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I've thought about this from time to time in an effort to try and develop a measuring stick for what to keep, what to pitch, what to sell, and what to just not buy to begin with.

For myself, I've found two criteria overshadowing most of the others:

A reasonably articulated robot mode
and
A realistic alternate mode.

The best examples of these are the Binaltechs/Alternators, obviously. But I also include most of the earlier Beast Wars and Beast Wars Neo molds, too, since they turn into real animals (as opposed to robotic).

Of course, I have a couple of soft spots... I've come to like the "Cybertronian modes" of some of the classic characters released recently (Energon Shockblast, GF Starscream, SL Galvatron, GF Soundwave, etc), and of course all of the WSTF/Minicons/Spychangers/Micromasters are automatically precious.

This is explains why I don't like what I don't like... most G1 toys were bricks prior to 1986, and ugly bricks afterwards. Armada/Energon/Cybertron all have plenty of nonsensical piles of ugly plastic for alternate modes, and most Armada robots have almost no movement to them (this has admittedly gotten better with Energon/Cybertron, though).

Most surprisingly, nostalgia for older toys has almost no input into what I find appealing nowadays, nor does character attribution.

Well, what of the rest of you?

Aesthetics, the characters, and nostalgia. The bottom line is always what I like and that tends to be very difficult to define.

Engineering, in which symmetry plays a surprisingly large role—I don't like many later toys, especially beast stuff, because of this.

A robot mode that displays the alt-mode subtly. A fair measure of detail (don't really have any time for the combiner teams.)

Non-futuristic alt-modes. A colour palette that doesn't scream "cheap plastic".

A bit of poseability is nice, but if I want to play with toys, I'll go and get some more Actionmasters...

Originally posted by Sir Auros
Aesthetics, the characters, and nostalgia. The bottom line is always what I like and that tends to be very difficult to define.

That basically sums it up. I generally like something I can pick up and TF in my hand while on the PC or something, so that'd be something without many removeable components and fairly simple, and yet I love Jetfire... Articulation is good, but then I love Spychangers... Sturdiness is much appreciated [while I'm far from clumsy, I prefer a toy I don't have to use tweezers on], yet I love the 'Diaclone' cars. I tend to find something extra about a toy that has a good character attached, yet lots that I really like weren't ever in official media... So yeh, what Luke said more or less.

Though not being too huge is generally appreciated. Seeing as very few TFs were at any sort of scale to each other, I just find most figures much taller than, say, Laser Rod Op, to be a bit cumbersome.

I generally tend to clear out anything I don't really play with out every now and then, either via ebay or trades, unless there's some reason not to.

I only buy what Ì personnally think will look good on Display.

Therefore, it can't look like a chuck of plastic meccano with loose screws like my brother's Energon figure "Slugslinger" Okay cool lookingat first glance, but shaky, unsure if you're done transforming it and hard to pose...

Unlike the ones I buy, easy to transform, mostly, you know you're done because it looks right and it's not shaky and stuff, and it stand and it's posable. Cheers on the new Cybertron series, I haven't been dissappointed with one of them yet....I fear the new Thundercracker will make me regret it if I get it...dum dum DUM!!!

Nostagia, Engineering & Design, and simply being a completist. I bought many Armada and Energon because I'd like a whole line of them to keep around and maybe display together sometimes. One or two figures from Armada don't tell the story of the line quite as well as having whole lot of them. Even if the design is crap it's still part of TF history and I love them all the same.

As for Cybertron and Alternators it's because they are such a well designed toys that getting them is a no brainer. I collect some old toys from G1, Masterforce, BW, and Victory for their nostagic value. I tend to buy all Decepticon unless my brother choose not to buy certain Autobots then I'd buy them instead to add to my collection.