Nostalgia will be on display this weekend at the Bodine Family Hall as the Victoria Toy Show holds its fall event.

“I guess people like to reminisce, I have heard a lot of stories, some of them poignant actually,” said Dave Shelton, an organizer of the show that’s been in Sidney for more than 15 years.

One that stands out was a tale from an old man who recalled his childhood during the war in France.

They had mostly paper toys and wood toys but one little boy in the neighbourhood had three dinky toys — they would all play with them.

“Then one day he was gone, the death squad had come and taken him away. Now this guy has 3,000 dinky toys and he still can’t get enough,” Shelton said. “The toys bring out these stories.”

Up to 1,500 people can be a regular sight at the Victoria Toy show. It’s the biggest antique and collectible toy show in Western Canada. Dealers and collectors from the Island, Lower Mainland, Seattle and England cover 100 tables with amazing toys of all eras. All for sale or trade — or just browsing.

“You just don’t know what you’re going to find,” Shelton said.

Toys are as diverse as Star Wars to old English or Shirley Temple dolls and the prices will vary just as widely.

“There’s everything from, well sometimes the dealers will give some of the small toys away to kids,” Shelton said.

Some toys range from $700 and $800 to $1000-plus toys. Often bought by an avid collector who just has to fill a gap in his collection and is willing to live on macaroni and cheese. Sometimes an investor, who instead of collecting art, has decided to invest in these charming mini-artworks — old toys. At a previous toy show a fellow brought in a single boxed Dinky toy, optimistically hoping to sell it for maybe $50. An English dealer happily paid him $2,700.

It’s an event for “kids of all ages,” Shelton said. “It’s this huge event, it’s great for families ... Wheeling and dealing goes on, there’s a little bit of the antique show or the flea market in here too.”

Find a unique gift for a loved one (or yourself), or just have some fun at the Victoria Toy Show Sunday, Oct. 25 at the Mary Winspear Centre. Admission is $3 at the door and children under 12 with an adult are free. The show runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early bird admission is $20 and starts at 8:30 a.m. For more information visit www.victoriatoyshow.com or call Jack at 250-727-2403, or Dave at 250-385-4292

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com