The Cost Of The Main Line (Sit Down Saturday)

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[@albineigengrau3212]

I think the main sticking point is not total expenditure, but how we perceive getting value for money. And I think that perception affects both the mainline, MP and Third Party collector. I'll be honest: the recent price hikes have made me decide to slowly get out of the MP and even the modern action figure collecting game in general, not because I can't afford it if I wanted to, but because most of my own recent experiences have been "This simply doesn't live up to that price point."

[@Skuliard]

Totally agree. Paying 100~150 for a 3rd piece in retail price is ok, but it's not nice to pay 500 on a Weirdwolf that, in my opinion, it's not worth it.

[@thugg4lif]

Ft controlling supply is just outright dirty

[@mikejszekely]

You can't really draw an equivalency between buying EVERY official mainline release and the handful of 3P figures you cherry-picked this year for your own personal collection. If a mainline collector skips a few that's going to bring their cost down, and if you'd bought the rest of MMC's Bruticus and not just Blast Off that'd add another $300 to your 3P numbers (Didn't you also get XTB's Motormaster? DX9's was technically late last year, but XTB's was January, and that's another $130-ish.) Another thing is that it might be easier for some people to spend that much when it's spread out more. Popping into Target and dropping $40 for two Deluxes might seem more manageable for some people than spending $240 up front for FT's Astrotrain. End of the day, though, I think we're on the same page. If you really want something you cut back spending, try to earn some extra cash, take time to save, and make the sacrifices you gotta make to get it. It's less an "I can't afford it" and more a "This figure isn't personally worth the price." And like you said, it's a personal thing, no right or wrong answer. Even with its articulation issues Fans Toys' Air Raid looks premium on a shelf, and that quality makes it worth it to a display guy like you. But Hasbro's stepped up their game, and someone just looking for figures they can mess around with at their desk might feel like they're getting more bang for their buck with that Earthrise Leader Optimus. And that's all fine. Me? I got FT's Air Raid and Earthrise Optimus. No rule that says you can't have a nice display piece AND a fun toy to mess around with.

[@Goodenough-]

I would love for Bobby to address the 3ps you list that he didn't list in his total funds spent lol. I watch a lot of his vids and I did not track his purchases like you did, so hats off you to good sir. This is the type of comment that furthers the discussion and gains us (fans) more details into the way Bobby's mind thinks.

[@astartespete]

I'll never understand why people need to dump on others collecting something different from them. I don't do mainline, I wouldn't if it was the only game in town as its not what I want. Plenty of people enjoy it though and good for them.

[@therealcybertronwarriors]

Exactly my thoughts - both on dumping on how others collect, and the mainline point.

[@Goodenough-]

It's funny that you say to be respectful of each persons opinions but then you dump on the main line fans lol. This high horse mentality if why people get upset. Neither is better then the other, they appease two different wants/needs from different types of collectors. I collect them all, and see a point to each. But each their own, right....

[@astartespete]

@@Goodenough- I think you have seriously misunderstood my post.

[@cthuludreams1]

@@Goodenough- he didn't dump on anybody...

[@iamtheomnimonkey]

Who's dumping on people that collect mainline?

[@LapisBlock]

Well there's another point and that's being able to just pick up and mess with a figure. Not only are mainline figures smaller, but their transformations are arguably more fun. There's also the fact that if I break an optimus, I'm down $30 instead of $200+

[@Brandon-mi8lj]

I just bought a new main line Wheeljack. The transformation was super easy. Which made it unrewarding

[@N1thunderfan]

knowing bobby that's a very important point to consider haha. but I agree, if you buy an earthrise wheel jack for 20 bucks and it breaks or comes broken, you can o back to the store and get a new one without it being a tank in the wallet.

[@Goodenough-]

None of my 3rd parties have broken (knocking on wood), but I only buy fans toys. I highly believe in, "you pay for what you get". Meaning that I'm paying extra for better materials, materials that won't break easily. I have tons of hasbro transformers that have broke or are breaking and I used the exact same gentle force on both. You can justify buying cheap vs expenses transformers all you want. But Bobby nails this on the head...it's a choice of how you spend/save your money. Some people are better at it then others, some people live paycheck to paycheck, each their own, but generally speaking you can always save for something by making sacrifices. Your point about wanting to pick up a transformer and mess with it has it's value and I agree there. Fans toys are not something I pick up and mess with, I pose and model them like my Hot Toys. I also don't mess with my Hot Toys, but I do tend to mess with my action figures (black series). So my habits are, mess with the cheaper stuff and pose the expensive. I do this because of your point, cheaper stuff is more fun to play with and if you break it by playing with it, it costs nothing to replace if it's still available in retail stores. However the moment the toy is not produced anymore it's a lot harder to replace. Also really hard to see Bobby's point if you have never bought a fans toys. They are a class of itself in materials and build quality.

[@cavvaldiv5536]

Or 400+ 😶

[@LapisBlock]

@@Brandon-mi8lj I don't think ER Wheeljack is bad, but it's certainly the weakest main cast figure they've released so far for the trilogy, as unfortunate as that is.

[@KatosKollection]

As a reviewer I'm collecting main line and 3p....so I really don't appreciate you showing me what I've spent this year 😜 *hides BSFs channel from watch history so my better half doesn't watch *

[@KatosKollection]

@Adamantium Matrix 😂😂😂😂😂😂😦😫

[@Goodenough-]

I'm not a reviewer and I collect main line, 3p MP, TT MP, and 3p legends....when he asked what the legends fans were spending I almost choked because I'm already 2000+ deep just on mail line and 3p ROFLMAO! I make lots of sacrifices lol

[@amusedjester]

I'm not sure if my point makes sense but here it is. As a collector of different genres, I learned a few years ago that the criteria of getting more characters in my collection is more important to me than the quality of those items. What does that mean? I bought Hot Toys figures when they were at the 160 to 220 range and compared them against purchasing 1/6 statues. At the time, I felt that individually each HT figures gave me more with articulation, poseability and likeness sculpting than static and fragile statues did. When HT prices started to go up to 240 280 range, while I was collecting their Star Wars figures, I saw that I could get more characters in with Hasbro and their face printing tech (which appeased my likeness criteria enough) for the same dollar value. Hasbro also gave me more playability since they were cheaper and less likely to break compared to HT which I treated as art pieces. Those types of choices trickle down to my Transformers collection. I actually collect Masterpiece/3rd party, hasbro's cybertron stuff and Legends. I'm actually finishing up my masterpiece line, 3/4 way through my Legends line and going more into the Hasbro Cybertron stuff. Again, it was because I can get more figures, more playability, less fear of breaking them and etc... To be honest, money is not really the issue at all...because a very long time ago I decided I wanted to collect stuff rather than save money.

[@therealcybertronwarriors]

Great topic as usual, Skullface. Many thanks for bringing these thoughts to the surface. Hope people don’t misunderstand you, as it’s often difficult for people to get out of their own way to see the bigger message.

[@fernandoflores3161]

Very good analysis Bobby. Thanks for sharing

[@jediprime007]

Another great sit down Saturday. I appreciate the work you put into all your videos

[@TheDuke013]

Hobbies aren't cheap and you have to know what you are getting into before going down that hole.

[@ChrisMunoz]

Thanks for the sit down! Love your content and discussions!

[@miketvas]

How do compare the price of a complete collection, to the price of some arbitrary figs you bought last year? Thats not a comparison. It’s comparing a smaller pile to a larger one. A better point would be, am I able to enjoy a figure enough to spend $200, instead of $30. I drink bud light; I don’t like expensive IPAs. Who are you to judge, since we’re both gonna end up in the same hazy state? I love my Wei Jiang Rendsora so much, I decided not to upgrade to UT Dragoon; am I wrong? $180 is a lot of $$$, when I could get a Skylinx a Grapple and Starscream for leas, and enjoy them(I really do, they’re so much stress free”won’t break my 200$ toy” fun) Bobby, the best way to enjoy Lobster, is to enjoy some mac and cheese of microwave White Castle every ince and again. And ya, you are judging by saying the price of about 10 figs, is the same as the price of about 50 figs. Yer math does suck. Stop being a snob, and see the beauty in some GoBots already. I feel no shame in enjoying the simpler things, with my cross cut main line to xtransbots collection. You should learn to enjoy the bottom rung; it’s beautiful down here, if you’re cool enough for it.

[@Mechanic618]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="488">08:08</a> Duuuuude, that's starting to come together REAL nice!! Love how the backgrounds are now making it all come alive.

[@Ezilla82]

No matter what we buy it's mostly plastic crack to be on a shelf somewhere. I know that sounds a bit harsh it's kind of the truth if you think about it, but that's my opinion.

[@CoffeePhilosophy]

This breakdown really made me think about what I have purchased over the last year. I purchase Transformers and Vintage collection Star Wars, yes I’m buying the Razor Crest, and that’s when it hit me. 3rd party, mainline, whatever it’s not about money it’s about MY collection and what I want it to look like. Have to say this is one of my favorite conversations yet. Thanks Skully

[@lysist]

I collect anything I like Transformers wise, 3rd Party MP, G1 , CHUG. I think the idea of one type of collector looking down on another is kinda sad. Collect what you love, love that there is a community.

[@JimmyHauser]

If I only spent $1300 on figures this year, I would be in the hospital after tripping over the stacks of cash around my feet.

[@ronjie]

Well done video. I did calcs myself. I’m spending $150/month on the generations line, another $150/month on the studio series line.... and then i find myself buying cyberverse and botbots... sigh lol. I’m happy to have more figs, it’s just my priority.

[@TransformsIntoAGuitar]

I took time to laugh at myself and I had no time left for anything else.

[@Qc4073]

Good points. I can’t wait to see more of the Studio Series 86 line

[@PaulSpurgeon]

Buying multiple cheaper items instead of saving for fewer higher quality/higher priced items is a continuation of behavior learned from surviving in a lower socio-economic state where you're constantly spending what money you have. It's very difficult to break learned routines. This is why so many poor people who win the lottery are broke again after a few years.

[@skydemolisher]

Thank you for doing this video because its made it so much easier to compare. In New Zealand we pay 2-3x the amount for the Mainline figures, if they release here, sadly Hasbro has shafted us and our stores badly this year by promising they would deliver things like Earth Rise Leader Prime, Scorponok, etc and then suddenly refusing to after months of back and forward assurances they would deliver. This means we either need to import and pay high shipping costs (Raising it to upto 5x the price in some cases) or miss out. Now your Magnum I can easily compare to a local retailer. You pay $104.99 while we are paying $174.99 (With GST and free postage on any order over $100NZ) so our Third Party stuff is costing us less than the Mainline does. It cost $300 for the Hasbro CW Devastator at retail and was only stocked at one retailer nationwide. The earlier CW ones cost us $215 (1 Voyager, 4 Deluxe and 1 Legend [$195 if the legend class things like Blackjack wasn't required]). The WeiJiang Devastator cost us $159.99 and the Oversized G2 JinBao one cost us $219.99, the Oversized Feral Rex was $179.99 so our Third Party is far better priced to us than Mainline.

[@HashbrownMashup]

Weird thing to note, I was 9 in 2006. Pretty soon I figure there'll be a rise in collectors with active nostalgia for the CHUG line itself.

[@3live-stream]

Hey good sir. I really applaud the message you send to the community of if you like it you win. You have been saying that for awhile. That phrase right there is like when your fighting with your lady and when one says agree to disagree the argument stops, at least in my house it does. So when you hit people up with that when they wanna shit all over your stuff it’s done with. I’m more happy about being me. I’m not always gonna agree with you and your not always gonna agree with me but we can still be friends. Peace!

[@kek23k]

Definitely quantity over quality. What surprises me is that the majority of the mainline collectors have fully bought in to both Siege and Earthrise, where a lot of the exact same characters have been released in a relatively short space of time.

[@officerpanda911]

I’m not sacrificing my life and my standard living routine in order to get a 300 3p or a 5000 statue, waste of both could go on a vacation and make a memory for a lifetime. I’ll buy a mainline every so often and 40 doesn’t hurt my pocket.

[@iamtheomnimonkey]

That's exactly his point. It's a question of priorities not a question of earnings.

[@officerpanda911]

Jason Chastain and that’s understandable and fair but it’s not considered in the grand scheme of things by many because it always comes back to income inequality and how mainline is for poorz because all the 3rd party and G1 guys are in their 40’s and 50’s and can afford everything plus that vacation. I’m just glad I’m not a car guy, that’s a money sink right there

[@amusedjester]

I pre-ordered the Endor, the hellfire and Commander erxclusive with ease last night and I didn't have to pay the the membership and it was free shipping: the only thing is that my order won't be fulfilled until 3/21. I was really quite surprised, I initially was just curious about left-overs after hearing that everything ran out in minutes. I tell ya: Hasbro is playing with it's customers creating a false panic.

[@williammckinley1035]

Another thing about main line figures is, there is more characters/figures in that line. That is why, if you bought what he stated, you would be spending that much. Third party does not have that many toys that come out per year, but they are more expensive. For one 3p toy, how many main line toys could you buy? In the end, it just depends on what you want. He is right though, in the end, it all depends on how badly you want that toy.

[@michaelpayton9164]

3P is almost entirely focused on Masterpiece or Legends scales. A lot of us are just not interested in either of those.

[@impossiblepie]

Great video!

[@Mechanic618]

"I guess they got theirs funded." Savage 😂

[@astromotive6047]

*MAKETOYS has left the chat*

[@b.l.8755]

Please break down legends cost as well. That's what I'm doing (I prefer the size to masterpiece also, not just price, but yes price per figure is an important factor).

[@VAULT-TEC_INC.]

Boy, I really wanted that Centurion Drone and weapons pack.

[@kram67kram]

Thanks for pointing out how much I spend on robot dolls. I'm one of those who buy both main line and third party, sooooo yeah, that's a lot of money. And that's just the last year and a half! How about the last fifteen years? I've got like $80,000 invested in robot dolls. Collecting ain't not no cheap deal, your in it or you ain't. My daughter calls it her Porsche fund.

[@Goodenough-]

Fully agree with you, but I still love every min and wouldn't take back a single amount of joy these robot dolls have brought me since I was a kid.

[@aaronstepien2363]

What if all this stuff can be 3D printed for a fraction of what people pay now in a decade or so?

[@kram67kram]

@@aaronstepien2363 bro I have 3D printer and my tfs have upgrades, but the quality of pla and other plastic used ain't strong enough for anything other than display. Weapons and silly hats are one thing. But I value quality. And if 3D printing was far enough evolved for public use (and no it's not till auto bed leveling and user error and over involvement isn't required) they're not good for anything but prototype. Even the upgrade kits available online should be molded with hard plastic. Those guys selling 3d printed stuff are bad. Just bad. They know that crap will break. So yeah no, not to harsh on you at all, just I've been down that muddy road before

[@aaronstepien2363]

llessuR kraM noslekcim what about ten years from now? (Edit I mean, I’m not an expert but my brother in law has been a digital designer for like twenty years and he tells me that all of this is advancing really really fast and a decade is a lot of development in a field like this)

[@kram67kram]

@@aaronstepien2363 my man when 3d printers have come far enough to produce a full multi color figure with metal pins in place at the touch of button, I will already have one and all the figures I can dream of. My fingers are crossed and I am staying involved with 3d printers, but for all work that has to be done to produce a quality figure I can trust with 6+ kid for now is too much and not for the faint hearted. And that's after the design process that takes place before hand.

[@cmbarnhart79]

I got verbally threatened and attacked on FB just for posting I got Unicron....Wish everyone could just be happy with what they have or like you said adjust your financial situation to get what you personally would like. Work more hours scrimp and save here and there. Good talk Bobby. Thanks for all you do.

[@N1thunderfan]

i also think that the variety of mainline offers is something that factors into that. it's true that third party has a lot of variety, but that's multiple companies and some figures third party hasn't even touched. if they do touch on them, there only one of them like mp skids, or its a set like the headmasters that doesn't get completed.

[@adamfoxdavis]

For my money, it's about the cost of representing an individual character on my shelf. For example, I bought both Hasbro, and 3rd Party Hard Head. The Hasbro representation was inadequate for my taste. On the other hand, their Sky Lynx fits my taste just fine, as does their prime. For me, it's less about the total cost of the hobby per year, rather more about how much I am willing to pay for a representation that I find appealing.

[@ethannguyen3986]

I think ppl have long understood it’s a quality vs quantity’s game. There will be overlap where you get more than what you paid for from cheaper products or less than what you deserve in the expensive bracket but overall the prices reflect the grade of product to a certain extent. It’s not linear either as sometimes you pay way more to have something only slightly better and that’s to do with the economics of premium/exclusive items and the law of diminishing returns. A 3 series is probably 40 percent better than a Camry but costs over twice as much. An A45AMG is only 0.8 seconds faster than the A35 which means it’s 20 percent quicker but you end up paying 30 to 40 percent more. As Bobby says it’s just personally what you value, neither choice is wrong or right. It is your money at the end of the day.

[@fen4554]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="478">7:58</a> This is damn inspiring. I have a good, lit display with nice furniture but those backdrops are the game-changer I was looking for. They almost look backlit but I'm guessing those are just really intense banks of lights.

[@SentinelBayReviews]

I generally agree with your idea of it being not about what one can afford but what one is willing to pay for certain stuff. With enough discipline, I think most people could afford close to anything. But I'm missing two points in this conversation. One is the amount of money needed to reach a collection goal. And I think it's fair to say that for example a complete season 1 G1 cast consisting of MP/3P is significantly more expensive than one that consists of mainline stuff. So some people might people see it summed up. And yet this again comes down to more what one is willing to spend than what they can actually afford. The other point is the aftermarket situation with lots of 3P stuff these days. If you miss out on a Fans Toys release initially because you need more time to save money, you will pay even more. This isn't as big of an issue with mainline.

[@cameronmoriarty3313]

I wish you had done this 2 - 3 years ago so I could have learned it from you rather than figuring out the hard way. I had gone to Target to pick up the new wave of Deluxes and was shocked the bill was over $80. I was like "I don't want to pay $80 for these, they aren't worth it". I'm disappointed in myself I didn't realize it sooner.

[@oldballs3682]

I was planning to get the quintesson set, but I was 23 minutes late and it was sold out. I don't want it bad enough to pay scalper prices, so none for me I guess.

[@bfmainisnunu8064]

It’s definitely a choices thing, me personally I’ve just spent $1500 on two flame toys figures and I feel like for what I paid I’m getting great value, on the other hand I paid $130 for the earthrise skylynx and I feel like I paid$75 dollars to much. For the year so far including the flame toys buy I’ve at about $2000, most of my friends have spent $3000 on just going to the pub lol.

[@Th3Treasoner]

I don't think wave three of the Earthrise deluxes will be out before the end of the year, but they might be. Wave 2 just came out earlier this month, and with THAT disease, it may not happen. That said, what about the other Netflix figures though? That surely adds even more, which is pretty much another 3P figure. ($20 x 4 + $40 for $120) Or evens it out without the wave 3 deluxes. Heck, if wave three of Earthrise deluxes IS found, AND wave two of the Netflix figures, that's even more.

[@superroboted]

Im not an MP collector per se but I have a few. Also with 3P its a choice over whether there is an official release and if that official release looks good over the 3P. They way I look at it is how badly do I want it. When SoC Vehicle Voltron was announced I was like I don't care who's arm I have to break, I'm getting that figure and I got him. I can no longer justify the whole snootiness of MP collectors looking down on mainline because the improvements made starting with Siege have proven to cut close to MP engineering. I also look at 3P overall value and it's worth is based on how good or bad the mainline is, and that goes for MP as well. Cant afford is not the problem it's the choices. with CHUG I know I have at least one character with a minimum of 2 versions of that character to be released in addition to a 3P version. With collecting quantity and quality go hand in hand. I have in my CHUG collecting went from having a mainline iteration of one character but if the 3P design was better than I pick up that one...maybe both. I look at collecting as a strategic pick ups for what I want. Before Siege and so on, much of CHUG was shit. However Siege has caught the eye of the MP collector as well. MP elitisms is a joke to me because Takara hasn't given a full run of even '84 Transformer characters yet but CHUG has 2 or 3 times. And I collect SoC and other Chogokin toys so I laugh at MP when I busting $700 for a SoC Voltes V. Mainline has gotten a lot better and Hasbro is pushing the envelope with what they are producing to the point where the only 3P I'm buying is MMC and accessories such as weapons and other parts. To sum it up my motto is: You want it, get it and be done with it.

[@animatedplastic]

I feel this addresses the people who complain about the price of 3rd party are complaining about the price per figure. Comparing someone who buys mainline against FT I feel is comparing oranges to apples. You also need to break down how many figures you get for the cost. I also read some comments that I would agree with when they say if I break a mainline figure I can return it or exchange it even if it's your fault. I also think comparing character to character in buying is also important. I will agree with what I believe is your overall message of it comes down to your choices of what you buy rather than being able to afford it. Can't afford it is kind of a subjective thing as there is aso factors that you touched on with your We are not in the same Fandom video. I agree if you want it you can afford it, it's more of I can't afford it because I don't want to change my lifestyle.

[@kingragnork]

For me, I luckily have patience to wait for sales, and when I cannot I get every retail release at a discount thanks to my GF being an employee of Target. Only time I pay full price is on Gen. Selects, Pulse, Amazon and Walmart exclusives, which adds up to a LOT because I actually buy repaints lol. That is on me. I only justify it because all the normal mainline releases I get for much less than their initial MSRP.

[@aviatordanz]

Thank you for that original advice. I'm a chug collector, but I also really wanted MP Star Saber. So I talked to a dude on a the forums who sold me his for $100, so I worked some extra hours an cancelled my ER wave 2 preorders and I got it. Great video, I'm good sticking with the mainline, especially with the uptick in recent quality.

[@theghost3429]

Just like in life. If you want something bad enough. You have to sacrifice!

[@paullay9173]

Your numbers could change if you factor in shipping charge for 3p, whereas you can wait for sales for mainline purchases. I myself only pull the gun when I see a TRU sale. Thanks for all the great work, keep it up. :)

[@iamtheomnimonkey]

Depending on where you live a lot of websites offer reduced or free shipping if you buy a specific amount at 1 time. And for some of us our local Targets & Walmarts etc rarely have figures in stock and we have to order mainline online with the same shipping costs as imports. I pay the same shipping costs regardless of whether it's mainline or 3P

[@degwprime]

I recently switched to 3rd party figures from the main line & I was honestly shocked at how much I had been spending every year to collect as many figures as I could from that line. The biggest issue I had in switching is going from the instant gratification of finding them in a store to the long game of teases and preorders.

[@Goodenough-]

You bring up a good point, there is something very satisfying about hunting down the transformer you want at retail stores vs buying online and waiting a long time. Not sure it's related to his vid argument, but it is a valid good point none the less.

[@gyalis]

The real issue is how much you spend in 1 go, people will happily buy 3 $30 figures and justify it but spending 90 in one go is to much 🤣

[@blackRXrider]

90 bucks is chump change.

[@fateagle4life]

I want a sit-down Saturday where Bobby teaches us young padawans how to marry a doctor and become a toy/collectable reviewer. Seriously, the dude is The Man!!!!!

[@tanthis24]

I myself only buy a 3rd party figure once in a while if it grabs my attention with detail, I admit the price tags on some of these third-party figures are a bit harsh but the detail work is kind of worth it I mean I put in on the big firebird nicee for $95+$5 extra to have it sent by airplane and not by boat which will take longer. But I agree with some people in the factor that the figures are expensive and you kind a look at it going do I really want to spend the money for this or can I possibly find someplace a little cheaper. And sometimes I’ve actually found the figure that I was looking for someplace else for a lower cost and price because I look at the third rule of acquisition when it said never spend more for an acquisition than you have to

[@anthonycourt7977]

You hear the main line guys saying they can't afford a 3rd party but then they you see them buying a entire waves from micromaster deluxe voyagers and leaders commanders and titans. It doesn't make since.

[@dex_tha_collector]

Mainline or 3P I’m in it for whoever fits best to what is missing in my collection. Altogether it’s money we spend on our addiction that is the wild ride we are on being a collector.

[@Wkitchen82]

Yea there are many factors as to why I got out of masterpiece 3rd party or otherwise. It’s not that I couldn’t afford it. But I couldn’t justify 100-150 high end Transformers only getting one and pretty much not ever touching it or if I felt like it customizing it or what not. Even if I got everything and I don’t. I can get 5 deluxe toys for 1 masterpiece. Besides that how’s that masterpiece Alicon treating you Mack? I just picked up 4 for 80 bucks. Last masterpiece was that impossible toys and it was garbage if I remember right. Lastly switching over to mainline I can now actually pick up my stuff and play with it. With no fear of it breaking. Plus they can take a dive off the shelf... they’ll be fine. Lastly in all likelihood they will never make an MP Transformers Prime series and if they do it will be in like 20 years and who knows how far they will get. In give or take 3 or 4 years I’ve completed Seasons 1-3 plus a large amount of Japanese series Headmasters, Masterforce, and Victory. Also getting a Baybots collection in SS as well Transformers Prime. Plus they all relatively scale well. I see what you’re saying. And while no one may change you’re mind. It won’t happen for me either. If you’re happy you win, and I’m happy.

[@daddysbabygirl9620]

Usually when I say "can't afford" concerning a toy I mean "not worth it" (to me). Often not worth it, applies to cheap toys cheaply made, not worth it regardless of price. A well made high quality toy on sale may change in status from "can't afford" to totally worth it! :P

[@iamtheomnimonkey]

I believe his main point is to stop saying, "I can't afford it," and start saying, "not worth it for me/my collection." We can't know what you mean if you use words with different meanings than those that you mean.

[@KEEPINGitREAL213]

I don't count within this discussion. I have only 1 figure that transforms. Fans Toys Phoenix! My collection consists of 1/6 scale figures. Which I only purchase 4-5 figures a year, on average.

[@ConfusionDistortion]

Buying mainline Hasbro/Takara, for me, it is exactly that, a quantity issue. A good amount of "decent" quality figures of a certain scale, to fill shelves. I could do MP. I could afford it, so not worried so much about the money aspect. What concerns me is the options available to fill rosters, and then filling shelves with less characters per shelf due to the size of said figures. Also, roster filling affects the Hasbro stuff too a little, with either unreleased characters, or poorly released ones, that dont look G1 enough. Which is why I've filled some roster gaps with 3rd party figures for characters like Blaster, Galvatron, Clifjumper, Swerve, etc. But it has not been a major issue, and the new WFC Earthrise and Kingdom stuff is basically fixing to fill alot of that gap thankfully. Between the Prime Wars Trilogy stuff, combined with the new WFC stuff, I mean, you are ending up with options for most of the characters from the G1 era.

[@smaug1234]

I would think most of the collectors spend under 300 a year, and that being over spending for them. I don't think it matters much to them tho, most will be happy with just one or two 3rd party figures a year if they want them, or a bunch of deluxes over the year. But say you spent your 300 and some must have figure comes out, most cant afford to get it imo, and a lot will anyway, depending on what they went without to get it, it could be a problem.

[@erikpatterson120]

I think it's also when you jump into the collecting. I am 100% with you if you started 3P or Mainline both from the beginning . But if you are jumping into the middle of the lines like I did you are going to pay way more for 3P. For instance buying older fanstoys for essential characters like the dinobots or the incecticons is insane in price, so much so buy one set of dinobots is like buying the full year of the mainline, and then you missed all the current releases. If you want to go back and buy older mainline figures you missed they don't inflate in value like 3P does. Now personally I can afford 3P and just recently started, in 6 months have spent close to 4 years of mainline toys. Again it comes down to when you started collecting jumping into 3P now is daunting in cost if you want to buy the older releases and I see their point.

[@Pinion327]

And if you're like me; all in on the Hasbro TF main line, MP/3P, Marvel Legends, Storm Collectables, and Hot Toys...then you're really in trouble!

[@fightingrabbit]

As a collector of both 1st and 3rd party, I can say that a lot of times availability comes into play. I've gotten better about preordering 3rd party, but a lot of times it's a "you snooze, you lose" situation, which I suppose is something that applies to everything. 1st party stuff can usually be found everywhere which makes it so much easier to collect. Good points made as usual Bobby, keep up the good work!

[@Goodenough-]

3p does restocks, but ya, still a you snooze you loose deal even on restocks. I mostly blame the flippers that used to sell concert/event tickets, all of them are now targeting collectible markets and creating hype trains and sell outs that shouldn't happen. Tons of info about this on reddit right now. Just got to the Funkopop community to see it at it's worse. flippers buying 15$ figs and reselling for 400-1000$ each and people buy them....kinda sad. So at least we aren't paying that markup.

[@kaylobdennis3672]

I collect Hasbro because I can collect more characters in a shorter time than I could with 3P. I love to see Masterpiece displays and would absolutely love to have some of the 3P Masterpiece combiners, but it's just not feasible for me to collect 3P in a short amount of time. I don't particularly want to keep collecting for years and years. I'd prefer to get all the characters I want in as little time as possible and be done. Luckily Hasbro Mainline is actually putting out some solid figures. I think they WfC lines have been fantastic so far. So as much as I'd love to have a Masterpiece display, I'm happy prioritizing Mainline for my collection and I don't feel like I'm missing out.

[@CyberSammael]

The obvious counter-point is that you totaled up the entire mainline Generations releases, but then only looked at what you bought in 3P. You did acknowledge this, but it would be more fair to ask a mainline collector what they bought this year to compare. Anyhow, I moved country a few years ago and that meant I had to go through my collection to work out what to keep and what to sell. I have always bought both mainline and 3P, depending on where the tides take me, but I did realise that its a lot easier to just buy a mainline when I didnt really care about the figure at all. I looked at my boxes and I had a load of Deluxes that I really didnt care too much about, but I had just bought because I was bored or they were on sale. I fix a budget now, so its not about which side will cost me more, but which I will get more back from - 4 Deluxes or a single 3P, and that varies.

[@MrPooPooJohn]

I don’t quite agree with this logic. An analogy for your way of thinking is, you can either drive 7-10 decent cars over your lifetime or never buy a car until you’ve saved enough for one or two luxury cars. Most collectors would love to have the most coveted pieces. They are coveted because they are rare and rare things cost more. I’m able to afford a decent collection of figures and buy 2-5 every month. But I’m never going to stop purchasing $20-$150 figures just so I can buy 1 super expensive, rare figure once a year or longer. If I could afford it I would but I purchase things that are conducive to a decent standard of living. My hobbies and entertainment purchases cannot interfere with my bills and other expenses.

[@ryanwike2780]

When I'm looking at figure on the shelf at$19.99 price point it's just worth it any more. Prices going up bots getting smaller.

[@HAGZ0483]

I focus my TF collection on the mainline cause I like the scale and character selection, unfortunately MP+3p companies keep redoing the same guys every year.

[@iamtheomnimonkey]

I agree with you 100%! In addition there seems to be lot of collectors that really shouldn't complain about the cost of collecting MP/3P MP because they aren't in the target demographic. I see a lot of teenagers & people in their early 20's wanting to collect MP/3P MP. Most people in those age categoriesd don't have the same means to earn $$$ as those of us in our late 30's and older. (Yes their are people over 30 that struggle financially and if that is you I want to be clear I'm not talking down to you....in fact I hope your situation improves A.S.A.P., but that's a different conversation.) And I would say that the MP figures are targeted at people who are over 40....those of us that watched G1 when it was new. Even some of the 3P packages say "ages15+ or ages 16+" on them. In support of my claim I point out that often when I see people say, "I can't afford that," they are teenagers or in their early 20's. I say that because a fair number of them comment on their age. I even see people who are much younger saying things like, "my mom said I can have 1 for my birthday." If you are outside of the target demographic then you really shouldn't be complaining about not affording something because it isn't intended for you.

[@yukonjack6204]

wish I could find a mainline master list

[@Neopiate13]

I collect mainline and 3rd party. I have a soft spot for the IDW aesthetic. If I could get 4 MP scale figures a year based on IDW I'd have no problem jumping ship from mainline. But it hasn't happened yet. Hasbro can gamble on a figure being subpar or a new toy only character. I'm almost positive third party can't. Fansproject comes to mind. I'm not the kind of collector who needs every character under the sun though.

[@qemuel]

It's funny, I was having a discussion about essentially this with my oldest friend earlier this week--he's a main liner who has been collecting for decades at this point (with a shocking large and impressive collection), and I'm mostly MP/3P/the occasional itch scratch guy. His expenditures over the past few years have dwarfed mine, but he makes bank so it's all good. I'm slowing down, and he thought it was about money. It is, but not like he thought: we're planning on buying a house soon. Priorities have shifted (plus my collection is nearly complete). But don't think for a second that I wouldn't get a second job if I needed to (for a while, anyway) in order to facilitate the completion of my collection. Daddy needs his Omnibots and Deluxe Insecticons, son! Interesting video, thanks. We've all got FT space choo-choo in route, and I look forward to your thoughts (and new workspace).

[@fateagle4life]

You didn't mention the repaints in the MP 3rd Party Figures but you did mention them in the main line figures. It would be much much higher if you added those.

[@avidanma]

Another important aspect is the space for display. When I understood that I got really limited space I stop buying ok figure and only buy the best (in my opinion).

[@NinjabillReviews]

For me, its about play value over display value. I am not saying I do not love figures that display well, I do. But I also really like being able to switch between modes fast, get involved with my nieces and nephews who have all grown to love playing along with me with toys, and sure, you could do that with the Masterpiece or 3p stuff ..but it is not as much fun. Kids do NOT enjoy overcomplicated engineering during play, what can it do, how does it interact with other toys, that's what they like., They want immediate action and satisfaction. HASTAK provides that. That's where my main collecting habits lay.

[@wasian588]

Could the ease of being able to go to the store and pick it up off of the shelf and the impulse buy come into the equation? Like sometimes when you order something online it’s a little bit harder to spend $50 than it is to spend $50 at the store.

[@EddieNova]

The mainline deluxes are now going to cost $23 instead of $20. Those prices were online on the Wal-Mart and Target listings of future releases. The leaders and voyagers will continue to be the same current prices. 💰💸

[@CrimsonRaptors]

Remember though, at Walmart in stores, the $20 deluxes are $18.84. This is the way to show a product is "on sale." That being said, we may never pay the $23 in store, while it'll be "on sale" for $20.00 Yo ming? Also, great seeing you here, Eddie, my man. =P

[@EddieNova]

@@CrimsonRaptors the prices for kingdom deluxes will increase to more then we're paying for them now by 3 dollars. I was just rounding the number up on exact price we pay. They announced it a few days ago. Just Google increase prices for deluxes. The voyagers and leaders will stay the same. It's a shame but it looks like thats what they're putting them at. Core 9.99, deluxe 22.99, voyager 29.99, leader 49.99. If they do sale them at 18.84 then they'll be 21.84 now. I'm glad they didn't all go up but I buy deluxes way more then the others so it will add up quickly. 😭

[@CrimsonRaptors]

@@EddieNova Regardless, a few dollars more isn't as big as a deal. After all said and done, we are still not paying anywhere near the price our parents paid for G1 or even G2 toys. Once a Deluxe hits $35ish dollars, then we can really start complaining, lol!

[@EddieNova]

@@CrimsonRaptors so true man. When GotBot shares the prices he pays I was like wow that's a huge difference. A couple bucks is not too bad. I hope that doesn't mean in Canada it will even be more for them with deluxes. That's to a point where I'd actually start really thinking about it. Have a good one Crimson, take care and happy hunting !!!

[@aaronmauer7225]

I pretty much dropped the main line cause it was taking a lot of funds and I felt the 3p stuff was much better so I agree it can be close in the amount of funds the line takes.

[@kapryiath]

have you ever thought about doing a video addressing Hasbro/Takara changing cars like sideswipe just enough that they're not a true representation of a Lamborghini to skirt around licencing issues themselves yet appearing to take issue with 3P doing effectively the same thing?

[@DJ--ALLDAY]

💡💡💡 @ <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="460">7:40</a> "Most people aren't that stupid" 👉 "Dare to Be Stupid" by "Weird Al" Yankovic,

[@Drippyronin]

i agree

[@Grail640]

I think for some it may come down to how much money you are dropping all at once. If you are collecting the main line you can spread the cost a bit by buying one here and there, where masterpiece or 3rd party its the price of 3 or 4 figures all at once.

[@officerbarbrady8387]

I mainly collect mainline. But I'll get a few 3rd party figures if they interest me. I have no interest in a Fanstoys figure unless the character or design appeals to me. Because that's a whole other rabbit hole to jump down. I'm just glad I didn't back the Haslab Unicron

[@keviniaquinto128]

I've been holding off on purchases since I got 2 PS5s coming up in November (One's for my brother).

[@tacticalispractical1089]

More expensive in Canada and harder to obtain main line figures. Even online in the US , they have more selection but with exchange rate and shipping ...is it worth it?

[@rexxo4957]

I really wish Australia had a proper site for 3rd party figures like big bad toystore

[@idiotsavant1902]

For me, I go for the MP scale for the characters that mean more to me...and the rest (unless I find MP forms for cheaper) I get as best renditions of them as possible, who also usually end up being towards the bottom of the list Great talking points as per usual Skully

[@andrewwrecknruane5210]

Wow just realized how much I spend on main line and I also buy mp and some 3rd party too, holly cow don’t tell my fiancée

[@RRankin29]

Im buying multiple sets of stunticons... most people aren’t that stupid. -Bobby Skullface

[@ArionRDAW]

Personally I'm collecting favorites and unique interpretations. The Siege/Earthrise stuff are good enough for a completionist.

[@joshuaknappenberger5842]

Mainline is expensive but without it, we'd lose everything else. I'm intrigued to see where this conversation goes.

[@kalron27]

Classics collector from day one and between official releases and 3rd party, I am honestly very close to finishing my collection. Just need that Trailbreaker! Although these Select 86 movie releases might have me replacing some figures. As for the rumored price increases, I have to say it is getting up there and might price the casual\kid purchase out of range. That is a dangerous line to cross when going for maximum profit, are fans\collectors enough to continue to make a profit?

[@THEShoky]

I know I've got several hundred this year in 3P legends and I only get New Age and not every release.

[@mikehock5285]

I’ve been dabbling in Newage too. Got thundercracker and megatron, then got MS Prime to go with them. I’m becoming a big legends fan. Tbh, the Newage seekers are the best seekers made.

[@Thor13332]

I only buy 60% of the main line. For example since I bought certain characters in the siege line I'm not going to buy it again in the er version.

[@miguelrojas031980]

I totally agree, i collect masterpiece scale, mostly 3rd party, sometimes i add a takara here and there if i find value to that specific figure (toon accuracy, quality, paint and attention to detail) also i think the most important thing is to buy not only with the mentality to collect, but also as an investment, i have bought many first releases of fanstoys for example and i have seen my purchase grow in value for example buying perceptor and hotrod (fanstoys) or Skyfire as well and literally seen the price double or triple in a year, which brings me to see my expense of lets say 1000 dollars in collectibles as an investment that gave an additional value of 700 or 1000 more in a year or so

[@5tar5c34m]

I never thought about it that way. I just look at it as "oh I like that figure I'm gonna buy it!!" I'm not set on just mp scale or the mainline figures! You are right!! It is more about what I am willing to sacrifice to get said figure, rather than not being able to afford it. Thanks for the video!! I cant wait to hear your thoughts on the studio series 86 figures!! Take care!!

[@aarongrove4744]

I ate peanut butter.. just peanut butter.. to get my FT dinos.. lol

[@Natee178]

I am now more of a mainline collector but I’m not sure I would be had it not been for Siege. The siege and Earthrise lines have taken transformers mainline figures to a level they have never been on before. The poseability, simple transformations, and super accurate look has made me lose interest in MP. I also am somebody to likes to display my figures in more dynamic poses, so the mainline is just easier to collect. The MP/3P stuff just got too bland and too finicky for my liking

[@troubledturtle2332]

As someone who has just gotten back into collecting Transformers ,the mainline checks off alot of what I look for ,price,articulation,sculpt and fun , that aside im definitely interested in a fair number of 3rd party releases ,Tranform Element Optimus is at the top of that list.