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How does someone get into buying and selling diecast toys?
For Michael Long, co-owner of J&M Antiques, his inspiration came from an unexpected place.
"The Pixar movie Cars, that's what started it all," Long said.
After more than 15 years, Long's still on the road, traveling from show to show selling his collectibles. That's what brought him to the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Sunday as the state hosted its annual diecast toy show.
"I do a few flea markets, but I fill the trailer half with antiques and collectibles and half with toys. You get a wide variety of people's tastes for those shows," Long said.
The show celebrated its 11th anniversary with dozens of vendors from across the Midwest, selling all sorts of classic metal toys and other retro memorabilia. For many of the buyers and sellers, those toys are like a look back in time.
"There's stories that people relate to the equipment of the toy versions that we sell. And so, somebody will come in, and they'll look at a tractor and be like, 'Hey, my uncle had that piece on his farm,' " said Tracy Johnson, host of the Iowa Diecast Toy Show.
And while some of those toys might be getting older, that doesn't mean that interest in them has faded. Show organizers said that they saw record-high attendance in 2023—specifically, more kids came through than ever before.
"It's just interesting to hear the stories that people associate from their childhood and growing up, and it's something that they want to pass on to their kids," Johnson said.
And for the vendors like Long, who've made a career out of these metal cars, tractors and more, seeing old friends at shows across the Midwest never gets old.
"It's got a lot of people in it. That's what I mean, that's what keeps me going," Long said.
Plans are already underway for next year's show, which should take place during the first weekend of January.