Tuesday 18 June 2013

A growing obsession

I don't know how I got into VWs.

I have just always loved them. Beetles, splittys, campervans...

Family and friends have fed my obsession over the years by giving me quirky 'n' cute VW or campervan related gifts. You can see from the bottom of the page I have a lot.

From chess board games to salt and pepper shakers and from waste paper baskets to cookie jars. I have even framed VW related birthday cards given to me to decorate the house.

And my obsession, it seems, is rubbing off on the kids.

My little sister once baby sat for our toddler and let him loose with his older nephew's box of cars. Our boy, who must have been just 18 months at the time, went through the whole box (literally hundreds of cars) and found two VW campers which he would not let go of. All day.

Even at the park he wouldn't let them go, toddling around with a VW camper in each hand in a pudgy vice like grip.

We're nurturing our boy's love of all things VW. When his little sister arrived we gave him a present. A 'Happy Land' bright orange camper play set (which very aptly came complete with a 'mummy', 'daddy' and 'meewee' aka Marley, our dog) and a die cast VW Transporter.

It took me absolutely ages to track down the Transporter, eventually coming across one Down Under. (From the comfort of my own sofa on eBay of course, as I was heavy with child and by that time too fat to fly.)

And that's the problem. There's loads of vintage VW gifts on the market, but very little Transporter related.

Luckily, Campervan Gifts is doing a bit of new product development, with the backing of VW, which I'm really excited about.

Top of our gift list would be a cuddly transporter kids toy. Our toddler often goes to bed with his die cast VW Transporter clasped in his little hand after several failed attempts from mummy and daddy to extract it.  A cuddly version would be far more comfy, and safer.

Second on our list would be a Transporter bunk bed. Came across a wooden split screen camper bunk at Busfest last year and loved it, but not so much the price tag. Found a DIY Bay Window version on the net which I am sure the talented husband can knock up though.

We've also been eyeing up pop up campervan play tents for the kids, but a Transporter tent would go down a storm here in our house. Especially if it was red, like our van.

Thinking about it, a lot of my vintage VW trinkets are bright orange or baby blue. And I desperately searched for a red Transporter die cast model for my boy, but it only came in black, blue or white. What is the best colour for Transporter trinkets?

Campervan Gifts are scouting for people's ideas on what would make great Transporter related gifts, and in what colour. (Team Red, Team Red!)

They are also looking for T4 or T5  photos to adorn said merchandise. So if you fancy your van being immortalised forever get in touch with them. Unfortunately the ugly mug of Elvis the T5 for 5 is not quite beautiful enough to grace a coffee mug, just yet!

Share your Transporter gift ideas here on the blog, via Twitter @t5for5 or get in touch with Campervan Gifts.

We are looking forward to seeing the results, and fuelling the obsession a little bit further.

2 comments:

  1. I don't think our van was pretty enough either :( Mind you, it's never clean lol
    Great writing, as always ^_^

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  2. Thanks. Shucks. You've made me blush!
    A dirty van is a sign of a well used and truly loved van I say ;) Your van looks fab in all your great pics. You make it look v pretty.

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