The toy market organized this Sunday in Feytiat in Haute-Vienne follows the market trend. Collectors present their most beautiful pieces, namely those from the 1980s that have become cult.
It always has a little effect for the most nostalgic among us. In the aisles of the toy fair organized this Sunday, October 27, in Feytiat in Haute-Vienne, the throats tighten a little among those whose Proust madeleine is reduced to a character, a small car, a doll.
Goldorak Go !
The return to childhood, an inestimable refuge, is at the heart of a juicy market. The target, currently made up of thirty- and forty-year-olds previously fed up with sci-fi films and manga cartoons, was well there for the Haut-Vienne event, which brings together 1,500 to 2,000 visitors each year.
Among the 100 exhibitors – professionals and passionate collectors – Joël, from Toulouse, makes no mistake. Its stand is a sensation with its large toys of the hero Grendizer dressed in his kitsch red, black and yellow costume. 450 euros each. “It’s the toy in its European version. The one from Japan is not there. It's worth a small fortune. Around 1,500 euros,” slips the collector-fan behind his display. If you have Grendizer in its original box in your attic, its value is multiplied by three.
Young parents stop in front of Joël's stand, and their children too. A little girl recognizes the character whose adventures have been playing over and over on TV since the first broadcasts at Club Dorothée. “Toys from the 1980s are frankly cult,” comments Philippe Audonnet, organizer of the event, president of the Circle of Old Toy Lovers of Feytiat. They bring parents and their children together. Series, cartoons and films have fueled this trend.
The Lego® brand has signed a contract with the Stars Wars teams to be able to exclusively reproduce the characters and ships from the films. As a result, the brand is trendy and their vintage products are very popular. »
Philippe Audonnet (President of the Feytiat toy exchange)
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The same goes for Barbie®. Greta Gerwig's film released in 2023 has boosted sales and strengthened the value of dolls on the antique market.
Mattel®, Playmobil®, Lego®, brands of toys sold en masse in the 1980s. Chantal, a volunteer at the solidarity shop Le petit arlequin of Secours Populaire 87, based in Beaubreuil, stops at a Playmobil® stand.
Scouting for Secours Populaire
“I look at the value of toys. In the five years that I have been at the store, I have seen collectors browsing among families in need. Our sales, open to all, attract them, because we receive many donations of old toys brought by individuals. »
The small Playmobil® sold in bulk are sometimes overpriced by the charity, which is starting to sort it out. The Little Harlequin teams are currently reconstructing a Playmobil® brand fortified castle which can easily be resold for 50 euros for the benefit of Secours Populaire. Chantal also scrutinizes the prices of small animal figurines from the German brand Schleich®, which are also very popular. “The idea is to avoid putting small animals worth 50 cents in the same bag with those that can be worth 5 euros each. »
Majorette® small cars celebrate their 60th anniversary
The prices of small cars from the French brand Majorette® can also easily rise. Léo, 19, from Brignac-la-Plaine in Corrèze, runs the stand. “I sell all the duplicates I have. It's a good year, as the brand celebrates its 60th anniversary. I started my collection five years ago, by collecting my father's cars, abandoned in a box at my grandparents' house. The most expensive models are the rarest, such as those which were used for promotional operations. I recently bought two for 150 euros. »
And which Majorette® cars are gaining popularity? Those that were made in the 1980s…
Aline Combrouze
Photos: Christophe Péan
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