Did you know we're not the only Muppet site that loves Muppet merchandise? It true, our good friend Lucas runs the The Muppet Collection Page on Facebook and today he's here to tell you all about it!
Hi, I’m Lucas. I’ve been running The Muppet Collection Page on Facebook for just over three years now.
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| Lucas with Jim Henson biographer Brian Jay Jones |
At first it was just going to be a page where I covered the new Diamond Select figures, which were just coming out at that time. But then I realized that I had so much merchandise of my own, I figured I could use this page to raise awareness towards other Muppet fans about what’s out there to get—whether it’s board games, lunch boxes, Blu-Rays, or even socks.
I then started posting photos of my stuff and I’d show people which stores or online vendors would most likely have whichever collectible is being showcased that day.
Also, we get a lot of fans who post their collections as well, and these fans come from all over the world! Some of those fans have even given me some hard-to-find Henson-related memorabilia. It’s incredibly moving to me to be interacting with Muppet fans from Germany, Norway, Canada and Spain.
So far it’s been a lot of fun and the Muppet community has been incredibly supportive. Oh, and a couple times a year, we also do Muppet Giveaways, where one lucky fan gets a box of Muppet goodies sent to their door!
When I was a kid, I was in and out of the hospital a lot due to congenital issues, and of course I had to deal with a lot of surgeries. Not long before going in for open-heart at age two, I’d received a Kermit The Frog plush doll, and while this doll has certainly seen better days, it’s been with me at every surgery since.
So, in a very real and personal sense, he’s been a hero of mine. He currently resides on a shelf at my place surrounded by other “Kermit Only” figures, statues, pencils, trading cards and cuff-links. It’s my favorite thing I own… although, I must say, that backstage play-set made by the Palisades toy line is a close second.
While I did have some Muppet, Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock stuff as a kid, I didn’t really start collecting Henson-related merchandise until sophomore year of high school when Palisades Toys came out with their own line of figures from The Muppet Show. I definitely remember seeing that Dr. Teeth was going to be in their first wave and thinking, “Oh, this company’s serious.”
I’m fairly certain that, at this point, I have nearly every Palisades figure ever made except for White Tuxedo Rowlf, Super Beaker and Wedding Cake Topper Kermit & Piggy… but as of right now, I’m running out of room, as I currently have over 2,000 different items… from the Fraggle Rock line of German Schliech figures to a Fozzie Bear stocking cap; from an autographed copy of Brian Jay Jones’ Jim Henson biography to the Sesame Street Funko Pop figures.
I’m incredibly lucky that I’ve been able to find some of the rarest collectibles, and I still love people’s reactions when they stop by for a visit and see my collection cases. If I could add anything to what I have now—and I know this will sound silly—I’d want an authentic replica puppet of Lew Zealand.
As for what’s next for The Muppet Collection Page, I’m still holding out hope that Diamond Select will release their final wave of figures which include Sam Eagle, Rizzo the Rat, Dr. Teeth and Zoot. They just released the Swedish Chef figure, which will be included in May’s Muppet Giveaway, along with the Jim Henson Funko figure and other Muppety surprises.
In the meantime, we will soon be reinstating Muppet Monday’s, where fans from all over the globe are invited to send in pictures of their collectibles and briefly mention how they became fans of Jim Henson’s work.
If any of you reading this article would like to showcase your collection on The Muppet Collection Page, please send me a message about how you became a fan, as well as some pictures to show off what you’ve got, and I’ll let you know when your pictures will be posted… oh, and keep your eyes out for when we reach 4,000 followers!
Thanks Lucas. As you can see from the photos, not only is Lucas a huge Muppet fan, but he's one heck of a toy photographer as well. Be sure to check out The Muppet Collection Page on Facebook.
