UPDATE MAY 24th 2013!
So again, my collection has grown quite a bit since the august update. I do have more toys but at the same time I feel like I have a better idea of what I want my collection to be. The thing I love the most about Transformers is the amazing variety of styles and aesthetics in each incarnation of the franchise, and I want my collection to display "a little bit of everything", each shelf representing a TF show with it's main caracters and the toys that best represent each design style. And I'm limiting myself to two bookcases, don't want and don't need a third. It'll force me to stay focused and keep only the best figures.
The whole collection. There's an empty shelf in there, I still don't know what's going to end up on it. I'm leaning toward the Transformers Go! line with the very japanese aesthetic of the combiners. Any suggestion?
Movie shelf 1: the real star on this shelf isn't Megatron or the gigantic Devastator. It's Human Alliance Barricade! He's probably my most transformed figure.
Movie shelf 2: Human Alliance and Constructicons mostly, each of them full a the intricate details that make the movie design so fascinating. Starscream is still to this date my favorite figure in all my collection.
Movie shelf 3: Again, the 3 Human Alliance figures steal the show on this shelf. Mudflap and Skidz are two great and clever toys, full of details and layers. Unfortunately they never got the credit they deserve as their characters in the movie were so annoying...
Prime shelf: this line has grown on me. The designs are not spectacular but very surprinsing transformation-wise. They go from quite blocky vehicles modes to sleek, curvy silhouettes in robot mode. Vehicon is the prime example of this, perhaps the most spectacular Deluxe toy in history.
Cybertron shelf: Blocky robots with lots of molded details. They look solid, they feel sturdy, with lots of paint apps... playing with them make you realise how plastic, paint and joint quality has gone downhill in the last few years.
Beast wars shelf: The toys aren't great, especially the robot mode, but in beast mode they're full of personnality, like their cartoon couterparts.
Animated shelf: My favorite cartoon by far, but not my favorite aesthetic at all. The toys are ok, good robot mode but boring alternates and boring transformations. I'm just not a fan of flat, monocolored surfaces. But they deserve their shelf nonetheless due to their unique aesthetic and the awesomeness of the show.
Alternators Shelf: When people come to my place and see my collection, they often ask "ohh pleeeease, can you transform one right now? I wanna see!". When they do, I alway pick an Alternator (Jazz most of the time), and you should see how impressed they are to see a detailed and realistic model car turn into a robot!
Random G1-style figures: Honestly, I don't know where I'm going with that shelf. It'll probably end up being a "season 3 and after" shelf, with Hexatron and Feral Rex. But I'm annoyed that the designs do not seem to mesh well together.
Season 1 Autobots Shelf: Looking good but it's missing a good Prowl and a good Trailbreaker. And I need to acquire some painting skills to customize Jetfire. Looking at this picture, I think maybe Mirage doesn't quite fit in there...
Season 1 decepticons shelf: Bloody damn expensive to assemble but they look GLORIOUS together!
RID shelf: this toyline was all over the place with combiners, transmetals, old figures repaints, and the movie-style precursors, the Autobot Brothers. But suprisingly, they work so well together, probably because the cartoon was so faithful to the toys designs. I love how Scourge is posed, so menacing!
Rescue Bots: Can't wait to have kids and create scenarios with them with these fun, simple and creative toys!
Hearts of Steel shelf: You have to give credit to MMC, who has the guts to enter the industry with three molds based on an obscure comic universe instead of going the easy way with G1 characters. But all three mold are spectacular, fun, and more sturdy than they look. The steampunk aesthetic works so well, it's a shame we probably won't see more toys in that line.