Ali Rıza İşçi crafts recycled wire toys for children in Manisa

Ali Rıza İşçi, a 69-year-old resident of the Demirci district in Manisa, Turkey, has established a small workshop in his home to create nostalgic wire toy cars for local children. Using entirely recycled materials, İşçi cleans old bearings from industrial sites to use as wheels and shapes construction wire to build the vehicle frames and chassis. He decorates his creations, which include models of trucks, tractors, minibuses, and cars, using colorful phosphorescent adhesives.

İşçi, who is known locally as ‘Dede’ (Grandpa), began this project three years ago following a lung health issue as a way to avoid social settings involving smoking and to find a productive hobby. His primary motivation is to encourage children to engage in manual production and handcrafts, helping to distance them from digital technology and screen addiction.

In addition to his toy making, İşçi has been a football coach for 52 years. He has gifted approximately 50 handmade vehicles to neighborhood children and his own grandchildren to preserve traditional craftsmanship and bring joy to the younger generation.