With Christmas just around the corner, here's a story for those trying to think of something to buy that person who has everything.
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What about a man trap?
A what I hear you say.
At 10.30am on Sunday, prominent south-west collector Bruce Lowenthal will be putting under the hammer a man trap, as part of an auction at the Macarthur Butter Factory.
"Man traps were used in the early days of settlement in Australia at Port Arthur and Sydney to capture escaped convicts," Mr Lowenthal said.
"They were brought over from England where the wealthy landowners would use them to stop poachers getting onto their properties to steal animal stock.
"They were banned in 1855 so they are very rare.
"They are allowed to be sold but are not to be used, they are museum pieces only."
This is only the second time in his long career that Mr Lowenthal has come into the possession of a man trap.
"I had a man from Grassmere wanting to clear out some old rusty stuff and the man trap was among the items he had," Mr Lowenthal said.
"The only other time I had one of these it created a lot of interest and sold for $2800.
"I'm expecting this second one to reach that price again and maybe go higher."
Mr Lowenthal has a reputation for discovering the interesting and the unusual.
While the man trap fits this category perfectly, traps in general are much sort after pieces.
"I've had dog, dingo, rabbit and other sorts of traps, which are sold under the same rules," Mr Lowenthal said.
"It's interesting because with traps, the rarest and most valuable ones are the ones that didn't work.
"When the traps were released, if they worked well then a lot were sold so they are more common.
"The ones that didn't work, didn't sell so well, so that has obviously made them much rarer."
Having the man trap among the items for Sunday's auction is another high point in a long and illustrious career for Mr Lowenthal.
Some people have a calling from a young age, and for Mr Lowenthal, his passion for collecting first burst through when he was only six-years-old.
"I was living in Melbourne and they were gutting the old milk bar just down the road from where we lived," Mr Lowenthal said.
"I went in for a look, as a nosey kid would, and there was all this old milk bar stuff, like old signs, laying on the floor to get thrown out.
"So I grabbed a heap of stuff that looked good to me and took it home.
"From that moment I have always loved collecting things."
The harvest from that very first pick is no longer with Mr Lowenthal, not surprisingly thanks to his mother.
"Like most mothers I suppose mum would have thought it was junk and long threw it out," Mr Lowenthal said.
"It would be great to still have that stuff and look back on it now."
While the fruits of that first foray into collecting are long gone, it set Mr Lowenthal on a road he remains on to this day, 67 years later.
Mr Lowenthal officially went into the collectables business in 1970 when he became a member of the Melbourne Bottle Club.
In 1984, he opened his first antique shop, and in 1990 he began his career as an auctioneer.
His high profile as a collector of note was evident when the popular national television show, Aussie Pickers, visited him and used his operation as a feature in one of their episodes.
Mr Lowenthal has not only built a viable business through his collecting, but has also used his skills to help his community.
He has earnt a Lions Club International Life Membership through his service of more than 30 years with the Macarthur and Koroit clubs.
He was responsible for setting up the Koroit Lions Club Op Shop, which opened its doors in 2015.
The shop has been a game-changer for the Lions club, providing it with a large income source.
This has allowed the carrying out of major community projects, including the building of a playground, exercise circuit and barbeque area.
But like that little boy sifting through that milk bar all those years ago, it is still the pure joy of collecting that drives Mr Lowenthal.
"People ask why do I collect things, it's because I love looking at what I've collected," he said.
"Most collectors are the same, it's great to just sit back and look at the stuff you have gathered.
"Of course, some of it becomes very valuable, but it really is as simple as getting joy out of what you have collected."
