My G1 Crossroads

[Gruff]

I've done it, I've actually done it. As far as I can tell I have finished collecting the G1 line. Sort of.
As far as I can tell all I need is Fortress Maximus and Overlord and thats it. Any US exclusives (Roadbuster, Whirl, Deluxe Insecticons etc), UK exclusives (ActionMaster ExoSuits, Deluxe ActionMasters etc) are all in my possesion. Obviously those 2 afore mentioned biggies will fall into my hands sooner rather than later and that leaves the next big question. Where do I go next? Obvious answers would be G2 or Machine Wars, truth be told ithink i've finished them as well. Nope back a step. . . . .

Japan G1

I've gotten a fair few over the years anyway with the Battlestars team, Big Powered team, LioKaiser (knockoff ), Blue Bacchus and Hotspark numbering the few in my collection.
As far as I've noticed, I might be wrong, none of these or other Japanese G1 characters/toys are recognised on Hasbro's TF checklist. In fact the same is said for a lot of other sites TF toy lists.
Obviously they're recognised Transformers as of the cartoons, manga and other literature they've appeared in. So why doesnt Hasbro recognise them? or other sites?

I know some people dream of having a Victory Sabre, some have never even heard of him. Heck I've never ever, eeeeever have seen an Artfire appear on Ebay.
Although the other day I was typing in random Transformer (Japanese) names into Ebay and got quite a few succesful hits back. The problem was they were so damn expensive.
I saw some of the Jap Dinosaur cassettes, hundreds of pounds for them! Just so much money for some of them, it was crazy.
Problem is, they're next on the hitlist.

My question to those who collect specifically G1 or even all Transformer lines, do I go after them? with so many sites not recognising them I have actually questioned this myself. It also possibly answers where the Moonies and the Jets get their 1800 and 1400 plus collections tho

It for me is a serious predicament, a crossroads in collecting.

[TheGreatDestroyer]

Starscream doesn't have many jap G1 Transformers at all, Raiden and that's pretty much it, its having all the UK/US G1 TFs and then the majority of pretty much every line after.

From a toy point of view, I know I wouldn't swap my VictorySabre for any Transformer and that although I don't have them, I have had the luck to see first hand all the Jap G1 toys at the Moon and can say that there are some, Brainmasters, Multifroce, Greatshot, Black Zarak, Raiden, LioKaiser, Dinosaur Force that are worth a place in any collectors collection. They are nice toys, especially VS and the Brainmasters.

I'll say this though, only a madman or someone with an awful lot of money to burn would try get a complete Jap G1 collection from outside the country though, at least you get a big toy with Grand Maximus but from the Headmaster heads to cassettes, there are too many small figures that are just insanely priced on ebay and by dealers (although if collectors like the moon keep coughing up then the prices will stay that way). We go way back but it still makes me weep when they buy a single Jap toy or lucky draw that costs more than my Dragonball Z collection.

Are you collecting to satisfy yourself or others? why should it matter if a website counts them or not? I'd say get the nice ones that aren't quite so ridiculous and then go on to the other lines if you want. To this day I regret paying money for Armada Sideswipe just to have him in my Sideswipe collection, I can't comprehend buying an entire line just for the sake of it.

[Gruff]

my problem is i've become quite a completist now and greedy i must admit.
VERY greedy.

I could even say i've started to feel slightly competitive as well but i know with some of the Lucky Draws that the Moonies have i'll never be able to compete.
But its my passion as well, collecting Transformers has been my one true hobby all my life. I've played my sports and gotten a sideboard full of trophies, got a coupla great jobs and some great mates but this is my passion.

But its just so disheartening to see this whole other side of the collection that just seems so unreachable in terms of pricing.
I know each brand of the TF line has its Jap and US exclusives and we all want some of them, heck even all of them but how far is too far?

Where do you draw the line?

[Galvy]

id draw the line at cost.

if ya wanna compete collection wise you gotta spend.
and if you dont own a tf, tell ppl you know someone who does and give em the moons address

im abargain hunter myself, would rather go to boot sales than ebay. but its just my way.

[Caken Lagann]

I have always wanted to complete a single toy line and that has always made me feel "greedy". I still bargain hunt a lá Galvy above. Those low, low prices kepp me coming back and help me indulge in some light repair work to keep my hand in. Since starting the collection I have had two small boys who are worth more than any toy but it hasn't/didn't stop me from fighting my way to a complete run of Alternators. I even managed to splurge on some Binaltechs to get the extra colours and Asterisk ones (when they arrive lol).

However, Alt and BT's are pennies when compared to something as serious as J-G1 figures, in fact way below the decimal point. They are something to behold, having viewed a few in real life and if the opportunity and money (Fat chance of lottery win!) came my way then I would look into collecting them quite seriously. Space also holds me back, the bulk of my collection resides in my parents loft due to only having a 2 bedroomed flat...

If you have the time and the money then do it for yourself, be greedy if you feel you can handle the "morning after winning the auction for week's wages" lol!

[TheGreatDestroyer]

Too far depends on circumstances, before I had a house, $200 was my limit for toys that qualified for OMG if I don't have this I'm going to cry like a baby status, now there's now way I can blow that much on one toy. I'm lucky that I don't have one single collection so I can never go too crazy as I always have to balance how many Anime DVDs, Mangas or Goku's I could get for that amount and in the case of Jap G1 TFs, it's just a no-go for me no matter how much I want Greatshot and the Dinosaur force.

Think how many Energon or Animated toys you could get and if you'd still rather collect Jap G1, then do.

[Gruff]

to be fair i think i have the complete Machine Wars line (who? lol) and almost all the western releases for Beast Wars thru to Beast Machines, a near if not complete RiD line as well and most of Armada and Energon.
Cybertron was where i began my little hiatus from TransFandom due to personal issues with a great many TransFans over some small things most namely the film of which incidentaly i have most of the line as well.

My Jap G1 obsession was fuelled even more today when i got my hands on the reissue TwinCast and damn he looks sweet.

I'm sat on my bedroom floor right now looking at what i have on display at the moment, i've shuffled things around and done a lot of tidying and in the due course of sorting my stuff out the other week i've put my 1984 and 85 line ups back on display, they're complete and it just looks so healthy and good.
By lack of time and space (and patience) my 87 and 88 line ups are still on display and they look great believe me but knowing i'm characters from them it makes them fell incomplete. does anyone know what i mean?
am i mad?
insane?
deluded?

i've just started picking up BotCon toys and the Titanium 6 inchers (ooer), Classics and Cybertron. And beginning of February i'll be medically cleared to start returning to my various jobs so i'll have a lotta cas to spend/burn.

The whole price thing is still kind of off putting but doesnt anyone else have the urge to get/collect the G1 line up to its fullest extent?

[Minion]

I've always just bought the ones I liked and wanted. I am a completionist in other respects but as far as TF goes it's just about what I perceive as 'must haves' and 'the best'. As space in my house becomes a premium I have to be even more ruthless, as anything I buy has to be stored away or replace something else on a shelf which gets stored away.
My G1 collection is pretty much 'complete' in this respect as apart from a half dozen figures (most of which are easily attainable) I have everything I could want and then some more. Most are stored safely away which tells me that perhaps I was never bothered that much in the first place. My favourites are definitely on display though. It's a small collection in comparison to the moons and many others here (SSJ, you Gruff, etc) but it is all I want from the line.

On the subject of japanese toys, my one guilty pleasure purchase was a complete MISB set of jap Seacons. Even though i already had them loose I wanted the japenese box art and packaging, and I simply love the names. There is only 1 other TF I want mint in its original packaging, and again i have it loose already (like 3 or 4 times lol).

Cost never comes into it for me. I see how much something is at retail or ebay/convention selling price and ask myself if I agree or if it is worth that much to me. If it is then I buy without hesitation, if not then I don't. What I would spend a lot of money on someone else might look at and think is worthless.