Antique toy show

Last updated

An Antique toy show is one of several toy shows held throughout the United States (and around the world), usually on an annual basis, that is devoted to the exhibition, for sale, of antique toys, dolls and collectible paraphernalia. Toy shows are generally regional in nature, and cater to a certain geographic area of the country. The larger shows, such as the Miami Antique Toy Show [1] and the Chicago Toy Show [2] and the Greater Boston Antique and Collectible Toy Show [3] encompass a broader clientele.

Contents

Introduction

Dealers and collectors from across the country and around the world to attend these shows. The Miami Toy Show typically attracts guests from South America, Canada, and Europe, as well as drawing attention from the local market (for instance, South Florida). Other large toy shows, like those held annually in Chicago and in Glendale CA, [4] York PA [5] and Kalamazoo MI [6] also benefit from international, as well as local, exposure. The larger shows are usually held once each year, at about the same time each year. These shows tend to have been in existence for longer periods of time – usually for decades, and typically retain the same management over years. For example, Steve Fuller and Tom Graboski, the Miami show's producers, staged their first show in 1979. The Illinois and Pennsylvania shows, among others, have been in continuous operation even prior to that date; Dale Kelley has been producing the Chicago (St. Charles) show since 1971, and he does so twice each year.

Monthly magazines that are oriented towards antique toy collectors and dealers, including the conventionally published Antique Toy World [7] and the web-based all-digital 'magazine' Toy Collector Magazine, [8] typically feature calendars of upcoming antique toy show events, to guide and inform dealers and collectors alike. [9] Nevertheless, there remains a certain predictability of occurrence, so that the toy show community can reasonably expect the Miami Antique Toy Show to be produced during the first or second week in February, the Chicago (St. Charles) Toy Show in March/April (and again in September/October), the Toledo [10] show in late April, and the York show on the Thanksgiving weekend, for example.

The larger annual or bi-annual regional antique toy shows may prevail nowadays, but in the heyday of traditional toy collecting – before the internet auction sites became popular – smaller shows proliferated. For example, in the State of Florida, there might have been as many as half a dozen similar shows scheduled in any given thirty-day period. A typical monthly calendar in as recently as 1995 would find Florida shows devoted exclusively to the buying and selling of antique toys, dolls and collectibles being held in such geographically diverse locations (hundreds of miles apart) as West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Winter Park, Hialeah, Ocala and Ft. Lauderdale. Today, these shows are all but defunct, and the Miami show is probably the best opportunity to see and shop for exclusively antique toys in Florida, and possibly the Southeastern United States (huge annual regional shows, like ones held in Atlanta GA and Mars Hill NC, are sadly no longer being produced). Other 'flagship' shows like those in York, Glendale, Kalamazoo, Toledo, Chicago and Boston [11] can make the same claim for their own regions. The smaller but more frequent antique toy shows have not completely disappeared, however. Although in decline, comparatively speaking the frequency of these smaller toy shows held in the Northeastern US and in the Midwestern US is greater than elsewhere in the country, and the antique toy magazine event calendars bear this out nearly every month.

Antiques

The generally accepted common usage of the term Antique, when applied to toys, describes those toys that were manufactured or otherwise created at least twenty-five years ago. Often, a toy manufacturer will reissue a toy from time to time, but its mere reissuance will not prohibit the reissued toy from itself correctly being identified as antique (many Lionel [12] trains, for example, that were first issued in the 1950s have been reissued in the 1980s: each issue, as long as it is 25 years old, can fairly be termed 'antique'). Other areas of collecting, including those of furniture and automobiles, may have different criteria: the standard for furniture is generally that it must be at least 100 years old to qualify for tariff exemption (according to, for instance, the producers of the PBS television series 'Antiques Roadshow' [13] ), although there is considerable discussion and disagreement within the antique dealer profession; [14] the standard for automobiles is 25 years or older (Antique Automobile Club of America, rule adopted in 1975 [15] ).

Toys

The term Toy, when referring to the items displayed for sale at a toy show, includes not only those things for children to play with but also to objects that, while originally meant for children's use, remain items of pure collectible desirability. Many sellers and dealers of antique toys never intend to play with them at all. Rather, they may intend to acquire them for the purpose of informal or formal display. (A few toy collectors simply wish to amass as many toys as possible without regard to visually sharing them, however – these 'hoarders' are in the minority.) 'Toys' at these shows can, and usually do include, examples of dolls, trains, tin toys, die-cast vehicles, pressed steel toys, play sets, plastic kits, soldiers, 'character' items (based on popular cartoons, television shows, motion pictures, etc.) and other objects of childhood memorabilia.

Dolls

The definition of Doll is also broadly construed, but it also typically refers to items associated with childhood. A 'doll' is usually small, and is a representational object of a human being [16] (similar small objects that are instead representational of animals are known as miniatures). It has play value and so may be referred to as a toy (although it may never have been played with!), and can be a puppet or a marionette, or have no moving parts at all. But within the sphere of antique toys, dolls include not only the classic 'baby' variety but also the jointed (and heavily accessorized) soldiers first popular in the 1960s as well as the detailed 4" action figures modeled after the casts of television shows and movies, that became the collector rage in the mid-1970s. While local and regional collectors' groups may host a show devoted specifically to dolls, the larger antique toy shows, like those in Miami, Toledo and Kalamazoo, are dedicated to all manner of childhood memorabilia and actively seek to include doll collectors among their dealers.

Collectibles

On the other hand, Collectibles, as used in the toy show context, may or may not refer to purely childhood items. Antique political campaign buttons, greeting cards, post cards and license plates all accurately fall under the 'collectibles' umbrella, and none of them were ever designed or manufactured to be "things for children to play with." Dealers that offer collectibles often specialize in a particular area of interest, so it would not be uncommon for a toy show dealer to collect, and sell, items related to a particular manufacturer – of say, soft drinks – or to particular industry – petroleum products collectors specialize in petroliana – or even to a particular 'license holder' – those that collect Walt Disney character related (and other) items are involved in the area of Disneyana.

Shows

A Show, another term for 'meet' or 'event' (in several countries, 'fair') simply describes the forum for the exhibition of the toys, dolls and collectibles. A show may be held in the meeting rooms of a hotel (the Miami show does this, as does the Boston show, and the producers will typically choose a venue near the area's metropolitan/international airport for the convenience of dealers and guests alike), or in the large buildings at a fairground (the Chicago, York and Toledo shows are good examples), or at any other site that is simply large enough, and provides enough parking space, to meet the needs of the sellers and buyers. Within the given exhibition space, dealers will set up their toys, dolls and collectibles on tables that generally are 30" x 72" each, and are sometimes (as in Miami) 30" x 96" each. One dealer may only need a single table for his display, but the next dealer may need six or eight contiguous tables for the same purpose. The tables, including their set-up, are provided by the host facility. The facility charges the toy show promoter a fee for each table, and that fee is passed on to the dealer. The promoters and organizers work with the venue's management to arrive at an effective, efficient floor plan layout of the tables, for the comfort of all the dealers and attendees.

Shows open to the public for about six to eight hours per day. The Miami show is held on a Sunday only, but some shows have both Saturday and Sunday access. Once the show's gates are opened (times vary: ten o'clock in Miami, eight o'clock in Chicago and York, for example), dealers and collectors (after paying a modest admission fee, usually $7 or less) are free to negotiate arms length transactions to establish the fair market value of a given toy (a series of these transaction results may establish the 'reserve price' for a similar toy sold at a conventional auction, however), one toy at a time. Toy shows are otherwise unlike an auction, and other alternate ways to acquire antique toys, in nearly every respect. Chiefly, they are not at all like the mail-order or internet methods because at a Toy Show, a prospective buyer can hold and touch the object of their interest. The buyer can thoroughly examine the article, and discuss with the dealer in detail the condition, the provenance, and other important aspects of the purchase. A toy show offers the excitement of a live event, and provides the opportunity for dealers and collectors to experience and share their enthusiasm in their common interest. Of course, any antique toy show also offers the undeniable pleasure of buyers obtaining their prize purchases the moment the 'deal' is 'sealed' – something that is impossible to achieve through mail order and internet sales – to then immediately take home and enjoy.

Related Research Articles

Collecting Hobby of locating or acquiring items of interest

The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining items that are of interest to an individual collector. Collections differ in a wide variety of respects, most obviously in the nature and scope of the objects contained, but also in purpose, presentation, and so forth. The range of possible subjects for a collection is practically unlimited, and collectors have realised a vast number of these possibilities in practice, although some are much more popular than others.

Collectable Object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector

A collectable is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms to denote those types. An antique is a collectable that is old. A curio is a small, usually fascinating or unusual item sought by collectors. A manufactured collectable is an item made specifically for people to collect.

Doll Model, typocally of a humanoid character for use as a toy or an artistic hobby

A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children, especially little girls. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls go back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They have been made as crude, rudimentary playthings as well as elaborate art. Modern doll manufacturing has its roots in Germany, from the 15th century. With industrialization and new materials such as porcelain and plastic, dolls were increasingly mass-produced. During the 20th century, dolls became increasingly popular as collectibles.

Action figure Character toy figurine made commonly of plastic

An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually marketed toward boys and adult collectors. The term was coined by Hasbro in 1964 to market G.I. Joe to boys.

Antique Item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance

A true antique is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old, although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that is old. An antique is usually an item that is collected or desirable because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human history. Vintage and collectible are used to describe items that are old, but do not meet the 100-year criterion.

A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible action figure. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a spring or hook in such a way that a light tap will cause the head to move around, or "bobble", hence the name.

Toy soldier Miniature figurine that represents a soldier

A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights, cowboys, American Indians, pirates, samurai, and other subjects that involve combat-related themes. Toy soldiers vary from simple playthings to highly realistic and detailed models. The latter are of more recent development and are sometimes called model figures to distinguish them from traditional toy soldiers. Larger scale toys such as dolls and action figures may come in military uniforms, but they are not generally considered toy soldiers.

Dollhouse Miniature house, possibly for dolls that fit the house according to scale

A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy home made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North America commonly use the term dollhouse, but in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries the term is doll's house.

Dawn dolls are small fashion dolls that were made by Deluxe Reading between 1970 and 1973. They measure 6.5 inches in height and have painted eyes and lips. The girl dolls feature rooted hair and eyelashes. The boy dolls have molded hair.

Model horse

Model horses are scale replicas of real horses. They originated simultaneously – but independently – in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, followed later by Sweden (UK-influenced), Germany (US-influenced), and Australia. They encompass a wide variety of fanbase activities, from those who simply like to collect, to those who show their models at model horse shows. Unlike model cars or trains, model horse collectibles do not need to be assembled from kits, although they can be altered to the collector's liking.

Boyds Bears is a line of manufactured collectable resin and stuffed teddy bears produced from the early 1980s until 2014. Boyds was acquired in 2008 by Enesco, who announced in 2014 that the company had "made the difficult strategic decision to place Boyds into hibernation".

Antique Trader is an American biweekly magazine about antiques and collectibles. Published in Stevens Point, Wis., the publication covers in-depth articles on antique and collecting trends, informative features, antique show and auction previews and highlights, decor and market trends. Columnists write about the business of antiques, postcards, dolls and toys, furniture, fine art, and bottle collecting. It features articles on antiques-related businesses such as shops, auction houses and corollary services, as well as content from F+W Media's antiques and collectible reference book line.

Ruby Lane is considered one of the biggest vintage online retail stores.

Sonny & Cher dolls

The Sonny & Cher dolls were a collection of 12-¼ inch high celebrity doll likenesses of pop rock duo Sonny & Cher. The line was released by Mego Corporation in 1976. The release of these fashion dolls coincided with the popularity of The Sonny & Cher Show prime time variety TV show.

Albert Marque was a French sculptor and doll maker of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Knife collecting

Knife collecting is a hobby which includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining knives. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating an assortment of different knives. Others focus on a specialized area of interest, perhaps bayonets, knives from a particular factory, Bowie knives, pocketknives, or handmade custom knives.

Warwick Henderson, is a New Zealand gallerist, art collector, art fair pioneer and author of "Behind the Canvas – An Insider's Guide to the New Zealand Art Market" and "The Fascinating History of Toys and Games around The World".

John A. Daniel (c.1931-2011) was magician and a collector and dealer of magician memorabilia, Baranger Motion machines, vintage electric trains, toys, antique carousels and other collectibles.

Train Collectors Association

The Train Collectors Association (TCA) is an international non-profit organization of people who operate and collect toy trains, toy train accessories, toy train books, toy train paper, and anything else rail transport related. TCA was founded in October 1954 in Yardley, Pennsylvania and is currently headquartered in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. The National Toy Train Museum affiliated with TCA is included in the "List of museums in Pennsylvania".

Integrity Toys is a toy company that designs and markets fashion and celebrity dolls and related accessories, with a focus on high-end fashion dolls. Integrity Toys was founded in 1995 by Percy Newsum. Integrity Toys is a privately held company located at 100 Chestnut Springs Road in Chesapeake City, Maryland.

References

  1. ↑ "Miami Antique Toy Show". Miami Antique Toy Show. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  2. ↑ "Chicago Toy Show Home". Chicagotoyshow.com. 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  3. ↑ "Boston Antique & Collectible Toy Show". Bostontoyshow.com. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  4. ↑ Jeff Dukow. "The All American Collector's Show". Allamericancal.com. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  5. ↑ [ dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Cast Iron, Elephant Pull Toys, Buddy L Trucks, Tin Toys, Disney, Die Cast, Star Trek, and Star Wars toys and collectibles". Circusmaximustoyshow.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  7. ↑ Kelley, Dale (Ed.), Antique Toy World. Chicago: Lightner Publishing Corp., 2010.
  8. ↑ "#1 →Propecia 5 mg cvs >>>> United Pharmacy, No prescription required. THE BEST PRICE!". Toycollectormagazine.com. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  9. ↑ Mr. Dana Johnson. "Magazines, Diecast and Related Toys and Models". Toynutz.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  10. ↑ "OldToylandShows-OfficialSite". Oldtoylandshows.com. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  11. ↑ "Boston Antique & Collectible Toy Show". Bostontoyshow.com. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  12. ↑ "Lionel Trains: Model Trains and Toy Train Sets for Lionel Collectors & Hobbyists". Lionel.com. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  13. ↑ "Glossary | Antiques Roadshow". PBS. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  14. ↑ Taylor, Fred (2004-08-19). "Collectibles-General (Antiques): Furniture, new england antiques, new england antiques journal". En.allexperts.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  15. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120420000252/http://www.aaca.org/about/default.aspx. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ "Doll – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Merriam-webster.com. 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.