Some toy stores are worth a detour, and for one collector, Snap Collectibles is the favorite. With a little free time on the way home, he pulled up outside, walked in with his camera running and started scanning the shelves for anything from his childhood. What he carried out the door was a pair of figures with a few pieces missing, and he could not have been happier about it.

The collector runs the YouTube channel The Plastic Empyre, where he greets viewers as fellow nostalgia chasers. His video from Snap Collectibles starts with a shelf-by-shelf walk through the store, then moves to his pickups back home.

A Store Packed With Childhood Favorites

The walk-through reads like a roll call of 1980s and 1990s toy aisles. He spotted Thundercats figures and said he needs one badly, plus minis, Power Rangers and Bionic Six. He pointed out Dragon Riders of the Styx, which he says you do not see often, along with Laser Fire, Brave Starr and a Mutant Fist Pounder vehicle he called a great one.

There was also a wide selection of Cops and Crooks figures, which he wants to start collecting because they are hard to find with all their accessories. He saw a little Gizmo and Gremlin, Roller Warriors, Captain Planet, Bucky O’Hare and Toxic Crusaders. A Captain America on the shelf had actually belonged to him, since he had traded it in to the store.

The shelves kept going. Masks, G.I. Joe vehicles, Gundam models, more Power Rangers, vintage Dragon Ball, racks of ponies, Transformers, a Battlestar Galactica set, a Millennium Falcon, an Ewok Village, California Raisins, Rambo, Super Powers and Secret Wars. G.I. Joe is not his usual territory, so he let the camera do the talking. Along the way he noticed that a figure he already owns showed him exactly what his own copy was missing.

The Crystar Figure He Almost Never Sees

Back home, he laid out his two purchases. The first came from the Crystar line, a fantasy toy series from the early 1980s, and he says he is probably going to butcher the name of the character, which he thinks is Ogeode. What matters to him is the line itself. He basically never finds Crystar figures in the wild, and certainly not locally.

This figure is missing his soft goods robe and another accessory, but the collector says he knew immediately that he had to have him. He could not pass up the chance, because he was not sure he would ever see the figure again. His verdict: he is really happy with the purchase, and it adds another figure to a Crystar collection that has been waiting a while for a new member.

A Light-Up Find From Blackstar

The second figure came from Blackstar, a line he has been on a huge kick with lately and one where he has been finding a decent amount. It is the Ice Castle Vizier, and again he says he hopes he did not butcher the name. Like the Crystar piece, this figure has no accessories, and the collector says he honestly does not care.

He describes it as a very basic toy with one fun trick. The figure has a light-up feature that works a lot like the top of a lighter, with a small flint inside. Click the piece, and the toy lights up nicely. His reaction on camera: so freaking cool.

Is It Worth Buying A Figure With Missing Pieces?

Collectors argue about this constantly, and this video gives a good example of when it makes sense. Loose vintage toys often turn up without their weapons, capes and robes, since small parts were the first things to disappear in the toy box. A few general points can help you decide.

• Rarity matters. If a figure is one you almost never see, as this collector says about Crystar, a missing accessory may be an easy trade-off.
• Think about your goal. Someone building a display shelf may be happier with an incomplete figure than someone chasing top resale value.
• Check what is missing. Soft goods such as cloth robes are commonly lost, and they are among the hardest pieces to replace.
• Compare prices. Complete examples usually cost more, so an incomplete one can be a way to start a collection on a budget.
• Keep an eye out for parts. Some collectors later pick up accessories separately, or find a second damaged figure that happens to have the piece they need.

The Joy Of Hunting Close To Home

One reason this video resonates is that nothing about it requires travel to a big convention. The collector stopped at a favorite local shop on the way home, spent a few minutes walking the aisles, and came away with two figures that mean something to him. Smaller toy shops often take in collections and trades, which is how his own Captain America ended up back on their shelf.

If you have a store like this nearby, the habit is worth copying. Visit regularly, since stock changes, take a look at the shelves you usually skip, and keep a short list of the lines you are after. Even if the figure you spot is missing a robe, it might be the one you thought you would never find.

The collector closed the video with a wish for everyone to stay blessed and happy collecting, which is a good motto for any hobby built on the thrill of the hunt.

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