Joel Magee

Joel Magee of the Antique Toy Roadshow is dedicated to buying old, vintage toys, particularly dolls, Red Line Hot Wheels, robots, comic books, Pez dispensers, Star Wars action figures, space toys, science fiction toys, and Barbies. In fact, Mr. Magee is so keen on finding old toys that he travels around the country, hosting road shows free of admission to the general public. At these free road shows, guests are invited to bring as many toys as they can carry in their arms for appraisal by Mr. Magee. And, unlike other appraisers, Joel Magee is connected to a network of 20,000 buyers, which often leads to a quick purchase of valued antique toys.

At the road show, Joel Magee generally looks for toys from the 1970s and earlier, and he is currently interested in Coca-Cola collectibles. The original Ponytail Barbie from 1959 is another valuable item, as it can go for as much as $2,000, if it is in mint condition and in original packaging. Antique toys from the 1920s and earlier are popular as well. The Antique Toy Roadshow is always interested in cap guns, especially those related to Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, or other Western heroes, and lunch boxes from the 1960s. Attendees at the Antique Toy Roadshow generally wait in short lines, with the average wait time set at 20 minutes.

Joel Magee initially became interested in antique toys as a child growing up in Sioux Falls, Iowa, where the long winters were conducive to playing indoors with toys. He later turned his attention to rummage sales, garage sales, and antique shops, where he found old toys and met other collectors. Mr. Magee turned his passion into a career when he established his business in 1996.