How Tomica Save My Life

This is not a childhood memory but it is part of growing up. Many people do not know some of my Tomica stories, not even close friends. As I was chatting with Martin, owner of "It's All About Cars", from The Philippines, he told me that Tomica actually save his life. Somehow, Tomica did save mine too. To be a little precise, Tomica help me to be who I am today in my career life.

I started working as a sales engineer in a safety instrument company in my early 20s. I had to travel within Singapore island to meet all the safety officer from all area of industries. I appreciate that my previous employer gave me a chance for the position although I had no working experience and no mode of transport. Initially, I had to depend on my colleague to send me to the customer's site but I do not want to create any inconveniences to him. I tried taking cabs to my destinations instead for the rest of the first month. I thought to myself that I can't go on doing this without a vehicle but how can I afford a car if I have no savings. I told my parents that I will get a car but they are furious that they asked me to resign instead.

At that time, I was also a seller in eBay and was selling mainly regular Tomica in order to fund my cravings for vintage ones. If I recalled it well, I sold a Tomica Falken Toyota Supra online and someone wanted this model in multiples. The buyer was from Hong Kong and he was a famous Tomica collector in Hong Kong as well. I was following his Tomica website then. Some who collect Tomica long enough should know him. I like he named his website as "busybeetoys" and I was a close follower then. I called up the store, reserve 100 pcs and I drove my manager's car to collect the Falken Supras. I pack all cars and off they flew to Hong Kong. I made some quick cash from this deal and combined my new drawn salary the following month, I found myself in the used car centre ready to hunt for the right car. Eventually I bought a 8 year old compact hatchback as my first ride. I had to hide this car for 2 months before my parents discovered it.

Some 8 or 9 years later, I decided to thank him personally and made a trip to his showroom in Hong Kong. He told me that he stopped buying the new Tomica as the quality was disappointing. He sold a big portion of his collection as well. I was kind of sad to hear that. I told him that I like the Tomica HK taxi he produced and was still looking for the earlier Cedric which they nicknamed it "shark head". I told him my purpose of visit. He was surprised that he has indirectly helped me by buying a hundred Falken Supras from me. This Tomica model started my career in my life and he indirectly became my saviour in life. He is now a distributor for a brand of model car.

Thank you Falken Supra and thank you, Danny.