Focusing on items that trigger nostalgia of the 1970s to ’90s, Laur began in adulthood to collect the toys he admired in his youth. He explained that as a child, he only had one G.I. Joe and some secondhand toys from rummage sales.

“I grew up very poor,” Laur said. “We always had love in our family, which was the most important part, but … when my wife and I started our family, it’s like, you know, it’d be really cool to collect some of the toys I always wanted as a kid to be able to share with my kid.”

He cleaned and fixed up the old Nintendo that had been at his parents’ house, then began to hunt in earnest at rummage sales for other old Nintendos and video games.

“And I found I could fix them and then sell the ones I already had to then pay for the ones I wanted to keep, which is why my wife allowed me to keep doing it,” Laur said with a good-natured smile.

Action figures, toys, records and more form a little slice of nerdvana at Mancave Dave's booth at a past vendor show. (Courtesy photo)

“I started a cheesy YouTube channel documenting the video games and things I would find, with my first post being on July 8, 2012.”

It was in another video just a few days later that he began using the name “Mancave Dave.”

He was a hobbyist for a while, growing his collection and selling doubles. One big step that took things to the next level came in 2022, when Laur formed an LLC and also organized the first BAY-CON at Bay College.

Since getting into the business, Laur, who describes himself as a people person, has found that he really enjoys the connections people make with one another when they find something that sparks happy memories and youthful excitement.

“With so much negativity in the world, it’s fun to be able to put focus on building a positive thing, which is regardless of what our beliefs are or political affiliation,” he said. “It’s a chance for people just to come together over a shared interest, rather than focusing on things that could divide us.”

This collectible of Tarman from "Return of the Living Dead" is a variant of the Supercool Collective Bigheadz that is exclusive to Mancave Dave of Gladstone. (Courtesy photo)

BAY-CON was the first show that Mancave Dave sold at, but it led to many more.

“We also did the Green Bay Collectorabilia Con as well as GeekU.P. Con at Michigan Tech that year. I fell in love with the convention atmosphere and connecting with so many others who enjoyed the same nostalgia I did,” Laur said. “We started doing more shows and more shows. And weirdly enough, my inventory didn’t go down. It just kept amassing.”

The stock includes action figures like He-Man and G.I. Joe, LEGO both sealed and unsealed, vinyl records, old horror movies (“especially on VHS,” Laur added), Fisher-Price Little People, and other toys and memorabilia for ’80s cartoons like “Care Bears” and “My Little Pony” and “Rainbow Brite.” Visitors to the new storefront will notice Halloween blow-mold decor in the window — also collectible.

At the end of last year, Mancave Dave was excited to announce the acquisition of a run of a Supercool Collective Bigheadz model exclusive to the Gladstone-based vendor. The figure is of Tarman from “Return of the Living Dead,” and this limited collectible — with 250 of the model made — is a variant with blue bones. Mancave Dave has been selling them since December and is the only retailer to carry them.

The first time he said, “I need a store,” it was jokingly, Laur recalled. But then he started talking to some of his vendor friends about what it would take to open a store, and everyone was supportive. Some people even assumed Mancave Dave already had a store.

Dave Laur, collector and trader operating as "Mancave Dave," stands with his wares at Collectorabilia in Green Bay. (Courtesy photo)

“One of the things I really like about this community is while there’s competition, it’s more like coopertition; we’re all helping each other out,” Laur said.

He looked at a place in Escanaba but ended up settling on a building in Gladstone right on Delta Avenue — number 1017, which most recently housed Old Glory Firearms before they moved next door to 1023.

“Real estate is very desirable right now, and so we were fortunate to find this one that was in our price range … it’s perfect for what we want to do,” Laur said.

After closing the sale Aug. 1, Mancave Dave has made a few changes to the place that is becoming the new store. The walls are now painted vivid green, purple and blue with yellow trim. Fluorescent lights have been replaced with more energy-efficient LEDs.

The tiles, though unchanged except for being freshly stripped and waxed, have a couple geometric patterns that incidentally are reminiscent of a pixelated Space Invaders — as if chosen for Mancave Dave.

One corner of the store will be dedicated to vinyl records. Laur intends to call it “The Record Rack” — a nod to the former Escanaba business, which gave him their blessing, Laur said.

At the back of the store will be a couple tables that will be used for live game play of Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop and role-playing games.

Laur’s sons are 9 and 13, and they’re part of the reason he’s looking forward to opening this place up just a bike ride away from the family’s home. The kids, their friends and others in the community will soon have a safe place for them to gather with groups and play.

Since Laur works full-time at Bay College, he’s thinking the place will be open some evenings and weekends. Hours, staffing, and the details of the game nights and perhaps leagues might be have yet to be figured out.

In addition to continuing the buy-sell-trade model Mancave Dave has enjoyed at shows over the last few years, the brick-and-mortar store will probably have some additional offerings.

“We’re in conversations with some distributors to find out about actually having new stuff come in, too, and not just buying stuff from folks,” Laur explained.

Once the space is filled with racks and shelves and merchandise, with the walls clad in posters and records and art and other memorabilia — some signed by artists or voice actors, some for sale, some not — Mancave Dave expects to open doors to the public before the end of the year.

The next confirmed show the trader will attend is Collectorabilia at the Resch Center in Green Bay, a massive event occurring the Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

People can stay tuned to Mancave Dave’s updates by checking out https://www.facebook.com/mancavedave906.

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R. R. Branstrom can be reached at 906-786-2021 ext. 140 or rbranstrom@dailypress.net.