Toy collectors have never had it so good. Not only is the hobby booming, but options for feeding the plastic need are greater than ever. There are brick-and-mortar stores when we feel like hunting, online shopping when we want something specific, and trading forums when we feel like making a deal. That said, I’ve found some of the most interesting toys in my collection came when I wandered off the beaten path.
Americans call them flea markets, Europeans call ’em boot sales: in Japanese it’s ” フリーマーケット ” but however you identify ’em, they can be a terrific place to score toys. Now, I’m not claiming you’re going to find the latest series of Marvel Legends or NECA figures there. Sure, it can happen, but remember, this is where people go when they’re desperate or just looking to unload their old junk. Nine times out of ten, I find more… uncommon items. Cue the funny pictures!
I have no idea who this little guy is, but I knew I had to have him. Before designer vinyl, before Kickstarter Star-Barbarians and the like, you found stuff like this in vending machines for a quarter. Fun, simple, and still a little shocking, this crudely sculpted hunk of plastic is the essence of “cool toy” in my eyes. I don’t need to know what line he’s from, I don’t need to collect the whole set; this one crimson-eyed bovine cyclops is all I need.
The original Hunger Force! The Food Fighters came and went at retail, but nostalgia for the line lives on. I was focused on comics when these guys first came out, so I was happy to pay a buck a piece for ’em. Not only do they represent the perfect meal, but they’re cheaper than actual fast food.
Just going to a flea doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to find anything good. You’re in competition with other collectors, as well as people looking to make a quick buck, so stumbling across something fun as well as vintage is a crapshoot. That said, if you hit it early and often, there is good stuff to be found. For example, these Star Trek aliens originally came in the Mego playset MISSION TO GAMMA IV. A third the size of the standard Mego figures, these oddball aliens are usually missing from surviving sets, so for $3 this was a nice score.
Patriotic items are evergreens of the flea, and the sharp-eyed shopper can often make a presidential score. Take George Washington here. I never expected to own an action figure of him, but for a single note bearing his face I could not refuse the father of our country. Here he poses with his century’s version of a Glock. In keeping with the commander-in-chief theme, the flea also provided me with these three mini-presidents. Who knew Roosevelt wore a cape? That’s a vote-getter in my eyes.
Star Wars was 1977’s big box-office success, but it wasn’t until 1978 that Kenner managed to get Star Wars toys onto store shelves. Smaller toy companies moved in to fill the vacuum, creating unlicensed product that was just different enough not to be actionable in court. The Darth Vader clone below came packed with candy, as well as two lightsaber-like plastic swords that have long since broken off. In spite of his less-than-canon position among actual Star Wars figures, I remember working this guy into play scenarios as a kid. Hey, a toy is a toy.
The Stormtrooper knock-off came along a few years later. Lest the unsavvy consumer not realize the tenuous connection between licensed and unlicensed property, this figure also came with a colored plastic stick to serve as a “laser sword.” Never mind the fact that Stormtroopers don’t use light-sabers; the toy’s nameless manufacturer certainly did.
I found this Mego Pocket Heroes Spider-Man melting in the afternoon sun. I know, I probably should have left him there, but I’ll usually pay a buck or two to “rescue” something if it moves me. And that’s not just for action figures; Marvel licensed a lot of product over the years, and countless products bear their likenesses. From game pieces to pencil toppers, the superhero genre enjoys a ubiquity that provides a wide variety of collecting opportunities.
These plastic figures started off as licensed Marvel figurines, but when the license lapsed, the molds were retooled to make them less “actionable.” Still, if you squint you can still see Hulk, Thor, and Doctor Doom in there. Goofy? Yeah, a bit, but in cases like this you have to appreciate something for what it is, not what it isn’t.
Sometimes items that are not exactly toys still manage to connect with me. Case in point: one Mister Humpty-Dumpty. Now, I don’t collect Christmas ornaments or egg-based cautionary-tale memorabilia, but I was powerless when thew two concepts were combined. Humpty is so happy with his new home that he’s promised to kill me last! Goo goo ga-joob!
Living in an urban center for five years made me more than familiar with the city’s many “night gardeners.” Every weekend they’d appear, one-handed silhouettes leaning against the alleyway wall, responding to nature’s call in the only way they understood. This small plastic statue celebrates all the wonder and majesty without the eye-watering stench.
You know, people used to find this sort of thing was cute — that’s a sobering thought. These were given to crying children to make them feel better. What’s the matter, Timmy? Fell off your bicycle and skinned your knee? Here, this inbred Hell-cherub should take your pain away — because it feeds on it.
This isn’t my first time at the rodeo, folks. Check out my original, no-holds-barred look at the phenomena that is Flea here. Thanks for reading! Discuss this article on the Fwoosh forums.
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