What do people think of you being a TransFan?

[Rhymus]

(Thanks to Countdown for unintentionally prompting me to post this thread; i've had it in mind for a while.)

Who (besides you and the Internet) knows that you're a TransFan?

Who (besides you and the Internet) knows about your collection (assuming you have one)?

Who (besides you) has ever seen your collection--as in, physically been in the presence of your collection--and how often do they see it?

What do they think of you being a TransFan?

What do they think of your collection?

Who thinks your collection is cool (but maybe only because they don't live with you)? Who thinks it's cute that you still collect this kiddie stuff? Who merely tolerates your TransFan-ness? Who shares the condition of TransFan-ness? Who encourages you in it but does not share it? Who thinks you should have outgrown it? Who competes with you in it (like, maybe your spouse or your kid is also a TransFan, and both of you want to add the last MIB Drift any of your local stores have in stock to your own personal collections, because having one in the house isn't good enough if someone else owns it)? Or do you share a collection with somebody (this is not my G2 Optimus Prime, and it is not my girlfriend's (or boyfriend's) G2 Optimus Prime--it is our G2 Optimus Prime)?

Related: Do you still play with your TFs? or what?

[Minerva]

What do people think of me bring a Transfan?
Well, not a lot of people know that I collect Transformers, and if it (for some reason) comes up in conversation most people:
a) Don't know who/what Transformers are or
b) Say something neutral about it, but seem to think it's a bit weird and drop the subject immediately afterward.

I've always liked "boys toys", Transformers and MOTU (masters of the universe) in particular. Since I grew up with that my family and childhood friends seem to have gotten used to it (more or less). My moms pet peeve about my collection is that I store most of it in boxes, stacked on top of each other in my living room. If I had a bigger place I'd definitely put up more of it on display, but since that currently not the case it's going to have to do for now. I've thought about putting it in my storage room, but I'm afraid that something might happen to it.

I don't care too much of what people might think of my collection. I've always been collecting and I don't intend to stop.
Since I joined TFL my collection has grown quite a bit and I've gotten a lot of encouragement. I've also found someone special to share this interest with, who is at least as crazy about it as I am!

[Jazz]

A lot of people at school know I collect them, and they don't really care. Again, a lot of people know I have a collection of them.

In person, TLA, PD, and a few others have seen my collection in real life.

They support it, cause the other guys that have seen it collect some nerdy stuff as well.

My friends I guess thinks its kinda neat, but then again I have a ton of 'em....

[Bumblebee]

a bunch of people know i have a healthy collection. some have started or restarted collections of there own (tho not transformers)

My woman loves my collection and will ocasionally try to transform something (galvy insert gitty caption here) our kids respect it and 2 have started to collect (tho one distroys his and i want to stop him but he is only 6 lol the other our 12 year old steals them or cons the 6 year old out of the ones he wants

my parents think its odd my mom fusses but my dad understands due to losing some massive money due to my grandparents getting rid of things. tho he now regrets talking me into getting rid of my gi joes.

Most of the people i know thinks its cool but glad it hasnt taken over there bedroom like it has ours.... now some people do think its stupid but they have odder collections than that.

[Galvatron]

My entire family knows that I am a serious TF collector.
Anybody that has been in my house will find evidence of the fact.
I got my brother-in-law and nephew to begin collecting.
They compete against me when we are after the newest figure.
I always get compliments from anyone who has seen my collection in person. (and on internet) To be honest, without the help of fellow TFL members (and othe forum members) I would not have nearly as much as I do.

[Dai Atlas]

They tell me if I keep it up I'm going to turn into a Transformer. My reply is "You say that like it's a bad thing."

[Time Traveller]

Interesting question!

Everyone that has known me on a personal basis knows about my 'habit.' Most of the people I went to high school with, all my friends online and off, teachers, some professors (one of my professors was a Physicist who liked geology... He collected Crystar the Crystal Warrior, and had some Rock Lords. How cool is that?).
You'd be AMAZED at how many people looked me up and dropped a call or an email after TF07.
(Person who I haven't talked to in years) "Hey! I just saw the Transformer movie with so-and-so, and it made me think of you, so I thought I'd call and see how you're doing!"
Or
"I saw a car with that Transformer face on it, and it made me think of you..."

Most people that do know accept it as a healthy part of who I am, and if nothing else, associate me with in there minds with excessive zeal. The people who are only casual acquaintances and probably wouldn't "get it" know I do something to do with "vintage toys". Most people encourage it, but those who know me best, know I need no encouragement to keep it going! My parents have been supportive, being both collectors themselves, but Mom worries that I would have a nervous breakdown and become a despondent husk if something bad happened to them.

She's probably right.

Many have seen fractions of my collection, since that's all I can display at one time. I often had a few set up on my dresser in the college dorm.

Do other people get to handle them? Yes. Now, mind you, I am careful on their behalf. At college, only newer, replaceable toys would get displayed, and if I had G1's, they were only handled by myself of someone trained. A lot of my friends enjoyed stopping by to see if they could muddle through an Alternator or two. All the people that did this knew that these were important to me, so they were respectful and would tinker carefully, asking for help if they felt something needed "excessive force" to be moved where they thought it needed to go.

Some people don't think my collection is cool... UNTIL they've transformed a couple. They keep coming back for more. I swayed more than a few college friends by having my dresser display tempting them to play. I even had girls come in regularly to try to figure out the latest Alternator.

Needless to say, I hit the jackpot by being with Minerva...
Minerva and I do have hers and mine, often duplicating a modern toy. Since I export most of the shelf-new Transformers she wants to her, I'm often buying in twosies. If there's only one left, I typically try to leave mine sealed until I've found one for her. Of course, when she's here, she has unlimited access to my collection, though I think I remember having to coax her that it was okay for her transform my Fort Max

[skywarp408]

I've been called many things being a hardcore Transformers fan. "Nerd" is up on the top of the list!

My family keeps asking me when I plan on selling my collection. They look at it as an investment, and I would be lying if I said at least part of it is not.

I'm starting to date again, so that meens that i hide the few on display and never let the next woman open my walk-in closet where 99% of everything is!

I let very few people in there and it took me 2 months for my last girlfriend to see it. Thank god we still talk.

I got a friend with a nice sealed g1 collection that i have somewhat competed with. And then i got all these f@%&*#g Ebay people i am always bidding with.

Good question by the way.

[Time Traveller]

As an addendum: I've been asked if I'll ever sell my collection. Those are the people that don't understand.

[Minerva]

... though I think I remember having to coax her that it was okay for her transform my Fort Max

You have no idea how afraid I was that I'd break him! I would never have forgiven myself if I'd done that...
Big, expensive Transformer + stiff joints => breaks or stress marks => very sad Minerva.

I am grateful you did let me transform him though.

[Dinobot]

Every one of my friends, family, a large group of strangers, and including ex-girlfriends know about me being a Trans Fanatic, and that im a huge toy collector. When my Toy Room was completed, no matter who goes up there, they stop just inside the door and marvel at the insane amount of neatly organized and awesome toy/game selection I have. I actually have a girlfriend right now who loves the stuff, and said if I ever sold it she would be sad. I cant lose her! Im also a collector of nearly everything else, so everyone who sees it might have a chance at seeing something frome their past which makes the room that much better. I had a halloween party recently and every person who saw the room couldnt believe it. My lightsaber collection (the non plastic kind) was a huge hit, and lots of people were playing with them.

[Time Traveller]

You need to get her on TFL to meet the gang! Maybe then she'll even start buying the plastic crack

[Countdown]

@ Stars it is my pleasure to inspire you to post this topic! (ok I have a big ego)

Who (besides you and the Internet) knows that you're a TransFan? My girlfriends know that I am a Transformers fan.

Who (besides you and the Internet) knows about your collection (assuming you have one)? My immediate family (Mom, sisters/brothers), my girlfriend, and her parents know that I collect transformers.

Who (besides you) has ever seen your collection--as in, physically been in the presence of your collection--and how often do they see it? My sisters, my girlfriend, and her parents have seen my collection. My sisters have seen it once (visited me out here in Ohio). My girlfriend sees it every day. Her parents see it maybe once to twice a month.

What do they think of you being a TransFan? I don't think they think much of it. Everyone is a fan of something (at least I would like to think so). Whether it be Transformers, stamp collecting, interests in cars, My little pony, or just something else. They don't appear to have any real thoughts on the topic itself. At times however, they do react to me collecting my interest.

What do they think of your collection? This may be a loaded question.

My girlfriend encourages me to collect figures. She went from being annoyed at it, to tolerating it, to encouraging me. We went to see Transformers: The Movie (2007) and that started me collecting. At first I started collecting Movie figures, then anything that would interest me, then G1, Alternators/Binaltech, more figures that interested me. That was an issue to both of us, since I was collecting to collect. I decided that I wasn't really happy with my collection, so I purged maybe 100 figures (maybe more) from my collection. I also reevaluated my interests in collecting. Now that I have a focus - an active interest in a particular type of figures - she encourages me. We look at the figures together when in the stores. We go to hobby/toy/comic stores together. She has even claimed 2 alternator jeeps as her own as well as a WST Blaster, and a Movie Elita One (I gave her that last one - the rest she kind of liberated).

I think my immediate family is indifferent - as long as I can support myself and my girlfriend they don't care one way or another.

Her parents at first thought it was awfully childish (I think - I could be wrong). Her mom still thinks that way I think. She collects old vhs tapes of movies she will never watch and salt shakers. I like my collection better, LOL.

Her dad did at first too. I learned that he collects diecast muscle cars (although I have never seen his collection. Once he saw my collection of Binaltech and Alternators he changed his own mind. Matter of fact if he didn't have the mindset that it was childish in the beginning that may have made him a collector of Binaltech too. Every time he comes over he looks at the figures. Matter of fact when I know ahead of time he is coming over I put a few out in the open.

Over all I think they don't mind or have concerns of the collecting since they are display pieces to be admired. It's not that I don't transform them occasionally, its just that they aren't in a toy box waiting to be played with. They are a collectible and I think in the end that they understand that.


Who thinks your collection is cool (but maybe only because they don't live with you)? Who thinks it's cute that you still collect this kiddie stuff? Who merely tolerates your TransFan-ness? Who shares the condition of TransFan-ness? Who encourages you in it but does not share it? Who thinks you should have outgrown it? Who competes with you in it (like, maybe your spouse or your kid is also a TransFan, and both of you want to add the last MIB Drift any of your local stores have in stock to your own personal collections, because having one in the house isn't good enough if someone else owns it)? Or do you share a collection with somebody (this is not my G2 Optimus Prime, and it is not my girlfriend's (or boyfriend's) G2 Optimus Prime--it is our G2 Optimus Prime)?

As far as the last giant batch of questions go I will comment on the shared collection part. I would like to get to that point where we both collect them, but that may never happen. Yes she owns transformers now, but she doesn't actively collect them. Perhaps we can browse online together to find one that interests her personally. But, maybe none do. Perhaps with TF Prime on youtube, we can build this interest together. We could watch this new show together and tune in together weekly. Maybe she will personally buy in to transformers. That way we can both enjoy my hobby - which would then be our hobby. The one thing standing in her way is that she believes in womens equality (which I do too), she believes that even in cartoons there should be an equal amount of female robots. I agree, but then I think that it is only a cartoon. That does hold her back from having an active interest in the series.

Well that is my take on these questions. Stars - you have another question similar to this. I will reply to that too. Interesting topic my friend!

[Roadbuster]

People that know I'm a Transformers fan? Pretty much all of my immediate family and my in-laws do as well. Some co-workers and a few close friends and friends of my spouse.
Who knows about my collection? Everyone that comes over to the house (see above) seeing as it's all on display. Even before we moved and lived in a small trailer when I had most of it stored away I'd bring it out on occasion (or by request) for viewing pleasure.
The people that see my collection or see it the most? See above. The ones that see it the most are my immediate family members of course.
What do they think of me being a Transformers fan and my collection? My son thinks it's cool as hell (same with my G.I. Joe collection and I'm starting to win him over to M.A.S.K). The wife tolerates it as long as it doesn't consume other areas of our life and continues to be a hobby that can remain within budgetary limits. She even likes Transformers to a certain extent (Bay movies, TF Prime, exc.) and has bought me a few movie figs. I have friends and co-workers that marvel at them and some that aren't interested at all. It's a mixed bag of emotions really.
Who thinks my Transformers collection is cool but only because they don't live with me? I'll never really know...
Who thinks it's "cute" I collect this kiddie stuff? Probably my mother-in-law but this is only my suspicion.
Who merely tolerates my Transformers fan-dom? Probably my wife. But I'm winning her over as the years pass.
Who encourages you in it but does not share in it? My brother-in-law comes to mind.
Who thinks I should have outgrown it? Probably my step-father but again this is only suspicion and can not be confirmed.
Who competes with you in it? Sadly I'm the only collector I know within the confines of my small town. I've ran across a few that live here through passing conversation..."Hey I like that Autobot decal on your car! Where did you find that?"...and that leads to toy conversations. But none that I'm friends with. That's where TFL comes in.
Do I share a collection with somebody? No. These are all my baggage and mine alone.