Setting foot into a one-bedroom flat in an old mining village, you immediately become aware of dozens of pairs of eyes staring at you. "My landlord used to call me Peter Pan," said 61-year-old Martin James, a former cleaner, farmer and singer who now spends much of his time buying, creating and altering his collectables. He shares his modest-sized flat in Caerphilly county with 32 "life-sized" props, including an imposing T-800 - the Terminator played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He also has a 6ft, 175lb (79kg) Po, better known as Kung Fu Panda, and Pennywise, the clown from the film, It. Overlapping action figures, posters and teddy bears also cover Martin's walls and ceilings. His collectables consist of "anything unusual", but he is mostly inspired by Hollywood.
He's far from alone and is part of a rising cohort of "kidults", who are consumers over the age of 12, who are trying to counter the "doom and gloom" of adult life, an expert said. "They call me mad Martin and I don't know why," he laughed. He traded his motorbike for a Terminator figure nearly 10 years ago and said his larger collectables were now increasing in value.
Martin said he was offered £10,000 for his Kung Fu Panda figure, more than the estimated value, but insists it is not about money. I'd never do it for the money. People say: 'Why collect then?' It's because I enjoy it.
"Life is too short to be boring, I don't drink, I don't smoke. If I'm going to spend any money, I'd like to show what I got out of it." Martin's collection is a mix of rare items and props he has created or refined himself. He says his partner has been "good as gold", helping him collect items, while his own children have grown up, allowing him to dive into his hobby.
"Kidults" represent a growing market since the pandemic, according to Elliot Riley-Walsh, creator of collection management software Valart. People are reconnecting with childhood interests to counter the "doom and gloom" of adult life, he said. "If you go into a Lego shop now, it's pretty much split 50-50.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
