There's a verse in I Corinthians about putting away childish things once you become an adult. But let's face it...toys are nostalgic, and we still pause a minute if we see something that catches our eyes, even if we have no intention of making a purchase.

TOY COLLECTOR ALERT, DEAD AHEAD

I'll admit to doing that. When I was a kid, I collected Hot Wheels and Matchbox Cars. I still have the ones that were my favorites when I stopped. I was about 12 years old and Mom suggested I save the ones I liked. So I did.

Dave Spencer/Townsquare Media
Dave Spencer/Townsquare Media
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Of course, I'm no longer lining them up on the carpet or string Hot Wheels tracks all over the house, but the memories are always fun.

My sister is no different. She hit the jackpot at Consumer Mall one day when she found a duplicate of a doll she's had for nearly 60 years. And now "Tammy" has a sister named "Janice."

Dave Spencer/Townsquare Media
Dave Spencer/Townsquare Media
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TOYS ARE HOT-TICKET ITEMS AMONG COLLECTORS

I was at Consumer Mall a few months ago--I hadn't been in years--and was amazed at their collection of small scale replica toy cars. There were more than just Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. And I just stood there gazing.

According to LifeStorage.com, toys are among the top ten most sought-after items by serious collectors--something a great many of us wish we'd known when we were kids, right? But what kid ISN'T going to open the box?

THE WORD HAS SPREAD ABOUT THE TOYS AT CONSUMER MALL

It seems word of Consumer Mall's toy collection has spread far beyond the Daviess County line. This woman drove 300 miles after learning about it and was floored when she got here.

@reelmisfits Antique mall with EPIC toy section! (Consumer Mall in Owensboro,KY) #strangerthings #antiquemall #thrifting #toystore #toystory #funko #retrogaming #retro #comics #geekingout #movies ♬ Kids - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein

And this is not unheard of. This guy, who I only know as Nerd Talk (the name of his YouTube channel), is a vintage toy collector. I don't know where he's from, but I don't think it's Owensboro.

Avid gamer RetroWolf88 was RetroHeaven when he discovered Consumer Mall.

(By the way, I don't want to alarm you, but we can now get nostalgic about VIDEO GAME CONSOLES.)

KIDS, DON'T OPEN THOSE BOXES...YEAH, RIGHT

As I've immersed myself in some research into toy collecting, I could kick myself. I've already mentioned my childhood love of die-cast metal cars. My other two diversions of choice when I was a kid? Comic books and action figures, both of which will net you BIG bucks if you've taken care of them...which, of course, I didn't.

If only we'd had YouTube back then, I would've gotten a valuable education from collector Scott Neitlich.

I guess it's never too late to start, although I've just begun looking into ANOTHER hobby (I've never been a big "hobby" guy, so this is a development).

Still, it's very cool that my hometown has a niche opportunity for collectors from hundreds of miles away. I might just continue to keep track of it...

...while I'm setting up my Hot Wheels track in the carport. (Wink, wink)

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