ORDERING STUFF AND PICKING IT UP AT TOY FAIRS

Years ago I used to do this quite a bit, order stuff on the phone or by email and then pick it up at a toy fair where the seller was standing.

One of the earliest old toys I acquired this way as a Imai Grip die-cast Scramble Bug in its blister box. The seller was a guy called BanzAndy, who specialised in Japanese collectables. I remember him saying 'Ah, Moonzero!" when we met, as that was my email address at the time. I can't remember how much I pad for the Imai Bug but I was thrilled with it. I think the show was either the NEC or Doncaster. I still have that Bug and it remains, as far as I know, one of only two die-cast Project SWORD related toys, along with the later Aoshima die-cast Zero-X. I never saw BanzAndy again.

Another old toy I picked up at a toy fair was a Japanese tinplate Space Frontier Rocket by Yoshino. I had one as a kid and really wanted to recapture that feeling with this toy. The seller was a robot and space toy specialist called STARC, who I think advertised in Model Mart. The handover was in the foyer I recall so STARC may not have had a stand, they were punters like me. It was a convenient way of collecting the toy and cutting out postage costs. Everyone was happy. Again, I think it was either the NEC or Doncaster toy fairs.

There were others bought and collected in this way. Is this something you've done readers?