Christine McGarvey sits on the floor of a Foothills guest house surrounded by vintage Star Wars action figures in Ziploc bags and Lego sets in their original boxes.
Still dressed in professional attire from her day job as a paralegal, McGarvey scans each Luke, Leia and Bossk bounty hunter meticulously, determining how much she is willing to pay based on the quality of the piece: whether the arms and legs are tight or loose, if there is wear to the clothing or hair, and if they come with their original packaging.
A wall of Star Wars toys on display in Christine McGarvey’s home. “If I don’t get them, somebody else will,” she says.
Christine McGarvey
The 32 figures appear to be in good shape. A price range per piece is thrown out and negotiations begin.
“I know Boba Fetts are worth more than $10,” the seller says.
“I know they are, too,” she replies. “You can usually get a good $20 out of a Fett. That’s why you buy at half price.”
Christine McGarvey
Eventually, a number is reached, the seller is pleased and McGarvey is on her way home with a backseat full of goodies from a galaxy far, far away.
As an avid toy collector and a reseller, McGarvey will spend the next few days determining whether the pieces she purchased will go into her personal collection of thousands of Star Wars figures, onto eBay or Facebook, or sold through her booth space at Toying Around Collectibles in Phoenix.
McGarvey, whose business cards read Tucson Toy Huntress (facebook.com/toyhuntress), is a pro when it comes to collecting toys, but reclaiming the dolls, action figures and games of your youth can be child’s play if you know where to look in town.
Modern and vintage toys geared toward children and adults can be found in stores such as Generation Cool on North Fourth Avenue and Retro Toys and More on North Stone Avenue, comic book shops, big box stores and mall storefronts throughout Tucson.
Toys from every era pop up on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace daily, and dealers with piles of action figures, dolls and diecast cars can be found at the Tanque Verde and Tohono O’odham swap meets each weekend.
On March 8, thousands will be in town to attend the 32nd annual Tucson Toy Show, billed as one of the largest toy shows in the West, at the Tucson Expo Center.
More than 500 vendors will be selling everything from Lionel train sets to Funko Pop figures to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
“It is a pure shopper’s experience,” show promoter Neil Kotler said. “There will be higher-end vendors selling items for $100-$1,000 and other vendors selling toys for $1 apiece; a little something for everyone.”
Kotler and his partners, who are based in Phoenix, took over the Tucson Toy Show from the Tucson Miniature Auto Club in 2019.
The annual Tucson Toy Show at the Tucson Expo Center features more than 550 tables.
TMAC had opted to end the long-running event, and Kotler, an attendee of the toy show since its early days, didn’t want to see that happen.
Besides being a toy collector in his own right, Kotler owns Collectors Marketplace in Phoenix and is a partner in several toy shows, including Arizona Toy Con in Glendale and the Game On Expo gaming convention in Phoenix, which brings in an estimated 10,000 people each year.
“For me and a lot of my friends, the Tucson Toy Show has always been one of our favorite shows,” Kotler said. “We were already running events and knew how to do it. We had the infrastructure ready. There wasn’t much burden in taking it over.”
One of the things Kotler loves about the Tucson Toy Show is the variety that’s offered. The event does not specialize in one particular era. Whether you’re looking for cast-iron toys from the turn of the 20th century or the latest Marvel Legends figures, chances are you’ll go home happy.
“You’ll see 20-year-old guys running around looking for stuff and 70-year-old guys running around looking for stuff,” Kotler said. “We make room for all of it.”
Besides the fun factor, the draw of the toy show is pure nostalgia for many.
“It connects people to the childhoods they had or always wanted,” Kotler said. “People decorate their homes and their offices with the toys they had when they were kids.”
Anthony Lopez, owner of Retro Toys and More, 2602 N. Stone Ave., also sees nostalgia as a driving factor for collectors.
Lopez started collecting professionally in 1984 and has owned several toy stores in Tucson over the years, including Gertrude’s Collectibles downtown and Broadway Toys on East Broadway.
Lopez stocks his shop to the ceiling with loose toys in display cases and vintage toys still in the packaging, everything from Madballs to Pee-wee’s Playhouse figures.
“You never know who is going to come in and what people are going to buy,” Lopez said. “Especially when you have this much.”
Lopez, whose shop is celebrating five years in March, said people from all over the world come in looking for collectibles. Shoppers from Sonora, Mexico, are common.
“Toys seem to be heating up in Mexico,” he said. “They are having more toy shows down there. They come here, buy in bulk, take them back and sell them.”
McGarvey’s passion for toys can be found throughout her home, north of Marana. Thousands of toys, including Star Wars, Marvel Universe, Ghostbusters and Star Trek figures, sit on shelves, in glass showcases and hang on the walls.
Kristen Thomen, left, and Angelina Merritt play a game of Tetris at Generation Cool, 404 N. Fourth Ave., on Feb. 21, 2020. The store has been open for six years and sells vintage pop culture items from the 1980s and 1990s.
McGarvey played with toys as a child, but her love for toys as an adult came later in life.
She started getting into Star Wars toys, both vintage and modern, after her husband passed away nearly 20 years ago.
McGarvey began reading the Star Wars “Dark Nest” series to keep her mind occupied. That led to more “Star Wars” fiction, then Lego sets, vintage action figures and lightsabers.
Today, her entire house is filled with toys and memorabilia from the franchise.
McGarvey started selling as a way to feed her hobby.
She has since honed her skills when it comes to knowing the value of her toys, especially “Star Wars” figures and accessories.
“With ‘Star Wars,’ there aren’t really any dealbreakers,” she said. “Someone out there will do something with them.”
Ideally, McGarvey would someday love to turn her passion for buying, selling and trading toys into a full-time gig.
“I have met people at storage lockers at midnight across town,” she said. “It is the nature of the beast. If I don’t get them, somebody else will.”
Generation Cool, located at 404 N. Fourth Ave., has been open for six years and sells pop culture items from the 1980s and 1990s geared toward children and adults.
Sports team hats sit on a shelf at Generation Cool, 404 N. Fourth Ave., on Feb. 21, 2020. The store has been open for six years and sells vintage pop culture items from the 1980s and 1990s.
Generation Cool located at 404 N. Fourth Ave. has been open for six years and sells vintage pop culture items from the 1980s and 1990s.
The annual Tucson Toy Show is billed as one of the largest toy shows in the West.
Tommy DeVille, store manager, takes a photo of a shirt to post on Instagram at Generation Cool, 404 N. Fourth Ave., on Feb. 21, 2020. The store has been open for six years and sells vintage pop culture items from the 1980s and 1990s.
The 32nd annual Tucson Toy Show will be held March 8. Over 500 vendors will be on hand.
Besides the fun factor, the draw of the annual Tucson Toy Show is pure nostalgia for many, says promoter Neil Kotler.
