I thought I was done.
When I left Belfast and moved to Melbourne, I made a decision. The collection had to go. Classic Star Wars figures, GI Joe and Cobra, movie memorabilia, toy cars, all of it. Sold. I told myself it was the right thing to do. A fresh start. A new chapter. I was a grown man moving to the other side of the world. I didn’t need toys.
And for a while, I believed that.
Then one Sunday I ended up at the Camberwell Market car boot sale. Just browsing. Just looking. That’s what I told myself. You know how that story goes.
There was a guy there selling action figures. But these were nothing like the 3 inch figures I used to have. These were 12 inches tall. Life like head sculpts. Real fabric clothing. Accessories so detailed you had to look twice and be amazed that they actually look like the real thing. It was like someone had taken the concept of an action figure that I once knew and fed it through a machine that made everything bigger, better, more real, more insane.
I felt it immediately. That pressure. The urge. The wanting. Like an addict who spots something they recognise from a life they swore they left behind. Hands all shaking, I picked one up. Put it down. Walked away. Got about ten metres. Stood there for a moment.
Walked back.
It was a Sideshow Collectibles figure. 1/6 scale. A life like head sculpt of Al Pacino as Tony Montana from Scarface. Perfectly tailored suit. Every accessory you could imagine. The detail was unreal. He was just standing there on that table in the middle of Camberwell Market, looking like he owned the place.
Say hello to my little friend.
I gave in. Of course I gave in. There was never really any question. I handed over the money, tucked Tony Montana under my arm, and walked back to my car knowing full well what had just happened.
The collecting had begun again. Bigger, better, and considerably more expensive than before.
That Tony Montana figure still stands in my man cave today. Pride of place. He was the one that started it all over again and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
No regrets. The world is yours.
Happy collecting — if something makes you smile, buy it. You’re investing in your happiness.
Sharing my piece of Neverland…
Figure This Out 