Tin collection takes the biscuit

Bev Long shows some of the many Anzac biscuit tins she has collected over the past 13 years. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Bev Long owns 53 Anzac biscuit tins - and she's still waiting for seven more to arrive.

The tins usually sit upstairs but to commemorate the Anzac Day centenary Mrs Long has brought out all 53 tins and they are proudly displayed in the entrance to her Onerahi home.

"Well, it all started because Bernie's [her husband] father went to war and he was wounded and came back and so I've always been interested in war. Bernie's father was [a] rifleman," she said.

Mrs Long also has a love for collecting. So after purchasing her first tin in 2002, she kept on going. Her favourite is from 2006, showing the iconic war scene "Simpson and his donkey".

"It's quite rare and it recently sold on Trade Me for $450."

The most expensive tin Mrs Long purchased was a Canadian edition which cost $350.

She is proud of her collection and has displayed the tins on wooden shelves with a small piece of paper in front of each with information about where and when it came from.

"I just really enjoy collecting," she said.

She said she had given most of the biscuits away.

Mrs Long is still looking for two tins, the 2003 India tin and the UK 2005 tin, which she would love to add to her collection. "Well, I've got this far already I don't plan on stopping," she said.

Next week the collection will be on public display at the Whangarei Central Library.