The Chance of a Lifetime

Collecting Transformers can be a very satisfying and yet frustrating hobby. Satisfying when you finally obtain that one figure you've been after for a while or when you see the new figures showcased at Botcon. Frustrating when you travel all over town looking for an army builder that happened to be shortpacked or someone else beats you out on an eBay auction by just a couple of pennies. But then there are also those times when a once in a lifetime event comes along that just cannot be passed up; experiences that may even define one's entire collecting career. It doesn't happen to every collector, but if you are lucky enough to have it happen to you then it can change your life, for better or for worse.



Such an event just happened to occur recently. For purposes of privacy I will maintain the anonymity of the individuals involved, but this is such an amazing story it deserves to be shared. I personally have had a collecting fantasy for a very long time which involves me finding a lot of sealed Generation One Transformers in a storage unit one day. I've even had dreams about it. I imagine many collectors have this fantasy on some level, depending on their interests. But in this case, it actually happened. A Transformer collector found a hoard of sealed Generation One Transformers. 208 figures in total.

Sealed Fortress Maximus back there.

While the details of the transaction remain shrouded in mystery, this collector brokered a deal with a longtime toy collector who had decided to liquidate his assets. Not only did he have Transformers, but almost every toyline from the late '70's until the '90's. Fortunately all of the Transformers were purchased in one giant lot and not split out over multiple sales. From the pictures you can tell that they are all in excellent condition and if graded by AFA will grade very high. Of course probably the biggest question that comes from a purchase such as this is: how much did the collector pay? That is a question that only the collector can answer, but I would be willing to bet they were purchased at a high discount to what they would have sold for on eBay.

So what happens now? Does the collector sell them? Send them to AFA for grading? Open them mercilessly on Youtube for all to see? I guess the real question would be: what would you do with all of them? I know personally I would probably have every single one graded and then attempt to display them in the most aesthetically pleasing method possible. However I am sure there are many people out there who would love the chance of opening a G1 transformer for the very first time and who could blame them? At least one thing is for sure, even nearly thirty years later there are still pockets of Transformer treasure out there. Perhaps just sitting in some old barn, just waiting for the right person to find them. I hope one day to be lucky enough to count myself among that upper echelon of collectors that find these once in a lifetime opportunities.

See also:
The Mother Lode!!!
Back from AFA