Reis O'Brien has been an avid action figure collector for over 30 years.
Experience:
Reis has been collecting action figures since he received very first Darth Vader action figure back in 1978. Over the years, his interest in action figures went from "play" to "display" and he has even delved into the depths of action figure customizing, making one-of-a-kind figures out of various parts from other figures. For several years, Reis learned the intricacies of the collectible market by finding rare action figures at thrift stores and flea markets and then, after a good cleaning and matching up with missing accessories, reselling the figures at toy shows and conventions.
From Reis O'Brien:
I've always loved action figures. There was something about hunkering down on the carpet as a kid, acting out epic adventures with those little plastic heroes, that always satisfied my bursting imagination like nothing else. In later years, when it became unseemly for a grown man to be seen playing with action figures, my interest in them continued through the appreciation of their detailed sculpts, intricate paint jobs and brilliant articulation.
My current favorite personal collection has to be my vast display of Batman figures through the ages, starting with a 1974 Mego Batman all the way to my newest Dark Night movie edition, with a few oddities and bootlegs mixed in between.