Teacher collects over 3,000 superhero figurines

KUALA LUMPUR - The hobby of collecting figurines or miniature statues is often associated with one’s childhood and teenage years, a pastime many outgrow with age.

In the case of Muhammad Nazmi Rosli, 32, however, he only picked up the hobby when he was 18 and now boasts a collection of over 3,000 figurines of superheroes, including Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ and DC Comics’ ‘Superman’.

For this young man who teaches English at a primary school in Lawas, Sarawak, it is more than a hobby. According to him, he draws inspiration and motivation from the figurine characters to better understand his students’ personalities.

"I’ve observed many weaknesses in these (superhero) characters, which reflect on the students I teach. Every student has a different personality shaped by their home environment, which influences them.

"Without realising it, a student may have abilities that others do not, and this happens a lot in the comic world. It is something that triggers, and by reading these comics, I know I should not just see (judge) them within the classroom,” he said when contacted by Bernama recently.

Muhammad Nazmi said understanding comic characters indirectly helps him to grasp a person’s emotional side and inner conflicts.

The father of two believes collecting figurines also helps him to be more creative in educating his students, most of whom live in rural areas, including designing teaching aids inspired by the superhero characters.

"(For example) I took inspiration from Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ comic ‘Danger Room’ to help my students grasp a real picture of the outside world since they have no chance to experience it. For example, I built a swimming pool using plastic,” he said, adding that he usually sources figurines for his collection from second-hand shops and online.

He also said he saves part of his salary to buy limited-edition items and had even worked as a building painter after completing his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination to buy the figurines he wanted.

He showcases his collection on racks at home, though only about 1,000 pieces can be on display at any given time. The rest of the figurines are stored in boxes.

"Every night, if I have time, I will play and interact with them. Since my racks have space for only 1,000 figurines, I would rotate them weekly so that all the items in my collection have a chance to be displayed,” he said. 

He said the prices of the figurines vary depending on their popularity and market demand, and can sometimes go up to thousands of ringgit each.

"For example, a Marvel character figurine was once sold at its original price of RM190, but it dropped to RM25 because its appearance in the film was so brief,” he said.

Although he has received criticism for having a hobby deemed unsuitable for the teaching profession, Nazmi maintains a positive stance.

"There will always be negative perceptions. First, I ignore whatever negativity people recite about me. Second, … I always say that people should be what they want to be if they want to succeed in this world. As long as you don't do anything bad, then it's okay,” he said. - BERNAMA