JOURNEY OF A TOY COLLECTOR
Life as a toy collector can start from anywhere and at any time. Walk into this exhibition as a learning journey if you ever wonder how does one start their collection. What are the tips to go about collecting, the places you might not have even thought of where one can end up purchasing that particular item to add into their collection?
What was the Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys that have sparked oneself into collecting?Was it the childhood memories – a simple morning TV cartoon show that it comes on the channel every weekend and sparked you to collect anything related to the character? Or was it a stamp on the letter that you first received from your beloved sibling who’s studying overseas? Many reasons and many stories of how one embarked on a journey of becoming a toy collector. Find out how you can start your own collection by visiting UNBOX presents: Journey of a Toy Collector #GUYSandDOLLS!
From 15th July to 15th September 2019, MINT Museum of Toys welcomes you into the collection of dolls and from a perspective of a renowned doll collector; the journey of his collection. This is the first public exhibition where visitors from around the world will be able to view highlights from his stunning collection, over 300 dolls will be on display. Come visit to find out who is the man behind these dolls!
One can also enter a life-size toy box specially constructed for this exhibition. It serves as a whole toy or doll mint-in-box concept; think doll in a box packaging with accessories. Remember to snap and share this moment on your social media’s story and feed!
GODZILLA SOFUBI EXHIBITION
Collectors have gathered to showcase their Godzilla Sofubi figures and one of the event sponsors Mr. Jeran, who also happens to own one of the largest private Godzilla Sofubi collections in Southeast Asia is participating in this exhibition too!
Indulge in rows of different colours and sizes of Godzilla Sofubi, plus some monsters or otherwise known as Kaiju in Japanese will be on display as well. Think Ghidorah, Mothra and many more monsters that Godzilla has fought with!
To top it off, the president of MARMIT Kazumitsu Akamatsu will be the special guest of this landmark event. Toy collectors and hobbyists will be able to register for an exclusive meet and greet session with the man himself happening on 21st June, Friday!
Marmit (マーミット) is one of the bigger independent toy manufacturers in Japan. They first released their flagship “Vinyl Paradise” line in 1996, and have expanded to include not only soft vinyl, but chogokin as well.
Marmit released many different types of products, including unpainted figures and assembly kits. Their toys also come in a variety of sizes: Mini size (About 12cm), Middle size (About 16cm), Standard size (About 22cm), Giant size (About 35cm) and Megaton size (About 50 ~ 60cm).
Sofubi toys, also known as soft vinyl toys, originated in Japan. They often are produced in limited runs due to their handcrafted nature, being sculpted and painted purely without the use of machinery. This technique leads to unique colourways and intricate details in each toy model that cannot be replicated, making each creation highly sought after in the toy collector market.
With this Godzilla Sofubi Exhibition highlighting the unique and classic use of soft vinyl in toymaking, local sofubi manufacturer Century Fugu will also be launching their ‘Desu Ultimatum’ Sofubi collection during this event, in collaboration with MARMIT.
10 limited edition Sofubi pieces will be available for 10 lucky draw winners to purchase and collect! Each museum ticket purchased gains you an entry to the lucky draw. This is why this June’s UNBOX exhibition is not to be missed by Godzilla or Sofubi fans all over the region!
THE GOLDEN AGE OF ANIMATION
Before they were playthings, they were animated cartoons on the silver screen. This early form of animation, a staple for every child, laid the foundations of popularity for many of the character toys we carry inside our collection.
With four whole levels of toys, our museum carries many early designs of cartoon characters, mostly unfamiliar to the masses in their original look.
Amongst the collection, our Steiff Mickey Mouse Doll, with Walt Disney’s very own signature stands out, while early dolls made after Felix the Cat prompts disbelief simply because of the drastic design changes.
More significantly, through this exhibition, we aim to rediscover our favourite animated characters from the Golden Age (1928 – 1967), as we unmask the early designs for 8 different characters, including Popeye, Superman, Felix the cat and Flintstones, beautifully captured through the toys produced in that era.
BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY
Science-fiction has become one of the biggest genres in every aspect of the industry – books, films, comics, you name it! But does anyone really know where it all began? Well, now’s your chance to find out all about the birth of sci-fi with Buck Rogers of 25th century. Learn about how this little comic strip had transformed and turned into one of the biggest genre everyone loves today. Come and see what makes this space ranger so special as we travel to the 25th Century together and imagine what life would be like in the future – a place that Buck Rogers has already been!
We have some of the original toys, even the original comic magazine that Buck Rogers first appeared in showcased in the museum. Accompanied by a little activity, come and write down what you hope there will be in the 25th century and blast it off into space! And who knows, maybe they will come true!
MY STORY, MY TOY
How does a toy tell a story?
Toys are produced in the millions, yet every single one, once bought off the shelf, is unique. The experiences, the memories we build with our store-bought toys make them our very own friend, relating a story that only we will know.
Dating back to the golden age of tin toys, each tin-pressed piece was made without differentiation in shape. However, each toy produced by different countries, and the respective representative makers, inherits unique characters that translate the brand’s story. Simple components like paint quality, design, and colors, tell a story of each toy, the economic and cultural circumstances under which it is being made.
It is this desire to present the many layers that goes into a toy’s story, that gave rise to this exhibition, as we peel back the layers of paint, materials, and history to understand the full value of early tin toys.
The Exhibition
Using our wide array of tin toys, and zooming in on iconic tin toy producers, “My Story, My Toy” presents a look at not just the physical toys and it’s history, but focuses more on the respective makers and how they imbue their brand characters unto the final product. We will be exploring 4 different icons of the tin toy industry, ranging from the pioneer of European tin toys, Lehmann Toy Company, the American successor Louis Marx & Co, to the Asian revolutionary Chinese Can Company (康元製罐廠) and modern day traditionalist Welby India.
The exhibition will explore the creative direction each of these companies took through a single line of products, the iconic Climbing Monkeys.
About UNBOX
UNBOX is born out of MINT Museum of Toys’ continuing efforts to present a well-rounded dissection and appreciation of toys. Expanding beyond a showcase of our toy collection, the museum brings you into the world of toys, underneath the paint and mechanisms, to fully understand the value of creation and richness of history in a way never seen before.
Personalise your own Toy!
Special Sessions – Tell your story through a toy
Time: 11am – 5pm
Type: Free & Easy
Estimated duration: 45 mins
During this creative session, participants will be handed a piece of white-washed figurine, and provided with materials to experiment with this 3D canvas. Using a familiar toy, participants face the challenge of imprinting their stories onto the toys. This creative session asks the question, how can you make your toy truly unique, such that it only belongs to you?
Markers, spray cans and acrylic paint will be provided.
Cost: $10 per person
Complimentary tour (20mins) of featured gallery @ 1:30pm, 3:30pm
CHILDHOOD FAVOURITES
MINT Museum of Toys first quarter exhibition, Childhood Favourites, explores toys and childhood memorabilia that were inspired by 7 classic children’s books and tales from the 19th and 20th century. It aims to recapture early and timeless fictions that inspired not only children and adults, but also popular culture and toy makers. Adapted, rewritten and reimagined, the exhibition celebrates these popular children stories through a selection of dolls, figurines and collectable items from across the decades, spanning the 1900s to 2000s.
The exhibition celebrates the selected stories that have influenced our imaginations and selection of toys. Several toys from the 21st century are also on display to highlight the timeless quality and relevance of these stories. For adults, they can relive some of these classic favourites and rediscover the colourful and curious tales of their own childhood, of which can also be viewed in retrospect now.
The toys and items on display all created in likeness to the characters they take after and were produced only after the release of the books, if not the adapted version of the original tale such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and The Story of Ferdinand, both of which were retold by Walt Disney.
Highlight of the exhibition includes the unique artefact, the Alice Doll (UK, 1930’s). Created several decades after the release of the book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this particular doll was given to Alice Liddell, the young girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to conjure up the story in 1862. The museum acquired this piece from the collection of Alice Liddell and her family in 2012.
The Winnie the Pooh and friends set by Agnes Brush (USA, 1956) will also be on display. Made up of nine pieces, this very set of cloth and felt soft toys once made an appearance in a 1956 Life Magazine article (February 27, 1956 issue). This set is rare for it’s not often found complete with all 9 pieces and despite its age, it is in mint condition.
Exhibition includes a reading section on Level 3.
Exhibition opens daily from 9:30am – 6:30pm
Admission and activity are complimentary with regular museum admission.
PULLING FORWARD
Singapore used to be a port city, meaning that sailors are a common sight in our city. The Rickshaw Puller & Sailorman presented here is thus one that the pioneer generation is familiar with. As portrayed in this toy, the typical rickshaw pullers are older Asians who walks around barefooted. Even his clothes are what we assume “uncles” to wear back in the days. While rickshaws are far and few between nowadays, you can still see the occasional trishaw plying their trade at the corners of Raffles Hotel, with their main clients still being the Caucasians.
PING PONG POLITICS
“Friendship first, competition second.” This is a term that will be most familiar to sportsman around the world. Learn more about the moment in history that epitomises this the most, as table tennis successfully thawed trade relations between China and USA, leading us into globalisation as we know it.
