John Vertrees

Like most kids, John Vertrees loved toys as a child, "especially the Hot Wheels that my grandfather gave to me," he says. And while he did eventually move on to adulthood leaving his toys behind, he never did quite move away from "playful" work—professionally speaking, that is.

"I was an independent contractor for the Disneyland Entertainment art department and then worked as an assistant art director on primetime network sitcoms," he says. Today, Vertrees is creative specialist—WW Trade Show Services for Mattel.

"Working for a toy company requires that type of 'fun' skill set and it made for a good transition," he quips.

"Toy collecting has come to me," the designer tells PLAYTHINGS, explaining the origin of his passion for collecting. "It started by having a toy on my desk for legitimate research purposes and suddenly, they [the toys] multiplied and decided to stay."

Vertrees actually draws on his collection to validate his work. "I like anything I can manipulate while I draw ideas for toy fairs and trade shows because it helps me think." He recalls that once his vice president joked about how he was having fun just playing with toys all day. "It's all part of my job, boss; just part of the J-O-B," he chided.

But more seriously, he says that the play value of his collection is the most important to him, rather than the monetary value of his collection. "Everything is out of the box so I can use it —otherwise, what good is it? The only item still in the box is my state's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the Last Action Hero, and a Mighty Max Skull Mountain playset. It's from 1993 and the package art is 100-percent hand-drawn, unlike the digital art used today."

Vertrees says that the "biz" has greatly influenced his toy collecting. "I have 10 years' worth of Hot Wheels toy fair cars in a nice case at home and each one represents a mile marker in my career. It's a unique collection because there aren't many collectors that have such a large toy fair collection since they are hard to get. It really tells a story about the product line's development over time and how it reflects society," he adds.

"The colors and the style were cutting-edge for each year and when seen together, the differences in each really stand out. My collection gives me a perspective I wouldn't otherwise have in my daily work."

Are you an avid collector of toys and have a story to be told? Please e-mail Maria Weiskott at: mweiskott@reedbusiness.com.