Toy collection: Plastic crack

Toy collectors will pay an arm and a leg to acquire one of their favourite figures

The euphoria of a newly acquired shiny toy may be hard to explain to someone who is alien to the feeling. They may question its utility, raise their eyebrows at the high prices and even sound downright amused at the idea of adults collecting toys. But for the thousands of toy collectors worldwide, the anticipation and joy of breaking the seal of a freshly purchased Gundam or Transformer figure is worth the hassle and the hole it drills in their savings. 

Indulgence for the ‘un-smart’ generation

Childhood was a much simpler time for those who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s. The absence of tablets and smartphones left plenty of room to play with toys that required a lot more input from the consumer than merely tapping screens or pressing keys. Naturally, the attachment to these toys was much higher in comparison and in the case of these toy collectors lasts long after their proverbial play days are over.



“I am attracted to these toys because of memories from my childhood. They make me very happy and very excited,” says a Lahore-based artist and toy collector who wishes to remain anonymous. “Sometimes I’ve even spent more [on a toy] than its value because I really wanted it,” he elaborates adding that he has nearly 200 to 300 toys in his collection comprising mostly vintage toys from the 1970s and 1980s such as Godzilla, Kaijin and Megaman.

Naeem, a Karachi based businessman in his mid-30s whose personal toy collection is worth thousands of dollars also recalls how his inexplicable thirst for the toys began during his childhood. “I remember that the Agha’s supermarket in Clifton was one of the few shops which stored these toys. I would beg and plead my mother to shop there so I could just look at the boxes and fantasise about owning one someday,” he says.

PHOTO COURTESY: SHAHERYAR POPALZAI

The story is somewhat similar for Ahsan, another Karachi-based collector, who began pursuing this hobby during his teenage years. “I had an impressive collection of action figures that included everything from He-Man to Spiderman to Ninja Turtles,” he shares. “I had about 30 of these toys, including Transformers.” Till date, Ahsan estimates that he has spent over Rs1 million on his toy collection which ranges from low-end Marvel and DC toys that cost between Rs3,000 and Rs5,000 each, to Masterpiece Transformers and Hot Toys action figures, that cost upwards of Rs20,000 per piece. These pricier toys are highly detailed products that target adult buyers, such as Ahsan.

When asked if his current collection is a manifestation of his childhood fervour for toys, Ahsan is initially offended but eventually concedes that it may be a possibility. Most of these collectors describe their childhood as time of dreams, and fantasy when they believed in magic, explains Erum Riaz Ghazi, a psychologist at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College and head of the psychosocial oncology department at The Indus Hospital, who has conducted extensive research on the subject. “The boy who wanted to be superman [as a kid] now relies on his action figure to transport him to another world where he has super powers and can still do anything,” she says.



Each toy collector, however, may have a different reason for this indulgence. “For some, these toys offer a temporary break from reality and stress,” adds Ghazi. This is certainly true in the case of Shaheryar Popalzai, a collector of Gundam model kits which can cost up to Rs20,000 per piece. Popalzai, who purchased his collection from Hong Kong, explains that putting his Gundam toys together is what appeals to him the most, even if the project lasts for more than several weeks. Similarly, for 36-year-old Abbas Saleem Khan, who collects Transformers toys, transforming them is equivalent to therapy. “Moving them around, transforming them back and forth helps me relieve stress,” says Khan. “I like to do it without instructions since the sense of achievement is awesome.” 

There are as many different types of collectors as there are toys

While it is hard to assess the total number of toy collectors in Pakistan at the moment, the hobby seems to be picking up momentum. This can be gauged through their increased presence on social media in the form of Facebook pages such as ‘Anime, Comics & Collectibles Pakistan’ (ACCP), which boasts nearly 3,500 members. “I created ACCP (the page and group) to provide a common platform for all anime and comic fans across Pakistan including merchandise collectors who were scattered over various forums earlier,” says the Hyderabad-based creator of the page, Sono Durrani. Now members use the group to discuss everything from their toy’s price to quality, sculpting, paintwork and entertainment value.



Different collectors are inclined towards different toys depending on their personal taste, fondness for a certain movie, comic series or action figure. For example, 25-year-old Syed Ali Tahir, who collects Transformers toys, explains, “[The Masterpiece toy line] transformation sequences are complicated and accurate to the comic and onscreen ones,” he says. “Unlike the vintage action figures, they do not distort or change the characters from what we are used to watching on screen.” Hence, Tahir is willing to pay up to Rs30,000 for a genuine sealed version of the toy. On the other hand, the Lahore-based artist/collector appreciates the aesthetic of modern toys, but finds the imperfections in the older toys charming. “They have a blocky nature to them and they are disproportionate, which I find appealing,” he says.

Moreover, these collectors’ connection to their toys is not just skin-deep. For example, for many Transformers collectors such as Tahir, Optimus Prime was the embodiment of benevolence and great leadership. This is perhaps why his brutal death in The Transformers: The Movie (1986) was such a shock for fans. “There had been rumours at school that Optimus Prime had been killed, but I didn’t believe it,” shares Naeem. “When I finally saw the scene I felt this great sense of loss. You might think this is crazy, but it taught me a lesson about death and helped me deal with the loss of a grandparent,” he says. “Years later I saw the same scene again on YouTube and was surprised to feel my eyes moisten.” Similarly, Ghazi explains that while most men cannot have Lara Croft from The Tomb Raider in real life, they can have a plastic one that is 10-inch tall. “She symbolises an unattainable, sexy, dangerous woman with a dark side. Very few men can resist that!”

PHOTO COURTESY: NOMAN ANSARI

Not just fun and games

With more websites popping up where toy collectors can browse and order online, things have become a lot easier now than they were a few years ago. Ali, who sports an impressive collection of expensive Hot Toys action figures, which replicate movie characters with an almost eerie resemblance, began collecting toys at the age of seven but his collection truly blossomed when he was able to buy regularly from Dubai. Stores in Pakistan are of little help as they offer measly outdated toys priced at three or even four times their original value. Most retailers are also usually least interested in expanding their wares, leaving little option for Pakistani collectors other than resorting to websites in the US and Japan to fuel their hobby. Waqas Ahmed, a fairly new collector who has spent nearly Rs100,000 on his toys already, explains that he gets his toys from abroad because it is almost impossible to find these products locally. “Buying items is hard in Pakistan nowadays since many stores charge double for a figure which is available at half the price abroad,” adds Sarmed Ahmed, who collects toys from franchises such as Star Wars, Thundercats, M.A.S.K., Thundercats and Toxic Crusaders. “I get most of my items when I visit my brother in the UK or when he comes here.”



Not only do these collectors spend a great deal of money on these toys but also look after them with great care. The items remain sealed and displayed in their original boxes, long after they have been purchased. “I barely touch [my toys] without wearing cotton gloves, let alone play with them. Plus most of them are static, [which means they are] not meant to be played with in the first place,” says Durrani.

Keeping it in check

Even though collecting has its benefits, like any other hobby, if it spirals out of control, it can end up being harmful, warns Ghazi. “Collecting can become hoarding, which is characterised as a disorder if it reaches pathological proportions,” she says. Some experts have even gone so far as to call it a ‘repetitive acquisition syndrome’. This becomes a problem when the hoarder spends inordinate amounts of money on his collectibles, spends more time acquiring and playing with them than meeting his everyday needs and where his social functioning is impaired. Another symptom is immense anxiety with regards to the collection and the impatience to acquire the next item. “While some people who hoard may not be particularly distressed by their behaviour, [themselves], it can be worrisome for other people, such as family members,” she explains.



Adding weight to Ghazi’s warning is the fact that some collectors requested for their names to be changed due to fear of certain family members finding out about the extent of their collections. Most collectors, however, shared that their families had been quite supportive of their unusual hobby, with some going as far as helping them find their most sought-after toys. “Even though I am not a collector myself, I enjoy my husband’s collection and they add an interesting flavour to the interior of our house. Aesthetically, I really like them and enjoy having them around me,” says Zara, wife of one of the collectors.



Toy prices vary according to brand, size and quality. The price of a toy collectible can range anywhere between Rs10,000 to Rs90,000. Vintage or collectible items, however, cost a lot more and can go up to Rs400,000 per item.

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Some frequently visited retail sites by Pakistani toy collectors are:

1. Amiami

2. Hobbylink Japan

3. Amazon.com


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There are hundreds of different kinds of toys available in the market. Some of the most popular ones are as follows:

1. Transformers

2. Marvel Legends

3. Diamond Select

4. Kotobukiya Statues

5. Gentle Giant

6. Funko

7. Bishoujo

8. Hot Toys

9. Sideshow Collectibles

10. DC Comics Toy series

11. Star Wars: Black Series

12. Medicom

13. Bandai Japan (they make Gundam)

14. Mc Farlane Toys

15. GI Joe

Noman Ansari is a freelance writer. He tweets @Pugnate 

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, September 21^st, 2014.