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How to Buy Old Aurora Monster Models

Prior to the 1960s, few companies manufactured monster toys for children, as production companies marketed horror movies primarily to adults. In the late 1950s, however, Universal Studios syndicated many of its classic monster movies to TV stations across the U.S., which spawned a horror-film fan base of millions of young people. In 1961, Aurora Plastics Corp. released the first commercial monster model kit--Frankenstein--and continued to produce models such as Wolf Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Godzilla and the Salem Witch for much of the decade. Today, these original kits can be difficult to track down and can fetch hundreds of dollars.

Instructions

- 1
  Attend antique toy expos and conventions. Some of the largest include New York City's Toy Fair, the Chicago Toy Show and the St. Louis Antique and Vintage Toy Show. Your town may also host an annual or semi-annual toy show. Check your local newspaper's events calendar or call area toy and antique stores for referrals.
- 2
  Go to comic book, horror and science fiction conventions. You can find an extensive comic book expo schedule at superherouniverse.com, a horror show schedule at fearshop.com and a science fiction schedule at scificonventions.com.
- 3
  Browse antique shops and flea markets. Sometimes you'll find exactly what you're looking for where you least expect it. Scour stores, flea markets and garage sales in your hometown and also when you're traveling out of town or out of state.
- 4
  Search auction sites such as eBay and shopgoodwill.org. Use the keywords "Aurora," "monster" and "model." If you're looking for a particular model, such as King Kong or the Bride of Frankenstein, include those keywords as well. Also search online vintage toy or model shops such as timewarptoys.com and oldmodelkits.com.
- 5
  Look on Craiglist. Try browsing under "Antiques," "Toys &Games" or "Collectibles," or doing a keyword search in the "For Sale" category. Don't limit yourself to your local Craigslist site; Craiglist has sites for hundreds of U.S. cities, towns and regions. You can also post a "Wanted" ad in Craigslist's "For Sale" section.

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