“[My] dad collected guns, knives, watches, coins, stamps, cars,” Neinast said. “You name it, he collected it.”
Neinast began collecting when a neighborhood friend showed him several “Star Wars” toys. Neinast mentioned the toys to his father, who showed him the films, and that began a lifelong passion, he said.
The backstory
Neinast opened Dallas Vintage Toys in 2007 and said he sells “anything and everything” collectible from the 1970s to the present. However, Neinast got his start when he was 12 after borrowing enough money from his father to buy a lot of toys and set up a booth at a comic-con event.
“That was when comic-cons were awesome, and it was one day,” Neinast said. “No T-shirts, no popcorn, no selling mixed nuts for whatever and no celebrities. It was all just basically about the toys.”
Dallas Vintage Toys has moved several times since opening and moved to its current location in 2020 in northeast Dallas.
Neinast said during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of his friends and colleagues in the film industry were out of work, so they helped him set up many of the props, such as Castle Greyskull from the “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” cartoon, that are featured in his shop.
What’s special about it?
The store owner said he collects “a little bit of everything,” adding he is knowledgable about several different collectibles, not just toys.
“I’ve had prototypes; I’ve had high-end stuff, but I just kind of like the history,” Neinast said. “We’ve got to deal with people that worked at Mattel and Kenner and other toy companies, and just owning a part of history is what’s kind of cool.”
His expertise in the toy industry has led to several appearances in movies and television shows, Neinast said, which has earned him a bit of a celebrity status.
“I’ve been doing things for so long that people fly in and they just want a picture of me,” Neinast said. “I’m just doing what I’ve done my whole life.”
Most recently, he appeared on several news networks and morning shows, such as “Good Morning, Texas”; USA Today; and ESPN.
Quote of note
“We buy, sell, trade; we offer layaway; there’s no excuse for you not to get the toy that you want or deserve,” Neinast said. “Everyone here collects. If they didn't collect when they first started, they’re hooked to the plastic now.”
Dallas Vintage Toys
12021 Plano Road, Ste. 190, Dallas
214-827-7060
www.dallasvintagetoys.com
