Toys R Us toys versus Antique Toys

Dare we compare and contrast Toys R Us toys for sale versus Antique Toys ; compare us with this modern toy juggernaut?!? Sure, let’s compare the two sites for fun in an effort to understand why they are the biggest reason to search for toys on the internet.

#1) Branding — Toys R Us purchase the hottest brand names & work to be ahead of the trends. The modern TRU (Toys R Us) toy lines will be branded with a sure fire TV show, comic book character, and/or a movie franchise. AntiqueToys.com won’t have the benefit from the “modern trends” unless we count a few salient exceptions. Superman and Mickey Mouse toys can still be found at Toys R Us along with Antique toy sites. Otherwise, TRU wins the branding competition. +1 Toys R Us

#2) Price Pont– Fresh from Asian production facilities, Toys R Us will definitely have the lowest price point on toys. Antique toys have to have been stored for close to 100 years and can’t be sourced at such low costs (with very few exceptions). TRU has $1 items at hand;AntiqueToys.com has most inventory above $50. Toys R Us purchases toys by the case if not pallet; AntiqueToys.com hand picks toys. +1 Toys R Us.

#3) Brick and Mortar stores- Toys R Us has an absolute advantage here. At AntiqueToys.com we have a virtual store and have a limited retail location. It would be nice to keep a multitude of brick and mortar stores, but my thought is TRU will always have more locations for walk-ins 🙂 . -Advantage Toys R Us.

#4) Best detail for the price point- Back in 1905 I think Antique Toys would win here! Unfortunately, we can’t find enough new old stock to keep our prices at the same. Toys R Us $19.99 sweet spot. Now, on the other hand, if we count each paint stroke on a Marklin ship, a Bing Auto, or an older American cast iron we could almost have a tie 🙂 . Reality rules though, and Toys R Us wins for the best detail at lower price points. +1 Toys R Us.

#5) Safety Standards. Toys R Us wins by a landslide! Antique Toys sometimes have lead paint (outlawed), sharp points (won’t pass safety standards), rust (nope), firing missiles (illegal), and skull crushing weight (ouch!). Win– For Toys R Us.

#6) Toy Weight and Distribution– Have you ever considered the weight it would cost to ship a case of cast iron toys? I’ve seen ads for 90 lbs for a case! So many of the 1900’s toys had to be taken by train. Modern toy distribution involves truck routes that only the old timers could dream of, and aircraft deliver that must have been Buck Rogers fantasy. Here at Antqiuetoys.com we can hand pack and hand deliver toys to your door; so can Toys R Us. Let’s be generous and call it a draw!

#7) Current Trends– Beenie-boos, Star Wars, Shopkins, Antique Toys. One doesn’t fit! OK, the Antique toys are far from current. The Happy Hooligan isn’t too current, Felix has been relegated to the back pages, and black American toys are far from proper. +1 to Toys R Us

#8) Labor Costs– Right now AntiqueToys.com requires a minimum of staff. Toys R Us requires an extensive staff. That said, on a per transaction basis things may even out. I’ll be generous and Give AntiqueToys.com a +1 advantage for being lean and mean 🙂 .

#9) Modern Materials– Modern materials will lower your manufacturing cost, lower your weight, and keep kids safe. Antique Toys are far from light, currently more expensive, and heavier to ship for buying and selling. Old toys hold up better about half the time and worse about the other half. Tin toys without primer fall apart; cast iron toys are lifetime collectibles. In general though, modern plastic toys rule for longevity and sturdiness. +1 for Modern toys.

#10) The Kids Reactions– Current kids love the current trends of modern toys and modern franchising. Old toys, though, hold their own for children under 5 (before the relentless advertising sinks in). It may be time to do more head-to-head matches! Believe it or not my youngest loves the pull trains more than her plastic toys (for today). My middle aged kid enjoys Japanese robots, then my oldest loves computer games the most now. I’ll just chalk this up to a draw for fun.

So where does this leave Toys R Us versus AntiqueToys.com? -We get slaughtered in competing with the young ones & selling toys. BUT…… If I quality this competition for just Adult kids we have a chance!

We know our customer service will be better, as will our packing too! My hope is that top notch collectors with historic tastes will continue to give classic toys a proper display and home. We will keep searching out exquisite, historic antique and vintage toys and appreciate all your support! For these reasons, AntiqueToys.com will continue the daunting task of competing with modern toys, with modern trends, and against modern juggernauts like Toys R US and their remastering, remolds, and reincarnations of old toys.

P.S. I’ve had questions like “Why Do it?” -The passion for the hobby; the people we meet; the world wide adventures; the networking of friends; finding that unexpected treasure!

Happy Toy Hunting!