by Ben Massa
Ben Massa: Hello Toby, it’s great to be able to chat with you today. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us here at the Org.
Toby Sulianto: I am very much looking forward to the conversation and your questions. Thank you for allowing me to be part of it. It truly is a great pleasure and an honor for me.
BM: You know one of the cool things we get to do here is talk with lots of fans about MOTU and the passion that fuels us all. That’s one of the reasons we are here today, we wanted to chat with you about your passion and collection of everything MOTU.
TS: I have been a fan of Masters of the Universe since I was five years old, and it has been a part of my life ever since. For me, it is more than just collecting old action figures. It is a lifestyle, a feeling, and I truly believe that this feeling should be preserved for future generations. Masters of the Universe is about so much more than just action toys.
BM: Before we dive into your collection, tell us a little bit about yourself and your drive to find ultra rare MOTU items.
TS: About 20 years ago, when I moved out of my old house to relocate to another city, my Masters figures were carefully packed away in the attic. Friends of mine who helped me with the move had a young son who was just the right age to play with MOTU. So, I lent him the figures for a few years. In 2014, when my two daughters were still young but already familiar with MOTU, I wanted to have my figures back. Unfortunately, they were no longer there. All I had left was a digital collection of images, articles, reports, etc., amounting to an incredible 4 terabytes of data. My childhood collection – which included over 50 figures, three playsets, and all the vehicles that were available in Germany back then – was gone. So, I set out to buy the old figures again.
It all started again with a very incomplete Grayskull, 12 figures, two vehicles, and a couple of accessories. That was in 2014. This way, I could show my daughters how their father used to play back then. By 2022, I had reached my full set, and over the last few years, I have focused on rare variants and special gift or promo sets.
Since 2014 I have been rebuilding a new collection. MOTU has never really let me go, even though I wasn’t actively buying for some years in between.
BM: Like many of us, you’ve been a lifelong fan. When did you discover He-man and company?
TS: Masters of the Universe came to the German market in 1983. That’s when I got my first figures, and so my journey began. I was immediately captivated and fascinated by the world of Eternia. For me, MOTU was my life back then, and as an adult collector, they still hold that special place in my heart. MOTU has a very important role in my life and has helped me through many hard times.
BM: Just for fun, can I ask if there is a special memory you have of MOTU at an early age? Were there any characters you might have received for a birthday or holiday that holds a very special place in your heart?
As a young boy, I had an emergency operation and then got Squeeeze. At Pentecost, I remember when I picked up the Dragon Blaster Skeletor at my uncle’s place, and one of the most beautiful memories besides Castle Grayskull or the Fright Zone etc. was when I saw the German store display in a shop window for the first time. I will never forget that moment. Especially because you couldn’t buy it. Something unreachable makes you dream
BM: Tell us about your MotUDad page and how did you come up with that?
TS: The name MotUDad came from my daughters. They always called me “Masters Papa,” with “Papa” being the German word for Dad. In 2017, back when I was still active in Facebook groups, I started making commentary videos. Since sharing was slow at the time, in February 2020 I decided to upload the videos to YouTube so I could share them more easily in those groups. That’s also how the MotUDad Facebook page was born. It was originally just a means to an end, but it developed into something much more. Basically, it’s all about sharing my joy and perspective on the world of MOTU and connecting with others in a more personal way.
BM: Recently you posted a rare Orko stuffed plush doll from Ehapa that you were lucky to hunt down. Can you tell us more about this item?
TS: The Ehapa Plush Orko is somewhat of a legend. Ehapa is a publisher that released Masters of the Universe comic books in the 1980s. On December 22, 1987, the Masters Magazine issue No. 6/87 was published. As with every issue, it featured a sweepstakes. Places 1 to 3 won this Plush Orko. Places 4 to 24 won Masters of the Universe VHS tapes. (Editor notes: See picture below)
The Orko was never available for purchase. The only way to get one was to win one of these three figures. The submission deadline was January 23, 1988. It could take months before the prizes were drawn, shipped, and finally reached the lucky winner. Back then in Germany, waiting three months to half a year for a response or delivery was not unusual but rather normal. People still had patience in those days – hard to imagine now in an era of one-day delivery.
BM: From my research it looks as if only 3 were ever made. Do you think there were more than 3 made? How in the world did this survive all these years?
TS: There are many theories about how many Orkos were produced. These range e.g. from promotional items for video rental stores to promote the movie, to a few Plush Orkos given to some Ehapa employees.
In the 1980s, it was possible to produce extremely small production runs in Germany. At that time, there were many small yet professional manufacturers. Puppet makers who created custom plush toys were among these small manufacturers. Even today, in Germany, it is possible to produce very small runs of plush figures of all kinds.
The most plausible theory based on all my research is as follows: If there were more than three pieces, there could be a very small production of perhaps around 10 Orkos to keep costs within a reasonable range. Three of these went into the sweepstakes, the others were given to the staff. This was normal at this time. Often, staff were instructed not to sell these Orkos. Incidentally, this also explains why some Orkos are still in good condition today.
The theory that the Orko plush was a promotional item for video rental stores seems not realistic to me. With nearly 4,500 dedicated video rental stores (around 8,000 including subsidiaries), many more Orkos would have had to be produced. Given the exceptional quality of the Orko plush, significantly more should have survived as well. Moreover, there is numerous photographic evidence from German video rental stores, yet not a single one shows an Orko. In the future, I plan to create a video where I will address this topic and all the various theories in more detail, based on my research and the logical conclusions I personally draw from it.
It is strongly suspected that only a few Orkos were produced. Since this Orko has solid arms and you can’t really cuddle with it, I believe these Orkos were not used very much. It’s hard to say why one of these Orkos survived in such good condition, but apparently some managed to.
For me, this is exactly the charm of collecting – that one day you might come across such a special collector’s piece and have the chance to add it to your collection. That, for me, is the crowning achievement of collecting.
If you go by who has had one but no longer has it today, you would certainly arrive at a higher number if you counted them all together. To be honest, there has never been a moment when all owners of an Ehapa Orko have come forward at the same time and been able to prove it. So it could well be that there really were only three, but based on what we seem to know, this can be ruled out. As I said, anything else about numbers is pure theory. There is no real evidence for it.
But regardless of how many there were, it was a very small number of pieces. That much seems certain, because there are only a few of them. We will probably never know exactly how many there were, and to be honest, it doesn’t really matter.
BM: How do you find an item like this?
TS: An item like this Orko cannot be searched for. Such collectibles are usually not offered on eBay. There is no clear procedure for where and how to look for it. However, as a collector, you eventually build up a network, and if you’re lucky, you meet someone who owns such a piece. That’s how it happened for me as well, and some time ago I expressed my interest. Months later, I received a message with a sales offer from the owner and of course, I accepted.
You need time, luck, and the goodwill of the owner to sell it to you.
BM: So here’s the big question, what the heck is this thing worth? Would you be willing to give us a rough idea how much it cost you to acquire? You don’t have to be exact but fans would love to know roughly if you feel ok with sharing.
TS: For such a rare piece, there’s really no reference point when it comes to price. In principle, you could ask for anything, and I’m sure somewhere in the world there’s someone who would pay for it. When I see a boxed Castle Grayskull being auctioned at Heritage Auctions for an insane $225,000 dollars, I can only wonder what would happen if such an Orko went up for sale. No hope though – this Orko will never leave my collection.
As always, it all depends on the condition. Prices start somewhere in the mid to high four-digit range. I myself paid a mid four-digit amount and am very grateful for the good price.
BM: Well this is truly a cool item, and me personally I’m a sucker for anything Orko, hence my Facebook group called Orko’s Keep. What other rare items do you have? Can you share anything else cool with us super fans?
TS: Besides the Ehapa plush Orko, I also have other rare pieces, especially from Germany. For example, I have a Ladybird sales display. This was basically a disposable item because once the books were gone, it was crumpled up and thrown in the recycling bin. Currently, only three of these sales displays are known to exist, including mine.
Then, of course, there’s the legendary Castle Grayskull store display from Germany. This display features a light/blinking effect and is pure magic. Around 3,000 units were shipped to toy stores back then, where they blinked in the shop windows. I will never forget the first time I saw it in our toy store. How many still exist is uncertain, but probably not many since the plastic is very fragile. I believe there are no more than 20 worldwide.
Then there are things like the German He-Man and Skeletor double pack with cassette, the “Zauberrüstung He-Man” promo set with a rotary dial, the Horde 2-pack, Mexico Tytus, Striped Tail Battle Cat, my Euro Unilogo 8 Back MOC collection, and much more. Over the years, many special pieces have found their way into my collection that are not only rare but also hold a very special significance in the history of Masters of the Universe.
By the way: Everyone should join Orko’s Keep.
BM: Thank you for the compliment. Tell us about your item “X”
TS: My item X is the Eternia playset. As a child, I never had the playset and never even saw it in real life. Back then, there were free Masters magazines, published by Mattel in Germany. Those were promotional booklets in which the toys were presented. Elaborate dioramas were built and the figures were placed within them. A story was told. In one of those Masters magazines, there was also a picture of the Eternia playset. As a child, that was my only point of contact with it.
Even before I ever thought about completing a full set, I was always fascinated by this playset. By now, I am fortunate to own both an orange-eyes and a blue-eyes Eternia – of course, complete and fully functional.
From the idea behind the Eternia playset, to Ted Mayer’s design concepts, and finally to the finished product – which ultimately turned into a financial disaster for Mattel – Eternia stands, to me, as a symbol of Masters of the Universe. It is a monument as extraordinary as the creators and inventors of the Masters themselves, and like almost no other product in the toyline, it represents the innovation and uniqueness of Masters of the Universe.
BM: Are there any other rare items you are still hunting down? Who knows, maybe a fan reading this interview can point you in a direction to find a missing piece from your collection.
TS: I’m still missing a Stratos and a Teela for my Euro Unilogo 8 Back MOC collection. I already know where I might get one, but the current owner isn’t ready to part with it yet. You simply need patience and learn to wait. I hope that someday the right time will come.
Did you know that besides the figures, Castle Grayskull, Battle Cat, Battle Ram, and Wind Raider, there was also an 8 Back Zoar among the Euro Unilogo 8 Backs? It’s these kinds of special details that make up the history and legacy.
BM: Oh wow no, I had no idea about that, very cool. Are you collecting the Origins, Masterverse lines at all? If so, what do you think about some of the newer characters being released? Do you have any favorites?
TS: I started collecting the Origins line with my daughters back then. I think it’s a very nice line, but for me the colors are often too bright. I tried Masterverse, but unfortunately, those figures don’t appeal much to me, so I sold them.
Besides my vintage collection, I also have the MOTU Classics. Here, I focus on the vintage characters as well as special figures like the Geldor from the mini comic, or the Skelcons that we know from the Ladybird books. I have both playsets and all the vehicles.
At least, I collect the Mondo Masters of the Universe figures.
I don’t always agree with the new characters that have been created in the Origins line. But I recognize that, and it’s part of the DNA of the Origins line. Those are exactly the things that make a line special.
My favorite piece of Origins is the 2019 Prince Adam & He-Man Exclusive and the Lords of Power 5 pack. I love the early versions of Mondo because they still had something unique about them.
BM: Are there any characters you want to see made?
TS: I think it’s important for many Origins collectors to get the vintage characters. I would find that very nice for the community. Basically, back in 2019, when the Adam and He-Man SDCC exclusive set was introduced, I expected something different than what we eventually got in the Origins line. But that’s just how things develop, and I think the Origins line can become an important part of MOTU toy history.
I would love to see Laser Power He-Man and Laser Light Skeletor, as well as Tytus and Megator, if they were to be released.
BM: What would you like to see for the future of MOTU?
TS: I wish that the magic and mystique of MOTU would never fade away. The Masters are so much more. They have shaped an entire generation, changed the world of television, sparked debates in the German Bundestag (German Parliament), drew the attention of educators, and for me, there is no other world that holds as much diversity as Eternia.
In Germany, the Filmation series always included a moral message, and if you watch them today, you realize how forward-thinking they already were. The German audio plays also frequently contained messages about healthy eating or being considerate of others. Yet, those same audio plays also featured quite violent scenes – such as the brutal creation of Trap Jaw – or moments where quite a lot of wine was consumed. That was crazy.
BM: You mentioned the German Radio Shows The Hörspiel series. Could you go into a little bit of the details of these stories? These stories are so intriguing to me and I wish we had an English version of these. I think fans would flock to these awesome stories, especially us kids from the USA. Did they ever produce these stories on cassette tape or how did you find them as a kid?
TS: In Germany, the Filmation cartoon series came much later than in the US, but we got the radio plays on cassette.
In these stories, we get to know a different Eternia, which is not as friendly as the Filmation cartoon series. It fits more with the early minicomics. These radio plays were produced by Studio EUROPA and the „Hörspielkönigin“ Heikedine Körting. The scripts were written by H. G. Francis.
What was special about it, besides the great voice actors, was that every effect was handmade. The whole atmosphere is unique, mystical, and of such depth that you are drawn directly into the stories.
The covers were specially painted, and you can see that sometimes the figures served as models. As a German fan, the „Masters of the Universe Hörspiele“ are unmatched. I have listened to all episodes hundreds of times
BM: What advice can you give collectors looking for a rare item for their collections?
TS: Patience, humility, and respect for what one might receive. A collection containing rare and valuable pieces brings not only joy and pride in collecting but also a great deal of responsibility. It’s not always desirable or necessary for everyone to own one of the rarest pieces in the world. What truly matters is that your personal collection brings you happiness. It doesn’t matter how rare or expensive something is. If both apply, perfect.
BM: So we are only a few months into rebuilding the Org, have you had a chance to go through the site yet?
TS: For me it’s wonderful that Org has been revived, and of course I regularly check to see what’s new. For me personally, it’s always important that we work together to keep Masters of the Universe alive. There is a great legacy, especially from a historical and cultural perspective. Org is an important place for me, just like the Battle Ram Blog, to ensure that this legacy is never forgotten. It’s about preserving knowledge – and we collectors preserve it through the figures, playsets, and everything that belongs to it.
That’s how the bigger picture comes together.
I think many people are wondering whether the forum will return, and to be honest, that’s probably not an easy question to answer. If I could wish for something, a modern forum would be a wonderful thing.
BM: The forums have been talked about often amongst the team, time will tell if there’s an opportunity to bring back something similar. Is there anything you would like to see added to the site?
TS: I am quite certain that you have many plans and ideas, and everything that comes will be a real enrichment. What might be very interesting are historical backgrounds. There are many incredible things that are highly fascinating. Just the things we had in Germany alone, which didn’t exist anywhere else in the world. Behind all that are exciting stories and developments, and who knows, maybe you already have something like that planned.
BM: Do you have any printed rarities? For example one of my daily collection searches is for rare printed MOTU materials, comics, ads, magazines etc. Do you have anything fun and hard to find in your collection?
TS: Yes, I do. I have the original drawings from the very first commercial film for MOTU toys made by Filmation in 1981. I am especially proud of this because each drawing only exists once. The style in this commercial spot is fundamentally different from the later cartoon series and is therefore something very special.
Then I also have an original oil painting by Simon Soltau. It depicts the scene where He-Man receives his armor, shield, and axe from the Goddess in the very first minicomic. A magnificent masterpiece.
BM: You mentioned you have 4tbs of MOTU storage on your digital hard drive. As an Archiver myself, I too hoard digital items. Do you have anything rare that you might be able to share with us digitally? Or would you be able to describe anything super rare that you have found?
TS: I am sure there are some digital treasures there. However, it’s hard for me to name one right now. Many items have probably been duplicated over the years.
The German radio plays on cassette definitely belong to one of the highlights, as they embody pure childhood and still represent the audible fascination of Masters of the Universe to me today. I have digitized these alongside the original cassettes, including the covers.
BM: Is there anything else you would like to give us readers a glimpse of?
TS: Keep the magic and the good of Eternia Masters of the Universe alive and pass on these stories about He-Man and Skeletor, because they contain much more than just a play world. They are a universe for the good in all of us. We need more of that today than we think.
Good journey.
BM: Well from all of us here at He-Man.Org we can’t thank you enough for taking the time to speak with us today. I personally really enjoyed learning more about all of these items. We look forward to chatting again in the future. And let us know if you get anything else exciting for your collection!
TS: Thank you very much.