Collecting before internet

[MegoMonk]

The original Megos I had from childhood sat in a few boxes. They were a complete set of POTA and Monsters and about 8 to 10 WGSH. One of my freinds moved from Brooklyn to Edison NJ aroud 91. When I visited him we would go to Seaside Heights. There was a dealer selling old toys, including Mego, but he only had figures I already had. Shortly after, my freind took me to the Route 1 Flea Market. A toy dealer there was from a Comics/toy shop in central Jersey. He had had some figures I never had as a kid, like Mr. Fantastic. I started buying random figures from him. A few years later I found Toyshop at a newstand in Brooklyn. I had been subscribing to CBG for a few years. So, I started bidding on Megos in Toyshop. I got a few good deals. Sometimes the dealers would throw in extra figures in bad shape. I never got ripped off by a Toyshop dealer. The only time I got ripped off was when CBG started giving subscribers a free ad in each issue. I placed ocasional ads looking for Megos. Some guy from down south sent me a cryptic looking note, saying he had some Happy Days and other figures. He asked for a $35 MO, which I sent him. I never heard from him again. In late 98 I started on EBAY and my Mego collection grew in leaps and bounds.

[toys2cool]

Today we take for granted instant communication, ebay feedback gives an indication of a buyers/sellers integrity and reputation is king. If I want a mego, our global network makes it easier to find. You can still get taken by a scammer though, but hopefully as a community we can look after each other a little. So what must it have been like to buy Megos before internet. How did you get to see the items condition for example, pic by snail mail, fax? And surely it was way easier to get ripped off then.For example I lost $1500 that I sent to someone selling FF 1 in a cbg ad, sent the check and no reply, it was that easy to get ripped off before internet. Please share your good and bad stories. Clem

man i remember working my *** off in Checkers(the burger place) when I was 17 to send some jackhole $550 for an LJN WWF collection and I got jipped