A Cincinnati-based company aims to help local collectors find the missing pieces to their sets. Whether you collect toys, lunchboxes, key chains, or even clothes, CompleteSet has you covered. By teaming up with local conventions, CompleteSet is sweeping the area making collecting easier than ever. Via email, I was able to interview co-founder and CEO Gary Darna to find out more about his company and what it means for local collectors and conventions.
LC: What is CompleteSet?
GD: CompleteSet is a web and mobile marketplace that guides fans to collectibles anywhere they're for sale. Powered by nostalgia, CompleteSet provides a curated archive of every product from a variety of beloved brands, characters and franchises.
LC: How/where did the company start?
GD: CompleteSet was founded by Gary Darna and Jaime Rump in 2012. The company started with a simple idea: to make outdated books about coveted collectibles instantly searchable from any device. As a lifelong collector, Gary wanted a better way to catalog and showcase his collection of more than 800 pieces of vintage Star Wars memorabilia. The founders met while participating in a startup accelerator program, The INKUBATOR, at Northern Kentucky University. The program, now in its fourth year, aims to help aspiring entrepreneurs recruit a team to turn ideas into viable businesses.
LC: How do you join? What are the benefits of joining?
GD: Members use CompleteSet for a variety of reasons. While some collectors are obsessed with finding new ways to keep track of their prized processions, others simply want a better way to buy and sell collectibles. The website, which is free to join, allows registered users to do those things and much more. Other benefits include the ability to research discontinued products and the nostalgia created by browsing what has been described as a time capsule of your childhood. To join, visit www.completeset.com.
LC: What does this mean for collectors?
GD: Collectors are forced to scour the Internet on social media, message boards and auction sites looking for the collectibles they want to own. It is a tedious and frustrating process that fans have contended with for years. CompleteSet is the first to combine these features into a beautiful, easy-to-use product built specifically for collectors. For collectors, this means no longer having to post your latest haul in a Facebook Group, maintaining endless lists of saved searches on eBay, or remembering your password for that message board you joined ten years ago.
LC: What does this mean for local conventions, specifically ones in Louisville?
GD: Anyone that was a collector prior to eBay knows that some of the best finds happen in the wild. Whether it's your local flea market or a massive comic con, collectibles are in huge supply at events across the country. Conventions like Derby City Comic Con in Louisville, Kentucky allow fans to meet their favorite artists, buy collectibles they can't find in stores, and even play their favorite characters with elaborate custom-made costumes. CompleteSet is proud to announce its sponsorship of the 2015 Derby City Comic Con taking place this June.
Check out CompleteSet’s booth at Derby City Comic Con to find out more about this company and how it can benefit your collection!
