We recently connected with Amy Linskey and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

A major risk I have taken was opening my public Instagram account showcasing my 80’s toy collection. When people find out that you collect nostalgic things from your childhood such as toys, they can be very
judgmental, and look at you sideways. Let’s just say it, they think you’re weird.
I originally started it so I can have a reference to look at because when your collection is tucked away in
bins in the basement, you start to forget what you have, and if my page sparked a little joyful nostalgia
along the way for someone who needed it, that’s great!

After a few weeks, I noticed that people were finding my page and commenting on how my posts
reminded them of moments from their childhood that they hadn’t thought about in years. They found so
much joy seeing the various items in my collection. Some people were sharing personal stories of a not-
so-great childhood and how their toys gave them some much needed joy. Others would share how their
mom, grandma or important person in their life bought them a certain toy they would see on my page, and
how special those people were to them. I loved hearing these special stories. I was truly honored that
they wanted to share them with me.

I started connecting with my growing follower base. We all had this nostalgic connection that transcended
race and religion. We all had Strawberry Shortcake, Barbie, and Care Bears. I then posted an old video
about the Cabbage Patch Kid craze of Christmas 1983 and asked people to share their memories or wild
story from that time, and then my page really blew up. I laughed so very hard at the crazy stories and
shared them with everyone that followed my page. One person recalled someone taking the doll right out
of her grandma’s arms at the store, and her grandma punched the person in the face and took it right
back! Another grandma flew to Texas to get her granddaughter a Cabbage Patch Kid for Christmas and
she bought the doll a seat on the plane on the way home to ensure its safe placement under the tree.

Surprisingly, this risk of possibly embarrassing myself paid off. I found my people. I have so many great
friends just from starting this Instagram page. Worried people would think I was weird, I ended up bringing
some much-needed joyful nostalgia to many people. It’s all about making a special connection with
others, while sharing/doing what makes you happy.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

May name is Amy, I am an only child of the 80s with a mom that suffered from severe depression, and an unmedicated father that suffered with paranoid schizophrenia. They met as patients in the psychiatric
ward of the hospital in their late 20’s. My dad still held a job, and my mom slept a lot from her medication.

Luckily, I was very independent from a young age with a huge imagination. My toys were my only
playmates at times, but I grew up in a wonderful neighborhood with lots of friends who had stay at home
moms, so it wasn’t lonely all the time. I am particularly attached to the toys I played with from age 5 to 10.
I believe it’s because that was a time period where I didn’t realize my parents had anything wrong with
them. Total innocence. My parents were very good to me. I was lucky. I had a big extended family too.
For the most part life was great, but especially those 5 years.

After age 10 I started to realize my parents were struggling with mental health issues, and the innocence
of my childhood slowly started to diminish. Today, I am married to my high school sweetheart. We have
2 kids in their early 20s. Life is good! I was never one to let my past dictate my future. I craved comfort
and stability when I was young, and now I have it! I am grateful that I can look back on the toys of my
childhood with very fond happy memories.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I am now up to 10,000+ followers on my “silly” toy collection Instagram account, and my advice to you is
this: Connections are everything. Now I don’t make a living from my growing following, actually I’m not
sure how to at this point, but maybe someday! When I meet people, whether it’s in person or on social
media, I ask them questions until I find out something we have in common, and then I draw from that. I
accidentally stumbled onto something I have in common with tons of people and now we are a community
of friends! I was nominated for this interview by one of those special people!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I guess I already answered this question when I talked about my parents, but just know that if you have a less than savory childhood, you can still have a good life. If you think you don’t have anything in common
with someone whether it be a co-worker, an acquaintance, or a potential client, think again! I hope this
interview helps you think outside the box. And hashtags! Use the full allowable amount of hashtags on
social media! More importantly, don’t worry about what others think, do what makes you smile! That’s
resilience!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: my_inner80s_girl

Image Credits
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