You might be thinking, “Why is there a museum for figures and figurines?” Well, many of us ‘normal’ people might be tempted to dismiss it as a place for the obsessed, but you might want to think again. Figure Museum W, located in Cheongdam-dong, is a place to either renew your love of or learn about a new potential hobby of collecting, building, and trading figure models. With a serious collection of models that range in price from the thousands to couple 100 million wons, it’s undoubtedly Seoul’s special mecca for dukhoos (people focused on a specific hobby or subject) of this sort. For those of us who consider ourselves ‘normal’, it will be an eye-opening experience in learning both the delicacies and grandiose of this art form.
The 1000 or so models that are on display are all part of a private collection. The two co-owners of the museum are elementary school friends and have been avid collectors of figures and art toys for a while. They, along with two more friends, came together to create this special space within Seoul to display their belongings. Most well known animation characters from Korea, Japan and the US can be spotted here, all of which range in size. If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to stand next to Ironman and take a selfie, you’ll be able to do just that. Life-size figures include the Terminator (with the actual leather jacket Arnold Schwarzenegger wore), Ironman, Batman, Spiderman, the Hulk, and even the Joker. The most prized item, on the other hand, is the RX-93V, contained within a dimly lit glass display case. This particular model of Gundam is the only one in the world and is currently estimated at around 200 million won. Just like any art form, these figures range and fluctuate in price, with consideration of who the artist is, scarcity and level of completion (detail). With six floors organized by theme, your eyes will be flooded with dynamic characters and figures that will have you in awe.
Fair warning for those who are figure dukhoos, leave your credit cards at home. You might get blinded by the glistening figures and collectibles that are for purchase at the 2nd floor store and first floor special exhibition zone. They don’t come cheap. But considering the fact that even entertainment mogul Yang Hyun-suk (YG) and K-pop sensation T.O.P. (Big Bang member) have art toys themselves, maybe picking one up might not be such a bad idea.