St. Louis store has the 70's, 80's, 90's toys you were once obsessed with
SHREWSBURY, Mo. (KMOX) - What was your favorite toy growing up?
A local toy shop that specializes in vintage toys says quite a few Christmas shoppers are looking for some favorite toy that got away. They're helping some relive their childhood.
Andrew Tolch is the owner of Andy's Toys at Watson and McKenzie. He says he gets a lot of requests for something called "Stretch Armstrong."
"That was the doll from the '70s that was filled with a kind of goo," Tolch said. "And none have survived, because Stretch has to be kept at 69 degrees with 60 percent humidity, or they break apart and all the goo comes out."
Tolch says original Stretch Armstrong with the goo still intact would sell for several hundred dollars, but he says a re-issue of the doll from the 1990s is still available and affordable.
Other vintage toys on the frequently-asked-for list include: Star Wars figures, Hot Wheels cars, Strawberry Shortcake and Cabbage Patch Kids dolls.
The shop has a little bit of everything, from Tonka Trucks to tin cars made in Japan.
The big item in the window right now is a 1966 plastic Batman Bat Mobile, made by Marx Toys, and big enough for a kid to sit in.
"That's going for around $500," Tolch said.
Tolch says most of the Christmas shoppers are women asking for some childhood toy for their husband.
As for what grown men do with their childhood toys, Tolch says he doesn't ask, but figures some put them on a shelf to admire, and some get down on the rug and play with them again.
