Wanted: Donations for new Hamilton Toy Museum

Have your kids outgrown their childhood toys? Do you have a sweet stash of collectible playthings, but no place to display them? 

If so, Chris Weston wants your help. The physics teacher at Sherwood Secondary is looking for donations for the yet-to-be-opened Hamilton Toy Museum he's starting with his wife Shannon, brother Carter and sister Carrie Thwaites.

"It's something that doesn't really exist in Canada and should," said Weston, a father of three kids under 11. "If we wait for somebody else to do it, it's not going to happen. So we said, 'we'll see what we can do.' "

Currently, he is working to renovate the 1,500-square-foot commercial space near Main Street East and Ottawa the team acquired in March.

"It's a disaster, which is why we could afford it," he laughed, adding he hopes the museum will be open for business — er, play — by the summer.

So, what types of items is he looking for, and what does he have already?

"Since starting the museum, I've had people donate Mechano sets, all sorts of different toys, action figures, dolls, Barbies, and so on," he told CBC Hamilton. (Weston estimates the project has received more than $50,000 worth of toy donations.)

"I'm looking really for different, unique items, because there are so many different toys in the world, if I tried to get all of them, I wouldn't have room to live."

Weston, who said he loved to play with Star Wars action figures growing up, envisions the museum as a space that will cater to people who want to catch a glimpse of rare items as well as those who'd prefer a more "hands-on, interactive experience."

"We don't just want toys behind glass, because for little kids, that's just boring. They'll look at it for five minutes and then say, "OK, can we go now?"

'"We always brag about the stuff here that's happening, but we need to get people to come here to do that." —Chris Weston, Hamilton Toy Museum

The Hamilton Toy Museum is already 2.5 years in the making, Weston, 42, said. He and his team have held fundraisers and social media campaigns to get the project off the ground.

He pitches the museum as a future destination for local families and also for visitors from out of town.

"We always brag about the stuff here that's happening, but we need to get people to come here to do that," Weston said of  Hamilton, his hometown.

"As far as that goes, we're not necessarily looking to create a tourist destination — although, we hope that it would be. We're looking to benefit our own kids. It's about their education, their emotional development."

On Friday, April 12, Lotos Bar and Grill in Stoney Creek (275 Barton St.) will host a comedy night fundraiser in support of Hamilton Toy Museum. Perfomers will include Clifford Myers, Jordan Scherer, Jay Oh, Caitlin Langelier, Paul Boychuk and host Brandon Sobel. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. The event starts at 8 p.m. For more information, go to the museum's Facebook page or call Neno at 905-541-1983.

To contact Chris Weston, email [email protected].