Richard D. is a teacher from Philadelphia who has a passion for pop culture, especially super heroes and Star Wars. He’s a fan of 80’s movies and TV shows, and collects cool items that relate to them.
How did your collection start? What was the first item in your collection?
I have always loved collecting. As long as I can remember my brother and I loved pop culture. We grew up watching He-Man, Thundercats, The Real Ghostbusters, and of course Star Wars and Indy. I had boxes of comics and binders full of super hero cards. I also loved my actions figures! I couldn’t say what my first item was way back when, but I can tell you it was a first series Super Powers Batman that got my latest collection going.
How many items are in your collection?
I would estimate upwards of 5 to 600 items including my comics and card sets.
Do you have a favorite item in your collection?
This is an easy one, my few surviving toys that were mine as a kid. Having moved a lot when I was young, many toys were lost. I only have three and they are: original He-Man, Super Powers Superman, and the bad guy from Rock Lords (forgot his name). Knowing I put each and every scuff on those guys makes them priceless to me.
How do you store/display your collection?
I am happy to say that I have my very own man cave where I can display my collection in all it’s nerdy splendor. I put up a few shelves and bought a storage unit with shelves. I love the Super Powers artwork on the cards which is why I chose to collect them mint on card. I purchased cases for them to ensure they remain in the best possible condition.
Is there a “holy grail” item that you would love to add to your collection?
Being a big fan of the Super Powers line my holy grail would have to be a 3rd series minty fresh Batman. A 3rd series Superman would be a close second.
Do you collect other things?
Yes. I absolutely love Star Wars and have been collecting it off and on since the late 80s. I sold off a large collection of carded Star Wars figures from the 90s to get together funds to start a vintage collection. This will be my next collecting endeavor. I also enjoy playing video games and have collected a few statues of some of my favorite characters.
Do you have a favorite collecting story or experience?
This is an easy one. When I was about 10 or 11 my brother and I were huge into collecting super hero cards. We had Marvel Masterpiece sets as well as X-Men. Chasing the “special cards” was awesome and is where my favorite collecting story comes from. Anyway, we were working on a complete X-Men series and neither one of us could get our hands on the coveted Wolverine Hologram card. One night I had a few dollars jingling around in my pocket and decided to buy one pack from the store around the corner. I opened the pack right then and there and uncovered none other than Wolverine himself shimmering right there in front of me. The store owner and my brother immediately started offering me trades for him but I wasn’t budging. That experience stuck with me and I still have the card to this day.
Do you have any advice for new collectors who are just starting a collection?
For me personally, collecting is all about nostalgia, trying to recapture those magical moments of childhood. Many of which are tied to toys or shows that became huge parts of our lives even to this day. My advice would be to collect something meaningful to you. Not something that will be a passing fad. And of course stay within your financial limits.
A great spot for aspiring Super Powers collectors that I want to mention is www.kennersuperpowers.com. It has tons of information on the line and a great discussion board where like-minded collectors can share info. It is a big help to me in my collecting of this line.
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A huge thanks to Richard for sharing his awesome collection with us.
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Ooh, another Philly collector. Please email me his address and what time he goes to work and leaves the house unprotected.
Ha! The whereabouts of his Batcave are a closely held secret. 😉
Super Powers is my all time favorite action figure line. Very cool.
Great interview! And wow what great inspiration. I’m in the process of redecoration my office/man-cave with a ton of framed stuff and I’ve been trying to figure out a classy way to integrate some wall shelves to hold toys, and this looks like a great idea.
Hey all,
I’m really excited to have my collection shown on such a cool site! Thanks for the kind comments Tommy. And thanks to Brian for his hard work on such a cool site and letting me share my collection here!
Another collector showing the difference between accumulating and collecting. Those toys look gorgeous. Well protected, and well displayed. Good job sir.
That’s what I’m talking about. I could look at this display all day. Really makes me want to work on the Super Powers portion of my collection. Great display.