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Collector Profile: Niño Cajayon
Niño Cajayon is a name that I have learned to associate with dramatic toy photography. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, keep reading this write-up and take a look at the inline photos I’ve included. I guarantee, you’ll instantly become a fan of his work. In addition to his photography, Niño’s artwork also beckons much kudos. Some of them are also featured herein. Niño has been a long-time supporter of the AFHUB web site – he is one of our earliest members and is responsible for designing the layout of the banner we used on our booth/table during the TAGCOM convention last May. I have been looking forward to meeting him in person, but the opportunity has not yet presented itself. Perhaps soon. Anyway, let’s not stall you folks any further and get on with the good stuff – the interview… 1. Please tell us a little bit about you and your background. I’m a graphic artist. I’m also into Photography and Watercolor painting. It has been a life-long dream to be a part of a comic book creative team. But my works aren’t really that good. Maybe in a few more years.
2. Your collection is always labeled “Nino’s and Clara’s collection.” Tell us a few things about Clara. My wife, Clara, shares my passion in collecting toys. She gets to decide most of the time which items we are going to purchase. She’s the one who started the 1/6 scale figures. (DC Direct and Sideshow) and the 7†figures.
3. When did you start collecting action figures? I started collecting toys when I was still in Grade 1 (1986). I kicked off my collecting with G. I. Joes (Japanese Cards). Also collected the Mini Transformers. (Can’t remember what that line was called). Wasn’t really a fan of the bigger toys in my early years. 4. What was it that brought you to collecting? And what is it that keeps you going? It’s mainly because of how the toys relate to my favorite movies, shows, and comics. Quality of the figures come second. I have always loved this hobby. As long as I can still afford it, I don’t see myself stopping. 5. What toy lines do you collect? And why? (please give a short reason for each toy line). G.I. Joe – The articulation and accessories were the selling point of this line. I hardly knew the characters but the packaging and the figures over-all look made the product very interesting. I stopped in the early 90’s as I got tired of collecting toys. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to get the anniversary series set to come out. Maybe if they come out relatively cheap. Star Wars – I grew up wathcing the Original Trilogy over and over. But I really hated the toys. (No offense to the fans of the vintage and subsequent classic lines.) When the Prequel Trilogy toys came out, I started obsessing about this line. It has been NON-STOP ever since.
Marvel Legends – Being a Marvel Comics Fan, Clara goaded me to start collecting the line. Started with the Galactus Series. Back-tracked most of the previous lines, but stopped when Marvel moved to Hasbro.
DC Direct (KC, Justice, Etc) – Started taking notice of this line just this year. I grew up watching Super Friends, but hardly paid enough attention to the toy lines. (Mainly because of the price and minimal articulation.) Initially, I just wanted to pay tribute to my favorite contemporary artist, Alex Ross. I started with the Kingdom Come line. Ended up completing the Justice line first. Releases of the figures are pretty long, that’s why interim purchases are allowed. I am one short of the Identity Crisis Series(Still don‘t have Flash). 1/6 Scale Figures (SSC Star Wars, SSC Hellboy, DC Direct) – Started this line when Sideshow acquired the license to produce the 12†Star Wars figures. Used to worry that they would take up too much space and they were very close to being dolls. Well. Scratch that. They look better in the display. I also became interested in the other brands of the same scale (Sideshow Hellboy and DC Direct).
Diamond Select BTVS – My goal is to get at least 1 popular version of each character. Haven’t achieved this yet as this line gets overshadowed by the other lines we collect. LEGO – Used to collect Lego playsets. I stopped because I developed a distaste for it. Well, actually, my sister accidentally set my entire lego collection on fire when moved to a new house in 2000. Comic Books – I have an On/Off relationship with comic books. I get tired of recurring storylines, that’s why. 6. Which item was the most difficult to obtain? We had a hard time scouring for the Assaj Ventress from the Clone Wars line. Had no luck in eBay. Finally found it 2 years later in Greenhills for a really hefty price.
We are still looking for a fairly-priced 13†Green Lantern, KC Shazam, and KC Red Arrow. 7. Do you still have an item that you desperately want and hope to some day own? Still have lots of lines to backtrack. The most notable lines would be the Dino Riders, M.A.S.K., and Silverhawks. I’d also love to expand our collection with PF Sideshow Stats and Hottoys figs. 8. What’s the first thing people tell you when they see your collection? We usually get the “LARUAN NA NAMAN?!†(TOYS AGAIN?!) comment from non-collectors. Only several people are impressed when they see our collection. 9. Tell us what you love the most about this hobby. The Hunt – New stuff that we like usually pumps gallons of adrenaline until we get our hands on them. We scour the net and the metro to look for these stuff. The Anticipation – I sometimes get sleepless nights in between releases. Every release is something to look forward to. Victory – With the trophy being every haul. 10. Tell us what you hate the most about this hobby. Price – It’s an expensive hobby. Need I say more? Hahaha Disappointment – Happens usually when I don’t get to buy the toys I want because of the price or when the item does not really live up to the prototype figures. Temptation – We sometimes go overboard with our purchases. 11. If you had to choose only one, which item in your collection would you say is your absolute favorite and why? Right now, my heavy favorite is still the 1/6 scale Jabba the Hutt Throne Environment. Still don’t have a definite place to display it though.
12. What prompts you to purchase an item? My criteria are the following: articulation, paint-apps, sculpt, and how badly we want the item. Some of the items we purchase are not really because of the quality but because of the media hype. 13. Where do you do most of your toy purchases? Do you shop online? In my early years of collecting, I used to get my stuff in Greenhills, Divisoria, and a Hobby store near my school. Now, I usually purchase in DK, Maxi, and eBay. 14. How do you display your collection? It’s such a big mess right now. Most of our collection are in storage while the favorites are stacked up to spice up a lonely corner. The heavy favorites are displayed on top of my desk. 15. How do you decide which items to open and which ones to keep mint-in-package? We set our collection loose. Well, mostly. With the Hasbro Star Wars line, It’s a different story. We used to get two of each. Clara wants them carded but I want them loose. 16. In the next 5-10 years, do you see your collection growing or would you have grown tired of all this? We’d still be buying then, but probably not as much. Other stuff will have to take priority. Maybe. Check out some of Niño’s stuff…
More amazing photos of Niño’s collection here: While you’re at it, do check out Niño’s fantastic artwork here:
3 Comments »Leave a Reply
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OMG Nino! I thought the “Storm Troopers” pic was a screen cap from a movie! they’re actual pics of toys? nice!
Congrats Nino! Your (and Clara’s) collection are amazing! I didn’t know you were a graphic artist and photographer as well.
Hope we get to see more of your work.
Congrats again!
Awesome photos of some neat stuff Nino!