Among my favourite list of collectible children’s toys can be found:
Barbie Dolls
Hot wheels
Baseball Cards
Tonka trucks
Fisher Price
Easy Bake Oven
Etch-a-Sketch
Nancy Drew books
Slinkies
Yo-yos
I am showing my age, aren’t I?! Well, that is part of what makes this line of Collectibles so special: the memories of childhood. Do the items on my list have great monetary value? Probably not, but the call of nostalgia is a strong one. I know a grown man who collected Star Wars memorabilia into his forties! At which point, his fiancé demanded that he store them away because they were not to be out on display in her house!
One of the first places to seek collectible toys is in the basement of your parent’s house and (if possible) that of your grandparents, great aunts and uncles and anyone else you know who has had children. If this person is a pack rat or a hoarder all the better (for you, that is, not for them…) Another great place to source children’s collectible toys is at Estate sales (do you get the picture, yet, we are thinking old!) Antique stores or antique shows are other good options. You may have some luck at yard sales too.
A tip about yard sales: many people now advertise their yard or garage sales on online bulletin boards such as Craig’s List. Often, when they do post their ad they attach an email to it (probably not their personal one, more likely a long numbered one that keeps the advertiser anonymous.) If you are seeking something particular, you may have the option of sending a quick e-mail to the advertiser asking whether they will be selling any children’s collectible toys. We recommend that you ask for “older toys” rather than tipping them off to the fact that they may be discarding something that could be of value.)
These items, of course, may or may not be valuable. The more sophisticated you become in collecting children’s toys, (and it won’t take longer) the more quickly you’ll be able to assess the items that you come upon. There are value and pricing guides, but usually just for the larger product lines (such as Fisher Price.) For a broader reference guide see if you can access
“Schroeder’s Collectible Toys Antique to Modern Price Guide.”
Most collectors of collectible children’s toys do so not for the monetary investment (although it certainly can be there.) They collect for the sheer joy of being taken back to long lazy hours of play when life was fresh, all our needs were taken care of and our future was full of promise.