 figs that looked imposing with my main love and focus: E/C, Classics and beyond.

Same story here. The G1 figures I bought ended up going into a cupboard in a big box and not getting shelf space/attention at all.
Now with the exception of Shockwave and Gnaw they're all going to be sold - I think i'll be able to make back the same amount as you 2/3 or thereabouts of the price I paid.
Encore and Classics all the way for me too (and G1 character Masterpieces).

Jazz-1982 wrote:

Mkall wrote:Collecting G1 figs. Yeah I went there.

I had just completed my armada line, but was at a point in life where I wasn't earning a lot of money, so what I did earn went towards the G1 commemorative Figs, and a few cheap G1 figs that I found here and there instead of getting some of the neater (in retrospect) Energon figs that were being released at the time.

THey were on my shelf for probably 8 months, then assigned a plastic bin where I didn't even look at them for at least 4 years. Eventually I sold them off for 2/3's what I paid for them (estimated). I only kept a few G1 figs that looked imposing with my main love and focus: E/C, Classics and beyond.

Same story here. The G1 figures I bought ended up going into a cupboard in a big box and not getting shelf space/attention at all.
Now with the exception of Shockwave and Gnaw they're all going to be sold - I think i'll be able to make back the same amount as you 2/3 or thereabouts of the price I paid.
Encore and Classics all the way for me too (and G1 character Masterpieces).

I think I feel this connection to ya. A bond that will outlast time and Michael Bay movies...

Selling my Botcon Deathsaurus

Mkall wrote:

Jazz-1982 wrote:

Mkall wrote:Collecting G1 figs. Yeah I went there.

I had just completed my armada line, but was at a point in life where I wasn't earning a lot of money, so what I did earn went towards the G1 commemorative Figs, and a few cheap G1 figs that I found here and there instead of getting some of the neater (in retrospect) Energon figs that were being released at the time.

THey were on my shelf for probably 8 months, then assigned a plastic bin where I didn't even look at them for at least 4 years. Eventually I sold them off for 2/3's what I paid for them (estimated). I only kept a few G1 figs that looked imposing with my main love and focus: E/C, Classics and beyond.

Same story here. The G1 figures I bought ended up going into a cupboard in a big box and not getting shelf space/attention at all.
Now with the exception of Shockwave and Gnaw they're all going to be sold - I think i'll be able to make back the same amount as you 2/3 or thereabouts of the price I paid.
Encore and Classics all the way for me too (and G1 character Masterpieces).

I think I feel this connection to ya. A bond that will outlast time and Michael Bay movies...

LOL

Optimus1138 wrote:What do you regret having done involving collecting Transformers (or other things, I suppose)? It could be selling something, passing something up, a failed customizing project, or something else.

My biggest regret (this applies both to Transformers and to my Lego collection) is something I did when I was younger. I used to frequently use Sharpies to customize Transformers and Lego. I still do mods with Sharpies, but am much more restrained/careful about it. Aside from using Sharpies, I also would put masking tape on figures if I wanted to do a major project involving changing the entire paint job of something. I have now had to spend lots of time getting the Sharpie off, and it can be even worse with some of the tape. Permanent marker can usually be removed by using a pencil eraser or colouring over it with another marker and wiping it off before it dries. The tape, however, can leave a very sticky residue that I haven't figured out how to remove yet, although I haven't tried soaking it. As frustrating as this is in relation to the figures I still really care about, it's even worse for the figures I want to try to sell, which currently probably outnumber the figures I am keeping and take up a ton of space.

As for figures I passed up, I really wish I had picked up Universe Sideswipe and Ratchet (especially Ratchet, since he's more expensive these days).

I use Goo Gone for all my sticker / tape goo removing needs. But ti can damage paper and probably stickers. Never tried to use it on anything painted like a toy either ... so test it before using.

Regrets ... I regret buying Supreme Devestator or the reissue Armada Unicron. I don't have any room for such large things, so why did I buy them? Sure they were on sale, but .... yeesh. I gotta get me some more display room. Somehow.

I also regret modifying Universe Starscream to fit with the Coronation Wing attachments as opposed to the attachments themselves. I kinda want a Leader-1 now too, using the speare head I have. Do I use Starcream, with the wing attachments, or not? Never shoulda bothered with that part of the set ...

My biggest mistake...
Skipping Classics and Universe...
and putting various movie figures back on the shelves and forgetting them for a while.

Having a no repaint rule for a good while. Has ended up costing me a lot of dough in the last year or so correcting that mistake with my Classics collection.

Buying Bayverse figures is my biggest regret.

I've bought a few too many, impulsively, and i've given them all away. I was excited about them at first but it faded pretty quick.

I still have a BB and a Ravage though.

So really......my biggest regret is buying impulsively. I have managed to curb that urge. I'm a lot more tactful with my purchases now.

my biggest regret is spending lots of money on unicron trilogy 'bots. they were fun at first, but i lost interest in them quickly and they only took up space, so i have now sold almost all of them (but at a lower price than i got them for, since i unpack everything and i wanted to get rid of them before moving to my new house).

another small regret is buying several PR Megazords before determining that the japanese versions were far superior.

Not to dis either of them, but of all my regrets in regards to TF collecting the one that hits me the most is that I got my brothers involved. Getting them involved has had to be the bit I regret the most because they both have had quite a significant impact on how I've collected over the years. Not that it's all bad, they have pressed me into collecting mostly Classics stuff over the years and I'm glad they did because it's my main point of interest. However they've both also helped shape lapses in interest as well. Worse though is our own personal disagreements in regards to how we view the franchise. Usually I'm on good terms with my younger bro, but my older brother is more radical and elitist, thinking he knows what's best for the Transformers. I can deal with that s*** on da net(usually) but when it's living in the same house with ya...?

when i was 8 beast wars came out and i loved the toys. only problem is, i destroyed them all! i also regret not getting more of the classics line

Jazz-1982 wrote:

Mkall wrote:Collecting G1 figs. Yeah I went there.

I had just completed my armada line, but was at a point in life where I wasn't earning a lot of money, so what I did earn went towards the G1 commemorative Figs, and a few cheap G1 figs that I found here and there instead of getting some of the neater (in retrospect) Energon figs that were being released at the time.

THey were on my shelf for probably 8 months, then assigned a plastic bin where I didn't even look at them for at least 4 years. Eventually I sold them off for 2/3's what I paid for them (estimated). I only kept a few G1 figs that looked imposing with my main love and focus: E/C, Classics and beyond.

Same story here. The G1 figures I bought ended up going into a cupboard in a big box and not getting shelf space/attention at all.
Now with the exception of Shockwave and Gnaw they're all going to be sold - I think i'll be able to make back the same amount as you 2/3 or thereabouts of the price I paid.
Encore and Classics all the way for me too (and G1 character Masterpieces).

I'm like that with G1 figs as well! I don't mean to insult anyone, but I honestly never saw what the interest in them was other than nostalgia. The only G1 figs I have are the TRU reissue of Soundwave and the white and black version of Astrotrain that HTS sold in 2006. I have not interest in either of them now. The only figures I collect are Classics and Movie figures, or figures that can fit in with one of those collections.

My biggest regret is leaving my WHOLE collection in New Orleans when I evacuated for Hurricane Katrina. I had got wasted the night before, and because we had a few false hurricane evacuations in the past, I didn't bother to bring ANYthing. In hindsight, I probably would have packed up at least one box of my favorites just in case.

I also regret giving the majority of my RID collection to my little cousin (who was 5 at the time). Railracer, Ruination, Omega Prime, Galvatron, Car Brothers, Landfill, Sky-byte, and Scourge...all boxed up and given to my cousin who proceeded to destroy them all in about a month...

Telling myself that the botcon 08 wasn't that cool and would be easy to pick up on the secondary market...

Took myself to the woodshed on that gem of an idea..

Over indulged on Bayverse 2007 figs when the first TF movie came out. Man, 2007 voyager SS looks like an ugly roach-bot compared to the work of art that is ROTF leader class SS. Ditto Bumblebee. Buying Swindle was another big mistake.

The only ones that seem to have withstood the test of time and Hasbro's toy engineering advancements and budget upgrades seems to be deluxe Barricade, Brawl [wonky arms, but he still looks good], and 2007 Leader class OP.

I only collect movie TF's and the Universe/classics/RTS/gernerations that have a G1 Homage.

About a year before I started collecting I held the Classics Devestator and Bumblebee in my hands at Walmart. I looked em over and put em back nothing thinking about it. I remember passing up bumblebee like 7 times. Then the movie came out and got me into it. ahhhhhh.

I have the RTS bumblebee and thats good enough for me, and I will eventually find Devy on Ebay once these mass waves from Hasbro stop for a bit.

I regret impulse buying figures when I get tired of waiting for the figures I really want and should be waiting for. I end up getting what I want, but there have been a bunch of purchases on the spot that I should have thought twice about.