Kidd's Toy Museum in Portland, OR is an elaborate storage place for toys of all kinds. Located on Grand Avenue in Portland, it houses the entire collection of Frank Kidd, who has collected toys all his life. He has a collection of transportation-related toys going as far back as 1869. Frank started his collection with vehicles. This collection is somewhat intermingled with the automotive parts business owned by his family, which is located right next door.
Since the beginning, his toy collection has expanded to include many other toys making the collection quite large. The store features banks both still and mechanical, planes, trains, character toys, dolls and many other collectibles. His wife Joyce has joined him in collecting toys for the museum and has expanded the toys to include, dolls, teddy bears and holiday collectibles and memorabilia. His banks are a huge part of his collection, including some patent office banks as well as wooden, brass and lead patterned banks.
The largest part of the collection is toys from the period 1869 to 1939, but does also include many current and later day die-cast vehicles, which are still extremely popular with kids of all ages. He also has on display many items to interest the locals such as signs, trays, banks and other items symbolic to the Northwest.
A great conversation piece is a 13-inch cast-iron steam shovel. This is a replica of a Mack Panama digger and is used to commemorate Panama Canal opening in 1914. This digger was made by the Hubley Manufacturing Company and is now worth thousands of dollars.
Frank claims that he got his interest in toys because he never had toys as a kid. His first piece in his collection 35 years ago was a Buddy L pedal car. He then traveled all over the world looking for and collection toys. He's now semi retired and just enjoys showing his collection of awesome toys.
As you enter the building, you will think you are in a little kids paradise with the gumball machines, toy trucks, piggy banks and many Disney memorabilia. These are definitely for look and not touch. The museum is open Monday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday 10 to 1.
