WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Joe Villella of Wilkes-Barre says there are some upsides to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"I have a lot more time on my hands right now. I'm cleaning the house, and I'm coming across a lot of things that I haven't seen for, like 25, 30 years," explained Villella.
That includes things like antique board games. They are what's brought him to a conference room inside the Courtyard Hotel in Wilkes-Barre Township to see if folks from the FX Vintage Toy Roadshow think they might be of any interest to collectors.
Unfortunately, they didn't think so, but he says it's not a total loss because it's given him more room inside his home.
"Start with a two by two spot and then go to two by three spot and then go to a two by four spot and then make it a four by four mountain, just keep moving from there," said Villella.
While some people brought toys, they had forgotten about until this pandemic. Others brought items that have been sitting on their shelves for decades.
"A little original Shirley Temple pin. She's an ideal brand, which was everyone else that made Shirley Temple dolls, they were a knockoff, so this is the original," explained Christina Rex of Buck Township.
Even though there was interest from the roadshow team, Christina Rex and her mother couldn't part with the doll from 1934, but they were happy for the reason to get out of the house for the day.
"I couldn't see watching her Shirley Temple doll away, but it was a very interesting experience. Everybody was very nice inside," added Rex. "But as you could see, she's not in mint condition. But she is in our heart. So, bye-bye, everybody, the Newswatch 16 viewing area, from Shirley Temple!"
We want to point out that the last interview in the story, Christina Rex, is the daughter of long-time Newswatch 16 anchor John Glawe. You may remember him as the host of Dialing for Dollars here on WNEP.
