Vello Ojamäe says his gearshift knob collection keeps growing

Gearshift knob collecting has become popular, and there are many collectors, Vello Ojamäe told ERR’s Terevisioon programme. Of the many things he has collected over the years, his gearshift knob collection is the only one that continues to grow.

Ojamäe collects both Soviet-era and modern gearshift knobs. His model cars, by contrast, are all models of cars made in the Soviet era. He began collecting them after his parents gave him a couple of rare model cars when he was six. He placed them behind glass because he thought they were beautiful.

His model cars must be made of metal and be to a scale of 1:43, and he keeps their boxes because he considers them valuable in their own right. His collection includes 115 cars. He has models of all Soviet-era passenger cars, while his buses and lorries must have a personal connection: he, his father or his uncle must have driven the vehicle they represent. The models are kept behind glass, and he does not allow anyone to play with them.

Ojamäe said gearshift knobs are hard to find because there are few available, and they can be expensive.