It’s been a while but we welcome the return of the very popular Transformer Fan Interviews! In this latest interview with Aussie TF collectors we are talking to Steve, a great bloke I was privileged to meet at a Collectormania Toy Fair and who, like me, was an avid Transformers TCG player. So lets chat to this fine fellow and avid collector of all things Cybertronian.
Name and/or nicknames:
Wattsy, Sharky – do you need a background story??
Family?
Married with 2 little Sharkticons
Career?
Retired Commercial Electrician now work in the Engineering Space for Transport Infrastructure
How would you rate yourself on a C scale, C10 being MISB Mint perfection, to the lowest C1 ‘junker not worth it even for parts’?
C3.. not quite a full blown junker but working myself there with heavy wear.
How would you rate your attraction to Big Angry Trev? With one being ‘very’ to 10 being ‘I even send him Action Masters in the hope I get an extremely physical and rough thanking’?
This has to be 10 by default, right?? I mean I sent the Action Master… I’m just waiting for the Rough and Physical Thanking – but we are responsible adults mostly and under current circumstances (its 2020 people in case your reading a “retro revisited blogedy vlog blobTM” fifty years from now) we maintain that social distancing!!!
Editors Note: I could thank you while we both wear HazMat suits maybe?
Fan/Collector since (year)?
Since it began in 84
Transformers Allegiance, if you had one?
Your Techspec motto if you had one?
‘If it is to be it is up to me’
What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?
Ratchet – always fixing other people shit
Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself?
Skywarps Vorping….
What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector?
That original opening sequence when prime is rolling along and then transforms and then the 3 jets fly in and turn into robots… first time I saw it, it was soo awesome…. Still is. The concept of a vehicle and a robot in one toy Brilliant!!!
Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die?
No, I seriously think I will “retire” at the conclusion of the War for Cybertron Trilogy and Unicron when it arrives… but like any professional athlete that retires, they will still stroll out for a game or two and I am sure there will be a few bots picked up along the way
Do people outside of the hobby know you collect TFs (like at work/school)?
Yeah, they do, most think it is cool but I also don’t care, I don’t collect for them!!
Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends?
I did not hide it – not sure if it was fully supported but they never were negative to me about it.
What does your partner think of your hobby?
Ill ask her. – “He has more toys then our kids…..”
Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions?
Yes. Yes and yes, many moons ago when those sorts of things where considers normal.. well normal in the nerdy/geeky/popculturey way anyway.
Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)?
Nah nothing like that at all, not creative at all…
Favourite series/era/year, and why?
Always G1 cause that’s what I grew up on, but Animated was outstanding the cartoon style and the way the toys could maintain that aesthetic and still function was outstanding
Collect any comics?
Too many…..
Favourite Comic issue/story, and why?
Transformers or in general???
Transformers my favourite arcs where from the old UK Issues, City of Fear and Space Pirates in other franchises Marvels Annihilation event was brilliant and always gets a reread
Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?
To many to name one I think, there is always a great episode from every series, but I think call of the primitives from G1 is always a favourite or Grimmy new brain, or Starscream’s ghost if I had to pick a handful…. And can’t remember the episode names from Animated or prime…..
Favourite Character, and why?
Sludge – just because I love the big bastard of a Dinobot, Ratchet would be a close 2nd
Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?
Sludge
Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?
SLUDGE!
Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, etc):
Lots and lots and lots under the cosmic unified numbering technique system…. There was an acronym, but I’m not allowed to use it.
But over a thousand
Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector?
Yes mostly the ones that are sealed are really, really old or I don’t have time to open them yet.
How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit?
That I would love to and not ever know the answer too
Any rare/expensive figures in your collection?
Probably, but I don’t keep track of those sorts of things
What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have?
Nothing that is out of the ordinary, I have a chunk of Ironhide’s Tyre from Dark of the moon, Leonard Nimoy’s Autographs as Sentinel prime, and a bunch of the 1st movie actor scribbled their name on a poster
Editors note: Nice!
First Transformers toy?
Optimus Prime
One toy you most want?
Optimus prime, still sealed in that original g1 box
The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)?
I don’t really have a centrepiece my collection is all over the place between storage and display, but my First year G1 is always my fave!
Favourite toy in your early years of collecting?
G1 Highbrow when I got this guy he was my first “futuristic” styled transformer and I loved the headmaster concept and the figure.
Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?
So many from Armada…..
Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?
So So So Many from Armada…
Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertible Transformers toys?
Remember when a car that transformed into a robot was a gimmick…..i think gimmicks are cool they need to freshen up every now and then otherwise we just keep getting Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and Starscream over and over again……
Also Non transforming Stuff… Love it… I would love a super articulated action figure if it didn’t transform, screen accurate highly detailed Action Masters!! Also Statues I have wayyy to many but love it , Transformers are a brand and we can enjoy that brand on anything we desire, shoes, underwear, hats, non transforming action figures, bobble heads the possibilities are limitless and if you enjoy it who cares if it doesn’t transform!!!
Which single TFs toy should every fan own?
I would say it would have to be Optimus Prime, I will allow modern versions of the Autobot leader but the G1 is such a classic iconic toy that it should be apart of anyone’s collection.
Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?
It would depend on the person getting married I would tailor the gift to the person somehow, like an action master in a custom tuxedo. on a side note my wife gave me a Movie Bumblebee with an engraving on his rear window with “Just Married” for our wedding day, sits proudly in my cabinet (only transformer my wife has ever bought me).
Do you collect other toys?
Yes amongst other things too,..would you like to know more?????
I have a heathy collection of Guardian of the Galaxy figures and POP!s, Trading Cards from Movies and Sports, other sports and movie/tv memorabilia, I like to chase autographs from actors of my favourite shows. Comic Books
What is your favourite TF themed post on this website?
There are so many good entertaining posts, I have enjoyed watching the transformatroium grow the toy reviews are good because its just a “this is how it is approach but some of the most entertaining ones would be the ones not about transformers (*GASP*) the Tales of the Trev stories or the hot sauce reviews. (pssst hey You, you out there reading this. Don’t limit yourself to just reading about transformers there is entertainment value all over the dark little corner of Trev’s blog)
Editors Note: Best response to this question EVER!
How did you find out about www.bigangrytrev.com ?
I remember in the golden age of message boards Trev Posted a thread up about his blog.. Check it Out he wrote. (sounds like a good name for a show….) so I did…
Questions from other Fans:
Stu (via Twittah)
With so many great teams in the NRL why on Earth would you be a Sharky’s fan?
Way back in that magical time called the 80’s I spent those early years living around Bankstown my Parents Supported the Bulldogs My Grandparents Supported the Bulldogs and Souths my Uncle Parramatta, but me a young and impressionable kid just loved the way this teenager at fullback of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks played the game. Andrew Ettingshausen was the reason I started following the club, I had no allegiances or commitment prior to then and I followed the club ever since!
Dallas (via Twittah)
Do you have collecting Goal? You have a Spectacular Display Space; how do you plan to collect as it fills up?
Since the Sharkticons and life the collecting has slowly reduced, I don’t really have a collecting goal I pick up things that I like, my main goal I guess would be getting the majority of my collection actually out on display not just sitting around waiting to be set up. Its just finding that elusive time to do it. I mentioned a bit earlier in that I am entertaining the idea of retirement, collecting as it fills up will probably be focused around on how or if it will it display better, and maybe going back and replacing a few existing pieces or retro-filling gaps in some of the older lines I missed over adding more and more new stuff.
What’s your favourite non g1 series?
That would be Animated, the shift in animation style and aesthetic was refreshing, the cartoon was fun and the toys able to match that styling mad them a fun series to pick up
Did Beast Wars/Machines really save transformers?
This is a tricky one, and I am going to say no it didn’t, you see the end of “g1” came about when 98.35% of the target audience grew up and was venturing into the world of Highschool and hormones so the interest petered out. But the younger siblings or newer families where coming of age, and I always feel toys follow a cycle, introduced – evolve – die off and then they a refreshed every 6-7 years years for the newer generation going through a fresh “jumping on point” so it was fresh imaginations and a resupply of young children that saved transformers, beast wars was just the gimmick of the time…. Much like how nostalgia now has parents buying care bears and MLP and MOTU and Strawberry Shortcakes for their children now.
Why hasn’t (named redacted) blocked you yet?
That’s a question you should ask him yourself…wait….you cant….
Michael (via Twittah)
I’m increasingly curious about people’s social media interactions, especially in regard to TFs – maintaining them, where they go and why?
Once upon a time I used to frequent the big American and Australian TF message boards but they became a tedious chore full of elitists nobodies which made them an unenjoyable place to go, then I joined (and in some cases left) facebook groups these suffer from a lot of the same negatives as message boards. These days I am on twitter where I can get the “news” and a part of a few small group chats of fellow collectors where we can just bounce stuff off each other, I also frequent/read a few odd blogs that people post random stuff up for entertainment, and I am pretty happy about that, I guess when it comes down to it, it is just easier to have a quick scroll through a twitter feed then to navigate the depths of message boards.
Hursticon (via Twittah)
Which do you derive more enjoyment from – toy or trading card collecting and what differences between the two worlds or fandoms keep you maintaining the two?
I wouldn’t say I get more enjoyment out of one or the other, but They are two different worlds, transformers you know what you get, chunk of plastic in a cardboard box that shifts and folds, Trading Cards, I guess is it is like gambling, hit that signature or short print card or that elusive 1of1 and it bring excitement and joy, it’s the combination of all things that I enjoy, sort through some card board or transform some figures, both are forms of relaxation, but like anything you need to find a balance, you cant get everything, and you have to accept that, and never spend beyond you means…. It would be awesome to own that Michael Jordan Rookie card or that MISB G1 Fortress Maximus but also I rather like eating and doing things with my family!!
Kenan (via Faceybook)
Biggest case of buyers remorse?
Not really one to be too remorseful about purchases but there were a lot of transformers from armada I could of really done without, but if we are talking other things it would have been maybe a case of 2018 NRL elite, where all I hit where shite cards or my youngest daughters bunk bed, that was a nightmare of thing to make every day.
Thank you so much to Steve for doing this fantastic interview! If you have any other questions for him please pop them in the comments section below and I’m sure he will do his best to answer them.
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