Finding an old toy you once had as a child is exciting! It can bring back wonderful memories of happier times. We all face the burdens of everyday life and it is fun to escape from the real world and wander back in time when you didn't have to worry about taxes, your mortgage and financial matters and other stressful things. There are many outlets for you to purchase those once cherished items from your youth, such as, ebay, yahoo, craigslist, live auctions, antique stores, comic book/pop culture stores, toy conventions, online collectible stores, private sales, and many more.

As with anything you purchase, the buyer should excercise caution and careful not to buy solely on impluse. You may regret it later. If you are viewing the item in person, ask the seller to let you throughly examine the item. If he or she is reluctant then that is your first clue that the seller may be hiding something. Ask lots of questions, such as, is the item complete, are there any broken parts, have any of the parts been replaced with reproductions or has anything been repaired, etc.? A reputable seller will not hesitate to answer your questions. A scammer will tell you anything you want to hear. Also, don't appear to eager to purchase and avoid statements like "Oh wow, I had this as a kid and have been searching all over for this!", especially if you aren't aware of the sellers asking price. The seller may decide to ask an outrageous amount knowing you are drooling over the item. Act non-chalant and seem only partially intersted. In the case of battery operated toys, ask the seller if the items works. If he or she is reluctant to answer, or uses an excuse like, "Uh, I didn't have any batteries to test it out, but the battery connections are clean and there is no corrosion and it should work just fine", then there's your clue and statements like that are a big RED FLAG that something is wrong. It is a good idea to carry batteries with you. Most 60's "bat op's" required the use of Size "D" batteries. If the seller won't let you test it then I suggest you walk away or use it as a tool of negoiation for a lower price. If you are mechaniacally inclined, then you may be able to fix the toy if it doesn't work, but be sure you can gain access to its internal parts.

The plastic of some toys is glued around the item and it is almost impossible to get to the internal parts with damaging the toy itself. Also, much of the plastic used can become quite brittle over the years, so be careful not to break toy toy while examining it or you could be the new owner of it instantly! You seen this sign in stores before, "Please don't say you haven't been told, but if you break it, mark it SOLD!" It is a good idea not to bring anyone with you especially children. They cause distractions and could alter your focus. If going to a private sale, be sure to tell someone where you are going and I suggest you meet in a public place. I've heard of horror stories where the buyer was robbed of his or her precious cash and worse!

 Be careful buying from online auctions or online stores. This is where you can can really get burned BAD. What out for sellers who give vague descriptions, fuzzy pictures and only show a portion of the item, especially the boxes the item came in. Many times the seller will only show the good side of an item or orginal box.On ebay be sure to check out the seller's feedback. Seller Feedback is an important tool to use in your determination to buy. Seller's with excessive negative feedback should be avoided! Read what others have said but keep in mind that no matter how good the seller is, someone is bound not to be happy and may leave even the best sellers negative feedback. Remember, you can't please everyone all the time no matter how reputable a seller is. A wise and astute buyer can usually see through this. On ebay, you can ask the seller a question about the item and carefully read what they have to say. A popular comment is, "Gee, it looks like everything is ok." Look, if you are planning on spending a lot of money and the seller is too lazy or doesn't want to tell you truth and gives vague answers then something is probably wrong. If I'm going to possibly spend big bucks on an item, you can be sure that I will demand adequate answers to my questions. Also ask the seller to send you more pictures, and be aware of the ol', "I didn't have batteries to test it out." statement. Be sure to also ask and demand that the item be securely packed for shipment. Many times you'll spend big bucks on an item and that the seller didn't properly pack only to find that upon delivery you discover that the item is damaged and then, if insured, you have to deal with filing claims and that process takes at least two months and after all is said and done, there is a possiblility that they will deny the claim due to poor packing.

On ebay, if possible, use paypal to puchase items so you have some type of recourse, keeping in mind that many reputable sellers do not accept paypal because of high paypal seller fees. A reputable non paypal seller will make things right. When buying from online stores be very careful because you have very little recourse and no way to really check out their practices. Hopefully you can find someone who has bought from them in the past for a reference. Watch out for fuzzy photographs and vague descriptions. I hope this topic has been helpful to you and ask any questions that you may have. Your buying experience should be a pleasurable one. I guess the main rule of thumb is, LET THE BUYER BEWARE! There is nothing worse when buying a cherished memory only to find you've been ripped off or it arrived damaged! 'Nuff said!