TF Collector's Fatique?

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by hugh_da_man

Too much too quickly

So true. Just thinking about other lines of high-end toys like Soul of Chogokin, Brave Gokin, Macross, etc, they keep releasing more and more expensive toys every year. Before, we had like 5 high-end toys to buy per year. Now that number has increased to like 10 and most of them are costing more than they used to. This hobby is getting crazy. I used to buy all that shit the day of the release, now I have yet to buy stuff that got released late last year. Can't keep up! Same with Transformers. Even though I have most ROTF toys already, I haven't bought the last 2 Henkei yet, there are some Encore I'd like to have (I have none so far), I'd like some G1, I'm still missing a bunch of SWTF... It's never ending. They keep releasing the stuff faster than we can afford it.

[S.A.A.M.]

I've had the collector's fatigue for a few months now, I think. Just didn't know what to call it until now.

[Mighty_Galvatron]

I had this during the Armada/Energon/Cybertron times. Didn't buy much at all...But it came back a bit for the first Movie and then it came back huge when Classics, Universe, and Animated came out.

However, I think I am back in a lull. I have everything I want from the Universe and Animated lines (except for those Animated we haven't seen in stores yet). RotF does not interest me. I want Long Haul when he comes out, but that's it.

Until Universe comes back (and if Animated makes a new release) I am pretty much done for a while - barring a kick-ass (and I mean a solid kick directly in the anus) sale.

Even the re-issues and MP I want can wait until just before or after Christmas.

Meh.

[Whisky Tango Foxtrot]

I've only been collecting for a couple of years, and a lot of that time was spent tracking down past figures that I missed out on the first time around (post-balljoint only; the only 1980s toys I collect are Gobots.) Now that I've managed to find almost all the ones I was looking for I've slowed down a fair bit.

Plus, I'm reaching the point where I have a decent toy representation of all the characters I care about (mostly G1 guys.) I could still use a good Megatron, Soundwave and Shockwave, but that's just because none of them have had a decent modern figure yet, and after RotF Thrust and Dirge come out I'll still need a Ramjet to complete my Seeker collection (although I'd also like to replace my Cybertron Thundercracker with a better version of the character, if any get made.) After that, I imagine my collecting will be limited to Legends and Scouts (which are cheap enough that I can impulse-buy them) until Hasbro manages to come up with a new set of characters worth getting attached to (which they haven't done since Beast Wars.)

[justprime]

Howdy Transfans
Have to agree with you all,Tired of high prices especialy for new "rare releases"(read ROTF devastator here)... and these Repaints n repaints just don't cut it not even a change in a head sculpt, seems that its eaiser to reissue energon, armada (unicron again) cybertron,.... too much,... what happened to Animated ? seems that a lot here including myself want the rest of the promised release...(Where's Arcee and Omega ),..if Hasbro wants to re-release /reissue/repaint how about the Japanese/Euro stuff from G1-G2,... dino cassettes, Star sabre, Victory leo,.. action masters (Europ).. etc give us a chance at these amazing pieces,time to think of the adult collectors,.. we the long time supporters of this great line of toys.
I like the movie toys but wish they would stick to the "on screen" charaters (killer kitchen bots cool) after all they are suppost to be "Movie toys" any ways thanks for the rant time I still love the toys even though and so far am still collecting,.. all I can say is well "thats just Prime"

[Hobbyist Prime]

I go through that phase every three years or so! I still buy everything I can get my hands on but sometimes it's "meh" and then when the bug hits me again I am thankful I got them!

[blitz]

I get that high searching and buying it but then I question myself afterwards. Why did I get it and do I want to keep it or not. Sometimes I feel like this is just a waste of money and I should sell everything.

[Nocturn]

I'm buying less, but that's more because I've already finished the bulk of the back-collecting I wanted to do.

[Sting Rose]

Threads like these always make me depressed; it sucks to hear somebody not having as much passion for the hobby as they did before. Although, a lot of these, to me, seem more like a lack of interest in the aesthetic of certain lines, which is perfectly fine; you don't have to like and buy everything. If somebody who up to a certain point was an avid collector of a line and later stopped, there's definitely a lull there. God forbid that the day might come where I stop loving Robot Heroes and/or Animated, or something. XD

I could totally do without searching from store to store and coming up empty as often as I do, though, especially since I take the bus which pretty much means a shopping trip that should be an hour, or two at most, ends up taking me 4 or 6. -_-;;

I didn't really care for the movie aesthetic at all at first, but it's been growing on me, though I still don't feel compelled to buy everything. I'm looking forward to the day where I've finally finished backtracking, and can just pick and choose what I want until something else comes along that I'll invest in again. Rinse and repeat. XD

[Echotransformer]

I also am having a bit of collectors fatigue...and for many of the same reasons others have listed:

-animated being cancellled
-feeling 'jerked around' by something being sold as exclusive but being issued again later (I'm avoiding specific examples for good reason--I don't want to change the direction of this thread)
-ROTF is a mediocre line that released very quickly after two of the best lines since G1 (IMHO) TFA and Classicsverse...suddenly, I feel pressure to buy toys that I don't desire BUT_I_MIGHT_want later...and at a very painful rate

For me, the following has helped:

-backfilling (which not all collectors need to do)...I still need later G1 figs (Post Headmasters era)
-keeping an eye on Japanese stuff
-I'm following a narrower purchasing strategy for ROTF: avoiding repaints, only buying NEW DLX, Legends, Voyager and Leader class, etc.

So in a word my friend, you are not alone!!! ;-)