Toys from 1883 to 1930 that are still functional, such as a working kitchen for children, a sewing machine, a steam locomotive and train set, will be part of the exhibition “Bing. Magia jucatoriilor” (Bing. The magic of toys). The exhibition is on between December 6 to February 6, 2013, from 09:00 to 17:00, at the National History Museum of Romania.

Victor Ioan Taracuta, president of the Old Toys Collectors Association in Romania, said that the toys are worth between EUR 150 and 250 and that some belonged to Romanian collectors and have never been used. He added that the dream of the collectors is to build a childhood museum, which will include children's clothing, books, textbooks, uniforms and toys.

The oldest toy on display is a magic flashlight with 12 glass slides, preserved and exhibited in the original box dating from 1889 and the “newest” toy is a seaplane from 1930.

The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual Romanian-English catalog, which is the most detailed and complete for the toys to date.

German company Gebrüder Bing started as a modest kitchen products firm. It was founded in 1863 by brothers Ignaz and Adolf Bing in Nuremberg. The company launched toy production in 1880.

Ioana Toader, ioana.toader@romania-insider.com

(photo source: sxc.hu)