BAILEYS CROSSROADS, Va. (AP) -- The dividing line between work and play becomes cloudier than a crab nebula in Alan Ladwig's basement.

Ladwig, a former NASA executive, collects space toys in his basement. A lot of space toys. At least 3,000 of them, ranging from a Cabbage Patch Kid Astronaut to a Beanie-Baby-like Space Shuttle to a '50s-era gumball machine shaped like a rocket.

The week before Christmas, an aluminum Christmas tree laden with space toys crashed to the floor under the weight of its space-toy ornaments. Ladwig hung them from the ceiling.

"When the Christmas tree fell over... it was kind of like a sign: maybe that's enough," Ladwig said. "At least until I get new (display) cabinets."

Ladwig's collection is not in that same stratosphere - he has only a vague idea of the value of his collection, although he said it's likely worth at least $10,000.

"I don't want to think too much about what I've spent," he said. "Only in my wildest rationalization can I think of it as an investment."

Ladwig began his collection about 20 years ago with a few toy space shuttles he collected while he worked at NASA.

Surprisingly, Ladwig has built his collection without the help of the Internet. In fact, Ladwig said he specifically avoids eBay - which listed 1,411 space collectibles up for sale recently - and similar auction sites.

"It would be like an alcoholic finding a free happy hour," he said.

Although Ladwig said he's trying to put the brakes on his collection, it has achieved its own critical mass, drawing other toys into its orbit by sheer volume. Friends know about his collection, and frequently add their own contributions.

Ladwig's wife, Debbie, who works at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., says she's just as guilty as her husband when it comes to buying new space toys.

"We have pretty much the same taste," she said. "I could do with a lot fewer things."