Click on the picture to see this Collection!! Name: Ben "B-kun" Nunez Location: Chicago, IL

1) What do you Collect?
Anything that I find looks interesting, cute, wacky, well-crafted, sexy, or perhaps odd. This runs the gamut from robots to 12-inch figures, statues to stuffed toys. Essentially, anything I think is cool is considered fair game.

2) When and How did you start Collecting and what keeps you going?
While I don't have any toys from that particular time in my life, I started collecting Robotech toys in the mid-80's, when the show was first on the air. That was the first time I picked up toys and chose to display them; they were just so cool looking and well-designed, and I started developing an appreciation for that. I eventually lost those Robotech toys to flood damage, but there was the spark there to start enjoying toys for their design.

3) Why do you Collect what you Collect?
Usually there's something about the toys I pick up that have some kind of resonance to me, be it nice design, quirkiness, or evoking some fond memory. Also, I'm an illustrator, and I'm constantly looking around me for inspiration, for something that gets the creativity flowing, and toys are one of the things that does that for me.

4) When did you begin to display your Collection?
I started displaying my Robotech toys as a kid in the 80's, lost them, then got back into collecting and displaying toys again right around the time I started college.

5) How do you get your inspiration to organize and display your Collection?
I don't really go about organizing my collection with any overall theme in mind, I just try to keep everything as tidy as I can.

6) Do you “Collect ‘em all”, or just the ones you like?
Just the ones I like, most definitely. I couldn't afford to be a completist, I'd much rather concentrate my spending on the things I find most interesting.

7) Do you have a favorite character that you Collect?
Not really a specific character, though I do like robots and sci-fi related stuff a lot. Oh, I do like the Build-A-Figure Sentinel that came with Marvel Legends series 10, so much so that I've currently got 4 of them. I guess that might qualify.

8) Which item in your Collection would you say is your absolute favorite and why?
That's a tough one. If I had to narrow it down to one toy, I think it would have to be this huge Korean Gundam robot in samurai armor that I picked up off eBay not too long ago. For something that's essentially a bootleg, it's surprisingly well-crafted and sturdy, and has just about everything I could want in a toy short of being made out of diecast metal. The Gundam has really good articulation, clicky joints, tons of insane accessories, and it even has a gun that makes cheesy electronic laser sounds. The thing's awesome.

9) How much do you spend a month on your Collection?
It varies depending on what's coming out at any given moment. One month I might spend a few bucks on an action figure, and the next I'd shell out a couple hundred for some 12-inch Medicom figures and maybe a robot or two.

10) Which item was the most difficult to obtain?
I can't think of any toy in particular that was hard for me to get a hold of. I suppose this one human-scaled beam rifle from V-Gundam that I managed to stumble upon on eBay. I'd been looking for one for a couple of years but they seemed to be pretty scarce, so I consider myself pretty lucky to have found it, and I got a decent deal on it to boot.

11) What is the oldest item you own and the one with the most value?
I think the oldest thing I have is a magnemo Baron Karza from the old Micronauts line in the 70's. As for the one with the most value, I don't really know. Probably one of my robots or 12-inchers.

12) What is your “Holy Grail”?
That would have to be the 12-inch Rocketeer that Medicom put out years ago. It was a limited release and I never managed to get my hands on one. Luckily, Medicom is going to be putting out a new improved version of the figure later this year; I preordered one as soon as I got the opportunity. I'm really looking forward to it.

13) What inspires you to purchase an item to add to your Collection?
Beyond thinking something looks cool, before I purchase something I take into consideration rarity, value, and whether or not I actually have the space to put it on display. Mostly though, coolness is a big factor.

14) Customizing figures and statues has become very big, have you ever purchased a custom figure or statue and have you ever tried making one?
I haven't bought any customized figures, but I have dabbled a little with panel-lining and coloring figures to accentuate their design, nothing overly involved.

15) Where do you make most of your purchases from?
Without a doubt, eBay is the primary source for toys these days. I think I can honestly say my collection would be practically non-existent if eBay wasn't around.

16) How does your partner (wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend) feel about your collection?
She's supportive and cool with it, and has a decent collection of her own.

17) Do you ever get hassled about being a toy collector?
Not really. It's generally been viewed as a decent hobby.

18) What will happen to your collection after you've passed away?
I haven't really thought about it. I'd probably have it given away to friends and family.

19) Is your collection insured?
No, though I've seriously considered it as my collection has gotten larger.

20) What is missing from your collection that you hope to one day acquire?
The aforementioned Medicom Rocketeer. Other than that piece, there's nothing I'm really actively searching out.

21) What toy did you have as a kid that you most wish you had kept or, at least, kept in good condition for your collection?
Probably the Robotech toys that I lost to Mother Nature. Those were some nice toys.

22) If you needed to raise cash quick, would you consider selling (some of) your collection? If so, what would you NEVER sell? 
If I were in seriously dire straits I might think about selling toys, but I'd have to be really hurting. But if it got that bad, I don't think there's any toy I wouldn't be willing to let go of if I were genuinely that desperate.

23) What is the usual reaction when people see your collection?
Usually it's "Wow, cool!" or "Neat! I remember having that toy..." and the occasional "Hey, I didn't even know they made one of those..."

24) Do you attend conventions for some of your purchases? could you tell us about that?
I go to the San Diego Comic Con every year, that's just the best all-around convention in terms of entertainment and toys, without a doubt. I realize it's pretty cliche to say "If there's only one convention a year you could go to..." but really, SDCC is the place to be.

25) Most collectors today go on what they call a toy run, do you participate in that as well? And what are your favorite spots? Tell us about your routine.
When I first started collecting I used to go on toy runs; it was really easy because at the time I'd been living right across from a 24-hour K-Mart and Wal-Mart, and Toys R Us was just down the street. Nowadays, I do most of my toy shopping online, more out of necessity than anything else since a lot of the stuff I'm into is only available from overseas.

26) How do you decide what to take out of the package and what stays sealed?
The only reason I'd keep something sealed is because I like the packaging (though in that case I may buy a second one to open up) or because I don't have any room to display it at that particular moment. Most times I'll take stuff out of the package and put it on display.

27) At what stage do you think your collection will be at 10 years from now, do you think you would have grown tired of it?
It's hard to say what state my collection will be in 10 years; if I'm still collecting at the rate I have been the last couple years, I imagine it could be pretty substantial. As for growing tired of my collection, I don't think so. How could I grow tired of inspiration?

28) What advice would you give someone who just started a collection?
Buy what you like, try to avoid speculating on toy values expecting them to be worth a lot of money down the line, more often than not you're left with a bunch of toys you don't really want. There's so much cool stuff out there, you just can't collect it all (though I suppose you could try if you had the money). Occasionally I'll find myself wondering whether or not I should pick up a toy and the test I use is to ask myself, if I didn't get it now, might I regret it later? Determining that is usually a good gauge for me, and it's worked pretty well.