In search of retro toys? These Las Vegas Valley stores have you covered
Explore this Las Vegas store to see a rare bendable Jesse “The Body” Ventura wrestling figurine, an Indiana Jones truck and “Star Wars” droids — all items that date to the 1980s, and still in their packaging. • While Brad’s Toys & Collectibles also sells new toys, it got its start as a secondhand business, satisfying a community of collectors who explore the vintage market in search of rare and cherished items. • The collector’s market for vintage toys has seen a revival in recent years, local toy sellers say. • Here are some of the stores to visit if you want to relive part of your childhood.
Brad’s Toys & Collectibles
Dozens of Pokémon fans had already formed a line outside a Brad’s location by the time it opened its doors during a recent release of limited-edition collectors’ cards.
The enthusiasm for the anime series is “as hot as I’ve seen in a while,” business partner Marcus Acuna told the Review-Journal.
A decade ago, when the franchise toy store began opening locations in the Las Vegas Valley, it was Marvel Comics that drew the hullabaloo, Acuna said.
As trends change, the business adapts, he said.
The store sells everything from Funko and YouTooz figurines to trading cards, plush toys, action figures and Disney-branded merchandise.
The company was founded by Brad Howard, a video game and movie enthusiast who also has stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Items range in price, but the toys that are below $25 are the most popular, Acuna said. And while Brad’s also has an online shop, most buyers prefer to visit the brick-and-mortar store so they can take a look at what they’re getting.
Brad’s Toys and Collectibles’ locations in the Las Vegas Valley include the flagship store at 525 E. Windmill Lane, as well as stores at the Meadows mall, Galleria at Sunset mall, Las Vegas South Premium Outlets and Fashion Show mall.
Rogue Toys
Krystal Lopez opened the first of three Rogue Toys locations in Las Vegas in 2012, according to its website.
The company operates two other stores in Oregon and Utah.
The downtown Las Vegas locale, the flagship store, has been featured on the “Pawn Stars” TV show.
Offerings include new and collectible toys that date to the 1970s, according to the company.
They carry three dozen brands, including “Star Wars,” Matchbox, Harry Potter and “all kinds of Batman,” according to the store’s website.
They also sell retro video game consoles that date to the original Nintendo.
The online store is at roguetoys.com.
Rogue Toys locations include the downtown store at 630 Las Vegas Blvd. South, as well as locations at 2115 S. Rainbow Blvd. and 5300 S. Eastern Ave.
Toy Shack
Storeowner Johnny Jimenez is regularly featured on “Pawn Stars” for appraisals of vintage toys.
His brick-and-mortar store at the Neonopolis plaza, 450 Fremont St. — adjacent to the Fremont Street Experience — has been open for about 13 years.
And it carries items for everyone, longtime employee Ashlee Herrera said. “Whether you’re 8 or 80,” Herrera said.
“You can come here with $5 and still leave with something,” Herrera added.
Retro offerings include first-generation Transformers, ThunderCats, Masters of the Universe and Flintstones.
The Hot Wheels items date to the 1960s, meaning a shopper can buy die-casts for $1 or other collectors’ mini cars that run for hundreds of dollars, Herrera said.
Visiting the store guarantees that you will be talking to an expert, as staffers are enthusiasts with niche collections of their own, Herrera said, noting that she collects Hot Wheels.
She added that the market for vintage toys has exploded in recent years, and it’s not rare to see older parents showing up with their children to show them toys they used to play with.
“It’s great to see,” Herrera said.
Or curious shoppers can show up to witness the “world’s largest toy,” which is a G.I. Joe aircraft carrier that measures more than 7 feet, Herrera said.
