Well, more toys with lead are in the news. However, this time the state of California has filed a lawsuit against 20 companies as a result of the lead scare just to make sure it doesn't happen in the future, or so that's what the lawsuit states. To read more on that, check out the story on the Toy Shop Web site.

However, I'd like to share something with you sent in by Tom McNevin. He writes:

"I stumbled across your toy blog while looking up some issues related to lead.  While there is a lot of hysteria in pursuit of a risk-free society, it's nonetheless true that the more lead is studied, the worse it looks."

He then sent along the following link:
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/Lead-Industry-Public-Health.htm

It's an interesting piece and something I should keep in mind when foaming from the mouth about our ultra-safe society. Thanks Tom!

We at Toy Shop are working on a massive holiday gift guide column that will run on our Web site. And while it will encompass a massive amount of toys, we’re also going to include a lot of typical gift items and some not-so-typical stuff, such as goggles that help you find your golf balls in the rough.

But while Eric Resnick has been working his tail off in gathering product and writing descriptions, he has also been lamenting the fact that many toys these days involve batteries, need to be plugged in or are made specifically for MP3 and iPod players. He wants to know, “What happen to real toys?”

While I might add that batteries have been a big part of toys since the 1950s, I see his point. I was amazed at the number of technological toys at Toy Fair last winter.

So ask you collectors this – when you are shopping for others (namely kids), what type of toys do you buy? Are they the types of toys you grew up with, or do you bow down to the wishes of the technological whizzes known as today’s kids?

On a side not, be sure to check out Karen O’Brien’s blog to see updates from the National Farm Toy Show being held this weekend. She be blogging live from the event.     

I had the chance to hit the road this past weekend, and I headed to Minnesota to visit some friends. We also found some time to visit some antique shops along the Mississippi River.

While these shops didn’t have a lot of toys, some of the toys they did have on display were rather curious. There was a nice selection of cap pistols and some good Little Big Books, but what is the fascination with putting “limited-edition” die-cast produced within the last five years on the shelves with the antiques?

I realize dealers put stuff out there just to see if it will get any bites, but there are better places to give that a try than in antiques shops. These don’t fit in with the plastic trucks from the 1950s and the Tonkas resting on the bottom shelf.

And if you wonder why Barbie is decked out in pink, my theory is because it really stands out on a shelf. There was a small Barbie play set in one shop that “leapt” off of the shelf amongst the rusty animal traps and dollhouse dinnerware.

If was going to display toys in my booth in a shop, I’d probably group all of them together instead of sprinkling them throughout the display. I’ll bet there are a lot of toys missed because you can only see a portion of it underneath the Life magazines and old beer cans.

And show those lunch boxes (even if it’s one with Barney) at eye level with the front facing out. It’s the graphics that catch the eye, and you can see them with a side panel showing on the bottom shelf.   

It’s always nice when the toy hobby receives some good news when it seems all that anyone wants to report about is the latest recall. However the last few weeks, there have been some pretty big stories, and, yes, the mainstream public ware interested in these, too.

The first was the announcement that Smith House Toys is going to sell the robot collection of Robert Lesser early next year. Lesser’s collection has been features at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, among others, exposing his great collection to thousands of people. This could very well be a landmark sale, or at least one that is remembered in toy circles for some time. Anyone sen a Machine Man robot sell lately?

The other big news was the sale of two promotional dolls of Mickey and Minnie Mouse by Hake’s Americana & Collectibles for $151,500 and some change. This is reported as the highest selling price for a Disney-related toy. When something tops six figures, that’s big news – even on Disney’s level.

This just goes to show you that the vintage toy market is doing just fine if you have good stuff. Despite the economic challenges presented today, there are plenty of people with plenty of disposable income for items they enjoy, like toys.

On a secondary note, the International Model & Hobby Expo will be taking place soon. If you are planning to attend, please say hello to the staff of Toy Shop’s sister publication, Toy Cars & Models. They will be roaming the floors, checking out the latest vehicle toys, just like yourself.  

I received a letter the other day from Richard Geschwind, who has corressponded in the past regarding a toy display he organzies for a local library. In this display, he shows off some of his personal collection, while also providing information on toys in hopes of passing along the interest to a younger generation.

This time, he also suggested something to enhance the Toy Shop experience. Geschwind said in some of the other toy-related publications be used to read, they would feature a full-page photo of a toy, sort of like a pull-out poster in Sports Illustrated for Kids. Geschwind said he used these photos as backdrops for displays.

Would readers be interested in a full-page toy photo page, or even a two-page spread that could be pulled out of the magazine? I know we've had requests for our magazine covers, but I'm interested to know if readers would like a poster page, as well.

In other news, I'd like to mention that the December issue is currently taking shape. The featured theme is superheroes, but we'll also have a good portion of the magazine related to farm toys, as this will be the issue that rides down with Karen O'Brien to the National Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa. Word has it that Karen will also be bringing down the third edition of the Standard Catalog of Farm Toys. And that's good news for everyone.

I thought I'd take this Friday to discuss a few different topics. First off, Toy Shop columnist and toy collectibles book editor miracle worker Karen O'Brien now has her blog live - finally. Please check it out at www.toyshopmag.com/toyland. She discusses her work on Toy & Prices, etc., questions she receives from readers and what her dad has found at the latest show. Please welcome Karen to the online community.

I just got done working on the article that previews the upcoming Steckbeck mechanical bank auction to be hosted by Morphy Auctions in October. This is going to be one of those sales that will go down in toy lore, and I'm proud to be able to witness it. I'm curious, do other toy collectors enjoy watching what the premium collections sell for, or do they get turned off by the high prices and consider it to be an elitest's game?

Well, I think we're starting to exit the quiet before the storm. It seems new releases and toy news has been fairly slow of late, but I know the Christmas bonanza is about to start. I'm already receiving information on holiday releases, and I think we'll soon learn what the "hot" toys will be. Don't let the China manufacturing woes deter you - this will be another big year in toys.

Until next time, check out those last flea markets of the summer - people are really looking to unload stuff now, so you should be able to reel in some good deals.

I’ve been getting a lot of press releases lately for toys to include in our holiday gift guide coming up in the December issue. (I know, thinking about the holidays in July?) And while I’d prefer to keep thoughts of singing elves and 4-foot snow drifts at bay at least until the leaves fall off the trees, I can still make some observations on what I’ve seen.

Now granted, half of the releases I receive have little to no place in Toy Shop, as they are meant for children or have no collectible bent to them whatsoever. But I get junk mail at home, so what not at work, too?

But what I have noticed about a lot of the toys that will be on store shelves this fall is that they really aren’t toys at all. Everything has to be related to the latest gadgets on the technology market. If it doesn’t hook up to an iPod, MP3 player or a DVD player, it’s not new. I saw this at Toy Fair, and I honestly hoped some of these wouldn’t come to pass. I don’t think a 5-year-old needs to be pumping videos through a pillow while taking a nap.

I wonder what the future holds for toys of these types. I hardly feel they will be collectible, and I’d imagine very few will be operable even 10 years down the road. How knows, I could be wrong. In the meantime, I’ll keep my recycling bin handy.  


Iola Old Car Show
On the grounds of Toy Shop, the Midwest’s largest car show and swap meets takes place every July. Currently, it looks like a circus outside with all of the tents raised. (Will they survive the predicted storms?)

Nestled among all the cars are a wide variety of toys — including some great vehicle toys. Yes, car collectors are also toy car collectors, which means I should have some interesting things to report after the weekend.

Until then, enjoy summer — after all, the holidays are just a short time away!

From San Diego to Orlando to Boston, I’ve been to a fair number of toy shows — mostly centered in the Midwest. Some of these shows were quaint affairs held in community high schools. Others were more like a pop-culture mob with a few celebrities thrown in to add to the craziness.

I’ve been to shows that were more of an antiques show than anything resembling a toy show. And I’ve been to shows where I couldn’t possibly see everything and still fulfill my Toy Shop duties.

One of my favorite shows I’ve attended is the Toledo Toy Show. This wasn’t a huge affair, but it brought people from throughout the Midwest, and it was all older toys — no Tiffany lamps here. I met many collectors, along with some old acquaintances from shows past.

But one thing I remember from the show was speaking with the promoter and him telling me about all the changes I’ll see in this hobby, having been involved at a relatively young age. It’s a thought that has always stuck with me since, and I’ve tried to think about that idea at every show I’ve attended since.

I’ve seen a lot of amazing toys, but that show changed my perception a bit because it made me look at things differently. Now when I go to shows, I pay more attention to the types of people attending, what toys have come and gone and how people’s perception of the hobby has changed.

So this isn’t your typical show memory that stays with you for some time. It’s just my memory.

And I now I ask — what has been one of your favorite toy shows and why? Did you pick up the Holy Grail of your collection? Was it your first show that got you hooked? Perhaps it was the time you brought your son or daughter and showed them your childhood toys?      

As I type this, I'm putting to bed the August 2007 issue of Toy Shop. (Like the journalistic speak there?) There's a lot of great articles in the upcoming issue, but I'll allude to those in a future newsletter (did you sign up yet?) and on the Toy Shop Web site. One of the articles concentrates on Pirates of the Caribbean collectibles. And since it's Friday and I saw the movie last weekend (man, was that a crowded theater), let's discuss all things Pirates.

Everything was brought together in this last one, and perhaps it won't be the last one. I enjoyed the flick, though some of the scenes were almost laughable. The marriage proposal and Miss Swann rallying the troops made me chuckle. But then again, this is a Disney movie. But now I'm just waiting for collectibles of that darn monkey and the midget pirate. Actually, The Noble Collection has a letter opener featuring the monkey, but I'm sure more are on the way.

I also think someone will do prop replicas of all of the special pieces held by the pirates from around the world — something like the "eight pieces of nine?" These were hardly stately items, but they were important nonetheless. Perhaps a Keith Richards figure holding all of the pieces would do the trick.

And as much as I like the Black Pearl, I would sure like a replica of the Flying Dutchman. Zizzle does some pretty good ship reproductions, but these are not quite the high-end pieces I'm looking for. I think a 2-foot representation would look nice in my living room. And if anyone can make a bathroom toy to replication the swirling sea scene, I'm in.

Now, I'm off to see Shrek the Third, and I still have to see Spider-Man 3 before those other blockbusters come out. I'll have a toy wish list for those, too. And if you have any toy suggestions based on the summer movie lineup, add your comments below.