Holy Collector, Batman!

April 2005 - Along with many other children growing up in the 1960s, Alan Daniel fell in love with the original Batman television show, starring Adam West. The popularity of the show spawned an explosion of toys and merchandise, which Alan then began to acquire.

His favorite childhood toy was the Batman utility belt, which he received for Christmas in 1966. Unfortunately, this was the kind of toy that was so fun that it got more than its fair share of use, and didn't end up lasting long. Thirty-six years later, as a Batman memorabilia collector, Alan was able to replace the utility belt that he enjoyed so much as a child. "It was a really well-done toy, as were many of the Ideal® toys. As a collector, this was my 'Holy Grail,' and I found it on eBay in 2002. It is in great condition, and still in the box."

The belt is only one piece of Alan's collection, which includes over 250 pieces of Batman memorabilia. He focuses on products made in the 1960s, specifically 1966, which was the year the Batman television show debuted. Other pieces in his collection include tin Batmobiles, the Aladdin® lunchbox, trading cards, Halloween costumes, Captain Action™ and other action figures, Marx® bagatelles and shooting galleries, board games, buttons, flicker rings, original art, Aurora models and more. And, of course, Alan also has the comic books. Alan began collecting Batman products about 16 years ago, and now picks up about four pieces a month.

"Collecting from the 1960s is a fun frontier; there is always the possibility of a new and exciting item that you've never seen before. With the toys, there's the perpetual childish excitement of discovery � you never know what you can still find."

Currently, Alan's collection is packed in a 14' x 14' room, displayed in cabinets and cases. "It has grown so much that I could actually use twice as many cabinets and a much larger room. The collection has really taken over. I'm always a little hesitant to see guests' reactions when they see the room, and see the extent of my obsession."

One thing that has helped Alan build up his collection is having the ability to purchase hard to find collectibles on eBay. He discovered the website through a friend in 1999, and is now able to expand his collection by connecting with dealers from around the world. "I have found items from around the world that were exclusively made and sold in countries such as England, Japan, Belgium, Holland and Argentina. I can't imagine having access to those toys without the assistance of eBay."

Alan is especially fond of the Japanese Batman toys he has collected over the years. "The paper products, the metal, the plastic... they're all beautiful. They are definitely my favorites, at least from an aesthetic perspective." He laughs. "The Japanese manufacturers were rather liberal in their interpretation of characters and packaging � so the pieces are often unexpected and quite beautiful."

Alan remembers the old method of collecting, where collectors would scour toy and comics magazines for hours, and find ads for phone auctions. He is glad that he is now able to use internet sites such as eBay to find what he is looking for with the simple click of a button.

"I spend a lot less time looking for what's relevant and am able to spend more time actually building up my collection. There are now a lot more people actually putting things up for sale, and as a result, you can get a much stronger sense of what is truly rare. eBay has become the premier judge of fair market value."