I love toys.

Action figures based on movie characters and creatures are my favorite, but I love all kinds.  And not just figures.  Prop replicas, deluxe box sets, autographs, production art books, I have them all.  I’ve been building my collection for fifteen years now and it’s been my favorite hobby by far in that time.  And honestly, it took me quite a while to figure out exactly why I like it so much.

I’ve loved movies my entire life.  The number I have memorized is nothing short of embarrassing; I own hundreds of DVDs and Blu Rays.  I graduated from DeSales University with a BA in Television and Film. So, I have been a film geek longer than a toy geek.  Of those two, I know many more people can relate to being a film buff.  Because of that, I think I can help people understand my madness.

Certain images flood your mind when you think of the vacations you’ve taken in your life: The purples and pinks of a sunset, the sand of a beach, the delicious food, the native wildlife.  All the great things that memories are made of.  Now, how often on one of those trips did you bring home a souvenir of some sort, even if just a photograph?  Probably most if not all.  Well, why do we do that?  So we can have a physical reminder of an amazing feeling or memory.

Movies take us on journeys of the imagination, soul and mind.  Everyone has a series or film that just lights them up inside; where you imagine yourself in the place of the characters regardless of how old you are.  Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Back to the Future; the list is endless.  For myself, the Aliens and Predator series and anything in the horror genre are my main focus.

That’s what a figure is: a movie souvenir.  An awesome, little slice of the movie you can put on a desk or shelf and enjoy like you would a photo collage from a vacation.  It reminds you of all the emotions you went through the first time you saw it.  Thrills and screams; cheers and laughs.  That’s why I love toys.