SEQUIM — Sequim toy collector Corey Edwards says he typically hears two reactions at toy shows: “Wow, I used to have that!” and “Wow, I didn’t know they made that!”
He’s anticipating hearing a lot of those exclamations this coming weekend at the inaugural Olympic Peninsula Toy and Collectibles Show.
The show is free to attend, with 18 vendors at 35 tables available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the Guy Cole Event Center at Carrie Blake Community Park, 144 N. Blake Ave.
Edwards said some vendors are people he’s met through toy shows along the Interstate 5 corridor through his years of collecting, and there was so much interest in his Sequim show that he had to turn some vendors away.
For the show, Edwards said he was inspired by the success of the Sequim Record Show in June, also held in the Guy Cole Event Center.
“I attended it and had a great time,” Edwards said. “I thought, ‘We just had this cool record show, couldn’t we have a toy show here?’”
So Edwards, a Japanese vinyl and diecast robot and monster toy collector, began organizing the event a day or two later.
“Let’s give it a shot and see if it’s viable,” he said. “It’d be nice to not have to drive that far (for a toy show).”
What visitors can expect to see is up to each vendor.
“The main thing I encouraged was that I wanted more vintage, funky items,” Edwards said. “I think it’ll be a real spread of 1950s toys to more modern, rarer toys.
“I don’t want it to look like the Walmart aisle of yesterday,” he said.
Edwards said there’s a wide scope of toys to be at the show, and there’s likely some things to be found that weren’t advertised.
Some of the many types and brands of toys include vintage television, cartoon and advertising games and toys; comic books; Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars; models; playsets; trains; Funko; Lego; import toys; vinyl kaiju and diecast robot toys; Barbie; G.I. Joe; Lego; Masters of the Universe; Pokemon; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Star Trek; Star Wars and others.
Edwards said one vendor is a big Pokemon dealer, and there will be plenty of toys for all tastes and genders, such as Funko Pops.
Children are encouraged to come, but he said toy shows tend to lean more to adult collectors.
“If we have a good turnout, I’d love to make this an annual thing,” Edwards said.
For more information, visit peninsulatoyshow.com or facebook.com/groups/peninsulatoyshow.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
