A Toy Soldier Collection To Beat All Toy Soldier Collections

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Brooklyn lawyer admits he's guilty of loving military history.

As CBS2's Lisa Rozner reported, his law offices are like museums, with his collection of thousands of Civil War military figurines. So along with legal advice, his clients can take a trip back in time.

While most attorneys have law books on display in their office, Michael Connors shows off a different kind of collection.

The estate planning lawyer and president of "The Civil War Round Table of New York" said he has always been into history, but started collecting military miniatures after his son received one as a birthday gift 22 years ago.

"I started getting on the internet and finding out the different companies, and then going to toy soldier shows," Connors said.

He showcases them in his five law offices across the city, as well as in his Brooklyn home. He said he has almost 10,000 figurines in total, worth close to $300,000.

"It's kind of like a museum in a law firm," Connors said. "Originally, that wasn't the plan."

He said he appreciates the fine details that go into making every statue.

"The canteen cups, the buttons, the stripes in the right place ... it's amazing," Connors said.

So when he is arranging his collection to represent famous battles, he, too, pays close attention and only buys his figurines from certain online vendors and toy soldier shows.

"Some we order plastic figures and send them to Sri Lanka to be painted," Connors said.

His staff has even learned all about the battles, since so many clients ask about them.

"They may say, 'Oh, what is this? What battle is this from?' And you just explain to them, this is this battle or this is that battle," Connors & Sullivan senior associate Kristofer Kasnicki said.

It's legal advice, with a free history lesson. One man commanding them both.

Connors said he is constantly rotating his collection. He spends about five hours a week doing it.