Building my Nerd Cave

[MagnaPrime]

Alrighty, so this is going to be a bigger one.  For the longest time, I was really just a specific character collector.  I simply collect too many lines and have too tight a budget to go all in on stuff.

So let's start with this small collection.  I'm missing MP and Action Master tracks (you'll see wfc soon).  I loved the 84 Vette body style and then the flames paint job on that toy... Just... Chefs kiss man.  

Okay but this is tiny and you've already seen Wheeljack and hot rod/Rodimus shelves.  So I don't collect any cons it would seem.

Wrongo. There is one con that is clearly superior to all the others.  Growing up, action master soundwave was my version of the character.  I loved seeing him finally return in Cybertron and thought the twist animated put on the character was great.  And, I mean, come on y'all, cyberverse.  If you know you know. 

That's not the end of it though.  It wasn't until the 25th anniversary edition that I finally got a proper G1 version of soundwave, even if he has the sound blaster chest.  And yes, that's a genuine world's smallest transforming soundwave and ravage is still complete.

But there's one other character I had to collect. 

I'm not sure how I could've avoided this one.  I remember saving and saving to be able to get that power master Optimus figure and opening him up and playing with him on the kitchen floor as a kid.im also quite glad to have a couple of Orion pax figures as well.  By now, some of y'all are probably going, "that's not much of a collection there". Well ya see, I kinda ran out of shelf space.  My first was the movie edition of G1 prime in 86.  He arrived late for Christmas that year and I had a note from Santa telling me my big present was coming.  When we got home from my grandparents he was waiting on our front step that evening.  I was so excited, my mom couldn't open the package fast enough.  This was the source of some arguments with my sister as she just wouldn't play with him right.  She kept having him marry barbie with dumbo officiating.  C'mon, someone here knows my pain right?  This was the trickle of collecting that I never really turned all the way off, as I got most of these when they came out.  

 

Okay, like I said, that's a big one.  Man when I started I just didn't know how much I had and how many stories and such came with them.  It's one thing to have it all in your brain but writing it out is really spotlighting it.

 

 

 

[MagnaPrime]

Now let's talk about this shelf.  tjere are a lot of memories here.  I got ironhide on a trip to visit my great great aunt in Nebraska.  I distinctly remember driving him on her coffee table.  I was about two. 

Mikey was my first ninja turtle figure.  I got him visiting an aunt in Atlanta.  I was really sick.  You remember when you get tossed in an ice bath to lower your temperature.  Mom got him for me to help me feel better.  Squishy head version, wish his nunchuku had survived.  

He-man and battle cat, not sure exactly when I got them.  Mom used him as the cake topper for a home made cookie cake.  Id have likely been five, maybe six.  Mom and Dad have some fun stories about me and heman.  Watching the secret of the sword with me in the theater, evidently when he said by the power of grayskull every three year old and under in the theater, self included, pumped their fist into the air and yelled I have the power.  One of my earliest memories is actually a giant castle grayskull in mall, within which they had ALL the toys laid out and we heard a battle story from heman and skeletor.  

The silver surfer was my first case of FOMO.  Id passed on him at the KayBeeToys at the mall a few times and then could never find him again.  Finally when I did I snapped him up.  About aonth later, they came out with the vac metal edition.  In retrospect, better off having this one.  But at the time... C'mon man!.

Like everyone my age, I was all about the 89 baan film.  It was the first time I'd ever seen a movie in the theater more than once.  Dad took me and his dad to see it again because of how much he enjoyed it too.

I'm not sure why, but for some reason there's a connection between silverhawks and toys r us in my mind.  I sold off the others I had a while ago, but bluegrass was always special, and he is still in great condition.  And that leaves us with my vintage Lion-o.... Nuff said?

[MagnaPrime]

Okay folks, I think it's time for the BIG one.  For some reason this is the part I'm most stoked about.  I got Brawn added today and that filled it out just enough.  The Transformers collection.  I know I've done the cons, some specific bots, and some of the larger bot displays.  But this is something I never would've believed I could have as an adult when I was a kid.  Starting at the top I have Alpha Triton with Vector Sigma. 

Then to his right is a very small Beast Wars display.  It began as a goal to try and get all the auto ot/maximal leaders.  Then I decided to also get the original Avalon crew as well.  Glad I did, I actually really like cheetor and rhinox. 

Moving down I have my 1986 shelf.  Not every bit but it's a good movie bot display.  I know that's not 86 kup but it's my favorite kup.  And blur is good enough for me too. 

Then l, with metal hawk above them I have my JG1 display.  I cannot believe I own a victory saber and a daily atlas (even if the big powered set isn't perfect). I know I also don't have God Ginrai, but I always preferred metal hawk as the leader to Ginrai, especially with him becoming victory Leo and being included with victory saber.

Then it's the G1 84-85 crew below them. I have five to go and that's all the noncombiners I need to have this whole crew.  I never, EVER, would've believed this was possible.  In addition I have impactor prepping the European coca and a small sub shelf where I'm trying put characters from other incarnations. Presently prepping prime, animated, G2 and Cybertron.

Honestly I know these are all modern and there are more impressive displays and collections out there.  But I'm loving this.  These characters all scale pretty well, something that I am still sorta giddy about.  And most of these I actually have fun transforming.  Plus my three year old has fun taking getting me to take them down to play with them.

[MagnaPrime]

So it's autumn, which means it's time for the villains to take over the nerd cave.  Thus started shortly after the skeleton collection.  Truth is I found an excuse to get some great figs.  To this day, I just love the feel of a MOTU classics figure in my hands. BUT it occurred to me that these villains were basically archetypal monsters.  Hordak was a vampire, Evil-Lyn a witch... etc. I know Ceratus, Draxus and... chibollah? Are technically good guys.  But orc, yeti, and gargoyle fall into the spooky season category.  Wasn't able to ever afford a motuc trap jaw or beastman, but the Master verse ones will suffice.  And I do love my soccer scarecrow.  If they ever release a life Foundation symbiote five pack, may w more villains will appear around spooky time someday.