The Story Behind Previously Played With
If there's one thing I've learnt about myself over the years, it's that I've always been a collector.
In my early 20s, I discovered just how much joy I found in collecting. It started with tropical fish, then Pop! Vinyls, followed by Jurassic Park and Jurassic World dinosaurs. Before long, I was filling the house with indoor plants too.
Looking back, I don't think it was ever about owning lots of things. It was the thrill of the hunt, learning about each collection, and finding that one piece I'd been searching for. There's something incredibly satisfying about building a collection over time.
About four years ago, that passion took me in a direction I never expected.
I spent a lot of my spare time op shopping and searching second-hand stores. While I was looking for things to add to my own collections, I kept finding vintage toys and collectibles that I knew other people would absolutely love. The problem was, those people lived all over New Zealand and would probably never walk into the same little op shop I had just found them in.
That's when the idea for Previously Played With was born.
I wanted to create a place where collectors, parents and anyone chasing a childhood memory could find those special items that had become harder to come by. Not everyone has the time to spend hours searching garage sales, op shops and second-hand stores, so I decided I'd do the hunting for them.
Every item has had a life before arriving here. That's part of what makes vintage toys so special. They've been loved, played with and looked after before finding a new home where they'll hopefully create even more memories.
Today, my own collections have come full circle. I still collect Jurassic Park and Jurassic World dinosaurs, Tamagotchis and toys from my own childhood. I guess once you're a collector, you're always a collector.
Running Previously Played With has become so much more than selling vintage toys.
One of the best parts of what I do is finding collections that deserve another chance. Sometimes it's a single toy tucked away on a shelf, and sometimes it's an entire lifetime of collecting. Every collection has a story, and it's incredibly rewarding helping those treasures find people who truly appreciate them.
The other part I love is hearing from customers.
There's something special about someone opening a parcel and seeing a toy they haven't held in 20 or 30 years. Those messages reminding me that a toy brought back memories of a birthday, Christmas morning or afternoons spent playing as a kid are exactly why I started PPW.
My goal has never changed.
I want to help people reconnect with the toys they grew up with, and I want to save as many vintage toys as possible from being forgotten or ending up in landfill. Every toy deserves the chance to be loved again.
Thank you for being part of the journey. Whether you've been collecting for decades, you're searching for a childhood favourite, or you're introducing the next generation to the toys you grew up with, I'm so glad you found Previously Played With.
Happy collecting.