Retrorama Collectibles

Collectibles shows are nothing new to the gang at Retrorama Collectibles in Jacksonville, Florida. Most of the current staff worked with a similar group, the North Florida Toy & Collectibles Association back when these types of shows were all the rage in the mid to late 90’s. Then a selling phenomenon called eBay knocked the collecting world for a loop and all Don't forget to Like Us on Facebook. but the largest and hardiest of these shows fell by wayside almost over night. It’s been over a decade since eBay overturned the landscape and some interesting changes have been on the rise. According to Retrorama co-founder Dan Tuchmann, “we found that dealers were growing tired of all the rules, regulations, and fees associated with eBay and they really missed the days of in person shows”. Sensing that the time was right in Jacksonville to bring these shows back, Tuchmann partnered up with some fellow collectors and the Retrorama Collectibles Show was born in early 2012. “It’s a different world now than it was close to twenty years ago when we started doing this the first time” said Tuchmann,“the economy is down but people are still looking for affordable entertainment they can take their families to and nostalgia shows are perfect for that.” In addition to being fun for all age groups, collectors are always going to want to collect and no amount of virtual reality on a computer can compare to actually holding an item in your hands before deciding to purchase it or not. Collectibles shows are also great places to make new friends and share information about the hobby of collecting with like-minded people. After all, most dealers are collectors themselves and everyone enjoys talking about their collection. “I consider us very fortunate to have the mix of vendors that we do” says Tuchmann “we have a lot of people who come to the show looking for information on items that they can’t find elsewhere and our dealers are always happy to help them out.” Variety also plays an important part in the Retrorama Collectible Shows so you wouldn’t be surprised to find original twelve inch G.I. Joe figures, movie posters, records, or even vintage clothing and jewelry all in the same room. With so much on display, it’s also easy to find items that fit almost any budget so young and old alike can add to their collections. While it isn’t a hard and fast rule, the Retrorama shows try to put the emphasis on vintage collectibles from before 1990. “We encourage dealers to stock quality and unique items that are least twenty to twenty-five years old or older” said Tuchmann, “we realize that popular culture can be a broad theme so we don’t mind if they have some more recent merchandise but we find that most customers at our shows are looking for the kinds of items that aren’t easily available elsewhere.” As the old saying goes, everything old is new again!