My Personal Guide to Toy Collecting

If you tell most people that your hobbies include toy collecting, they will probably just laugh and say how immature it is. What they don't realize is the amount of money that can be made with toy collecting.

I have always had toys through out my life, which I'm sure every person has had at one point in theirs. I guess you can say I'm somewhat of a geek though. Not that theres anything wrong with being a geek. I always thought it would be cool to have a toy collection someday. You have to have money to start, because it can be an expensive addiction, I mean hobby (laughs). I started my collection about 4 years ago. I have an estimate of about 400 different toy items. I collect Star Wars figurines and Transformers. For me it has more of a sentimental value if anything. Some people make toy collecting into a business and are successful. So, it's up to you to decide what you want to do with your toy collection.
The goal of my guide is to give you some tips on starting your own toy collection. From what to look for and where to look for it. I will also teach you some "collecting lingo" that collectors use. Most importantly how you want to preserve your collection, display or stored away?

All the information I am giving you is from my own personal experience in toy collecting.

What To Look For And Where To Look For It

In this section of my guide I'm going to cover both areas, because they both crossover at some point. For any collector out there, seller or not, getting those "rare" toys is very important. How do you know if a toy is rare or not? As I mentioned before, I'm sure all of you out there has had toys at some point in your life. You can go on your own personal treasure hunt in you own home. Rummage through the basement, attic, closets, and where ever you think those old toys could be hiding. Flee markets and yard sales can sometimes also be jackpots.

I know once you find that ancient toy you think to yourself right away, "I wounder how much this is worth?" Looks can be deceiving. That 20-year-old toy you found lying in the basement could only be worth a couple bucks. There are several resources you can look to to find out the value of a toy. Books can be a good source if they are up-to-date. Some of them cover several areas and others cover only specific toys. Collector shops and comic book stores can be a good place to find rare toys and to find out the value of a toy. If you're looking to find out a price, purchase, or trade with a merchant trust is a key issue. Some people are just out there to make a buck, so look out. If you can afford it, toy expos are a great place to find specific toys. There they have a lot of vendors, and sometimes exclusive that you can only get there. My personal favorite resource, and I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me on this, is the internet. There are tons of websites you can go to about toy collecting. You can look on message boards and forums to see what all the hot toys are. If your into chatting, there are collecting chat rooms out there, and you can swap information with other collectors. Ebay is a great source if your wondering what a toy is selling for.

I bet when you go to your local Walmart or Target and go down the toy isle you don't think that toy sitting there might be worth more than the ticketed price. Just because a toy isn't old doesn't mean it isn't worth anything. When toys are released in the store there are always those "hard to find" ones. Those are the ones you want, but usually are gone right away. If your lucky sometimes you can find them on sale or on clearance selves. It also helps if you know someone that works in the toy department at a store. Then they can let you know when a specific toy line is coming in or they can hold something aside for you.

Another thing to look for in a toy is errors. Sometimes a toy with errors is worth more than it's correct counterpart. Manufacturers make printing errors on packaging or paint errors on figurines. These type of toys are sought after.

Know The Lingo

Have you ever heard the acronyms MIB or MISB, and wondered what the heck they are talking about? When I first started collecting I ran into some of them and wondered what they meant. So now I'll share that knowledge with you.

MIB (Mint In Box) - The packaging is opened, but everything inside is there and in mint condition.

MISB (Mint In Sealed Box) - The package is 100% sealed. Taped or glued, and not opened whatsoever.

NIB (New In Box) - Same as MISB.

NIP (New In Package) - Same as MISB.

HTF (Hard To Find) - The item is difficult to find.

Those are just a couple acronyms people use, but I'm sure you will get use to it after awhile. You might also see something like c9 after an items description. That is just the condition grading. C9 is the highest before mint condition. If a toy doesn't come with any packaging it is considered "loose."

What To Do With Them

After you have accumulated a substantial amount of toys you wonder what to do with them. You could either display, store, or sell them. It's totally up to you. If you want to display them you could put them on bookshelves or you could buy display cases. Display cases usually cost a pretty penny. If you do display them make sure you dust them off occasionally. If you have children or pets put them up higher so they won't get damaged.

I personally store all my toys. I have a couple loose displayed, but thats it. Heres some tips on how you should store your toys to keep them from getting damaged. Put them in a box or tote. I personally prefer the totes, because I know they're sealed and nothing is getting in. I've heard speculation that it locks-in moisture and vise verse, but it's up to you. Plus totes are easier to stack, because boxes can be easily crushed. Keep your toys out of direct sunlight. The UV rays will cause yellowing on anything clear or white/light colors. I know it's difficult, but resist from touching your toys a lot. Dirt and oils on your skin can cause yellowing also. If your really serious about the decay of your toys you could get acid free paper to wrap them in, but it's pricey. Try to keep your toys in a "somewhat" controlled climate. You don't want things melting or moisture build-up.

If you decide to sell your toys make sure your honest. Like I mentioned before check prices, and eBay is an excellent outlet to do all your research, buying, and selling.

I hope my guide helped a little to get you started in the wonderful world of toy collecting.

Happy hunting!