By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

Lethbridge salon owner’s toy collection featured in Galt Museum’s “For Keeps” exhibit

Jan 26, 2018 | 12:31 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Most people who go to Catwalk Salon on 3 Ave. S. know Levi Cox as the business owner, an artist and stylist, a philanthropist and someone who loves to perform on stage.

What they might not know, is that he also has an absolutely gargantuan toy collection. No exaggeration. You have to see it, to believe it.

It includes just about everything that was ever produced in the 1980s, including Star Wars, Marvel and DC action figures, He Man and She Ra, Jem and the Holograms, G.I. Joe, Lego, Disney figurines, Robocop, Hot Wheels, Barbie Dolls, Ghostbusters, Rambo, Peanuts, Scooby-doo… the list is endless.

He began collecting when he was just four years old, after asking his aunt if she could make a Wonder Woman birthday cake for him. She did, and even put a Wonder Woman cake topper it.

“I basically carried that around with me until my dog finally ate it,” he laughs. “And then I was constantly searching around for another Wonder Woman figure; checking yard sales – anything I could. And then I just started collecting toys.”

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His grandmother brought him some Star Wars Figures (the first one was Princess Leia), and he wanted more.

“I would collect even my cousin’s toys as they’d get older. I’d be like, ‘oh, I’ll buy them, I’ll get your toys.’ I’d go to flea markets. I was just always buying toys.”

His collection is so huge that he has a 2,000-square foot apartment in the building he owns, dedicated solely to his toys. He and his partner Austin have installed floor to ceiling shelving, and are working on organizing them all. Not only that, Cox has rooms in the basement where he keeps his ‘extras,’ toy parts and toys he will sell at shows.

In his apartment, he also has a special area for those that are his current favourites.

“They’re my favourite super heroes that are accessible to me, my favourite Star Wars figures, my favourite 80s figures, and my favourite He-Man figures. So basically, there’s no getting bored in this house.”

A small portion of his collection, including an original, still-in-the-package Princess Leia from the 1980s signed by Carrie Fisher, will be featured in the Galt Museum’s newest exhibit called For Keeps: Collecting Memories.

Jane Edmundson is the guest-curator of the exhibit. She says the question that inspired the exhibits was what happens to everyday objects, that transforms them into things we want to keep and collect?

For some it’s practical; they use what they collect. For others, the items might be associated with good memories.

“Are there stories behind the objects? So really, the objects become a symbol for a story or for an experience that we’ve had, or for an emotion that we’re reminded of when we see the object or hold it in our hands.”

The exhibit is divided into two sections. The first is about museum collecting – how and why they collect items. The second is an array of local collectors featuring their items, including Cox and his action figures. Others include salt and pepper shakers, VHS tapes, salesmen samples from the 1950s and 60s, bicycles, and even egg cartons that are used as giant Lego bricks.

The exhibit opens on Sunday, Jan. 28 and runs until April 29.

Cox says the hardest part for him, was trying to decide what to display at the museum. He was asked to take part about six weeks ago, when he moved his Wonder Woman display case into his salon, and someone from the Galt noticed it. He was thrilled to do so.

“My one thing is my dad always said, ‘how long are you going to collect these dolls or toys for?’ And now I’m like, dad, come to my Galt opening.”