Guest Post from Andy Goodman
Andy organizes car and collector events, collects Hot Wheels, Funko, Jada, M2 and more, works for M2 Machines and has consulted for many other toy companies. He is also one of our Inductees (Model Historian in 2014) and has organized a number of the Annual Ceremonies for the Hall. Here he is paying tribute to Roy Nakamura, our 2009 Intriguing Collector Inductee.
“You live life once so enjoy it” Those were some meaningful words spoken to me as a young adult, by a gentleman whom I admired for many years. His name Roy Nakamura – the man who took me from an average collector to a hunter, seeking the rarest and most unique diecast pieces from sources all over the world.
Some of Roy’s Scale Models
But he also loved 1:1 Scale cars… and check out the number plates!)Roy was an avid fan of many brands, but his ultimate rush when collecting was being able to add first shots, pre-productions, paint samples and other unique pieces to his collection. He found it fulfilling to have something original in his hands. He would share his latest acquisitions with many of us back in the good old days on forums such as HobbyTalk and JoesDIecastShack (Ed. Note – both are Community Supporters of the Hall and are still alive and vibrant). Roy would find special pieces from all around the world, purchase multiples if possible, and would then share them with his collecting friends. I will never forget the first time he reached out to me asking for my address, a week later a box shows up with a half dozen various Jada Street Lows that were never released to the public. From time to time for more than a decade we would swap stories, trade cars and surprise each other with cool finds and oddities when possible.
Roy signing the 2009 Class Declaration (the first image on the top of this blog post shows him on the same day with George Barris, another 2009 Inductee)It is surreal that Roy left us nearly 5 years ago. Roy and countless others have made marks on the industry that have impacted collectors, manufacturers and even the direction the hobby has gone. It is for this reason that Central Pennsylvania’s Collector Con has created the Legacy Award. An annual award that will pay homage to a fallen collector so that we can keep their legacy alive for generations to come. Please help us thank Roy Nakamura for all that he did for our hobby of collecting.
You will find information on the dinner on the website for the Central Pennsylvania’s Collector-Con If you have a nice image of Roy please add it to a comment below, as this is in effect Roy’s long overdue Obituary on the Hall’s site.
Roy was the best. What a sense of humor! He is dearly missed, and the hobby is just not the same without him.
Roy was such a nice guy and avid diecast collector. He was one of those special people that you meet and you never forget.
He’d have you laughing in a minute after you shook his hand or said hello.
Just a beautiful guy and a great person.
Anyone that ever met Roy will surely have missed him greatly, as I do.
RIP my Friend…. Thanks for the memories.
Roy was an amazing collector and human. I miss him and his coming to my room and saying I’ll take that and that and that! Class act and truly missed.
One of the nicest persons you could have ever met. Love of the hobby and making people around him happy. His and his wife Irma’s hospitality was also the best at many fantastic get togethers they had. Gone long before his time should have been. RIP Roy, your never forgotten.
Roy was truly one of the best. I first met Roy several decades ago at one of our local toy shows, I believe it was at the Sequoia Club. Later on our paths would cross over and over again throughout the years at Rack N Que, El Segundo, the Conventions, and just about every other good diecast show we had in the So Cal area. He always had time to talk toys and loved all sorts of cars, big and small, truly a collectors collector. I miss you buddy and I’m proud to say a few of my favorite cars in my collection are from the Roy Nakamura collection. Until we meet again….
Roy was the collectors collector. A great friend that was a pleasure to have around. Always a kind word and a smile. He is missed very much. He never bragged about anything or said anything bad about anyone. He was all class. Somebody to look up to and be admired. Love and miss you Roy
I was a new collector when I met Roy. I thought I needed to just “buy it all”, Roy helped me to direct my collecting in the right direction. He was my special go to friend to ask questions. I miss his knowledge. I will always have wonderful memories!
Roy was such a nice person. So easy going and respectful. I believe I first met Roy in 2009 at the Diecastspace show in Vegas. Immediately he was one of those people you just connected with and always looked forward to seeing him at other shows. In fact all of us at M2 Machines respected and loved Roy that we invited him over a few times to show him some new items and get his opinion on them. Of course we would then take him out to lunch and just have an absolute blast just hanging out with Roy. When his birthday comes up on December 27 on Facebook, it always bums me out. I won’t be seeing my buddy Roy at an upcoming die cast show. Miss you Roy!
I knew Roy, mainly from the hot Wheels Conventions, I met him as he stood in a hallway just passing the time and I struck up a conversation with him, we talked like we had known each other for years, he is dearly missed
Although not a great pic, Roy and I co-hosted the Redline Seminar with Dave Lopez in 2006 at the HWNL Convention.