“Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. It’s time to sell the Matt Striker collection.” That is how toy collector Matt Striker opens a morning that changed his toy room, and his daughter’s college plans, for good.

The host of ReeYees Retro Toys has been collecting since he was 13 years old, when he started with Hasbro and LJN wrestling figures. Now he is packing up a huge chunk of it.

He tells fans not to “flip your lids too much.” He is not selling everything. He is narrowing down to what truly matters to him as an adult collector.

Why A Lifelong Collector Decided To Sell

Striker says he has been talking about downsizing for a year and a half to two years. The reason is not complicated.

“I’m getting older. My kids are getting older. I have college to think of for my daughter. She wants to be a nurse.” He saw it as a good time to re-evaluate the collection and add to her 529 plan.

He also admits he is worried about the market. “I don’t want to hold on to this stuff too long where it becomes, I don’t want to say worthless, but a lot less valuable than it is now.”

Gone Are The Inhumanoids, Dungeons And Dragons And Most Of The Transformers

Striker has three core toy lines he plans to keep. Early pro wrestling figures, 1980s and 1990s Ninja Turtles from roughly 1988 to 1991 or 1992, and vintage Star Wars.

Everything else is on the chopping block. He rattles off the casualties: Inhumanoids, Dungeons and Dragons, Supernaturals, Sectaurs, most of his Gobots, Transformers and Starriers.

He will keep a few examples. He wants a representative shelf with He-Man and Skeletor, Lion-O and Mumm-Ra, maybe a Visionaries figure, and Quicksilver from SilverHawks. His idea is a “hodgepodge 80s traditional shelf” of cartoons he loved but did not own as a kid.

The Buyers Arrive Bright And Early On A Sunday Morning

The buyers are Matt and Bobby from D&E Collectibles, his favorite local toy store. They run the Toy Palooza toy show twice a year, and Striker has made several videos about their shop.

They arrive with bubble wrap and a plan. Striker asks them to package by line so the accessories stay with the figures, and the more fragile pieces get extra care.

The buyers promise to “do our best to preserve the quality of the collection.” One of them jokes that Striker is leaving enough behind that he will be back.

“Seeing Dollar Signs Go Away” As The Shelves Empty

As the morning goes on, the cases empty one by one. Striker calls one display “one of my most money cases,” holding Inhumanoids, Dungeons and Dragons, Supernaturals and Sectaurs.

G.I. Joe goes, then Thundercats, then Dragon Riders and the Turtles. Rock Lords were harder to part with. He says it “pained me a little bit” because it was a specialty line he cared about, but he only had one as a kid.

Someone cracks that his accountant is going to want a discussion. Another jokes about “seeing dollar signs go away.”

The fragile centerpieces get special treatment. Vulcan Rock and the Hive are still in the room after the bins run out, and the buyers put Vulcan Rock on its own seat in the van. By around 10:44 that morning, the van is full.

The Shop Says He Is Their Biggest Single Collection Buy Ever

With the van loaded, a big part of the collection is on its way to D&E Collectibles in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania. Striker says they came to an agreement on a price and that the buyers were thrilled.

Then comes the twist. They told him he was their number one collection buy, meaning it was the most they have ever spent on a single collection at one time. “So, I currently hold the sales trophy.”

He was calmer than he expected. “Not nearly as emotional as I thought I would be. So, I guess that shows you that I was ready.”

No Regrets, And A New Collection Is Coming

Striker says he might someday wish he had kept his Inhumanoids, but he can always buy them back if he wants to. Right now he is doing what he calls his fatherly duty.

“I’m doing the fatherly duty and saving for my daughter and her college. And it’s just the right thing to do.” He adds that he does not want to preach, but urges parents to do the best for their families and kids.

His plans for the channel have not changed. He will keep going to toy shows and toy stores to make content, even if he buys less than he used to. He values the friendships the hobby gave him, and he wants to document shows “as if you were actually there yourself.”

Several shelves are now empty. He plans to fill them with the Ninja Turtles and Star Wars pieces he kept, and he promises a new collection will emerge.

What To Know Before You Sell A Big Collection

Striker’s morning offers some practical lessons for any collector thinking about downsizing.

• Decide your core lines first. Keeping the pieces that truly matter makes it easier to let the rest go.
• Pack by line and keep accessories with their figures, so the buyer gets complete sets.
• Use plenty of bubble wrap, and plan special handling for large, fragile pieces.
• Sell to someone you trust, such as a local shop you already know, and keep a representative sample of lines you only liked from a distance.
• Remember you can always buy a favorite back later if you miss it.

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