What happens when Halloween lands on the same day as your favorite toy show in all of Dallas Fort Worth? You go toy hunting. That is exactly what the host of the YouTube channel 80s Toys Roc did, making the trip to the Metroplex Collectible Show for its Halloween toy show.

Some days at that show are all common, everyday vintage toys. This day, he says, he stumbled across something that blew his mind, and the best find of the lot cost him just $10.

A Forgotten 1988 Toy Line Turned Up On A Dealer’s Shelf For Just $10

The hunter was already carrying a few bargains. He picked up rare vintage McDonald’s memorabilia from the 1970s, thanks to a friend named Jacqueline who found it at an estate sale and gave him a sweet deal. He also added a piece to his Mr. T collection.

Then came the toy that got him excited. It belonged to a military toy line he loved as a kid, one he calls forgotten and under-appreciated today. He already owned a few pieces from the line but not this one, and when the seller asked, “How about 10 bucks?” the answer was a quick “Sold.”

A Canteen Opens Into An Aircraft Carrier, And A Grenade Becomes A Bunker

The line is called Army Gear, and it arrived in 1988 from Lewis Galoob Toys, the same company behind Micro Machines. He calls Galoob his favorite toy company of all time.

What made the toys special is that they looked like everyday military equipment but transformed into miniature bases, vehicles and battle stations. A canteen opened up into an aircraft carrier. A compass turned into a satellite station, a grenade became a bunker, and a wristwatch turned into a missile station.

His $10 find was a military-style combat knife, almost like a machete, that opens up and transforms into a lookout tower. He says he owned that exact toy as a child. The line lasted only a few years, and he calls the toys “so freaking cool.”

A Pile Of 1970s McDonaldland Posters Went For $30 The Set

The biggest surprise of the day, he says, was four rolled-up posters from the 1970s. The dealer was asking $10 each, or $30 for all four. Each one was different, and he took the full set on the spot.

When he unrolled them on camera, the characters came out one by one. There was Mayor McCheese with a sneaky hamburger, and a rhyme that says the burger “was trying to spy, so Mayor McCheese painted over his tie.” Another showed the Professor and Grimace, with Fry Guys down in the corner.

A third had Captain Crook and an officer, with the Fry Guys hiding out. The fourth featured Ronald McDonald and what the poster calls goblins, which he points out are really Fry Guys. He says they will look great framed on the walls of his “bunker,” and that this score alone made the trip worth it.

A $5 Heathcliff Pounce Toy And A Shiny Fighter That Fooled Him

He also grabbed a spring-loaded Heathcliff figure for $5. He says he watched that cartoon every day after school, and if forced to pick between Garfield and Heathcliff, Heathcliff is his boy.

Not every moment went his way. At a friend’s booth he spotted a Talon Fighter in gleaming condition and nearly bought it. The booth owner told him it was not a vintage piece at all, but a new one from the Origins toy line. He laughed and called himself fooled, and he was glad to be set straight before paying.

A Sergeant Rock Figure With Dog Tags Cost $95, And Mr. T’s Combat Outfit Stayed In The Package

Another forgotten line he picked up was Sergeant Rock, which began as a comic book series. The toys came out in the early 1980s, and each figure came with dog tags. He remembers having them as a kid, then switching to G.I. Joe once those hit the shelves because Joe had more articulation. The dealer wanted $100, and the hunter paid $95 with a $5 Venmo.

His last big find was a military outfit for his talking Mr. T figure, still in its original packaging after more than 40 years. He says the card is in good shape, with a little damage at the top and plenty of yellowing on the plastic. He was tempted to open it, but a friend advised against it, and a search on eBay showed that the only outfits for sale were still in their packaging.

The back of the card shows A-Team vehicles, including a three-wheeler, the Corvette, the van, an armored car and Murdoch’s jet interceptor. He decided to leave it sealed, since it has survived this long.

How To Hunt A Toy Show Without Getting Fooled

A toy show is a fun day out, and you can get through it without overpaying. A few habits from this hunt are worth borrowing.

• Ask about anything that looks too perfect. The shiny Talon Fighter turned out to be a modern release, so condition alone does not prove age.
• Look at the packaging. Yellowed plastic, torn hanging tops and punched holes affect how a carded toy is valued, and he weighed those flaws before deciding to keep his Mr. T outfit sealed.
• Bundle and bargain. The posters were $10 each or $30 for four, and the Sergeant Rock figure dropped by $5 with a friendly ask.
• Collect what you loved. The best find of the day was the one he owned as a kid.

Prices are only part of the fun. His closing question is the one every collector enjoys answering, which is whether you had Army Gear growing up, and which toy from the 1980s you would love to see on a shelf again.

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