Nostalgia

Nostalgia.  Lately I’ve been dipping my toe in its waters.  Okay bathing in it.  Once you start, it’s just hard to stop.  I specialize in toy nostalgia, naturally, but my love for toys is more than just immaturity (though that’s a large part of it and I do highly recommend it).  Dolls, toys, the things that we play with reflect our environment and the styles, the culture, the values of the people living in it.  So you could say that collecting toys is rather like collecting a bit of history.

Yes, the 1980s really did happen.

Note: Not all toy collectors live alone, dateless and friendless, in their parents’ basements.  Many people live alone dateless and friendless in their parents’ basements based on the economy alone.

Not all collectors are alike.  There are the ones who do it purely for evil monetary gain and will trip a small child to get to a new box of My Little Ponies only to immediately mark up Sparkle Twinkles on Ebay.  Not that I’m biased on that type of collector or anything.  Don’t get me wrong – having something that is of monetary value is cool.  And if you are in dire straights, like say having to live in your parents’ basement (oh nooooo) then at least you have some recourse.  Maybe you can sell your toys.

Who wouldn’t pay big money for this? One-of-a-kind!!

Maybe.

But that’s the problem.  The prices of toys (and other collectible items) fluctuate wildly.  Some of the oldest toys may go for a lot of money, but not necessarily.  Even with a mint, still-in-the-box toy, you have no guarantee of high prices.  You have to deal with public tastes.  More than anything else, the monetary value of your toy ends up being pure luck.  Most items go up in value because no one realized it would go up in value.  If you make money in the end, consider it a bonus.  But don’t count on building a nest egg with rare toys.  There are quite a few homeless people now living in boxes filled with Beanie Babies.

You could always try breeding your own stuffed animals.

Collect what you love.  Remember to still buy groceries.  You’ll win out in the end.  End of soap box.

Speaking of that old nostalgia, I mentioned earlier my new blog.  I wanted you to know that I won’t just be covering pretty plastic dollies.  I’ll cover anything.  G.I. Joes, Star Wars, Beatles toys, Sparkle Ponies, whatever.  Here’s just a sample of items I have lined up at the moment.

Lots of Barbies such as

• A Barbie dog that eats its own poop
• A Barbie with a magnetic stomach that gives birth only to have you shove baby back inside and make her do it all over again.
• Barbie’s sisters (Skipper, Stacie, Kelly or Chelsea (this child is confused), and baby Krissy.  Yes, they are all her “sisters”.  Also a brother Todd who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
• The Ultimate Boyfriend Ken doll – he says just what you want him to say!  The entertainment value in this guy is limitless.
• Remember when Barbie and Ken broke up?  Meet the home wrecker, Australian surfer rad dude Blaine.
• Lots of fun Barbie play sets.  For example: Barbie and shopliftin’ Kelly!

See my baby (cough) sister!

But wait, there’s more:

• The “Sunshine Family” dolls of the 1970s – and I do mean OMG 1970s.
• Star Trek the Next Generation‘s dreamy Commander Riker doll (er 12 inch ACTION FIGURE)
• High School Musical Dolls.  Did you forget about Disney’s overdone High School Musical movies?  Too bad, I have dolls!  One named after a type of dog.
• Luke Skywalker 12 inch ACTION FIGURE wearing Yoda in a Baby Bjorn.
• One Direction Dolls (Why?  They were cheap and we needed boyfriends for Skipper.)
• My Little Pony and all its incarnations.  Sparkles!
• A Mystery Doll that sparkles.  Oh how he sparkles.  You’ll never guess what it is.
• Disney dolls.  Of COURSE Disney dolls.

Leave us aloooone.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg of my mind at the moment.  If there is anything you’d like me to cover, I’ll do it, even if I’ve never heard of it.  I do love research, the less value the better!  Just let me know in the comments.  Also – what do you like to collect?

Alice