Vintage and Modern Toy Fair Malvern Town Hall Beven Davey Izzy Davey Will McGowan
Davey, who has a very stressful job as a nurse caring for palliative and disabled patients at Barwon Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, said collecting toys was a great stress reliever.
When he comes home from work, “I often have a bunch of toys waiting at the door,” he says. “Izzy and I sit there, open it together, go through it and talk about it.”
Father and daughter Beven and Izzy Davey have bonded over their toy collecting hobby.Credit:Joe Armao
Davey also runs the Toys ‘R Aus collectors Facebook page, which has 16,000 members.
Why does he collect? “I love it,” he said. “Life is short. Do what makes you happy. Maybe out of nostalgia. The world is a pretty tough place right now.
“Do I watch the news and hear about people having car accidents or children dying, or wars, or do I go read a comic and talk to friends about toys? gives me a good frame of mind, I guess.
Vintage and Modern Toy Fair co-founder Will McGowan said the internet nearly killed toy fairs in the early 2000s, but many buyers now preferred to make sure toys weren’t in person. wrong or damaged.
Just a few items from Beven Davey’s toy collection.Credit:Joe Armao
And at a fair, merchants could avoid online selling and display fees. He said 90s kids who previously traded only online were now a mainstay of the fair’s success.
McGowan said the fair is a community, providing an opportunity for online friends to meet in real life.
He said this year’s highlight items include Funko Pop vinyl figures based on series such as stranger things; art toys – limited edition resin figures from artists such as Cipta Croft-Cusworth; and staples like Lego, Barbie, and Hot Wheels cars.
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