Collector Profile: Tim Scholz

My name is Tim, I'm 44, now in 2013, I liked The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings since I was about 12, when my father gave me a very fine edition of The Lord of the Rings for my birthday. I couldn't read it at first, I very much liked the beginning of the book, the introduction about hobbits, but my first reading only went as far as Rivendell. It all felt a bit dry. So I first read The Hobbit and after that I managed to read The Lord of the Rings, this time from beginning till end. I played merp (middle earth role playing) but that was all. I came back to The Lord of the Rings with the films by Peter Jackson. And I found the German Tolkien Society in 2010. Since then The Lord of the Rings became my main hobby, and started to take up all of my time. I was a little sceptical at the beginning, thinking the members of a Tolkien society woudl be high society snobbish grey dry bookworms professor type people, but I found most of them very friendly and not at all snobbish, and I had a very good time on my first Tolkien Thing in July 2010. I'm not that professor type, and I always find it hard to remember all the names in the books, but now I know where I can find everything out.

How did you get started in collecting?

I was given one ToyBiz action figure by a friend (so it's all his fault) back in 2002 (or so, can't remember exactly) I liked the figure and bought some more, first I thought I just wanted the Orcs, because I like them most, but after a while I had so many, and suddenly I wanted them all. I never thought about other figures, like from Weta or what ever (too expensive) But after I had collected all of the ToyBiz figures and I found a very good deal for the Weta figures on ebay..... there I reached the point of no return and I started collecting other figures, from Kinder surprise to Danburry Mint. Soon after I started buying books, games, weapons and whatever I could lay my hands on. 

What do you collect?

I collect everything that is related to Tolkien now, as long as I like it and I can afford it. For example I don't like the bubblehead figures and the new Hobbit puppets, but I collect the rest. 

How big is your collection?

I got no idea anymore. I guess it must be about 10000 pieces, at least if you count the miniatures from games workshop 

What has been your greatest find so far?

Can't say that eighter. If I had to select one piece to keep, I would come in big trouble. I think from the figures would be Sam and Bill the pony from Weta/Sideshow my favorite. I got a copy of Farmer Giles of Ham, signed by Tolkien, that would be my most expensive piece, and I just bought a painting from Jay Johnstone which I like very much.

Tell us about your web site.

I have started a page at the beginning of the year 2012, www.tims-tolkien-tempel.de but I had no idea how much work that would be. Especially the photographs are a problem. And I had no idea of programming a web page, so it's not much you can see on the page so far. I'd like to have it in english as well, but first I need to find a final structure.

What does collecting mean to you?

Sometime I like it, sometime I think it's a disease. I lost my job in 2012, and at the moment it's like something that pulls me down, I don't wanna let go of it, but I think it would be easier if I hadn't all that stuff. I'd like to give it all to the German Tolkien Society, but that is not as easy as it seemed to be (german law of association makes it difficult). I let my father buy a air-raid shelter with about 100 square meter, and I'm planing now to build a (at least for the German Tolkien Society and friends) a Tolkien-Museum. I have just started, still everything needs to be done, like paint work, electrical work and so on. But I hope it will become reality till the middle of next year. 

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