Before we go any further, I think it’s important to stop and say a few words—and also introduce a continuing series of videos—about collecting. For those who don’t know, Oxford Languages defines collecting as “systematically seeking and acquiring (items of a particular kind) as a hobby”.

Now, while that’s a fine definition and all in general and a suitable starting point for discussion, it kind of falls apart for me at the last three words. Collecting is the central driving element of my life. More than food, more than friends, more than money, more than sex, more than comic books or video games, more than anything. It cannot be overstated just how integral collecting is to my existence—it consumes me, but it also gives my life structure and joy.

When I wake up in the morning, my first thoughts are about whether any new toy or statue or collectible news has transpired overnight. When I play a game or read a book or watch a movie, my mind is always barreling forward, contemplating what would make the best merchandising items for that property and what I would want to have on my shelves. As much as I love different mediums of storytelling, its primary function–to me–is fueling my specialized interest in collecting.

I think it may be difficult for outsiders to grasp my words and really comprehend exactly how much of my life is dominated by collecting, so I decided to make a series of videos—“Dabid Unboxes!”—to give a visual representation of my obsession as a supplemental to this book (made possible by the fact that this book is a blog).

These videos will be interspersed sporadically throughout the blog, and may or may not be accompanied by written commentary, depending on if I feel it enhances them. We’ll really have to see.

You may not care about gardening statues that look like rabbit cactus monsters or stylized wrestling championship belts or post-it notes shaped like the various forms of the frozen yogurt Pokémon, but I think if you watch some of these unboxing videos, you’ll learn something about me and the way I see the world, respond off-the-cuff verbally and experience life that you may not absorb just from reading my words.

Or maybe you won’t. But I have many, many things to unbox. You can find all of the videos made to-date on my YouTube channel. And this is the first…