My G1 Transformers Collection So Far (Spring 2024)

I felt why not show off my G1 Transformers action figures to date, and discuss why I collect the Transformers that I collect. What makes the G1 Original Transformers so important to me and why I am collecting such a specific period of Transformers, rather than just whatever catches my eye.
0:00 My Transformers History
6:31 '84 Transformers
8:54 '85 Transformers
11:14 '86 Transformers
13:31 86 Movie Transformers
15:43 Optimus Prime and Outro
Thanks to the brilliant Botch's Archive site where I found the original catalogue images, go visit it here: botchthecrab.com
Music Credits:
CGI Snake by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: chriszabriskie.com/divider/
Artist: chriszabriskie.com/
Harsh Alien Machine by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Mechanolith by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@HolyCow0273]

Didn’t grow up with G1 but with the live action movies instead. Started collecting G1 because my dad showed me the 86 movie as a kid. Now my goal is to get every modern update for the 1984 bots. All I’m missing is Prowl, Mirage, Bluestreak, Gears, Windchargers, and some of the cassettes.

[@GamerbugUK]

Prowl obviously sucked as he was part of the impossible to get ER two pack (thankfully I got that). Mirage was less tricky but still annoying for a lot as another two pack - though the Siege version is just as good and you'd barely notice the difference and the shoulder cannon actually fits. Bluestreak seemed another tricky one a lot of places, not sure why? Probably distribution. Gears is available everywhere now so you should be fine and obviously Windcharger aint had a release unless you count the Titans Return group. Of the cassettes only Buzzsaw has not had a proper release, but it's heavily hinted he'll be bundled with and upcoming Soundwave.

[@Cadeho3]

How you got in is how I got back into collecting. I was 5 in 1984 and I was hooked on the show. My first Transformer was Thundercracker. I had a small collection mixed with Go-Bot stand-ins. The last year I collected was 1989 and after that, I was all about video games, which after the show ended, was what I got into. Transformers, Go-Bots, and Masters of the Universe were my toys in the 80s. I remember watching the G2 era reruns but did not know of the toys. Same when Beast Wars was out, I discovered the show before its 3rd season but since I didn't go to toy stores or toy sections in stores, I did not know they had toys. I watched Beast Machines... barely... it was so bleak. I believe I caught a glimpse of RiD in 2001 one Saturday morning and saw Optimus was a firetruck and didn't go back to watch. I had my shows and AOL chat to keep me connected to old and new friends at the time. But by the time I heard the movie was in the works, I thought Transformers had died off... It wasn’t until the 2009 movie that I got a small collection of newer Transformers, from the movie and the mainline at the time. Then I got back into video games after a hiatus from graduating college. Then I rediscovered Transformers about the time you did and almost the same way. January 2018, my best friend's kid was turning 4 and I was looking at toys at Target when I came across the Power of the Primes offerings. I saw Beachcomber and Jazz first and I wanted both because they looked almost like G1. I did pick up both but I decided to give him the Beachcomber. I would go back and pick up my own another day along with Starscream. After that I discovered one of my best friend's husband collected Transformers. He showed me Bigbadtoystore and it was on after that! I made lists of who I would get with what paycheck. I found Tfsource and other sites. I matched the Machinima series and caught PotP on release. I initially collected figures of who I had as a kid and once that was up, I went for the cast, then catelogs as best I could. Really all I want is to complete the G1 cast and at least, most of the 1988 catalog and hopefully Omnibots. I don't really care for micromasters or actionmasters that came 1989 and 1990... but I did collect the few modern offerings. With what came out in Siege, I want them to complete the 1984 and 1985 cast Cybertronian modes. We forget they're aliens and I want their original forms. I want to display them in both alt modes. I may get rid of some of my first collection since we have better. They can do other shows' casts after they complete G1. I have a complete Beast Wars season 1 cast. I will complete the rest when they release the rest. I don't care for the Unicron Trilogy characters because of all the trademark saves. But if they have unique characters, they can find their way into my collection. My head canon says each show has a version of their characters... so RiD, Armada, Energon, Cybertron, Animated, Prime... and even Earthspark chatacters exist in the G1 universe. Nice collection! I don't have that Chromia, Kaskade, or Javelin. I need a 2nd Dragstrip. I have no MP toys and my Missing Link Optimus is still in box... I want to get one to open too.

[@GamerbugUK]

What a cool journey, love hearing about how people started and continued or rekindled their passion. I see unique characters and many I'm always thinking 'maybeeee...' in my head but so far apart from fembots haven't caved in. The Fembots are just something different but I ideally want separate molds, so Minerva and Strongarm were out of luck as I already had Elita 1 in that mold (Kinda wished I'd kept the Netflix Elita as the robot is decent even if the alt is just a shell, and then I'd have an excuse for Strongarm.)

[@rolon-will3362]

I had the exact same experience, liking Transformers less and less after the movie. I have been collecting all the masterpieces of the toys I had and wanted, pre 86 characters. This video could have been exactly my story of my extended roam down memory lane. I still have some Earthrise etc. standing in and filling gaps, but I have something for all of my main boys now. It has been a joy to rewatch the show and reread the comics, even some stuff I missed at the time. Great to get involved in some nostalgic fun now I’m “very old”, according to my daughter.

[@GamerbugUK]

As much as I toyed with the idea of MPs for all the pre 86 guys, even with KOs wasn't gonna work for me. And I'm way to into the CHUG line for that now. Rekindling those 'better' days just brings some nostalgic joy to me heart even if we are 'very old'

[@yellowsheep5000]

very nice collection I'm also trying to do the same thing !

[@GamerbugUK]

Thanks, takes a lot of commitment and organising... and money, but I feel it's worth it. The biggest headaches are distribution and availability, and the annoying box sets which you might only want one or two figures from.

[@nashvillezoro]

Yes, earthrise started my collection too My wife collect Volkswagen, and stole my bumblebee and wheeljack Volkswagen van

[@GamerbugUK]

Maybe you can share them.

[@allhell138]

Ha, 43 and just recently rediscovered my love of transformers as well🙄😂 my wife hates it, but whadayagonnado??🤷🏻‍♂️ But yeah, between Seige and what there’re doing with the Masterpiece and KO stuff is insane, and I can’t help but to want em all haha Btw, the new Transformers comic from Image has been really great as well. It’s fairly new, so finding first issues is still relatively easy.

[@GamerbugUK]

I'm 48 going on 49 and Transformers is still my fondest toy memory of the 80's hence the relighting of the fire. Fortunately my wife doesn't mind but also has zero interest so I call that a win. It's probably for the best that my collection desires are across a limited scope, but still a ways off completion, but then occasionally I have to talk myself out of not getting something 'off list'.

[@JRJohnson1701]

I did prefer the G1 real-world vehicles also. I collect G1 and modernized G1 (Generations, WFC, etc) that are the same as G1 with modern articulation. I then Toyhax them so they have the level of detail the originals had. I do go into sublines and collect them all then move to the next. In College, I got all the G1 headmasters. Now, I have all the 1989 Micromaster line, and will be working on the 1990 Micromasters, then go through both years for the transports and bases. Still working on Targetmasters though.

[@GamerbugUK]

That's some dedication hats off to you. As the video states I kinda stopped in '86, so the likes of headmasters, micromasters and so on passed me by. I often considered going for the g1 originals (KO's or re-releases) just for the vehicle modes being so darn cool, however the prices are just ridiculous even for KO's off Ali Express or Ebay, so for now it concentrating on the modern realisations.

[@GambitWolves]

Nice!

[@GamerbugUK]

Cheers

[@papa_maku]

Nice collection! I actually grew up with Beast Wars as a kid and so to me the G1 Transformers felt lamer. Besides who cares about a truck vs a gorilla or a gun vs a TRex. However, in the last month or so a friend took me to the 40th anniversary show at the theatres and now I'm in love 40 years late. Have been collecting masterpieces or 3rd party ever since. 😅

[@GamerbugUK]

I missed out on Beast Wars (and I really didn't like the early 90's GC look (not just BW most shows), however I reckon if I'd got to BW first, it might be whole other story. Oddly enough I do have a bunch of Kingdom beastformers, which I gave to my son who now has them dumped in a box, as he has very little interest in them... yet he likes bot bots...

[@Transformers_LoRd2099]

Nice

[@GamerbugUK]

Thank you

[@comicbossone2411]

This is awesome and it feels close to my journey. I was upset when I watched the movie, I was angry they’d killed prime off but I still didn’t hate the movie and it’s weird but I love the movie and it’s only grown over the years. Hbu?

[@GamerbugUK]

The movie per se is fine, I probably both appreciate and dislike it more now than I did as a 11yo. Appreciate because if you view it for what it is, it's a decent stab at the franchise going to the big screen, dislike as 1980s cartoons tend not to hold up that well overall these days (this includes the G1 Series, which I struggle to watch as an adult but ate it up as a kid). However 11yo me was not as objective, they killed my faves and had new naff characters that weren't normal cars etc become robots. Beware the wrath of a young kid 🤣

[@comicbossone2411]

@@GamerbugUK lol

[@Awgichew]

G1 is the only TF I like. No Constructicons or are you waiting for the Studio Series 86 releases?

[@GamerbugUK]

Yep I considered the TR ones but felt i would be compromising. So S86 is the one.

[@supersonicspeed7954]

Were did you get that buzzsaw

[@GamerbugUK]

THF Tape Corps from Ebay, basically KO's of masterpiece but without any branding. I got them cheap so worth a punt and I dont like the scale of Rumble, Frenzy or Ravage CHUG figures (I still have them for completionism) - That said I think the CHUG Laserbeak scales well but those 2 KOs just look better. I did find the limps on Rumble and Frenzy a bit loose but some superglue and they are tight now.

[@Awgichew]

While I LOVE Transformers: The Movie....season 3 of the G1 Cartoon was terrible. Seasons 1 and 2 is where my heart lies. In fact I think the line up of season 1 was the best. The inclusion of the cone head jets Dirge , Ramjet, Thrust and the triple changers Blitzswing and Astrotrain balanced out the Deception roster in season 2, the Autobots got way too many new characters in that second season. Where did they all come from because they certainly didn't crash into the volcano aboard the Ark....? Season 1 is premier G1 magic. Btw, Hasbro's Studio Series 86 is seriously lacking in its releases when it comes to Decepticons.

[@GamerbugUK]

I loved the first few seasons but stopped around the 3rd. Yes I agree they don't have too many SS86 releases for the Deceptions, but that's probably because they did a lot already for Earthrise, Kingdom etc, and overall the Autobots always got more releases, even in G1 days.