Featured Collectors #12: Filipe Rojas’ Display Cases and Namek Diorama

It’s been years since we’ve done a featured collectors post. But I think in light of recent events, something like this is more necessary than it has ever been. Without wasting anymore time, this post is dedicated to the collection and dioramas of Filipe Rojas. Filipe lives in Brazil and has a serious passion for collection Dragon Ball figures. More so, he’s taken it upon himself to create an impressive Planet Namek diorama to further the appeal of his displays.

We asked Mr. Rojas to tell us a little about himself and how he came into collection Dragon Ball merchandise.

This is what he had to say:

I’ve been a fan of Dragon Ball ever since I was a kid. Around the year 2010 I began seeing Dragon Ball figures at conventions and shows in Brazil. I avoided buying them, as I knew that if I bought one figure, it would be the first of many.

In 2011 I was at another one of these events, I admired the HQDX and Legend of Saiyans (Banpresto) Dragon Ball figures but still didn’t have the guts to buy. A friend who collected Star Wars was with me at the show and bought a huge figure. At the time I found the price he paid to be surreal. I mentioned this to my girlfriend. I told her I was afraid to buy my first Dragon Ball figure because I knew I would end up buying a lot. She said “If you like it and this money is not needed for another important purpose, then buy it!” Today she is my wife!

It was at this event in 2011, that I started collecting Dragon Ball figures. Initially I only bought here in Brazil and it was quite expensive.
In 2012 I started importing Dragon Ball figures through eBay and kept doing so for a few years. Eventually my purchases began to be taxed heavily. Today I only buy on eBay what is worth importing and also I buy from some Brazilian sellers who import from Japan.

In 2012 I founded Dragon Ball Brazil Fan Club and started exhibiting my collection at events in my city to promote the Dragon Ball collecting hobby. In March 2016 I founded Dragon Ball Figures Brazil. In November of the same year, I bought two mock-ups of Planet Namek produced by a Brazilian mock-up producer.

I designed a showcase around the model and built it with my father. Then we printed background stickers through a specializing company, to stick on the background of the displays.

I already collected the Soul of Hyper (Bandai) line, I have it almost complete, so over the years I searched the figures of this line that I did not have to compose the Namek diorama.

A amazing Brazilian sculptor (Nildo) produced for me the Kami spaceship and the Grand Elder Guru’s house.

Recently my father and I installed the lighting on the Namek display and I purchased the Goku’s spaceship (made by JacksDo) and the Freeza’s spaceship (MEGA) because the old Freeza’s spaceship (Banpresto) I have was too big for my diorama.

So the “Dragon Ball Figures Brazil Namek Diorama” finally was ready for me to release, but there will always be new figures to add to it, to remind us of the nostalgic scenes from the Namek saga and provide even more nostalgia for DBZ fans.

– Filipe Rojas of Brazil