Peter Stoffer is keeping his word and selling off his massive collection of baseball hats for charity.

The former New Democrat MP, defeated in last October's election, had one of the most colourful offices on Parliament Hill. It was decorated with 18 years of collected hats, pins and buttons.

But after the election, all 6,500 ball caps needed a new place to go.

"My wife said they aren't coming home," Stoffer laughed.

The hats in Stoffer's office literally covered the wall from floor to ceiling, then they covered the ceiling. (CBC)

"I always said when I left politics, either voluntarily or involuntarily, I would donate the hats to charity, so this Friday at the Kinsman Club, we're selling the 6,500 hats."

Stoffer's collection began when he was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997. He had three in his office and a man who came to see him to discuss northern shrimp gave him a hat from his business. It snowballed from there.

"From Newfoundland to B.C., people in their wills just sent them to me in the mail, by truckloads I got all kinds of them, I just put them on the wall," he said.

Of all the hats over the years, there are two that will not be part of Friday's sale.

These two hats from a Second World War veteran will not be part of the sale. (CBC)

They belonged to a Second World War paratrooper who did one jump on June 6, 1944, D-Day, and was seriously injured. It took three years for him to recover and he went on to become a police chief and game warden in Ontario.

"He moved to Nova Scotia, where I met him," Stoffer said.

Hats from all over the world

"When he died, his wife insisted I receive his hats. These I'm keeping and I'm going to give them to my kids when I go."

Stoffer's hat collection is from all over the world and right next door. Hats from Holland will be sold along with hats from Halifax's famous Midtown Tavern.

He is very particular about how the hats should be worn.

"You take the hat from the wall, give it the million dollar curl, shake it, put it on the head and lock it," he said, twisting the brim so it faces slightly off to the side.

The price range for the hats will be a dollar to $10.

Proceeds going to the Kinsman and Kinette Club, the Walter Callow Wheelchair Buses and HMCS Sackville Trust.

The sale starts Friday at noon and runs until 9:00 p.m. at the Sackville Kinsman Club.