For many, the quest to recapture or connect with the formative years of their youth leads to the world of collecting objects brimming with nostalgia. The 80s to mid 90s era were a time of excess, of larger than life characters that left vivid bold impressions. Whether inspired from film, television, sports, or music the urge to reclaim this time in tangible ways can become like a fever; buying, selling, accumulating, and stocking up to fill a vacuum in our identity.

For Woodside resident Phanjanit (Mickey) Garnploog, life and the collector’s craze took a rather circuitous route. “I go by the nickname Mickey because my godmother was Russian, and gave me the name Mikhail as in Gorbachev. People had a hard time pronouncing it, so I shortened it to Mickey.” Born in Manhattan, raised in Woodside, his family was part of an early wave of the burgeoning Thai Community which settled in this area, long before the advent of ‘Little Thailand,’ on the Elmhurst/Woodside border. Garnploog, who teaches at a local charter school said, “I never intended to become a teacher, as both my parents were teachers, and both sets of grandparents were teachers in Thailand. My parents were the first Thai immigrants to become teachers in the New York Public School system.”

Raised during the 80s, and fluent in Thai, Garnploog became a spokesperson for the Thai Community, and even trained to take vows, becoming a Buddhist monk briefly. After entering college, where he became the
ambassador for Buddhism, his goal became film production, for which he won best documentary at school, and worked in TV Production as a technical director for ten years before being laid off. He then became a substitute teacher, returned to school to get his Master’s Degree, and became a full time teacher.

What was it that triggered a collecting obsession, he was asked. “After September 11th, I felt a vulnerability of innocence lost, and I reflected back on my childhood, and started collecting EVERYTHING I grew up with in the 80s, action figures and collectibles: Transformers, Masters of the Universe, Karate Kid, Back to the Future, RoboCop, and of course, Knight Rider, which reminded me of the show’s motto that one man can make a difference. With an indestructible car that was able to fight crime and solve problems, it became my favorite show.” As his collection grew, and became more expansive, acquiring toys from online sites, estate sales, and from dealers at collector shows, Garnploog took a great leap forward with his main focus, Knight Rider. “I decided it was time for me to make a full size replica. It was an honor to have my car tour with and signed by David Hasselhoff, as well as William Daniels, the voice of the car, KITT, and George Barris, the king of custom made cars, before he passed away.”

After his dozen year marriage dissolved, Garnploog, having relocated to Long Island, returned to his roots in Woodside, where he remains, to care for his ailing father before his passing, and co-raise his two children. “My collection became out of control. Luckily Matt Paxton of the show ‘Hoarders,’ found me for his show ‘Filthy Fortunes.’” The segment showcased his cache of memorabilia, giving it a platform for resale. “I had been on TV many times before,” said Garnploog. “The TD Jakes show interviewed semi-celebrity dads about being stay-at-home fathers. I was also on Jay Leno’s show You Bet Your Life and the Discovery Channel documentary for ‘Back to the Future.’ More recently,
I was on a CBS TV show called Superfan for LL Cool J. I’m also reminded of the award winning documentary I created of the most famous singer in Thailand Bird McIntyre. It was first published in a textbook still used today at St. John’s University for students studying media.”
Garnploog not only sought out past store-bought collectibles, but those unique, and higher end in value. “I collected only Generation 1 Transformers, and that meant everything in the 80s collection. Same with Masters of the Universe. I have the $50,000 sneakers for which I turned down the offer, which was half on the TV show. There were only 89 pairs made for the Back to the Future movie. I have both the regular and auto lacing kinds. I have many prop replicas from the movie, and a vest signed by the entire cast.” What of the crown jewel in his collection, the KITT car? He was asked, since he intended to put it up for sale. “I set out to build my own Knight Rider car after collecting all the toys and

merchandise. I wanted it to reflect an aura of invincibility, since I felt vulnerable after the 9/11 attacks, smelled the smoke coming from Manhattan to Queens in my backyard, It was sentimental because my parents went with me from state to state acquiring all the exterior pieces of KITT. I wanted this thing to be screen accurate. I’m still holding out for the right price, and getting the engine replaced. Having this Knight Rider replica car has given me much exposure.” According to Richard Carlson, a colleague of Garnploog’s, “The car has all the original parts just like KITT. Everything lights up. It’s a muscle car Pontiac that drives like a Firebird Trans-Am.”As far as letting go, Carlson said, “His window is now. In ten years no one will care, or be dead. People interested are getting old. It’s now or never.”

“Moving back to my house in Woodside drove me to become a minimalist. Being on the TV show Filthy Fortunes was eye-opening to make me realize what matters most was not materialistic, but my kids. Woodside means everything to me because it’s the community I grew up in, and I’m proud of my people seeing it to transition to Thai Town. It’s where I hang my hat.”

James McMenamin is the Vice President of the Newtown Civic Association, the Elmhurst History and Cemeteries Preservation Society, and the Elmhurst Memorial League.