Kpt KaveMann is known throughout the toy community as someone who knows their toys. A collector who runs a booth at Dunbar & Sons Antique Mall, KaveMann is seemingly always available to help other collectors by sharing his vast toy knowledge. Kpt KaveMann is also known for traveling around the country in the name of toys. These are “The Continued Adventures of Kpt KaveMann” and today’s adventure finds the KaveMann in downtown Austin, Texas at…
THE TEXAS TOY MUSEUM & ARCADE
Article by: Kpt KaveMann
@kavemanntoys & @homeofkavemann on Instagram
You can’t walk past the Texas Toy Museum and Arcade without at least taking a peek through the window. Any self respecting fan of vintage toys would be hard pressed not to step into the lobby. The Shogun Godzilla towering above a scene of chaos sucked me right in.
Owner and collector Caleb greets you at the front counter, offering a self guided tour that should take no less than an hour to browse (craft beer while you browse is another option). The first thing that strikes you is likely to be the MOTU display with a variety of figures, playsets, and vehicles choreographed in some form of battle.
If you turn 180° you’ll see a case of Marx figures on your right and Simpsons to the left. In between displays are arcade games and pinball on freeplay for the price of admission.
Just about every toyline is represented, including a few I hadn’t expected.
This museum is clearly a labor of love, put together by someone who has been tracking down toys longer than most of us. That alone you have to respect. The dioramas are like raw outsider art, one part graffiti, one part store display, a happy collision of the toys we love to see.
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Additionally, the black frames with strapped in figures boast a sense of freeze frame memory, a kind of fist pumping insistence on keeping our youth present. At first, it was bewildering to decide just where to go, but the beauty of it is you can carve your own path.
Just around the corner from the Garbage Pail Kids, a series of production sketches from the Heman cartoons covers the wall. There’s an Animaniacs cel, a signed photo of George Takei and Nichelle Nichols when Sulu went nuts on the Enterprise and a King of the Hill piece. This gives the space that museum layer. I asked Caleb if there might be anything I overlooked and he brought out a piece from an unproduced LJN D&D playset. He also has a case of antique Fisher Price toys on loan from a collector.
The machines! A nice selection of arcade consoles and pinball machines are on freeplay throughout the museum. I especially enjoyed playing the TMNT and Star Trek pinball machines. There’s also a bunch of kitbashed monitors playing commercials. A fun scavenger hunt card walks you through the collection.
Enjoy more scenes!
Oh did I mention you can shop there? I picked up this awesome Sectaurs storybook in the store.
One thing I loved about this experience is that it was up to me how to enjoy it. You can come back the same day and enjoy some more. There was some guidance for the novice but it was mostly just case upon case and dioramas packed with toys. There were fun juxtapositions like Chairy next to the Kraken and then there were unexpected displays like Big Jim climbing up the corner of a wall with vehicles floating on top.
You could also take a break and play a pinball machine or video game and the sound of all the machines playing gave it a great atmosphere. I highly recommend putting this on your bucket list. Also, if you have toys you don’t need this is where you can donate them (that’s a write off since they are a museum).
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The Texas Toy Museum is a museum, a bar, an arcade, and a store featuring curated displays featuring all of toy history, especially figures and toys from the 80’s and 90’s. Admission to the museum includes the free play arcades and they even have free parking in downtown Austin.
One of Austin’s top places to visit, they are located at 312 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701
Be sure to check out The Texas Toy Museum’s website and social media accounts for more information.
austintoymuseum.org Facebook Instagram
To learn more about KaveMann Toys & Collectibles in Limington, Maine check out thier profile HERE and be sure to follow Kpt KaveMann to keep up with Adventures.
@kavemanntoys & @homeofkavemann on Instagram