Curiosity Classics

21/09/2026

🎃 SPOOKY SEASON IS ALMOST UPON US… AND WE MAY HAVE GOT A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY. 👻

Apparently, some shops celebrate Halloween by putting a few plastic pumpkins in the window.

Curiosity Classics has taken a slightly different approach.

We've basically filled the place with things that look capable of murdering you after closing time. 😂

And frankly, we're rather pleased with ourselves.

The horror collection is coming out, the masks are appearing and some deeply questionable characters are beginning to take up residence around the shop.

We've got Beetlejuice, Sandworms, Slimer, Wednesday, Pennywise, Michael Myers, Billy from Saw, Art the Clown and various other individuals who probably wouldn't pass an enhanced DBS check.

🎈🔪👻

And yes, some of those masks are wearable.

Which means at some point somebody at Curiosity Classics has had to stand in front of a mirror wearing Pennywise and think:

“Yep. This is a perfectly normal Tuesday at work.”

😂

But here's the thing...

THIS ISN'T OUR HALLOWEEN DISPLAY.

Not even close.

What you're seeing at the moment is us warming up.

Because this year we've decided that simply decorating the shop window for Halloween would be far too sensible.

We've got a plan.

We've been buying things.

Large things.

Several parcels have arrived that have caused people to ask questions.

There have been discussions involving electrics.

There have been discussions involving lighting.

There have been discussions which probably shouldn't have included the sentence:

“Do you think that's going to be too much?”

The answer, obviously, was:

“No. Get another one.”

We aren't showing you the finished idea yet.

But we can tell you that our Halloween window this year is going to be slightly ridiculous.

Actually, scratch that.

We're going ALL OUT.

There will be characters.

There will be atmosphere.

There will be things happening in that window that really shouldn't be happening in a perfectly respectable shop in Great Harwood.

And there is a very real possibility that when it's finished we'll stand outside, look at it and think:

“We've massively overdone this.”

Which means it'll be about right. 😂

So consider these photos your first little taste of Halloween at Curiosity Classics 2026.

We'll reveal more soon...

But for now, we're keeping the main attraction under wraps. 👀

🎃 Something wicked this way comes.

And knowing us, it'll probably require an extension lead.

22/08/2026

Apologies, but due to staff illness, the shop is closed today.

13/08/2026

🚨 PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: APPARENTLY WE’RE EXPENSIVE 🚨

We’ve noticed a few angry faces and comments recently suggesting that some of our prices are a little… optimistic. 😂

So, in the interests of transparency, we thought we’d explain our highly sophisticated pricing system.

Contrary to popular belief, we don’t stand behind the counter, throw a dart at a calculator and then add £200 because Mickey Mouse is on it.

Nor do we consult Mystic Meg.

And despite rumours, there isn’t a button on the till marked “COLLECTOR — ADD 50%.”

What we actually do is considerably more boring.

We research what an item is actually selling for, compare prices with other established retailers and dealers, take condition, completeness, rarity and packaging into account and, wherever realistically possible, aim to price around 10% below comparable retail examples.

Notice we said selling for.

Not:

“My mate Dave got one at a car boot in 2007 for twelve quid.”

Not:

“There’s one on Facebook Marketplace for £20.”

And definitely not:

“I had one of those when I was seven, therefore it cannot possibly be worth £150.” 😂

Vintage collectibles are a funny old market. Two toys that look identical from six feet away can have very different values because one has the box, accessories, instructions or a particular variation that collectors spend years looking for.

Some things are worth £10.

Some are worth £100.

Some are worth considerably more.

And occasionally we buy something, start researching it and mutter:

“Bloody hell… THAT’S worth how much?!”

We also know we’re not going to be the cheapest place on Earth for every single item. Somewhere, somebody will always have one cheaper. That’s the internet.

If you think we’ve genuinely got something wrong, though, tell us.

Seriously.

Send us a comparable example and we’ll happily have another look. We buy thousands of different items and we’re quite capable of making a mistake.

What we won’t do is compare a complete, boxed collectible in excellent condition with something Dave found in his loft that’s missing three wheels, an arm and most of its paint.

That’s not quite the same thing. 😁

And of course, nobody is ever obliged to buy anything.

Looking is free.

Reminiscing is free.

Telling us “I HAD THAT!” is actively encouraged.

And wandering around the shop for an hour before leaving with something completely different from what you came in for appears to be compulsory.

❤️ Angry reactions are also free, although unfortunately they don’t activate an automatic discount.

We checked.

Twice.

Curiosity Classics
Selling old toys, strange things and apparently occasional outrage. 😂

11/08/2026

👻 WHO YA GONNA CALL? PROBABLY YOUR BANK MANAGER.

We’ve been having another rummage around Curiosity Classics, and apparently the theme today is things your mum absolutely would not have let you keep in your bedroom.

First up: Ghostbusters. And not just a couple of figures either. We’ve got the firehouse, Ecto-1, a small army of vintage figures and enough ghosts to make the containment unit look understaffed.

Then there’s Slimer.

Not normal little action-figure Slimer.

Massive, horrifying, looming-over-you-from-the-wall Slimer.

The sort of Slimer where you walk into the shop, look up and immediately reconsider that second bacon butty. 😳

And because apparently Ghostbusters wasn’t enough nightmare fuel for one post, lurking nearby we have Chucky, The Bride of Chucky and a Jedi who appears to have taken a wrong turn somewhere around Dagobah and ended up working security at Curiosity Classics.

The Ghostbusters display is one of those brilliant collections where you start off saying:

“Oh! I remember him…”

Then…

“Bloody hell, I had that one!”

Then…

“How much is the Firehouse?”

And finally…

“I’m just going to message the wife and tell her I’ll be late.”

This is exactly why we love this stuff. Proper toys, proper nostalgia and the occasional enormous green ghost staring down at you while you shop.

👻 Ghostbusters figures, vehicles, playsets and assorted paranormal oddities in stock.

⚠️ WARNING: Visiting Curiosity Classics may result in spontaneous childhood flashbacks, reckless financial decisions and spending 45 minutes explaining to your partner why an Ecto-1 is technically an investment.

And remember…

We came. We saw. We kicked its ass.

Well… mostly.

Slimer’s still on the wall. 😂

10/08/2026

🚀🍌🐻 NEW(ISH) STOCK. OLD TOYS. QUESTIONABLE FINANCIAL DECISIONS.

We've been having another rummage around Curiosity Classics, and apparently our stock-buying policy remains unchanged:

“Do we actually need it?”
“No.”
“Is it cool?”
“Yes.”
“Buy it.”

And today's selection is a particularly random trip through British childhood…

🎮 Nintendo Donkey Kong Game & Watch – Multi Screen

The proper orange, flip-open, double-screen Donkey Kong.

Long before 4K graphics, online multiplayer and 200GB updates, Nintendo managed to keep an entire generation entertained with a couple of LCD screens and a bloke jumping over barrels.

And somehow it was brilliant.

Ours is working, too.

If you had one of these as a kid, you'll also remember the scientifically proven technique of pressing JUMP increasingly hard when things started going wrong.

It didn't help.

But we all did it.

🚀 THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!

We've also got the magnificent Matchbox Tracy Island playset.

For anyone growing up in the 1990s, this was basically the Holy Grail of Christmas presents.

Parents searched everywhere for them. Shops sold out. Blue Peter famously showed everyone how to make one from papier-mâché, yoghurt pots and toilet-roll tubes.

Some children got the Matchbox version.

Others got a cereal box with a swimming pool painted on it.

Character building.

😂

We've also got Thunderbird 1, Thunderbird 2 and Thunderbird 3, so you can recreate International Rescue properly while shouting “FAB!” at people who have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

🐻 AND THEN THERE'S PADDINGTON…

This one is a bit special.

He's an early 1970s Gabrielle Designs Paddington Bear, complete with those all-important Dunlop wellington boots.

Not a modern reproduction. Not something that's spent six months on a supermarket shelf.

This is one of the classic early Gabrielle Designs bears from the period when Paddington became a seriously successful character in toy form.

Duffle coat ✔️
Floppy hat ✔️
Red Dunlop wellies ✔️
Slightly concerned expression suggesting he's seen our bookkeeping ✔️

He's currently £100.

And because we know some of you enjoy knowing completely unnecessary information about old toys almost as much as we do…

🏆 CURIOSITY CLASSICS BRAGGING RIGHTS COMPETITION

Gabrielle Designs was founded by Shirley Clarkson.

But here's the question:

❓ WHO IS HER VERY FAMOUS SON?

NO GOOGLING. 👀

Stick your answer in the comments.

No prize.

No trophy.

No £50 voucher.

Absolutely nothing whatsoever, in fact.

Just the warm, smug satisfaction of knowing something that everybody else didn't.

And frankly, isn't that what Facebook was invented for?

😂

So today's completely coherent stock selection consists of:

Donkey Kong. Thunderbirds. Paddington Bear.

Nintendo, International Rescue and a marmalade-obsessed immigrant from Peru.

You won't get that combination in Smyths.

Come and have a rummage at Curiosity Classics.

⚠️ Usual warning: entering the shop may result in uncontrolled pointing, childhood flashbacks and repeatedly shouting:

“I HAD ONE OF THOSE!”

09/08/2026

🐭 DISNEY HAS ARRIVED… AND APPARENTLY WE NEED TO HAVE A WORD ABOUT MICKEY.

More new stock has landed at Curiosity Classics, and this time the Mouse is involved.

We’ve got a fantastic boxed Walt Disney World Railroad train set, along with the additional boxed track set. Proper gloriously over-the-top Disney stuff.

Because putting a little Mickey ornament on the mantelpiece is for amateurs.

Why have an ornament when you can have an entire railway? 🚂😂

But the new arrivals have reminded us about something else…

Those enormous Mickey, Goofy and Pluto figures we’ve had in the shop for a while?

People keep walking past them without realising quite what they are.

They’re Peter Mook Disney collectibles — and they’re considerably rarer than your average Disney Store figure.

Mook’s large-scale Disney sculptures were produced as licensed collector/display pieces, with various characters appearing across different ranges and sizes. The big pieces are particularly impressive — and finding examples today, especially the larger characters, isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence.

And we’ve got three of them standing here together.

🐭 Mickey Mouse — arms open, presumably saying “How have I been stood here this long and none of you lot knew what I was?”

🤷‍♂️ Goofy — equally rare, although judging by his expression, this information has come as a surprise to him too.

🐶 Pluto — absolutely enormous, on all fours and looking like he’s about to lick your face before knocking over £600 worth of stock with his backside.

They’re not new.

They’ve been here all along.

Which means some of you have wandered into Curiosity Classics, looked directly at three pretty scarce Peter Mook Disney pieces and thought:

“Oh look. Big Mickey.”

Philistines. 😂

These are exactly the sort of collectibles we love having in the shop — unusual, increasingly difficult to find and just obscure enough that people who know, KNOW.

And for everybody else…

Now you know.

Meanwhile, the newly arrived Walt Disney World Railroad is boxed, wonderfully excessive and comes with an additional boxed track set.

So you could display the Peter Mook figures tastefully…

…or build a railway around them.

We know which option Walt would have chosen. 🚂🐭

All available at Curiosity Classics.

Pop in for a look — particularly if you’ve walked past Mickey three times already without appreciating him.

He remembers.

08/08/2026

🚨 NEW STOCK: FRAGGLE ROCK, SUPER TED & ONE VERY INAPPROPRIATE EXPLORER… 🚨

After yesterday’s Star Trek post, we thought we’d restore a little dignity to the shop.

That plan lasted about 30 seconds.

We’ve had a cracking collection of vintage puppets and plush arrive, including Fraggle Rock favourites, SuperTed and Spit the Dog — some complete with original tags and packaging.

There’s Gobo, Wembley, Red, Mokey, Boober, a small gathering of Doozers, Sprocket looking like he’s had a heavy night, and enough 1980s nostalgia to make your knees hurt just looking at it.

Then there’s Travelling Matt.

Matt has spent years exploring Outer Space, sending postcards home and learning about the strange habits of Silly Creatures.

Unfortunately, judging by this photograph, he looks like he should be on some sort of register…….

Yes, Matt. We can all see it.

Put your dressing gown back on. There are children present. 😳

Elsewhere, SuperTed has arrived and, beneath the removable furry suit, is still rocking the legendary red-and-yellow superhero outfit. Because apparently a teddy bear changing clothes in a phone box was perfectly reasonable children’s television in the 1980s.

And finally, we have an original Spit the Dog hand puppet with his Kennel Lane box — looking every bit as unhinged as we remember him.

Proper nostalgic stuff.
Proper collectible stuff.
And at least one item that may require a small strategically placed black rectangle before Facebook approves the advert.

All available at Curiosity Classics.

Come and have a look.

Just knock quietly on Matt’s dressing-room door first. 😂

07/08/2026

🚀 Public Service Announcement 🚀

Yesterday we may have suggested that if you couldn't find anything on our Star Wars wall... you might actually be a Star Trek fan.

So... this one's for the Trekkies. 🖖

We've just added a fantastic selection of Playmates Warp Collection figures, including:

🟡 Captain Kirk
🟡 Mr Spock (young and original)
🟡 Sulu
🟡 Scotty
🟡 Chekov
🟡 Nero

All carded, all looking ready to boldly go where your disposable income has gone before.

Before anyone says it...

"It's not Star Wars!"

We know.

One has lightsabers and family arguments...

The other has phasers and diplomatic meetings that somehow still end in a fist fight.

We're equal opportunities geeks here at Curiosity Classics.

Whether you prefer "May the Force be with you" or "Live long and prosper," we've got something that'll look suspiciously good on your shelf.

Just don't ask us to settle the Star Wars vs Star Trek debate...
..because we all know the real winner is Ghostbusters. 👻

🖖 Live long, prosper... and try not to spend your dilithium crystals all in one place.

06/08/2026

🎥 Curiosity Classics – Shop Walkaround

Welcome back to Curiosity Classics... the only shop where you come in for "five minutes" and leave wondering where your wages went.

We've rearranged the shop again. Not because we had to... just because we enjoy confusing the regulars.

Straight ahead we've got enough Ghostbusters collectibles to deal with any paranormal emergency. Actual ghosts? No problem. People asking if we've got Funko Pops? That's a different story.

Next up is the legendary Thunderbirds Tracy Island. If you owned one in the '90s, congratulations... you've accidentally discovered your childhood is now an investment portfolio.

We've also got Disney dolls, The Wombles, vintage toys, and enough nostalgia to make you wonder why your parents ever let you sell anything at a car boot sale.

Now, let's head to the window...

Keeping watch is everyone's favourite gluttonous ghost, Slimer, looking like he's just eaten three pizzas, two burgers and the bloke from the kebab shop.

Standing beside him is a full-size 1:1 replica of Kreacher from Harry Potter. Nothing says "welcome to Curiosity Classics" quite like a giant green ghost and an angry house-elf silently judging every passer-by.

Around them you'll find everything from Batman and Harry Potter to retro gaming and classic computers. Basically, it's a shrine to poor financial decisions.

Moving inside...

We've got Gremlins... and just a reminder—don't feed them after midnight. More importantly, don't let your other half see the receipt.

Then there's Batman, The Matrix, Terminator, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Alien, Predator, RoboCop, Back to the Future, and enough movie memorabilia to keep you "just browsing" for the next hour.

Now here's something special...

This incredible NECA Beetlejuice Dante's Inferno Diorama recreates the famous Dante's Inferno wh******se from Adam Maitland's model village in the original film. It's absolutely packed with detail, complete with the giant demon entrance... and it's probably the only time you can proudly tell visitors you've got a tiny brothel on display in your living room.

If horror's more your thing, we've got Chucky, Annabelle, The Exorcist, King Kong, Alien, and enough creepy collectibles that if they all came to life at once... I'd just hand them the keys and let them run the shop.

Our Star Wars section is rapidly becoming its own postcode. Vintage figures, Black Series, Hot Toys, Lego... if you can't find something you like here, you might actually be a Star Trek fan. We won't judge... much.

Finally, we've got display cabinets packed with signed memorabilia, retro gaming, Nintendo, Sonic, Game Boys, movie props and all those things that make grown adults say...

"I used to have one of those..."
..followed immediately by...

*"HOW MUCH?!"

So if you love films, TV, retro gaming, horror, sci-fi, toys or just fancy wandering around one of the most unusual shops you'll find...

Come and visit Curiosity Classics.

Just don't tell yourself you're "only having a look."

We've heard that one before.

See you soon! 👻🎬🕹️

17/07/2026