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Toy shows aren't just kid stuff
OLIVIA FORTSON, Staff Writer
Charlotte Observer
More than 70 vendors from the East Coast will help hundreds
get in touch with their inner child during the 15th annual Toy and Sportscard Show this
weekend at the Hornets Training Center in Fort Mill, S.C.
They'll be selling toys of all kinds -- from antique pedal
cars to Hot Wheels, plus all kinds of sports cards and NASCAR collectibles.
Hot Wheels, Barbie dolls and sports cards are always popular,
but antique toys -- particularly farm toys such as miniature tractors -- are hot right
now, according to Ray Mozingo, the show's promoter.
"A lot of these toys date back to the early 1900s,"
he says.
Collectors will come from across the country to this show.
Mozingo has noticed a new trend: people who come to buy toys, which they turn around and
sell on eBay, the online auction house.
Others come to fill in their collections or to reminisce
about toys they had as a child.
"There's a lot of nostalgia in this business," says
Mozingo. "A lot of people come to see if they'll find a favorite toy or sports card
they had as a child."
The show also attracts people who have old toys they want to
sell. Mozingo says he's constantly amazed at what is brought in.
"I see people bring in toys that the average person
would think weren't worth anything and then it turns out it's worth thousands of dollars.
They may think they're going to get $20 and they get $2,000.
"That's happened with sports cards before. Maybe it's
something they collected as a child and it's been in the attic for years so they decided
to sell it. Your old Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio sports cards -- they're worth a lot of
money." [top] |
