ANSONIA – Ansonia’s inaugural vintage toy show raised $2,450 to buy new children’s books at the Ansonia Library.
The toy show was held on Dec. 1 and featured more than 20 vendors bringing everything from He-Man toys, to Care Bears, to old VHS tapes for sale. The proceeds from admissions fees, vendors’ fees, and sales are all intended for the Children’s Room at the library.
The Ansonia Board of Aldermen approved the funds transfer at its regular meeting on Jan. 14. Jennifer Shuart, the director of the Children’s Room, said she made a wishlist of books to use the money on.
That wishlist includes new entries in the “Dog Man” series by Dav Pilkey (also known for his “Big Nate” and “Captain Underpants” series), and a variety of children’s books on scientific topics such as space.
Library staff and high school volunteers manned a table at the toy show, selling buttons and temporary tattoos to attendees.
“We gave a good number of buttons away, and a number of tattoos were given (toward the end of the show),” Shuart said. “So everybody was happy. Nobody can complain about free buttons and free tattoos.”
Sellers included Rhode Island vintage video game vendor Justin Wanamaker, Shelton pop art shop Weirdo Wonderland, and even the City of Ansonia itself – whose staff sold tapes from a “surprisingly extensive VHS collection,” according to corporation counsel John Marini.
Marini said the city’s collection, from “Conan the Barbarian” to old Westerns and Christmas classics, came from decades of donations. The tapes were first offered to the Ansonia Senior Center, he said, but they didn’t want the now-obsolete technology.
“Like a lot of relics of the past, they go for a surprisingly substantial amount on the resale market, so we figured we’d make it part of the offerings at the show,” Marini said.
Also featured was a surprise appearance from retired professional wrestler and Stamford native Mario Mancini.
Marini said vintage toy shows have become more popular in Connecticut in recent years. Just two weeks before the Ansonia toy show, many of the same vendors could be found in the northern half of the state, at the most recent installment of the Manchester Comic and Toys Convention.
He said the city is considering bringing the toy show back around for a second round sometime this year.
In total, the toy show brought in $2,862 in revenue. The city took out $411.76 to cover the expenses to put on the show, giving the remaining $2,450 to the library.