Garage Sales in the 1980s and early 90s

[Den82]

Were they great for toys? I wish I had a time machine and I could go back to them. When all the toy lines I liked were looked at as "old toys" and nothing more.

I go to yard sales today and I see are 90's toys and stuff from the 2000s. So I'm imaging in the 90s, all there was were 80s toys...and in the 80s, all 80s and 70s toys.

If I collected modern toys, nearly every yard sale I stop out would be a score. So I'd imagine it must of been that way then.

[cjefferys]

I remember my parents had a huge multi-family yard sale in the early 90's, and I tried selling a bunch of boxed 1980's Transformers at "collector prices" (around $10-20 a pop). Anyone who picked one up quickly put it back down (I guess they were expecting them to cost 25 cents each or something, after all it was a yard sale, not a toy show ) Joke's on them, I threw them back in a box and ended up selling them on ebay 7 or 8 years later for much more money. (well maybe the joke's on me too, if I held on to them until now, I'd get even bigger bucks for them, but that's the nature of the hobby I suppose)

[Joe90]

I remember my parents had a huge multi-family yard sale in the early 90's, and I tried selling a bunch of boxed 1980's Transformers at "collector prices"... I threw them back in a box and ended up selling them on ebay 7 or 8 years later for much more money. (well maybe the joke's on me too, if I held on to them until now, I'd get even bigger bucks for them)

I'd say you sold at the right time.

Up in Edmonton, late 1980's early 1990's garage sales contained a lot of 1970's toys, and a healthy number of 1950's and 1960's toys too.

As a Baby Boomer, I saw a lot of the parents of my generation downsizing during that time. Even now, the odd late 1960's, early 1970's jewel pops up. If 30 year old parents were buying kids toys at that time it's conceivable they could be downsizing as they see their impending 70's.

[Den82]

I started collecting Star Wars in the early 90s. The line was of course long dead by then, but I got stuff at garage sales (very little if I remember correctly), flea markets, antique stores and a local toy show they'd have regularly. Even then I remember them being considered high end collectibles. I sold it all in the early 2000s. I could just imagine what my collection would look like today if I didn't stop collecting. Because I've only started collecting toys again in like 2010...and I've accumulated quit a lot. But I've noticed it's getting harder and harder to get stuff.

[toys2cool]

the flea markets here in the early 90's were awesome!! man I remember all the 70's and 80's toy lines on a regular base all the time

[Den82]

I love having an eBay store and I wish I could get more and better stuff. But I think I picked a bad time to be a toy seller. Because right now, everyone who has it, wants top $$ and it's just not out there like it was. Lines like GI JOE and He-Man were HUGE....so where the hell did they all go?

I haven't found any 80's Joes in ages now.

[toys2cool]

I love having an eBay store and I wish I could get more and better stuff. But I think I picked a bad time to be a toy seller. Because right now, everyone who has it, wants top $$ and it's just not out there like it was. Lines like GI JOE and He-Man were HUGE....so where the hell did they all go?

I haven't found any 80's Joes in ages now.

gi's and heman are still a dime a dozen on ebay , and you can easily find the common ones super cheap

[Den82]

I've bought a few lots off eBay to resell on eBay. One thing I've noticed, items from sellers without a top rated seller banner...sell for much cheaper.

[Bruce Banner]

I recall finding a few boxed Kenner SW toys during the late 80s and early 90s at garage sales and toy markets, as well a lot of loose SW items, for very cheap prices.

It was during that lean period for SW merchandise, after the Kenner line had ended, but before the SW merchandising resurgence began again during the mid 90s. It was a great time to pick up vintage stuff for low prices.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I got TONS of Star Wars stuff dirt cheap right after "Phantom Menace" came out. Sadly, that got me collecting Star Wars stuff again. (ANd I don't have the room right now for the Woman's Day OUter Space Station....)

Don C.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I remember my parents had a huge multi-family yard sale in the early 90's, and I tried selling a bunch of boxed 1980's Transformers at "collector prices" (around $10-20 a pop). Anyone who picked one up quickly put it back down (I guess they were expecting them to cost 25 cents each or something, after all it was a yard sale, not a toy show ) Joke's on them, I threw them back in a box and ended up selling them on ebay 7 or 8 years later for much more money. (well maybe the joke's on me too, if I held on to them until now, I'd get even bigger bucks for them, but that's the nature of the hobby I suppose)

When I was 13 or 14 my mom had a yard sale. I decided I needed extra cash, and sold the majority of my GI Joe: RAH and Transformers collections. I didn't sell them dirt cheap, but they moved non-the-less. I recall selling the Autobot and Decepticon cities for just a bit under their original retail price, because they were barely played with and still in the box (received the last Christmas I got toys to play with). If I had held onto all of that just a few more years more I could have made a substantial dent in my college student loans!!! At least I was smart enough to not sell my super hero merchandise.

As for flea markets and yard sales back in the 80s and 90s, I did make a few decent finds over the years. A few Megos, although I never found anything rare, other than passing up Aquaman's Great White Shark once! My future wife did find me a large collection of Captain Action accessories in the early 90s at a flea market. There was once a large swap meet at City Hall here in the late 80s that had a lot of good 70s stuff for sale. Unfortunately a "friend" of mine who didn't really collect toys decided to head there without me and bought most of the good stuff. I still hold a grudge.

For some reason, central Kentucky has never seemed to have a lot of good fodder for yard sales or flea markets compared to some of the stories I've heard here. Maybe it's the lack of large metropolitan areas?

Chris

[david_b]

Other than the Kane County Toy auction I used to take my neice and nephew to in Illinois a few years back, I haven't done any auctions. I mainly went to complete my Captain Action and GI Joe sets, and to see all the other crazy stuff I didn't know I ever wanted..

I miss the '80s rummage sales when you could buy a bag of 12" GI Joes for $10, or Megos for a dollar each.

Hey, it's where my mom bought me a Beatles pasted-over 'butcher cover' for a whole quarter.

[Figuremod73]

Its tough collecting the vintage stuff thats for sure. I dont like most modern anything (especially star wars). I go to the flea market every weekend hopeing that this will be the week when i stumble apon a nice heman or starwars collection and of course it never happens.
I just started collecting again to and its really pick and choose when your on a budget. What makes it worse is the fear that the stuff i really want is gonna rise in value past the point of what i can realistically pay.

[megoat]

I used to hit yard sales in the early to mid 90s on the search for toys. I frequently saw many piles of 80s toys like He-Man and GI JOE. Of course I left them all! Although I would buy Star Wars. I remember in the 90s (especially early to mid 90s) you could go into a thrift store and find SOMETHING vintage star wars. I mean, maybe not action figures (although I found plenty of those!) but easily a stuffed Ewok or a set of bed sheets or a board game or whatever.

[Den82]

I bought some 70's GI Joe tonight from a guy gearing up for a yard sale. It's funny that I've found more 60's and 70's stuff lately than 80s stuff.