So, as I’m sure anyone reading this knows my name is TJ and I’ve been running this site, doing photography, reviews etc. etc. for a bit now but I’d like take some time here to share a bit of what got me started (and kept me) with Transformers collecting.
So, I’d grown up with a variety of robot toys as a kid. Transformers, Diaclone, Super Robots, Power Rangers DX stuff… just tons. I stopped really paying attention to a lot of it as a teen because life, got really into the Unicron Trilogy stuff during college even collecting it, and then really fell off until late 2010 when I randomly went to a garage sale selling them, bought a few items and then went on forums like TFW2005 and Seibertron to check the values. Needless to say, I didn’t just check those prices and leave but saw so many Transformers items that I hadn’t seen and just had to have that I was hooked.
I remember being so enthusiastic to see and talk to other collectors, actually finding other local collectors and helping each other find things, and just the general joy and excitement of getting new stuff. And not too long after I’d gotten into collecting, I remember looking on RobotKingdom and seeing this add-on set by this company called Fansproject for the “Classics” ultra magnus that converted him into the armored look more associated with cartoon and comic continuities. Not only that but it had this neat, anime-styled look and even transformed into a trailer like the old G1 toy! I remember feverishly preordering that thing in fear that it’d sell out (which it did) and being absolutely in love from the second I got it in hand.
From there I was all over everything they’d done. I literally had to have (and most of the times two or three of) everything they released. I remember reading the Fansproject and Parallax line comics and feinding for what was happening next (I still want to know the ultimate fate of City Commander; just saying.) The products looked, played, and felt great. They complimented existing Hasbro/Takara products and in the case of upgrades made them even better. The “Classics” scaled items from first parties were red hot and these were just as much so. I can very honestly say that I do not think I would even be collecting Transformers at this point if not for their products because they are the one consistent thing company I’d kept up with even during lulls in interest. Even on a personal level, the company has just plain meant a lot over the years.
My goal with this is to go over each release of Fansproject’s individually and rather than a review simply stating factoids about each release like dates and pricing as well as galleries. The overall goals with this are to pay homage to a company that’s really done a lot for me in terms of collecting and driving me to doing things like going to conventions and meeting people who are some of truly the best I’ve ever met and even giving me a reason to further my craft as a photographer and make some strides in terms of both skill and accomplishment that I’m really proud of as well as giving everyone a resource to look at and see where this company has started, went, and currently is because not everyone was collecting back then and really got a chance to see just how much they did in terms of innovation and making 3rd-party companies in general a true presence in the Transformers collecting realm. This isn’t anything asked of me or sponsored but something that I just plain want to do. In terms of the span of items covered I at very least want to get from the start through the beginning of the Function(x) line, but if it picks up I don’t mind doing every single item up through things releasing now. The biggest thing is going to be getting it established and figuring out a realistic pace to release the entries at.
This project is definitely a labor of love and one of those things that in a large part I’m doing because I’ve just plain wanted to do it for some time. I don’t know how far this will go but I do hope that you all like what you see and stick along for the ride. I think that for all of us enthusiasts whether we collect 3rd-party transformers products or not it will be a good look back on a big part of what “boomed” the Transformers niche that has become so common place now. Thanks for reading and here’s a snap below of pieces from the various Fansproject toylines. I want to get this going with the first “official” entry being the Cliffjumper upgrade kit within the week so stay tuned and of course let me know what you think in the comments.
Fansproject Family photo.
