The Energon Pub

I've come to the conclusion that my spending is getting a little out of hand. Thus I've had to take a look at revamping my collecting rules. They are:
1 - No multiples of the same character. I have, off the top of my head, 3 different Optimus Primes, 4 Megatrons and too many Scourge/Nemesis Primes on my shelves.
2 - Official Transformers trump 3rd parties. There are exceptions where the 3rd party comes closer to the original character than the official (i.e. Hardhead) but from now on, if an official TF fills a slot, it's there to stay.
3 - No more stop gap figures. Beast Hunters Shockwave on my Clasics shelf? That would not have happened under this rule.
4 - No more non-official TF characters. There are some interesting figures out there under development. But unless they're a character from any TF series, I'm not interested.
5 - No more legends-class figures. They just don't add anything for me, even if it's a unique character.
6 - If I justify it's existence by saying "It looks like <obscure character> if I squint" then I don't need it.
7 - No more customs. They're neat, original pieces to be sure, but to get them done to my standards is too pricy.
8 - No new side collections. I have Star Seekers, Predacons, Pre-Beast Ears, Hearts of Steel and Shattered Glass. Recently I've caught myself trying to justify a Minicon lineup. It's just too much money spread out literally all over the place.
9 - If it doest fit with Classics/Generations, I don't need it.

Those are mine. What are yours?

Only expensive stuff and hard to acquire items of characters that will never see the light of day in the retailverse.....for example Botcon Electro.
Or honest to goodness proper licensed figs done to near perfection like Springer, Sandstorm and/or Metroplex....not to mention MP Soundwave.

Mine are simpler.

1) Must be a character I remember from fiction.
2) Must be an accurate representation or suitable redesign of the character.
3) Must look cool (DotM deluxe Leadfoot is thus eliminated as I hate the way he looks on screen).
4) Must not be a repaint/retool of a mold I already have.
5) Must be very poseable.

1, 2 and 5 are negotiable, thanks to my customising abilities, but I still have high standards.

I have multiples of characters because my collections, especially Movieverse, are split into different scales.

1. No other lines from Hasbro only classic/generation .

2. No scout commander legion or whatever they are called now from Hasbro.

3. No more Movie figures.

4. Loads more 3RD party classic character figures (I find the 3rd party world much more interesting & exciting compared to the official).

5. Very few re-paints only if there re-tooled or there's an up-grade kit coming out .

6. Only characters i'm awere of no impulse buys because it's so awesome.

7. Must throw away box's other than nice ones like MMC Hexatron.

Did this already:

• MP only, there aren't many released and the prices don't increase at such an insane rate as other lines do
• No-more 3rd Party full figures, sure they're nice and I love them, but I collect MPs due to the sporadic releases, accessories and upgrades however are still OK, as log as they're damn awesome
• No non-characters unless super cheap, like Sunstorm and Acidstorm, I might pick up Acidstorm once he goes on clearance for shelfwarming so incredibly hard

1. Only buy figures I like.
2. Only buy as many as I can comfortably afford.

1) If it doesn't fit with my Neo-Classics or Masterpiece collections I don't need it (except for the odd Beast Wars or Power Core Combiner impulse buy which I do try to resist ). The Prime toy line, as well as space and expense, turned me off collecting cartoon lines and movie lines are a pass.

2) They must be accurate cartoon representations or suitable Neo-Classics redesigns of the G1 characters.

3) I must like the look of it.

4) No more stop gap figures (just added this one, thanks! ).

5) Try to resist new side collections. I started out wanting the four years of G1 cartoon characters and have since added The Wreckers, Mayhem Attack Squad and Star Seekers to that. Also added the Thirteen, but they are on the back burner for now.

6) I prefer official Transformers over 3P, but if Hasbro releases something after a 3P (Springer), then it must be pure awesome for me to get it as a replacement. Things that are subpar (FoC Combaticons) are automatic passes and I will wait for a 3P to do something.

Preferably G1. Someone I know (the character that is), Encore or MP.

I have five. I use these rules to create my own universe.

1. One character, one figure. Current exceptions are Alternators Ravage and ROTF leader class Optimus Prime. Alternators Ravage is my all time favorite, so I won't let him go. ROTF Prime is just too awesome to go for now.

2. No repaints only if no choice for non-customizable characters. Exceptions are Classics seekers, Sunstreaker/Sideswipe/Red Alert, Tracks/Wheeljack, etc.

3. For aftermarket figures that cost too much, find other lines to replace it. I'm mentioning Classics Ratchet and Cliffjumper here. They are replaced by PRiD Ratchet and Prime FE Cliffjumper.

4. For figures outside neo G1 lines out of customization, buy them or keep them if they fit in the characters I want. Like ROTF Bludgeon and Animated Arcee.

5. Scale matters. Yep! That's right. So still no FOC Blaster because he is too big. Also no matter how cool MP Soundwave is, he is too big.

These rules so far go pretty well and my figures count is still lower than 80. Well, I count combiners as one. Oh! I should add one more. For the characters I totally don't care, don't buy them.

GuyIncognito wrote:1. Only buy figures I like.
2. Only buy as many as I can comfortably afford.

The absolute best rules yet.

I feel like any rule I'd set up will inevitably be shattered, so I try being mindful of how much I'm spending and put a week or few between each purchase. Plus, I'm really trying to narrow down my focus, getting things I know I'll like by it's own merits and not just because it "represents" something I like.

Here are some I'm slowing going to. Most don't concern transformers.
1. If I'm not opening it, I don't spend more than $20. It used to be $10 but I'm finding that as I get older I'm not opening as much. Examples TFP Voyager class Utra Magnus (the second one); Generations Sandstorm; and TFP V.C. Skyquake. Not to mention Black Series 6" Darth Maul.
2. Stop buying repeats of diecast cars. I've got way too many. This especially applies to Matchbox and HotWheels cars. If I have it I will not buy another just because it's a different color. Unless maybe if it's black, red, blue or yellow...or orange.

Old rules from years ago:
Buy everything. Anything G1 related, anything Takara, Movie stuff, plush toys, stupid stuff, whatever I can find!

Revised Rules:
No more movie figures, ever. Sell the ones I have.

Current Rules:
G1 molds/reissues (repaints okay) and US Masterpiece only. Nothing else.

Besides the costs, I simply don't have the space.

Dead Metal wrote:Did this already:

• MP only, there aren't many released and the prices don't increase at such an insane rate as other lines do
• No-more 3rd Party full figures, sure they're nice and I love them, but I collect MPs due to the sporadic releases, accessories and upgrades however are still OK, as log as they're damn awesome
• No non-characters unless super cheap, like Sunstorm and Acidstorm, I might pick up Acidstorm once he goes on clearance for shelfwarming so incredibly hard

Same here, except I don't do any 3rd party upgrades. At least not yet.

Mykltron wrote:Mine are simpler.

1) Must be a character I remember from fiction.
2) Must be an accurate representation or suitable redesign of the character.
3) Must look cool (DotM deluxe Leadfoot is thus eliminated as I hate the way he looks on screen).
4) Must not be a repaint/retool of a mold I already have.
5) Must be very poseable.

1, 2 and 5 are negotiable, thanks to my customising abilities, but I still have high standards.

I have multiples of characters because my collections, especially Movieverse, are split into different scales.

I forgot:
6) No impulse buys just cos they're on sale.
7) Must fit in my collection, so no stand-alone figures or out-of-scale-with-other-figures figures.

GuyIncognito wrote:1. Only buy figures I like.
2. Only buy as many as I can comfortably afford.

^That sounds about right. If there's anything I'd add, it's:

"If I ever find myself in a position where I have more stuff than I have room, then I need to do something about it because hoarding is NOT okay."

But that's a rather specific circumstance that I don't have issue with at present.

As for "____ doesn't fit with ___!" my computer-desk-shelf-rack with Generations Wheeljack, BH Wheeljack, Constructbot Ironhide, Rotf Beachcomber, Kreons Prowl, Sideswipe, Red Alert, Ratchet, Trailbreaker, and Superion has words for you (and that's only the Autobot shelf!).

1)masterpiece only with the exception of acid storm and sunstorm because I don't recall those paint jobs on any form of fiction or anime.

hence why I passed on them

2) no more third party stuff...as much as id like to get some of these combiners the progress of the mp line has me hoping well get them eventually and if not oh well.

3)movie figures only at the leader human alliance scale. leader will probably get them all but human alliance better be up to the standards of jazz and bumblebee

4)no more cyberverse period ive probably spent close to a thousand on these things and cant do it anymore.

RAcast wrote:As for "____ doesn't fit with ___!" my computer-desk-shelf-rack with Generations Wheeljack, BH Wheeljack, Constructbot Ironhide, Rotf Beachcomber, Kreons Prowl, Sideswipe, Red Alert, Ratchet, Trailbreaker, and Superion has words for you (and that's only the Autobot shelf!).

Personally, I think I'd have an aneurism

Mkall wrote:

RAcast wrote:As for "____ doesn't fit with ___!" my computer-desk-shelf-rack with Generations Wheeljack, BH Wheeljack, Constructbot Ironhide, Rotf Beachcomber, Kreons Prowl, Sideswipe, Red Alert, Ratchet, Trailbreaker, and Superion has words for you (and that's only the Autobot shelf!).

Personally, I think I'd have an aneurism

That means my work here is complete...
Oh wait.
No it's not, there's no picture.

My rules are pretty simple, Figures I like, Figures I can afford, Figures I have somewhere to put. If it's a series I am collecting, the figure has a home, if it's not, I don't need it (unless it's the start of a series I intend to collect). I really need to start reigning in my purchases, though. As I tend to pick up random one-offs that I think are cool, and they quickly snowball into a new collection of things I had no intention of collecting.

My rules are:

1. The original members from the Ark which was featured in the Marvel comic book
2. Masterpiece scale or,
3. Third party figure in Masterpiece scale
4. if I can afford it,
- the G1 Figure from the original Ark members.
- the combiners which I think is cool.

1. No deluxe cars. I love the Diaclones and Laser Rods. I don't want a car that looks ridiculously large beside them. Kills me that modern cars aren't scout size. I'd love a Scout size Kick Off, Nightbeat and Getaway.

This rule saves me a lot of money as most TF cars are deluxes.

2. No Legends. They killed my beloved Scout class.

3. No aesthetic outside G1. I hate stylised TF's like Animated and Prime and I really hate the likes of Bulkhead, Rattrap and Movie Wheelie.

Ok, sounds a bit harsh. I do enjoy the Prime, Beast Wars, Movies and Animated series. I just don't like the modern departure from the G1 aesthetic.

4. No buying just for the sake of buying.

Pity I didn't enforce these rules over the years, I'd have saved thousands.

Windsweeper wrote:2. No Legends. They killed my beloved Scout class.

To be fair, Legends existed alongside Scouts for years. It was Cyberverse Commanders which killed the Scout class.

Cyberverse Legions are, of course, basically the same as the previous Legends class, except that they actually come with weapons now, I'd call that an appreciable improvement.

If anything, I'd think those PCCs and HA Basics killed the Scout class. Those were roughly Scout-sized figures (more so than the Cyberverse Commanders, which people inexplicably seem to keep thinking are Scouts) and --in my area, at least-- shelfwarmed catastrophically. Wave 1 of both of them never EVER left the shelves until they reset the entire damn TF section.

Regardless, Scouts are surely missed.

i have resigned myself to masterpiece figures only.... and the occassional exceptional universe figure (waspinator, rhinox im looking at you)