AFHub Handle: Big Blue
Real Name: Gerry Sibal
Year of Birth: 1968
Location: Paco, Manila

Our featured collector for this week needs no long introduction. He is without a doubt the guy who rightfully deserves to be called “the man with the biggest Superman collection” (sorry, Ken).

I met Gerry Sibal online when he posted photos of his amazing Superman collection on one of the local toy boards. His collection includes not only action figures but also a treasure-trove of other Superman items not many of us mere mortals knew even existed. If it bears the Superman logo, chances are Gerry owns one.

During the recent ToyCon PH, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Gerry in person. And being a Superman collector myself, I never thought of myself as a pipsqueak until after I saw just a small fraction of Gerry’s collection. If ever a Superman museum gets built locally, I’m almost certain Gerry is going to be the man behind it and I’ll certainly be the first in line at the ticket booth.

Let’s talk to the man and get to know a little more about him…

1. When did you start collecting Superman toys?

I started collecting Superman toys in November 1995. It started when I chanced upon in Merriam Webster Bookstore at SM Centerpoint copies of the Reign of Supermen comic books. I got fascinated with the cover page of the 4 Superman pretenders, bought the 4 issues, got hooked with the story, hunted and bought the complete back issues even of other story arcs as far back as 1986, and the rest was history. It was only after 3 years before I bought my first action figure, which ironically is not Superman but a villain, the Omega Blast Darkseid from the Total Justice line.

2. Why Superman?

The very first movie I watched alone as a kid was Superman: The Movie in 1978. My father accompanied me up to the box office and waited for me outside until the end of the movie. It was his way of training me to mingle with the outside world. I became an instant fan after the movie but since we’re not that affluent enough to buy Superman toys, I just contented myself with Superman comics my father bought for me. I remember the comics as published by Atlas so they’re quite affordable. The enchantment died down after grade school but it was rekindled by that Merriam Webster purchase of Superman comic books in 1995.

3. Does your collection display set-up follow a theme or did you just follow your imagination?

Since I have limited space in my display cabinet, I cannot bring out all my collection for display. What I do is rotate my stuffs from a box, into the display cabinet, and then back to the box. This made me create a theme so that each display shows almost all items for that particular theme. For example, I have right now displayed all my Superman fastfood store items on one level of the cabinet, my Superman video collection on another, and all classic-costumed Superman from different toylines on another level.

4. Where do you do most of your toy shopping?

My favorite hunting place is Greenhills, since its old Virramall days. This is where I can find some old issues and even new ones at a discounted price. For some mainstream toys, I usually get them at large department stores. I also trade items with fellow collectors abroad.

5. What is your most prized possession?

Hmmm, tough question. Because I collect by theme, each item is special to me, moreso something backed up by a story before having acquired it. Stories could include the hardship, funny incidents, and even fund-raising I needed to do before I get to own a particular item. This is what makes an item a prized possession and not necessarily because it’s pricey. With that in mind, I think my most prized possession is a 16-inch Superman figure that I bought at the Superman Museum in Illinois USA. I drove for 7 hours from Chicago in the wee hours of the morning just to get there. I stayed for just 2 hours and drove back to Chicago for another 5 hours to catch my flight to LA. What’s funny with that purchase is it’s the only licensed Superman figure made in the Philippines (way back 1988, when most toys in the world were not yet made in China), so it was like bringing it back to where it originated. I’m talking about the 16-inch Superman figure by Hamilton Gifts. It’s not really that hard to find but the manner I acquired it makes it my most prized possession. I never grow tired telling anecdotes about it.

6. Which piece was the toughest to find, your Holy Grail so to speak?

If you’re talking about something I already found after a long search, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Australia exclusive Red Rooster Superman fastfood premium. Found it in eBay. But what else can’t be found in eBay?

For something I’m still longing to have, it has to be the 1939 13 1/2-inch wooden jointed Superman figure by Ideal Novelty & Toy Co. It’s perceived as the very first Superman figure made, just a year after Superman came out in comic books.

7. Do you still have an item that you desperately want and hope to some day own?

Aside from the wooden figure mentioned above, I also want but not that desperate to own the 1942 Syrocco statue. It’s also made of wood, but smaller at 5 1/2 inches. It was made by Syracuse Ornament Co. Others include the Justice League Superman from Ideal and Captain Action in Superman outfit with Krypto the Superdog. These were releases in the 60’s. In the 70’s, I’d like to own the 8-inch Superman figure by Mego.

For something more recent, I’m still missing and desperately wanting a DC Direct Bizarro, from Superman Series 2.

8. What do you think of the custom figures/toys?

Before, I collected every figures in sight, including bootlegs or knock-offs. I have nothing against customs but since I have streamlined my collection to exclude non-originals, it included the customized figures as well.

But if it’s made as a gift, I have no strength to refuse it. I have several custom diecasts personalized for me by my fellow diecast collectors.

9. Do you collect anything else besides Superman?

Before I collected Superman figures, I was already collecting fastfood toys from Disney movies, full-length animated films only. I have collected items from Burger King and McDonalds (the two Disney-licensed fastfood stores) released around the world, from the very Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs up to the recent Cars movie.

Right now, what rivals my Superman collection is my diecast collection. A lull in new Superman items at the turn of the new century pushed me to find other items to collect, which turned out to be diecast cars made by MatchBox, HotWheels, Tomica, and the like. That’s why my most favorite diecast cars are those with Superman prints or decals.

10. Is your collection insured?

No. I have thought about getting one before but after a fire incident that almost hit our house, I realized then what my priorities are as far as saving what’s inside our house – – and these are my wife and kids. Being an in-born collector, even if I lose all my collection right now, I will always go back into collecting something.

11. What’s the first thing people tell you when they see your collection?

For non-collectors, the first reaction is getting amused, on why an adult like me would have so many toys. For fellow collectors, the reaction is a mixture of admiration and appreciation.

12. How do you decide which items to open and which ones to keep mint-in-package?

My general rule is to open all packaged toys I buy. Sometimes, I just delay the opening but sooner or later, they’re going to be opened as well. However, majority of my Superman diecast collection are mint-in-pack because I like the Superman design that comes with the packaging.

13. In the next 5-10 years, do you see your collection growing or would you have grown tired of all this?

I’m a focused collector but a completist as well. I combine the two by setting up several criteria in pursuit of a line I want to complete. If there’s a hindrance to complete a line, I just add another criteria to eliminate what I can’t get. For example, I collect all 12-inch Superman figures. But lately, a lot of them came out way beyond my budget. To avoid getting frustrated with that line, I decided to exclude releases outside America to avoid the pricey ones from Japan. :-)

Right now, I’m aiming for a reduction in my collection to those only I really want. I’m starting first with my diecast collection, which I hope to trim down to just 500 pieces, from around a thousand I currently have. After I achieved this, what will happen is if I really want a potential 501st item, I need to give up one in the elite 500 to accommodate the new item. Hopefully, I can apply this to my Superman collection as well. In the next 5 to 10 years, I hope to own what I just really like to avoid getting tired of them.

14. When you meet a newbie Superman collector, what tips do you give them?

Buy first whatever they like. If the collection started to grow, they can begin to focus on a particular theme. They can use what will be discarded to trade with other items suited to the chosen theme. I also suggest to be well-informed about what they collect, especially on the chosen theme. Knowing what you miss and what you can expect from new releases will help sustain the interest to continue the collecting. Collecting is not purely collecting but involves planning as well, especially on the financial side. For a collection to thrive, items must be added. At the very least, one should have at least one purchase per month. Lastly, network with other collectors by joining forums like AFhub. Your collection will grow by leaps and bounds if there will be people around you who can give you help getting your items.

Gerry was nice enough to share some photos of himself and some of his Superman collection…

Gerry with Superman Museum owner Jim Hambrick.

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