Good Toy Instruments.

When I was a young TOTP enthusiast (we're talking the golden embryonic-90s era) my mother impressed me with an anecdote involving my uncle, a toy saxophone and the french equivalent to Thursday's 19:00 spectacle. Years later, I found out that he was briefly a part of Catalonian composer Pascal Comelade's Bel Canto Orchestra, in the 1980s. His collection of toy instruments (made + found) and essays are detailed in a book published last year, "Pascal Comelade and His Play Toy Orchestra" (page detail above). Although his online presence is severely limited due to techno-phobia (apparently he couldn't even purchase an early limited-edition vinyl release of his on eBay, that he didn't own) the Wire has a good article on fellow meccano enthusiast Pierre Bastien.

My own collection comprises of birthday presents and pound shop finds. If it isn't made in China, I am not interested.