ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – You might want to check those closets and basements for old toys that are not being used anymore; they may be worth money.
“I found my G.I. Joe lunchbox at a flea market in Sioux City, Iowa, one time and I didn’t even want to be there,” said Joel Magee, the Toy Scout. “But it took me back to my elementary school and all of those memories. It’s really like a Rolodex file of pictures of memories in your brain. And that’s what it’s about—bringing us to happier times.”
Magee scours the country for retro bits of fun, buying toys to restore and sell back to another collector. He’s set up shop in a conference room inside the Holiday Inn Express off Watson Road.
But for some, the room might as well be a time machine.
“Unloading some toys that have been in the basement for years and figured to make a few bucks from it,” Charles Rathmell said. “Grandkids are all teenagers now, so I figure I might as well unload it and let somebody else enjoy it.”
The toys, action figures, and electronic games have sat in boxes—not played with—for a long while.
Who knows? You might have something of value just collecting dust in a closet if you’re willing to part with some of your past.
“I had a ticket from a Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey fight,” said Steven Stocker. “I found it in my father’s Bible when he passed away, and it wasn’t doing anything. So, I figured I would have Mr. Magee look at it, and we had a deal.”
