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.