It will be a trip down memory lane for some this weekend. Photo / Supplied
It will be a trip down memory lane for some this weekend. Photo / Supplied
Those in the hunt for a rare collectable or just a bit of nostalgia will have the chance for a trip down memory lane at Hayward's Auctions this weekend.
Toys are going under the hammer on Sunday morning, and auctioneer Brian Hayward says it's the first time they've had anevent like it for a very long time.
"There are all kinds of things - Fun Ho! toys, Tonka, pedal cars, trikes. Things we all grew up with," Hayward said.
"It's quite an interesting sale. Even now we are getting into those early computer games and handheld devices. Those are becoming collectable too. We've got a bit of that stuff in there as well."
There were bound to be "ardent collectors" at the auction on Sunday, but the public were able to view the collections for free on Saturday, Hayward said.
The event is based around one man's massive Meccano collection. "He's getting on a bit now and has just moved into a home, but it's something he's been collecting since he was a boy," Hayward said.
"Some of it [the Meccano] was quite expensive in its day – not every kid had it. All I could ever do was pinch Mum's pegs and make guns out of them. That was about it for us. We made our own fun out of whatever was lying around."
For Whanganui's Steve Brown, this weekend's auction is a taster for an event he is putting on next year. He is organising the city's first toy fair, which will be held at Springvale Stadium in May. Brown has run one in Wellington for the past 11 years.
There will be 120 stalls at next year's Whanganui Toy Fair. Photo / Supplied
There will be 120 stalls, and Brown said he would encourage stallholders to "make a weekend of it" in Whanganui.
"The fair allows collectors and old friends to reunite after the Covid lockdowns and disruptions," Brown said. "It's a chance to socialise, make new friends, network and talk to members of the public with a common interest."
Brown said people collected toys for many different reasons. "There's nostalgia - memories of the toys they had and grew up with. Then there's investment. Old toys that are in good condition and boxed, attract premium prices that hold their value."
Once toy collectors got hooked, the thrill was in the chase, Brown said. "You're trying to fill that gap in your collection, never knowing when or where you might find it."
The Whanganui Toy Fair would be one of the biggest of its kind in the country, Brown said.
Event mementos and souvenirs will be sold to raise money for local charities.
"Old toys that have been sitting around or would have got thrown away can be repurposed," he said. "Rather than ending up in landfill, they can go into collections, be restored or used for spare parts, giving the owner some cash."
Hayward's toy auction takes place on Sunday, December 12, at 10am. The items can be viewed by the public on Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
