As a very serious toy collector I can't express the value of good reference material. What I mean by that is good information on the items you collect. Some main sources are websites ( hopefully this one, ha ha ), ads out of vintage magazines, price guide collectibles reference books, & old store catalogs. Look through a 1966 "Christmas Wish List" Sears Catalog & you'll see what I mean, they are like "p0rn for toy collectors". In some cases they can show you what the original box looked like or what it looked like when complete. I've even seen items in those books that I have never ever seen in real-life & I've been a pretty serious vintage toy dealer for 20+ years. The price guide reference books used to have four full-bookshelf sections at your local bookstore but are now regulated to one shelf, if you're lucky. You can thank eBay for killing off that industry. But, they are still great for reference & real collectors still publish/buy them, thank God. Here's a few examples of some great reference photos. Regular readers to this blog know we publish stuff like this all the time. It's practically the whole reason for this site. I think sharing information about your hobby is like a gift that inspires people to be more dedicated & focused to their "hunt", that's cool. If anyone has some pics to share then please send them in. We're always trying to make the site better & always looking for more bat-memorabilia!
