Yet one man’s trash is another’s treasure and this weekend one collector will put up more than 750 items at a monster auction in Castlemaine, with Gollant Auctioneers & Valuers expecting to sell from 9.30am into the afternoon.

The collector selling the items, who wishes to remain anonymous, said many have come out of factories, forges and industrial sites across Australia.

“We’ve had businesses that have been closing down for quite a few years now. In the next couple of years any interesting old businesses will just about be non-existent,” he said.

The automotive industry’s decline has motivated the collector to focus some of his attention on saving pieces.

“I spent even more time getting some of this stuff because I knew after this year none of it would be left,” the collector said.

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Sadly, many developers and site owners do not have the time or financial incentive to sell historic items, especially when they handle property deals in the tens of millions of dollars.

“As soon as an old business closes down, do you think Mr Developer or the owner is going to care too much about the old stuff that has gathered dust over the last 50 years?” the collector asked.

“When the demo guys come in to clear the site do you think they have the time or interest to go through it all?”

Often, historical items end up scrapped.

The wide ranging collection to be sold this weekend has not just been sourced from factories. It also includes pieces picked from scrapyards and hoarders’ homes, as well as from other collectors.

“All these things are obsolete, so when I find them they have been out of action for a very long time,” the collector said.

“It’s a magnificent collection of very rare and unusual things to do with industry and trade, like tools, machines, industrial relics and archival information … it all tells a story and helped build Australia.”

The auction takes place at The Salvage Yard, 6 Lewis Drive, Castlemaine from 9.30am Saturday.

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