Finally finished my MP scale Transformers collection.

[79transam]

KBB Skywarp. Annnnnd done.

I used to have a goal of sesons 1,2 and 86' Movie.

As the collection grew, things got more expensive,
faster than, I feel, the rate of inflation. And designers changed, paint apps got worse or better with no real method to the madness. Styling changed to the point where it felt as if the MP line was totally different than when it started. I started to get kinda irritated with that.

Well I wasn't in this to be irritated so when the Hot Rod and Nissan Vans didn't satisfy me, and I had a choice between 3 different Shockwaves, I ventured down the 3P path with Cloud 9 Quakeblast! Not only was it hefty and properly scaled for my taste, it was half the price of official. I realized right then- r&d, oil prices, distribution, paint costs, die cast.... none of that was a valid reason for high prices anymore. It made me realize that the official offerings were priced like that because of Greed! Price gouging plain and simple. So I happily went with more 3P stuff, DX9 Gewalt and Mightron. Good prices, rock solid builds, perfect for me.

But then came Maketoys Downbeat. Also rock solid and awesome looking- but wayyyyy overpriced. And with that, I found the KO seekers. Some Wei Jiang stuff.

Now I realize what these things are worth. I realize theres so much greed. I don't have the joy anymore collecting these things. So I finished up my season 1 collection today and, I'm done. There's no more "need to fill the gap". It's finished. And I couldn't be happier about it.

[MULTIPLEX]

Congrats. Always a good feeling to finish a collection. Any pics?

[optimusb39]

definatelyfindingbthat its an endless trap... more and version that are better than the last and higher and higher prices. mine collection is a mix of everything right now. still vastly underdone though. missing a great deal of decepticons, some of the classic series characters and lmost all the season 3. let alone going down the headmaster series road (thanks to ko data clerk)
i estimate i ciuld hsve bought a 700,000 house by now with a down payment worth of bots...
glad you have the willpower to say enough is enough.
...but what about mp scale superion?

[79transam]

I can see if I can get some on the laptop. Will do.

MP Superion sounds cool. I'd love to have it. But I'm not actively collecting MP anything now. Prices come down, quality goes up, or I get the general feeling that these companies actually appreciate my business, then I may dabble again. But for now, they successfully squeezed me past my breaking point. Enough is enough. These combiners aren't worth 600 bucks. They just aren't. Carbots aren't worth 160 bucks. They just aren't.
It's how it is because people pay it.
There's more rewarding things to collect for me aside from Transformers too- Neca makes neat stuff for 1/8th the cost per piece. Legends and Black Series are 30 bucks instead of 300. And they at least hold their value.

[Chigimus]

Congrats on completion and all, but it actually sounds less like you've collected everything you wanted and more that you've drawn a line in the sand about where you want to put your money now.

I'm sure many on here will understand and empathise with that decision too. Ultimately, an item's value is subjective to the eyes of the collector. What one person is willing to spend to obtain said item may not necessarily be what another person would spend. Too many of us have been too eager to say "shut up and take my money" without real critical thought, and that's where manufacturers have been able to take advantage of us.

So while your conviction is admirable, I hope you're not missing any characters that would leave you feeling like your collection is incomplete somehow despite closing the door due to rising costs getting unfeasible.

[zuffyprime]

Well said,
would love to see some pics

[79transam]

Originally Posted by Chigimus

Congrats on completion and all, but it actually sounds less like you've collected everything you wanted and more that you've drawn a line in the sand about where you want to put your money now.

I'm sure many on here will understand and empathise with that decision too. Ultimately, an item's value is subjective to the eyes of the collector. What one person is willing to spend to obtain said item may not necessarily be what another person would spend. Too many of us have been too eager to say "shut up and take my money" without real critical thought, and that's where manufacturers have been able to take advantage of us.

So while your conviction is admirable, I hope you're not missing any characters that would leave you feeling like your collection is incomplete somehow despite closing the door due to rising costs getting unfeasible.

If that's the price I pay, so be it. Transformers is only one of my interests. And being the most expensive, is also the most logical to give up. MP fatigue is a real phenomenon but my budget, not super high, has plenty of enthusiasm for Black Series and Marvel Legends right now.

If I do buy anymore MP scale stuff, it's going to be things like Sunsurge, Yes Model Coneheads ect- and on the secondary market, used. And that's if I do it on whim with no collecting goal. Takara is definitely out.

For them to win me back they would need to do a sale that gives me a Hasui designed, triple changer Astrotrain, with rubber tire upgrades for my carbots, for 5% off for each MP I already own. So yes... free. Customer appreciation to make up for their obvious price gouging that essentially began my branching off to 3P then ultinately to KO.

[79transam]

All that being said though, I am very pleased with the g1 season 1 nearly complete lineup I do have. It's time for me to get the glass cleaner out and shine up the detolfs soon. So I will have a pic of the whole collection soon.

[CanBot]

You know, as much as I want MP Combiners...the mere thought of having SO MANY G1 combiners, the hit and miss QC and the ever-insanely rising prices?

The analogy of the frog in the pot of water comes to mind.

But just imagine how LONG it would take Takara to release such a project...years! Five MP carbots?...literally years!

I'm still in of course, but...that's how I know I'll never get out of the game. Something as 'simple' as Season 1,2 and Movie characters as a goal is actually still pretty insane when you really look at it.

But...they got me. What can I say? I'm still enjoying the ride, particularly with Megatron MP. But...at some point? You really have to ask yourself the big questions about why (and how) you collect. I mean, all I collect are MPs and very VERY few mainline bots (all G1 inspired) and I'm running into display space issues.

It's like , "Put the blinders back on, man, and keep waiting!"...pretty much how it works for me The coneheads are damn near deal breakers for me as of late. I simply can't stand QC issues on MPs. When I look at the cool simplicity (and rugged durability!) of G1 toys from back in the day, I really wonder why they can't engineer collectibles that make QC issues a thing of the past. I know, costs..but, they're already expensive: why not bump up the price for something that actually is devoid of the kinds of issues we see with, say, the new Movie MP line? Isn't the product worth at least that?

Anyways, I hear ya. Glad to see you got to where you wanna go with the line.

[79transam]

Thanks man. It may happen that I buy one here or there still. But I'm saying- Goal complete because it cuts the tether.

It went from want to, to have to. And I really needed to change that.

Collecting these was far more rewarding to me when getting a certain piece felt like that was my one chance.
I felt that when I completed this 40th anniversary black series set. I know there's no reissue coming. MP effectively devalued all the product I assumed would hold value when they just released things over and over. It made me think what's the point of paying that much. Id be better off with the ko. And so that's how I finished my collection. Haha with KOs