Collectors Spotlight - November 2013 - FearGearGarage
Age: 42 / California
FearGearGarage: Romeo Aficionado
How long have you been a collector of Oakley items?
Well, I have been obsessed with Oakley since 1987 when I saw my first Razor Blade. Was I a collector then? No, but I was well on my way to becoming one. I calculate my official collector B-Day as being in 1993 when I got a decent job and could afford to be in the hobby.
How did you get into collecting Oakley?
I was 17 and spent a lot of time at the local So Cal beaches, everyone was wearing Razor Blades and I wanted some immediately. Unfortunately for me they weren't cheap gas station glasses that I could afford at that time, so I saved every dime I could find/earn/pilfer for what seemed like 2 decades but in actuality was 4 months or so. Then I saw "THEM" the custom painted pairs that were coming out of a Santa Ana, CA bike shop I believe it was and man were they sweet! The dudes name was Jim Rosas and he was doing a multicolor base coat and splattering paint over the top of them, the guy was a genius because he was charging what seemed like whatever he wanted for them because people were paying it and he was signing and numbering them. I was thinking about robbing my local 7/11 to finish funding the purchase of my new obsession, luckily my Mom came through on my B-Day and put me in the range of getting these bad boys. I borrowed my friends Vespa and headed out (no license) on my 14 mile journey, arrived saw my pair told them how many greenbacks I had to dispose of and my situation of being an outlaw scooter rider to get there and BAM a deal was made! LOST THEM AT THE BEACH 3-4 MONTHS LATER! The saving started again!
What is the first Oakley item you remember having?
Razor Blades
What is your biggest Oakley regret? (if any)
I have passed on two things that now haunt me;
1.) Gold Time Bomb, it was a little steep for me at the time but it wasn't so steep that I couldn't have got it at the asking price. I am still kicking myself.
2.) Not caring to participate in the Factory Pilot event, I was well aware of the event but at the time I was not a social collector and didn't care to get into a "My Collection is Better than Yours" competition. I had not even showed friends my collection at the time, it was still personal to me and I didn't think it would be all that interesting to stand and listen to others brag about what they had. I was wrong, my assumptions were wrong and I have met many people that attended that have confirmed I was wrong. While there were continuous Oakley discussions, from what I have been told it was not a dong measuring contest and for that I regret not getting involved.
What is your next Oakley purchase likely to be?
Wow, this is a hard one for me to answer because it will be EPIC as it is one of my holy grail's and it is in the works! I think I am just going to defer on this question for now, but I will post about it once the deal is done and it's in my hands, I don't want to jinx myself and have the deal fall through. No it's not the Gold TB, but if anyone knows someone selling please let me know and I'll do my best to get that also!
What do you consider the "jewel" of your collection?
The Mad Scientist statue from Jim's office at HQ has got to be it, but running a close second to that are my various prototype items. I have a bunch of things I can't see letting go of, but those are the jewels for now anyways.
How do you store/display your Oakley collection?
I use Oakley display cases of various shapes and sizes;
5 - Triple Wide's
4 - Double Wide Spine's
1 - Single Wide Spine
2 - Stretchline Towers
2 - 3.0 Towers
2 - Single Wide Aluminum's
2 - Goggle Racks
2 - 3.0 Pedestal's and Cube's
2 - Aluminum Pedestals and Cube's
Do you have a favorite Oakley retailer?
Oakley Vault in Las Vegas, NV is my favorite store, my friends there are incredible and I visit every time I am in Vegas.
Do you customize?
I do, I only dabbled in it a little until I met Dr Chop and then the flood gates opened! We have collaborated on many, many projects and still have many, many more to go! Although he does 95% of the work, I am more the brains behind most of my customs I like to think. I hope to have to have pictures up soon of his hard work, keep your eyes open for my update coming soon.
What other Oakley products do you collect?
This question is more easily answered with what don't I collect, Catalogs. That's it, I have some of everything else! LOL
What other hobbies/collections/passions do you have?
I am a chronic collector as some of you know and in addition to my Oakley collection I also have collections consisting of guns, knives, wines, watches, concert t-shirts, Affliction t-shirts, Dragonfly guayabera shirts, shoes and Homies. I also collect Coach purses and Louis Vuitton purses for my wife so that I am allowed to keep collecting my stuff…lol
What advice do you have for new Oakley collectors?
Simple, be patient! Seriously, just be patient. I have always been a patient collector, when I can afford it and its available ill usually make my purchase. But if I can't afford it I pass, it will pop up again at some time in the future. I am a collector, not an investor and I don't speculate prices so I don't think to myself "If I don't get it now the price will be more in a year", maybe it will and maybe it won't. I have been in the game a long time, I have seen the hills and I have seen the valleys of the collector worlds (not just Oakley) and I have always tried to maintain my discipline when the tides rise and fall. It's worth what I am willing to pay for it and it will be worth what the guy who buys it from me one day is willing to pay for it as well, if I lose money on it, well hey that's how collecting goes but I enjoyed it while I had it. If I'm not happy with a offer to buy I can always just keep it and enjoy it some more!
What do others think about your Oakley collection?
I have been told I am crazy, that I have the financial mind of a teenager, that I'm insane and that I have the worst case of OCD ever recorded. Those comments were all just from my wife! Everyone else either shakes their head in disbelief (speechless I guess) or says "Wow man, that's incredible".
What's your fondest/most astounding Oakley memory?
Replacing the Jim Rosas Razor Blades last year with a very similar pair, it brought me back (way back) to where it all started so to speak and I was like a little kid when the package arrived. I ran to my office opened the box, sat and just looked at them for a good long time. It was almost like finding a long lost friend, I am seriously feeling it again as I just wrote this.
Any final words?
I have met and become friends with many people here and for that I am grateful, so many have helped me along the way it's impossible to thank everyone individually. But you know who you are as you read this, my friends I want to thank you all one last time! The RED show and this spotlight were sort of my Piece de resistance so to speak as I wander back into the shadows of collecting. I have reached a point where I want to be anonymous again in a sense, things went past my personal comfort level in many ways not due to anyone else's actions but rather my own. I guess I am just a very private guy (like someone else we all know of) and I feel the hobby has out grown my comfort level so to speak. I will still be around and welcome any of you to ask any questions you think I can help with or just say hello if you feel so inclined. Ill be updating my collection page one last time in the near future and I am also working on a website for the entire collection and sales of the pieces that don't mean much to me as I streamline my collection (much to my wife's exuberance after many years of prodding). The work we put into the RED event and realization of what exactly I had did it for me, time to make it all matter again. Many have asked and I will finally reveal now that at the time of the RED event I had 1579 pairs of glasses, over 50 backpacks and bags, over 100 watches, 30 something pairs of goggles, 30 something pairs of shoes, over 50 pieces of head gear, over 100 cases, 100's of accessories, 100's of stickers and 20'something posters and frames. That's it friends, I have come clean "My name is Del/FearGearGarage and I am an OAKLEY-holic".
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