“Cram and jam.” That’s how I describe my collecting habits, and how it relates to my display cabinets. I coined this phrase after being scolded on various Facebook groups about the "mish-moshy" shelves and “cluttered” display cases. I collect, unbox, and place on any given shelf. There’s no order, no logic. Well, logic being wherever I have room, that’s where the figure goes.
I’ve got comic book figures next to horror figures, Lord of the Rings figures next to Breaking Bad figures, 18” figures next to 7” figures. I put a figure wherever I have the space at the moment. Sure, I plan to go back and create visually-appealing set-ups, maybe even pose a few. But for now, I’ve got collecting to do! I’ve never called myself a poser, or ACBAer. I’m actually a hoarder. For me, so much of collecting is about the collecting itself.
But I have promised myself that I would spend more time enjoying my actual collection. After all, I’ve got over 2,000 figures. Surely I can explore my existing collection without having to constantly check my eBay Watch List. I’ve got figures I might have literally touched for only two minutes before placing them in the cabinet. They deserve my love and attention. Maybe I can at least rotate some shelves? As in, take figures from this shelf and put them on that shelf, and vice versa. Yeah, that I can do.
Two cabinets that I stare at daily are at my desk, up above, on the right and left sides. Being a part of the desk, they were probably meant for files, having come with frosted glass “doors.” I put an end to that by having my glassworks-proficient brother-in-law replace the frosted glass with regular, clear glass. Boom! Instant desktop display shelving. Screw the files. That’s what filing cabinets are for! Maybe I should swap those two. I've got Mezco’s Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees on one shelf, and NECA’s Michael Myers on the other. Maybe I can start there, kind of joining up the horror theme, at my desk anyway.
It was never my intention to have figures all over my apartment. From the beginning, my goal was to have them in display cabinets, and NOT IN THE BEDROOM! Well, so much for that. I’ve got three cabinets in my bedroom. I know, not exactly a romance-maker. But I justify it by saying, “I got laid a lot in my teens and twenties. So who cares?” If my girlfriend cares she hasn’t let on. Besides, it’s my apartment! She has her own place to decorate as she pleases!
I’ve also got a lot of 3 ¾” figures on the wall. As in, tacked-up, near my desk. I don’t usually collect 3 ¾” figures, but when I do, I often leave them in the package, and find a place near my desk to hang them. Just today, I got DC Comics Multiverse’s Batman Arkham Origins. I just had to get him in that scale. I have him in 18” scale (NECA), and 7” scale (DC Collectibles), so the tiny version was a must-have! But what’s on my radar right now are the two Hulk Hogan figures, and two Flash figures, standing near my computer monitor. I’m sure there’s an empty spot near my Full Moon Toys’ Puppet Master set.
Sal Rodriguez pounds the pavement in Los Angeles as an actor, comedian, writer, and newspaper editor. He began collecting figures upon discovering UFC and WWE figures by Jakks Pacific. He lives with his two cats - Fluff Daddy and Little Mister, and over 2,000 action figures. Subscribe to his YouTube channel.