With the success of Pawn Stars, American Pickers and Auction Kings, all top national cable shows, viewers are becoming more closely acquainted with the fine art of picking, pricing and perusing a full range of antiques, collectibles and other memorabilia. When the collecting bug ‘bites’, you’re always on the look-out for that unique piece you can’t live without.
Don’t you wish you could travel with ‘American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz and root through America’s trash to get to the treasure? What a rush when you see one of your own collectibles or antiques on TV as they talk it up and try to purchase it. The down side is that you only get as close as your TV.
Here’s where you can get ‘up close and personal’.
Just imagine strolling through the aisles with table after table of Die cast Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky model cars and trucks, antique and collectible tin trains, planes and wind-ups in their original boxes, fantastic plastic super hero and action figures like Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Barbie and all types of dolls and so many other categories you’ll never want to go home (Except to bring back a carload of treasures to proudly display.)
The Miami Antique Toy Show remains the last - and the only - purely antique toy, doll, and collectibles show in the southern United States.
Here’s an added bonus. The show’s producers Tom Graboski and Steve Fuller say that if anyone wants to bring an old toy to the show to get it appraised or to sell it, they or the dealers will gladly tell them what they have. It’s like a mini antiques road show for toys!
General admission to the Miami Antique Toy Show is Five dollars (Twelve and under gets in for half price and under five is free), and you can always contact Steve or Tom at 305 446 4488 or send an email to miamiantiquetoyshow@yahoo.comfor a promotional postcard/discount coupon or two.
The show opens right at 10 a.m. and continues past 3 p.m. Early 'Floor Rights' passes are available for twenty-five bucks, allowing diehard collectors access to the dealers' goods from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., before the show opens to the public.
Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a group of collectible toys to support his year's charity which is the 'Voices for Children' child advocacy group. See more at: http://voices4.org/
Located this year at the Holiday Inn® Miami International Airporthotel,1111 South Royal Poinciana Drivein Miami Springs on the 9th (top) floor, http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/miami-springs/miaia/hoteldetail
The January 29thMiami Antique Toy Show is scheduled on the weekend prior to the Super Bowl so no excuses!
Here’s a local link to the Discovery Channel’s, Auction Kings, broadcast Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. The series focuses on the rare, bizarre and intriguing items consigned to Atlanta's 'Gallery 63' auction house. Gallery owner Paul Brown and his staff keep the show moving, all-the-while featuring items like the pinball machine used on ABC's 'Happy Days' TV series and occasionally, antique toys.
Time will tell what the next toys might be with a never ending supply of always weird and usually wonderful stuff, even if they're not always officially 'toys.' Once you've tuned in, keep watching regularly - you may even recognize Miami Antique Toy Show producer Steve Fuller, the ‘toy guy’ they turn to as an expert from time to time.
The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. That price difference can be astounding if the toy you bought as a child was kept in its original box and maintained in pristine condition.
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