Car collector keeps the wheels turning
Scouting model and hobby shops, Gavin slowly grew his collection car-by-car.
Tucked away in a quiet suburb in Newcastle lies a gem of a collector.
Gavin Shoesmith, an avid model car collector, took pride in showing off his stunning pieces of art.
For Gavin there are two types of collectors – ones who did it for the money, and ones who collected for the passion of the hobby – to Gavin, his collection is priceless.
“I do it for the love of model cars,” he admitted.
Gavin started his collection in 1980, when an intrinsic interest grew from a simple Christmas gift.
“I started my collection with the matchbox models of yesteryears. At that time, they were about R25 a piece,” he laughed.
“My youngest son also grew an interest in collecting model cars; he loved them from his childhood. He ended up with around 4 000 to 5 000 models.”
Scouting model and hobby shops, Gavin slowly grew his collection car-by-car.
He has since accumulated more than 100 cars, in all sizes and models, in just one room.
From a vintage 1950 Lincoln, to a pristine Cadillac model, Gavin has it all.
He admitted that although he would love to collect more model cars, space was an issue.
Gavin and his family since moved to Newcastle in 1950 when he was just a year old.
His dad’s first car was a Morris 8 with the number plate NN318; this number has held a special significance in Gavin’s life of collecting model cars.
“When I started my collection, this number plate was one of the first things I kept. It has sentimental value to me,” he recalled.
Read Gavin’s full story in this week’s edition of the Newcastle Advertiser.
