Core memory that lead me to the robot collecting

[godaikincolector74]

Before I tell this story, I swear before the mighty all maker and all, this is truly my first core memory on Earth, my aunt bringing me a toy a bit late for my forth birthday, the original Micronault Hydro-copter, the one you could take in bathtub or pool, what a great first memory. Makes sense, big event, forth birthday and all....

It was Toy-lords auction, about five months back, I was looking at G-1s and my vintage toy collecting lead me there, and I spotted "The Guardian", (the one way to high in price, missing only Clint the cat), and I was holy-cow, I played with one of those as a kid! I can't really remember where, I didn't own. A friends I am sure, but I recall it being a good twenty plus years ago, when I placed each figure, one inside the other, with great fascination, and it really did not dawn on me then, but something told me there was something special about that toy. I can't put my finger on it, perhaps just the overall colors, cool missiles and weapon accessories, different angles on transformation, or just being a cool looking robot. Simply, just ahead of the curve....

[godaikincolector74]

Here you go, this the copter below, lol. Man I should pick one of these up on ebay, just for being first memory, I could play with in tub, lmao!!!!

www.innerspaceonline.com/hydrocopter.htm

I would be interested to hear some of your alls first toy/childhood robot memories that perhaps later lead you to collect....

[prostockjohn]

I had a similar experience when I unpacked some boxes that I had recently gotten from my mother. In one box I found these old Japanese robots... I had not thought about them since about 1984. Since then I've acquired about 20-25 more, and it's been a blast to research the different models (series 1, 2, 3 Popy vs Shogun Warriors). I've made a few mistakes which Myles I think expected, so I have already upgrade a 'bot a few times... Better Dragun, Poseidon, Maz Z...

[godaikincolector74]

That is great Prostockjon, I totally recall looking at the pictures of those old busted up bots your mom found. Is it not amazing what a new hobby an collecting world of cool people an new knowledge that many don't have, came from opening those old boxes, great story! I would like to see some of the bots you have added thus far, are they listed in gallery?

I personally am so stupid, I can't figure out how to make my pictures smaller, so as I can upload them here on this site yet, lol....

[KingboyD]

I love hearing about how people got started in this hobby by rediscovering these toys after many years. I briefly talked about my start here: robot-japan.com/item/kingboy-d-life-of-the-married-collector.html

But basically, I never really forgot my toys. I remembered all of the Shogun Warriors and Micronauts toys that I had as a kid (I recently pinpointed the timing based on old catalogs of when these were all released, and it seems that it was around 1978 - yeah, I'm old), mostly because I still had them in my parents' basement. Every so often during family get-togethers, I would sneak down there and check them out to refresh my memory. When I was about to move from New York down south to Florida, I made one last visit to the basement and reclaimed all of them, thereby setting my collecting habit in motion. Ahh, that fateful day!

[KingboyD]

Dec 3, 2010 16:00:33 GMT -5 godaikincolector74 said:

I personally am so stupid, I can't figure out how to make my pictures smaller, so as I can upload them here on this site yet, lol....

Instead of resizing them for attachment via the board's features, you can join photobucket or a similar service (for free), and when you upload the photos there, they are automatically resized for you. Then you just provide the links here.

[godaikincolector74]

Excellent info Kingboy, just the info I needed. Someone wise once said "Knowledge is power", unfortunately I have little of it, lol....

Great story about going down in the basement an re-living those childhood memories, and realizing the value somewhat of the items and then collecting further from then on. One of those cross-road moments perhaps....

I read your article as well, great piece man, well done. I totally feel you on buying restrictions, as my girlfriend may leave me the next time a high dollar bot like Voltes V, Cobattra, or Tet 28 shows up one day, I pray she is not home, roflmao!!!!

Oh, and my grandfather haggled every weekend of the healthy part of his life at the flea market, so I feel the genetic family theory connection....

It is a delicate balance all joking aside, with bills, wives, kids, you gotta cover that stuff first. I look at it like this, if I don't pay the cable an internet, I can't get online to find anything lol. Not easy for me on a bartenders pay, thank goodness for the occasional winter ebay sell, as the place I work is on the river, and bus flow is much greater in the warmer boating season....

[sal7]

Me also have similar stories with you guys, but unfortunately my parents house got rob 4 years ago, and so 5 boxes of my child hood toys which is lot of godaikin and my mom crystals is missing,
in 2007 i started collecting pieces by pieces, trace one by one from godaikin catalogue. at that time in indonesia godaikin is more famous that other type i.e clovers or takatokus.

if i had time machine to redraw to the past, i'll save all of them (including the bootleg hehe)
and you're very lucky myles---just read your inspiring note

robot-japan.com/item/kingboy-d-life-of-the-married-collector.html

[magengar]

Here's my quick story...

magengar.multiply.com/journal/item/1

(I don't own the Raideen jumbo, I only used the image to
beautify my blog. The same with that Great Maz jumbo in that page.
I have two of my own Great Mazinger jumbos in different conditions.)

zozo-Magengar

[godaikincolector74]

I had the exact same Mazinger Z Magengar, when I was four in 1978. It was a Christmas gift....

I liked the story as well, good stuff....

[magengar]

Thanks, Godaikincolector74 Yeah, I love reading about how folks
here got started in this hobby. And, every time I read my own story
I gotta cry, because it brings back fond memories- not just about the toy,
but also about my dad... so, it kinda goes deeper than the toy aspect.

zozo-Magengar

[godaikincolector74]

Yeah, I hate to hear your dad has past on, and I think that definitely when your childhood memories are connected to a family member and a particular toy, that is a special thing. And one could not understand the sentimental value of that, unless they walked in your shoes. I always say...."Don't presume you know what it is like to be me, unless you have walked a mile in my shoes."

I think like yourself, myself an many others, the deep rooted reasons we collect, goes way beyond cool die-cast well made toys, with cool features an weapons....

[sketcher]

Much like Myles, I never forgot my toys, just went into hibernation for a while. Unfortunately, when I was around 18, we were moving and my entire collection was stolen, along with some other family stuff we had not yet moved. I still collected stuff when I saw it, but had pretty much written my "old friends" off as gone. Fast forward to the early 90s and the introduction of the WWW and the BBS systems where I could start finding these things again. Still collecting only when they came along, but nothing like what would later happen. I don't know. Around 2002 or 2003, I really started to lament some of the pieces I had been unable to replace. I threw myself full force into the collecting again, and it has been this crazy pursuit of toys ever since. I have replaced all but a few of those "old friends", and discovered new ones along the way, as well as getting some of those I was never able to grab back in my childhood, but wanted.

[drakepasha72]

I had several Godaikins back when I was around 10 to 12 , that childhood memory things has grown into sizable collection ranging from Popy , Takatoku, Sanzen, Takemi, Clover and so on and so on. Now it's getting out of my hands I don't know what to do with them...