Toronto shop is a hidden treasure of racing history
Around the corner of Scollard Street in Yorkville, Toronto’s posh shopping district, the unassuming front door of Collector Studio — the mecca of automobilia belonging to Morry Barmak — barely hints at the remarkable collection lurking inside.
When looking at the large scalemodel Ferrari Enzo in the window, one might assume they’re looking at just another hobby shop. But the second you step through the door, it’s quite clear this collection is anything but average.
If the Michael Schumacher racing suit that greets you at the front door isn’t enough to grab your attention, not to worry, there’s plenty more where that came from.
Barmak first opened the doors to Collector Studio 27 years ago in a smaller Yorkville location.
After 21 years in the original space, a planned demolition fuelled him to migrate to his new space, which is spread over four floors. Barmak was exposed to the collecting world at an early age, spending time in his parents’ hobby shop, and as an adult that collector bug continues to be an influence personally and professionally.
“Even now, I’m all about being able to trade up as my collection and inventory evolves. I’ll get my hands on a race helmet or suit, let’s say from (Ayrton) Senna or Schumacher, but then I’ll spot a different one from a more noteworthy race and I’ll go looking for a way to work my way towards acquiring it.”
Though they’re the first thing you’ll notice when walking in the door, scale models and Formula One gear are but the tip of the iceberg of what Barmak has in his gallery. On the second floor, the time shifts from modern to prewar. Early original posters from French Grand Prix races in the 1920s and ’30s adorn the walls, displayed alongside prewar F1 trophies.
The Mille Miglia trophy from 1948, which was awarded to the team of Clemente Biondetti and Giuseppe Navone for driving in their Ferrari 166 s/n 003S is on display. And if that isn’t enough to grab your attention, the story of the peculiar wall clock hiding in the room just might.
Accompanied by a slew of supporting documentation (as is the case with the vast majority of anything Barmak deals in), hangs the very same clock that was positioned above Enzo Ferrari’s desk from the 1930s through the ’80s.
The process of sourcing and acquiring collectible automobilia has evolved a fair bit through the years, though after this long in the game it isn’t always as painstaking a process for Barmak as one would imagine.
Aside from attending large-scale events such as Retromobile in Paris, much of his acquisitions are surfacing through word of mouth.
“Although there’s a significant number of automobilia collectors out there, the pool of those collecting in the real upper echelon is still quite small. Because I’ve been in the business as long as I have, I get calls regularly from collectors with new and interesting pieces they’re looking to move. I really never know what I’m going to come across on any given day,” Barmak says.
Considering the value of some of these rarities, these aren’t the kind of things that someone can just post up on Craigslist, and after this many years in the business Barmak has become a trusted resource as much for those looking to thin their collection as he is for those chasing their next acquisition. Though he is based in Canada, our modern connected world means Barmak has been catering to a global audience for quite some time. His range of collectibles speaks to a global history of racing and automotive goodness across the board. A trophy from the Argentina GP in 1948, vintage automotive posters from Cuba and a slew of gear and imagery associated with The Flying Finn Kimi Raikkonen are all on offer.
At a slightly more modest point of entry, Barmak has also developed a relationship with a scale-model manufacturer named Amalgam, through which he is able to offer his clients bespoke scale models to match vehicles in their fullsized car collection. While picking up an of-the-shelf scale model of the car sitting in your garage is always a treat, being able to mirror the paint, interior, wheel, and trim package of your favourite ride certainly has an added cachet.
Whether it’s a matter of getting some automotive art on your walls, or your having found an obscure piece of automotive history of your own that you’re looking to rehome, a detour to see Barmak is likely worth considering.