It’s Saturday morning, you’ve sat down with a bowl of cereal ready to watch a morning full of cartoons, the next thing you know you’re an adult remembering those simpler times. 

For many in attendance of the Lethbridge Toy Show and Sale at the Sandman Hotel on March 22, capturing that nostalgia of youth is what they are trying to do. 

That chase, the hunt for finding that piece of memorabilia that completes a collection or is just that something that sparks a memory or fulfills a childhood desire, that’s what a show like this offers. 

Local artist Mark Neville, creator of BumblebeeTuna Studio a Lethbridge based comic book and art studio is the first person you see when walking through the doors of the Sandman’s convention hall. 

His table of merch is adorned with art to entice as well as produce that feeling of nostalgia, showcasing his art inspired by 1980’s and 1990’s television and movie properties. 

Neville finds himself at events like this often as both customer and vendor, seeing a large overlap in people looking for vintage toys and those that enjoy art based on nostalgia properties.  

“I love coming to these events, even if I don’t sell anything today there is always enough people that grab my card or start following me on social media that end up ordering a print or even commissioning a piece,” Neville says talking about why he enjoys partaking in the show.  

With over 65 vendors in the Sandman Hotel’s convention floor and basement there was so much pop culture to take in, beyond art and vintage toys, but also cosplayers, crafters and vendors selling delicious treats. 

Owner of Lil’ Frostbites Janelle Harris is at the show with her kids selling their freeze-dried goods says how vending at markets like this is something that they love, getting to interact with people and introduce them to freeze-dried candy for the first time. 

“We started this as a project to teach my kids about economics and budgeting, running a little business, and it ended up being a lot of fun, we just love interacting with all the people,” Harris said about what got her starting to come to events like this. 

This was a change in location for the Lethbridge Toy Show, typically hosted in the Rocky Mountain Turf Club Event Centre.  

This was a new venue with a new approach to advertising the event beyond social media, having added a roadside sign advertising the event right outside the Sandman Hotel, the new home for the show.  

To find out more about events like this and the next Lethbridge Toy Show and Sale check out their Instagram at lethbridgetoyshow.