About this Book Series

The Author

Wayne A. Scheiner is the author, historian, and creative professional responsible for conceiving and developing The Toy Collectors Wish Book series. A Savannah College of Art and Design graduate, Wayne has over 25 years of skilled experience in areas ranging from music production to industrial manufacturing, printing, and graphic design. His passion for vintage toys and talented background in graphic design fueled his drive to author two books and over 40 Retro Toy Quest single-page reference guides, with more books on the way!

Using his photography and artistic skills, Wayne produces dramatic visual diorama images showcasing vintage toy lines that are the foundational anchor of each chapter. Extensive research and his passion for retro toys fuel his desire to tackle this uniquely ambitious project. His photographic guidebook series combines the classic holiday wishbook style with a modern collectors' guide. Wayne aims to provide educational content for nostalgia seekers and those looking to learn about the golden age of toys.

Wayne A. Scheiner 2024 Retro-Toy Convention, Greenville, SC

The Inspiration

Before the internet, retail catalogs were the only way for kids to learn about the new and exciting toys coming to a store near them. Seasonally, companies like Sears, JCPenney, and Montgomery Ward would mail their holiday "Wish Book" catalogs to residential homes. The retailers often hired photographers who set up elaborate displays, resulting in beautiful diorama images showcasing the toys and enticing children's interest. Kids spend hours studying the pages, staring at the toys, and working on their holiday wish lists, hoping a few items will make it into their homes and under the Christmas tree that year. The appropriately named "Wish Book" title says it all.

The Toy Collectors Wish Book series is inspired by and pays homage to these classic holiday wish book catalogs and toy pack-in brochures many of us fondly remember from our youth.

Pages from the 1982 & 1983 Sears Holiday Wish Book

The Beginning

Wayne A. Scheiner started the Retro Toy Quest Museum of Vintage Toys in the fall of 2018 as a series of high-resolution images posted on social media. The popularity of the posts, featuring photos of classic toys from the '70s and '80s, led to the creation of the Retro Toy Quest Museum. Initially conceived as a traditional, physical museum before the 2020 pandemic, Retro Toy Quest evolved into a virtual, online experience. The website switched gears to a single-page printed format, quickly becoming popular, attracting collectors and nostalgia seekers, and creating a demand for more detailed content.

Retro Toy Quest Single-page Reference Guides

After a few years of promoting his work online and at conventions, the project quickly began to evolve. As the popularity of Wayne's content grew, the request to turn his work, research, and content into a book format became a reality in the fall of 2022. In November that year, Wayne began developing the publication project, originally intended to be a magazine-style format. As the project progressed, it became evident that the format was taking a life of its own, becoming a volume series of educational guidebooks.

Retro-Toy Con 2022 Greenville, SC & Toylanta 2023 Atlanta, GA

Behind the Scenes

When chapter production finally begins, it usually starts with the dramatic hero diorama image, which takes roughly one to two weeks to achieve, photograph, and produce. With several different terrain platforms pre-set up at all times in his in-house photography studio, he combines his photography, design, and extensive Photoshop skills to create a life-like visual diorama in a single image. Known as Wayne's Retro Toy Quest hero image, his work creating this fun and eye-catching dioramic scene has become the foundational anchor of each chapter. "It's just a great way to play with all these wonderful toys while sharing my passion for graphic arts, photography, and documenting the history of vintage toys for everyone to enjoy!"

Behind-the-scenes of Wayne Scheiner's Photography Studio

The Kickstarter

The debut Kickstarter campaign performed very well right out of the gate. During the five weeks, the campaign was live, we were able to gauge public interest, confirming the world was ready for this new innovative concept of creatively documenting in detail the golden age of Toys!