With a host of celebrities present at the recent opening of ‘Mint & Boxed’ New York gallery, there has always been a comfortable liason between the famous and the toy collecting field. But which well-known people in the past collected and who today does – and what? Below is a ‘tip of the iceberg’ Who’s Who guide of famous toy collectors — past and present.
Artistic people often have an empathy with old toys and many celebrity collectors are involved in the entertainment business.
In music, probably one of the best known is the drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins — a member of the rock group ‘Genesis’ and a highly successful solo artist.
In an interview we gave at a Brighton toyfair three years ago he explained, “to buy my first drum kit I had to sell my most treasured childhood possession — a Hornby Dublo train-set”. In hindsight a very shrewd move but Phil, unknowingly, was being just as clever at the Brighton fair. In every plastic crevice of the numerous bags he was carrying burgeoned Hornby Dublo locos, rolling stock and accessories. “I am quickly rectifying that early setback”, he mused. Three years on the prices for Hornby Dublo have nearly trebled. But Phil is not just confined to model trains.
