The Little World

Walter, here’s a selection of pictures from a recent Toy and Doll Collector’s fair here in Perth. I went to my regular exhibition hall on the day to see if there were going to be any scale model airplane kits that I wanted to buy. Short answer – no. That’s not the sort of thing that these collectors and sellers deal in.

I was fascinated by the variety of goods on offer and at the prices that were being asked. I know that the word ” collector ” is a signal for prices to rise on nearly anything, but I had not realised that they could have gone that high. In some cases I think the sellers were working upon the advice of P.T. Barnum and had decided that there was one collector born every minute…

But the goods were colourful and so varied! I remember toy shops of the 1950’s and 1960’s that were ever so dull in comparison to the tables here. A lot of the products of that period were from North America or Great Britain, but as time went on the Asian toy production ramped up and added a distinct flavour to the shops.

But.

But the toys you see here – the wonderful clean, glossy, perfect toys – are perfect failures. They never fulfilled their purpose in life – they were never played with by children. They have come to a sad old age when all they can do is be traded back and forth by adults for money. Acquisitiveness is no substitute for fun and learning.

Walter, successful toy cars have dents and bits missing. Their wheels are wonky and the paint is chipped. The proudest ones have been repainted by their owners with a brush. In short, they have been loved and played with and have taught their owners all about the world. If they survive to an old age it is frequently in the $ 2-take-your-pick trays at the model car show and sadly they are generally spurned.

But they are veterans, and they bear their scars proudly. They have done their job.

Now, Walter…go play toy cars. Build a garage and a gravel pit and a bridge and play as hard as you can. Your toys need you.