MINT Museum of Toys: Relive your childhood at this unique museum in Singapore

In our recent era of re-popularising toy figurines, from highly detailed anime character figures to adorable small artist sofubi toys– I wonder if anyone has ever asked what these items looked like in the past. If you have wondered the same, then the MINT Museum of Toys has the answer for you.

The museum is filled with 6 levels and 10 categories worth of vintage toys on display. You might want to set aside about 2 hours of your day to discover vintage toys and childhood memorabilia from over 40 countries, ranging between the years of 1840s to 1980s.

MINT Museum of Toys’ Ticketing Ambassador

MINT Museum of Toys is an unmanned ticketing museum, with its AI ticketing ambassador being the iconic Little Prince—derived from the famous novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

While it is encouraged to purchase your tickets ahead of time, you can still buy one by scanning the QR code outside the museum or on the bottom right of the Little Prince’s ticketing screen. Walk past the displays of landmark life and miniature figurines to the entrance of the exhibition, scan your ticket, and your journey begins.

Evolution of Toys

Beginning on level 2, the exhibition presents vintage toys across a broad timeline. The first collection includes traditional folk games (known as kampong games today), such as chapteh, marbles, five stones, and kuti-kuti.

The appearance and mechanisms of these toys slowly transition into exhibits made by European toy makers such as celluloid and lithographed tin figures and automobiles. You will also be able to encounter toys manufactured during the globalisation of Mickey Mouse! Designs of the Mickey we know now, and Mickey’s original design produced as stuffed toys or as a mascot on other products. Despite the memes made on his original design, that same face shows in the shelves of this museum.

Putting such entertaining views aside, toys were also notorious for being politically charged especially in times of war. You will be able to see toys made during the times of country turmoil, as a sign to bring either awareness to tragedies surrounding the region or as a silent rebellion to get audiences to reflect on social issues not taken in heavy regard. Such issues included dictatorship, world wars, and racism or superiority.

Looking back on these antiques now, I feel a sort of relief knowing that our entertainment no longer ignores such inherent issues.

World of Classic Cartoons and Comics

On level 4, you enter the world of classic cartoons and comics. Here are the likes of Looney Tunes, Betty Boop, and Popeye the Sailor Man; alongside comics such as The Adventures of Tintin and Batman, all of which have now passed their 90th anniversaries.

Rare collections include a restored Betty Boop figurine set of three, the Tom and Jerry Comic Car series, and Popeye’s Oyl Tank figure made in the 1950s, THE single most valuable toy in the museum’s collection. Other notable curations include Disney merchandise from classic fables such as Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, and Snow White.

These toys do highlight to me the evolution of our merchandise not only in structure, but in innovative use and display methods and most definitely the accuracy of appearance to our beloved drawn characters.

The Highlights of MINT Museum of Toys

If you take a close look at each display in the museum including the shelves at the stairwell, you will spot certain toys with an acrylic stand labelling them as an exclusive title.

The oldest toy in the museum

One of the toys that stood out to me was ‘The Chinesische Treppenläufer’ (Chinese Stairs)– the oldest toy in the museum. Made in 1840 by German toy makers, it emerged during the mass appeal of wooden toys. Its inventors cleverly applied physics by injecting mercury into the rods held by the figures, which caused the rear figure to lift upward and created the illusion that the figures were climbing down the stairs while remaining still.

This was one of the most complex and innovative mechanisms of its time, allowing orientalist insights into the western culture and formed a pathway to mechanisms beyond wooden figures in toys in the middle 1800s.

The one and only prototype of this toy in the world

Another toy would be the Prototype Frankenstein Marx Robot– this edition being the one and only prototype of this toy in the world. Located at the Spooky Horror section at the stairwell between levels 3 and 4, the Prototype Frankenstein Marx Robot sits at the farthest left side of the shelf.

Created by Marx Toys, a leading American toy manufacturer from 1919 to 1970s, only the prototype of Dr Frankenstein was ever made. This prototype gained its certification of authenticity from Scala’s Ltd, one of the groups who bought out the Marx warehouse when it closed in the 1970s, and signed by toy dealer Gene Scala himself.

The most valuable toy in the museum

Lastly, we have Popeye and the Olive Oyl Tank– the most valuable toy in the museum’s whole collection. One of the only known 5 pieces in the word, this extremely rare Popeye & Olive Oyl tank is a lithographed tin toy made with rubber tyres and a battery compartment underneath.

Accompanied by an on/off switch, Popeye appears as if he is lifting and moving the tank forward. The hatch of the tank also opens up to allow Olive Oyl’s head to emerge. After a bidding in April 2022, one of the Popeye and Olive Oyl Tank figurines hit a world-record value of $105,000 USD ($143,325 SGD) at Milestone Auctions, a new world auction record for a Popeye toy.

Gift Shop

MINT Toy Museum’s unmanned gift shop showcases a range of outer space-themed toys, character-themed collectibles such as Dragonball collectable cards, and collectibles such as Kampong games, vintage automobiles, and ornaments.

Don’t be intimidated by the fact that it’s unmanned, because you can place an order and collect it at the end of your visit at level 1 by telling a staff member your order number. I got 2 mini transformer aeroplanes and 2 mini transformer cars for $8 which is a true steal in this economy!

My Verdict

Overall the space had so much to show that what I am sharing does not even come close to a quarter of what they have. I love how quiet the space is as well and it allows you to take your time to observe and appreciate these antiques and perhaps find a new kind of collectable you might make your hobby.

I would like to preface that this is not an immersive exhibition and it is less interactive. The admission fee ($30 per adult) to MINT Museum of Toys can be quite costly in my opinion. However considering its accessibility, surrounding amenities and events; this museum does seem like a good idea for art lovers – be it solo or couple dates.