Enthusiasm. Ultimately, everything comes down to enthusiasm. For me, that's the meaning of life. My 42. There's no more attractive quality in a person than seeing them light up over the things they love. And nothing that drives me more than my love - yes for others, yes for life - but I'm not here to talk about the soppy stuff, thank goodness. I'm here to share my lifelong, defining passion for stuff and things. Ah, stuff and things! What sweet music those words are to my ears, and word-reading eyes.

My name is Marshall Julius and I am a nerd and professional appreciator. By nature and nurture a fan, a collector, and by trade, a word monkey driven to wax lyrical about the things I go bananas for. My mission in life is to both celebrate, and maintain, the memory of everything I can’t think about without getting a lump in my throat. Which is a lot. My nostalgia knows no bounds and my enthusiasm has no brakes.

My mum was a nerd before the term existed. She loved movies and art and passed that on to me. My cousin Ronald was likewise obsessed. I guess it was just in our genes to love film, television and music, comics, games and toys. The things that make life worth living. The stuff that dreams are made of!

I just turned 56 and have hunted now, and gathered, for fifty happy years. Half a century ago, at my sixth birthday party, I acquired a handful of Magic Roundabout badges that I still own, and still adore. As I write these words, I'm gazing up at a couple of pin boards hanging before me. There, my favourite four hundred badges enjoy pride of place in my field of vision. And yes, those Magic Roundabout pins are there, faded now, but still sparkling in my eyes.

Badges were the first thing I felt an irresistible urge to possess. They were my treasure, my precious, and to this day, I still feel the same electric thrill, that same spark of excitement, every time I add one to my stash. But while badges were my earliest obsession, I’ve since expanded my interests to include EVERYTHING ELSE: toys and comics, movies and soundtracks, stickers, magnets and model kits, posters, props, paperbacks and everything else that catches my eye.

I’ve always felt that to completely grow up, to turn your back on the things that once meant the most to you, would be the most terrible betrayal of the child you once were. To that end, I still love all the same things I did as a kid, only ever adding to my interests – never subtracting.

Why, for example, would I ever feel inclined to quit swishing my light saber? How could I allow my loyalty to the Batman wane? I still dream of competing in the Wacky Races. Of exploring the final frontier... And nothing makes me feel closer to all those wonderful things than being surrounded by tangible expressions of a life spent in the service of fandom. By stuff! By things! Amen.

Finally, now, we get to the point. Why am I here? What's with the blog? Well, a while back I connected with the fine folks at Blu Goblin. You just naturally gravitate towards your people, you know? Towards fellow fans and collectors. People who get it. People who understand and share that almost indefinable, irresistible attraction to the colourful and nerdy.

Only they're not here to acquire. They're here to create. To produce. To bestow upon us the collectibles we need. The collectibles we deserve. Like Pinhead, only without the whips and chains, they have such sights to show us! And I'm excited to share them with you, over the coming months and years, as Blu Goblin grows into the mighty merch powerhouse I have every faith it will become.

You're one of us already, so let's make it official by building a cheerful community for collectors of every type and budget, for fans seeking a safe, troll-free space to express their excitement for, say, Angry Birds Chess, Scooby Doo pins, Looney Tunes sculptures and hey, that's enough from me. Why not go have a poke around the site and discover it all for yourself? From fine art to fun art, there's something here for everyone.

We have socials too, so don't be a stranger. And while you're here, you might as well sign up to the newsletter via the widget below, so you'll never miss an offer, exclusive preview or a Blog Goblin post from your old pal Marshall. Excelsior!

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