Thift Stores: Still finding Megos!

[bgrimm77]

I dont want to burst anyones bubble , but I have STOOPID GOOD LUCK when it comes to finding Megos and other vintage toy's here in N.H. There arent many thrift stores but N.H. is littered with antique stores a plenty....and the farther north you go , the better luck you have! For example about 2 months ago my wife and I stopped by an antique store in Franklin N.H. , it's about 2 towns over from Laconia (where all the bikers meet) and the first thing I see is a Mattel Godzilla ! It's missing his tail and both hands , his toe-nails are broken , and the mechanism for the tongue is long since gone....but for $1.00 I wasnt gonna let him sit there and rot!!!

[livnxxxl]

i bet it was alot easier to find good vintage stuff before the mid 90's.

I would tend to think so as well. There are so many new collectors out there each and every day to. It is amazing that one can even find anything any more.

if you find anything mego it's a beat to heck naked chips doll or something.

I have found only but a few like those in the wild.

[livnxxxl]

It takes WORK to find good stuff

You summed it all up right there. That horrific four letter word. I cannot bare to say it. That word should be on the naughty word list here when posting. haha

I am sure that I may have missed out here and there some time or another by not getting up and getting out super early. It doesn't really bother me though as I feel as if I have done alright just by going to sales at normal times. The same holds true with the thrift stores. Earlier is not always better. Some people just think that it is. I have even found some good stuff around noonish. It just all depends on what one is looking for and how serious you are about finding something and how high your expectations are.

Have I found any carded teen Titans? Heck no! Then again it is impossible to be every where at the same time. Too many sales and not enough me to get around to all of them. That is why all of the various market place forums, eBay and Craig's list and other such entities were invented. I used to run the stores at all hours of the night back in the day looking for Hot Wheels. Since that time I have learned a valuable lesson. I have wised up and just let them come to me now. I still go to stores and look and buy when I find something good. I just don't sweat it any more.

My plan works and it works real well for me. So if it is not broke I am not even going to try and fix it. There is nothing out there that so rare that will never ever show up again as it pertains to collecting toys. The collectors, dealers and mfgrs. would like you to think that. That is what makes them money. Some people just have a fear of loss factor. I myself have gotten over that a long time ago. My philosophy is to let some one else go find it and have it for a while. I will buy it from one of them sooner or later. After all that is how they got it by buying it from someone else.

I collect for fun and not for profit so I guess that makes me a bit different as opposed to the dealers, scalpers and what have you out there trying to earn a buck to pay their rent. To each their own.

[goldenryan]

i bet it was alot easier to find good vintage stuff before the mid 90's. i mean how many people say check out these carded teen titans i found at the flea market for $10. if you find anything mego it's a beat to heck naked chips doll or something.

[megoat]

I guess this proves my point. I think a lot of folks get discouraged because they hit one thrift store every week or hit a few yard sales at 9 in the morning (way too late) and they don't find anything. It's competitive out there. Anything good that is tagged cheap is not going to sit there very long. It takes WORK to find good stuff along with good ol' intuition and know-how. I've been able to find stuff everywhere I've lived, although some parts of the country are better than others.....The key is that it takes a LOT of patience and hard work.....and a little luck

[livnxxxl]

It seems the same such people hit yard sales too. I've talked with many people who have yard sales and they say that their ad says they will open on Sat at such and such time but have many people who show up the day before, knocking on their door that Fri. evening.

I have heard of the same stuff happening around here as well. A lot of sellers are starting to get sick of other people showing up earlier and earlier. Some have started posting "no early birds" in their ads and on their signs. The sellers know that most of those people like that are just trying to beat others out and get something for nothing at the same time.

[livnxxxl]

The flea markets around me have tons of older toys, problem is, you have to get there at 4AM to get the stuff.

That is waaaay to early for me to even think about buying anything unless I was guaranteed something really good to be there when I arrived. Other wise forget it. I am not going to get out of bed that early. I will let someone else buy it and sell it to me later when they need the dough.

[dawg99]

i haven't had any luck at thrift stores but on craig's list i found this guy selling gi joe stuff. so i contacted him and got a rubbermaid tool box full of vintage gi joe cobra figures 240 to be exact perfect shape for super cheap.. he stil has tons of great stuff to get.. i wish i could find some mego figures like this though

[Marvelmania]

It seems the same such people hit yard sales too. I've talked with many people who have yard sales and they say that their ad says they will open on Sat at such and such time but have many people who show up the day before, knocking on their door that Fri. evening.

[kryptosmaster]

The flea markets around me have tons of older toys, problem is, you have to get there at 4AM to get the stuff. There are so many toy dealers at these places, if you get there after 6-7AM, you would think there are no vintage toys at all, or they are all overpriced. We call them "the flashlight brigade" and I admit, I was once one of them. All the vintage stuff is snapped up before the sun rises. Maybe your markets have the same type of group. Ever try going during setup in the wee hours?

Exactly my point. These are the people that make going to flea markets no fun. I have heard about the flashlight people. I'll tell you one thing, if I was a seller and trying to set up my table and there was some idiot digging through my stuff like that I'd tell him to get lost and come back when I'm ready. Geez, give someone else a chance you greedy pig. Probably same people who ask the seller to end the auction early on ebay. LOL
Rich

[BendyZaius]

The flea markets around me have tons of older toys, problem is, you have to get there at 4AM to get the stuff. There are so many toy dealers at these places, if you get there after 6-7AM, you would think there are no vintage toys at all, or they are all overpriced. We call them "the flashlight brigade" and I admit, I was once one of them. All the vintage stuff is snapped up before the sun rises. Maybe your markets have the same type of group. Ever try going during setup in the wee hours?

[Gorn Captain]

True story.
Eight years ago, my Mom found a mint ST Romulan for $1.
She thought it was "some sort of knight".
I freaked out when I got it!

I just wanted to share that with you guys....

[Gorn Captain]

Even at flea markets, dealers know the value.
Often, they are also quite insane.

Last month, one had a vintage GI Joe, naked, and with his lower legs and hands missing.
He wanted $30.
He also said that "hands and legs could easily be located on the internet".

I told him this item was priceless.
And I meant it: price...less.....

[kryptosmaster]

i want to move to where you live. 95% of the flea's around here have closed in the last 4 years, auctions around here are always farm equipment and yard sales are just plain crap. Thank god for eBay or I'd have to find a new hobby.

There's a "flea market" not even 2 miles from me but it's all "Made in China" crap. Lucky if you find one person in there selling anything used.
There's a big outdoor flea market in Phoenix but it's too far to bother with plus they charge admission and 85% of it is Chinese crap or Mexican CDs. Not only that but it's not even 1/2 the size of it's glory days back in the early 80's. I've gone twice in 10 years and I think the only thing I bought was a spare key for my car.
Very disappointing.
Haven't done the yard sale thing in years. Not the early bird type and everything good is gone if you wait. Plus you have to fight the snowbirds off. You'd think they couldn't live without more crap in their vacation home.

Rich

[D!n0-M@n]

This past Sunday I found a near mint LJN SWAT Hondo for $5! I found it at a HUGE fleamarket that's held at a drive-in over in Willimantic, CT. They also had a pretty good Action Jackson w/beard, but seeing I already own a few of him I let it pass. I hadn't brought much money with me and wanted to keep a few bucks on me in case I found something else too. Unfortunately I didn't find anything else..... so far!
I'll be back before they close it up for the season. Fingers crossed I'll come across something else really cool like Hondo again.