Abilene woman brings “Toy Story” to life with 450-piece collection inside her home (KTXS/ Kayla Hamlett)
Abilene, Texas —Walking into Judee Carrillo’s Abilene home can feel like stepping straight into a scene from Toy Story.
Abilene woman brings “Toy Story” to life with 450-piece collection inside her home (KTXS/ Kayla Hamlett)
Carrillo has recreated “Andy’s room” inside her house, filling it with what she estimates is a collection of more than 450 Toy Story items. “Hi there. So this is Andy’s room. I tried to replicate it as much as I could. I’ve got lots of things in here. I think I’ve got over 450 pieces,” Carrillo said during a tour of the room.
Abilene woman brings “Toy Story” to life with 450-piece collection inside her home (KTXS/ Kayla Hamlett)
The space includes familiar characters like Woody and Buzz Lightyear, along with toys that only appear briefly in the movies. Carrillo said the idea started small, sparked by her grandchildren.
“Started with one of my grandkids toys. And I have lots of their toys in here, and it started my collection,” she said.
Abilene woman brings “Toy Story” to life with 450-piece collection inside her home (KTXS/ Kayla Hamlett)
As the collection grew, Carrillo said she repeatedly rewatched the Toy Story movies and researched the toys to figure out what she still needed to track down.
“I spent a lot of time researching. I spent a lot of time viewing the movies again, over and over and over to find out what I’m still missing,” Carrillo said.
Abilene woman brings “Toy Story” to life with 450-piece collection inside her home (KTXS/ Kayla Hamlett)
Carrillo said she began building much of the collection after learning Toy Story 5 was coming out in June. “Crazy as it is, I started when I knew that Toy Story five was coming out in June,” she said.
Some items have come from far beyond local stores. Carrillo said one piece was specially made in Belgium.
“It’s taken me as far as Belgium for this little guy right here. He came from Belgium. I had him specifically made because a lot of their toys, Toy Story toys, are not mass produced,” she said.
Abilene woman brings “Toy Story” to life with 450-piece collection inside her home (KTXS/ Kayla Hamlett)
For items she can’t buy, Carrillo said she has learned to make them herself, including customizing dolls to match the movie versions.
“I’ve made several things that they are not being mass produced,” she said.
Abilene woman brings “Toy Story” to life with 450-piece collection inside her home (KTXS/ Kayla Hamlett)
Even with more than 450 pieces, Carrillo said her collection is still not complete, and she is hoping to find about 39 more toys.
Abilene woman brings “Toy Story” to life with 450-piece collection inside her home (KTXS/ Kayla Hamlett)
For Carrillo, the collection is about more than hunting down rare items. She said she hopes it will remain in the family and be enjoyed by her grandchildren in the future.
“I do hope that it stays around after I’m long gone and that my grandkids will enjoy it, will enjoy having it here,” Carrillo said.
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