Thanksgiving 2023 is in the history books and the holiday shopping season is in full swing. If you’re flummoxed as to what to pick up for your loved ones this December, fret not: Back to the Past is here to make the case for giving vintage gifts!
It’s The Thought That Counts – And Vintage Gifts Take Some Thought!
Ghostbusters (1984) Original One Sheet, Currently Available!
The mantra of gift giving is “it’s the thought that counts.” What is often left out is that how much thought you put in also counts. Anybody can go to Target and wander the aisles until something jumps out at them. That’s what they’re there for, to be a place where you can get gifts for a new baby and a great grandma knocked out in one shopping trip.
Vintage gifts, on the other hand, don’t jump out at you. They require you to know the person’s tastes and hunt down an uncommon gift that matches them. Things that have survived for decades in giftable condition aren’t everyday occurrences and you won’t just stumble upon them. Well, you won’t unless you’re shopping with Back to the Past Collectibles, but you don’t have to tell them that! We’re sure that the movie buff in your life would be far more touched to receive a genuine movie theater one sheet for a classic like Ghostbusters or Goodfellas than they would be receiving a mass-produced personality poster.
Reclaiming Childhood Wonder, One Vintage Toy At A Time
In The Santa Clause 2, Tim Allen’s Santa uses his Christmas magic to liven up his love interest’s staff Christmas party. How does he do that? He uses his magic to summon up the toys from their childhood, exactly as they were when they were kids. Whether it’s the toy you never got or the toy you loved until it fell apart, most adults have that one old toy that takes them right back to their childhood. And those make excellent, heart-touching gifts.
Now, you can absolutely hit up Meijer for the newest version of G.I. Joe or He-Man or the Red Ranger, but that’s not the same thing. It’s not the toy THEY wanted, it’s the modern version of it. And that’s where vintage gifting comes into play! It will likely cost a little more, but you can get them exactly what they remember by buying vintage. It’s even OK to snag one that’s open, so long as it’s complete, unchewed, and overall looks display-worthy. As long as it’s in collectible condition, it will help create that magical holiday memory.
A kid won’t notice how old these are, they’ll just see really cool Batman toys.
Send That Babe To Toyland
The 1990s were a time of great speculation in the collectible toy market. Folks who had grown up on Star Wars, Bronze Age Marvel Comics, and Batman ’66 reruns bought new toys based on those franchises by the case. Their logic was theoretically sound: if my old toys would be worth money today, then these toys will be worth money in 20 years. What they failed to account for was the sheer number of people arriving at that same conclusion. 25+ years on and those toys just don’t have too much collectible value due to a massive supply. They tend to sell for $10/ea at conventions or by the box at auction.
Their loss can be your gain! Here’s the thing: kids still love Batman, Star Wars, Spider-Man, et al! All those toys that aren’t proving a worthwhile investment still have play value for a kid. A pile of vintage Batman Forever toys won’t make you rich, but they might make you look rich to your favorite nibling. Buying at auction, the same place the guys running booths at cons buy, you can pick up a ton of 90s/00s era toys for a bargain compared to buying the new hotness at Meijer. The kid gets an army of action figures, your family thinks of you as the soul of generosity, and you get to brag about the deal you got in proper midwestern fashion. Everybody wins!
Where to Buy Vintage Gifts
From Back to the Past Collectibles, of course! Selling (and buying) collectibles is our whole stock in trade. We’ve got mint-in-packge Batman toys from the 90s to today coming to auction in the Saturdays leading up to Christmas, perfect for kids and grownups alike. No BatFans in your life? We’ve got 100s of vintage treasures up in our eBay store, including a ton of movie memorabilia and some fantastic board games. Looking to REALLY impress? Our one-of-a-kind animation cels will do just that. Shop with us this holiday season and find out why our shipping team’s speed and care are famed in song (or at least in eBay feedback).
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