20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Say hello Newport's new retro toy and skate shop ‘Toy Army'
'Toy Army' located near the bottom of Stow Hill is a nerdy nostalgia paradise.
For fans of Thundercats, The A Team, Star Wars, Transformers and Pokémon the shop is teeming with throwback figurines and toy sets.
The exterior of Toy Army Newport (Image: NQ) The shop also stocks retro games consoles like the Atari and Nintendo N64 alongside a range of different skating good including boards and clothing.
Memorabilia from the 1970s to 1990's is the shops main focus so for anyone who grew up during that time it's like stepping back into your childhood.
52-year-old Steve Reynolds helps run the shop.
Steve explained how he got into collecting retro toys.
Steve Reynolds toy collector and trader at Toy Army (Image: NQ) 'I've been in the business for 20 thirty years and I've been in toy shops and collecting toys for 40, to 50 years.
'My mother started me off with my first toy at about six months old and when I moved out my mother bought all my old toys down and that just reignited my passion for collecting.'
He added: 'It's one of those things when you start collecting as a kid, you just get into it and basically, it's like a drug you're ruined for life.
'It's one of the hardest things you collect toys for yourself, and someone comes in asking for a toy and your like oooh have I got one of them in my collection?'
A vintage Japanese Transformers set (Image: NQ) Some of the items Steve trades in are so rare he doesn't see them again.
Steve said: 'There's toys I've sold over the years that are gone, and I've never replaced, and I'm still looking for them.'
Steve let us know what's been flying off the shelves.
Skateboards up for sale in Toy Army (Image: NQ) 'The biggest thing at the moment is Pokémon and Starwars is always popular.
'Because of my age I'm more into the 70's toys, the most expensive thing we have stocked is a £300 limited edition Japanese Transformers set.
The business has been open for around three weeks and is looking to welcome more customers.
