The Journey

I was first introduced into the 1/6 world when i was gifted a Dragon Blackhawk down MATT and JEFF pack as a child. Loved them, and i eventually managed to “barter” excellent exam results for the Dragon 101st Airborne Alex figure. These were my only action figures for years to come, as i would spend my daily afternoons after school peering into the display case of Action City at my local mall here in Singapore. They were the official Singapore Distributor for Hot Toys back in the good old days when they were still doing military figures. Being a student, the slick SWAT figures and the cool VBSS displays were out of reach for me, only a feast for my eyes.

Dragon Black Hawk Down Matt and Jeff double pack

(Picture from worthpoint)

Collecting
I have always wanted to be a soldier and i looked forward to the mandatory 2 year military service required of all males here in Singapore. I had my eye on a commission and a military career. Unfortunately, it was not to be, i was medically discharged from service and spent a couple of years fighting for my life in and out of hospital. It was then i was reacquainted with the 1/6 world one lonely night in hospital, coming across a super cool and modern USMC figure by Soldier Story (SS048) at The Falcon’s Hanger , the local action figure/toy dealer.

Thus began my official 1/6 journey.

The SS048 - Just the beginning of my 1/6 addiction

I bought and bought and bought some more. The hours i spent during my university days tinkering with my figures past in a blink of an eye, my figures had to look just right. I was anal like that. I guess part of why i collected so voraciously, was that it was the only way i could live my childhood dream of being a soldier.

Reviews
Eventually, i was introduced to One Sixth Warriors, started to participate in the community and began posting pictures instead of lurking in the threads, consuming and not contributing. My inquisitive nature and attention to detail meant that i need to investigate every single detail and item of a figure. This lead to creation of reviews, it always brings a smile knowing that someone out there benefited from a review, or learned something new.

Delusional X General Sam
The advent of 3D printing brought a whole new dimension to the 1/6 world. I was always frustrated when i couldn’t lay my hands on that one rare part, or i needed something that wasn’t created in 1/6 yet. I teamed up with US based OSW member Delusional, to set up the Delusional X General Sam line of 3D printed parts, we did FN EGLM triggers, scopes, rifle handguards just to name a few. The idea behind the collaboration was to scratch an itch that i had for unobtainable parts and bring fellow collectors along the journey to share and participate in.

One of the Delusional X General Sam 3D Printed SCAR 17 EGLM modules

PS. It took Soldier Story more than 6 years from initial prototype to finally announcing it in SS106 “VOODOO”

Opening Doors
My uncontrolled acquisition of 1/6 parts involved forming close relationships with various sellers and dealers. There was one special seller of note, he seemed to have rare and unique parts from a major manufacturer for sale. After more digging, it seemed that he had access to the manufacturing factory and likely an under the table deal for parts. It was as if i stumbled upon a gold mine, gimme 100 EXPS optics, 100 ACOGs, 20 Hk416Ds all for my collection. (i am not kidding about the numbers). The relationship eventually evolved from buyer-seller into that of a buyer-middle man. The culmination of that was probably my acquisition of hundreds of 1/6 rifles in black and custom FDE color schemes. This came to an end when 2 major manufacturers, the old guard and a new upstart clashed, alleging copying and theft of designs. This resulted in tightening of protocols at the manufacturing factory and “the goose that laid the golden eggs was killed”.

*Laughs in Larue OBR*

General’s Armoury
3D printing wasn’t cutting it at that point in time. They were not that durable, required a lot of post processing, sanding, painting. I had been keeping my eye on a fledging new 1/6 company , Easy & Simple. I still remember introducing them to local Singapore sellers/ dealers and ordering a carton of ES06001 , Easy & Simple’s first product, the M27 IAR. Of course one thing lead to another, and i started General’s Armoury, with Easy & Simple providing manufacturing capability. With General’s Armoury, i could target specific segments in the 1/6 market that were lacking, bringing unique products to the market. If you are asking why i decided to partner with Easy & Simple, the answer is - simple, they are collectors at heart too and have a constant, dedicated drive for self improvement.

Feel free to share, comment and leave suggestions !

-General Sam