The ‘complexes as metal’ strategy has been used to prepare new mixed ligand complexes containing Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) terpyridine (terpy) with dithiooxamide (dto) and thiosemicarbazide (tsc). Characterization of the complexes has been accomplished by elemental analysis, molar conductance, thermal analysis, as well as electronic and IR spectral measurements. It is deduced that the coordination mode of the terpyridine is changed from tridentate in the binary complex to bidentate in the ternary one where the uncoordinated pyridine exists in the protonated form. The dto and tsc act as neutral bidentate ligands coordinating through either sulfur or sulfur and nitrogen atoms respectively, forming chelate ring systems