‘Just things’

The endless and expensive collection filling Costa’s Just Things, 575 San Mateo Ave., is an extension of the merchant’s penchant for tracking down and preserving rare mid-century treasures.

“I don’t like to go hunting, fishing or play golf,” said the 88-year-old Costa. “I buy stuff.”

Over time, his approach yielded an awesome stockpile of vintage playthings such as showcases packed with thousands of die-cast matchbox cars, a stock room brimming with complete Lionel model train sets, a showroom offering board games, figurines and nearly anything else imaginably coveted by a youngster circa 1950.

The South San Francisco native turned Burlingame resident was raised when luxuries were rare — yet today Costa stands in the sweeping building he owns with a treasure chest likely inconceivable as a boy.

“I am Depression baby. I didn’t have toys,” he said. “Now I have them all.”

While most of his goods were once created to entertain children, Costa noted he is not a toy seller, and points to the hefty price tag hung on some of his most rare items as proof.

Some of the original Hot Wheels cars he offers sell for as much as $450 per piece and prices run as high as $55,000 for a pristinely preserved pedal fire truck which he purchased in pieces from a garage sale and constructed himself.

He constantly monitors the latest trade publications as a barometer to verify the sense of value he has trained over the years, while never discounting his intuition.

Costa puts his cents behind his sense, purchasing entire warehouses of goods solely for the opportunity to acquire only a few desirable items — while keeping true to the simplest mantra.

“I buy things I know I can sell,” said Costa.

That method serves Costa in his professional and personal life, as his passion for accumulating expensive goodies extends beyond store hours.

As a classic auto aficionado, Costa owns an extensive line of old and valuable cars, including five Corvettes, plus a Jaguar, Thunderbird and Ferrari which he claims was first bought by rock great Rod Stewart.

With the collection comes an outsized reputation on the classic car circuit, as Costa for years produced auto shows up and down the Peninsula, including the now-defunct San Mateo Rod and Custom Show.

His standing endures, as Costa can quickly present from his cluttered desk a recently-printed trade magazine featuring on the cover an article on the “Costa ’41,” the Ford model he built and recently sold.

With status comes an endless string of inquiries, as he is frequently fielding calls from those with business proposals — and while not all bear fruit, some are ripe with opportunity.

Such as the cold call he recently received from a 92-year-old owner of a warehouse stockpiled with vintage toys which Costa was invited to browse, so long as he was willing to meet the owner at the hospital and drive him to the trove.

Long retired from full-time work himself, Costa said he has no immediate plans of slowing down.

“I’ll keep working until I get old,” said Costa, from the depths of his 6,000-square-foot building with a storefront facing San Bruno’s tranquil central shopping district.

Over the years, the car fanatic has pumped the brakes on the lengths to which he’ll go to unearth a diamond in the rough, as Costa is more inclined to comfortably shop online than sort through garage or estate sales.

If he senses an opportunity though, Costa said he will occasionally swing by a yard sale for old times’ sake — so long as he can park one of his stylish rides in front.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105