Imbued with an urge to spring clean the attic, I've stacked my old VHS tapes and sorted them alphabetically (yep, I've too much time on my hands!).
I've been in the attic this afternoon now it's warm up there.
It's been years since I looked at my old VHS video collection, so I got them out of their crates and had a look, cleaned them up and formed a plan to put them on shelving. I guess I have around a hundred.
Mostly 1980's big box VHS, there are some clamshells too, along with a group of slipcases. Quite a few are pre-certification. There are a very small number of Betamax. I'm only half way through getting them out.
Do you have any old videos?
I've been rummaging in the attic and dragged out a few bits.
This is a nice 1983 Buebird Toys plastic carry case. I remember buying it at Thorpe Arch car boot sale a couple of years ago, full of MASK figures and toys [since sold on].
Very dirty but since cleaned up, the case is a sort of large lunch box. It must have been for storing Bluebird toys at the time. I've read that it was part of a Masters of the Universe competition prize as well but 1983 and its toys passed me by I'm afraid, as I was trudging round the mountains of Snowdonia most of that year just prior to becoming a Dad!
Is this case something you remember?
It was the box art that drew me in first, very reminiscent of Action Man or Airfix toy soldier boxes.
Maybe Combat Man was a brand?
I wrapped up my first sale in the re-opened attic this morning.
A 1980's Barbie Gym no less!
It'll go to the Post Office later today.
I've opened up Harry [the attic] and retirement sorting/ perusing/ pondering/staring through the window/Ebaying has resumed.
The old Mad About Monsters desk is once more alive and kicking.
Way back in the Autumn of 2005, after 20 years, I gladly ended my first office 'career' and took the plunge into selling old toys full time on Ebay.
I traded as Mad About Monsters. It was great fun and my office was in the attic, repleat with old dial telephone, colour TV and laptop.
After 3 years of solid Ebaying on top of a part-time school job [ and clocking up thousands of sales, I finally closed the books and the attic door in the autumn of 2008. Mad About Monsters was sadly over.
Well, today, as part of my retirement from School, I once again opened up Harry*
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It was really exciting to get back up there and list on Ebay again, albeit no longer as Mad About Monsters and being far less serious about it than I was back then.
I'm really looking forward to listing all the old toys and games that are surplus to requirements in the attic and maybe even make room for more of my own collections stored in my bedroom!
Retirement has well and truly begun!
I'll keep you posted.
*
* I call the attic Harry after the tunnels in the movie The Great Escape: Tom, Dick and Harry. Tom was discovered and Harry was then opened up. Dick was never used.
So this is the scene of the crime! The sorry-looking loft ladder which fell apart with me on it [I'm recovering well thanks, been to work today]!
Good job there's nothing we need from the attic now because a handyman has today taken it down and screwed the hatch shut until we get it repaired or replaced by a joiner.
Its full to the rafters with our stuff. We had the floor strengthened 20 years ago so it should hold.
Just hope we haven't locked anyone up there ... besides Action Man that is, but he's a survivor I reckon!
What's in your attic readers?
We're having a big sort-out at Moonbase.
All our grown-up daughter's toys have come out of the attic for a toy fair she wants to stand at this Spring to make a few quid.
As expected we have been engaged as sorters and cleaners and no doubt couriers too!
Its all mostly from the 1980's and 90's with some vintage stuff as well. We went to car boots back then too!
We have bagged McDonalds toys.
