Sunday, July 20, 2008

Welcome to my new place :)

My new place is almost ready - I say almost because being the perfectionist that I am, it'll never be complete until I'm totally satisfied with everything in the house but for now, this will do. Bought the new place because we felt that Jared and Javon should have their own rooms since the two rascals are growing up so fast that before long, they'll probably want to have their own pads (on the condition that I can put my stuff in their room as well - LOL!!). And since my home is my toy haven, this entry is most appropriate.

Finally, almost all the unpacking's done. Please enter into my toy haven :)

Movie related 12 inch 1/6 scale action figures - click on the pictures to get a much better enlarged view :)

The view you get when you step in (Jolin, our pet Maltese inspecting the troops)

The Kitchen is finally complete!

Our bright orange and lime green kitchen cabinets plus yellow fridge



Some of my display cabinets - military themed from the early period (greek hoplite, roman centurion and knights) to World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War


Dining table showcasing some of my anime/manga/japanese action figures - lovely painting by lovely wife. All the paintings in the house are done by her

Foosball Table, for father and son bonding moments, and to get them off the computer once in a while

More of my display - mainly homeland security (Police forces around the world including counter-terrorism forces, bomb squad, firefighters and pilots)

Sofa so good :) - sofa upholstery and curtains by Jazz-it-up!

Some of the military themed books I own. I enjoy reading them and they are very good for reference. (Plus Darth Vader voice changer mask, his light saber and Ultimate Iron Giant)

TV with more display

Some more military themed display featuring the later wars - Vietnam, Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, Falklands, Afghanistan and Iraq (plus various Star Wars vehicles and R2D2 phone)


Hallway


Javon's room

Some of the comics I own - had to get rid of quite a bit to make way for toys

Japanese themed action figures including Ultraman and his Ultra brothers plus monsters, Kamen Riders/masked riders, Captain Action and Batman


All the various batmobiles including the latest Tumbler and batplanes, Gabriel Lone Ranger riding Silver and Tonto riding Scout


G-Force, Marvel superheroes, japanese anime/manga like Akira, Appleseed, Astroboy and Resident Evil/Biohazard Leon and Jack Krauser

Jared's room

Fantastic Four action figures - love the series because almost all the characters were released

1/6 scale vehicles

More action figures including GI Joe, Action Man and more

Hallway lights


Common bathroom



Study

1/6 scale 12" Star Wars action figures

More movie-related action figures from Hellboy, Pirates of the Caribbean, Terminator, USCM, Kerberos Panzer Cops, Batman and Superman, Rocketeer, Robocop, Planet of the Apes and Alien.

12 inch 1/6 scale Hoth Han Solo on Tauntaun

Entrance to master bedroom



Lovely painting of butterflies. How many butterflies do you see? Two or four - it all depends on your perspective

Master bedroom attached bathroom

Wash basin

Wife's yellow submarine bathtub

Living Room - before

View of living room from window

Living room, after

Kitchen, before


Hallway, before

Javon's room, before

Javon's room, after


Jared's room, before


Jared's room, after


Common bathroom, before


Common bathroom, after

Study room, before


Study room, after


Master bedroom, before


Master bedroom, after


Master bedroom attached bathroom, before



Master bedroom attached bathroom, after



The BIG MOVE - two truckloads and it didn't include my boxes of toys, those I moved myself coz I didn't trust them to handle with care

Kind of remind you of the scene at the end of "Indiana Jones - Raiders of the lost Ark". These are just boxes of my toys. The furniture & stuff from the two truckloads had already been unpacked.



That's all folks. Thank you for visiting :) Do come again - ha! ha!

Yay! My toys and place got featured. Just thought I'll share ;p

76 comments:

  1. Aiya u never mentioned your lovely sofa and lovely curtains done by Jazz it Up! your favorite sister in law :-)

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  2. Wow wow wow! When can we visit? =p

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  3. Awesome crib! Now that's how u integrate a toy collection around d house. Vibrant colours and even the ceiling fan has 4 colours!

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  4. Wat a colourful dwell... oh i meant toy factory! Sorry I couldn't come by the other day, last min emergency, thanx for the invitation tho'. I am still awaiting the movers to ship those boxes of 1/6th figs to my place, but they are no where to be seen...

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  5. Your new crib rocks...so many vibrant colours! Really can brighten one's day!!

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  6. Cool!.....Lovely colour of the place and lovely painting of butterflies lol :) xxx

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  7. Hi Jann, have linked you already lah - check out sofa so good :)

    Kenny, soon my friend, real soon

    Hock, thank you but your digirama is even more COOL!! They are masterpieces

    Woodhead - thanks for the compliments :)

    Cosmicbaby, don't worry about it - will arrange for you to come with your girlfriend and Roy with XiaoHong. About those boxes, they are still in the storeroom lah - LOL!!

    Little Plastic Man - thanks. We like BRIGHT colours - ha! ha!

    May - All lovely paintings by DaisyMatches the curtains in the master bedroom :)

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  8. looking forward to an invitation from the 1:6 guru!

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  9. btw, daisy's marvel painting rocks!

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  10. hey shaun, thanks for your compliments! will cook something nice just for you when u come visit. alex however thinks that my iron man is distorted :(

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  11. Stumbled upon your blog ^^ Lovely new place you have! And yeah... awesome collection!

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  12. Shaun, hope you can make it :)

    Angel, thanks for the compliments - now I can say an angel visited my blog - ha! ha!

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  13. daisy, thank you, always an honour to drop by and visit your family.

    alex, bout the angel bit, think you risking opening a can of ass whupping, courtesy of daisy.

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  14. wow...your new place rock~!! it's definitely a toy collectors wonderland~~envy envy

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  15. hey shaun, daisy's very understanding lah :) that's why lasts so long - 15 years and counting.

    ken, thanks for the compliments - gotta work in the family with the collection - ha! ha! LOL!!

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  16. Wow, you've got a massive toy collection there! Love the way you designed your home for your hobby :)

    One question though - how do you deal with dust settling on your exposed toys? This issue always bugs my collection and I avoid displaying my toys in the open for more than a week.

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  17. Hi Juliana, welcome back :) Thanks for the compliments. I'd to find a way to make the toys a part of the home and it took me a while, like after moving three times. Each time I realised what could be improved from the previous displays and what worked and what didn't.

    I also discovered that dust depends on location - so I'm now staying on a much higher floor than before and away from the main road (VERY IMPORTANT coz that's where all the dust comes from!!) The glass cabinets you see help a great deal. Even though there are gaps, dust doesn't really get in. I haven't cleaned my displays since I moved in and that's a good sign. However, those toys that I display on the open shelves do pick up dust so my tip to you is - put your toys in glass cabinets.

    I stored some of my toys in their original box and in the storeroom but due to the humidity, some of their costumes (the leather type) melted or disintegrated. The same ones left out in the open were fine so for me, keeping them in their boxes isn't always a good thing. They need AIR!!

    Well that's my two cents worth. Hope you visit often ;p

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  18. Thank you for your reply and tips!

    When I get my own place, I'll definitely have more freedom to plan the home decor to suit my toy collections.

    It pains my heart when toys 'deteriorate' in our climate, esp when I got them mint. Most problematic is discoloration and 'stickiness'. Some toy parts even become brittle and break.

    Fortunately I found that normal wet wipes is a temp relief for sticky plastic.

    Yes, I'll visit your blog often, do drop by mine as well! :)

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  19. yeah the stickiness irks me too. will definitely drop by your blog and catch up on other toys that you collect :)

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  20. hey hey!

    I stumbled upon ur blog and I luuurveee ur toilet! very very cheerful and unique!

    oh btw, what is the brand of ur fridge? coz I'm planning to get a yellow one for my place..and where did u get it?

    hee..thnx for sharing this entry!I used to collect toys too but sold most of it away coz my mum nagged!hehe..

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  21. hi blinking, our family loves colours and that's why the house is so colourful :) it makes the home very cheerful, warm and welcoming - our toilet's probably one of a kind but we luuurvee it the way it is.

    the fridge is from ariston and we bought it at a warehouse sale some time back. the salesperson told us that the bright colour refrigerators were not popular and we haven't seen any other company bring in colour fridges since :(

    thanks for visiting my blog and the nice compliments ;>

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  22. heh..i luuurrrvee ur quirkiness in ur choice of colour combis..however, I'm not as daring coz I feel that I still the need to "conform" with the mainstream..hehehe..but my kitchen will be in yellow and white with retro prints!=)
    so yeah, I will go checkout the fridge from Ariston then!;p thnx for the info ya..

    will keep coming back to "steal" sum ideas from ur place..hee..hope u dun mind!=)

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  23. good luck on your fridge quest blinking :) your kitchen sounds NICE just from your description of it - hope you'll share pictures when it's done (if no yellow fridge is available, perhaps you can custom one with retro prints)

    "Steal" all you want as these are just our ideas, put up here for sharing ;p

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  24. Wow! Impressive! Must be a great feeling to be surrounded by all these toys! I am still in awe!

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  25. hey Jcee WELCOME :) yup, i look forward to waking up everyday - tis a GREAT feeling indeed!! thanks for looking

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  26. beautiful home and beautiful blog!:)

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  27. thanks DarkAryn for the nice compliments :) Hope you revisit often

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  28. Kerberos Panzer Cops! Where did you get those?

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  29. If you like them, then you should check out this link for more pictures :)

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  30. Hi Alex, I'm new to the 12" figure scene and I stumbled upon your blog while searching for figure reviews and wow! That is one awesome collection! Will definitely visit often. :)

    I notice you have some figures in enclosed cases. Do you allow them to ventilate every once in a while?

    As I've recently purchased a HT Iron Man Mark II figure and I'm planning to keep it in an enclosed glass case to keep the dust away but I'm worried about the PVC torso melting and such... Any forms of advice appreciated, thank you! :)

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  31. hey ian, thanks for the compliments :) and welcome to the world of 1/6!!

    Congrats on your Hot Toys Iron Man Mark II purchase ;p Great start. Enclosed glass case is a good idea and I'm sure you'll probably want to take it out once in a while to admire it so that will naturally allow it to ventilate. The PVC torso doesn't look like it'll melt although I'm concerned about discolouration over time BUT at this point in time, nobody knows what will happen.

    As for me, I don't put my favourites too near the windows (direct sunlight will cause the colours to fade real fast) nor do I advocate placing spot lights on them (very nice for display but very bad for the toy because most spot lights get VERY HOT!!)

    I always tell fellow collectors not to keep their toys in the boxes, especially those with leather-type clothes because they tend to melt when they are kept inside the box over time. I've some bad experiences with these :( Displaying them in the open and allowing the clothes to 'breathe' seem to alleviate or prevent this problem.

    Well, that's my two cents worth. ENJOY your TOY ;>

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  32. Thanks for the tips, Alex. Will be keeping them in mind. You're right, awesome toys should always be displayed! :D

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  33. I love the colorfulness of your home!! :) And my husband and I thought ours was too much already!! Hahaha.. Your display cabs looks super great!! Its perfect kasi you have a lot of stuffs to display!!

    I'll try and take a 'stolen' pic of my hubby's collection and post it in my blog.

    Bwhahahahahaha!!!

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  34. thanks candishhh, daisy absolutely loves colors - great to know there are like-minded people ;> do post pictures. I checked out your blog but no pictures of your hubby's collection yet - ha! ha!

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  35. I really like the layout. Not sure where to begin with what I like most. I'll say I like it all. That 1/6th helicopter is unreal. Great collection of figures of all sizes. It's a fun place, the way it is designed. I like to browse your site, it's fun too. Thank you!

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  36. THANK YOU, anon :) I'm very glad you enjoyed the blog as much as I enjoyed posting them.

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  37. I'm very very ....glad to see so many toys at one time. My eyes are Straining :-). Thank U and keep collecting. Good Luck

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  38. THANKS :> keep collecting i will, strong is the passion in this one, says YODA

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  39. Hey friend!
    Your house is my dream!
    Great collection!
    I have some action figures, but one day, with a lot of money, maybe I'll buy your collection, hahahaha!
    Congratulations from Brazil

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  40. thank you Junior Menezes from Brazil :) just keep on collecting and one day it'll become like mine - ha! ha! that's how i started more than ten years ago - CHEERS!!

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  41. Alex, I just wanted to thank you for your genius idea of turning fish tanks into display cases. I started officially collecting as of February of this year and need ways to protect my toys. I couldnt afford any sort of cabinet, so I went looking for something else. I came across your blog awhile back and saw them in the pictures. Luckily I had a couple fish tanks laying around...so I used your idea. Thanks. =]

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  42. You are most welcome. Just glad that you could do the same with your figures. Great photography on your site, by the way. I've added you guys on my blog list. Happy collecting & a very Merry Christmas to you two >_<

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  43. Thank you very much. We're glad a fellow collector enjoys our work. I read your magazine article and its funny because I kind of started collecting the same way, I even have the Catwoman toy. =]
    You're definatly our hero, and we look up to you as a collector and a person, and we admire the fact that you pursue your passion and your family stands by you 100%. Hopefully Drea and I can be just as happy as you and your family are in the future, collecting and all.
    Thanks and Merry Christmas to you.

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  44. ha! ha! looks like i'm not alone - i really enjoyed The Animated Batman series, especially the season when they had Nightwing and the new Robin - it was darker and edgier. My wife laughed when she read that i'm a hero in other's eyes and i'm indeed honored. All the best to you and Drea and keep on collecting...

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  45. Yupp. I was just a kid when the animated series were out, but I think it changed my life.
    Im kind of bummed that I didnt save many of my toys from the time, but luckily I was able to come across some of the same ones I had as a child. Thanks for your words of wisdom, we will definitly come back here for any collecting advice.

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  46. Wow...your collection is super!
    Showing the before and after photos of your home...this is a great post. Thanks for sharing.
    I've added your blog link.
    It would be an great if you can add my link too.
    Have a happy and wonderful collecting journey!
    MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family!

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  47. hey astrogalaxy, thanks for the compliments :> just glad to be able to share with anyone who's interested. we are now linked - ha! ha! Merry Christmas to you too >_<

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  48. I'm going to use your toys display as an inspiration for my new place when I move in later this year. Now, if only the other-half would accept it.....

    By the way, I just link your site from mine. Hope you'll do likewise.

    http://babesinmytoyland.blogspot.com/

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  49. always tell the better half that she is your NUMBER ONE and nothing takes her place >_< and that her FULL support is paramount XD All the best!!

    Have added you as well; always a pleasure to share the passion

    CHEERS

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  50. Looks like the happiest home i've ever seen, like being a kid again at home with Mom & Dad and happy times :) Loved seeing this- thanks Alex
    ps- Word Verification says "oving" -like "loving" :D
    CHEERS

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  51. thanks colin, friends who visit think so too :> glad you liked the post - have received a lot of positive comments about the place, most encouraging. cool thing about the word verification too - almost like the MacDonald's ad "I'm lovin it!" haha take care man CHEERS

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  52. Wonderful.
    Go to library and go home
    Since my power I would like to have the kekos well.
    Congratulations and thanks for sharing

    Raquel - custom Lourditas

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  53. ;-)how come you don't have many villains? a great collection like that should have villains :-) I like villains today, as a boy all I ever had was heroes. :-)

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  54. The companies that make all these collectible figures and TOYS tend to make more heroes than villains because heroes SELL more than villains. That's why there are so few villains out there. Generally people want to see heroes CHEERS

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  55. with a home like that, who needs holidays!?

    visitors must be in awe every time they stop by!

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  56. THANKS Joshua, i'm quite the home-body :) and U R right: visitors always get caught gawking at the displays and i get a kick out of watching their expressions haha

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  57. Zulfikri Abdullah commented on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toyhaven/138389459542931): Very colorful crib you have there.. All bright & cheerful :-). I like the way you blended your 12" figures collections within your overall home space up till your sons' room. Very nice indeed. Got few questions though: ... 1) The internal light-up white wall-mounted cabinest located right in front of your door-step, are those Ikea or custom made? 2) How do you managed to stick/mounted those Batman's BatJets/plane to the cabinet walls or your walls? 3) Where do you store all your collectibles boxes?.. I mean some 12" boxes are very nice & can be considered as collectibles as well. Mine still stored in guest room and they're mounting up... :-)

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  58. hey Zulfikri, sorry for the late reply. (1) Those wall-mounted cabinets were bought from IKEA. They were meant for displaying music CDs and had more dividers. I just used less in order to put the 12" figures in. They have no lighting though... and you really don't need lights because the white interiors reflect light pretty well ;p (2) The Batplanes / Batwings are propped up against something (in front) in order to make them look like they are attached to the wall :) (3) You are RIGHT about the boxes, some of them truly are works of ART and I find it impossible to chuck them away. They are mostly kept in the store room. Space really is a constraint CHEERS

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  59. Awesome collection !!

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  60. Just stunned :)
    Perfect museum!
    one question, can we visit your wonderful house/shop? we have a short trip to hongkong form 15 to 17/october-2011.
    From VietNam

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  61. hi Draco from Vietnam, thanks for the compliments but i stay in Singapore and not hongkong :) also, we are rather private people and are pretty shy so don't invite a lot guests to the house/museum ENJOY your trip :>

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  62. I'm speechless... That is one hell of a house you got there. Plus the toy collections are massive!

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  63. thanks Myk :) but I much prefer Toy Heaven rather than hell haha CHEERS

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  64. Heaven! I've many of the Batman Animated figures, some MIB. My wife won't let me display the bulk of them ... Heh.

    I live in Santa Monica, but am in Japan right now (kid is doing 8 weeks of Japanese 1st Grade). I want to track down a RAH Hibano Mirai.

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  65. Wow! Great! Awesome! ... i'am speechless!

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  66. Thanks guys for the kind words :)

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  67. Hi there,

    Great collection you have there in a beautiful house. Is really great to see someone with passion in toys collection. Nice to know I am not alone. :)

    Just curious, where do you store all your toy boxes? Very often boxes are the ones that took up space.

    Cheers,
    Dennis

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  68. Hi Dennis

    I managed to keep them in the store room and wardrobes plus extra cabinets I had built in the kitchen.

    Cheers,
    Alex

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  69. Hi Alex,

    I always find myself wiping the saliva off my chin when i view your collection from this post title.

    May I ask for your IKEA Detolf glass cabinets (are they?) starting frm 3rd image- How do you keep the dust out as there is still a small gap between the glass doors...?

    Or do you have to dust figures every now & then? Please advise. Thank you.

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  70. Hi R2-D2 (nice name haha),

    Thanks for the compliments :)

    I read some recommendations where you can purchase soft foam used for sealing to make things air tight (usually black - easily found in Daiso & D-I-Y stores) to cover the gaps.

    I find that the glass cabinets does keep out the dust quite a bit but I still do the occasional cleaning.

    Cheers

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  71. Beautiful house!! I notice that some of your toys are displayed in the living room and there is an open window at the side. Aren't you worried that sunlight will damage some of your toys over time?

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  72. Thanks Ron for the compliments :) I was able to position the display cabinets away from the sun so that the direct sunlight does not impact the toys / figures. They seem to have withstood the onslaught and I'm happy to report that they are still in good condition. Cheers and thanks for dropping by.

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