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November 14, 2003
Feasting upon car collectibles
Wilkinson's Automobilia gears up for its 15th anniversary celebration.
BAILA LAZARUS EDITOR
Whether you're looking for the perfect gift for a car buff who
has everything, if you're getting nostalgic for those Dinky toys
you used to play with as a kid or if you're just in the mood to
browse and chat cars, Wilkinson's Automobilia is worth a pit stop.
Packed wall to wall and floor to ceiling, Wilkinson's has something
from every type of car memorabilia imaginable – car manuals
going back half a century; original period dealership brochures
(worth a look even if you're not a car fan); coffee table photography
books; posters; wall calendars; manufacturer's pins; hundreds of
scale replicas of every type of vehicle, including a Greyhound bus
and a Toronto streetcar; classic miniature diecast Dinky and Corgi
models (some valued at more than $400); as well as models of contemporary
makes of cars, such as the new Austin Minis.
Owner Ted Wilkinson and his staff are also available to give expert
advice or to shoot the breeze with visitors who just dropped in
to talk about the latest Formula One results.
"We like to think of you as coming into our living room,"
Wilkinson explains in his amicable style.
Wilkinson started out in his apartment selling old car magazines
and opened the store with his brother in 1988, later buying the
brother out. It's been in the same location, on the southwest corner
of Broadway and Ontario, for the past 15 years.
Hardpressed to point out a few of his favorite items, Wilkinson
first heads to a drawer of early dealership brochures and pulls
out a golden oldie – a 1960s Ford pamphlet that shows the perfect
mom-pop-2.0 kids-1950s family, sitting in their new, pastel-colored
car. All that's missing is the family dog.
"It's entertainment, just to pull out these old books and flip
through them," Wilkinson says with a smile.
After the brochure drawer, we head to the Dinky and Corgi shelves.
Wilkinson points out that the collectible cars that were made by
these two companies were sold as toys for kids when they first came
out (produced from the 1930s to 1970s) but are now bought mostly
for display purposes, as are the currently made diecast models that
grace the other shelves in the store.
At our last stop on the tour, Wilkinson lovingly takes down one
of his favorite models, a 1:10 scale, handmade replica of Phil Hill's
1961 World Championship-winning Ferrari 156 "Sharknose."
Even if this doesn't mean anything to you, you'll be more than impressed
with the detailed workmanship, right down to the handmade spokes
on the wheels and hand-carved treads on the tires. Priced at about
the same as an old, second-hand car, the model, which comes with
its very own display case, will set you back about $3,000.
To complement the store, Wilkinson's www.eautomobilia.com
site has a comprehensive online Web listing. It offers a selection
of Web-based automotive, racing and motorcycle literature and collectibles,
including a full listing of store items. The site has worldwide
shipments twice a week.
Wilkinson's Automobilia is located at 2531 Ontario St. (at Broadway)
in Vancouver. Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Wilkinson's
is offering 15 per cent off all items in the store until Nov. 15.
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