Sponsored Content

Forget Squishmallows – a world of vintage toys and collectables will burst open in the Bay of Plenty when Toytopia debuts October 10 at Tauranga Racecourse.

Toytopia will offer old and young alike more than 100 vendor tables packed with hard-to-find retro toys and collectables that defined the 1980s, 1990s and early-2000s for a full day.

“People will see wall-to-wall vintage toys, action figures, dolls, trading cards, retro gaming, comics and pop culture memorabilia spanning 40 years,” Toytopia organiser Melody Wehipeihana said.

Think Star Wars, Sega Master Systems, Power Rangers, Barbies, Glo Bugs, Care Bears and much, much more!

“It will offer true, vintage retro toys that will make collectors lose their minds, instantly transport adults back to their childhoods, and capture the spirits of kids today,” said Wehipeihana.

The Minden entrepreneur – who founded vintage toy and collectibles business Melody Likes in May 2024 – brought Toytopia to life because Tauranga hasn’t seen anything like it.

“There’s been a huge boom in the last five years – more so the last two – worldwide and in New Zealand of people reconnecting with their childhoods and the toys that brought them joy,” she said.

“We haven’t had a large-scale vintage toy or collectibles event here,” Wehipeihana said. “Until now!”

Tauranga has an incredible collecting community, she said.

“They’ve been travelling to Auckland for events like this for years. It was time to give them their own.”

Vendors would include first-timers through to roving regulars.

“One vendor unlocked storage units packed with decades of toys that have never seen the light of day and is bringing the lot to Toytopia.”

Wehipeihana said Melody Likes will have a 10-table stall, one of the largest at the event, stocked with rare vintage toys sourced internationally.

The event’s timing was not accidental, she said.

“The Toy Association named Throwback Toys as one of five defining global trends for 2026, as adults and young people alike turn to toys from past decades for comfort, identity and connection.

“Globally, adult toy buyers represent a $43 billion market growing at nearly 12% annually. The appetite is there!”

Wehipeihana designed Toytopia to be a place for families, couples and friends of all ages to enjoy a day out, inside the world of retro toys.

“It’s a place where parents can return to their childhoods and share the magic with their own children and families.”

Beyond the shopping floor, the event will feature a Chill Zone where visitors can eat and drink – food vendors will be on-site – but also sit down and look at their hauls.

A Colour Hub will boast a KID-ult colouring competition for all ages, and a massive, blank Wonder Wall – with prompts – for people to doodle.

“I want Toytopia to be interactive so not only can people purchase retro items, but it takes them back to that time in their lives with the joy of colouring.”

Every 30 minutes throughout the event ticketholders will win giveaways donated by sponsors Foxton Fizz and Melody Likes.

For the hard-core, a VIP Cherry Picker ticket for $30 will give a person exclusive access a full hour early before general admission at 10am.

“VIP Cherry Picker ticketholders receive a loot bag with exclusive merchandise valued at more than $65. Only 50 of these tickets will be sold.”

General admission at 10am is $15 per adult, $5 per teen aged 13-18, and under-12s gain free entry. See: toytopia.co.nz for tickets and more information.

Thanks to Wehipeihana, The Weekend Sun has two VIP Cherry Picker tickets to give away to two lucky readers who can tell us the name of her business?

Enter online at www.sunlive.co.nz under the Competitions tab. Entries must be in by Tuesday, September 29.