Roodekrans toy collector preserving South African history
Machiel Odendaal is one of South Africa’s largest collectors of vintage South African-produced toys.
The first person to feature in the Roodepoort Record’s newest series, Love your neighbourhood, is Roodekrans resident Machiel Odendaal.
At 65, Machiel still gets more excited unwrapping a vintage Dinky car than most children do when opening presents on Christmas morning.
He has built two special rooms in his house that are not packed with furniture but rather his toys – hundreds of them, each catalogued, preserved, and worth a small fortune.
Machiel is one of South Africa’s largest collectors of vintage South African-produced toys. His collection focuses specifically on toys manufactured in South Africa, making it one of the most significant collections of its kind in the country, too.
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His collection ranges from trains, dolls, lead figures, Corgi toys from 1956 (British brand of die-cast toy vehicles), Dinky’s (small toys), play arts, wooden, aluminium and steel strike toys (vintage, pressed-steel scale model vehicles), and other plastic toys.
Why did he start collecting toys?
Speaking to the Record, Machiel explained that his journey as a collector began around 2010 when he started acquiring Dinky toys, including models from brands such as Corgi, before eventually expanding his interest to South African-made toys.
He admits that building the collection cost him a fortune, but said the historical value of the items makes it worthwhile.
Over the years, his home has become his own private museum, where local children and collectors alike can view rare pieces and experience a piece of history first-hand.
Although he does not have a personal childhood connection to toys, Machiel believes his passion stems from growing up in a family that loved sports and embraced having fun.
“What drew me into collecting was a curiosity about history. I wanted to know what existed in the past and how things have developed over the years,” he said.
“Every toy has a story behind it. Take the Dion bus, for example. It represents the former discount retail chain that was part of the Massmart group and played a significant role in South African retail history before closing its doors several years ago.”
Collector becomes an author
His passion for collecting eventually led him to become an author. Over the years, Machiel has written and published two books inspired by his collection, which he describes as an extension of his hobby.
His first publication, South African Vintage Toys – Model Cars: A Collector’s Guide, was followed by a second book focusing on promotional items.
“What inspired me to write the books was the desire to determine what was truly South African and what was not. That curiosity pushed me to conduct extensive research, including gathering information from the United Kingdom, and it simply developed from there,” he explained.
He emphasised that having love and knowledge is important to building a collection as strong as his.
“My ultimate goal is to share this history with people and provide a source of information about the products, brands and toys that once formed part of everyday life in South Africa,” he said.
With his collection, Machiel will be featured in a KykNET programme, Kwêla, an Afrikaans magazine programme.
“This is great exposure for the Roodekrans community because it helps people learn more about one another. It also supports my broader goal of bringing my work and this history to the public,” he concluded.
