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A Toy Museum Inside a NYC Apartment: NOWHOME with Matt Roman
226 Plays7 days ago
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a full-blown toy museum in your house? Matthew Roman, the founder of NOWHOME, has created a truly unique space—a toy museum nestled inside a New York City apartment, dedicated to preserving and celebrating the treasures of Japanese pop culture from years past. Founded in 2018, NOWHOME isn’t just a collection; it’s an immersive experience that dives into the emotional and psychological connection we have with the things we collect. Whether it’s vintage toys or the way design intersects with memory, Matt’s work is reshaping how we think about collecting on a personal and cultural level. We’re excited to have him here today to talk about his passion, his vision, and how he’s bringing the past into the present, one collectible at a time.
Follow NOWHOME on Instagram @nowhomenyc or visit their website https://www.nowhomeshop.com/
Follow us @aic_podcast on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube
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Intro and other voices by Joe Azzari
https://www.instagram.com/voicesbyjoe/
Theme Music is "Game Boy Horror" by the Zombie Dandies
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Transcript
Introduction to Adventures in Collecting
00:00:03
Speaker
Are you ready, kids? Get your parents' permission, check your mailbox, and grab your shopping cart. It's time for the Adventures in Collecting podcast. I'm Eric. And I'm Dave. Welcome to Adventures in Collecting, where we talk toy news, culture, and halls, along with our journeys as collectors.
00:00:29
Speaker
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Adventures in Collecting. Hi. Dave, we are back.
Royal Rumble and WrestleMania Excitement
00:00:38
Speaker
We are post-royal rumble. Yeah. It's kind of like the wrestling fan first kickoff of the year, right? You know, like it's first big event. Yeah, that makes sense. You know, like get all the juices flowing the road to WrestleMania.
00:00:57
Speaker
um Yeah, it was it was a lot of fun. We did a lot of cool stuff for Royal Rumble this year too, so a little different. We have our live situation happening now, a couple of extra videos around Royal Rumble. hope Hope everyone is not tired of the wrestling figure content because ah or we're going to be headed in that direction again today. ah Eric, famous for not burying leads.
00:01:20
Speaker
Yeah, but of course, I'm going to I'm going to not I'm going to not not bury the lead just for a couple moments while we take care of just a little bit of housekeeping.
January Giveaway Winner & New Savage Crucible Giveaway
00:01:29
Speaker
um So ah January giveaway, ah we selected our winner. ah The biker mice from Mars Sports Bros are off to their their recipient.
00:01:42
Speaker
uh which so thank you everybody for entering there yeah indeed um and this month's giveaway is uh is live so um veterans rap hacks the uh the the bloodied sword and sorcery i think i actually have one over here and i can hold it up while i'm talking about it um Yeah, so from our friends at Savage Crucible. Yeah, really cool. Yeah, this figure is dope. I think this might actually be my favorite release of theirs yet. I saw us announce it and I was like, oh, nice. Yeah, this thing is really cool. Good one. He's got all this fun blood deco all over his mandibles and his hands. I like that he's a cross between something from Masters of the Universe and something in a member of Gwar.
00:02:31
Speaker
It's a great call. And you know what? He does have that ah that orange and green deco on him that is very Battlecat-like. Yeah, very much so. i Definitely having some some rad Battlecat vibes. We, of course, have had have had the folks from ah from Savage Crucible on the show. um They were kind enough to send us out a sample, both both to to take a look at. so you know you can obviously see that here as well as on our on our instagram account um but you can also enter to win yourself one and and this is a really cool figure uh we really like what what savage crucible is up to they're doing some so a really cool twist on that kind of like fantasy sword and sorcery vibe uh one small scale figure um but yeah you can you can enter to win one throughout the month
00:03:21
Speaker
ah Just visit us on Instagram at AIC underscore podcast.
Announcement: Live Recording at ZapCon
00:03:25
Speaker
You will find a pinned post on our profile where you can follow the instructions and an enter to win yourself a Veteris Rapax. Yeah, I just like saying Veteris Rapax. It's got a good like it rolls off the tongue. um Like you could definitely hear like William Shatner having fun with that.
00:04:03
Speaker
right that was fall on your sword i think was the name that was the name of the act yeah yeah
00:04:16
Speaker
make use of your time and you're already the few days yeah haven't entered yet you werere coming up on coming up on Valentine's Day. So we're reaching up reaching that halfway point. um Other piece of news is next month, God, it's already in next month. Next month is a busy month for ah for Adventures in Collecting.
Highlights from Toy Fair at Javits Center
00:04:36
Speaker
um We will be at Toy Fair covering it live ah March 1st and 2nd, Saturday and Sunday. So we will be at the Javits Center ah checking out all the cool things that ah that people will have display on display
00:04:50
Speaker
And ah this is gonna be a packed toy fair, Dave, because it's like full, full. Everybody's back. Full boat. ah Yeah, guys tell hasbboro he Hasbro, everybody. Tell Hasbro, jazzwares, Bandai. um All the folks, Spin Master, they're all going to be there. So it's going to be a lot of fun. Is it major also there? We have to check with Canik, but I think they might be there. I think they are. In some capacity. And by some capacity, I mean that may just be Canik roaming around.
00:05:21
Speaker
um or he may have a booth i don't i don't know we ought to he said something about that we gotta we gotta to well we will kind of confirm yeah we'll confirm that but uh yeah so that's the first and second of march and then um march 29th so uh we have our second ever live uh recorded adventures in collecting so we did one a couple years ago live to are we we can't we can't call it live to we can't now we just we can't rip the we can't rip off the our friends yeah should we say issue to second edition why don't we go second edit because yeah it's that con so it's gonna be comic yeah yeah so we'll go so second is second printing
00:06:02
Speaker
ah um As Dave mentioned, it is ZapCon, so our our favorite comic book shop in the entire world, and definitely the best in New Jersey. Our our friends at Zap Comics are hosting their annual ZapCon event, and
Matthew Roman's Toy Museum: Now Home
00:06:17
Speaker
yes, we will be recording live. So you have the opportunity, if you're in the Tri-State area and you feel like taking a trip out to Wayne, New Jersey,
00:06:24
Speaker
um The $10 gets you in. There's going to be a ton of comics, a ton of vendors, artists. You can get some cool stuff signed. You can buy some probably some original art and or sketches. And one of those artists, a friend of the pod, Chris Raymo, who is an amazing, amazing artist,
00:06:45
Speaker
also happens to be the packaging designer at NECA Toys. So we yeah we convinced him and a fellow friend of the pod and fellow NECA ah designer Blaine at Blaine or Things. They will be our live guests for the the podcast. So we'll be talking NECA, we'll be talking design, we'll be talking packaging design, art. um We'll do a live Q and&A if people come.
00:07:12
Speaker
We'll probably talk about things that have nothing to do with any of that as well. That's what the tendency to do. And then we'll talk about horror and Disney and Tiki and, you know, all maybe even hairstyles. Usually hairstyles come up with when when we're talking to Blaine. and um Broadway, who knows? I was going to say musical theater or wrestling. like lots It's all out there. there lots Lots and lots and lots of options. so um And who knows? Maybe surprises.
00:07:41
Speaker
I'm actually saying that because they might they they might surprise us. You don't know. This is literally like surprise ourselves. We can find out find out live. um So you can go to ah ZapCon and J.com and ah you can get your tickets in advance. And they are like I said, they are ten dollars and we would love, love, love your local. school I think you can go to Zap to get them as well. Yes, you can just go to Zap Comics ah Valley Road in Wayne, New Jersey. So, um yeah, ah definitely looking forward to that, I think.
00:08:14
Speaker
ah with the giveaway and the um the live show announcement out of the way, I think I can finish burying the lead. And and we can we can bring on our guest here. I think you can, Eric. So this is our so second week in a row, or second episode in a row of new new friends. We're making new friends. Yes. We're collecting new friends. That's what we are currently collecting.
00:08:39
Speaker
um Today's guest is someone who's blending nostalgia with a deep exploration of the psyche behind collections. Really, he's doing something that we all are are dreaming about doing with with just about every purchase. ah Matthew Roman, the founder of Now Home, has created a truly unique space, a toy museum nestled inside his New York City apartment dedicated to preserving and celebrating the treasures of Japanese pop culture from years past.
00:09:08
Speaker
Founded in 2018, Now Home isn't just a collection. It is an immersive experience that dives into the emotional and psychological connection we have with the things we collect. Whether it's vintage toys or the way design intersects with memory, Matt's work is reshaping how we think about collecting on a personal and cultural level. We're excited to have him here today to talk about his passion, his vision, and how he's bringing the past into the present one collectible at a time. Matt,
00:09:38
Speaker
welcome to adventures in collecting new friends thank you dave and eric for having me dude this is exciting happy to have you yeah you know we've we've been following you for a long time and you know we're big fans absolutely of what you've what you've put together and what you've built and honestly it's kind of been like like an enigmatic thing like we didn't know who was behind now home and then you posted that very incredible we're gonna we're gonna plug this right up front ah very incredible video that you did ah where you toured ah your your museum and we were absolutely floored the pictures that you post on like a regular basis just don't do it justice seeing it all and then people are getting a if you're watching on YouTube you're getting a nice glimpse of it behind Matt there but uh yeah yeah we're we're super excited to have you have your brother
00:10:27
Speaker
Thank you so much, man. It's super flattering. I got to have you guys over at the museum sometime. Definitely. Yeah, we're we're just right across the Hudson there. So we're yeah we got to make our way over. um So our our first question that we ask all of our guests before we we kind of dive in, as this is a show about collecting, um what are you currently
Current Collecting Interests: WWE & Warhammer
00:10:49
Speaker
collecting? And now you could you could answer this any way that you want, whether it's what are you collecting for the museum or what are you collecting for your own personal Collections totally up to you. Okay. Um, currently I'm kind of juggling the, the three ball act of trying to keep up to date with what WWE and Mattel are doing. So um I'm definitely in the hole for some pre-orders there, waiting for those to land hopefully in March. Um, outside of that, I don't know if many people know this, but I do collect Warhammer 40 K.
00:11:24
Speaker
Okay, so cool. Yeah, I just had like a there's a faction called the death core of krieg So I just got that box in and I had just got to find the time to paint it so so you dance me with the miniatures or Do you do like the joy toy and the McFarland? I Want to get into the joy toy the mark McFarland? I'm kind of like me about but the the miniatures are like Where my heart's at for sure?
00:11:53
Speaker
um Yeah, I can show one real quick. This one, I know not everyone's going to see this, but that's the headless space marine. Oh, that's really cool. But that that's been a lot of fun, just um going a little deeper than just displaying and spending time crafting and painting. yeahs Yeah, I love that's a whole a whole different world.
00:12:17
Speaker
Yeah, i have friends went and like they'll go from like kind of doing what you see either in like the video games or anything like that to just completely going off the wall. So I like that there's that is part of the like the Warhammer kind of I guess experience. Yeah, so it's such a huge universe. And you can whether it is like the joy toy or the space marine game that came out. It's a lot of fun, a lot of lore, a lot of nerdiness that gets me excited.
00:12:47
Speaker
Yeah. See, I've seen some people do some, some interesting like colorways where like, um, you know, they'll do like, like Boba fat colors, or they'll do, um, you know, like, like, uh, Odes to different or homages to different, um, different IP, you know, in like the paint scheme on them. It's just, it's, it's something that I can't even wrap my head around. I don't think I could paint my way out of a, uh, let me put it this way. I could barely put a coat of paint on a wall.
00:13:14
Speaker
let alone um you know paint something that's like this big. so i was I was poor at coloring, as it gets. Staying inside the lines, both metaphorically and physically, is not something I'm good at. Yeah, those those are like the the two main focuses, and then I love soft vinyl toys, whether it's the the vintage kind of Kaiju stuff, as well as like the Designer art toy if you will. Yep. There's so much there and I feel like that's One of kind of like the pushing art forms in terms of toy collecting. Yeah Yeah, it feels like each piece you get you get to like really take home something very Hand-painted handcrafted most of the time. Yeah, I just watched this. um I Wish I can remember the name of the YouTube channel. It's like
00:14:07
Speaker
They're like these little short, maybe like eight to 10 minute stories. um And they happen to do one on like this the Sofubi factory,
00:14:20
Speaker
factory like the one that's like the most famous. I'm gonna try to find the name of it real quick, because I know exactly who I sent it to. I just have to find the message. But it's like this 10 minute video, and it was just like riveting stuff.
00:14:36
Speaker
um Let me see if I can find it super quick. I know exactly who I sent it to. I just gotta find it. But yeah, it's it's something it's it's something along the lines of like one short story or or something like that. um Yeah, and they we can post it too. Yeah, well we'll we'll have to put a link to it. But they go into the process of like, you know, kind of where the art form came from, how it developed over the years.
00:15:02
Speaker
um Here it is, Great Big Adventure is the is the name of the channel. And um it's the ah Maru... Maru-san? Yes, it goes into the Maru-san factory. And um one of the artists that's been, um this 86-year-old Sofubi painter that has been hand-painting Kaiju and... Gotosan. Yes, yes. I'm like dying to meet that man.
00:15:32
Speaker
He's so cool. They cover so much ground in a... In a short period of time. Oh my god. It's literally nine minutes long and I could... They should make a full length documentary. It was so fascinating. I'll make sure that I put a link to it in the description of this episode. Yeah, I got it. I got to check it out if I haven't seen it already. Yeah, and I'll... That sounds cool. Yeah.
00:15:57
Speaker
So Matt, why ah why did you start Now
Founding Now Home: A Toy Story
00:15:59
Speaker
Home? like What led to the idea of just putting together a museum? yeah um Loaded question. So with the founding of Now Home, a lot of that kind of had to do with like filling voids in my collection.
00:16:15
Speaker
And we're in certainly like an age where shipping is probably the main form of people getting their hands on things. But as I'm sure you both know, like toy shops aren't so prominent in New York city anymore. And I'm all about the thrill of the hunt. And I feel like I was going to a lot of places where.
00:16:39
Speaker
you know, they they would have kind of the same selections. And when I would maybe find that one or two random like Japanese piece, I was always so curious to like learn more.
00:16:52
Speaker
And just like, damn, like I want to buy this, but like, do I deserve to have it if I don't know what it is? And like, just kind of pull in the trigger on like, you know, really like the soft final stuff. It's like, damn, I just dropped 150 bucks, but I don't know this guy's name. And as I start to explore those things further, I realize I'm like, whoa, there's a pretty big gap of context that we're kind of missing out.
00:17:20
Speaker
on just like very particular niche subjects. And I was like, cool, like this is an opportunity for me to like showcase my collections, learn more and potentially kind of like pass that information along to the public. So opening the conversation.
00:17:43
Speaker
Yeah, and I mean, that's, that's, you know, like, like we just said, I mean, there's, there's, you know, a nine minute documentary on, you know, on the art form itself. And, you know, I've been a toy collector my entire life. And, you know, while I'm aware of Sofubi and soft final toys, like, I didn't know that so many of them were individually hand painted, you know, like that was like, mostly the same factory, yeah like the good ones are the same factory, like,
00:18:10
Speaker
you know going back to and ah an earlier episode of you know of our show, we had um we were fortunate enough to have Brian Flynn from Super 7 on him. He explained to us, and because we asked him, when's the next mommy boy coming? you know when you they're They're kind of like their art toys, right? a and He was explaining that So Fubi has gotten so popular again that there are only so many factories that do it the real way, that are doing it the right way, that are you know kind of honoring the art form that you want. If you do it and you know you want to do it right, you have to wait. you know there's there's a There's a waiting list and there's a whole you know cultural aspect to it where you know he's running an American company and trying to do a Japanese art form. And if there are Japanese companies that are
00:18:58
Speaker
you know they take precedent over Super 7. So it's interesting how the whole culture of the art form works. And to see like you know a museum dedicated to such a ah fun part of that i that that culture, is just it's it's fascinating, very fascinating. Thank you. yeah that fat that That toy culture runs deep. And there's a mean there's so much information you can find out there, but I think a lot of people miss ah big chunk, but I know it's being spoken about now how um essentially toys was the first import for Japan post World War II. And, you know, the Japanese produced the first Barbie toy. I believe that was celluloid, but then
00:19:46
Speaker
because cellular it's so flammable, it changes to vinyl. And like there's hints of that culture spread throughout all toy history, if you're like looking for it. And that's super fascinating to me. So a big part of your your collection and you what you have on display at now home is is Japanese wrestling. So what what was your gateway into into Japanese wrestling, just kind of in general?
Introduction to Japanese Wrestling: A 90s Influence
00:20:13
Speaker
Yeah. um So I'm a 90s baby.
00:20:16
Speaker
grew up watching Monday Night Wars, of course, channel flipping, fighting with my two older brothers. Like I want to watch WWF for WCW. And I would say the probably two wrestlers I remember the most was like Takamichi Noku on WWF, like with a light heavyweight championship and like Kai and Tai, but then also seeing like Jushin Thunder Liger on WCW blew my mind.
00:20:46
Speaker
And I think that just opened up a wormhole for me. And then like, as the internet slowly started creeping, like more matches how it just became like a, like digging through a gold mine to just try to find more information and like rediscovering the great Buddha was a big moment for me. And I don't know. I don't want to say I prefer Japanese wrestling.
00:21:14
Speaker
but there is a level of like athleticism, realism, as well as just kind of like the hints of Japanese pop culture that you'll find on certain characters. And that like really stood with me.
00:21:29
Speaker
Dude, it's it's so funny because like every everything you just said is exactly how I feel about, like me like me personally, like my my favorite current wrestlers are Shinsuke Nakamura, which his autobiography, by the way, is fantastic. Thank you, David, for getting that from me. You're welcome. um But like Shinsuke Nakamura, I'm staring at my Kairi Sane figure that just arrived from from Amazon. um You know, like Asuka, you know, what you said, like, you know, Kai and Tai, we just, we were at Hammerstein Ballroom, you know, just a few weeks ago, and I finally got to see Tajiri for the first time in person. um You know, Tanaka. There's also Tanaka.
00:22:10
Speaker
yep yep yeah but you could that dude could still go you know he still do the handspring the handspring ah off the ropes and the tarantula like you know it's yeah but But to your point, like being of that generation, because i'm this I was born in 88, so I'm you know right there, grew up grew up through the 90s and you know watching like Power Rangers and wrestling. and like yeah it's just There was so much of that, you know and we'll get into it a little bit later, but like the Tokusatsu aspect of it. But that dude could still go. He could still do the handspring. The handspring off the ropes and the tarantula.
00:22:40
Speaker
it just has always resonated with me for so for some reason, whether it's just like the visual, the aesthetic. So it's just, it's fun to hear like literally that same reflection.
00:22:52
Speaker
yeah yeah like um yeah Yeah, like for me, like the first person I remember seeing was Muda, like, and you know, Muda and Sting and all that, like it was just wild. So then all of a sudden you start to see like,
00:23:08
Speaker
You know, um, both Nakano and WWF and w WWF at the time. And you know, it's, it is this like culture. It's like you, I heard about it and really I didn't get into like Japanese wrestling as a whole until college when, you know, it was, I was born in 81. So college, we're talking like 99, we're talking attitude era, but.
00:23:32
Speaker
So people started showing up like Liger and all them in WCW, but also like seeing people in ECW from FMW and all that. So like Hayabusa and, you know, all the Kiantai wrestlers. all it was It was like kind of a good time or a different time to get in because now you're seeing, it you know, it was four pillars and all that stuff too over and in Japan.
00:23:55
Speaker
Dude, all that era of all Japan is so like mint. like it's It's behind a glass window when I think of it just like some of the best wrestling out there. With the ECW stuff too, I did catch some of that. I don't know if either of you got to like watch MNN, I think it's Manhattan News Network. It was like a local channel and ECW would like randomly come on from there. I don't know if We get it on MSG. Yeah, for us it was MSG. No way, that's cool. I didn't know that. That era of wrestling is awesome and I feel like we're finally hitting a time period where the general public is like catching on to all that stuff that went down in late 90s, early 2000s. It's dope to see it. so What goes behind the decision to list something in the museum shop?
00:24:53
Speaker
um Really, I think at its core, it breaks down to just finding things and what is available. But then going deeper is about, for me, it's about like storytelling, curating.
00:25:08
Speaker
so Wrestling probably makes its rounds the most in the gift shop But like as an example, I'm sitting on like a ah decent collection of Kinikuman stuff that I want to dive into and really like showcase Story tell and also like I've never finished that anime or read the manga. So I'm like learning as I go But that's like a collection. I'm pretty passionate about bringing out and I just feel like
00:25:40
Speaker
I can't do it the service I want to if I don't acquire kind of like a whole hoard of it to really give a better representation of like all the different figures that came out, different play sets, e etc.
00:25:57
Speaker
Yeah. So do you use the gift shop to like, you know, as almost kind of like overflow to get some stuff back out into the market, but also, you know, kind of fund filling the gaps in the the collections that are kind of on display in in the museum? ah Yeah, it's a little bit of both. um I do, because I feel like like I get requests all the time. um Before I actually opened the gift shop publicly, I was doing a little bit of private selling.
00:26:26
Speaker
just from people hitting me up on Instagram, i'm like, Oh my God, where did you find this? And just helping them fill up their collections. As it's grown, I sometimes will try to like buy specifically for the gift shop. Maybe it's something I already have in my collection, or I'm also running out of space. So maybe, maybe I can just part ways with it. And I also I'm like,
00:26:52
Speaker
it's It's tough to do, but I'm becoming more comfortable with like, cool, let me document this, showcase it and I can part ways with it. There's another happy home waiting for it. Yeah.
00:27:06
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, that's that's one regardless of whether or not you have a a you know museum or just a very large collection, I think we're where a lot of us are reaching that point where it's like, oh space is truly a premium and space is like legitimately, physically a premium in New York City. so yeah I'm like, oh yeah, it's that's like a whole whirlwind of a conversation there too.
00:27:33
Speaker
yeah Is it, I think, New York's still the most expensive city in the country? In the country, yes. Yeah, for sure. Not technically not. I don't think it's continent anymore. I think Toronto has New York City these days. Really? It's close though. It's close. It's definitely the most expensive city to live in in the United States. That's for sure. Yeah. It definitely makes things tough, but I'm all about my nerdiness. I will maybe not drink that coffee.
00:28:03
Speaker
at that cafe so I can get an extra figure. and we Hey, we we we all make sacrifices. yeah um my fit My favorite thing was always just seeing what would pop up in there and then be like, you know, upset at myself that I was like, working at the time. When something would disappear and I'd be like, ah. you ah um um Yeah.
00:28:27
Speaker
but it it it's it's it's it But it's also one of those things where you're it's like, you know, and I think that's the the idea the fun of collecting is like, you know, the question of where does it end and the answer is it doesn't. Like, there's always something new or different or, you know, you want to dip your toe in something and have some part of it representative that doesn't exist otherwise.
00:28:50
Speaker
It's tough too because I feel like we all collect so many different things and everyone's collection has turned from like one license per se into like a viewing gallery of all your interests. It's it's hard to like pick a lane sometimes. And the other thing too is you you're never the only person looking for something.
00:29:10
Speaker
like that's that's always that's the other fun part is like for every five people that like something there's like 10 more right behind you that also think it's the coolest thing on the planet so that's the other fun part yeah i mean i i just kind of just just for you know uh just for fun i i hopped on a uh on a whatnot stream last night that was uh was the name of the shop I want to say it was like kayfabe toys or kayfabe figures or something like that. And they were doing dollar elites to start with, like starting bids. And it just blew my mind at like some of the ones that came up and like what they ended up going to going up to for like a loose, incomplete, in good shape. It wasn't like something i you know that was like gross or anything. but like
00:29:56
Speaker
you know, a loose, incomplete, um you know, Magnolia, you know, went for like $60. And I was just like, Whoa, oh, my God, you know, like just watching it go up in the 32nd bid window was just insane. Because over the past few years, like they're there are fewer of them out there. Yeah, yeah, this is crazy. Yeah. And now a word from our sponsors.
00:30:27
Speaker
This segment is brought to you by our friends at Chubsy Wubsy Toys. A traditional mom and pop toy store in Little Falls, New Jersey, Chubsy Wubsy Toys brings you the best new toys from the brands you love without the hassle of pounding the pavement searching for them at larger retail stores.
00:30:44
Speaker
Visit them in person at their brand new home at 101 Newark Pompton Turnpike Suite 1 in Little Falls, New Jersey, or online at ChubsyWubsy.com. That's C-H-U-B-Z-Z-Y-W-U-B-Z-Z-Y dot.com. And tell them that Adventures in Collecting sent you.
00:31:08
Speaker
And now, back to the show. I want to ask you a question if that's okay. yeah How do you feel about like um those market values? Although I feel like specifically for wrestling, we're we're in that kind of stage where we're seeing the rereleases come through. but For me, I'm kind of like waiting out for those guys I missed. Same. So i for a lot of them, like once once I saw punk not being AW anymore, I was like, alright, he's coming back. So like, yeah, yeah. And and I mean, some some of the, like,
00:31:47
Speaker
I have to hold out hope and I think it's the one that probably ranks most on on most but ranks highest on most people's lists. It's like Legion of Doom Road Warriors. like At some point, and so like like their a state you know the estates of Hawk and Animal, they're you know they're signing deals with other companies like you know Shouts. to major to collect major, the big rubber guys are gorgeous. But like, I think everyone would love to see like a Colosseum collection two pack of animal and hawk. Yeah, like an ultimate road warrior. It would just it would just be amazing. So, you know, and and at this point, the technology of the even the elites, you know, those demolition, yeah demolition, you know, that the what was that that they were like a Maddie collector.
00:32:33
Speaker
release I think too. Great demolition or were they like Legends series? They were ah early Legends and then Crush was like ah just a regular flashback series. Yeah I mean i' remember it would just one ah as as somebody who you know opens them and enjoys them and likes to pose them and photograph them I think everybody should have a crack at getting these figures and I think they've been really smart about re-releasing the figures in a different presentation to respect both people who keep them you know mint on card like a perfect example is that um the bald the shaved head punk figure right the the straight straight edge society one that they recently re-released it's in a different package it's it's also packed out differently i think he has the mask on or off whatever whatever the original one didn't have so they're still like
00:33:23
Speaker
you know people like me who just want to open it and you know shoot it and you know kind of have those moments, it doesn't affect the value of that original release. And it also has like the new printing, face printing on it. New articulation. Some updates, upgrades. I'm all about holding out um on certain things. i mean If it's somebody with a Legends deal, like wait. Yeah. like I know people would have said, like even as as early as like a year ago,
00:33:53
Speaker
that like, oh, if you missed out on Brian Pillman, you know forget it, like like go back and get the old one. And it's like- And the family just re resigned. you know Especially with his son being in AW at the time. And you know it's like now his son's on NXT and you know they have a Legends deal and the Hollywood Blondes Pillman's coming out imminently, you know like he's up for pre-order. So, I mean, I would say unless unless you're looking to have like a piece of like the lines history by going back and getting something you know old that's mint on card and you know whether you're considering it an investment piece or you know just like a sentimental piece that you want to keep mint or if it's like you really want a gold dust like like hold off or you really want the Milenko because I think one day too like somebody like a like ah you know like Dustin once he's done with AEW like
00:34:49
Speaker
i don't I don't know. I have to imagine that somewhere down the line, he's going in the hall of fame and as long as Mattel still has the license, you know, he'll sign... There's money on the table. Yeah. For sure. so So switching gears from from wrestling for a moment, um we've also seen a fair amount of tokusatsu show up in in the museum and the and the gift
Fascination with Tokusatsu Franchises
00:35:11
Speaker
shop. ah what What drew you to franchises like Ultraman and and Common Rider?
00:35:17
Speaker
o um I would say I was born to Kamen Rider first and it's something I've seen around in the toy form, just sculptures of it. And then I want to say Kamen Rider V3. I like, I think I was at like Toy Tokyo and I just purchased a vintage Bandai one.
00:35:37
Speaker
And the more time I spent with it and just posing, then that led me to just picking up more. And then I think Toei's YouTube channel, they had the first 20 to 40 episodes and I became hooked. Because I grew up watching Godzilla, Gamora. I wasn't the biggest Power Rangers kid. But for those who don't know, that was primarily inspired by Kamen Rider.
00:36:07
Speaker
And I feel like if you like Power Rangers and maybe if you like the style and humor of like Adam West Batman, that Kamen Rider fits right in there. It's like a perfect blend between those two. And like I don't know if you use this, but I have a category called So Bad It's Good. oh yeah And like those that first season of Kamen Rider is so up there. I really like the first 13 episodes. but That's how I feel about, um, toy Spider-Man. I put it in that category of like, this is, this would, if if you didn't have any context, this would be dreadful. But with, with the context, it's like, this is the most incredible thing ever. I could watch every episode of this. I throw it on, like, it's like, like it's like comfort food. Yeah, that's, that's perfect. that good'nesses um But then Ultra Man, so.
00:37:03
Speaker
I have a friend named Eric that I've done some toy shows with in the past and he's like the ultra man nerd. And just like spending time at his place, he has almost, I'm going to say that the good majority of like bull mark figures there. He's also like a jumbo machinery collector.
00:37:26
Speaker
So every time I spend time with him, I just get like super itchy. We end up like watching a couple episodes and just at the end of the night, we always just end up on like eBay or something and making some silly purchases.
00:37:41
Speaker
Yeah, I love that there's all those shows now around like to be and stuff to or no, one that's right. Pluto. Yeah, Ultraman's on Pluto, I think. I remember Ultraman was once on TV. That's how I got to like finish Ultra Q That's probably my favorite. Yeah, I know it's on one of those. I have like, I've definitely dabbled at some point. But now even the newer stuff is fun. Well, I haven't really given the newer stuff that big a try yet. It's all on YouTube. It's all on the Ultra. Yeah. I'm like so stuck in Showa.
00:38:16
Speaker
We, um, we got to see at, I want to say it was anime NYC. No, is it was a Comic Con. It was a New York Comic Con, not this past one, the one prior. Yeah, that's right. Um, we got to see like a live. Ultraman battle in one of the like, like Ultraman fighting a bunch of different Kaiju and there was like, it was for Blazer, I think. Yes. Yeah. Ultraman Blazer. It was wild. I missed that. I was at that Comic Con.
00:38:45
Speaker
It was not so shouts to our friends at Bandai who did an amazing job. It was just a Sunday panel. Like it was just a random Sunday panel. It was listed as a panel. And I think it was listed as like an Ultraman live panel. But like the description was not like come watch Ultraman beat up Kaiju. It was like learn about the new Ultraman. So it was kind of like an unadvertised surprise. I think the room was pretty packed. I mean like there was definitely like oh yeah room.
00:39:15
Speaker
But I think people were expecting it just to be like, oh, the actors who are in Ultraman. They had some of the voice actors who were doing the English dubs there. and um But then you know the the the performers came out in in the suits from the show. And it was really cool to see to see them battle on a stage. Yeah, it was wild. It was awesome. Yeah. That's sick.
00:39:40
Speaker
so do you mostly get your acquire the pieces for the museum or for your collection on trips to japan or do you have and i know you know not spilling any secrets but you know do you get to get to stuff without travel so i i do get to get to things without travel but i would say that like the bulk core collections, whether it is the Tokusatsu figures I've imported, or the wrestling guys actually come from my trips to Japan. I was last there in May. um Actually, got I proposed to my wife who's Japanese out there. oh congratulation nice Congratulations. Thank you. Shout out to Yumi. But then, with my wife being Japanese, she is my cheat code for
00:40:28
Speaker
Google searching things. But um I want to say maybe 2017, when I like started getting really heavy into collecting the Japanese wrestling figures, there was a seller I had met on eBay who was just offloading his collection. And we just kind of developed a relationship, eventually took that off of eBay. And I was buying a lot of wrestling figures primarily from him. And then I've my last trip, there was a collector in Osaka that I still keep in touch with. And just opening up those relationships, I think also the Japanese people are very excited that there are interests outside of their country for like, these older things that they thought maybe it was just purely nostalgia for themselves. So just being able to have that conversation with them,
00:41:23
Speaker
It kind of opens up the lanes for me to bring in more goods. yeah i mean that's that's ah That's a great ah that' a great point. i mean Japanese culture has has really are arguably never been more popular to a global audience as as it is today. um you know why why do you As somebody who's you know made the travel back and forth and you know as somebody who has curated the collection that that that you have, um why do you think that you know, there's this sudden surge and you over the past, you know, say even like 10 years, um such a such a surge in popularity. I think America and Japan has kind of had this ongoing conversation, specifically, post World War Two, where we might not think of it in our day to day, but from the foods we the clothes we wear, all the nerdy things we collect, there is
00:42:21
Speaker
And there's kind of like always been a conversation on both ends. But in my opinion, I think, especially like, we're in the age of the internet, social media, etc. I think we're kind of approaching this singularity of having access to that and having access to that information. But it's being shared on either side. Because like, if you know, for me as like a a New Yorker,
00:42:48
Speaker
fashion dude skateboarder, when I visited Japan, like that, that passion that I meet on the streets here for those things, it's just the same, if not more over there. And I think there's just overall like an eagerness, maybe a little shyness too, but then just the exchange. So, but then, I mean, to go further into that too, like you have,
00:43:16
Speaker
people rediscovering anime for the first time. Like my favorite anime for the past 20 plus years has been Hajimino Ito, this boxing anime that I actually discovered from like a burned PlayStation 2 video game that I was given. And that just hit Netflix, I think last year. So there's like, I'm finally having conversations about that 20 years later with people. And I think it's just finally like, yeah, I don't know, right?
00:43:46
Speaker
nerd culture is far more accepted, if you will. Yeah. the I mean, that's that's for sure. I mean, I think you mentioned it, and it's it's almost like funny to say it, but i as I'm wearing it,
00:44:00
Speaker
Godzilla eating ramen shirt. you know i I think the food does have like a really big impact on it. shirt I remember one of the first things that you know I associated with Japan. I was very fortunate as somebody who loves Japanese culture. I grew up with a friend who was half Japanese and his cousins were always sending like cool stuff over for us to like watch, whether it was You know, they were recording episodes of or um you know sending over episodes of like Dragon Ball Z before they aired on like Toonami over here. So like we were that cool because we knew what was going to happen to everyone else. did But um I think the food has a lot to do with it. And one of the first things that I remember pop culturally was Iron Chef.
00:44:44
Speaker
you know watching some original episodes of Iron Chef on like old Food Network when there wasn iron chef when there wasn't a whole lot of like programming. you know It was basically like Emeril Lagasse and Iron Chef. Eventually we got Rachel Ray.
00:44:59
Speaker
yeah yeah Somebody always comes around to ruin it. and but Still love Morimoto to this day, went to his restaurant in Vegas. like I remember when we went to... when Dave, I think it was when you graduated college. Graduated college, his first restaurant in Philly. We went to his restaurant in Philly and we were like felt like we were in like the presence of... like ah so I don't even know if he was there that day. He probably was not. like felt like we were in like eating in the wake of a celebrity. And it was like, you know this is the best sushi I've ever had in my entire life. you know like so but But yeah, I think the food has a lot to do with it in in a way. Because that's a lot of for a lot of people, that's it's a gateway into the culture. You go to a restaurant.
00:45:48
Speaker
or you know you go somewhere like Mitzvah, you go to one of these you know markets that has you know produce you can take home, food food court, food that you can eat, and then, you know, merch, and you know you're picking up.
00:46:00
Speaker
a model kit here or a blind box vinyl toy here or Godzilla being so prevalent in today's you know world as I'm sitting here staring at my ah very nice my new baby. um but ah but yeah It's just one of those things where yeah it's it's it's really fascinating and as somebody who has been you know a fan of the culture and somebody who's loved the culture for as long as i have like it's nice to finally feel normal yeah yeah you're going you're going to the flea market and finding like where your cousin's making you like a fourth generation dub of like the best of cactus jack which was just the iwa king of the deathmatch tournament but yeah
00:46:44
Speaker
Yeah. Or like, I don't have to worry about, you know, I've got, I've got two little ones and we're doing our first ever watch. They were Dragon Ball and like, ah wow you know, she went, she went to school, uh, you know, and told her friends that she was watching it. Now her friends are watching it. And like, it's like not like a big deal. So like the next generation, there we go. Yeah. Or even like just an arena full of people wearing bullet club shirts to like a WWE. Yeah. It's penetrating. It's penetrating the market.
00:47:14
Speaker
Yeah, that's that's what it's all about. And like it's cool too, because like that conversation, if you ever make the trip over there, firstly, those things that you mentioned, the food, and just the culture, the respect, and cleanliness will change your life. But then you're just going to land in the airport at ah language we are at a country where you might not speak to their language, yet you're going to feel right at home.
00:47:42
Speaker
And they do that so well. One day, one day I'll be there. Yeah, yeah.
00:47:50
Speaker
um So how, well, we talked about the aftermarket briefly, but like, how has the surge in popularity really affected the aftermarket for um especially things you've listed or things you've been trying to get?
Popularity vs. Aftermarket Prices in Collectibles
00:48:03
Speaker
I think it's a double edged sword, right?
00:48:07
Speaker
I would say specifically on like the Tokusatsu vintage vinyl side, that world, you it's very layered. So there's people just purely collecting like original hand casts in Japan, vinyl, airbrushed, hand painted, et cetera. And those actually tend to fetch for like a couple thousand dollars per piece. But then as you like flash forward from that to like manufacturing, switching from made in Japan to made in China, like early 90s, even late 80s. That stuff, I think it's it's starting to get its appreciation just for like its aesthetics. But we're seeing the price go up. It's, it's tough importing, where that shipping cost can make a huge impact on that final price. And
00:49:04
Speaker
Like even with the Japanese figure market, like you used to be able to buy an Atsushi Onida figure for like 30, 40 bucks on card. And even from those to like, I guess the more grail for most people would be like a Bruiser Brody, a Bullard the Butcher or Stan Hansen. I can't find those for like less than 150 bucks. And it's tough even to go back to the question before, like,
00:49:32
Speaker
how do I decide to bring what into the gift shop? A lot of that has to do with me not wanting to ask too much for a figure. like I'm sure there's people that are willing to pay that top market value, but it's like it's it's kind of weird seeing one figure line that maybe you're discovering for the first time, and it's like, why is Ricky Choshu 20 bucks, but then yeah this figure of a duel of the butcher is like,
00:50:03
Speaker
150 to 250 bucks so it's a weird thing to navigate but for my personal collections I've bitten the bullet many times just for the impatience I have sometimes but yeah I'm i'm sure it I'm honestly expecting with the new international shipping affairs that it's probably gonna rise and you know we're all gonna be feeling that and It sucks, but I think we're all aware that's coming. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Even on our note, the stuff that just became $22 isn't going to be $22 anymore. Yeah. Yeah. Well, hopefully that is not permanent. No, I don't think so.
00:50:59
Speaker
So ah that means I just have to take more flights to Japan to bring it back myself. Yeah. you And hey, I can if if you need ah if you need anyone to help carry the bags. Let me know. I'll book a seat next year. I'll sneak you in the bag on the way in and then get an extra suitcase on the way out. Perfect. That's been like one of my dream trips. I told my fiance, I was like, there is going to be at least one day of wrestling just so you know she's not a big wrestling fan.
00:51:27
Speaker
She has endured it on my behalf, but like, you know, I said where like, if they if we're planning a trip and like there happens to be like, you know, TJPW or like ah New Japan or a stardom or a DDT or anything, like we're going. I got to see my first New Japan show in May at Coroquine Hall. Nice. And like goosebumps, maybe some tears in my eye.
00:51:53
Speaker
And like, what is it, Tiger Mask 4 was there? And like, Togi Makabe came out, Yuji Nagata. And I was just like, I didn't think I would ever see this in person. So it was pretty rad. That's amazing. So we've talked a lot about Japan, but are there any plans to expand the scope of Now Home outside of Japan? Or is that going to, as far as you're concerned, remain the focus of the collection?
00:52:20
Speaker
I think that's always gonna be a part of the focus. I don't wanna say that's the only focus because I do collect other things even outside of toys that I want to shine some light on. I just feel like, you know, I like to keep things easy on the eyes and how is that wrestling and maybe tokusatsu fan going to translate to like,
00:52:46
Speaker
I don't know, maybe Jeff, that's Japanese too, but like I'm sitting on like a chill little like Lucha Libre collection, which is still on the scope of wrestling. I do have all of, I have like a pretty chunky Mattel and like a decent Hasbro collection. But then that story has been told a little too much from my, my opinion. Like there's a lot of other things.
00:53:09
Speaker
um So ah a big focus for me this year, I've teased it a little bit. I have like this museum diorama that I'll be showcasing and storytelling out of a little bit more. And as that grows to where I want it to be, there's actually some American artists that I'm fortunate to have a relationship with where I feel like their story hasn't been told so much. And, you know, I haven't initiated those conversations for some, but I would think, why not? like Let's dive in. there's I think there's a whole scene of independent 20 makers out there that they have their following. They have people that absolutely love what they're doing. And I would love to be a part of not just showing off those things and bringing more eyes to it, but also like maybe giving more dialogue that they're not putting out on their own.
00:54:07
Speaker
man Yeah, for sure. Definitely. Yeah. Um, so yes. um Speaking of which we saw that, uh, now home was at a toy show or at a convention. Um, are there going to be more convention toy show kind of plans in the future, whether it's just showing stuff or, you know, bringing some of the gift shop to, uh, directly to the people? Yeah, I think you'll see a bit of both, but it's just kind of like finding
00:54:38
Speaker
the right spot. I mentioned earlier, my my friend Eric and I, we actually met before I opened the gift shop to the public online. ah The first public offering I ever did was at a toy show in Brooklyn. It was like Brooklyn toy con at um, what was that? It's like South Brooklyn. I forget the venue. But it was pretty cool. I was the one that was like around the same time as Five Points Fest, right?
00:55:05
Speaker
Yeah, and it was um like the Brooklyn Navy shipyard. Yep. That was just kind of like, oh yeah, it was refreshing just to see something new in the, you know, in the city. I've wanted to do five points, but my trips to Japan usually end up falling around those dates. So I missed the last one in particular. um But me and my friend, Eric, we're actually doing a few of the toy cons in Wayne, Wayne, New Jersey. Okay, that's yeah in our backyard. That is couldn't be closer. Yeah. Yeah. So I've done a handful of those and like, met some really rad people. I got to meet zombie zombie sailor toys at that show. Yeah, super cool. um And some other friends now like, just that was probably the first experience of someone coming up to me and being like,
00:56:02
Speaker
You're the now home guy. And that that was cool just to like have a nice conversation off the internet in person and just like get nerdy and talk toys and wrestling. And I would love to do more of that. The last show I did was actually at a friend of mine who runs a sneaker shop in the Lower East Side called Extra Butter. And that came about super last minute. I was like, hell yeah, like let's showcase this and put this in an environment that it normally wouldn't be in.
00:56:33
Speaker
Because I think another purpose for me is like maybe bringing these interests of mine to crowds that don't get to see this in their world and see where it mingles and works and what gets people excited.
00:56:51
Speaker
ah i'm um'm I hope Jesse is planning on doing it again, but I feel like now home would be a really good fit for, it's not- Toy Pizza Fest. Toy Pizza Fest, yeah. I almost called it the other thing. It's not a convention anymore. It's not bad anymore. I haven't been to that one. Also, Shouts to Extra Butter. Yeah, Shouts to Extra Butter. Thank you, Bernie. But yeah, you'd be a great fit for that, for that next show. Yes, I agree. Yeah, Jesse's a great guy, and Nick,
00:57:22
Speaker
nothing below for them. yeah so ah Japanese wrestling, is you know we've talked kind of at length about it, um but it's it's still kind of an underserved entity in the in the figure market.
Retro Revival: Japanese Wrestling Figures Comeback?
00:57:37
Speaker
you know they're They're the Good Smile 16D figures. and um Shouts to to Junk Shop Dog with ah the Popey Revivals, as well as you know an occasional Storm Collectibles figure. With retro style figures taking off, um why do you think the the Char Pro and Magura House style of figures have have not really made a comeback in the you know in kind of like the retro revival market?
00:58:03
Speaker
i think Partly assumption, partly some research I've done, I think that that production cost. We all love toys, and we all have our opinions on how they should look. But if you look into those margins, whether it's a soft vinyl figure in China or Japan or even Mexico, or if it's you know like with the Char Pro, it's essentially like a PVC figure, it's it's a hefty fee.
00:58:34
Speaker
no matter who's picking up the bill. And I feel like the figure collecting community is kind of like, we're we're really fixated on like six and seven inch scale multiple articulations where I don't know if that style translates today. I would love to keep collecting them. um I actually so On my site, i had I don't know if you're familiar with Sean. He does KWK toys, like Hasbro Retro Style. He used to be in contact with people behind the scenes with Char Pro, AKA Mogar House. And apparently there was like interest to expand that line kind of beyond its it's time.
00:59:23
Speaker
and From my timeline of like dating and documenting, it seems like that line maybe fell off around 2004, 2005. And they switched to just doing pretty much many big heads, the little bobblehead figures. And I don't know. I would love to see it revived. I think, who did it? I think 16D did do like one, maybe like was It wasn't a boxing or an MMA figure that kind of resembles that style. but I know there was like a Nakamura that never came out or there was like rumors of it towards like, towards, I want to say towards the end of his new Japan run. There was a couple of prototypes. Yeah. Yeah.
01:00:13
Speaker
You know, it's I think it's just one of those things where people, especially wrestling figure collectors, I think most associate that nostalgia hit with either the LJN or the the Hasbro format. Like those are like the formats that are more kind of the most prevalent. And that's why you have, you know, whether it's, it's Mitch with, you know, the, um, the Grafflers and gimmicks or, or, um, zombie sailor with the heels and faces. and And there was like one, like random Hiromu Takahashi.
01:00:43
Speaker
that came out. that That was the ringside one, right? Yeah, the ringside. You know, yeah you you have people that are you know kind of stuck in those those formats. And I mean, for good reason, those would be an awesome Chara Pro, by the way. But like, yeah, I feel like there is an an opening there for somebody to to to kind of come in and and continue those Chara Pros because there are so many iconic like, I don't know. I don't know why the one that I think of every time is Zandig.
01:01:11
Speaker
But like when I think of Charapros, I think of Zandig. And he's literally like the most ridiculous human being on the planet. But but there are so many... so Exactly. yeah Thank you, Matthew. um There are so many um ah good Charapros out there that like, you know, and yeah and to your point, it ended really too soon. um he Yeah.
01:01:39
Speaker
To add to that too, another thought that I had, so on my website, I did like an exhibition really going into depth on that line. It really started as a New Japan pro wrestling produced line. And then as it grew beyond their, I guess their contracting and legalities, Char Pro character products like really took its own lane. And then eventually Mogra House was like another subsidy.
01:02:07
Speaker
I feel like New Japan, like maybe Bullet Club Kenny Omega era would have been the like the seed planted to really get that line popping again. But I don't know. I feel like Super 7 had its shot with New Japan. We only got two waves out of it. I think Ryan spoke on like, I don't know if he spoiled it, but like there was a ah rumor of him still putting out a J white figure that was slated for series three.
01:02:38
Speaker
And like, I think it's just finding that right company who can also have that dialogue with a Japanese company and be able to do that. Cause like, there's so many figures, uh, Nakamura and Tanahashi got their like rookie figures with Charapro, but we've never seen their, like, their iconic looks. Like there's no high fly flow Tanahashi out there.
01:03:07
Speaker
I would love every, yeah. Yeah. What is it? Technically young, young lions, right? They got their young one exactly. Yeah. But like, give me, give me LIJ. Give me the bullet club. Just give me the the bullet pose over and over again. That would look so good on the shelf. So. um We got to put it, we're we're putting it out there until the ether now. Yeah. yeah That's it. Maybe it'll happen. Throwing that positivity out there. Self-actualize. Self-actualize. There you go. um Well, with that question, wait this this takes us to the end of our interview here.
01:03:42
Speaker
um Matthew, thank you so much for for taking the time to be with us. We have a tradition on the show where before we we plug and and send you on your way, ah we have a a customary question that we ask all of our guests. So ah Dave, would you like to fulfill your role as this podcast's James Lipton and ask our final question? Yeah, I'm gonna actually bring the microphone to me. Okay, there we go. oh yeah
01:04:09
Speaker
Our final question that we ask all of our guests. Matt, what is your favorite and or strangest piece in your collection? It can be one of each or it can be both. Oh, I'm going to go with one of each. All right. Strangest and weirdest, right? And favorite. Strangest. Strangest slash weirdest. Weirdest. And your and then favorite. yeah And or favorite.
01:04:36
Speaker
Okay, there is a Japanese anime and manga known as Obakiu and it's like a ah weird white looking ghost and it has like really big lips, it's always sticking its tongue out, kind of cute, kind of creepy. There is a Japanese artist, I'm spacing out on the name, but when I was over there, I picked up um kind of like a reworking of the motif where instead of the ghost, it's essentially a dick. It's a penis. That's the strangest. And if you give me a second, I'll show it. Oh, I always say the weirder, the better. And it's a finger puppet.
01:05:28
Speaker
And I saw it and I was like, Oh, how weird. Like I got, that has to be on the shelf. That's excellent. That's definitely the strangest of the weirdest. The favorite. Oh man, there's too many to pick. Um, you know what? I want to say one was this last October.
01:05:53
Speaker
in Massachusetts. I'm forgetting is it's it's not Salem, it's just outside of Salem. But there was a a soft vinyl festival that was actually Jesse from Toy Pizza was there. It was hosted at this silk screening shop. But I guess the main attractions if you will was Morisan who does Real Head. um There was Olamu and Accord Viper was there, and who else was there? Gokodo. Gokodo was there. And I, like, hopped on a Greyhound at, like, 4 a.m., went up there, waited in line at, like, 9 in the morning. And if anyone knows anything about the real head figures, it's essentially, it's usually, like, a popsicle, a number of popsicle stick for your cue in line. And I've had, like, a small relationship with Morty.
01:06:52
Speaker
So it was nice to see him in person at the time. I had never actually met him in person. And I have his chaos man, glow in the dark vinyl, and it's like rubbed red ink. I love it. That's cool. hard I can show it. I know some people might not be watching, but maybe listen then watch. I'll show it off real quick. You can see it in that back corner. You guys see that?
01:07:19
Speaker
Oh, yeah yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So cool. um of My MacBook's getting it right. Oh, no. that figure Yeah. So when you were lining up, they um You had a little sneak peek. You can preview the figures before you waited. And everything is hand cast, hand painted in very, very small quantities. And I think I was like the 38th person in line. So I was sweating, just like, oh my God. And Polly drank too much coffee. So shakes and everything. I'm like, that's the only thing I want. like i can i can regret I can miss out on everything else. And I got the last one. Nice. The very last one. Nice.
01:08:04
Speaker
So that right now is still like high up on there for my favorites. Very cool. Awesome. that's Awesome. Um, and, and thank you for giving us a little, a little extra peak of the, uh, yeah, for sure. you You'll get the full tour when you're back in the city. Definitely. Definitely. So, uh, Matt, before, before we let you go, uh, please tell our, our viewers, tell our listeners, uh, where can they find it? Find you online. Where can they learn more about now home?
01:08:33
Speaker
So nowhomeshop.com is the website where you can find not only the gift shop, but I have a preservation museum section where I've done two, so far two big exhibitions, just kind of diving into the psyche and the production behind some figure lines. But if you are on Instagram, it's nowhomenyc, at nowhomenyc, and that's where I do most of my sharing. I'm very reachable. You can DM me, chat with me.
01:09:02
Speaker
If you need any recommendations for Japan, I'm your guy. I'm on TikTok, but that seems to be a touchy one these days. So, I've been leaving in that alone. Again, hopefully something that stays there. Yeah. yeah And that's also ah not home in Waisu.
01:09:21
Speaker
Awesome. Well, we'll make sure to put links ah to to both the Now Home website as well as as your Instagram handle in the the show notes in the description below. ah Matt, thank you again so much for for joining us and thank you for doing what you're doing ah for the toy world. i mean the the The amount of niche preservation that is happening in such a small space. It's just one of those things where it's just like,
01:09:47
Speaker
It used to be like a if you know you know thing with some of this stuff. It's just getting it out there to more people. Yeah, it's it's really incredible what you're doing. No, thank you both for having me on. And it means a lot to me that just to meet you both and like have like minded interest and to see that what I'm doing means something to anyone. So I appreciate you. Dave, with that, send us home. Yeah, you know, everybody spread your wings, get out there and learn about something new and some new toys.
01:10:19
Speaker
Thank you, dear listener, for hanging out with us today. Subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you listen, and then tell your friends to do it. Thanks also to Joe Azari, the golden voice behind our intro. Our music is Game Boy Horror by the Zombie Dandies. Find more about them both on our show notes. Follow us on social media at AIC underscore podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Stop by and say hi. Show us your toy hauls and share your toy stories. Maybe we'll talk about it in a future episode.
01:10:51
Speaker
don't try this at home void where prohibited and some assembly required each sold separately not a flying toy consult a physician if your toy run exceeds more than four hours
01:10:59
Speaker
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