KATHY TAYLOR OF VECTIS ON WHY COLLECTING IS WISER THAN EVER

It has always been fashionable to collect and in these times of Brexit uncertainty cash in the bank is arguably not a match for toys and collectables in your possession! There is a real pleasure in searching and sourcing elusive items to complement or feed an interesting and sometimes all-consuming passion.

It’s all down to supply and demand, and the fluctuating ebb and flow draws parallels to stocks and shares. It’s no longer a retail situation for all those childhood memories we used to covet and desire in the past – you need to hunt them out, sometimes in the most unlikely of places. It opens up a fascinating new world.

The vintage toy market worldwide is surprisingly large at £2.5 billion. It is also growing by a healthy 10% a year. There are 2-3 million core collectors out there that transact once a week and spend up to three hours a day on their hobby. Furthermore, toy collectors are highly networked – if you do something good for them they’ll spread the message.