Click on the picture to see this Collection!! Name: Ryan King (One Eye Ry) Location: Burlington, Ontario. Canada

1- What do you collect?
Comics & figures! I guess the main thing I’m collecting for comics right now is current & back issues of the “Infinite Crisis” & events in DC and “Spider-Man - The Other” for Marvel and a wide assortment of horror titles from IDW, DDP etc.

For figures I’m currently collecting mainly Darth Vader, Clone/Storm Troopers & Horror Figures. I prefer the ones that come in clamshells over the boxed sets as I like to hang them for display.

2- When and how did you start collecting and what keeps you going?
For Comics it all started with the first issue of Amazing Spider-Man my mom bought me at the grocery store when I was about 5 or 6 - it was issue #230 with Spidey against the Juggernaut. I was hooked!

I started collecting figures (at least ones I no longer play with!) about 8 years ago. What keeps me going is a complete love of Horror Movies & Comics – So whenever I see something related to the movies & comics I love (or even something that I think looks really cool), I have to buy it for display.

3- Why do you collect what you collect?
I started collecting Darth Vader & the clone troopers recently because of how much I enjoyed Episode III! It was a nice change from episode I and II. Horror Movie stuff because I always wanted Horror Movie figures as a kid, but they weren’t made available then, but they are in abundance now - So I have catching up to do!

Comics because I love the stories & artwork and enjoy watching how much comic books change and evolve every year

4- When did you begin to display your collection?
I’ve been putting together my collection room for the past few months. Before that (and still with the boxed figures until I can put up some shelves), I displayed them in different areas of my home, but I’d interchange them every once on a while. Comics – They’re in boxes.

One of my displays is a bit of a collectable actually – the very big, very orange cabinet in one of the pics was originally from “the Viper Room” in LA

5- How do you get your inspiration to organize and display your Collection?
It’s all about how much space I have!

6- Do you “Collect ‘em all”, or just the ones you like?
It depends on how big the series is. For example, I love Star Wars, but there’s just no way I could afford to buy every figure – so I just get the ones I like.

But when you look at smaller series’… for example, my Marvel Legends Sentinel series, I bought all of them (even the crappy Mystique) so I could get the whole Sentinel.

7- Do you have a favorite character that you collect?
H.R. Giger’s Aliens – Ahhhh… If only I had the ‘78 Kenner 18” Alien… or “the Holy Grail” as I call it.

Darth Vader & the Storm Troopers are both close seconds.

8- Which item in your collection would you say is your absolute favorite and why?
That’s really tough. I’ll have to give 3! I love Aliens a lot, so my Queen Alien & original ‘79 Alien repaint figure (both by Macfarlane) are my favorite looking as far as creature accuracy – but then again, the detail in the “Tortured Souls” collection was AMAZING (Talisac was a design of pure genius).

9- How much do you spend a month on your collection?
Anywhere between $20.00 and $250.00

10- Which item was the most difficult to obtain?
The three most difficult to locate(for a decent price anyway) would be My Sith eyes variant of Anakin Skywalker, my Akira Kaneda’s Bike… and Believe it or not, my Predator repaint figure by McFarlane

The most difficult to obtain so far was one of my Celebration III Darth Vader’s hands down – because it was a gift for being in a wedding party!

11- What is the oldest item you own and the one with the most value?
The oldest item I own is probably one of my very played with Star Wars figures.

I would guess that my figure with the most value is probably my Green Goblin with removable mask figure from Spider-man the movie. I know they’ve gone up quite a bit. But I don’t really keep up with figure prices once I have bought them, so I could be wrong.

And my comics… WHO KNOWS! It’s really hard to say when values keep jumping up & down… I know that there are a few in my collection that are worth about $300.00

12- What is your “Holy Grail”?
That I currently have? It would have to either be my Predator & Aliens collection, or my Tortured Souls collection.

13- What inspires you to purchase an item to add to your Collection?
If I’m broke or not! Also, I have to love whatever it’s related to or I have to love the way it’s designed and the packaging.

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?
Not yet, but I plan on it in the future.

15- Where do you make most of your purchases from?
It’s a tie between Zellers and ebay.

16- How does your partner (wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend) feel about your collection?
She’s very cool (and patient) about it. I know she likes them and thinks that they’re neat, but she seldom admits it. One thing though… she hates it when I buy stuff when we’re broke, but I’ve cut down on that.

17- Do you ever get hassled about being a toy collector?
Yes, constantly by my cousin Scott (or Dick as I call him). He thinks that my collection is a waste of money, but spending $50.00 to spend a couple of hours swinging a Golf club around on a course (when he sucks at Golf too) is a wise investment.

18- What will happen to your collection after you've passed away?
I don’t plan on dying.

19- Is your collection insured?
Not yet.

20- What is missing from your collection that you hope to one day acquire?
Definitely the 1978 18” Kenner Alien, my true Holy Grail. I would also love to have a 12-Back Darth Vader… but who wouldn’t!.

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?
Without a doubt, the 1978 18” Kenner Alien. I’m KICKING myself every day for letting that one go. My Mom bought it for me when I was 5, but I started having nightmares shortly after (not about Aliens though, and I’m almost positive I told her that), so she returned it to the store.

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 was in a bind, I would consider selling some of it, for the right price! I don’t think I would ever let go of My Aliens & Tortured Souls collections.

23- What is the usual reaction when people see your collection?
They either say “Wow”, or “You’re A Geek.”

24- Do you attend conventions for some of your purchases? could you tell us about that?
For Comics & Autographs… no figure purchases yet. I actually just got my R2D2 & General Grievous signed a little while ago.

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.
Zellers, Toys R Us & Wal-mart – all the way!

26- How do you decide what to take out of the package and what stays sealed?
I don’t take anything out of the package anymore.

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?
By then it will be massive. I won’t grow tired of it.

28- What advice would you give someone who just started a collection?
1. Don’t show it to girls you’re interested in, unless you know them well!

2. Don’t do it on a limited income!

3. Try not to smoke around your figures with clamshells