First of all, I personally think it is the best line of Transformers. A lot of others would disagree, and perhaps my opinion is colored by the fact that it was one of the first shows I watched together with my son, and one I still enjoy with my wife (who has a complete collection of these figs).

Some of the figures are more difficult to find complete. You can expect to have to pay more for these, but carefully timed bidding can ease that a bit. For them, I would recommend watching the last five minutes of the auction in order to avoid having your bid that has remained untouched for days be "sniped." Usually it is any figure for a character that was on the show -- the primary figures this happens with are Optimus Primal (Ape version), Scorponok and Transmetal 2 (Dragon) Megatron. The first two are more difficult because their missiles are easily lost. A complete version of these will fetch about twice what one without missiles will bring. Dragon Megs, I think, is popular because he frequently gets broken wings (and is one of the coolest molds overall).

There are some figures that have structural problems or commonly lost (but difficult to notice, so be careful) parts. I intend to review each figure individually in the reviews section, but want to cover a few of the more common ones here.

The most notorious one is Transmetal 1 Megatron. The design has a fault in the robot arms, and they break off VERY easily. The original figures also have small parts that are VERY slightly different from left and right that are easy to miss unless you look closely. Make sure your items have the proper feet and hands. As the molds get newer, this distinction disappears in almost all cases. Many figures also have other small parts that are easily lost.

As the Beast Wars moved into Transmetal form, they began to have chrome paint highlights. This looks very cool, but the paint is easily scuffed. If an auction's description doesn't mention the condition of the paint, you might want to ask the seller before you bid. A few of the figures have paint that, with age, starts chipping. The most notorious are Transmetal 1 Rattrap, Transmetal 2 Scourge and Beast Machines Ultra Electronic Jetstorm. Again, ask your seller if you have any questions.

I hope this mini-guide helps! In the coming days I will be posting individual reviews of each Beast Wars and Beast Machines toy with detailed descriptions of small parts. If you have any Beast Wars/Beast Machines questions that I haven't covered here, feel free to contact eBay seller PaperDragons and I will happily answer them.