A huge horde of weird and wonderful gadgets - from the world’s first sat nav to an eye massager - have earned its owner the title of Best British Collector.
Former printer Maurice Collins, from Muswell Hill, has amassed more than 1,600 off-beat antique inventions over the last 35 years - a hobby that started when he took his teenage son hunting for bottles on a rubbish dump.
And now among the electric hair-restoring combs and mechanical envelope sealers he can count this latest accolade from Bid TV after a nationwide search.
The 76-year-old, of Grosvenor Road, said: “I was very chuffed to have my collection recognised. I don’t think anyone else loves collecting ‘thingy-me-bobs’ from the past as much as I do.
“I’ve always been fascinated by new inventions, even more so by those created in the times of Queen Victoria, which nowadays might seem totally alien today but in fact are often the forerunners to modern inventions.”
Such an example is the 1920s route finder, a precursor to the modern day sat nav. The gadget is worn like a watch and works via clockwork scrolls, which the driver has to manually turn to see the next leg of his journey.
Other oddities Mr Collins is particularly proud of range from useful gadgets, such as two of the earliest examples of clockwork teasmaids, to the more squeamish finds, including an 1898 chewing gum holder worn as a necklace and a mechanical haemorrhoid applicator.
The father-of-two has donated the £2,000 prize money to Kith and Kids, the disabled charity he co-founded to help his mentally handicapped daughter Kim.
Over the years, his collection has helped him raise more than £6,000 through loaning items out to exhibitions across the country.
The charity’s fundraising manager Danielle Taylor said: “We are very proud of Maurice who has supported Kith and Kids for over 40 years. We thank him for his help once again and congratulate him on his fabulous new title.”
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