We get a lot of inquiries at Toy Shop requesting some help in either identifying or placing a value on a toy. If there are a few requests, it’s not so bad, but sometimes people want to know what half of their collection is worth.

I can’t stress enough that there are places novice toy collectors can look to seek out some of these answers on their own. It’s not that I don’t enjoy interacting with folks, but sometimes the greatest satisfaction can come with self-discovery,


The library is a great start when trying to look up toy history. Many of the books we use for reference can be found at libraries or bookstores. And if you hit on the right subject, there are often lists at the back of the book of collectors, dealers or other experts that can offer some more insights into the toys featured in the book.

One book that is very helpful in all fields of collecting is Maloney’s Antiques and Collectibles Reference Guide. This has contacts for hundreds of categories, with a lot of contacts in the toy arena.

I also encourage folks to check out the selections we have at F+W Publications, owners of Toy Shop. Log onto www.krausebooks.com and head to the toys section. The big three reference guides are Toys & Prices, O’Brien’s Collecting Toys and O’Brien’s Collecting Toy Cars & Trucks.

Among the inquiries are a fair number that come via e-mail. This, to me, means these folks also have Internet access. While not the end-all of information, the Internet does offer access to toy clubs and message boards people can use to find information as well – and quickly. So spend some time tooling around online.

And if nothing works, just know that we’re here to try and help. (But try to send a photo – that makes things a lot easier!)