London’s Toy and Collectibles Expo came to Centennial Hall this past Sunday. For only five dollars, visitors gained access to nearly a hundred different vendors. With collectibles ranging from vinyl records to hockey cards to comic books to action figures, every vendor had their own story.
Among them, first-timer Mark Thain showed off his own unique creations. He makes sculptures based off old toys with his own twist of horror. Unlike other collectibles at the Expo, Thain thinks of his sculptures as something more fun and enjoyable than a typical collectible.
“If you look around at all the other vendors that are selling toys, they keep theirs in the box, and they’re pristine, and they’re selling them as collectible items. The first thing that I do when I get a toy, even if it’s a brand new toy in a box, I open the box and then I break the toy. I take it into as many pieces as I can, and then I start seeing how I can put it together in a different fashion,” Thain says.
Thain finds that he can embrace his passion at events like this because he can share what he loves with the public. “I really enjoy it, because even if people aren’t buying pieces, I’ll stand and talk to somebody for two hours if they want to stand and talk about this stuff and the creative process.”
If you missed out on last Sunday’s event, the Collectibles Expo will be back at Centennial Hall on October 14th.
