Starting from Scratch...almost

When one sells their entire collection and then decides they want to start again, where do you start? Do you try to obtain everything you let go of, or do you explore new opportunities?

This is the question I find myself facing.

IT NEVER ENDS!!

When Simon Furman penned those words into Transformers #79 I imagine he had no real idea of how they would continue to resonate through the fandom for decades to come and in some ways define what Transformers means.

One Year Later...

So despite the fact I have "officially" ended my Transformer blogging days, it doesn't mean my collection doesn't still continue to grow and evolve. I suppose my ultimate goal is to have my very last post reflect a completely finished collection room, and when I say finished I mean all the G1 figures and boxes complete and displayed, and all ID tags in place. Things like Masterpiece won't be done for a while so that section will always continue to grow.

A Curator's Dream: Realized (and Thanks for all the Fish)

It has been nearly a year since I began my journey to acquire two of every G1 figure and put them on display. A lot has changed in that time, some good, some bad and some unexpected. But if there is one thing we can count on in this life, it is change. So without further delay, I present what will probably be my final post

A Very Special Gift

Charticon provided me with many opportunities. It gave me the chance to meet people I had only known online prior, it allowed me to experience running a convention from the "other side" as it were, and it provided me with invaluable insight to the community as a whole. One very unexpected result of the show was that I was given some wonderful gifts for helping some people out. This is the first of these.

What's This???

So. Frakkin. Busy. Even though much time has passed, my love for Transformers has not waned. But I am finding it hard to find subjects to discuss. My vintage figure budget has been on hiatus ever since September of last year and everyone else already has all the new stuff so I don't really feel like I have a lot to contribute to the community as a whole.

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.

G2 Gobots and Drench Vindicated!

I was challenged. My resolve was tested. And yet I prevailed. That's right, I have added loose versions of G2 Gobots and Drench to my collection. Just recently I had obtained a sealed G2 Drench and I received a lot of peer pressure to just go ahead an open the sucker. Fortunately I didn't listen as just last week I was able to grab Drench and Gobots insanely cheap and thus spare the sealed versions from being subjected to the wrath of the 2012 atmosphere. It is 1993 inside those packages and that is how it is going to stay. I imagine if I ever did open them I would be able to momentarily hear the faint sounds of gangsta rap anyway. It's all dubstep out here now.

Sale of the AFA Items

Boy, this took a lot of soul searching, but in the end I think it is best.

I started collecting AFA (Action Figure Authority) graded figures over two years ago. My plans started out innocently enough, I just wanted to have a couple for novelty sake, nothing more. What I didn't realize is that I am often a victim of my inner completionist. Little by little as time went by I wanted more AFA figures. They looked so pretty in their perfect packaging, like a little time capsule of a Transformer. Eventually I decided that I would try and get all of the 1984 original release of figures. That transformed (if you'll excuse the pun) into obtaining all of the figures I had as a child in AFA form. That ballooned into having EVERY SINGLE G1 FIGURE GRADED. I got about 36 figures into that goal (approximately 10%) and started to think long and hard about if this is what I really wanted. As with everything there is an opportunity cost when you purchase one thing over another. What I began to realize was that I didn't want to sacrifice all the numerous opportunities open to me in order to obtain a complete AFA collection. Based on my estimates it would take somewhere around $100K to $150K to meet such a goal and I finally realized that isn't what I wanted.

So about a month ago I decided to sell off the bulk of my AFA collection. However since they are such high value items I thought it would be a good idea to wait until after the new year for tax purposes. People also have a lot of money to spend right after Christmas (ironically enough) so it seemed like good timing, and strangely enough the AFA market is actually up for the first time since 2007. Almost all of the auctions are over now and I am feeling quite a bit of relief that I won't have to worry about them anymore. AFA items can be such fragile things and if they are damaged in any way they completely lose their value. I did keep a few select items that mean a lot to me; Starscream, Bumblebee and Hot Rod. I may decide to purchase a few others that would really mean something to me (Smokescreen being one as he was my very first transformer) but for the most part I am done with AFA. All of that money will be re-invested into other things like Japanese and European exclusive G1 figures, Third Party items and maybe a few other special figures (Big Blue Convoy I'm looking at you). I am a loose collector at heart and while I can appreciate AFA figures I don't want them to take up the bulk of my collection. Plus, they were all duplicates anyway :)

So now that I have a little expendable cash I wonder where it should go first....

Oh, and Botch, thanks for the nudge :)

Something a little different in the AFA game

I've been collecting AFA G1 Transformer figures for about two years now and have learned a lot about not only the market, but the collectors and sellers that make up the fanbase. AFA collectors are a very small group and so pretty much everyone knows everyone else which makes anonymity very difficult. However more times than not this is an advantage because it aids in preventing unsuspecting buyers (like me sometimes) from pulling the trigger on a bad deal or working with a crappy seller. The organization and interconnectedness AFA community is really its biggest strength, and I am glad to know the excellent individuals who make up that community.

Anyway, ever since I started collecting AFA figures less than 1% of the figures I have seen have been from the last two years of G1. In fact, I've never seen AFA Action Masters before. So a few months ago when I got a good deal on eBay for some sealed G1 '89 and '90 figures I decided I would get them AFA'd and start from the other end of things. Most G1 AFA collectors focus on 1984-1987 (If that far! Many just do 1984-1985!) so it isn't often you see the later year figures. So here I present the AFA figures that came back the other day in all their late G1 glory!

Action Master Snarl - 85 (!)
Action Master Devestator - 85 (!)
Race Car Patrol - 70 (boooo)
Monster Truck Patrol - 75 (eh)
Battle Patrol - 75 (eh)

Overall not too bad. Like I have said in the past I am less concerned with the grades than with just having them cased up. Protecting them is the most important part to me. I have five other sealed Action Masters that I will be sending off sometime in the near future and hopefully they'll do as well as these did!

Terrorcons and the Beach

Since the end of summer is quickly approaching it is about time for my annual trip to the beach. This used to be a constant in my young life; my family would always go to the beach in August as kind of a "farewell" to the summer season before school began. In my adult life I unfortunately lost this trend. My wife and I started going in December or March when the area was a lot less crowded for a weekend or so. But all that changed last year when good friends of ours decided to get married at the beach. It was a week-long excursion with all their friends and family, and everyone stayed in a couple of houses right on the beach. It was so much fun they decided to do it again this year and we promptly signed up. So for the second year in a row I'll be going to the beach in late summer again and it brings up so many good memories.

Predominantly in my head are the memories of two G1 Terrorcons: Cutthroat and Rippersnapper. I remember getting these way back in 1987 at the beach and toting them around everywhere I went. There are even a few pictures around to prove it. It is so odd, occasionally when I look at them now, all those memories will come flooding back to me. I still have my original terrorcons, and they show a little wear, but they are part of my G1 display now. It is strange for me to think about originally purchasing these figures all those years ago and they are still part of my life today. I guess I'm nothing if not nostalgic.

My original Cutthroat with my 'new' AFA version.

Looking at these figures still in the packaging really takes me back.

Rippersnapper with his sealed counterpart.

Thoughts on Action Masters

I recently procured a MISB Action Master Devastator online. Why, you ask? Well because one of my goals is to eventually have one sample of each G1 Transformer AFA'd. This is just one more step towards that goal; a goal that I know will take a very, very long time.

But I thought I would take this opportunity to share my opinions on Action Masters and why I am one of the few that collect them.

First of all, I hate the idea of Transformers that don't transform. Almost as much as I hate the idea of an organic Cybertron. But I feel like Action Masters got cut short before they could really flourish. Think back to 1989; the Hasbro designers were most likely fed up with the scale and articulation problems that had plagued the Transformers line from the beginning. They hadn't had any such problems with G.I.Joe. And thus Hasbro decided for a semi-reboot, recreate some of the most popular characters in a new scale that could move and pose just like G.I Joe figures.

The drawback of course was that the designers couldn't figure out how to make these toys transform in unique ways and keep their 'action' features. So they partnered them with smaller figures or vehicles that could transform and Action Masters were born. Obviously it was a dismal failure that led to the end of Generation One in the United States. But if you lived in Europe during the early '90's you got to see the natural progression of Action Masters: Deluxe Action Masters that could actually transform and retain all their 'action' features. Obviously they were very simple at first, but I feel like if the Action Master line had been allowed to continue for a few more years, we would have seen some great designs when ball joints started to become the norm.

So why do I like these Transformer failures? Well, they are part of G1 which I always told myself I would complete one day, but that isn't enough. I like the idea behind Action Masters, it was just the execution was bad. It is great to finally have some scale in the Transformers world (even if it is screwy scale, see Devastator above). But they can be a lot of fun if you forget they are supposed to transform. They are also pretty sturdy and can withstand more than many of their G1 counterparts. Finally, these weren't the end-all of Transformers; transforming figures returned to the U.S. two years later. So I look at them as just another quirky offshoot, something interesting about Transformers in the past, but certainly not genre defining.

If you've ever never given these guys a chance you may want to take a look before you pass final judgment, you might be surprised at what you find.

Back from AFA!

Well I got my first set of items back from AFA the other day. Not much to say about these guys other than I am very surprised at the grades. They all came back with 80's except for Tracks which got a 75 due to the back of the box being a little crunched. Personally I didn't think they were that good, but I'm glad they did as well as they did! I could be really mean about this and post one a day, but I won't :-)

Dirge and Cyclonus still have yet to be sent off, I am just waiting a while for some funds to even out some more. I also have a complete set of sealed G2 Aerialbots that need grading, but that is probably way off in the future. Here is my AFA corner again with my new items:

Car Robots

No, this isn't about the Japanese Transformers line released in 2000, this is about getting back to basics. The last two items from my recent purchase are not futuristic jets or special figures that have three modes. They are at the core of what started Transformers: realistic vehicles that turned into robots.

I've always been really fascinated with Ratchet. I enjoyed him in the '80s cartoon, but I never thought he got enough characterization. Where Ratchet really shines in my mind is in the Marvel Comic series, especially in the later issues. His dichotomy with Megatron throughout the run was just very interesting and it gave him such dimension. Unfortunately his toy really doesn't look much like his comic or cartoon counterpart. So when I purchased him in my youth (or I should say when my parents purchased him) I was disappointed he really didn't even have a head. But he did transform relatively quickly so when I was playing while the show was on I was able to keep up with the action! For me, purchasing this Ratchet was more about 'owning' the character rather than the actual toy.

"Where'd they getcha?"

 Tracks was another one of those Transformers that was juuust out of my reach. I've always really liked Corvettes; I used to go to lots of Corvette shows with my father as a child so of course Tracks appealed to me. Unfortunately he just wasn't in the stores long enough for me to get to him. There were always other characters that I wanted ahead of him: Ratchet, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Starscream, etc. He was on my want list, but then the '86 movie came along and a bunch of new characters came out. So of course I had to have a Hot Rod and a Gnaw and poor Tracks just kept getting knocked down the totem pole. I finally acquired a loose version around 1997 at a local flea market. He was missing all accessories and one leg was broken, but I finally had him. Over the next ten years I repaired and refurbished him so now he looks brand new. So this Tracks is a gift to my younger corvette-loving self.

"You've got a mind like a steel trap!"

Both of these guys are in great condition and I am hoping for some good marks back from AFA. I'll post more updates when I get them back.

Pennies and the Jets (lots and lots of Pennies!)

Ah, Cyclonus. This toy probably holds more sentimental value for me than almost any other. I have a distinct, clear memory of my mother purchasing Cyclonus for me at the local KB Toys way back in '86. I can remember walking into that tricked out toy store (they had a lot of 'play with me' toys out for kids) going directly to the action figure isle and picking up Cyclonus. There was no question, he was the one I wanted. I had just seen the 1986 Movie in theaters and I knew I wanted one of the 'new' characters. Hot Rod would have been my first choice but I actually got him before I saw the movie. So my next choice was the awesome, inverted-wing purple jet: Cyclonus.

"The Autobots have been terminated!"

Yes, the box flap is curved (not due to water damage, I think just due to air moisture) which is unfortunate, but a minty Cyclonus can be very expensive and I just don't want to drop that much coin on one figure. So this Cyclonus will do for me, I will attempt to flatten out the flap as much as possible before sending this one off to AFA, but I'm not expecting high marks. That's okay, he is still going to look great on my shelf.

I acquired my original Dirge when I was very young, it was one of the first Transformers I owned. I remember I mistakenly thought he was Thundercracker because he was blue (gimme a break, I was four years old). He would be the only jet from the second series I owned in my childhood. A friend of mine had Thrust and I never even saw a Ramjet until high school. To this day I still have my original Dirge, completely beat up but repaired as best possible. I'm glad I was able to get him and he was the cheapest one of the lot! I guess Dirge isn't too popular these days. 

"Death comes to he who crosses me."

 

Three Times the Fun!

I wanted to start out with Springer because he was the one really guilty purchase in this lot. I never had him as kid, but boy did I want him. The stereotypical “Han Solo” character of the 1986 Movie he always seemed so cool to me as a child, and so out of reach. I never saw him on the shelves. I was able to get a Hot Rod, Cyclonus, Gnaw and Galvatron; but Springer eluded me (as did Kup but that is another story). So I finally purchased a Springer that looks like it came right off the shelf twenty four years ago. Of course it cost ten times more than it did back then, but I am happy with it. This is one of the best ones in the lot and I am sure will grade well as it only has a few imperfections.

"I've got better things to do tonight than die!"

 As a child I loved trains. I also loved space. So it is no surprise that when I saw Astrotrain in the stores of my youth I was entranced. A train that turns into a space shuttle that turns into a robot!?! No way. I still have my original Astrotrain; he's been slightly repaired (legs tightened) and reprolabeled but he is mine from childhood. I believe he came from Sears department store. But getting him sealed in his box brings me back to those days looking through all the choices and seeing such an awesome concept – triple changer. I don't distinctly remember but I am sure I tore the box to shreds trying to get him out and play with him the first time around. I never even put his stickers on him (hence the reprolabels). This one stays sealed forever; my own little window into an awesome childhood.

"These fools worship Transformers!"

The Mother Lode!!!

Today was a glorious day. I received something in the mail I have never received before: six (that's 6!) Mint In Sealed Box Generation One Transformers. Holy freaking crap I am a state of pure euphoria.

This is what heaven must be like.

Normally I wouldn't have splurged like this, but a perfect storm of opportunities happened. About ten days ago the well known seller Transformerland.com (here) put up a collection of almost seventy mint G1 items on eBay. Obviously TFLand bought a collection and was selling it piecemeal. I took a quick look at what was up for sale and decided I wanted Smokescreen and Skywarp (as you'll notice I ended up getting neither) since they were two of the first Transformers I ever owned. My plan was to purchase these two only and have them AFA graded. I will go into my opinions on AFA in another post. So once I had decided I wanted these two I got the idea in my head that I would buy a whole bunch of these, have them graded and then sell them for a small profit each. When I say small profit I mean I set a ROI of 10%, no more. I don't like gouging people and I personally think the price of AFA's on eBay are too high from most sellers. So in order to make enough profit to cover the costs of Smokescreen and Skywarp (at least what I expected the costs to be) I figured I would need to buy and resell somewhere between twenty and thirty of the auctions. Believe it or not I was actually prepared to do this until I took a closer look at all of the auctions. After some close examination I realized many of them would not get a high enough grade in order to warrant a profit. This unfortunately included Smokescreen as he had a small hole in the bottom of the box (looked like a bug or something had dug its way through the box) so I quickly abandoned that plan and gave up the possibility of owning Smokescreen as well. I also decided I didn't really like the idea of trying to profit off the AFA game as I feel the market is overinflated anyway.

Then I went to plan B. I thought to myself that since many of these items weren't in the AFA 'pristine' condition, I may be able to get some of them cheap to add to my personal collection. I would get them graded anyway, not for the grade but just for the peace of mind of having them sealed in a plastic prison so something like what happened to the Smokescreen wouldn't happen again. I don't like missing good opportunities and this seemed like the perfect one to add to my AFA collection without incurring the enormous cost normally with it. I set up a cost-basis analysis and created a high and low price based on prior sales. I then set a midpoint for myself and decided that based on past information I could reasonably expect to win somewhere between twenty and forty percent of the items I was looking at with the pricing structure I set up. I also made sure of a limit on each item in an attempt to keep emotions out of it. Eventually I narrowed the list down to twelve items total. So two days before the auctions ended I bid my low price on the ones without any bids just to set an initial claim. All of the auctions ended within around twenty to thirty seconds of each other so I knew it would be difficult to place last second bids.

So when the fateful evening came I watched them as best I could and put in final bids as close to the ending of the auction as I could in an attempt to avoid a bidding war. Amazingly the prices stayed lower than I expected and I won fifty percent of the auctions I was watching! Unfortunately one of the ones I did not win was Skywarp, his price (along with the others) jumped higher than my analysis said I should spend so I didn't go after them. In the end I came out really well considering my initial expectations!

Over the next three days I am going to go over these guys a little more in depth along with some stories about why I chose them so keep an eye out. I'll also be documenting the AFA process for anyone who is interested.(Update, I have documented the process here)

See also:
The Chance of a Lifetime