DJ Bigboy Cheng on his motivation for collecting, the way he does business, and the most valuable collection he has which people don’t know about.
Sanchupapa. The Crown Prince of Fresh. Lord of Ronac.
DJ Bigboy Cheng seems to collect nicknames the same way he collects…everything else. From Sneakers to japanese robots, paintings to NFTs, Bigboy knows what he wants from life…in large part due to his earlier years growing up.
“I’ve been collecting sneakers since I was 8,” shares the 6’0 Uratex scion, “my mom was a big influence, as well as my sisters, Pinky and Peachy.”
Back then it wasn’t the usual Nike, Adidas, or Reebok. “Noon it was New Balance, Bla Bla, and Haruta,” he ponders something then drops, “I suppose it is like the male version of women liking bags…but I also love bags!”
He discloses finding joy in organizing his things, placing them inside a satchel or backpack, which quickly gets disorganized, which has him taking things out, rearranging them, and then repeating the process all over again.
“There’s a certain joy to collecting.” Offers the man behind Ronac Art Center. “When you’re at home, and you sit there [amidst your collection] (whether they be sneakers, or collectible toys, or t-shirts), you see them and natutuwa ka. It is the greatest feeling– seeing them all together and remembering when you bought them, and of course the connections and friends you made along the way… The fact that (if one is astute) – the value goes up – is merely a bonus.”
He confesses though that some purchases have floored him. “[There was this one time, I had an agent come to me with a certain rare toy. I loved it! Didn’t even ask the price and bought three]. When I got the bill it was three thousand euros…each!”
Being a fair player however, Bigboy still kept his word and fulfilled the purchase. “What is most important in collecting, and in business, [and in life] is,” and he pauses the way a wise buddha would before imparting weighty wisdom, “everybody happy.”
He highlights the pricelessness of keeping one’s word, honoring agreements, not low-balling sellers or placing too high of a mark-up on items.
“The best business is repeat business.” Says the sneaker sage, who is known to blog and promote local art and artisans.
From food to new foam beds to little-known brands from Marikina, Bigboy Cheng uses his sizeable social media influence to help bolster awareness for the local art scene. “[In truth] I don’t like the word ‘influencer,'” he confides, instead opting for the (pandemic-apt) moniker of ‘booster.'”
“Ang wish ko lang talaga ay gumanda pa and Pilipinas. If there was a way to have art in every street corner (by local artists), I feel people will be inspired to be more disciplined and work harder.” He says that the common argument na “hindi disciplined and Pilipino,” is backwards. “I believe na it short-changes us. We should trust people more.”
Of all the videos on his YouTube channel, some with over a million views, DJ Bigboy chooses to headline the music video of a song written and sang by his friend, Jobe Nkemakolam. The comical bling-life parody has a line which stands out like gold: “it’s not success but relationships that you make, that define you from the cradle to the grave.”
“I like helping others,” he says, and close friends agree that in fact one of the things people don’t know about Bigboy is that he is secretly generous. Tales abound of him sending brand new beds to typhoon hit areas, food to landslide victims, and even care packages to SAF44’s surviving families.
And indeed, while his internationally-known sneaker stockpile is said to be the most expensive in the world, his most valuable collection seems to be the warmth and comfort he’s left in the hearts of people whose lives he’s changed for the better.
—alike.com.ph
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