One week after the launch he had received 3000 web hits with orders rolling in on the first day.
Customers were particularly attracted to the image of baby Ralph on the site plus the clever approach of showing people with the pieces for sale rather than solely featuring the objects, which is the more usual.
They have recently picked up Elstree Studios and Warner Bros Studios as clients.
Based near Ely in Cambridgeshire, Rutterford is now likely to be even more overwhelmed as he has just opened a four-room shop called – yes, you guessed it – Ralph & Co in the Fens-edge village of Burwell near Cambridge.
He says: “Stock starts at £8, which would buy you an insect or bug encased in resin – great for kids – fairground signs from £45, an original pedal car for £125, a 1960s papier-mâché Jack Russell terrier for £165, an original Louis Vuitton suitcase for £495 and a 1950s haberdashery cabinet also for £495.”
The shop is next door to a classic Volkswagen restorers, so Rutterford is modifying the shop stock range to include automobilia and what he describes as old-school BMXs.
The showroom is open on Fridays and Saturday from 9am-5pm and at other times by appointment seven days a week.
Rutterford, who started work at Tesco aged 16, leaving 22 years later as head of partner communications to change direction and launch his website, started collecting young.
His first passion was for Coke bottles, and he then became fascinated by brand packaging, trawling for his collections at fairs, auctions, markets and car boots.
