GREAT FALLS — Collecting comes in all shapes and sizes.
But for one Montana man, it's the spinach-loving sailor that caught his attention and kept it for almost 50 years.
Colin Maynard has been a fan of Popeye the Sailor his whole life.
“There was a picture of me when I’m like three or four just glued to the TV with my hat and my dad’s pipe," Maynard said.
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While his love of the character didn’t show in spinach consumption, it was his demeanor and what he meant for the people of the Great Depression that stuck with Colin.
“I love even just the way he’s drawn. He’s not handsome, he’s just a little guy who can face enormous odds and come out okay," Maynard said.
However, his life changed when he received a handmade Popeye ornament…that he still has… from a coworker when he was in his early 20s.
“And I go, 'oh, this is cool. I think I'll try to see if I can find anything else.' Trouble was born," Maynard recalled.
And from there, it just kept going.
“It was an innocent thing. I didn't know…how strong my addictive personality really was," Maynard said.
Today, there is a room dedicated to the sailor in Colin’s house, decked out floor to ceiling with memorabilia.
“We call it the Popeye room or the ‘Oh my God’ Room…" Maynard told MTN.
If Colin is Popeye, Kathy Maynard is Olive Oyl. She has been married to Colin for 50 years, and so far she has put up with the Sailorman’s antics well.
“When we first moved into this house, I said no Popeye's in the living room," Kathy said. "They all have to stay in the Popeye room. And to begin with that's how it started.”
Fifty years of collecting, and Colin says it starts with the love of something.
“Go for the stuff you really love. Don't worry about the market, you know, just get what you like," Colin said.
