TOY (SOLDIER) STORY

Military history aficionado first, businessman second. Owner of The Soldier's Story - a toy soldier figurine retail store - 3rd Sergeant (3SG) (NS) Michael Tong tells it like it is.

As a child, 3SG (NS) Michael Tong hated to read. A most inconvenient trait for a history buff. But then he fell in love with military history - a hobby which required him to read copious amounts of text - and that eventually led to him collecting toy soldier figurines.

It all started from the war movies 3SG (NS) Tong used to watch as a child.There is a certain romanticism in the sacrifices people have to make during epic struggles, he said. "The grandeur of the films pushed me to find out more and the more I learnt, the more interesting it got," he explained.

In 2010, 3SG (NS) Tong decided to turn his hobby into a livelihood. He opened The Soldier s Story, a retail outlet specialising in premium toy soldier figurines and other related accessories at Funan the DigitaLife Mall.

More than a business

ln preparation for the launch of his business, 3SG (NS) Tong prepared like a military commander would: from February to October 2010, he conducted market surveys and explored ways to market his new business.

Yet at the end of seven months' worth of ground work, he was still unsure."It was 50-50 really. While there is a sizeable community of collectors in Singapore, I wasn t really sure the business would be sustainable," he said.

What eventually convinced him to take the plunge were the positive responses from visitors to an exhibition he held at the Asian Civilisations Museum in mid-2010, where he showcased dioramas from bygone times in Singapore s history. Many families came up and thanked him for the chance to see the figurines. It convinced him that there was significant public interest not just from collectors, but also from people looking to educate their children on historical events.

"That's where the business adds value to society: by giving people a chance to think of historical events that have affected us in some way or other," he said.

His military story

While serving his National Service obligation as a junior commander with the Combat Engineers, 3SG(NS) Tong appreciated the chance to gain a deeper understanding of military life. It was an opportunity to experience a little of what he had read about and seen in military books and films, he said.

After starting out as an auditor, then a business consultant, 3SG (NS) Tong ventured into the marine engineering industry where he held a minority share in the company.

Eventually he sold his shares and started The Soldier's Story. Somewhere between all of that, he found time to pursue a Masters degree in accounting. Not bad for someone who hated reading.