This martial art expert collects toys

Unbelievable! G.I. Joe, World War II, Lord of the Rings characters, Samurai figurines, knights and cars and stuffed toys — a karate instructor has been collecting all these seriously for 11 years. And since childhood, trinkets of the ’70s and ’80s.

Joel Varias teaches karate in his Pandacan home, at Robinsons Otis, and at the Alfonso Gym in Alfonso, Cavite.

In Pandacan, what could have been a living room, a training center, a useful utility area/garage or even a commercial establishment has been turned into a virtual museum of his collectibles. There is hardly any space left for another car or doll! And that’s only part of it. The rest are in chests, boxes, cabinets, closets and other such storage spaces. “So I just change it depending on what I want displayed every few months,” Joel says of his display.

“My 13-year-old son, Angelo, is fond of cars and action figures like me so he has a room full of those.” His daughter Arwen, at age seven, is not fond of toys at all. “She just likes whatever her brother likes then nanggugulo and nangungulit siya” he opens, says Joel.

“Godwina, however, although supportive of my hobby does not like having my toys inside the house. Makalat daw kasi,” Joel adds when asked about how his wife feels about his collection.

That’s why he created a whole room beside the garage where he can display his collection.

“Noon pa man masinop talaga ako sa toys ko kahit nung bata pa ako kaya some of my toys here include the ones I had from my childhood,” Joel proudly says.
A friend of Joel has been helping him create ruined battlefields and war scenes made of painted styro to complete his dioramas of spectacular battle scenes, castles and fortresses.

“I grew up playing with toy soldiers. Yung mga green na plastic na tau-tauhan. They don’t make toys like these anymore. Kahit meron pa rin konting ganito sa market iba talaga yung klaseng gawa dati. The quality of toys before was much better than those made today,” explains Joel.??

Because he teaches karate, Joel identifies with Japanese culture. So his Del Prado Samurai figurines are his favorites.

“It was the HeroClix that actually got me collecting toys seriously,” he says. He was inspired to start a toy collection even if he did not know how to play with HeroClix but he liked them very much because there were so many different characters.??

From HeroClix, Joel started collecting other action figures like G.I. Joe, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and other World War II characters including figures of famous generals.
He has a special preference for action figures, heroes and villains as evidenced by the sheer volume of what he has on display as he is most inclined to collect figures of war!??

“Just recently, I started collecting toys and trinkets from the ’70s and ’80s as they remind me of my childhood. We didn’t have much while growing up. Ang laruan ko lang eh yung mga tau-tauhan kaya pag may nakikita ako na laruan nung bata pa ako, binibili ko,” Joel muses.??

It is amazing how Joel had been able to build such an extensive collection. He simply has almost everything. “I found most of my toys on the internet. I also order from an ukay-ukay in Davao. Kasi yung mga ukay-ukay dun galing US at maraming laruan. We also have a Facebook page, where other toy collectors like me can exchange items or buy from each other. Meron din Playmobil PH and they have a lot of toys from those days. I also like medieval characters and historical figures. So you can see in my collection I have a few museum grade pieces din,” he says when asked where he gets his collectibles.

I wondered how he is able to keep track of his collection and how he can maintain them in such excellent condition considering the dust, humidity and sunlight they are exposed to.

“I don’t keep an inventory of what I have. The hardest part of having a collection like this is cleaning each toy. Especially the Lord of the Rings action figures as they are made of rubber. I cannot just wash them with water and soap because the colors may fade. So I use a brush to clean all of them. Isa-isa ko sila binubrush,” he adds.

“All in all I must have over 100,000 pieces as a number of them are small pieces,” he says.

Because of lack of space, Joel keeps a great number of his toys in boxes in the garage but from time to time he brings them out and displays a new set to replace the ones he had on display.??

Joel says he’ll never have enough toys.

Every time a new one attracts his attention, he just goes for it.?

While I was in his home-based toy museum, a package was delivered to him — and guess what it was? Another Playmobil toy!??

Often we take things we find in abundance for granted. Eventually we end up giving them away, trashing them or simply tucking them away to be forgotten. Most of us outgrow these things. Not Joel.

And because of his wife’s clear and no-compromise position against turning their home into an erstwhile museum, Joel has managed to keep his toys out of it.

I was invited inside their home and, honestly, I did not see a single toy anywhere.?

I thought it was a great strategy — a perfect example of the art of compromise!

“Your toys and clutter out there, and my peace and serenity in here” is pretty much their modus vivendi.

What is interesting is the fact that Joel’s neighbors are collectors, too! Birds of the same feather… collect together?

I suggested that he encourage his neighbors to open their homes too, so Floresca Street, Pandacan can be the start of a mini Portobello Road!

I can hardly wait to see Joel’s collection eventually occupy their second floor and to discover other collectors and their collectibles on that block. ?I think I will, on my next visit.??

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Email the author at nikkicoseteng2017@gmail.com or text her at 0997-4337154.