Friday Toy Hunt Adventure: Thunderbirds, FAB Magazines and a £1 Treasure!

An Early Start for a Day of Discovery

There is something magical about setting off early on a toy-hunting adventure. The anticipation, the possibility that somewhere amongst the boxes and tables could be a forgotten treasure waiting to be discovered.

Today started bright and early with an 8:30am departure as my son and I headed off to a local car boot sale in South Shields. Armed with plenty of enthusiasm and a keen eye for collectibles, we were ready to see what the day would bring.

As it turned out, quite a lot!

The First Finds of the Day

Within the first couple of rows, my son struck gold.

Amongst a pile of magazines were several editions of FAB Magazine, the official publication of the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society. These magazines were originally only available to society members, making them a fantastic find for any Anderson fan.

The best part?

The whole bundle cost only around £1.

Not content with that success, he also uncovered several Call of Duty titles across the PSP and other gaming formats, all picked up for just a few pounds. For a young collector, that’s exactly the sort of discovery that makes getting up early worthwhile.

A Thunderbirds Bargain

Meanwhile, I was having a bit of luck myself.

One of the highlights of the morning was a remote-control Thunderbirds submarine. As a lifelong admirer of Gerry Anderson’s creations, finding anything Thunderbirds-related always puts a smile on my face.

The price?

Just £1.

You simply can’t argue with that.

The Mandalorian Joins the Collection

Another bargain appeared in the form of The Mandalorian Monopoly.

Monopoly variants are always popular collectibles, particularly when linked to a beloved franchise, and this one was sitting patiently waiting for a new home.

Cost: 50p.

At that price, it would have been rude not to rescue it.

An A-Team Surprise

One of my favourite finds of the day was a superb set of The A-Team VHS tapes.

Not just a single tape, but a fantastic trilogy of vintage releases from the 1980s.

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about seeing original VHS artwork lined up on a shelf. Streaming services may be convenient, but they simply cannot compete with the visual appeal of those classic oversized video boxes.

These will make a wonderful addition to our growing A-Team collection.

I love it when collectibles are not only interesting but also display beautifully.

The Dinosaur Charity Shop

After the car boot sale, our adventure continued with a tour of several local charity shops.

One of our regular stops is what we affectionately call “The Dinosaur Charity Shop.” It earned its nickname because it used to sit next door to a local dinosaur figure and games shop before that business moved to Gateshead.

The nickname has stuck ever since.

Inside, we discovered even more gaming bargains, including several military and Call of Duty-style computer games, all available for just a couple of pounds each.

A Very Doctor Who Tea Break

The standout charity shop find was something wonderfully quirky.

A Doctor Who electronic mug.

This wasn’t just any mug. When placed down, it lights up, speaks and spins the tea inside.

It’s exactly the sort of unusual licensed merchandise that makes collecting so much fun.

You never know what oddity is going to appear on a shelf waiting to be discovered.

As Doctor Who fans, we couldn’t leave that behind.

Final Thoughts

When all was said and done, we spent around £20 in total. For less than the cost of a family takeaway, we’d managed to rescue a pile of Gerry Anderson history, recruit The Mandalorian to our Monopoly collection, add more A-Team goodness to the shelves and acquire a mug that appears to have a mind of its own.

For that modest amount we came home with:

• Rare FAB Gerry Anderson magazines

• Multiple Call of Duty games

• A remote-control Thunderbirds submarine

• The Mandalorian Monopoly

• Vintage A-Team VHS tapes

• A talking and spinning Doctor Who mug

• Several additional gaming finds

Not bad for a morning’s work.

More importantly, though, it was another great day spent hunting for treasures with my son and finishing off with a madatiry bacon sandwich & mug of tea.

The finds themselves are wonderful, but the memories made searching through boxes, spotting hidden gems and sharing the excitement of discovery are what make these adventures truly special.

Until the next toy hunt…

Happy collecting!