When we were children, Halloween and Bonfire Night marked the beginning of the countdown to Christmas. Now that we’re adults (childish adults, admittedly), the season starts with the twinkling lights of Comic Con London, a collector’s paradise and outlandish parade of fun and fantasy. From cosplay to gadgetry, from sci-fi novelists to movie stars (give us a wave, Daniel Radcliffe!), it’s set to be an ever-so-slightly geeky gathering of joyful proportions. We can’t wait!

With our Box Room hats on, however, we’re here to learn. We’re keen to find out more about how the collectors (and their other halves) live. We thought it’d be interesting to chat to some of the Comic Con great and good and find out how their, shall we say, playful lives fit with their everyday existence. Where does it start, and where does it stop? Do they push it all into a cubby hole beneath the stairs when the day comes to an end, and if they don’t, how do their friends and acquaintances fit into the picture?

We’ll be blogging from Comic Con throughout the day. Catch us on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest if you’d like us to ask any particular questions, or if you’re at the event and you’d like to tell us about your collections and obsessions. We hope to hear from you soon. Happy Comic Con, one and all!

7:15pm - And we’re out!

Thanks to everyone at Comic Con London 2014 for a brilliant day full of excellent outfits and plentiful free hugs.

7pm - Introducing our final interviewee, Ishae Adams

The lovely Ishae talked us through her love of Lolita fashion and her collection of dresses #MCMExpo http://t.co/5e51N64AkV — Boxman (@BoxManLondon) October 24, 2014

6:30pm - Introducing Luca Ostacchini

We chatted to Luca about how she organises her collection of figurines #MCMExpo #ComicConLondon http://t.co/aYNGgsE2pn — Boxman (@BoxManLondon) October 24, 2014

6:15pm - Introducing Hector the Collector! It’s not easy balancing your collector instincts with life with a girlfriend…

Hector the Collector tells us about the difficulties of sharing his hobbies and space with his girlfriend #mcmExpo http://t.co/eNU1CKMSL4 — Boxman (@BoxManLondon) October 24, 2014

6pm - Our thoughts so far We’re having a cracking day here at Comic Con. Everyone’s super excited to meet each other, get D-Radz’s autograph and buy some brand new cosplay accessories. As you’ll have seen from earlier updates, we’ve spoken to some very lovely people about their various collections and how storing them can be a little tricky; there’s always the latest memorabilia to buy and new games to try out, but they don’t want to get rid of cherished comics or hand-made costumes. So what’s to be done? Well, Boxman’s on-demand storage can help. Head to our home page to find out how.

5:45pm - Chatting with Juliet Starling It’s not easy being Juliet Starling from Lollipop Chainsaw. The problems? Well it’s all starts with the parents. They’re not keen on the amount of stuff she’s got, and the way she treats her space. ‘I understand why,’ she says. ‘My room is just a horrible mess all of the time.’ Being an computer game character ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

5:00pm - Harley Quinn You think life’s tough being the Joker? Try being the Lady Joker, and try living on a boat! Our latest Comic Con London friend has it all – the comics, the costumers, the models – but nowhere to put it. Sounds like a job for Boxman!

It must be pretty cool to be Harley Quinn from Batman. All those great wigs, all those fantastic clothes. But who ends up looking after all of that stuff? Her long-suffering parents, that’s who.

4.45pm - Interviewing Nelliel

Nelliel from Bleach says her costumes are “spreading out” all over the place. Can’t be comfy… #mcmExpo http://t.co/kjZ7YSVM4c — Boxman (@BoxManLondon) October 24, 2014

— Boxman (@BoxManLondon) October 24, 2014

4:30pm - Interviewing Ulquiorra

For Ulquiorra from ‘Bleach’, the problems begin with wing storage… #ComicConLondon #mcmLDN14 http://t.co/mbqljpiSJb — Boxman (@BoxManLondon) October 24, 2014

— Boxman (@BoxManLondon) October 24, 2014

4:00pm - a Vine time to be here

Matt collects 1st century Roman legionary gear (don’t we all?). His kit is pretty impressive – almost as powerful as his attack moves. How does he keep all of that stuff in good nick? ‘Elbow grease’, he tells us. That’s the attitude.

More fun and games down in the exhibition halls. Meet James, or Luffy from One Piece. James is only two years into his cosplay life, but he’s already a Comic Con veteran. Look out for him tomorrow, if you’re near ExCeL London – he’ll be the one dressed as a Lego Man.

3:00pm - bring on the vids

What’s a live blog without a bit of video? Our team are out and about doing what they do best. Here’s some great footage from down on the floor. It’s already a great day here in London, and the crowds are still pouring in. We’ll be moving around the exhibition, chatting with some of the collectors and cosplay fans throughout the day. Keep checking back for updates!

2:45pm - out on the floor!

There are some great people here today! We’ve been out meeting some absolute heroes already. Here are a few of our faves so far.

Nicola Brown and Simon Bromfield-Young are here as representatives of the Doctor Who fan world. These guys are serious collectors who, in their own words, ‘have enough stuff that we need a spare room’. We wondered how their partners deal with their passions, but it seems that their passions actually brought them together. So that’s how you solve the problem of having to share your collection space with a flatmate: fall in love! Awww.

Marc Johnson is here as Gin Ichimaru, from Bleach. We like Marc - he’s a man who knows his costumes. ‘I’ve an attic full of them,’ he tells us, ‘and I’m running out of room.’ His tip for keeping your cosplay clothing nice and neat? It’s all about repurposing what you’ve got already. ‘I’ve got a load of old plastic suit bags. They keep them ready for use.’ As a keen cosplayer, they get more use than you might imagine. The poor fellow tells us things are looking a bit threadbare.

Sophie Neal and Chris Osborne battle it out at Comic Con. Sophie tells us she made that suit herself over the course of a week. Time well spent, we think!

2:30pm - live from ExCeL - it’s Comic Con London!

So, here we are! Things are a little quiet at the mo (it doesn’t kick off for a little while yet), but we’ve seen a few things already that have… shall we say… widened our eyes. In the meantime, here’s a little timelapse of the folks arriving at ExCeL.

We’re live blogging from #ComicConLondon, where it’s all kicking off. Here’s a timelapse of the folks arriv… https://t.co/KYBKqiwHBA — Boxman (@BoxManLondon) October 24, 2014