Retiree Aila, 66, collects story-inspired toys: “When I read fairy tales, the characters got the children interested”

I’ve never been interested in those big-eyed plush characters sold in every store and gas station. For me, a toy is only interesting if there’s a story behind it—a fairy tale, a movie, or a children’s show.

I was an early childhood education teacher and daycare director, but it wasn’t until my children were born about thirty years ago that I truly became interested in toy characters. Watching how children cherished them made me see toys in a completely new light.

I began tracking down toys connected to the fairy tales I read when I worked at daycare. Often, I would bring the toy figure into our reading time. I might even act out the story with the toys, which especially helped children who were just learning Finnish engage more fully. The children could, for instance, cuddle Pippi Longstocking or Pippi's horse, Little Old Man while listening, and then use them in play. Once we finished the book, I took the toys back home to “rest.”

I never imagined how much my collecting would grow over more than twenty years. I’ve created a computer file with an alphabetical list and photos of all my character, along with the fairy tales and backstories associated with them. I now have characters from over a hundred different tales.

For most fairy tales, I have one or two figures, but for instance, I have 19 different Moomin characters. I’ve also gathered dolls connected to Disney, Star Wars, and Harry Potter stories, and I’ve assembled two display-case collections of smaller figures.

Almost none of my childhood toys survived, but I’ve managed to find, for example, Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, Sandman, and Noddy in Toyland, which I could have played with myself. Mary Poppins is one of my favorites: a whimsical, resourceful nanny. For years, I’ve been trying to find Mary Poppins as a Barbie and the Little Prince as a plush, but no luck yet.

Not all toys are personally meaningful to me, but I’ve collected them because they matter to someone else. Daycare-aged children were fascinated by action figures, so I got Batman and the Turtles to show they, too, have stories behind them.

It’s fascinating how these toys have become so important to me. Stacks of transparent boxes around our home reveal my passion. They do take up space, but I couldn’t imagine parting with them.

I tend to collect secondhand toys that someone else has already enjoyed. I’ve only bought around ten toys brand new; all the others I’ve found at flea markets, recycling centers, or on the Tori second-hand marketplace. In addition to the toys themselves, I also gather fairy-tale books and DVDs related to them.

Once, I wanted to read Eduard Uspensky’s Gena the Crocodile to the children and so I feverishly searched for plush versions of Gena and his friend Cheburashka. Eventually, I found Cheburashka at a recycling center. It’s still one of my most meaningful characters, along with Gena, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Alfie Atkins, and the Moomins. I have a special fondness for their stories, and they’ve woven themselves into my language, my visual world, and my way of thinking.

Although I’m retired now, I’m still going strong with my hobby. I want to inspire children to read. Over the summer and in the fall, I’ll be volunteering to create small display exhibits in the children’s sections of three libraries. To celebrate the Moomins’ 80th anniversary, I’ll be using my collections to build a Moomin world.