MOULDING SOLDIERS INTO SHAPE

Serendipitously, it was a PIONEER article he read in 2011 that kick-started 3SG (NS) Lin's hobby.

"The story featured an NSman (Operationally Ready National Serviceman) with a shop that sold toy soldier figurines. After seeing pictures of his well-crafted miniatures in the magazine, I knew I had to go down to see it for myself," said the former Section Commander in 453rd Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment.

A history buff, he was amazed at the intricate craftsmanship which brought the military figurines to life. "They were all so beautifully made. Seeing how much I liked them, my wife, Terra, decided to buy me my first figurine - a World War II German trooper. This ignited my passion for collecting miniatures."

Telling his story

However, the 35-year-old was not content with just collecting figurines. He wanted something that he could call his own and was unique to Singapore. "I really wanted to see our SAF assets and soldiers represented accurately in the world of miniatures, and that was when I decided to set up my own company - Miniature Stories."

3SG (NS) Lin and his wife co-founded the company in 2016 and are in charge of production. He is responsible for the design of the miniatures. "By making miniatures showcasing different phases of NS (National Service) life, I hope to provide opportunities for servicemen to reminisce about their NS experience. I want to evoke real and personal memories just by them playing or looking at the miniatures."

Asked to name his favourite, 3SG (NS) Lin said: "The 2nd Generation Soldier Figurine in Standing Hip Firing Position - Mob Man is very close to my heart as its uniform and weapon are all equipment that I used when I was serving NS!"

His craziest project was making the Parade figurine set. "We created figurines of three different races, in two different poses each, with three different beret colours. This made inventory a nightmare, but I felt that it was worth doing as it represents the multi-racial aspect of our society."

Obstacle course

Given that 3SG (NS) Lin holds a full-time job in the financial sector and started out with zero experience in producing figurines, he faced many challenges along the way.

"It was very tough to communicate what I wanted to the designers, as most of them are from foreign companies and have never served in a military force before. I had to explain everything to them - from the basic colour schemes to the most minute details, such as how the butt of the rifle should be pressed against the shoulder - to make sure the figurines looked as realistic as possible."

"In the end, I posed for them myself and used an umbrella in place of a rifle. I figured that this method of communication was more effective," he added with a chuckle.

Another major obstacle was the high cost of renting a physical space for a niche business. So Mr Lin decided to turn his home into his own warehouse and sell his products online instead.

"It is very difficult to get our products out there. We feel that…our products are best appreciated in person, so we participate in as many fairs as possible to garner more attention for our miniatures."

Although running a business is often challenging and riddled with setbacks, 3SG (NS) Lin has never thought about giving up. He credits his mental strength to the tough training he received when he was in the SAF.

"I learnt how to be resilient in the face of challenges and to be willing to accept changes. This was one of the reasons I was able to step out of my comfort zone to start my own business."

Marching on

Currently, Miniature Stories features more than 18 unique designs but 3SG (NS) Lin is far from being done.

"We hope to pay tribute to all the different formations and assets in the SAF. We foresee ourselves rolling out miniatures of assets and soldiers from the Air Force and the Navy in the near future."

What other designs can his fans look forward to?

"Right now, we are working on the General Purpose Machine Gun Gunner Team, Combat Medics, and our first vehicle - the AMX-13 SM1 tank!"

Miniature Stories is a participating merchant in the NS50 Recognition Scheme, and NS50 vouchers can be used in the purchase of their merchandise. For a chance to win a set of SAF miniatures, visit www.mindef.gov.sg/pnr/contest!