- The Cape Model & Toy Club’s Winter Collectors Toy Fair in Edgemead was a success with over 100 tables and around 50 exhibitors.
- The club, founded in 1989 and renamed in 1997, has been active for 35 years and continues to grow, hosting four toy fairs annually.
- The club is now chaired by Angus Kyle.
The Cape Model & Toy Club held its Winter Collectors Toy Fair this past weekend in Edgemead which was a success and well attended, the organisers say. More than 100 tables were booked at this past Saturday’s event with about 50 exhibitors coming from all over Cape Town.
Edward Keown, vice chair, says this year, the club has been in existence for 35 years. The Cape Model & Toy Club was founded in 1989 by Percy van Zyl and his wife, he says.
“Things were very informal initially and by 1994 they decided to make it more formal and start a club. They named it the Cape Die Cast Club. Anton Rossouw from Worcester have been a member since then and still drive out from Worcester every show.
“Unfortunately, through the years records have been mislaid so we cannot with any certainty list the names of all the people who were involved with the club starting other than Percy,” Edward explains.
At a special general meeting on the 8th of June 1997 two new names were suggested by the then committee, Cape Miniature Wheels and Cape Model & Toy Club. After a long discussion by the committee, it was eventually decided to change the name to the Cape Model & Toy Club.
Early years
“Toy shows were at first held at the Simon’s Town Town Hall and the Parow fire station for all. There were also meetings held for club members only where theme displays, swop-meets and social events were held. Eventually the committee expanded the venues to Rygersdal Sports Complex, DF Malan High School, and the Catholic Church in Pinelands.”
The club was run by more or less the same committee for more than 20 years before they decided that they had enough, says Edward.
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“In 2011 a new committee was elected and is the committee that we have today with a few additional members. Venues have also changed as most of the active members reside in the northern suburbs, likewise the committee,” he says.
The club hosts four Toy Fairs per year held at the Edgemead Community Hall and at the Bothasig Hall. “We are continually trying to grow our club and introduce the hobby to the younger generation.”
The club does not have a current website but are active on Facebook. The current chair of the club is Angus Kyle.
- Contact the club via its Facebook page or Angus on 082 450 9159 and Edward on 082 7755 003.
