Astoria's 'Museum Of Nostalgia' Opening Shop For Vintage Toys

ASTORIA, QUEENS — For Phebe Taylor and Jeff Zappala, amassing vintage toys has been a yearslong passion, causing the couple to fill their Astoria apartment with floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with obscure collectibles.

But turning that obsession into a business had only scarcely occurred to them until last year, when a friend encouraged them to apply for the HGTV show "Cash in the Attic" — where collectors are urged to sell off their items for a bit of extra dough.

They were selected, and their ensuing episode "freed up a couple thousand dollars," Zappala told Patch. Calling their enterprise the "Museum of Nostalgia," they decided to try selling toys at pop-up markets, making their first appearance in December 2021 at the holiday market on Astoria's 31st Avenue Open Street.

The reception they got there, and later at the Queens Night Market, "really showed us there's a lot of interest in vintage collectibles and toy collecting in New York City," Zappala said.

So the couple began to think seriously about another idle dream: opening their own storefront shop and museum.

"We kind of thought, 'Heck, we could keep on going with this idea of having our own spot,'" Taylor recalled.

That will become a reality early next year, when the Museum of Nostalgia opens its doors at 31-27 31st St., replacing the flower shop Petals & Roots in a ground-level space below the N train tracks. Astorians will get a first taste of what's to come on Sunday, Dec. 18, when Taylor and Zappala host a pop-up in the space from around 1-5 p.m.

Taylor and Zappala envision the space as part toy store, part showroom. One of its main benefits will be providing a worthy home for the tens of thousands of prized toys that are now languishing in the couple's living room, sourced from thrift shops and auctions and running the gamut from vintage Care Bears to Pokémon to Transformers.

One corner of the shop will be "set up as an old-school '70s basement," with a television running old commercials and snippets from classic TV shows on a loop, Taylor said. They hope to add videogame consoles like Sega Genesis and Atari, open to any nostalgic gamers who stop in.

"The goal is not just toys," said Taylor.

Zappala, a public school teacher, and Taylor, a licensed sightseeing guide and theater educator, both hope to keep their day jobs in some form once they open the museum.

As they work to renovate the space in keeping with their retro vision, Taylor and Zappala said they're eager to hear from neighbors with suggestions for the shop or its products.

In a turbulent world, Taylor said she hopes the museum will give visitors a sense of nostalgic comfort.

"A place where people can come and be like, 'Oh, I remember when everything was perfect. Because I had Castle Grayskull.'"

Learn more about the Museum of Nostalgia on its website and Instagram.