Our Story . . .

I've been collecting corvette toys for about 45+ years...every since I was a young kid... I always had a fascination for these dream cars...my father was a real car buff...I always was fascinated when he could look at any car coming down the street and be able to rattle off right away...what type of car it was...who made it...what size engine, etc. To memorize "all" the cars like my dad had accomplished...was a bit too much for me as a youngster!  But, for some reason...the stream lines of the Corvettes...always stood out...so I concentrated my thoughts on them exclusively... and at a very young age...I was even able to amaze both my parents with all of my knowledge of the Corvettes.

I guess my fantasy started back when I was about 6 or 7 years old. And I became quite the entrepreneur... I canvassed the neighborhood looking for any sort of job I could handle... cutting grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow, whatever needed to be done...and would earn pennies, sometimes a nickel or a dime... and I would horde it away until it added up to be enough to buy a toy. I was a very hard worker...and when others would be out playing...I'd be working in someone's yard. When I saved up enough...my father would drive me to the 5 and 10 cent store to check out all the new toys... and I would look them all over... but if it wasn't a Vette...I didn't buy it! My family didn't have very much money when I was growing up, so pretty much anything I got...I earned. While other friends had rich folks who would buy them toys all the time...then they'd race their cars out in their gravel and dirt driveways, I chose to "display" mine...nice and shiny...still in their new boxes. I'd dust them off from time to time...but my odometers stayed with zero miles on them!   :)

Well, of course as I grew a little older...I was able to undertake bigger and better paying jobs for the neighbors...sometimes even made a shiny quarter from time to time! My collection grew and grew...so my dad built me some handsome shelves on the walls to display all my fine Corvettes.  By this time...I managed to get quite a reputation...as the Vette kid...and classmates and friends nicknamed me..."VET"...obviously they didn't even know how to spell "Vette"!  Funny thing was...sometimes people would call me by my real name...and I didn't even answer! Started going only by "VET"!  And many days after school...kids asked if they could come over to my house...just to see (I believe to Ahhhhhh) my collection!  Well, of course...what an awesome idea...I started charging pennies and nickels...just to take a look!  Guess what I did with those pennies and nickels...yep...another run to the toy store!!!   :)   As I neared my teenage years...my love for the Corvette was only fired up year after year with the next year’s new production and streamline models!  I remember to this day...my dad taking me to the Cleveland AutoRama... and I saw the unveiling of the new Corvette Stingray Prototype...

I knew that one day...no matter what...I would own one! 

By the time my eyes were set on the reality that 16 was rapidly approaching...and yes...I could start fantasizing about being "behind the wheel"...of a "full size model"... by this time...my love for the Corvette had turned into what some might call an obsession!  My dad had now built shelves all around our 2 car garage to house all the toys "on display"... and now I started calling it my "Corvette Museum"...and kids were now forking out bright new quarters...just for a look!   :)  

Of course...even thinking about the possibilities of a real full size Corvette...I had to do some major strategy planning...and I began washing and waxing neighbor's cars...and at age 16...I even employed other kids in the neighborhood to help wash the cars...of course...the Vette "fund" took priority!  Oh...driving myself...my mom's car at first...led me to expand my "Corvette Toy Search"...and I found myself spending literally hours driving to other towns to look at any stores that might have corvette toys in them.  If it was a Vette...and it was a toy...I bought it! No matter what!

And in 1971, at the age of 19, I managed to secure my first "full size" Corvette... a beautiful 1969 Red Corvette Stingray Convertible!  At a cost of $2,700, my payments were just $29 per month!  WOW...those were the days!

Of course, my love for the Corvette...if you can believe it...just continued to grow and grow!

By the time I got married at 28 years of age...I had what I called my "twins"... I had 2 1969 Corvette Stingrays! One red...with black interior...and...one black...with red interior!

But, let's skip all that...I continued my love and fascination for all the new and different corvette toys! Oh yes... still in the boxes...and all still in "Showroom" condition!  Now I lived in Florida...the Flea Market Capital of the World.....tons of corvette toys!!!  Yes...you get the picture...runnin' out of room!!! Not enough place to store the toys!!! Had to build a bigger house...oh yes...of course... a much bigger garage!!!  In 1985 my son "CJ", Chuck Jr. was born... a new reason to collect Corvette toys...for "his" future!  When he got to be about 5 or 6 years old...CJ decided he wanted to "PLAY" with the Vettes!!!  Whoa!!!  Remember..."Showroom Condition"?!?!  What now...SOLUTION... buy 2 or 3 of each model!!!  Oh yeah... you can see it commin' NEW BIGGER GARAGE!!!  :)  And now huge... padlocked (CJ proof) storage cabinets too!

I think it goes without saying...it was hereditary...CJ had the "bug" in his genes... and when he was old enough to cut the neighbor's grass...he was right out there mowing!!! And as the story goes... so did the collection keep growing!

And now...here we are at the present... the dawn of a new age... Stage 2... the decision...

and believe me...this was a long time coming and a very hard one to make... but remember the "good old days"...when I charged friends a penny or 2 to see the collection...well, Cj and I have decided to share our passion with others!  And thus ...born "CJ's Corvettes" ... a Mega Corvette Toy Store in Erie, Pennsylvania... where I was born...and the whole thing started!  CJ's Corvettes...is a real treat for the Corvette buff...like sensory overload! A display of thousands of corvette toys from yesteryear...and you guessed it...like new...still in their boxes!!!  Many items are rare and one of a kind items...40+ years old... a stroll through this place is like entering a Corvette Museum...only in miniature!  Everything is "For Sale"!

The whole idea here is to "share" the "joy of collecting" with other young folks...and of course...there's that kid in all of us too!  Tons of Adult die cast collectibles as well... all the "new stuff" out there too!  We call this place...the home of the "Ever Changing Inventory"! In other words...when something is sold... or just routinely...we add new and different items... so that each visit to the Corvette Toy Store...is like another new ...little bit of Heaven!  CJ and I wanted to create a place... where all the "I use to have" stories could be traded and talked about... and I think we have a good start at creating this place. One day...we hope that Corvette enthusiasts will join us from all over the world...just to reminisce and share their dreams.  Of course... a miniature Hot Wheels or Matchbox Corvette... is what dreams are made of...

Thanks for taking the time to visit!  Chuck