BUKIT MERTAJAM: Not many collectors of superhero action figures are willing to showcase their precious collections for public viewing.
However, collector Muhammad Anis Fakhri Mohd Nefsu, 35, is an exception and describes his hobby as not just collecting but also being disciplined in managing his money.
His hobby started in 1992 after witnessing a promotion of the Batman Returns movie characters at Pesta Pulau Pinang (Penang festival).
The enthusiast's first collections were Ninja Robin and Aerobat, gifts from his late father in 1994.
“After that, I dreamed of having an exhibition of my action figures," he told reporters when met at his Batman Collection Exhibition at the Mydin hypermarket in Jalan Baru, here, today.
Muhammad Anis Fakhri went on to explain that this became a reality in 2018, and since then, he has been organising such events throughout Malaysia.
To date, his collection consists of between 7,000 and 8,000 various action figures including Star Wars, Marvel, Transformers and Batman characters.
“My Batman collection alone is between 300 and 500, with an estimated value of about RM50,000.
“The rarest item in the collection is the Robin Dragster from Batman: The Animated Series by Kenner, which I bought from an online store for RM1,800.
“The item is a limited edition as it was among what was left after a fire in a toy factory in Thailand," he explained.
On the Batman Collection Exhibition, he said the two-day event starting today is being held in conjunction with the 80th anniversary of Batman.
“This exhibition only involves Batman action figures and is expected to attract between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors," he said, adding that Mydin also offers a variety of interesting activities such as a colouring competition, Brick Installation Challenge and Nurf Blaster Challenge. -- BERNAMA