Explore Toy Hobby World of Toy Enthusiasts, Toy Collectors, and Toy Hobbyists

Saturday

A Healthy Passion for Collecting Toy Cars

Paul Chenard, Racing History Collector and Illustrator, has been collecting vintage toys since 1982. He's written a fascinating and fun article in Sports Car Digest called "Collecting Toy Cars: A Healthy Addiction" (which includes some terrific photos and illustrations) about his passion for collecting toy cars, especially vintage toy cars. [Read the full article...]

What about you? Do you now or have you ever collected toy cars? Do you have a toy car collection yourself? Big one? Small one? Are they vintage toy cars or newer model toy cars or do you have both types in your toy car collection? If you don't collect toy cars, I bet you have some friends or family who do collect them, or have in the past. If you're a parent, it's pretty hard to avoid collecting at least some toy cars along the way while raising your children, even if you're buying them for your kids (are your REALLY buying them for your kids, or actually buying a gift for them but secretly intended for you to play with and enjoy -- and maybe collect?) I once bought a toy train set for my little boy and I wound up playing with it more than he did, probably because I hogged the play! I wish I still had that train set as a toy train collection item, if for nothing else than its current value as a toy train item that's probably worth quite a bit of money now on the toy collectors' market. I remember one thing, though; when I bought that train set while living and working in Japan in 1975, it set me back a pretty penny, I can tell you. But what the heck, it was a gift for my little boy (and maybe for me, now that I think about it), so why spare the expense, right? I wonder whatever happened to that toy train set? I made a lot of moves over the years while in the military so it must have gotten lost somewhere along the way. Too bad. I really liked that little toy train set.

As for toy cars, had I had been smart enough to hang on to even a small number of the toy automobiles and even other varieties of toy vehicles I had at one time or another while growing up, and kept a few of them in some reasonable condition, I might have had at least a small toy collection that would likely be worth something significant nowadays, beyond their sentimental value, I mean (and who can put a price tag on that!)

Friday

Toy Collecting Hobby will Keep You Young at Heart

Some adults never seem to grow up. They seem to retain their childlike wonder at the world around them. These are the adults who have started a toy hobby. Kids like to hang around with these adults because they seem more like kids. Sometimes having a child or a grandchild can spark an interest in toys. Be that as it may, a toy hobby will keep a person young at heart.

Many women love dolls and never outgrow them. Some prefer baby dolls, some fashion dolls, and still others go for antique or decorative dolls. Often an interest in dolls will spill over into a craft interest, as the doll lover begins to craft clothing and accessories for favorite dolls. Sometimes the hobbyist becomes skilled at crafting the dolls themselves. Some types of dolls that are often hand-crafted are rag dolls and cloth bodied dolls with ceramic heads. It is not uncommon to find older women who have an entire room of their homes filled with special dolls on display.

Older men, on the other hand, (and sometimes women, too) often like cars and trucks. Antique metal cars are hot collectibles, with some older ones being quite valuable. Matchbox cars have always been loved, but so have the large Tonka dumptruck, road grader, and bulldozer. You can bet the grandkids will want to play with your trucks and cars.
A toy hobby that is extremely popular is collecting Beanie Babies. These small velour animals, made by the Ty company, each have a personality all its own. You can find Beanie Babies in every type of animal you can think of. A similar hobby is collecting teddy bears. There are many Beanie Baby teddy bears, but a teddy bear collector will probably want to branch out to collect other types of bears. In fact, many bear collectors have figurines and other items collected in addition to their teddy bears.

Wooden toys are popular among adults, both to craft and to collect. There is something quaint and pleasant about a child playing with a handcrafted wooden toy. Wooden toys make attractive home accents wherever they get dropped, which is not something you can say about the latest plastic gizmo. People who like country decorating often prefer wooden toys for their kids.

You don't have to outgrow toys! A toy hobby will keep you young at heart and make you a favorite among the kids in your neighborhood. Whether you collect toys or craft them, a toy hobby is something you can play around with!
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