Some collectors spend their lives chasing after one specific item, solely focused on the thrill of the hunt and the rush of acquiring something new.
For Ewa Beach resident Ed Corey, collecting is about creating opportunities to socialize with others. He became hearing impaired after suffering a high fever as a small child, but a hearing aid allows him to participate in normal conversation.
| THE ‘POSSESSED’ QUESTIONNAIRE
Ed Corey
>> Age: 64
>> Residence: Ewa Beach
>> Occupation: Entertainer
>> First piece that started his collection: “The Byrds’ ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ from 1965. Between that album and when I first saw the Who in 1967, I knew I wanted to play music.”
>> Biggest challenge in maintaining his collection: “Keeping everything clean! There’s a lot of dusting, but I have my boys to help me.”
>> What has he learned from collecting: “It helps my mind relax. It helps me focus.”
>> Favorite piece: “My limited-edition scale-model Red Baron plane. I got the first one. There’s about 50 out there right now. He’s my idol.”
>> Most recent acquisition: Character head from B-movie “H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine,” purchased about one month ago.
>> Wish list: “If I had a lot of money, I’d like to buy a replica Red Baron plane and put it in a hangar. I’m not going to fly it, just look at it while I drink coffee.”
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Corey has amassed a collection of collections — 500 items, from busts of characters in classic 1950s B-movies to album covers to model airplanes, and all of it is on display in his home.
“I have lots of options,” said Corey, a 64-year-old semiretired entertainer. “Airplanes, cars, watching movies. My dad got me started with planes, and when the Byrds came up, I moved into collecting album covers.”
Corey’s parents also suffered partial hearing loss due to childhood illnesses, but it didn’t stop them from pursuing their passions and encouraging their son to follow suit. His late father, Charles Corey, was an aviation buff and spent more than a decade restoring a World War I-era fighter plane featured in the 1930 Howard Hughes movie “Hell’s Angels.” It’s now on display at a museum in Virginia.
“My dad had a lot of interests, and sometimes he couldn’t find people to share them with,” he said. “So he started with me.”
He learned at a young age how to feel the vibrations of notes he heard, which opened the door to a new world as a musician. Performing as Ed Chevy, he’s spent nearly 40 years as a founding member of the deaf band Beethoven’s Nightmare, which includes hearing-impaired members from around the country and conducts rehearsals a few times a year on the mainland.
Corey’s “man cave” includes rows of first-edition album covers by the Beatles, the Who, the Doors, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and the Ramones, among others, hanging on display next to classic car memorabilia.
Thanks to his father’s aviation influence, he’s also a big fan of World War I German fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron. Corey converted another room of his home into an exhibit of model airplanes, even turning a wall-mounted television stand into a display for two larger pieces. A nearby corner pays tribute to Edgar Allen Poe. Another showcases photos of horror actor Vincent Price.
But it’s the B-movies that occupy most of his free time now, ever since he picked up his first character head from “Invasion of the Saucer Men” in 1997. Now he has 20 character heads along with a sizable DVD collection, scale models, movie posters and commemorative edition magazines. Almost everything was purchased online.
Corey hopes to one day pass on his collections to his three sons. Until then he will continue to capitalize upon the diversity of his interests to meet new people and build friendships.
“I learned from my dad that collecting gives you things to talk about, which makes you a more interesting person,” Corey said. “So when I talk story, I always have plenty to say!”
