Lukis Bros Transformers Collector Site

News Item



Subscribe to our news feed, and get our updates sent to you.

Discussion Topic

Posted by:
Knightwing at 2007-07-31 7:45 pm
It's been a while since we had a Discussion Topic.  This is one that is inspired from the conversation of Starscream (of the comment boards) and myself. 

Are you a "collector" or a "playtor"?     Playtor is a term I believe I first saw on bwtf.com.  It means that while you do infact collect toys, you also play with them.  -VS-  Collector which would mean you try to maintain the toys in the most pristine condition possible.  Which, would be in the orignal package.

What do you collect?     Obviously if you're reading this, you collect some amount of Transformers.  But, what is the basis of your collection? 

Are you a completist?     Do you try to get every tf figure?  Maybe you are a line completist.  Meaning you want all the figures from any one line of tf toys?  Maybe you're a charactor completist.  Are you trying to get every vairiant of any one charactor?  Or, is your collection more limited whether by display room, money, or some other limiting factor? 

My collection is based on Optimus Prime/Primal and Megatron.  When I began collecting my goal was to have the most show/movie accurate paint scheme of each in each given mold vairant.  I also wanted anyone that OP/M combined with.  I am also a playtor.  My figures come out of the box.  I cut out bio info and tech spechs and throw the rest of the box away.  All of my figures are displayed.  I transform, pose, and rearange the figures from time to time.  While I've made great strides toward my orignal goal, I've by no means limited myself to just those toys.  I buy any figure I think is cool. 

So, what do you collect?  Playtor or collector?  Completist or not?

Comments
TriPredRavage said,  - 2007-07-31 20:20:27
I'm with you pretty much Knightwing. I almost always pick up the Prime of a series and anybody he can combine with. I have Armada Megs and Tidalwave, but not any other since. I'm a big fan of the combining figures. I am also a fan of Nemesis Prime and am just missing the Alternator figure and I'd have all three. I have a ton of the Beast Wars figures, but because I was so young when the series was actually out, I collected mostly Maximals and am quite lacking in the Predacon department. Lastly, I have almost all of the Ravage figures. I'm only missing ones like "The Smallest" and the one with the most recent release of Soundwave, but otherwise I have almost all of them.

I take 'em out, Transform them, pose 'em, change 'em, etc... as well. The only figures that I still have in their boxes are the 10th Anniversary Beast Wars figures just because I don't want to wear them out.
Starscream said,  - 2007-07-31 20:35:10
I'm mainly a collector, sometimes when I'm bored I transform them, and look at them. But hey Knightwing, thanks for making this discussion topic. But if you add my name in them anymore, call me Ty/Starscrean. Thanks Knightwing.
megatron said,  - 2007-07-31 20:37:45
i think i am playtor and a collector because i have tf's that r open to play with and some that i have that r un open . my collection consists of voyage class and larger figures, cause the larger figs have more value and articulation .mostly megatrons, primes , master pieces and exclusives. dont get me wrong i do have mabe 2 or 3 deluxe , i just think the deluxe and smaller figs r a waste of money .
optimusp13 said,  - 2007-07-31 20:38:03
Me. I'm a playtor. Its fun to actually see what toys can do.
Starscream said,  - 2007-07-31 20:40:37
Knightwing, I would do this myself, but I don't know how, but if its not a problem can you make a discussion topic about this: If you can pick buddies on unicron.com who would they be? Good idea Knightwing? I think so. Thanks Knightwing.
Barricade said,  - 2007-07-31 20:51:41
I like to take them out of the box, put them in robot mode, and place them on a shelf. Maybe point the Autobots/Maximals at the Decepticons/Predacons/Vehicons.
General Zod said,  - 2007-07-31 21:43:19
A consider my self a nice mix between collector and playtor, a good majority come out of the box never to return. Of course there are some that come out and can go nicely back. I'm looking at you Re-issues, Binaltech and Masterpiece. I prefer simple looking lines nothing too ridiculous looking like the Unicron trilogy, Mostly scattered sets of Alternators/Binaltech (which brought me back to transformers after a 13 year hiatus) Classics (all of 'em), the 5 main movie Autobots (minus new Bumblebee right now, so 4 I guess) and a bunch of random G1, Reissues, PVC's, WSTF, all the G1 robot heroes, and Masterpiece Starscream. I can't say I collect a certain character (maybe Hound if there were more than 2 or 3, had the Alternator but my original lineup was stolen) 68 total and counting (can't wait till 08' animated and classics 2.0 look amazing) I see a display case in the future, but for right now my desk at work does the trick, I just switch em up from time to time. And oh man do I wish I still had all the G1 from my formal years. *kicks dirt*
megatron said,  - 2007-07-31 22:06:01
gz i have about the same amount of tf's and i have no place to put them any more .now my brother is getting divorced and im buying his collection i think im gonna have to put the rest at my grandmothers place , but im afraid that some visiting kids will screw with them. any advise .this will make collection over 100 . thanks ty for bringing up the topic .i mean "starscream"........
Scorpomike said,  - 2007-07-31 23:01:40
I take them out of the package because I hate packaging material. I save the instructions and put them in ziploc bags. I have pretty much all the Armada, Energon and Cybertron figures. I also have odds and ends of many others. I restored my Fortress Maximus, Metroplex and Trypticon figures to the point where I have all the parts and nothing broken, including the tiny guns and missles. They're not mint, but pretty close. Enough to look at them and say wow!

I don't consider myself a playtor, because I don't "play" with them. I transform them a few times and put them in storage. I have a lot of repaints of figures that I know I didn't transform. That's why I hate repaints so much, they are a waste of money.

Megatron, buy some totes at Walmart or Target. The Sterlite brand is the best. Drill some holes and padlock the totes shut. That'll keep the kids out. I would also make sure the kids don't know the Transformers are even in the house. The padlocks are extra security in case the kids do find out.

I think my completist days are over. I don't like most repaints. I'll still but a few cool figures, mainly the bigger ones. I'm a big fan of the combiner sets.
megatron said,  - 2007-07-31 23:17:23
thanks scorpomike. thats a great idea.
Knight wing said,  - 2007-08-01 05:05:55
Starscream, I'll keep it in mind, but make no promises. That one seems like it could turn into a popularity contest, and I've never been big on those. But, I will think about it.
skullcruncher prime said,  - 2007-08-01 07:14:47
definitly a playtor/collector have probably have well over ,well last count was 300,bout two years ago,just completed beast wars{loose}toys should be played with,well..they are toys,the g1 stuff in the box,stays in the box though
Bumbleprime said,  - 2007-08-01 08:52:53
Hey guys how many of you liked the new transformers game (if you own it that is.)
Perceptor said,  - 2007-08-01 09:01:30
We (my bros and I) are "playtors" all the way. Some buy the toys as an "investment." Sure you can make money buying and selling Transformers, but there are a lot easier and profitable ways to make money than this. (Trust me, we've tried!) I keep a handful of in-box toys to be autographed by voice actors, toy designers and package art makers but that's it. But only because we think it's cool and have no intent to ever sell it. Everything else is loose.

Our goal is to be "completists" saying that between the 3 of us we have "all" Transformers, which is an impossible goal. So we've bought the Japanese and European stuff that we think is cool and is unique to its markets, but otherwise, we try to stick to "every" US release TF. But this is also a semi-loose definition.

No, I don't want to feel like my Transformers collection is incomplete if we don't have the "First in Class Optimus Prime (movie) learning station." Even though it's Transformers and sold in the toy isle, our collection is not incomplete w/o it. But how about the plush, how about Star Wars Transformers? How about the jillions of recolors from Transformers Universe line? I've started to resign myself to "lie" when someone asks if we have every one. I say, "yes" by my loosely held definition...
tVSHys <a href="http://hfpfngodjhgi.com/">hfpfngodjhgi</a>
Jumpercliff said,  - 2007-08-01 10:25:28
Hi again! Like General Zod, I'm a little bit of both. I mainly just try to get the ones I want so my brother gets the ones he wants. It's a good compromise.
Bumbleprime said,  - 2007-08-01 10:36:02
I like to play with my transformers but I like to look at them too
Starscream said,  - 2007-08-01 10:38:03
Like I said before, I display them a lot, but at times I am playtor as well. But, remember my idea Knightwing!
Jumpercliff said,  - 2007-08-01 11:09:45
Not to get off-topic, but have any of you read this cool dio-story by the guy called "Self-Modifier"? It's G.I.Joe vs the Transformers, but it uses the toys and takes place in the cartoon continuity.
Starscream said,  - 2007-08-01 11:21:32
No, Jumpercliff, I don't want to read it any way. They should make a transformers vs. GI.Joe movie.
Star.beast warrior said,  - 2007-08-01 11:58:18
I am a line completist, specifically to Beast Wars and the movie toys, but I'm also a playtor, when it comes to those lines too. Thats not to say I didn't get any toys from Armada, Energon, or Cybertron, I just got the ones that I thought were cool enough, I also like to set up random toys in a display case of mine, and on my dresser. Including a couple Japanese and universe toys, as well as most of the classics ,I probably have at very least 200 transformers not to bad for a 13 year old kid huh.
General Zod said,  - 2007-08-01 12:48:19
Hey Megs, if you dont want to go through all that work to hide the collection I find what works best is a cardboard box hidden away and put out of reach of little jelly fingers. As I have a two year old daughter this technique is field tested. A little side note for Starscream, I know your old post name was Ty, how about a combination so the name's not so lackluster, I was thinking "Tyscream". Seeing how this is a TF site I think I might switch up Zod to one of my other online monikers "Ultra Magnets" yes from here on out I will be known as Ultra Magnets. That is all. Proceed.
Master Dex said,  - 2007-08-01 13:14:32
I'm a little late. However I am definitely a playtor.

My collection is really small. I have like 12 or so figures total. That's not all I've ever had though. Anyone who remembers I once told a story about my parents not being fond of my old toy collections (long story, they actually don't care as much now (especially since I made them see the movie and they liked it, lol)). So I've lost a bit of my older stuff when my parents cleaned out my room years ago.

However I don't collect a lot of stuff now, I am limited on money so I only buy what I really want. The only movie figure I have is Leader Optimus Prime because he looked too cool (he is). Most of my stuff is from Beast Wars (Optimal Optimus, Transmetal Primal, TM Rattrap, etc). I used to have one of each of the Cheetors in BW (no extras though), but now I have none of the BW Cheetors.. shame because he was my favorite BW character. I have the first BM Cheetor(Mega size) though. I also have Armada Starscream and Blurr, and two Alternators.

I definitely love to transform them a lot though. I am an Engineering student (Aerospace specifically), so I always want to know how everything works, exactly how the transformation goes, it fascinates me. To that end the figure I am currently looking for is Titanium Jetfire (the jets are always the best in my mind), but I can't find him anywhere, he is sold out everywhere online.

So that's my small collection story, nothing fancy, just whatever catches my interest.
Chaos Bringer-Unicron said,  - 2007-08-01 13:58:49
I am a playtor and i dont care
megatron said,  - 2007-08-01 14:01:13
if i realy like the figure i will buy 2 of them so i can play w/ one ,and store the other in the box like all the movie figures .im not a completist because i only buy what i like . but if you realy think about it we all deep down in side wish we could be completist , playtors and collectors . but we are content with what we have ,and with out our support for transformers we wouldnt have such cool looking toys and an awsome movie we waited 20 + years for .we should be lucky.
Autobutt said,  - 2007-08-01 14:10:37
im a playtor and a collector. wen i do play with my transformers, i make sure that i hav all of ther peices and that nothings broken. if something like that does happen, i panic and i usually dont touch them for awhile while i think of a way to fix, but none of that stuff happens often.
dogzilla said,  - 2007-08-01 14:56:36
i collect them and open them. but i usually leave them in a cool action pose protecting my dvd shelf from the forces of evil. although i will at least transform them once (except of course the 3" titaniums). lately i'm focusing on the titanium 6" adn 3" but i've received some classics and cybertron series as gifts. my brother is collecting all the movie stuff and the alternators and he mostly leaves them in the boxes.
Starscream said,  - 2007-08-01 15:11:16
I would keep them in the boxes, but I know I'de rather have them out.
Buildbot said,  - 2007-08-01 17:24:36
Playtor definitly. I keep the boxes up in storage usaly with the missile and small parts. I keep my favorite ones on a high shelf but the majoity are fun time with my son. what is the point if you cant use it as a bonding experience. anyways he has learned to be gental wit them and only take the ones of the shef with me present. I am definilty not a compleatist. but as a former EMA any rescue vehicals have a special meaning for me. I also have all the Medical personel for the GI Joes.
Megamont said,  - 2007-08-01 18:04:41
I would say that I am a Playtor. I take them out of the boxes and display my transformers. I also transform them from time to time. And the vintage transformers I have, I try get them until I have a complete figure. Knockoff or ginuine.
Michael010188 said,  - 2007-08-01 19:05:22
I am the Playtor. When I was in the second half of elementary school, I started to get into Beast Wars and I would play with them, because I was kid. However, I'm now 19 and I think that I would do again if I got TF toys again, because I doing voices.

Hey Lukis bros, can you talk with TF Movie guys and ask them if they can do auditions for the sequel.
ShadowBlaze said,  - 2007-08-01 19:11:09
I'm definitely a Playtor. Transformers are the most interactive figures around, so I can't imagine leaving them in the packages. I've been tempted to throw away the packaging to save some space, but I'm worried I'll be sorry about it later. Besides, some of the boxes are actually pretty nice-looking, regardless (think Takara and Hasbro G1 re-issues).

I am not a TF completist, with exception to the Alternators line. I'll pick up pretty much anything that catches my interest, though I generally go for the female characters, contemporary figures with a strong G1 homage (all the Classics, a good chunk of the Energon line), and all repaints or variants of any molds I particularly like.
megatron said,  - 2007-08-01 19:29:50
the only repaint ive seen thats realy worth getting is alphatrion because hes an orinal character in g1 , and they never made a figure for him .
Knight wing said,  - 2007-08-01 20:26:48
I don't know Megatron. Some of the repaints are argueablly better than the orignals. A good example of this is the Cybertron Hot Shot. He was good, but Cybertron Exillion is so much better looking.
Starscream said,  - 2007-08-01 20:29:16
Hey Knightwing, thought about my idea yet?
Jumpercliff said,  - 2007-08-01 21:44:30
When you guys are collecting, do you make sure to spot any of the variations on some figures? Thanks for typing with me today. Just one final thing: not to litter or anything, I keep the boxes or cards of my figures. I gotta go for the day. Type you guys later!
TriPredRavage said,  - 2007-08-02 06:27:51
I'm with you, Michael010188, I'm working on doing voices and such, too, which is where my main focus is now instead of collecting.
Superduperlad said,  - 2007-08-02 09:02:55
I play with mine. I just have to test them out, look at them and have epic battles with them. They are such a cool toy that I have to.
JetFire said,  - 2007-08-02 09:45:29
Im a playtor but I often customize them using lego parts, masking tape and permanate markers. I am not a completist but there are several lines where I want most of the figures in it (i.e. classics, animated) I mostly have cybertron because that's when I started collecting but I have most classics figures, a pretty good amount of movie figures, one FAB, some titaniums, some beast wars, G1 hasbrotoyshop ecslusive astrotrain reissue, commemorative edition classics soundwave a few SWTFs, and some Energon toys, but four of the molds, one of which I got 2 of, are repaints for the movie line, so I guess they might count as movie
Starscream said,  - 2007-08-02 10:09:20
Wait, Jetfire. You use lego parts to customize them? How? Why? Why don't you just repaint them, Jetfire?
JetFire said,  - 2007-08-02 11:06:33
Using tape and markers is easier (i am good with markers but not real good with paint, which is probably also more expensive) and I use lego parts by taping the on which can be suprisingly sturdy and I have a huge supply of them since I used to collect them .
Chaos Bringer said,  - 2007-08-02 13:57:52
I'm trying to be a movie line completist but unfortunately for me, 08 BB is hard to find and Leader class Megatron turned out to be a hoax.
So what do you even call me? What I do is start to collect a line causing it to be immediately cancelled. Can I really be a completist then, even though I try to be?
Classics, BAM! Stores stop having them. Titanium 6-inch, BAM! Cancelled! I finally have enough money to collect alternators? BAM! Cancelled. And now that I have announced that I am trying to collect the movie line, BAM! Watch it get cancelled.

I am the bargeist of Transformers collecting. :(
Maybe I can collect white Primes :) Then it would be like collecting primes without having to get Fattimus! And then Hasbro would finally knock it off with all the white primes!
Ultra Magnets said,  - 2007-08-02 19:05:35
Classics'llbe back Chaos Bringer dont cry...
Knight wing said,  - 2007-08-02 21:31:26
Starscream, I told you I'd keep it in mind, and I will. :) I try not to do "discussion topics" too often, so if it happens it won't be for at least 2 or 3 weeks maybe more. Sorry.
Human Error said,  - 2007-08-03 20:50:59
I'm a "playtor" all the way! I know whenever i get a new bot i cant wait to get home, open the package, toss the instructions aside, and have at it. It used to be really bad to the point where it was opened right there in the car once i walked out of the store.

There are a few i still keep in the packages, such as Pepsi Prime and Universe Soundwave. I also keep any and all paperwork that came with each one I.E. instructions, advertisements, maps. I don't know why i do it but i do.


Also: A reminder to anyone playing the "Transform your summer" sweepstakes. you better get those codes in. The contest ends on Sunday August 5'th
Chaos Bringer said,  - 2007-08-03 21:50:51
I'm not holding high hopes for classics. All I've seen is concept art. I won't be convinced of its return untill I see prototypes, and even then, there's quite a history of great figures going unproduced.

BWneo Unicron :( |R.I.P|
TriPredRavage said,  - 2007-08-04 10:04:37
Ah, BWNeo Unicron, now there was a promising figure. Oddly enough, Unicron never appears like that in Beast Wars Neo. He actually just posesses Beast Wars II Galvatron's body and uses that. He does at one point become bonded to Cybertron like he tried to do back in the G1 cartoon with Starscream's ghost, but that doesn't last and Unicron never succeeds in truly returning. Good show.
Chaos Bringer said,  - 2007-08-04 12:47:10
I still don't get why they don't just give the thing to us already. There is NO reason not to. Only an anomaly of physics could create a valid reason not to release the thing. Under no natural conditions could a reason possibly exist. It is simply incomprehensible.
yoda said,  - 2008-01-28 17:30:36
yoda werd did you get your green life savor.


Return to Lukis Bros Transformers Collector Site