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Toyhio set for Saturday at the Metroplex
GIRARD
Tom Troll, co-organizer of the Toyhio Toy Show, said people love nostalgia. That’s one thing the upcoming vintage toy show provides.
People can buy vintage toys, video games and board games from 163 vendors at the event, which will be hosted at the Metroplex from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. It’s a blast from the past for adults who remember playing with figures from brands such as Transformers and Marvel Legends.
Admission for Toyhio is $3.
This year’s event is slated to be the biggest yet.
Local vintage toy enthusiasts, including Rick Fusselman, owner of Time Capsule Toys in Girard, first organized the show in 2017. It runs twice a year, and this is the sixth show.
“We almost doubled our vendor size since our February show,” Fusselman said.
Troll of Niles, himself a toy collector, said there will be something for everyone.
“We’ve been working together to try and get a wide variety of vendors,” Troll said. “We have everything from new toys, to vintage toys from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s to video games, Funko collectibles, everything else in between.”
When the event first started, there were 28 vendors. Fusselman and Troll hope the event appeals to people ranging from adults who loved the products as kids, and kids who like retro toys and games.
“I think this kind of thing is really popular,” Troll said. “Those of us who were born in the ’80s and collected the He-Man and Ninja Turtles figures, we are now in our early to mid-30s, and we like to collect the things we had when we were kids. There is also a big boom on video games, to get the old Nintendo systems.”
“I think nostalgia is the one thing that makes everyone happy. There was always that one toy or video game that brings back great memories,” he added.
Fusselman said Aaron Archer, a former Hasbro employee who designed toy brands such as Transformers and G.I. Joe, will be a special guest at the event.
People come from cities such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Columbus for the event. Some even travel from New York and Connecticut.
“Our show brings people together,” Fusselman said.