Woodsy,
Re. The Hamilton Toy Museum
Below is a piece of ancient history, a translated page of my journal of our round trip to Shetland, Orkney, and Scotland in June-July, 2003. This was written in July 11th after we had visited the Hamilton Toy Collection in Callander.
At that Friday morning, we arrived in Callander for 10 p.m., all ready to spend a day at the museum. Getting there, we learned that the museum would open only at noon! Luckily, there was an antique mall nearby looked up, so we spent the spare time there. And soon it was noon.
"There it was, the collection of my dreams, abundantly showcased at the Hamilton Toy Museum, in a tiny room of only 5-6 square meters. All the rooms in the museum were small and the corridors narrow, which did not prevent all the glass cabinets and shelves literally bursting with eye candy.
The rooms were arranged according to different themes, including television toys (arranged in closed glass cases), dolls and dollhouses, teddy bears, tin soldiers, cars, boats - and science fiction toys. Within one of the cabinets, practically every toy line that I had only tried to make out of fuzzy eBay pictures during the last six months, was present at least in one example. Dinky Toys. Corgi Toys. All the 60's Gerry Anderson toys. Endless abundance! Batman. Star Wars. James Bond - each displayed in their individual cabinets.
There, behind one glass wall, a collection that it would take more than one lifetime to put together. Still, the need to see got the best of the sense of frustration. As the young man [the tender of the museum] told me, starting a family collection like this accumulated over the decades, would be all but impossible now, since the prices have gone up as old toys have found a new appreciation.
However, he added, it is a common mistake to think that everyone knows the real value of everything, having three weeks ago bought a Corgi Batmobile at a second hand store for 25p!"
What makes this encounter all the more special for me is the fact that the next day, July 12th, 2003, I bought my first-ever Project SWORD toy (TF1) in Edinburgh!
The project of a lifetime had begun!
Arto
Helsinki Base
That's a heartwarming recollection and toy collecting memory, Arto. Thank you for sharing it. It really sets the scene 👍
ReplyDeleteThanks Tony. At that time I was a true newbie to the scene, having started collecting space toys less than a year earlier. And here we are, almost a quarter of a century later!
DeleteToo bad you didn't get any photos, Arto!
ReplyDeleteI remember not being allowed to take photos in the Museum of Brands which is all vintage packaging, with a lot of Gerry Anderson content.
Your memories of the Hamilton Museum remind me of the Leuralla toy museum in the Blue Mountains.
Sadly it closed down and the collection was split up. I'll have to see if I can find any photos.