Remember all those awesome, rad toys you played with in the 1980s? Don’t worry, Mark Bellomo has you covered. As an author and TV producer for topics concerning those toys, he seems like he never really has to research a topic as much as he just scans his brain. He remembers all the toys you forgot and reminds you of the ones you once had. For triggering his audience in a good way, Mark Bellomo is inducted into the Pop Culture Hall of Fame as a Historian for 2023.
You might be most familiar with him for his appearances on such shows as Netflix’s The Toys That Made Us, Amazon Prime’s Batteries Not Included, and YouTube’s The Collectible Spectacle. You will feel any or all of nostalgia, regret for losing a toy, a sudden urge to raid your parents’ attic to see if that toy is still up there, and a sudden urge to reacquire every toy you owned (and especially the ones you missed out on).
Interestingly, he is almost an equal advocate for keeping toys in their packages (or at least preserving the extras that come with an action figure) as he is for busting them open and playing with them. In his youth toys gained popularity and value because kids ripped open that box or blister card and had a heck of a good time. But also, at least carefully clip out the file card from the back of that G.I.Joe figure and file it in a box with the others for posterity. There are no wrong answers regarding how to enjoy your toys according to Bellomo.
His wishlist on Facebook Marketplace might as well be yours. So many 1980s favorites. And so many forgotten toys that you now can’t live without. And that’s what’s so great about keeping tabs on Bellomo. You will recover memories that you forgot as well as somehow discover things you missed as a kid. It’s joyous and can also be expensive if you start shopping.
He’s written books for fans and collectors of so many toy lines of the era. Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, Mego, all your favorites. His reach extends to other decades, offering a nostalgic wink along with sound valuations for many toy lines. And he’s been a producer for A Toy Store Near You and The Toys That Made Us. You may have seen him on Collection Intervention as well.
Mark Bellom seems to enjoy opening hs mind vault for all of us to dig through and explore. For sharing his memories and expertise, he is hereby inductted into the Pop Culture Hall of Fame.
Will there be another toys and prices book,I have the 20th. edition,2015