All Over Albany

Picking through the Hoffman's Playland auction

A bunch of the old signs are up for auction.

What's left at the old Hoffman's Playland site in Latham is up for auction.

Collar City Auctions is running an online auction through the morning of May 15, and there's an onsite preview the morning of May 12. And you're a winning bidder, you'll have to pick the stuff up yourself.

There's all sorts of stuff in the auction lots, some things certainly evoke the old play land, others are just... stuff.

We browsed the online offerings today and here are a few things that caught our eye...

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Last weekend for Hoffman's Playland

This is it: After more than six decades, Saturday and Sunday will be the final days for Hoffman's Playland. The kids amusement park is set to be open from noon-6 pm each day.

We've heard the last few weekends have included big crowds at Hoffman's, and this weekend the crowds will probably be huge. The park has hired extra police to help with the traffic. [Biz Review]

A crew from local production company Working Pictures has been documenting the amusement park's last few weeks for a documentary that will air on WMHT. They'll be there this weekend, recording memories of the park from people. WMHT is also collecting stories, home movies, and family snapshots for the documentary -- if you have something you'd like to share, email: hoffmans@wmht.org.

Earlier on AOA: What I'll miss about Hoffman's Playland

photo: Tim Dawkins

What I'll miss about Hoffman's Playland

"I enjoy being an adult, but when I take my nephews to Hoffman's, I'm a kid again."

The owners of Hoffman's Playland, the half-a-century-old children's amusement park in Latham, announced this summer that they're planning to retire and, unless someone steps in to take it over, the park may close after next season. Tim Dawkins is one of many Capital Region residents who grew up with Hoffman's -- he even worked there for five summers.

In the summer of 1989 I was 9 years old, and I was playing baseball as a member of the Cohoes Little League.

It had been a rough season.

Early on I was hit in the head with a baseball at practice, and it ruined me. I was conditioned to jump out of the batter's box. I hadn't gotten a hit all season. I most certainly would have quit, but my dad believes that once you start something, you finish it. Since quitting wasn't an option, I knew I needed motivation.

That's when it hit me: Hoffman's Playland. I absolutely LOVED going to Hoffman's. I didn't know very many kids who didn't love Hoffman's. That was the pot at the end of my rainbow (I was 9, people). I vividly remember announcing this epic idea to my parents: if I got a hit, they had to take me to Hoffman's and give me an entire book of 25 tickets all to myself! My parents were awesome, but also -- I think -- pretty desperate to see me get a hit.

They went for the plan.

Fast forward several weeks. I got my first hit of the season. My only hit of the season. As I safely made it to first base (thanks to an overthrow by the shortstop), I shouted across the field to my mom in the stands, "Hey mom! We're going to Hoffman's!"

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