Wheeljack’s Lab Vintage Toy Blog

Selling a collection can be quite complicated and a long process. Other times, it can actually be quite simple and concise. Where you start and how you go through the process of selling makes a big difference. Follow along in our blog with us today to see where to start with selling your parent’s vintage toy collection.

Toys from the 1980s are highly valuable today. There are different things to look at when asking what the most valuable vintage toys are from the 1980s. Throughout our blog today we will mention three different categories. These include the type of toy, the toy’s franchise, and individual toys. Join us in our blog to see what the most valuable vintage toys are from the 1980s.

Your father spent years collecting his favorite He-Man MOTU figures, Star Wars toys, LEGO sets, and many other toys that he enjoyed. Now, you look at his collection and wonder if there is truly any monetary value to it or if it is only sentimental. While not every toy is valuable, many are. Follow along in our blog to see if your father's toy collection is valuable.

While an estate sale happens inside your home as you work with professionals to sell a large collection or everything you own, a toy buyer is someone who specializes in toys and evauates your collection to see its value. Which is better for vintage toys? Stick around in our blog with us to find out!

There are many ways to inherit a toy collection. The difficult decisions come when you inherit it and you wonder what you should do with it. Follow along in our blog with us to see steps that follow what you should do when you inherit a toy collection.

With keeping a collection, there are certain decisions that need to be made along the way. Why collectors make the decisions they do is rooted in deep motivations, background, nostalgia, and changing life circumstances. Because of these, there are two types of collectors- there are the collectors who never sell their collections and there are the collectors who eventually part with their cherished items. Join us throughout our blog today as we describe the “why” behind selling and not selling a collection.

A prototype in the toy world is a pre-mass-production sample or model of a toy that is created during the design phase. Prototypes are made and used by the toy companies to test the structure, safety, aesthetics, and mechanics of a toy before the final manufacturing run. These are often very rare and high in demand by toy collectors. Are you a toy collector? Follow along in our blog to see what you should know about prototype toys.

UV (ultraviolet) light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that gets transmitted in wavelengths or in particles that move at different wavelengths and frequencies. These wavelengths of ultraviolet light cause great damage to toys. It harms the packaging by breaking down materials and ruining both the appearance and quality of vintage toys. Join us throughout our blog today to see how UV light impacts vintage toy packaging and how you can prevent the damage from occurring.

Toy collecting has been around for decades, and even centuries.  What starts out as a one time purchase for many grows into a fun hobby and then a bigger investment when collectors become more serious. Do you want to know what serious toy collectors watch for in the toy market? Join us in this blog to see the different things collectors search for and watch.

There have been so many toys to release over the years that have brought joy to children all over the world. While some of these today are rare, others are actually not as rare as it appears to be. Does a toy being vintage make it rare? What truly makes a toy “rare”? Stick around in our blog to find out!

People begin collecting for many different reasons. People all around the world, of all ages and through all generations, find that growing their collection expresses a large part of their personality and interests. Different collectors, however, choose to collect with different core motivations.  Throughout this blog, we will dive into display collectors and investment collectors. Follow along with us to see which kind of collector you are.

What is the "Joy of the Hunt" and why does finding a missing piece matter? Follow along in our blog with us to see the reward of locating a missing piece and the weight it holds within a collection.

An international variant is a foreign release of a toy that features slight modifications than the toy’s release in its country of origin. Regional exclusives are similar but have differences that set them apart from international variants. These are specific figures or entire toy lines sold only in select regions for various reasons. Follow along in our blog with us to see the differences explained between regional exclusives and international variants. 

Vintage toys show damage and wear much easier than newer toys. However, properly and regularly cleaning your vintage toys will help tremendously in keeping their value and condition up. Follow along in our blog with us to see how to clean vintage toys safely without hurting their value. 

In some areas, the toy market is booming! In other areas, the toy market is cooling off. There are many reasons for this including the oversaturation of toy lines or the growth in popularity of previously forgotten toy lines. Follow along in our blog with us to see why some toys are cooling off and others are heating up.

The two terms “collector” and “accumulator” are thrown around a lot within the same context. Yet, these two words are actually very distinct from each other. Follow along in our blog with us as we mention the difference between a Collector and an Accumulator. See the main difference between the intention of each along with the many other differences.

Production runs, how many toys were produced for a toy line and the strategy used, plays a big factor into the long-term value of toys. Follow along in our blog as we mention short runs, long runs, and artificial scarcity along with collector demand, brand prestige, and what really determines long-term value.

Since toy grading became standardized by grading companies rather than the collectors themselves, many people have benefited. However, toy grading is not a good fit for every single vintage toy. Follow along in our blog to see the pros and cons and if you should grade your toys.

With pop culture reboots coming out, vintage toys are changing in prices. Follow along in our blog to see the impact of pop culture reboots and how they drastically change the prices of loved vintage toys.

Though hobbyists and collectors have a lot of similar difining characteristics, a hobby and a collection themselves are actually different. Yet, often, a hobby does connect to a collection and turn into one over time. Follow along in our blog with us to see the defining factors between the two and how they connect.

Sometimes toys and collectibles undergo factory errors and misprints which get released and eventually land in collectors hands. Are these toys flaws or actually hidden gems? Follow along in our blog as we dive into how these toys are seen by collectors and the secret value they may hold.

Follow along in our blog with us as we dive into the best storage for your cherished toy collection. Join us as we mention climate control and what really matters with toy storage.

Toys from the 1980s are highly collectible today and give so many people nostalgia as they desire to add them to their collections. Are these vintage toys still climbing in value? Follow along in our blog to see if the toys from your childhood are still rising in value

Millions of people all around the world collect toys. Why is this? What is the appeal? Follow along in our blog with us to see the psychology behind vintage toy nostalgia and why people collect vintage toys