Antiques & Collectibles Antique & Collectible Toys

Most of us have had a childhood toy that we held near and dear, like Charlie Brown's Linus held his blanket. These items nowadays have the ability to open the floodgates to childhood memories and moments long since past.

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It may seem silly to some to see a grown man having converted an entire basement into a miniature train set complete with trees and streams, but this hobby can be much more than mere escape.

Surprisingly enough, a train set may provide some lucrative returns down the road because of the very memories it evokes. A pre-World War II Mickey Mouse circus set recently auctioned in excess of US$1,400.

Toys are usually bought for one of two reasons. The first is to provide something for your children to play with. The latter is to preserve and collect an item that is produced for a limited time.

Nostalgia is a key element in the collection of toys. Individuals are willing to pay top dollar for the last item needed to fill their collection, or that certain something which helped defined their formative years. The first Batman comic book, for example, has an asking price of approximately US$10,000.

The thing to look at if you are interested in investing in toys is the condition of the product you are buying. Children are notoriously hard on their toys and thus particular toys in good condition will become increasingly scarce as time goes by.

Toys in mint condition, such as those still sealed in the box, are the most valuable. The more wear and tear your collection has, the less valuable it becomes.

Storage in a dust-free environment is highly recommended if at all possible. If you have to handle your toys, to clean or display them, cotton gloves should be used. This insures that any dirt or oil from your hand will not tarnish your toys.

Those toys that have wide spread recognition tend to be a safer bet then those that were only popular for a limited time. Fads and shortages that may make certain toys appealing for short periods may not have the same effect in the long term.

Tickle Me Elmo dolls that were selling in excess of a thousand dollars right before Christmas no longer carry anywhere near the same selling price. In cases like these, the best way to make money may be to invest in the companies that manufacture these toys, rather than the toys themselves!

There are numerous web sites now set up to check the current auction price of a wide variety of toys. The Internet has become a valuable tool connecting buyers and sellers in this developing market. Use it to your advantage, and you may be surprised by what you can find.

By Lorna Fadden

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Antique & Collectible Toys

Most of us have had a childhood toy that we held near and dear, like Charlie Brown's Linus held his blanket. These items nowadays have the ability to open the floodgates to childhood memories and moments long since past.