Last updated at 9:48 AM on 17th January 2012
A freelance writer who has spent a decade amassing a £10,000 Action Man collection has vowed to sell his huge hoard at auction.
Richard Briggs has spent 10 years trawling toy fairs to build up the greatest collection of them all, but has now admitted his Action Man obsession has 'spiralled out of control'.
The 42-year-old received his first Action Man figure in 1973 aged four, but went back to the toys aged 30 before spending years collecting dozens of accessory items.
Collection: A Luftwaffe pilot outfit and British infantryman costume are just two of Richard's huge hoard
His collection of 150 items includes dozens of Action Man kits, while Richard said he has 'nowhere to keep it all' in his home in Yeovil, Somerset.
There are guns, ammunition and a cavalry charge horse and items from around the world where Action Man had different names, such as Germany and Italy.
Richard spent a decade trawling through toy fairs, specialist shops and dealers to buy the figures and accessories that stopped being made in the mid-1980s.
Expensive: Richard's collection of over 150 items has seen him spend over £10,000
He said: 'I got my first Action Man when I was four and loved it but I grew out of it and gave everything away.
'Then when I was 30 I started to regret that decision and I realised I missed it and I wanted to get it all back again.
'But this time I wanted only things that were still in their packaging and in mint condition. I got them from toy fairs and specialist shops and dealers.
'Some things would have been sold originally for pocket money and others for as much as five pounds - but these are now worth hundreds of pounds each.
'My collection has spiralled out of control and I have nowhere to keep it and my partner would quite like it gone.
'I have had my pleasure from it and now it is someone else's turn.
'I suppose I liked the military side of it - I was very into history when I was young, especially World War II.
'And the uniforms were very accurate and you could have your own soldiers.
'I have one pack of GI Joe trousers - GI Joe was what he was called in America - and they were made from the same material as real uniforms.'
Action Man was launched in the UK in 1966 and was made by Palitoy Ltd in Coalville, Leics, until 1984.
Richard has collected items from that entire span and even has some that were bagged up and sold when the factory closed.
The 42-year-old received his first Action Man aged four but went back to collecting accessories like the Army officer and Polar explorer packs aged 30
Another of Richard's Soldiers of the World packs shows a French resistance fighter Action Man outfit, along with a Survival costume
Greatest collector of them all? An Australian jungle fighter accessory pack and Parachute regiment outfit continue the military theme
Richard's collection, which now includes 150 items, also features Mine detection accessories and a Soldiers of the world pack
James Butler, of Charterhouse Auctioneers, said: 'These items are all in their original packaging and haven't been played with.
'Action Man stopped being made years ago and collectors are willing to pay a high premium for such items, especially if it is in its original packaging.'
The auction takes place on January 20.
Source : dailymail
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