NORFOLK, Neb. -- Over the years, Toy Scout has developed a unique passion for collecting vintage toys from across the nation. They take pride in being a creative and personable business, often featured on local news stations nationwide.

When it comes to restoring, cleaning, or reassembling old memorabilia, Toy Scout Road Manager Jeff Schrefer said, that is his job. The range of items people bring in can include Star Wars figures, G.I. Joes, Transformers, advertising memorabilia, comic books, baseball cards, coins, and gold jewelry.

Their goal is to buy vintage items from the 1980s or older. With a wealth of data and experts in their warehouse, they can accurately score each item and offer customers a fair deal.

"It’s a four-day toy tour starting January 15th, but things started off a bit slow," Schrefer said. "I extended it to a fifth day (January 18th) in hopes of finding something good. The way this works is that customers come in with items like a comic book that has a big rip in it. But guess what? If that's the first appearance of, let's say, Wolverine, a mint condition copy might go for $3,000 to $4,000. Even with the rip, it could still be worth around $600."

When the last day seemed dull, a customer surprised Schrefer with unexpected reading material.

"We just purchased a comic book collection from the 1950s to the seventies with some very good stuff in it," Schrefer said. "So, it was quite a find for today."

In addition to the Antique Toy Roadshow, Joel Magee also manages the FXToys! eBay store where he sells a number of items including: 1960s board games, original 1970s band posters, GI Joe collectables, vintage barbies, and toy model cars. Toys range from $10 to $400 and can be shipped anywhere in the United States. Appraisals are determined based on the following criteria:

  • Does the toy fit into a collection
  • Does it possess a memorabilia aspect
  • Who manufactured the toy?

For those interested in toy collecting, Magee has a few recommendations. First, he suggests that every new toy collector have a clear direction and goal for purchasing toys. The items should be purchased with a purpose. Selecting a single toy line is a great place to start. Second, he strongly advises new collectors set aside a designated storage space for their collections. This could be a particular room in the house or an external personal storage unit. This prevents the home from becoming cluttered and disorganized while protecting valuables. Finally, he recommends setting a strict toy collecting budget so that the hobby can remain fun, rewarding, and stress-free.