Serious HOBBY

       On entering a house decorated with wall-to-wall enamel signs and illuminated panels, and floor-to-ceiling collectable toys and bottles, one may well think that the place is a museum. In this case, however, it's the private residence of collector Snitvong Thongplengsri in the Pracha Chuen area.
       RARE PIECES: Snitvong Thongplengsri with his collectable toys and bottles.
       "I wish I could open up my house as a museum," says Mr Snitvong, a property developer, whose enormous private collection lines the walls and spills over onto the floors of the first and second floors of his house and three rooms in his apartment building nearby. His collection is so huge that he can hardly keep track of all the items, and it is actually worth such a lot of money that he can't run it as a museum on his own. Consequently, it remains private property for showing off to personal guests.
       Inspired by his wedding designer's private collection 15 years ago, Mr Snitvong started to go through his old garage, only to find nothing from his childhood days. He then started to collect old soda bottles worth a few hundred baht each before going on to search for other rare items.
       "It's a lot easier to be a collector these days. Everything from around the world is available on eBay if you can afford it," says Mr Snitvong, remembering the tiring walks through Khlong Thom night market and Wat Suan Kaew in Bangkok, and the garage sales in the US during his MBA studies. But his shopping in bricks-and-mortar markets is a thing of the long-gone past, and in the last decade, websites like eBay and http://www.cokethai.com have allowed him to find the best offers.
       Mr Snitvong soon became a regular on eBay, where he sought rare pieces and also offered to international bidders what he had found in the local market. "The only trick is, you need to find the object on the right forum at the right time," he says. The different time zone makes it difficult for some Thai e-shoppers to bid for an item on eBay, as most auctions end in the early hours in Thailand.
       Numerous walks and clicks later, his collection now ranges from bottles to glasses, from picture records to porcelain signs, from figurines to battery toys. Lemonade and soda bottles are kept in a cabinet while old-style coffee glasses are arranged in a traditional coffee bar. Many of them are top-quality products in their own categories. His "Ajarn Thong", an old snuff mascot produced by the now-giant pharmaceuticals and food company, Osoth Sapha, is believed to be one of the very few pieces in good condition, and is well-preserved in a showcase.
       The walls are totally hidden behind much-sought-after enamel signs like Raleigh, Michelin, Goodyear, Singer (sewing machines), Harley Davidson, and "Sam Taharn" (petrol stations) (Three Soldiers - now part of PTT), and illuminated signs featuring beer brands that turn his living area into a small, alcohol-free pub at night.
       Mr Snitvong is fascinated by the original technology used in making the signs that keeps them in such good condition despite the passage of several decades. A replica of an enamel sign can be made to order for about 10,000 baht, he says, but it isn't very popular among serious collectors. Such a replica is the result of multilayers of airbrush paints, which make the sign look like an original metal plate coated with porcelain.
       According to Mr Snitvong, the decades-old porcelain signs are easier to take care of, unlike delicate stamps or printed materials. He simply applies white oil on the surface of the signs regularly to keep the rust away.
       Due to their complicated maintenance needs, not included in his enormous private collection are easily-damaged items that require a high degree of protection like fragile porcelains, stamps, banknotes, printed materials and amulets.
       Printed materials are not only hard to store, but, thanks to advanced technology, they are easily duplicated, and it is hard to identify a fake. Many are stolen from libraries or archives and can't be put on public display. "What's the point of collecting something you can't show to the world? It's a pity," Mr Snitvong says.
       For most collectors, such priceless items are meant only to be kept out of reach or touched only with gloves on, to prevent any possible damage caused by the handlers' sweat. But Mr Snitvong wants things that he can not only put his hands on without wearing gloves but also can play with.
       "I'm not Sotheby's or Christie's. These items are meant to be touched and played with," says the 42-year-old collector while taking several toys out of their boxes. A like-new tin model of a Jaguar XK-E made in Japan is also regularly taken out of the showcase and passed around by his guests' hands - without gloves on.
       Unlike other collectors who often hesitate to let a collectable item out of its box, Mr Snitvong is proud to demonstrate how a battery-powered Charley Weaver Bartender mechanical toy, produced in 1962, shakes his cocktail mixer, pours the drink into his cocktail glass, and his body moves excitedly. Smoke is then released from the ears.
       To most collectors, the motto is to pass collectable items on to a new collector to keep them alive. A professional collector is not emotionally attached to the collection. Out of 10 pieces, a collector should keep only one piece. Keeping eight out of 10 items bought from the market isn't good practice, he says.
       Investing in collectable items for a living isn't recommended, says Mr Snitvong, unless you can afford to not regret splurging away a disposable fortune. Or unless you can turn a really large collection into a museum and make a living out of it. Now, the money he spends on his collection comes from income from apartments and his family's housing estate projects.
       Many people in the US invest their money on antique items for sale at garage sales after their retirement. Today, Mr Snitvong only collects and keeps them for his enjoyment.
       "But I can't say that I'll never sell an item [even though I love it very much]," he admits.
       He is willing to let go of his prized articles if he is happy with the offer, he says. For example, he is more than happy to give up his large collection of enamel signs for a Mercedes-Benz sports car.
       Relate Search: Snitvong Thongplengsri, Pracha Chuen, Khlong Thom night market, Wat Suan Kaew in Bangkok