Display Evolution

Or de-evolution? I used to live at home and so my room was decorated from top to bottom with Transformers. Oh the joys of disposable income and no significant rental responsibilities. When I moved out I could - like most - only afford to rent modest accommodation where TFs were not the priority, and my displays reflected that. I'd sold loads too by that stage. The picture above is of my very old G1 loose collection from around 2000. I'm going to recall the progress/decline of my collection display over the last few years.

First display 2009

Display June 2011

Between early 2009 when I moved out and March 2011, I was no longer actively collecting Transformers but I finally had the chance to buy a Detolf display cabinet from IKEA. I could finally put a few choice reissue exclusives, Movie figures, TF Animated, Masterpiece and later Joustra Diaclones and G1 figures on permanent display. In a studio flat of one main room, the Detolf acted as quite the eye-catcher with all the white walls and furniture, especially when you consider the bright and colourful nature of Joustra Diaclone packaging and the reissue exclusives.

September 2011

September 2011 with added Battle Convoy and MLP

In March 2011 I started collecting again (the details can be found HERE), picking up where I left off with vintage variants and Diaclone of all varieties. Adding new Joustra and other Diaclones, Ceji variants etc meant the display moved away from modern figures from shows/films I enjoyed to a more vintage display, more packaging and less loose figures. 

December 2012

2012 and another small one bedroom flat this time with no shielding from windows, so enter the home-made black denim Detolf cover courtesy of my aunt. My wife had already agreed to let me have a second Detolf, but uneven floors and limited space meant that it just wasn't a possibility. You can see my display had nearly completely moved away from loose figures, the only ones you can see in that display were missing styrofoam inserts so couldn't be displayed in their packaging. Lots more Joustra Diaclone, more Finnish Diaclone (including a vintage Black Tracks), virtually no G1, absolutely no Animated, Alternators, Masterpiece, Binaltech, Movie or reissues in the display now, just vintage pre-Transformers and an MB Sunstreaker "Sunswipe", that was in reality a Joustra Diaclone Countach.

February 2013

Another new year, another new apartment, this time 2 bedrooms! OK the second bedroom is my daughter's playroom and there are even MORE windows in this place but at least we finally had good floors and space for a second cabinet. I immediately dug out all the remaining Diaclone toys I had been keeping in storage for the better part of a decade and they sat together in what is probably the display arrangement I have been most proud of in all of my collecting life.

April 2014 - present day

That brings us to today. Tonight, to be precise. Much Diaclone has gone (not the Joustra or Finns), G1 variants have gone and been replaced by the Spanish KO minibots I've featured recently, Masterpiece has been embraced over the last 12 months and Transformers GT arrived and earned itself a shelf. As did vintage Macross (the reissues are currently atop the wedding cabinet). 

1/55 reissue Valkyries

Why have I not shown the top of the cabinets? Because that's where the empty Masterpiece and reissue Macross boxes are stacked up to the ceiling, very unattractive and regrettable. The denim cover barely stretches across two cabinets, so I use my Joustra Diaclone canvas to block out the daylight that trickles through the window on the left.

Soon this will be my daughter's actual bedroom, and the living room doesn't have any hiding place from the six windows that are drenched in sunlight all summer. The bedroom isn't appropriate for them, so goodness only knows what the future holds for my display. There's definitely a feeling that it had peaked around this time last year, and now the deconstruction may have to commence. Hopefully not!

Oh to have a third...

All the best

Maz