Today, Blue Milk has announced it will publish Retro Toy Quest's The Toy Collectors Wish Book series of books celebrating the toys of the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and more.
Created by Wayne A. Scheiner, The Toy Collectors Wish Book covers a variety of retro toy lines—from the obscure to those based on summer blockbusters—with each chapter thematically dressed in a beautiful hero image, product photos with a detailed parts and accessory breakdowns, and stories told through the lens of the pop culture events of the time.
The first volume has launched on crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, starting from $30 for early bird backers.
“I wanted to recreate the feeling of nostalgia (for readers) that I had when I was growing up, flipping through a catalog from one of the ‘big’ department stores, and checking off the action figures on my wishlist,” says Scheiner.
Scheiner, a Savannah College of Art and Design graduate, started Retro Toy Quest by designing reference guides as a resource to help toy collectors track the small parts and accessories included with their action figures. According to Scheiner, “the feedback for the reference prints was overwhelmingly positive and inspired the idea for the book series.”
Blue Milk will publish the book. “We’re excited to help Wayne tell history through toys,” says Blue Milk’s D. Martin Myatt. “Many of the smaller toy lines in the book are often overshadowed by those with an iconic brand name, but the smaller lines contributing to that golden age of action figures are the ones rich in the pop culture of the era,” Myatt adds.
The Kickstarter campaign for Toy Collectors Wish Book offers an assortment of backer rewards for project supporters, including a folio with 20 of Scheiner’s action figure reference guides. In addition to the rewards, the campaign’s stretch goals unlock more content and additional volumes in the book series.
“By leveraging Blue Milk’s publishing experience, we’re able to offer a premium book at an affordable price, for all to enjoy,” Scheiner says. “We want The Toy Collectors Wish Book series to be a go-to reference guide for research, an aspirational wish list for personal collections or a ‘collection in a book’ for those who love the toys but lack the space.”
Book Specs:
- Softcover or limited numbered hardcover in an 8.5 x 11 inch (21.5 x 28 cm) format with thick, premium 128 gsm glossy pages
- Professionally designed layout with beautiful hero images and easy-to-use reference guide with detailed parts & accessory photos
- Approximately 130 pages
- Additional content and The Toy Collectors Wish Book volumes two and three are unlockable through stretch goals
- November / December 2023 delivery
You can back Toy Collectors Wish Book through its Kickstarter campaign, now.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/toycollectorwishbook/the-toy-collectors-wish-book
About Blue Milk:
Started by passionate toy and entertainment industry professionals, Blue Milk provides fans with high-quality publications paying tribute to some of the most collected toy brands in pop culture.
About Retro Toy Quest:
Founded by Wayne A. Scheiner, Retro Toy Quest catalogs and archives vintage toys for educational purposes and historical preservation. The Retro Toy Quest flagship action figure reference guides have sold thousands of prints worldwide, and the forthcoming Toy Collectors Wish Book series launches holiday 2023.