Click on the picture to see this Collection!! Name: Rusty Hall aka 316what Location: Beavercreek , OH

1- What is it that you collect?
A better question would be “what don’t you collect” lol. My collection consists of a little bit of everything. The two lines I’m a completist on are Marvel Legends and Lord of the Rings. But I dabble in a lot of other stuff ie. Spawn, Movie Maniacs, Anime, Mattel Batman and Batman Hush lines, various McFarlane, NECA, SOTA properties. Basically if I find it visually appealing I’ll pick it up and add it to the collection.

2- What was it that brought you to collecting? And what is that keeps you going?
As a kid there were so many toys I wanted but couldn’t get. As an adult, I have the disposable income to get them now. A co-worker (Dave) is the one my wife blames for my ‘illness’ and plastic addiction, lol. Dave had some figures on display in his cubicle and we got to talking about them and it brought back tons of childhood memories. Then he took me to the main comic/toy shop in town and the rest is history. As for what keeps me going, I’d say the new innovations and improvements the industry makes each year. They’ve made leaps and bounds in the short time I’ve been collecting and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

3- When did you start collecting?
I started collecting seriously back in 2001 when I was 33, but like most here, I have enjoyed toys my whole life.

4- Why (what you collect) example: Batman, Star Wars, Transformers, etc…?
I was a huge Marvel fan as a child and had tons of comics. The Marvel Legends figures bring back those memories for me. I was also a huge fan of JRR Tolkein growing up and knew I must have his figures in plastic form once I heard they were being made. Some of the things I collect have historical backgrounds which interest me and others are just appealing on the visual level. If it looks cool and grabs my attention, I tend to add it to the collection.

5- When did you start displaying them?
Almost immediately. At first I only had a few figures at home and most of them displayed in/around my cubicle at work. Then as the collection grew, I took them all home. Boy did I get some strange looks from the wife, lol. She didn’t realize how many I had displayed at work J . Soon after that the spare bedroom in our old apartment was covered wall to wall with toys. When we started shopping around for a house, my main requirement was for a basement. My wife said I could have the basement as my room and as you can see by the pictures, that’s exactly what it has become.

6- How do you get your inspiration to organize and display your collection?
I’ve seen numerous displayed collections and have tried to incorporate what I liked into how I display my collection. The majority of my collection is loose and displayed by genre, theme, and manufacturer. Some figures I’ve bought duplicates of and have them displayed on my walls using pushpins to hang the J-hooks on. I like things symmetrical so I’ve try to balance everything when displaying it..

7- Do you have a favorite character(s) you collect?
That’s a tough question. I’ll have to give it some thought and get back to you.

8- Which item in your collection would you say is your absolute favorite and why?
See the answer to #7 above J.

9- Which item was the most difficult to obtain? And which one is your prized possession?
This is a tough question. The LOTR single carded Helm’s Deep Gimli probably took the longest for me to obtain just because I’m cheap. Right now I don’t really have a prized possession other than my better half. BUT, if/when NECA releases the Balrog, it will become the jewel of my collection.

10- What is the oldest item you own? and the one with the most value?
The oldest is probably the Series 1 Spawn figure I have. The one with the most consistent value is probably the Spawn exclusive Urizen which consistently runs $100 or so on Ebay. I have others that have run more, but it’s the most consistent.

11- What inspires you to purchase an item to add to your collection?
First and foremost, it has to catch my eye if it’s not a Marvel Legend or LOTR figure by Toybiz. The completist bug bit me on those two lines. Other than that, it might be a sculpt or gimmicks.

12- 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 have bought or had people make a few customs for me. The main one would have to be the Marvel Legends custom Sentinel. I have tons of ideas in my head for making my own customs, but finding the time has been my drawback as of late.

13- What do you think of the custom Craze?
Customs are a great avenue to personalize your figures. They are also a way to add obscure characters to your collection that may not otherwise get made.

14- Where do you make most of your purchases from? eBay seems to be a favorite with collectors these days, are you an ebayholic?
E-bay, online stores, my local comic shop, Wal-Mart, TRU, etc. Basically anywhere I can find them and at a reasonable price. I’m a patient collector so I often times wait until the Ebay prices drop on things before I buy them there.

15- Is your collection insured?
I have my collection covered under my household contents with full replacement cost insurance. So if something cost me $5 originally and the price is now $100, my insurance pays the $100 to replace it.

16- What is missing from your collection that you hope to one day acquire?
A lot of what was shown at this year’s Toy Fair, lol.

17- What is the usual reaction when people see your collection?
It all depends on who sees it. My wife’s friend visited us for a few weeks a couple years ago and refused to sleep in the spare bedroom/toy room. Most reactions are of the “awesome” and “cool” variety. However, one lady at work saw pictures of my collection and said “you have a lot of dolls,” lol.

18- Do you attend conventions for some of your purchases? could you tell us about that?
My wife and I attended Wizard World-Chicago in 2003. That was the first, and so far only, convention we’ve attended. The experience was fantastic, especially if you’re into ‘people watching.’ You see such a wide range of people at conventions. And as a collector, it makes you feel like a kid in a candy store who just turned in a bunch of bottles for the refund money. One thing I can highly recommend: wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a backpack.

19- Most collectors today go on what they call a toy run, do you participate in that as well? And what are your favorite spots? Do you have a routine?
I have a Wal-Mart on the way to work that opens at 7am, so I usually stop in 3-5 times a week before work. On Fridays I always hit Suncoast in my local mall. At other times during the week I’ll hit the other usually suspects. Once or twice a month, my wife and I will hit the neighboring cities and venture through their malls.

20- How do you decide what to take out of the package and what stays sealed?
Everything gets opened. If it’s something I really like, I’ll buy a duplicate to hang on the wall. So I’m basically backwards from most collectors, lol. If it’s something I’m buying to trade later, it will stay in the package of course.

21- 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?
The longer I collect, the more specific I think my collection will become. My tastes change fairly often but I don’t think I’ll outgrow collecting or grow tired of it. And thankfully, I have a wonderful wife who understands my plastic addiction, lol.

22- What advice would you give someone who just started a collection?
Buy it because you like it. Don’t buy things just because other people think it’s cool or you are looking to make a profit down the road. But most importantly, have fun. Having patience wouldn’t hurt either in this hobby.