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Welcome to Bauer's Overboard Toy Boats! You could say my husband, Jerry, has gone overboard as he has around 2000 antique toy and model boats ranging from an inch to 6 feet in size. It all began when Jerry received his first boat, a green tug, on his birthday cake at age two. Later he recalls playing with a plastic red PT boat and cruiser for hours and receiving his first Tonka set, a blue Jeep and boat and trailer when he was six years old. He still has the original box the set came in. He acquired his passion for boats from his grandfathers, and his parents, avid campers and fishing enthusiasts. Gradually, he began collecting boats and other nautical niceties until 2004, his collection contained over 4000 items, completely filling our basement and home in Green Springs, Ohio! He admits, "maybe it's a disease, but if I see and I don't have it, I'll buy it." When we moved from Ohio to Gig Harbor, Washington six years ago, we painstakingly loaded his collection into a 48-foot semi-trailer, where it remained until June of 2006 where 800 boats went on display for 5 months at the Maritime Museum in Tacoma. Now four years later, we've dug them out once more for the Seattle Boat Show. Although Jerry loves all his boats, his favorite is the 48" model of a 1952 Chris Craft. Other notable favorites are wind-up tin boats from the 20's and 30's; a schooner built entirely out of matchsticks sold to him in 1988 by a woman who's son built it while serving time in prison; a rare panama Canal game, and models that were presents and handed down to him from his Grandpa. Our 14 year old daughter, Whitney's choice boat is her Barbie Boat, a 52" Mathews model, while our 16 year old son, Alex, prefers anything that can pull him skiing or knee-boarding! My favorite is a 5-foot beautiful wooden clipper given to us as a gift by a boat customer (its hanging in our living room). Our family resides in a beautiful neighborhood in Gig Harbor where as a family we enjoy water sports, boating, playing Euchre, and various activities with our church, Fox Island Alliance. Although I often tease Jerry about his "disease" nagging him about his nautical "clutter" and sometimes remind him to "store up your treasures in heaven where moth and rust (and dust) do not destroy, " I have to admit I admire him; he's as extraordinary and unique as his collection.
For more Information, call us at; (253) 495-3848 or (253) 514-8844        |
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