Sanjay & Ayush Nana
S: How and when did you start collecting?
SN: I’ve always been an avid admirer of superhero comics and figurines. With my international travels, I used to come across figurines in Dubai, but due to transportation and logistics I never got around to starting my collection. From a young age, my son Ayush has evolved his life around superheroes. In 2014, we were exposed locally to small-scale figurines and that is what jumpstarted our collection.
S: What do you collect? Does your collection have a theme, such as Star Wars, Batman, superheroes, etc.?
SN: We are great fans of Marvel and DC comics and our collection evolves around these characters. We also have an extensive showcase of James Bond’s model cars.
S: What are your favourite or the most prized pieces in your collection? And why?
SN: Our life-size MK-VII Iron Man statue is one of our favourite acquisitions in our collection. Our collection is located in our 12-seater underground movie theatre and Iron Man plays a pivotal role in setting the mood.
Our second most prized acquisition is the Justice League vs Darkseid Diorama. We’ve had to redo sections in our theatre to accommodate this gigantic piece. It truly is a visual masterpiece.
Our third most prized acquisition is our special lady, Wonder Woman. I personally have always loved horses since a young age and when we saw this majestic piece at the Underground, I fell in love immediately and had to somehow secure it. Only after being told that it’s the only one in South Africa, it made it even more special.
S: What do you love about XM?
SN: Our favourite statue producer is XM Studios and we love them because their detail and creativity is unmatched.
S: What items are on your wishlist?
SN: We are quite selective collectors and only if something truly unique catches our eye, will we consider.
S: What do you think of the collecting community in SA?
SN: From when we were first exposed to collecting in 2014 and to present times, we have witnessed an immense amount of progression in the collecting community in South Africa. A big thank you goes towards Comic Con and exhibitors of this caliber, who have seen the potential of premium collectibles by the South African and international markets.
With Symbiote being the premium importer and distributor of these collectibles, the community has been blessed with an abundance of variety, quality and exclusivity. They have positively impacted the collecting community and have made it what it is today!
Also in Featured Collectors
Jaimie Mackenzie
Michael Hogg
