'Pawn Stars' expert hosts vintage toy show in Tempe

TEMPE, Ariz. (FOX 10) - America's toy scout, Joel Magee, is the newest expert on the popular show "Pawn Stars."

"People just have a passion for collecting stuff and once you get one, you're hooked," he said.

Originally from Phoenix, Joel and the Pawn Stars typically travel all over the country looking for rare collectibles, art, memorabilia, jewelry and more.

His "treasure hunting" led him back to the Valley where he is hosting a vintage toy buying show in Tempe this week.

"We're looking for toys generally from the 1980s and older because what happens is kids as adults don't want their toys as children," he said. "It's kind of like Christmas to me. I mean you never know what you're going to find. We just have people bring out all the stuff that's been hiding in their attic and closets for all these years and give them new life."

People made a stop in Tempe at the Fairfield Inn off South Priest Drive to see what their vintage items were worth and some even swapped out their collectibles for cash.

"I brought in some clowns that I've picked up over the last 10 years," Craig Wilson said. "I wasn't planning to get anything. I wanted to have them judged and evaluated and I was offered, I think a very fair price for all of the hard work that I did garage-sailing in the mornings."

Joel says the most popular vintage items that he's seen so far are some of America's favorites.

"All kinds of wrapped toys, robots, wind-up toys, trains," he said. "The list is absolutely endless."