any thoughts as to a toy museum?

[RavageX-9]

This idea originally came to me when I realized that my collecting was a bit of a burden and that there was a huge amount of redundancy in that hundreds and hundreds (maybe thousands) of other fans were doing the exact same thing I was; the redundancy being obvious in that in large cities, there were guaranteed to be more than one collector of the same thing.
I admit that not everyone is satisfied with merely looking at a toy through a glass window, but I figured enough people were with enough figures that a museum would be more efficient. I also figured that at heart, it was really just a matter of bringing collectors together rather than making something massive that couldn't possibly be supported by one person.

The main focus for me is Transformers, and Transformers is a huge brand that needs a lot of attention to collect, and is one of the most popular brand of boys toys. (I don't know if it's still currently #1, but it has been, and probably remains in the top 3)

I have also been thinking that such a museum could use a boarder appeal with toys in general outside of just the Transformers brand.

Other ideas that I had attached to this idea were that the museum would be connected to an art studio / school / dormatory (for artists and general nerds). It would function as a sort of art gallery. :> Residendes of the school/dormatory could visit for free or a drastically reduced rate.

Keep in mind, I know almost nothing about businesses. Also, I'm in pretty debilitating ongoing depression. So it's pretty much JUST a dream. But hey, it's also a dream to get out of depression, and I don't want to give up on that one.

Still... I keep looking at my dream. From the ignorant layman, I imagine the startup cost is The hurdle. Obtaining the collection is insanely expensive. Glass display cases for that many toys again, very expensive.
Rental, insurance, yadda yadda, (I imagine market research as well, to find the best location and whether there's a market, and maybe the focus of the museum has a market) that's nothing in comparison to the start-up costs. (hrm. market-research would be start-up, and probably more expensive than ongoing costs, but I'm not sure it would be that much)

Also, a few months ago someone suggested that attendance to the museum might not be a reliable income source, and I considered a similarly themed store as a primary source of income; a Transformers/toy store.

Does anyone else here feel the same way about collecting? That it's something they would consider giving up in exchange for a museum? That they would give up their collection to a museum? That they want to see other people's collections of other toys?

Does anyone here have any knowledge or experience in museums or stores, or other NPAs that are comparable to museums or NPA-supporting stores? or any knowledge of grants or other financing, or business in general?
Where should I start? Should I be the one taking this one, or should I just attempt to find someone else to do it for me? If they're not a collector with an interest in my particular project, is it just going to be a matter of paying for the service? Is it recomended to pay for the service rather than attempt to acquire the skills myself? Does it all just boil down to throwing money at the problem? Surely I at least need to know how to get the right professional at the right price. What do I need to do to make this happen? Do I need to save up $10,000 and take some classes in some subjects to at least know the basics?
More importantly, if this were a group project of other like-minded collectors, how would the GROUP proceed towards the goal, since it's not just a matter of one person alone. (heh. I don't know if I should even entertain that line of thought, or if it's just going to make it feel more hopeless when I realize I am alone in this.)

[Robimus]

Given the mass of toys available the square footage needed for such an endeavor would be significant.

That said I know in Manitoba there are a couple doll museums that have been around for a long time. So why not an action figure museum?

This could work but would certainly be a huge undertaking. It would require enough attractions to get people to come out and get them in the door.

Look at Vulcan, Alberta. It's a similar idea and has been operating for a long time.

[pud333]

A toy museum could work, but I don't think it would be primarily a money making endeavor. I think if someone had a lot of money and had this as sort of a passion project, then I could see that, but for someone to run it like their primary business could be tough. I'm not saying it isn't possible, but it's tough. I'd visit it for sure. At least once.

[Super_Megatron]

I could see doing this one day.

[Aernaroth]

I've always thought an action figure or toy museum would be a great idea. Especially if you could get into a position where there was government support (though this could be difficult, unless you could really get them to believe that these action figures had the same kind of artistic or historical significance as the contents of other museums), or could get space in a building that was already owned.

Or you could follow the example of Forrest J. Ackerman, who was basically the prototype for what we would consider the modern "fan", and ran a museum out of his home.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_J_Ackerman


I think action figures and toys have enough of a rich history to certainly make a wonderful museum out of them, with enough potential for rotating exhibits to keep things interesting basically forever. The problems I could see would involve the overhead of such a museum, the neccessary traffic year-round for it to be a worthwhile endeavor, and the cost of acquiring new pieces.

I suppose if it were something that was done "art show" style in the beginning, with small, well promoted exhibits at a helpful gallery or exhibition place, and if there was a lot of support from the fan community both in terms of attendance and donation of pieces, that it could be done, however.

[GMfan101]

Gets even more expensive if you have to get 2 of every Transformer because with only one on display you only see one mode.

[Evan]

We'll have to enforce a no Transformers rule.
I always thought it would work best out of a house, at least to begin with. It's always been a pipedream of mine. If someone got it together in some form or another, I would go for sure.

[Aernaroth]

I wonder if another large museum, like the ROM, the museum of civilization, etc. could be convinced to do an exhibit on action figures, and how one would go about trying to convince them.

[-KG-]

Originally Posted by Aernaroth

I wonder if another large museum, like the ROM, the museum of civilization, etc. could be convinced to do an exhibit on action figures, and how one would go about trying to convince them.

I'm sure a museum would be willing to do it. I see it being the same as when an art collector or artist lends there collection to put on display. Someone and/or a group of collectors would have to be willing to lend their collections to the museum.

[Bruticus82]

Originally Posted by -KG-

I'm sure a museum would be willing to do it. I see it being the same as when an art collector or artist lends there collection to put on display. Someone and/or a group of collectors would have to be willing to lend their collections to the museum.

I'd pay money to go see a large action figure collection. But it has to be set up as a battle diorama!