Toy story: Inside a niche (and expensive) hobby
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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. For 35-year-old Shrey Pacheco, a Delhi resident and media professional, one of the best gifts he has ever recieved was for his 31st birthday—a model of football club Manchester United’s legendary football stadium, Old Trafford, by Danish toymaker Lego. While it cost his wife, 36-year-old corporate professional Anisha Sharma a lofty ₹30,000, this did not deter the duo—since then, the couple has built an impressive collection of toys at their residence.
A similar story unfolded with 34-year-old Avishek Dalal, who works as a developer with a US technology firm in Hyderabad. A decade ago, in the early years of his career, Dalal spent nearly ₹10,000 on a scale model of a Formula 1 racing car by Ferrari. “It was the kind of purchase that growing up as a middle-class kid, your parents wouldn’t even dream of allowing.
So, in a way, this made me feel that I was independent, and had the means to fulfill childhood dreams," he said. The likes of Pacheco and Dalal are among a small but growing group of toy collectors—a niche interest that is showing an uptick in India, especially among millennials. With the rise of dual-income, young urban households that are well-travelled and steeped in Western pop culture, toy collection is gradually finding a place as a serious hobby.
Also read: The definitive guide to buying a foldable smartphone in 2024 Those in the business believe that the pandemic played a key role in encouraging toy collection as a hobby. Manish Kumar, store manager at iconic UK toys chain Hamley’s for south Delhi, said that footfall of “serious collectors" is growing. "Since the pandemic, we see a steady stream of adult customers who walk in and ask for specific models of Lego and Hot
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