A new shop selling retro, collectable and modern toys has opened its doors in Newcastle-under-Lyme with people travelling from miles outside the Potteries to visit.

Jon Twigg, from Wolstanton, has been trading collectable and rare toys for the last decade online and at toy fairs - now setting up a new base on Bridge Street in Newcastle town centre. 

Jon, who also works in telecommunications insurance, is hoping to open Droids vs Dinosaurs full-time from October. The current opening times are Thursday-Saturday 10am-5pm. 

Jon said: "My collection grew and grew and it has taken off in the last five years and since Covid hit, collecting went huge. 

Droids vs Dinosaurs opened last Saturday. (Nub News)

"It's dropped off a little since then but it is still a thriving market. 

"And 70 to 80 per cent of stuff here is what I grew up with and then there is more modern stuff. A lot of the toy companies have kind of latched on to the fact there's a big nostalgia thing going on. 

"Because people want the vintage, pretty much anything from back in the day, in the modern format. 

"I've always worked full time and done this on the side, a bit of a side hustle, as everyone calls it now, but I'm in the process of going full-time with this. 

"From October, the shop will be open on Tuesday and Wednesday as well."

Inside Droids vs Dinosaurs on Bridge Street in Newcastle. (Nub News)

One of the main advantages for Jon in opening a physical Droids vs Dinosaurs shop in the town centre is people are able to visit to trade in their old toys as well as browse the nostalgic selection on offer. 

The shop has already had toy collectors travelling from outside the Potteries coming to browse the store and Jon says there has been a good response to the opening of Droids vs Dinosaurs in the town. 

Jon added: "We've never really had a dedicated toy shop in Newcastle back when I was growing up. 

"You had Woolworths and things like that. But certainly, last 20 years, there's been nothing that's catered for this kind of market for me. 

"One of the main things about opening the shop is getting people to come in to trade their stuff into us. 

"I've got quite a wide network of people through trading anyway, so I knew people from that world would be pleased for me and excited and I get people travelling from outside the area as well because that's what collectors do.

"We travel because they want to see the best stuff and locally it seems to have gathered a bit of traction, which is good. I've had plenty of people coming in."

Droids vs Dinosaurs, on Bridge Street in Newcastle, is open Thursday-Saturday 10am-5pm.