I remember that I started building my own toy museum inside my room at home, that was around my high school to early college years, I also started in creating my own library and bought those books about astronomy and zoology, but I failed after being hooked to video games, toys and comic books, having a toy museum is a dream come true for everyone who loves toys and pop culture items on display, and its an apple in our eyes every day when we woke up in the morning and look at our collection and sometimes it takes out our stress and let these plastic and metal figures absorb those bad auras.
(MORE STORY BELOW)
Our room became like a toys and comic store ( too bad I don’t have a photo of it) because I display all of our action figure collections in our wall and also displayed my sister’s Barbie collection on the other side. The collection and plan for displaying more toys stopped when I started in my young adult life and focuses on the wonders of the internet
There are lots of discussions way back about a group of people or individual who plan to have their own toy museum, and everyone predicted that the 1st ever toy museum in the Philippines will be a sure hit, but no one dared to start their own, Even my group at ToyCon wants to create one, but we don’t have budget for it, but I’m sure all toy collectors, especially the hard core collectors have their own PRIVATE toy museum in their house or rooms. I discovered some of their collections when they were featured on TV and even celebrities have an awesome toy collection, I can’t believe that one of them is former Senator Freddie Webb, Sex bomb girl Rochelle Pangilinan and even Tv news person Julius Babao is a hard core collector of vinyl art toys. I also seen some of my friends who transformed their rooms into their own museum, I have seen Earl Madriaga’s Star Wars collection years ago and it was a jaw dropping experience to be inside his room, imagine that all stuff in there are all Star Wars, from toys to bed sheet up to a Princess Leia toothbrush and R2D2 toothpaste, I also saw Ricky Tinio’s toy attic, his very own private toy museum where he collects all kinds of action figures. (saw it via photos only), and then I saw Mark Santos’s friend created a robot museum and also Mark stored his own collection there as a storage base of his collection for Robot Pilipinas. We also have a comics museum, like Gerry Alanguilan’s Philippine Komiks Museum, he started only online and then he converted his home into a mini museum for Philippines comics and we also have a Darna Museum created by Herbert Chavez in Laguna. Galeng di ba? I’m very happy that these people have lots of passion of creating their own museums, and I know that everyone can do it too. Now I’m building my own mini toy museum, and I’m sure that when my son grows up, he will help me run our museum here at home.
But we’re looking for a toy museum that is opened to the public, were we can visit it in a regular basis and with educational value to kids and adults. Collecting toys and restoring the old toys to its mint condition or nearly perfect form is a must if you plan to show to the public what kind of toys that came out on the yester-years. Here in the Philippines, I have known some that are open to the public, first was Yexel’s Toy Museum years ago, he organizes a toy museum in a mall and he volunteered to share his toys and lifesize figures in a public viewing event that happened in a month, but then after the success of the exhibit, he decided to create his own museum inside his home and it will be opened soon this 2012. Then I found Jimmy Madarang’s own toy museum, and I’m surprised that the toy museum is available to the public with a P70 entrance fee, he invites schools and families to check out and visit his toy collection, Jimmy is one hard core collector, model kit builder and a good toy restorer. I’ve seen him and his toys on TV but I didn’t know that it is opened to the public, I’m going to have my schedule soon to visit his “Wow Toy Musuem”. We also have the toy gallery section of the ToyCon event, we have that only every month of June and its one awesome attraction we have for our toy convention.
It’s cool that we have some people who volunteered to organizes this with their own money and no backer or support from our local government, if you’ll look at the toy museum in Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong, they do have government support from their tourism offices, but here in our country is just a start and I know that we’re going to have that support from our local government SOON, but its better to act on our own and instead of waiting for them to support us.
I created a list here of various toy museums in South East Asia and other countries and If you have been there to these museum, feel free to share your experience here in our comment board.
MINT: Museum of Toys in Singapore
“At Mint museum, we showcase a world class collection of toys that span more than 25 countries and over 100 years.
Whether you are a child at heart or an avid toy collector, The Mint Museum of Toys has something for everyone. Housed in a contemporary five-storey building, it boasts a rich mix of nostalgia, education and inspiration. The Mint Museum offers a different learning experience in terms of uniqueness of content which appeals to all ages, capturing the essential childhood experience of bygone years. Besides covering educational topics like art, culture, design, history and others, the museum aspires to be a centre of excellence of creativity.”
MINT: Museum of Toys in Singapore
26 Seah Street. Singapore 188382
http://www.emint.com/
Museum of Shanghai Toys
“The first museum in the world to exhibit vintage oriental toys, MoST boasts an extensive collection of toys that originated from Shanghai, China, from the period of 1910s to 1970s.
As an avid Chinese toy collector, this museum is truely a testament to my lifelong labour of love. By visiting this museum, you will reminisce about your childhood memories and discover the exciting stories behind these vintage toys. I’ll be most pleased to bring you on a guided tour through my Shanghai toy collection and I’ll trust that you’ll enjoy exploring the different eras of Chinese history in a new light. And what’s a museum without souvenirs? We’ve got that covered, in our gift shop at the first floor. “
Museum of Shanghai Toys
83 Rowell Road. Singapore 208015
http://www.most.com.sg/
http://shanghaitoys.wordpress.com
Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum
“Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum is the only museum devoted to studying, restoring, preserving, and displaying of hobby and toy items in Hong Kong. We invite visitors to explore our exhibits of toys, models and pop culture collectibles in a comfortable and leisurely environment.”
Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum
330 Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong
http://www.hktoymuseum.org/
Penang Toy Museum in Malaysia
Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 10470 Tanjong Bungah, Penang, Malaysia (in front of Copthorne Orchid Hotel)
http://www.travelingape.com/travel/penang-toy-museum-tanjung-bungah-penang/
Japan Toy Museum
http://www.japan-toy-museum.org
pic via http://carinberger.blogspot.com/2009/07/japan-toy-museum.html
and here are some other museums
Hamilton Toy Museum in Canada https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hamilton-Toy-Museum/150975118267726
Toy and Action Figure Museum in Oklahoma
https://www.facebook.com/actionfigmuseum
The Buenos Aires Toy Museum in Argentina
https://www.facebook.com/TheBuenosAiresToyMuseum?sk=info
Rhodes Toy Museum in Greece
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhodes-Toy-Museum-Greece/176902158999228?sk=info
Here are the toy museums in the Philippines
Bandai Toy Museum Philippines
For starters, above is just a site development plan for a Bandai Toy Museum in the Philippines, created by a student for his school thesis, I love his ideas and I just wish that these design and plan will be materialized.
from: http://frisbeexd.multiply.com/photos/album/24#
And here’s the real toy museum in the Philippines
Yexel’s Toy Museum
“hi ako po si YEXEL iniimbitahan ko po kayo this coming 2012 (hopefully) matapos po ang full renovation ng aming tahanan para mai convert sa isang maliit na toy museum,ito po ay tinuturing kong napaka laking regalo sakin ng panginoon at katuparan ng aking pangarap sana po ay maging parte po kayo ng kabuuan ng pangarap kong ito,marami po kaming inihahandang mas mga bago maliban po sa mga litratong makikita ninyo dito .asahan po ninyo na ang isang pagbisita ninyo dito ay magiging makabuluhan at masaya para sa mga bata at buong pamilya , maraming salamat po and God bless “
Yexel’s Toy Museum (main museum opening soon this 2012)
https://www.facebook.com/yexelstoymuseum
52 SAMPAGUITA RD PILAR VILLAGE, 1740 Las Piñas, Philippines
pic via: http://man-mecha-monster.blogspot.com/2008/01/yexels-toy-museum.html
Wow Toy Museum Philippines
Wow Toy Museum Philippines
99-101 Sgt. Rivera St. Quezon City
Tel: 363-6247 & 413-7105
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.102767436461404.4742.102754886462659
https://www.facebook.com/pages/WOW-Toy-Museum/102754886462659?sk=wall
https://www.facebook.com/jgcm54
The First & only Toy Museum in the Philippines 2010
Dear School Administrator,
I’m inviting your school to a visit our more than 10,000 rare Toy Collections from different countries like Japan, Germany, Italy, UK, USA, Russia, Ukraine, China, Singapore, Taiwan etc. and also from different era of airplanes, cars, appliances, historical figures, science, biology, math, cartoon characters, renewable energy and so on.
About few months back there are around 16 TV Programs that have come to feature our collections, and the following TV programs are (1.) GMA 7 Mel & Joey 1-18-09 (2.) Net 25 Home Page 11-3-10 (3.) GMA 7 Unang Hirit 11-3-10 (4.) ABC 5 Sapul sa Singko 11-22-10 (5.) CH 2 Umagang Kay Ganda 11-26-10 (6.) GMA 7 Jessica Soho 12-4-10 (7.) GMA 7 AHA 12-12-10 (8.) CH 2 Matang Lawin 12-12-10 (9.) QTV 11 The Beat 12-13-10 (10.) S. Cable CH13 Business & Leisure 2-1-11 (11.) Net 25 Chinoy TV 4-3-11, (12.) GMA 7 Unang Hirit 5-20-11 (13.) CH 2 Rated K 5-22-11, (14.) Skycable 42 K-Now 7-3-11, (15.) GMA I Love Pinas 8-5-11, (16.) Makatang Gala 8-17-11, , After that we were able to upload all the video coverage on my youtube account jgcm54, if you have time please see them all, thanks.
When most of the TV Host and their crew saw the toys, their first word was Wow!, and when families have visited/toured our Toy Museum, again their first reaction was again Wow! so we decided to name our Museum as “Wow Toy Museum”.
Last January 22, 2011, a pre-school “Kids R Us” visited us. When the school Principal, Teachers, Parents, and their Student have visited our Toy Museum. Again their first reaction was “WOW”, so now we know that many people are really interested in seeing our collection!
Wow Toy Museum's aim is to teach our children in a more traditional way. It will teach them to cherish these old & new toys. It will teach them how to collect, as they grow old it will teach them how to maintain and even how to fix and restore these collectible toys, without knowing it they already applying it into there adult life.
When you visit our Wow Toy Museum, you will see many detailed miniatures and also many large colored posters. Children and adults will learn the evolution of different things like the development first car to the present, the first boat, the first airplane, houses and so on etc. In addition, we have also displayed the evolution of Paper and Coin of our Philippine money as early as 1907. These are just some of the things you can learn at our exhibits: the skills needed to draw, about scale models, about electricity and lights, about motors and mechanical devices, sculpture, solar, wind, hydro and renewable energy. Who knows, maybe these toys will awaken the future scientists and inventors in us.
It is our hope to teach and mold our children's future by exposing them to the toys that taught us before. School Administrator, school officials, Teachers are welcome to visit us and see for yourselves. We can schedule for school field trips. As of December 2010, entrance fee is now lower to only: PHP 70.00 per head (to cover our expenses of the electricity like, aircon, electric fan & lights, maintenance crews etc.)
It’s sad that these old toys are getting rarer and harder to find. The Madarang Wow Toy Museum has a few hundred and is able to restore some of it. Some are now on display and every week, we are adding more new and rare vintage items. For those who cannot visit us, you can search and check us on the internet by using google or yahoo search engines & search for Wow Toy Museum- Madarang Philippines, so you’ll be able to see some of our photos and you can also go to my youtube account ‘jgcm54’ to see my video on animated toys. You can also see the entire TV program that has featured our Wow Toy Museum plus other videos on how to restore an old toys.
Recently, On 8-22-11 Nuestra Senora De Aranzazu Parochial School in San Mateo Rizal & 8-24-11 Westminster High School Honorio Lopez Tondo Manila have there fieldtrip to our Toy Museum & we have them video & uploaded on our U-tube account, many thanks to all of them!!!
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the schools, parents and families who supported and visited our Wow Toy Museum and we know you enjoyed the tour. We would also like to thank sulit.com.ph for providing us the information to share our vast toy collection not only to the Philippines but to the world.
For inquiries you can contact us through our cell phone number 0919-469-6987, landline number 363-6247 & 413-7105 my email address is jgcm@ispx.com.ph or jgcm1954@yahoo.com Our Address is 99-101 Sgt. Rivera St. Quezon City, Hope to see you soon. Thanks.
Your vital support will inspire us to constantly improve, upgrade and add new rare collectible toys that will make your next visit a fun, educational and memorable one.
Thank you and Mabuhay!
Jimmy Madarang
post via http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/1599409/Wow+Toy+Museum-Madarang?referralKeywords=metro+manila+toy+museum
