When did you personally start collecting?
I have been collecting things my whole life. Pez, Action Figures, CD's and DVD's were big ones when I was a teenager. My Funko addiction started in early 2014 and has gone through massive changes since then. I say Funko and not Pop! because I collected EVERYTHING the company made at the time.
What did you collect then and what do you collect now?
I collect nostalgia mostly, but I do fall into the trap of "new and exciting" shows and movies I like. My main focus has always been music related (Less Than Jake and other Ska related merchandise). Yeah I did just take you back to the 90's haha. That is what really sparked my Pez addiction.
Top 4 things I collect now - Mega Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars and Ren & Stimpy. I also buy Bucky O'Hare, Earthworm Jim, The Tick, Space Ghost, Nightmare Before Christmas, Darkwing Duck, World of Warcraft, Labyrinth, and Lord of the Rings stuff from time to time. Honestly, anything done by Kevin Smith or Conan O'Brien I tend to enjoy and collect as well.
Currently I think we have like 30 keys from the Locke and Key comics along with some signed books at home. I am more addicted to traveling these days but I still sit in my office surrounded by movie posters and toys. You know, like a normal adult.
How would you describe Display Geek and what was the inspiration for creating it?
Display Geek was created out of my love for collectibles and the community. I am a collector myself so I know that SPACE & STORAGE becomes the biggest problem. When I ran out of space for my own collection I decided to "make a thing" (As Chris Hardwick taught me).
I came up with a perfect name and got more and more addicted to the toy community and the business world. I got tired of working for different bosses for 20 years, that was my REAL inspiration. I always looked at my bosses and asked myself "How did they get this far?" As a C+ average student with bad SAT scores myself (humble brag lol) who works harder than most people around me, I can figure this out. Why not me?
6 years later, here we are. If I can create a business with zero dollars in my pocket out of thin air, anyone can.
What’s your top seller?
The CLASSIC display was always the best seller until about 2-3 years ago when everyone became an IN BOX collector. They quickly moved to our INBOX displays which have evolved into our SOLO displays. The SOLO displays work for almost anything and are the most versatile option on the market. You essentially create your own display and it works for In Box Pops, Out of Box Pops, Soda, Dorbz, and so much more.
We are also the only company that offers FREE SHIPPING site wide for the lower 48 United States.
Tell me about the displays.
Our displays are made from a super thick corrugated cardboard. (GASP from the audience) They are strong, come in black or white, look great and are meant to be the affordable option when purchased in bulk for massive collections. They are super easy to build (1 minute build time), wall mountable and stackable. They fit .50mm Soft Protectors inside 4 across per row. (Pop Stacks & Armor can go on top.) The current displays works best with Display Geek Protectors. (Shameless self promotion)
Take me through some of your other items like inserts and auctions/claims.
1) Pop Protectors - We currently carry 80+ sizes of pop protectors and almost all of them are .50mm thick. I have created a guide to assist with the enormous amount of questions we receive. I will do my best to keep it up to date. We are one of the first companies to create pop protectors and used to sell out of Dorbz protectors in 2016 (Remember those? I love them).
2) Inserts - These were something I started for fun during the Out of Box collector boom in the beginning. They used to sell incredibly well. We are evolving that project and planning something for popular displays we do not sell ourselves.
3) Collectibles - We sometimes buy and sell collections on our site or sell consignment pieces from local friends in the community. We always sell below market value, but it can be quite difficult to keep up with the pricing changes these days, so be sure to catch us slipping and get an even greater deal lol.
4) Auctions/Claim Sales - For a while we would auction off stuff on Instagram and it was fun. We moved it to Twitch for a more personal touch and better functionality. twitch.tv/displaygeek to follow and subscribe.
5) Photography - I have been a photographer for many years and decided to put some of my toy photography up for sale. We partnered with Urban Rox Starr who is an incredibly talented guy that builds his own sets. We have also partnered with a local company that sells Aluminum Prints that look incredible.
6) Independent Artists - As someone who went to art school, I love getting to know other artists and finding a way to support them. They are my people! This should grow more over time. It is still in the infant stages.
7) Pins, Stickers & Merch - I love making shirt designs and I hope to make more in the future. I have a little too much fun with it sometimes. I haven't made too many yet, but I am sure to come back to this in the future FOR SURE. To answer the question you didn't ask, yes a baby DOES need a Display Geek outfit.
8) Store Front - Covid, my landlord and my own automation killed the store but we plan to start attending more events and making more appearances as things go back to normal. I will see all of your beautiful faces very soon!
Anything else you’d like to share?
For those of you that know me personally, you know I won't stop talking if given a topic I like. So maybe we should just end this with a quick look into the future.
Display Geek will be coming out with new products whenever possible. We will have more protectors and partnerships in the future. I will continue to offer the best possible solutions at the most affordable prices. So many exciting things are coming and I can't wait to tell you about it.
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU ALL for your support throughout the years!
- Sean, President & Founder of Display Geek, Inc.
