Collecting those childhood memories Published Aug. 30, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Michael Washburn 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Walk into the toy room that's located in the house of Tech. Sgt. Brent Scarano, 355th Component Maintenance Squadron resource advisor, and it's like stepping into a time machine. Ghostbusters, Thundercats, Battle Beasts, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and many other characters are presented on shelves and in display cases. Sergeant Scarano is a collector and his items of choice are action figures and toys. "I was born in 1977, so I tend to collect more action figures and toys from the 1980's," Scarano said. "It's mostly from the early 80's. Action figures like Thundercats, M.A.S.K. and He-Man." Sergeant Scarano began to really get into collecting toys in the year 2000. Since then, his collection has grown throughout the years. His toy room in his house is practically overflowing. With Sergeant Scarano's interest in collecting, one would suspect it could be a pricey hobby. That's not the case. "I get a lot toys for my collection at swap meets and thrift stores," Scarano said. "I don't want my hobby to take up so much money that I can't pay my bills. I want collecting to stay fun." There's no doubt Sergeant Scarano loves to collect toys. But to keep his toy room from becoming too cluttered, he doesn't mind selling off some of his toys. "I don't hold on to everything in my collection," Scarano said. "I also sell some online as well. I can still go out and get the thrill of the hunt as I try and find the one thing I need to complete a set, but I can also pass on some toys that other people may be interested in." Sergeant Scarano claims he won't stop collecting any time soon. The toys he collects remind him of memories from days long past. "I love to collect toys because of the nostalgia that comes with it," Scarano said. "It brings you back to when you were younger and the fun times you had with the toys."