Toys are not just for children - as CIARAN KELLY found out in a place which sells everything from vintage Action Men to Thundercats swords.

WEEKS after Christmas, thousands of children across Gwent are now fully acquainted with their new toys.

From the immense anticipation the night before to the gleeful unwrapping on Christmas morning, lifelong memories will have been made.

Indeed, one of my earliest memories is waking up on Christmas morning in the hope that Father Christmas had delivered an Action Man figure, complete with parachute.

It is a memory that sticks with me to this day – a more innocent time before gadgets and bank balances took precedence.

Yet, beyond nostalgia, children’s toys can prove a lucrative business. In fact, current toys, whether it is the Elsa doll from Frozen or the Transformers Stomp and Chomp Grimlock, are likely to appreciate in value in the coming years.

As a result, lucrative vintage toys are something that traditional auctioneers have started to take seriously. For example, in October 2013, a vinyl-cloaked Jawa Star Wars figure - described as the ‘Holy Grail’ for collectors - sold for £10,200.

Clearly, the lucrative toy market does not just cater for children and Steve Reynolds, 42, meets these needs with his retro toy shop, Toy Army, in Newport Market.

The shop was set up in 2000 and sells a variety of items, including videos, DVDs, consoles, and action figures.

As I arrive at Toy Army on a seasonally chilly afternoon, I’m quickly struck by the dozens of Action Men on display. It takes me right back, even if some seem quite gaunt and unnerving compared to nostalgic memory.

Ironically, though, these figures are worth more as they are from the 1970s and 1980s. With the lack of accessories and facial features, I’m still not convinced.

Selling off these rare figures has laid the foundations for a sustainable business for Mr Reynolds and he was voted the best market trader by Voice Magazine earlier this year. He also handles the arcade across from his compact shop in Newport Market.

Clearly, there is going to be a lot to do and I quickly realise that Mr Reynolds, essentially, has two jobs to do at once: to serve and advise his customers in the shop; and to provide change for the machines in the arcade.

The two areas may only be a few metres apart, but I decide to play it safe and let Mr Reynolds man the shop while I go and empty the penny falls machine.

Initially, I’m tempted to ask Mr Reynolds if penny falls machines are rigged but for fear of making a bad first impression, or ruining my faith in humanity, I decide to get on with the task at hand.

Although I had imagined that the coins would, essentially, spray out as they were emptied, they are simply stored in a wooden box locked away under the machine.

Mr Reynolds said that the arcade has been a great avenue for his business

He said: “If an arcade machine broke 15 or 16 years ago, there was no internet and it was very hard to get the parts to fix it. Essentially, it was sent to the tip but now, if something breaks, you can just Google it.

“Every morning, I turn on the machines and give them a rub with the cloth. I always do it with bated breath, as it costs a lot to fix them otherwise.

“I love old consoles, like the Atari and SNES, so it was a follow-on from that really. I like tinkering with things.”

Called over to the shop, I’m quickly struck by the hundreds of figures on offer, whether it’s Action Man, Star Wars, or even a selection of wrestlers.

Originally, Toy Army was pencilled to open for just two weeks but it has continued to expand over the years and I’m soon sent over to the DVD shelf to make sure everything is in order.

Although the DVDs are not the shop’s biggest sellers, they play an important role in attracting customers into the shop as the portable shelf is set up just outside the premises.

Mr Reynolds said that although there is a niche for retro toys, it would not be possible to function as a self-employed business without other avenues.

He said: “It’s basically a hobby, as I’m a baker by trade but just loved collecting toys, whether it was Evil Knievel or the Six Million Dollar Man.

“I just love it as it’s stuff that you do not see anymore. People just drop in and it’s like a museum now. Our best form of advertising is that people will pass by and say to themselves, ‘I’ve got that in the attic. I better bring it in.’ People like to reminisce and talk about it.

“More comes in that way. I could go to several car boot sales over the weekend and only find one thing.”

He added: “Being self-employed is unpredictable and not for the faint hearted. It can put people off, but rather than looking at what’s earned per day, I tend to look at it monthly or yearly. I’ve embraced it.

“I started off with videos and then moved onto DVDs and they bring people into the shop. The more things you can do, the better. If it was just a retro toy shop, I would have gone out of business years ago.”

Witnessing Mr Reynolds’ passion in talking about his business, and given how I was already enthusiastic about the chance to work alongside him, my ‘shift’ at the toy shop goes incredibly fast.

Learning that a sealed Thundercats sword was recently bought off Mr Reynolds by a solicitor for £1,000, I quickly realise that not only can it be a lucrative business, it’s one that appeals to all ages and all professions.

There is a certain magic to retro toys, with a chance to be sent back to a simpler time.

While some customers will opt for Ebay, there remains a thirst to replicate that sense of adventure that children have upon visiting a toy shop.

As this reporter can testify, Toy Army certainly delivers on that.