An avid antique tool collector who gathered a collection of more than 2,000 items over 45 years has auctioned or sold nearly all of them off.

John Morris spent decades following his passion of finding and restoring tools which varied from blacksmith's equipment to unique items like a marmalade cutter.

When The Argus visited Mr Morris, the 88-year-old was halfway up a ladder painting the ceiling of his now bare tool room.

Mr Morris, from Woodingdean, said he wanted to turn the room into his “gentleman’s snug” to give his wife Judy some respite.

The Argus: Mr Morris with his tool collection in AprilMr Morris with his tool collection in April (Image: The Argus)

He said: “People came from all over the country to buy them. I couldn’t go and post the long scythes, so someone came from Southampton and paid me £2,000 for all the agricultural tools and a few other bits.

“He is my age when I started 45 years ago, he is buying an old barn and going to display the items as I did.

“He came around six times to collect items.

“I have sold all of the items bar a dozen. It is 2,000 items to virtually zero. Most of them were sold on Ebay.

The Argus: John Morris painting his former tool room ready to make it into a 'gentleman's snug'John Morris painting his former tool room ready to make it into a 'gentleman's snug' (Image: The Argus)

“I thought it would be heart-wrenching but once I got going I got in the mindset that I wanted to change that room into something. It’s going to be my man cave. Or a gentleman’s snug.

“The blacksmith collection went for £750. The coopers collection was pretty rare. They’re very hard to come by. I sold them for around £400.”

Mr Morris said because of his age, he doesn’t want the collection to be potentially left for his wife to deal with.

The Argus: Pictured is his blacksmith collection, right, and wood cutting collection, leftPictured is his blacksmith collection, right, and wood cutting collection, left (Image: The Argus)

Mr Morris previously told The Argus that he wanted it to be sold to “like-minded people”.

Some of his collection was more than 300 years old.

He added: “I am going to put new flooring and blinds put in there. I have been painting.

“I thought I was a bit past all this decorating, I was going to get someone in to do it for me. But I had a go myself and once I started I couldn’t stop.”