November 27th 2024.
Samantha Hughes is a woman who has always had a deep love for collecting toys. It all started with her earliest memories as a child, and now, at 34 years old, she estimates her impressive collection to be worth a whopping £3,000. Her passion for nostalgia and keeping it alive is what makes her feel like it's Christmas every day.
As a 90s kid, Samantha has a special connection to the toys and games from that era. Her most prized possession is a Nintendo 64 Pokémon Pikachu Edition console, which she estimates to be worth around £350. But that's not all, she has over 350 games for all her consoles, including the original PlayStation and Sega Mega Drive. Her favorites growing up were The Powerpuff Girls and Sabrina the Animated Series, as well as anything Disney-related.
Samantha's collection has grown so much over the years that she had to dedicate an entire room in her house just for her toys. But it's not just paid-for items that she collects, she also holds onto figurines from Burger King and McDonald's that were once given out as part of children's meals.
But Samantha is doing something now that she couldn't do as a child - showing her love for her favorite childhood stories through tattoos. She has over 20 tattoos, including ones dedicated to Lady and the Tramp, Beauty and the Beast, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, and Pokémon's Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. She loves sharing her collection and tattoos on Instagram, where she has a following of nearly 13,000 dedicated fans.
Growing up in the 90s, Samantha remembers a time where everyone had similar interests and could bond over the same music, toys, and TV shows. It was a simpler time with fewer options, which she believes brought people closer together. She credits her family, who couldn't afford to constantly buy her new things, for sparking her love for collecting.
Her collection is highly organized, with a checklist to make sure she doesn't duplicate anything. She proudly boasts that she has all the original Pokémon games and a fair share of Disney games. Her favorites to play now are on the Mega Drive and PlayStation, where she has all the Disney games except for one.
The coolest thing in her collection, according to Samantha, is her N64 console and the Pikachu edition. She loves that when she turns it on, Pikachu's cheeks light up, making it extra adorable. Her collection also includes two Furbys, Polly Pockets, Pokémon playsets, Sky Dancers, Barbies, a Lizzie McGuire Funko Pop, and a 1997 Together in Paris Anastasia Doll.
But Samantha's collection is ever-growing, and she's always on the lookout for new additions. When she and her husband first moved in together, they would buy older games second-hand to save money. Now, she frequents her favorite retro shop twice a week and is always keeping an eye out for bargains on eBay. She can find games for as low as £2 or as high as £50.
The dining room in her two-bedroom Birmingham home has now been transformed into a retro gaming nineties area, complete with a glitter lava lamp. Her husband, Luke, has added his own touch by displaying his Halo Action Figures. He even surprises her with gifts for her collection, most recently a Polly Pocket Friends Compact during the Black Friday sale.
For Samantha, her collection is more than just toys and games. Each item holds a special memory and reminds her of people and times in her life. She cherishes the memories they bring back and believes there's something lovely about that.
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