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I've loved robots since a found a discarded transformer lost on a beach as a child. I've always appreciated old diecast figures, although I don't own too many myself. I am a fan of both old and new robot cartoons.
My current collection of modern gokin include Aoshima's Neo Getter Robo (black), CM's GoShogun and Sankanoh, and Yamato's Danguard Ace.
My current collection of classic gokin include ST Dynarobo, two ST Laserions (Japanese and American releases), DX Laserion, and a Voltron of some model that has seen better days.
On the plastic front I have a Toybox Nekobot a surprisingly nice KO Mightgaine, and a troop of Glyos figures.
The pride of my collection is, Voltron "Trapped on Jungle Planet," a 24 page book and tape. It's still sealed in it's original packaging!
It started in 1977.
I went over to a friend's house. His mother was Japanese, and his dad was Dutch. I had the Kenner Star Wars Early Bird kit still in its package, and was beyond excited to show him what I got. We both pored over the documents included in the package, and wondered what the final designs would look like. However, my eyes drifted over to the other side of the room where a giant black and silver robot stood, with a sleek fighter plane nestled in its "crown". Beside this, were toys of strange, multicoloured robots I had never seen. I was fascinated by their weight and dangerous eye-gouging gimmicks. We played for hours. In fact, due to the absence of Star Wars figures, oppotunistic toy companies, like Empire Toys sated my pangs with Star Wars-esque robots like Brain III from UFO Commander 7. As I saved up my allowance to get Valcan-1, my Early Bird figures arrived, and the focus was Star Wars for a good seven years.
However, anime had sneakily crept onto the scene with Battle of the Planets and Star Blazers, cleverly disguised as North American shows. And slowly, I began to take notice again. While walking in a fleamarket, I kept coming accross really cool, but expensive import toys from something called "Macross" and "Orguss". I loved the designs and they greatly influenced my budding artistic efforts at the time. I was able to pick up a small plastic transforming jet-robot (later to be identified as a cheap version of Hikaru's VF 1J from Macross).The suspicion that something cool was out there beyond my realm of experience became tangible when a toy called "Jetfire" appeared in the Transformers line. "He" was unlike any of the previous transformers, and looked, curiously, alot like that jet robot I had a few years previously.
And then, one day, in 1984, I walked in to the Silver Snail and saw a huge box - the VF-1S 1/55 Strike Valkyrie. It was Jetfire... but about ten times cooler.
I went nuts. I begged my parents for it. With birthday money firmly in hand, I started down a long road of toy design appreciation, and an affinity for Japanese aesthetics.
Much of my artistic work is strongly influenced by the designs in Orguss, Gatchaman and Macross, and to see those designs in the third dimension has been a constant thrill.
Collecting:
I primarily collect Transformers. I like traditionally styled aesthetics that have some tie in to my G1 roots while still enjoying new characters. I also collect robots in general if they are of quality like some Macross mecha or various Voltron toys. In the past I have bought a great deal of Star Wars figures but currently I have virtually no interest in it.
I started collecting in1984 after seeing my first Transformers cartoon. The first figures I got were Bonecrusher and Scavenger. I currently have approximately 1500 Transformers. I also love 3rd party toys such as those by TFC, Fansproject, Perfect Effect, Mastermind Creations and more.
just a slow collector of the super imaginitive chogokin(sic) line from bandai..venturing in to the garo prop & equip line lately..
Being exposed to tokusatsus and the Rockman video game series since I was a kid, I've always liked Japanese super heroes and robots.
Although I had from time to time bought some toys of series that I like (most notably, Rockman and Kamen Rider), it wasn't until the end of 2010 that I got into serious toy collecting.
By that time, I was watching Macross for the first time and loved it so much that I decided that I needed the best representation of the VF-1 Valkyrie that could be found. Luckily for me, HLJ was having a sale on Macross products and, so, I bought the Yamato 1/60 VF-1A Max DYRL Ver. I was so impressed with it that I decided from that date on, I would collect toys of giant robots and super heroes I liked.
I'm also a big fan of the 16-bit video game era and platforming games.
My interests in toys change a lot over time, though certain things remain the same. I'll always have room for Transformers, gokin, Super Sentai, Brave, MOTU, TMNT, Lego, Gobots and Star Wars in the collection. But I like the stuff that's a bit off the beaten path as well, like Starriors, Sectaurs, or Starcom. If I had unlimited funds and unlimited room, I'd be going back into my past and grabbing all the old Mego superhero figures I could find, Micromen, Godaiken, Shogun Warriors, Godzilla's Gang, Inhumanoids, Dungeons and Dragons, etc. I didn't have nearly as many toys when I was a kid as many others, but I had a really odd assortment.
I especially like robot, monster and superhero toys.
