If you ever found yourself walking around a mall, missing the days of KB Toys, EB Games, Funcoland, and now even Toys R Us, then I think you’d enjoy The Mall Collectibles Show! Organized by Veteri Productions who also manages Toy Con NJ, the show is 2 days long and is held at the Brunswick Square Mall in East Brunswick, NJ. Admission is free and with dozens of vendors specializing in all sorts of vintage & modern collectibles, it’s great fun for you & the family, and built right into the mall!
More than just “toys”, you’ll find collectibles ranging from stuffed animals, statues, sports trading cards, video games and even comic books. There are carded toys, loose figures, and bins of blasts from the past! And, of course, there were several vendors who brought along their chase & exclusive Funko Pops, which are always a fan favorite.
Collectors of every kind gathered around each booth, trying to find that long lost collectible, whether it be that retro gaming system you had (or never had) or maybe a model kit you’ve always wanted to build since you were a kid. But regardless, I saw a lot of happy faces during this throwback weekend – even overhearing a son exclaim to his father: “Dad, look! Toys!”.
Tons of beautiful art prints were also available for sale, as well as celebrity-autographed photos like Ray Park as Darth Maul, Noah Wyle from Falling Skies, or Michael Biehn from Alien. And although there were no celebrity guests present at this show, there was one comic creator guest, Will Torres who is a self-published comic book artist known for his characters Killborg and Mr. Venture. All weekend long, Will was selling his books, original comic pages, and sketch covers, while accepting commissions for your own covers & even offering a free pencil sketch! I had a very special Batman cover drawn because 2019 is the 80th anniversary of Batman! (Be sure to scroll down for more and swipe through the photos & video at the end of this article…)
And because the show is spread out across the hallways of the mall, you can enjoy the many stores & dining options while you browse, and even watch a movie at the connected AMC Theater! Brunswick Square Mall also has an FYE, Barnes & Noble, and GameStop – which are all great places to find modern collectibles these days.
The Mall Collectibles Show is aiming for seasonal shows with quarterly appearances at the mall. This March 23-24 event was their second show, following their very successful January gathering. For more information on their next one, be sure to check out their website.
LesDudis 