Guillermo del Toro on His Prized Memorabilia Auction and the Art of Collecting

The Genesis of a Collector

• 💡 Guillermo del Toro's collecting passion began in childhood with comic books and toys, a common starting point for many collectors.
• 📌 His mother discarding his comics marked a pivotal moment, leading to a protective phase of collecting to preserve items of personal significance.
• 🔑 Collectors are seen as guardians of cultural artifacts for future generations, preserving pieces that may gain broader interest over time.

The Collector's Role and Process

• 🧠 Del Toro views collecting as a way to keep pieces of culture alive, emphasizing that these items are temporary custodianships.
• 🛠️ He personally manages the maintenance of his extensive collection, including dusting, vacuuming, framing, and arranging objects, highlighting a deep personal connection.
• 🧩 The collection serves as a catalog of audiovisual and three-dimensional shapes, offering solutions and inspiration for his creative work as a filmmaker.

Impact of Fires and the Decision to Auction

• ⚠️ Recent fires in Southern California have made Del Toro acutely aware of the fragility of his collection, prompting the difficult decision to auction items.
• 💔 The fires, coming dangerously close multiple times, led to the realization that moving over 5,000 objects was nearly impossible, with only a fraction being salvageable.
• 🚀 The auction is framed as a way to ensure these cherished items go to individuals who will love and appreciate them, rather than being stored away unseen.

Personal Significance of Auction Items

• ✨ Del Toro is auctioning items that are deeply personal, including early drawings, model kits, and pieces that hold significant emotional value, not just monetary.
• 🎨 He prioritizes items based on their compositional narrative value or colors, acquiring them for love and inspiration rather than investment.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 His family, possessing discerning visual taste, has had first choice on items to keep, ensuring key pieces remain within the family.

The Future of the Collection and Auction

• 🧩 Future auctions aim to go beyond just items, focusing on explaining the **