If you follow Bruneau and Co on social media, you may remember in December Kev and I took a quick day trip to North Carolina to pick up an epic collection. We didn’t spoil the surprise then, but I am here now to tell you we picked up not just any collection, but the world’s largest collection of Rainbow Brite toys and memorabilia!
Right now, two thoughts might be crossing your mind. The first might be “How does Travis know it’s the largest collection?” The answer is because this single owner collection, in its entirety, comes from the Rainbow Land Museum (formerly located in Apex, North Carolina), which was completely dedicated to Rainbow Brite collectibles. You can actually watch a virtual tour of the museum from right before it closed on YouTube. Thousands and thousands of Rainbow Brite toys, books, videos, decorations and more once filled the property – and now all that is in Cranston, Rhode Island with us awaiting auction!
The second thought crossing your mind right now might be “Who is Rainbow Brite???” Unless you were a little girl growing up in the 1980’s, there is a chance you are not too familiar with her or the toy line. But that’s okay – this article is here to inform!
Like most popular toy lines, Rainbow Brite’s story began with an animated series in 1984. The premise of the tv show and the movies that followed was Rainbow Brite and her friends (known as Color Kids) lived in a magical kingdom called Rainbow Land where all colors were created. They would then fill our world with color and defend it against gloomy grey villains so our hearts would always be filled with hope and happiness – sweet, right? Also like most popular toy lines in the 1980s, Rainbow Brite and friends got an early 2000s reboot, so there are items in this collection from both generations of toys and merchandise. As you can imagine, Rainbow Brite is recognizable for her rainbow attire, and this toy collection is certainly colorful!
While not everyone may remember Rainbow Brite, during her heyday she was a fan favorite, and looking through these cool vintage toys does pull at those nostalgic heartstrings. We have a 40 year old woman in the office at Bruneau and Co who showed more excitement over these colorful toys than she does for fine jewelry. It just goes to show childhood memories (especially happy ones) can be the driving force for collectors well into adulthood!
