What Was the Best Year to Start Collecting MOTUC?

[Micro-Man]

Reading about how some feel that the upcoming years may be too restrictive for a new collector to jump into MOTUC, it made me wonder: What was the best time to collect MOTUC?

I started my collection at the end of 2011/January 2012 and I feel like it was the best time to jump in. It was an innocent start; I just wanted He-Man and Skeletor...Then decided, "Lemme get the Original Eight too"...Then thought, "Well, I can't forget Evil Lyn and Trap Jaw"...Then realized, "I always wanted Faker and the Battle Armored figures"...And, well, you can guess how the rest goes, heheh!

But would it be hard for me to backtrack and catch up in 2012?

Actually, it wasn't so bad for me. Most older figures were still in the $30 range on eBay, a few strategic lots gave me some nice deals, Matty's monthly re-releases worked in my favor, I got everything this year from DOS without hassles, TRU still had most of the 2-Packs on the shelves, and a couple of fellow collectors here were very helpful with the trickier pieces. Of course, there were a couple of duds here and there (I still kick myself for spending $55 on He-Man about a month before he became part of the Essentials!) but overall, everything was readily available to me during the year. A few figures, like Teela, Orko/Prince Adam, and Wun-Dar, cost me extra but even they were less than double the Matty price when I got them. And just when I thought there'd be a couple of missing pieces in my collection, I lucked out and got Shadow Weaver for my birthday and BA Faker for Christmas. Finally, I finished off this year by ordering the last three figures that I put off until the end...Yes, I broke down and bought Mo-Larr!

So, in the next couple of weeks, I'll be caught up with my MOTUC collection and looking forward to my first subscription. I consider myself very fortunate to have such a nice collection and I enjoy looking at them on my display area. I read that the early years of MOTUC were stressful to many with fast sell-outs, ridiculous WSOD, and sick secondary market prices...So was this a good time to jump in or were there better years?

[karg182]

I first started in 2010, I bought Adora and She-Ra via eBay around that time. Since then I have managed to get everything via eBay and Mattycollector, mainly.
I've been really, really lucky with what I've managed to pick up on the secondary market in terms of price, but being the completest I am it wouldn't be possible to start a collection now. These things have just become too scarce on the market, especially in the UK.

So I would say the best year for starting to collect MOTUC was 2010.

[d*r*j*]

The best time to collect anything is the beginning... I guess you could get lucky with a collection buy or sale, but to see every toy as it is produced, to feel the excitement, stress and frustration of purchase... It was a real journey. Just find some of the YouTube videos of people crying about battle cat. Good times.

[JorReno]

I started the year He-Ro was released...

[dedset13]

The best time to collect anything is the beginning... I guess you could get lucky with a collection buy or sale, but to see every toy as it is produced, to feel the excitement, stress and frustration of purchase... It was a real journey. Just find some of the YouTube videos of people crying about battle cat. Good times.

This right here. 2008 was definitely the best time to start collecting MOTUC.

[iron_pride]

2008 for sure, but as late as 2011 Thanksgiving, you could pretty much get any of them in the BF sale, so 2008 or 2011 I would guess.

[shadowfall1976]

This right here. 2008 was definitely the best time to start collecting MOTUC.

2008 may have been the optimal time, but with the fast sell outs and not being able secure one for months....I would not have had very much fun in the very beginning at all.

I came in at the right moment in August 2011 only months from the BF/CM sale that netted me the most expensive MOTUC on Ebay for $10 - $18 each....MAA, Teela & Tri-Klops. From this time until now, has been as great time for first time collectors....it took time, I just completed my old release collection with the BF/CM 2012 sale with Marlena, Buzz Off & Catra, and before that in 2012 with re-releases BA HeMan, Sy-Klone & Evil-Lyn. All from Matty plus being there for every DOS figure I wanted since Man-E-Faces.

BBTS & Ebay secured me figures....meeting and becoming friends with 2 collectors near me netted me a Shadow Weaver just for selling their other extras of her for them....

Only other hard to find or expensive figure I would want, but won't pay the money for is Wun-Dar....I would like to own him, but I can live without.

Other than that the only figures I can live without but kind of want eventually are Griffin & Leech, I'd like Griffin more than Leech.

[chuc98]

The beginning in 2008 was the best time to jump in. I got every figure pretty easily actually.

[Brad2dbone]

What year was King Grayskull the SDCC exclusive? That was the time to start.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

2008 may have been the optimal time, but with the fast sell outs and not being able secure one for months....I would not have had very much fun in the very beginning at all.

I came in at the right moment in August 2011 only months from the BF/CM sale that netted me the most expensive MOTUC on Ebay for $10 - $18 each....MAA, Teela & Tri-Klops. From this time until now, has been as great time for first time collectors....it took time, I just completed my old release collection with the BF/CM 2012 sale with Marlena, Buzz Off & Catra, and before that in 2012 with re-releases BA HeMan, Sy-Klone & Evil-Lyn. All from Matty plus being there for every DOS figure I wanted since Man-E-Faces.

BBTS & Ebay secured me figures....meeting and becoming friends with 2 collectors near me netted me a Shadow Weaver just for selling their other extras of her for them....

Only other hard to find or expensive figure I would want, but won't pay the money for is Wun-Dar....I would like to own him, but I can live without.

Other than that the only figures I can live without but kind of want eventually are Griffin & Leech, I'd like Griffin more than Leech.

I've been at it since 2008 and I was able to get He-Man and Beastman 2 weeks after they came out. I'd say the rush didn't start until mid to late 2009 into 2010.

[Uki]

The Ground Floor: 2008, without a doubt.

[PaTrIcKfOgArTy]

The Ground Floor: 2008, without a doubt.

Ditto for me! So glad now that I started in the beginning.

[sircory-1]

I think 2008 was the best time as well.--That's also the time I got started. I remember He-Man & Beast Man being available for several weeks and no one knowing they were actually available online. I also remember buying SDCC King Grayskull for $30/each and got the bronze version relatively easily. The only figure that I had some initial problems trying to order online was Tytus, for some reason. Otherwise, I was able to get every single figure with relative ease. It's hard to believe it has been nearly 5 years since we started doing this. I got married shortly after SDCC 2008 and the King Grayskull release, so it was generally a really exciting time of my life.

[Nemisythe]

Well when you ask any He-man fan they will definitely say the beginning, as for me I got in during the NYCC '09 when they sold He-Man, Beastman and Faker as the NYCC (sadly I missed the Grayskull SDCC exclusive) but managed to catch up with Skeletor and stratos and from there on have been collecting ever since eventually to becoming a sub holder (it was always HELL to purchase day of). Throughout the years I also managed to multiply quantities as well of figures and have multiple sets for MOC and display purposes. But it would depend on what you are looking to acquire or if you are a completest like most. But if you can get what you are looking for I think anytime is good enough as long as you get it.

[The All American]

2008 was great!

[phantom1592]

2008 for sure. He-man and Beastman for christmas!!!!

Everything was shiny and new back then. We were all grateful for the amazing sculpts and were still shocked and awed by the new figures coming out.

Now days??? We're a lot more jaded. New figure XXXX is cool enough... but compared to Merman, Man-at-arms, and Trap Jaw?? Kind of blah... They weren't cutting as many paint aps, or accessories.. the prices hadn't gone up yet.. It was a glorious time.

[wundarwarrior]

I'd wanted to start from day one but was not able to due to a woman and then I felt like I wouldn't ever get caught up. Fast forward to this January and i made a friend who was a reseller. So by April I owned the entire collection and at a pretty reasonable price. At first I wanted the MOTU figures only and no variants. However, I couldn't stop and just kept buying everything I found. Bow and Icarius are some of the best figures in the line IMO and make me glad I grabbed EVERYTHING.

2012 was definitely the best year to start collecting for me. Having the most supportive wife helped make it happen of course.

[shadowfall1976]

I've been at it since 2008 and I was able to get He-Man and Beastman 2 weeks after they came out. I'd say the rush didn't start until mid to late 2009 into 2010.

I had more fun having access to as many as possible when I first started the line....I honestly hate waiting month to month, especially on months where there is nothing I want, I have to wait longer. Therefore to me 2011 was the best time to come in.

I don't like the flu eyed He-Man, so 2008 wouldn't have been my ideal time.

[JoeyCruel]

If you got a lot of money every year is perfect... if not 2008 or death by ebay sellers....
I started with Stratos in may of 2011 and now my wishlist is almost complete... I need just one Scare Glow....

[Faker78]

I wa started in 2009 with He-Man and Beast Man

[Brian Ozone]

From sdcc 2008...

[Barbecue17]

I agree that the first year would have been the time to start. I didn't start until Moss-Man was released and decided to sub for the first time in 2011. I didn't have too difficult of a time getting caught up (as I was getting out of DCUC and traded someone some DCUC figures for the arly MOTUC figures I needed.

[shadowfall1976]

I agree that the first year would have been the time to start. I didn't start until Moss-Man was released and decided to sub for the first time in 2011. I didn't have too difficult of a time getting caught up (as I was getting out of DCUC and traded someone some DCUC figures for the arly MOTUC figures I needed.

I got out of Transformers in 2001, and still for now, and who knows how long, I thinned my collection down to all I wanted to keep, and used that money to buy all the MOTUC I wanted I could find for around or less than $30 a figure except SDCC Orko & Adam MOSC....only ones I didn't that I wanted at that time was MAA, Teela, Tri-Klops, BA He-Man, and that was because I wasn't willing to pay the money they were demanding, hell I got Shadow Weaver for free for doing a friend a favor, pretty much all but a few were available either on Matty, BBTS or Ebay within reasonable prices. Come in any new collector now....no way in hell.

I even sold my Transformers for enough money that I still had money leftover to buy figures into 2012....so much for new toys not demanding a premium. My 2006 Transformers Classics alone netted me many times what I paid for them....the Ultra Magnus & Skywarp set alone sold for $200 on Ebay, I paid $20 back in Jan 2007 for it.

[wundarwarrior]

I think starting at the beginning would've been frustrating for me because I enjoyed buying a huge selection quickly instead of starting at 1 a month.

[cryanmchsi]

I got into MOTUC at the end of 2009.The first figure I got was Randor. I know but I thought he was cool.Though I would have preferred the 2003 version better. 2010 I think was the great year.We had Battlecat, Evil Lyn, Keldor just to name a few.