Where's Marty? Checking Out Collectibles At 2nd Chance Toyz

Hi everyone and TGIF!

Today was an eye-opening visit to 2nd Chance Toyz in Glen Burnie.

Here's why: the world of secondhand toys has exploded. All those toys that we, as parents, were badgered into buying for our kids are now worth a lot of money. For instance, my son was a huge fan of Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon. We could go to Target and buy action figures for $3 each. Now, buying a "gently used" figure can cost up to $50 or more. Whether you're talking about G.I. Joe, Transformers or Star Wars, just to name a few, the collectable market has never been more active.

My son Jake lives in Manhattan, and I was up for a visit about a month ago. While my wife, Jake's girlfriend and her mother saw a show, he took me on a long walk to meet up with his crew to hang out. On the way, we stopped by a shop in Union Square called Forbidden Planet. It has collectables, comic books and such. He wanted to show me the prices of all the stuff he had growing up, toys we had gotten rid of over the years. It was absolutely mind blowing.

To be honest, I thought, "OK, this is a New York thing." He quickly let me know it was a "thing" across the country and assured me that Charm City has its fair share of collectable shops. After doing a little investigating, I found out he was right. You do not need the original boxes anymore--they repackage. And if you have something you think might be worth more than the $3 you paid, go to 2nd Chance Toys and find out. You might be surprised by what you've got lying around.

T.G.I.F., have a safe weekend and find ya some fun!

Marty B!