'Buy it Because You Love it': Bigboy Cheng Shares Tips on Collecting Toys, Sneakers, and Art

The gallery has also hosted exhibits for artists like Heart Evangelista, Brandon Boyd, and Xian Lim, among many others. It houses all of Cheng's most prized art pieces. "I have 150 works of young Filipino and foreign artists, [from paintings] to sculptures, totalling around 300."

His love for sneakers also began early, influenced by his sister, Peachy Cheng, who is a Philippine team basketball player. He was only eight years old when his sister started buying sneakers. His sister would flip through magazines in search of the newest sneaker drops from Converse or Diadora, and he would ask for a pair, too. He admits, "From there, I got addicted."

What's one thing beginners should know before starting a collection?

Bilhin niyo 'yung gusto niyo, maski na mura o mahal. Dapat 'yung mata niyo kung ano'ng makikita niyong maganda sa bahay niyo, 'yung kinikilig ka. Kumabaga, 'yung na-aattract 'yung attention mo. . .Dapat 'dun ka mag-umpisa, hindi small or big. Kunyari may malaki ka nagustuhan, bilin na kaagad. . .'Kung gusto mo 'tong item na 'to maski na mahal siya ng onti, kaya mo naman, bilhin mo na kasi pataas ng pataas ang presyo 'nun. 'Wag ka mag-start sa small, mura, hindi, 'kung may mahal na gustong-gusto mo, bilin mo.

(Buy what you want, regardless if it's affordable or expensive. Buy what attracts you and what makes you feel happy. Start there. If you like something big, buy it right away, because the value increases over time.)

See also: Derek Flores of DF Art Agency: Purveyor of Today's Must-Have Art Pieces

How do you keep your collection organised? Any tips on storing toys and sneakers?

Collection ko, never-ending display 'yan. Siguro, once every three months, nag-didisplay ako—'yan 'yung joy e, na madisplay mo siya, maraming bagong dumarating e, i-didisplay mo ulit kasama ng mga old toys mo. Sapatos, walang tigil yan, syempre nag-uupdate ka.

'Yung mga boxes ng sapatos tsaka lauran, kailangan pag-bili mo, kunan mo, magprint ka, ilagay mo sa box. . .Para pag hinanap niyo sa susunod. . .mahahanap mo kaagad 'yung kahon 'nun e. So, maganda kailangan 'yung warehousing mo. Pag talagang collector ka, kailangan mo ng maganda warehouse, malinis.

(With my collection, it's a never-ending display process. Maybe once every three months, I display, that's the joy of it: to display the new items with the old ones. Shoes are constantly updated, too. Whether you buy shoes or toys, take a photo of the item, print it, and paste it on the box so you can easily find them in the future. If you're going to be a collector, you're going to need to learn warehouse-ing.)

See also: Everything That Went Down During the First-Ever Unbox Con 2022

How often do you add a new item to your collection in a year?

'Yung mga sapatos, mga toys, labas ng labas 'yan. So katulad sa sapatos, a week, nakaka-average ako five to 10. Sa toys, ang dami rin—weekly, monthly, so walang [specific time frame] 'yan, 'yung budget mo lang 'yung alalahanin mo. Dun ako lagi nagigipit sa mga collections ko pero pag na-overcome mo yan, worth it naman siya. . .Secondary na yang tumataas presyo.

(New shoes and toys are constantly released. Like shoes, in a week, I get an average of five to 10 pairs. I also collect toys weekly and monthly, so there is no specific time frame. You just have to worry about your budget. Once you overcome it, it'll be worth it. Moreover, its value increases.)

Have you ever given up/thrown away an item?

May mga sapatos ako na pinamigay ko na, mga iba binenta ko na ng mura. Yun yung mga napagsawaan ko na, na bigla ko nalang 'di nagustuhan sa huli. . .Kunyari nag-nenegosyo ka na katulad ko, kailangan mo magdispose to buy a more expensive item you like. Pero may mga toys na you will keep forever, na iniisip ko lagi na mapapamana [ko.]

(I gave away some of my sneakers and sold others for a cheaper price. These sneakers are the ones I've lost interest in. If you're managing a business like myself, you have to learn to dispose to buy a more expensive item you like. But there are toys that you will keep forever or that I can give away to my children and their kids.)

See also: Unbox PH's Carlo Ople on Collecting Sneakers and Toys, Building a Team, and Chasing Dreams

Why do you collect?

So siguro [natural collector] talaga ako. Natural lumabas sakin 'yung pagiging collector ko since bata ako. . .Ngayon maganda na kasi marunong na ako mag maintain, mag-display, mag-keep, marami na ako collectors na nakausap.

Gusto ko lagi nakikita sa bahay. . .'Pag umuwi ako ng bahay, nakikita ko 'yung collection ko, ang sarap talaga tignan. Gagalaw-galawin ko, titingin ako sa mga paintings, artwork, picture-an ko kasama ako. Ang sarap talaga sa feeling—tapos 'yung feeling mo itong collection mo 'yung pinaghirapan mo, 'yung pinagipunan mo, tsaka maipapamana mo sa next generation mo na family.

(I'm a natural collector. I naturally developed this interest when I was young. . .Now, I know how to maintain, display, keep, and have already spoken with other collectors. I want to always see my collection at home. I love looking at the pieces. I'd hold the items, look at paintings—artwork—I'd take a photo with it. It feels good. It feels good to know I worked hard for it and that I can hand it over to the next generation of my family.)

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