Guest post by Chris, from the stuffwelikecast.com.
I lived in a small town in Missouri for 33 years. I moved to Orlando a year ago with my lovely wife and have not missed living in the Midwest except of course my family and the ToyMan toy show, for which I have not yet found a local replacement.
The ToyMan toy show has been around for 21 years and I have attended 18 of those years. What a show! I have made friends, enemies, hit the jackpot, and have been taken to the cleaners. Sounds like a trip to Vegas, right? Well if you have been collecting toys for any amount of time, the two are very close in nature. You take a gamble at every table. Maybe they have just what you are looking for or they may have a table full of overpriced Hot Wheels.
One of my earliest memories of the toy show was in ‘92-‘93. Back then it was original Kenner or nothing when it came to Star Wars. My mom had taken me and we talked to a dealer who was willing to make us the deal of a lifetime- the complete 12-inch line of figures including hard to find IG-88 mint in box for $400. My young teenage mind was thinking about how to display them. My mom’s mind was spinning on how to pay for them. It was a great deal but we had to pass. Even though we passed on them it showed me the power of the show. You could find anything there; from the ‘30s to the present, all toys are well represented. I once bought Star Wars wallpaper (yes, they made Star Wars wallpaper) and I bought 3 rolls of it at one show.
Later in life like, all collectors have to do from time to time, I set up and sold at the show. Some of the dealers and I would joke that they had sold me the item they were buying back. I would walk away a few boxes lighter and a few hundred richer. Even the slow shows were fun because grown adults that collect toys are fun to hang out with.
I planned my most recent trip back home to coincide with a toy show. It was great to talk to friends I had made over the years and look at all the fun items. Having only a small carry-on bag helped curb my toy buying. I did manage to find a small LEGO set for $5.
I hope the show stays around for another 21 years. I sure want to take my kids to them, even if we have to get on a plane to do so.
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You can follow Chris on Twitter @drquest and also check out his website at stuffwelikecast.com . If you visit a toy show in your neck of the woods, or make an amazing pop culture find, drop me an email and I’d love to put up a post like this one!
This looks like a great show! I really wish they had something like this around here, but the closest one is a 3-hour drive. Thanks for the great article, Chris!
Thank you for posting it. Yeah it is a rare show I would love to find one around Orlando but I have yet to find it.
I so want to go to this show because here in Michigan we have nothing like it at all sadly.
The guys from the IT FIGURES podcast go to them and usually review them. Worth a listen.
Thanks kngfu, I’ll give them a listen!
Just curious a friend of mine has luke skywalkers mother in a barbie style doll anda yoda from the 80s what are they worth? Also just curious do you know anyone who is intersted in barbie dolls.