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.  

The toy industry sure isn't helping itself with some of the news stories that have taken place lately. Aside from the lead paint issues with Chinese factories, it's now reported that toys will cost more next year due to added safety measures – in addition to the usual markup from year to year.

Right now, analysts expect a 10 percent jump in retail prices after the holiday season. This is more than twice the government's measure of consumer inflation of 4.7 percent during the first seven months of this year.

If this is all in the name of safety, you really can't argue with the price hikes. Should these measures to ensure low levels of lead been taken of well beforehand? Of course. But it is what it is, and now we'll all be paying more. If you want a good grasp about why this lead fiasco started in the first place, Merry Dudley, editor of our sister publication Toy Cars & Models, has written a great editorial in the upcoming November 2007 edition. I'll get her to post it online so I can provide a link because I think she raises some good points.

And the holiday are fast approaching. There are some really cool toys already making a push to throw Elmo off the top of the list this year. We'll have our annual Christmas preview online in the coming weeks. I'll let you know when it's live.

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.

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!)    

So did you hear about the news from El Segundo, Calif.? It seems Mattel has decided to recall a high number of toys because of fears of high lead paint levels on the toys thanks to a factory in China.  The investgation is continuing as to whether the act was done intentionally or not.

Mattel has profusely apologized and stressed that it will get to the bottom of the problem so that it doesn't happen again. Here is what I don't understand. Are these toys tested before they hit the market? Some of these toys were available in April. It's August. Is testing done on the toys after they appear on shelves? Is there no self-testing done at Mattel? Are the factories free to produce them how they want and make the manufacturers check their safety levels? I have so many questions.

I would also like to know how much a kid would have to suck on these toys before the "high" lead content actually had an adverse effect. A lot of toys used lead paint in the past (not to mention paint used in homes) — was there a jump in health problems then? I'm not saying eating lead paint is a good thing, and I feel for those who have been affected. However, if the levels are small enough that it would take eight weeks of sucking on a toy for two hours a day to notice anything different, I wonder why that isn't mentioned in the news stories so people don't start a mad dash to the overreaction clinic.

Will my opinion change when I have kids? Probably. But right now, I see a lot of these recalls as a way to stay ultra-safe in an at-times unsafe world.

The winds of change in publishing are always blowing, whether it's a magazine changing formats, changing its angle of coverage of changing personnel. We've seen plenty changes at Toy Shop over its 20-year run, and I have another announcement to make.

My duties within F+W Publications, which is the proud parent company of Toy Shop, have changed. While I will still have some role with this magazine, the major portions of my dutues will have nothing to do with toys, as I will be moving to another division within the company. This move wasn't something I actively sought, though I am not dreadng the change. What I am hesitant about is leaving behind (again, not completely) something I have worked on for the better part of my professional career. I have learned a lot about toys, and even more about people in this job. The toy community is filled with excellent people, and I hope I find the same thing in my new surroundings, though it will be hard to match.

While I’m not sure just how involved I will be with Toy Shop in the days, months or years ahead, trust thatI  will guide anyone who follows to make sure the magazine is in good hands. Thanks for helping me learn so much about a great hobby over the years!

I’ve attended a few toy auctions since I took the helm of Toy Shop several years ago. One such instance was at the National Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa. I was always impressed with the speed and efficiency in which auctions are run. Organizers know what they are doing, and, more importantly, bidders have done their research, know what toys they are going after and what their spending limits will be. It’s a finely tuned machine that results in a lot of toy collectors going home very happy.

This brings me to the latest poll question I posted on the Toy Shop Web site — “Have you ever attended a live toy action?” The choices were yes, no and only on eBay. The live auction was meant as one in which you attend in person, but I had to see who never leaves their house, even in their quest for toys.

Personally, knowing the types of readers we have at Toy Shop, I expected a lot of “yes” answers, but the final tally was the following:

Yes: 50%
No: 29%
Only on eBay: 21%

I’m still working the numbers in my mind. Is it because toy shows are down that only half of Toy Shop readers have attended an auction. I’m sure as little as three years ago, this number would have been higher. Is it because it was an online poll question, and many of these collectors do their buying and selling online?

And what about the 29% “No” answers — are auctions too intimidating to new collectors? I have a lot of theories, but few solid answers. That’s where you come in. Click on the “comments” link below and help fill in the blanks for me.  
 

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!

There is an interesting poll question on the Toy Shop Web site at the moment. The question is simple — “Have you ever attended an online toy auction?” The answers to choose form include yes, no and only on eBay.

Currently, the answers are fairly split. This leads me to a question I have been wondering for some time. I know the vast majority of subscribers to Toy Shop are die-hard toy fans who have attended a fair share of toy auctions in their many years of collecting. I also know that the majority of people using a computer are of a younger age and are more apt to bid online in you auctions.

eBay is bigger than ever these days, and even the old toy show stalwarts are looking to that medium to get their hands on toys. But are the Toy Shop subscribers who have been with the magazine since 1988 also going online to get their auction fix? I guess if I could add an addendum question to that poll, it would be “Do you only participate in auctions on eBay, or do you also attend live auctions?” Is there a clean split of people who have attended live auctions and those who participate online, or is there a crossing of traffic?

I’d guess with each passing day, more and more people are doing both. Some miss the personal interaction, while others feel things are more available online. I can see both ways.

And as for those who haven’t participated in a toy auction — give it a try. A successful bid is a very rewarding feeling.