I used to gawp at the vast amount of merchandise available online from an US Ebay shop called MJ Variety.
They sold TV and Film related stuff in bulk and often vintage items. Lord knows where they got it from!
I used to think that some of their vintage lots would look cool on my old toy fair stall but I never got round to buying from them before I wound it up.
It was a while later that I discovered that MJ variety is an actual shop in the real world and located somewhere in the garden state of New Jersey.
Has anyone ever been to their shop?
I'm happy to field this one,Woodsy.A glance at 2 maps put this business in either Alpha or Phillipsburg.I think the former is the right city.I estimate it is about 40 miles west of New York City and 30 miles north of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.From my home in Mays Landing, it would be probably a 2 hour drive.A shame, since I had been working( and sometimes living) in the New York City area this Winter.I wouldn't have minded seeking a place like this out,especially now that I've looked at their website.I can see many items that piqued my interest and lots that you would definitely flip for.
ReplyDeleteI get the impression there are a lot of vintage toy collectors in New Jersey and New York Brian, there's so many cool shops but MJ stuck in my mind. I think they may have advertised in the old toy newspaper Toy Shop too. Two hours away from you eh! Wow! NJ must be a big place! Mays landing sounds great! What a welcoming name.
DeleteI'm an ocean away from their shop, Woodsy, but thanks to the internet I got some of my very first Golden Astronaut cards from them way back when in the Nineties. I think the first four I got from Hakes (also a real-world shop I believe, with a catalogue full of the most varied and impressive Americana), but the next half-dozen or so definitely were from M&J.
ReplyDeleteBest -- Paul
Wow Paul, that's great that you shopped with MJ all those years ago and for Golden Astroanuts too! I would have loved to tagged along on one of their buying trips picking up treasures in bulk along the way! I seem to recall MJ advertising in Toy Shop as well. I know I cut out at least one pictures of GA carded toys from the paper but can't be certain it was an MJ ad. I adored Toy Shop. Did you?
DeleteMust confess I never heard of Toy Shop magazine until I got internet access, Woodsy, then hearing about it from people in the MMM DL. I did get half a dozen issues in one lot at some point, just out of curiosity (and for the adverts by one particularly dubious dealer offering MMM 'rarities' that were as fantastical as they were fake). In pre-internet days, I can imagine that was a wonderful source of information and offers.
DeleteBest -- Paul
It always amazes me how we managed to get hold of US toy magazines like Toy Shop - well newspaper - I had mine on subscription from Thunderbooks in Blackpool. It was great fun getting it through the post! Where did you pick up a job lot Paul?
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