Toy and antique show memories.

[Werewolf]

A thread in the customs forums got me thinking about the toy, doll and antique shows and stores I went to as a kid.

In the 70s and 80s I went to a lot of toy, doll and antique shows, flea markets and antique stores with my parents. My mom and I were really into it and my dad was honestly bored out of his gourd most of the time.

It was really a different vibe back then than it was in the last big show I went to in the late 80s. When I first started to go to the shows the doll and toy dealers were all women. There were very few men at the shows. Maybe a few bored husbands, like my dad, and a few embarassed looking male collectors. There really wasn't this concept of action figure collectors back then. Megos, Captain Action and GI JOE were dolls and little kid's toys. It was the norm to see 12 inch GI JOES, Star Wars and Mego WGSH on display side by side with Barbie and Madame Alexander dolls.

I remember it was a much more laid back vibe at shows at that time. Not as loud or competitive. People weren't scrambling all over the place casing the dealer tables to get that killer buy before another collector beat them to it. It was just a fun relaxing way to spend a saturday afternoon. You, know, I really miss it.

The last show I went to, probably late 89 early 90, the vibe had totally changed. Male sports card dealers had moved on to selling toys and the place was packed with male action figure collectors. It was loud, it was hot, it was crowded, it was hectic, it was smelly and people were rude. It just wasn't as much fun as it has used to be when I was little.

Of course, your mileage may very. But that's how it was for me.

[toys2cool]

I went from 88 where I bought my first ever vintage toy...A complete Mego Batman till about 92, then they stopped putting them

It was really fun, hunting down tables trying to find something beofre my little brother did

[jwyblejr]

Didn't seem like that to me. Most of the ones I went to at the malls if you found more than three dealers selling any kind of toys you were lucky. It was always the same two guys selling stuff and maybe one other.

[starsky]

i love going to shows! i even went as far as atlantique city one time!

[Werewolf]

I forgot to mention, I got to meet a lot of the women that wrote many of the doll and collectibles books at time at those shows. It was a real fun time for me.