Interview by Rui Pastorin
Prior to 2020, toy enthusiast and photographer Franky Lei (李寶) found that Macau did not have a community of toy collectors that he could share his hobby and passion for collecting with. That’s why he decided to start one, with the aim of bringing collectors together.
Established in 2020, the Macao Trendy Toy Collectors Association (澳門潮流玩具收藏家協會) has been joined by local toy enthusiasts and collectors, all brought together by their love for toys. “We frequently gather to share the joy of toys”, Lei, who also owns a business that sells toys called “Toy Hunters”, said in an interview via WeChat, adding that the association now has around 20 members and nearly 2,500 followers across its social media platforms.
Gatherings at cafés and restaurants to talk about toys and co-organising an event called “Summer Friends of Anime Second-Hand Flea Market” for second-hand toys are among the events that the association has held. Moreover, during gatherings, Lei told the Post during a visit to his shop, members also take items from their personal collections to talk about and showcase them.
“Our goal is to unite the trendy toy collectors in Macau, enhancing friendships and promoting toy culture. We aim to strengthen the connections, interactions, and information sharing among toy collectors worldwide, thus encouraging the development of the local toy creation industry”, Lei said.
Being a collector himself, Lei’s love for toys began in 2008 when he bought his first Hot Toys* figure, which was modelled on US actor James Dean (1931-1955). “I used toys as subjects for my photography projects, which sparked my passion for collecting them”, Lei said.
Lei also uses this passion as he runs a shop in Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida, where he sells a variety of toys from Japan, Europe and the US, always being happy to be able to talk to those who share or are interested in the same hobby.
To him, the shop is more than just a place to simply buy a toy from, telling the Post that he enjoys conversing with other collectors about the hobby that they greatly enjoy.
Toys are not just for a younger audience
Though some might relate toys to a younger demographic, there are a number of older collectors that make up a great market. Citing data from US-based Circana, a consultancy on consumer behaviour, the New York Post said in a recent article that toy demand by enthusiasts in the US aged over 18 has surpassed those by preschoolers for the first time, accounting for US$1.5 billion in sales from January to April this year.
In Macau, Lei said, there are also many older “profound toy collectors”, some of whom even have collections that include antique toys and movie props. “Some toys in their possession are over 30 years old, well-preserved, and just as magnificent as new ones, offering a fascinating insight”.
The city’s toy lovers prefer to collect Japanese toys due to the immense influence of Japanese animation, TV and movies, according to Lei, but he noted that globally, toy culture is “diverse and ever-changing”. Some collect based on their interest in certain source materials, while others might be influenced by their peers. But among the answers that Lei has heard about why people collect toys, the best was related to nostalgia: “The best answer I’ve heard is, ‘What I’m buying isn’t just a toy; it’s a piece of my childhood memories’”, which was, he said, also akin to buying a piece of history for older collectors.
*Hot Toys are a Hong Kong-based production house that designs, develops and manufactures highly detailed collectible merchandise to worldwide markets, according to Wikipedia.
Macao Trendy Toy Collectors Association founder Franky Lei (李寶) poses with locally made toys along with toys made by various companies at his shop, Toy Hunters, on Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
This photo shows Lei’s shop called Toy Hunters.
These photos provided by the Macao Trendy Toy Collectors Association yesterday show some of their recent events.
