Show Me Your Junk: Hunting in the wild for that perfect piece of nostalgia

It’s Christmas morning and you’re running to the tree to find out if you got that one gift that you’ve been longing for all year. You can feel your heart beating out of your chest. You’re sweating and have tunnel vision and wide eyes, looking for any sign of that toy among the other items. I get this rush every time I search to find a rare game, toy or action figure in the wild, and it fuels the fire in me to do it over and over again.  

For those not familiar, finding a toy in the wild means finding it at a yard sale, flea market, thrift store or somewhere similar and not paying collectible prices. My passion for collecting started after I found my old Power Ranger toys in the attic of my childhood home. Holding the toys in my hand immediately brought me back to the time where I was playing with them as a kid and the joy they brought me as a child.   

There have been many times where I’ve found extremely rare collectibles, but one really sticks out in my mind. During a casual search in a local thrift store, I found an item that was on my radar for more than two years and something I always wanted as a kid. Fellow hunters thought I was crazy for even attempting to find something so rare, especially outside of a collector’s shop. It was Fireball Island, a table-top sized board game from the ’80s. It takes players on a journey through the pitfalls and perils of an island with the end goal of safely getting jewels to an escape boat. To own this Milton Bradley game today, you would have to pay upward of about $250, which is steep for a game that cost $13.99 in 1986!

I’ll never forget how I spotted it. I was making my usual rounds through each aisle with no expectations or searching for anything in particular. I noticed a large, familiar box sticking out from the top of the game section and thought to myself, “No way…” I started to sweat and my heartbeat elevated as I walked closer. I knew exactly what the box was and immediately ran over in excitement. There it was and for the amazing price of $7.99. I couldn’t believe it.

Rushes like this only enhance my experience. It’s not a job for me; it’s a hunger that’s never satisfied. This appetite has led me to other unbelievable finds like Jurassic Park T-Rex collectable figures that currently sell for between $100 and $200, but on sale for only $2 to $4 each. I’ve also found some original Nintendo retail store displays, including a 4-foot-tall Mario statue from an ’80s arcade, which are priceless. One of my best scores was a binder full of first edition Pokémon cards that I bought at a Salvation Army for $50 and sold for more than $4,000. 

I know that I can’t keep everything I find, and I want to share them with the many toy lovers in the community. Once in a while, though, I’ll come across a rare, special toy that makes its way into my personal collection to stay. These pieces are beyond any dollar value because they serve as a reminder of and a bridge to my childhood filled with days of playing and pretending in a world of excitement and imagination. It keeps the passion alive as I continue to search for the next heart-stopping moment that widens my eyes as I come across an unexpected find. It’s what makes the hunt so fulfilling and thrilling and one I cannot imagine my life without.

Matthew Bettencourt is the creator of Retro Toy Envy. He searches for, buys and sells nostalgic toys for fans like him all over the country. He’s been actively on the hunt for eight years. Follow him @Retrotoyenvy