Have you inherited a collection that you just have no idea what to do with? Worse yet, do you not even know what most of it is? The first impulse there is usually “toss it”. Who wants the hassle? That’s a bad impulse. The good impulse is to have that collection evaluated by experts – we want the hassle! No tale of success from Back to the Past’s storied history demonstrates that better than that of the Rocket Ship Collection.
Are Toys Educational?
The collector in this case had been a lifelong NASA fan. So much so that their hobby gig was educating community groups about the wonders of the American space program using genuine historical artifacts. One way that this love of space manifested was in buying up space toys. But not the alien-focused space toys you find on the action figure aisle. No, these were the scientifically accurate toys and models that found almost exclusively at hobby shops, educational stores, and science center gift shops. There were few brand names to be found, usually oddball stuff like the Power Ranger/NASA Astronaut two-packs of the late 90s.
When the collector passed, their family was left with a storage unit full of stuff that they didn’t recognize. Some of the family thought maybe it was time to just rent a dumpster and clear it all away. A friend of the family suggested they contact Back to the Past Collectibles, so they decided to call us first. And they were glad that they did!

The original collector is one of the happy few who bought this for Charles Duke rather than the Blue Ranger.
Are Realistic Toys Worth Money
See, the space program has no shortage of fans. Space exploration is just about the coolest thing humanity’s ever done and the niche of hard-science space fans is notoriously under-served. Space is cool, but alien invasions get butts in seats. We knew that there’s a market for these hard-to-find, hard science space toys (not to mention the genuine NASA artifacts also int he collection). We also knew that this market would be dedicated and hungry. So, we brought the collection to auction. Several auctions, as a matter of fact.
Instead of spending money on a dumpster, these consignors walked away with a great payout. We’re told that it allowed three generations of the family to take a fantastic vacation together, a lovely legacy for a person to leave their loved ones. Back to the Past is proud to have helped make that happen.
Maybe we can make something like that happen for you! If you find yourself with an obscure inheritance, or just want to profit from a lifetime of collecting in your golden years, we’re here to help. We can give you an expert evaluation, so you know exactly what that collection is worth. Then, as an auction house and online retailer, we can help you get that value by bringing it to market. Don’t wait, contact us today and you could be our next success story.