Posts tagged star wars

These days, childhood nostalgia is an easy thing to capitalize on. With retro becoming the norm, and geeks becoming pop-culture sex symbols, the fixtures of our youth have seen a resurgence in the marketplace. some of us never really left our childhood, at least in a material sense. some of us, such as the star of Travel Channel’s new show Toy Hunter, Jordan Hembrough, have never put down “childish things.”

That phrase is in quotes because like many (including myself), toy collecting is not just for kids. In fact, can you point out one kid who has the foresight to keep their new toys intact in the packaging, even bagging them to keep out dust? No kid does that. which explains why all my original Star Wars figures are loose in a Ziploc bag rather than in their original packaging. I was a kid!

So, when I was an adult and had every Star Wars figure released after 1995, starting with the first run of orange cards, the return of Star Wars figures in the run-up to the re-release of the original trilogy and the (ugh) prequels, I kept them all boxed and clean. at that point, like many others, toy collecting became a slightly obsessive hobby. now, left with a smattering of McFarlane figures, random Star Trek and other weird toys, I think I made out pretty well.

Though not as well as Jordan Hembrough. which brings me to Toy Hunter. the show follows Jordan as he travels the country, searching out the best and rarest toys for his own personal collection as well as for clients who may be a bit intimidated by the entire process. Speaking from experience, buying and selling toys that have value is not always an easy task. there is haggling, there are sellers who are unsure of value or overvalue their collections. Like my dad always says, “something is only worth what you can get for it.”

Jordan has made toy collecting into a career, as the proprietor of <hollywoodheroes.com/” target=blank>Hollywood Heroesin Westwood, New Jersey. his massive collection of classic toys and memorabilia is difficult to fathom. Toy Hunter, however, is less about Jordan’s personal collection (though that does factor in) and more about traveling the country and finding those great finds. Jordan laid it out for me via phone:

“Toy Hunter is going to follow me as I travel all across the country; I like to call it the great American toy hunt. It’s going to be bringing back all the toys from the ’70s and ’80s that people like you and I grew up with. It’s going to bring back all the incredible memories and good feelings. I got to go to all these great states and locations and talk with wonderful people. I think people are going to be amazed at how much their toys are truly worth. You’ve got the great combination of looking at old toys and finding how much they are truly worth and that great feeling of ‘I used to have that when I was a kid’ or ‘I still have that, it’s in my mom’s attic.’ That’s truly what the show is about.

“It’s like a cool version of Antiques Roadshow, a cool geeky, nerdy version and I’m the head geek.”

Like me, Jordan grew up with a true love of toys. We both had our walls adorned with Star Wars figures and a sprinkling of superhero figures in there as well. We talked about our favorite toys, and where it all began. for Jordan it was the Millennium Falcon. for me, my favorite was the U.S.S. Flagg. that was the G.I. Joe aircraft carrier. you could fit all your figures on there. at the time, it retailed for about $100. Jordon was quick to point out the current value, if I still had it in the box today:

“If you found a U.S.S. Flagg today, you’re talking over $3,000 if it’s in the box.

“I was in one find where I was with a former designer for the toy industry and we were going through his industry and he had a lot of new toys from the 1990s and I wasn’t expecting too much. at the bottom of a box I found something incredible, worth a lot of money, and without giving away too much – it was a find of Jurassic proportions. I really think people are going to enjoy seeing it. I was not only able to buy the item, but to sell it. It went to a father-and-son collecting team. People are going to be able to tune in and see that bond that they share.”

While Jordan spends a lot of time on the show buying for his own collection to either hang up on the wall or sell, as you’ll see on Toy Hunter, not every find is easily buyable and not every sale is certain. Sometimes Jordan has to act as a broker to the toy deals, which is another fun hook to Toy Hunter. not only convincing people that their items have value, but convincing them to sell them as well.

“A lot of times I actually buy directly for myself. Every now and then you get that instance where the people are a bit hesitant and looking for more money than I can offer them, so I’ll broker a deal and take a percentage on the back end.”

Thankfully, though, Jordan loves toys. It would be awkward to have someone hosting a show called Toy Hunter if they didn’t love toys. I’d host it, but I had to cut down my own toy buying when toy companies started making smaller figures at a higher retail cost, not to mention the billions of Star Wars figures on the market. Jordan told me that while he loves all the toys out there, thanks to little details like accessories and articulation, he does recognize that the manufacturers have gotten a bit tighter on the business end.

“You’ve got the major manufacturers out there making smaller toys; it’s a bit disheartening. the average cost of an action figure is about $10, the shelf life is less than a month. I don’t know if I like it or hate it, I’m just rolling with the punches right now.

“As for getting them all, that’s the marketing for you. Hasbro bought the Kenner name, started re-doing a lot of the items in the classic packaging and that was absolutely to bring all the vintage buyers and get that market back.”

In the end, though, Toy Hunter is about having fun. It’s about getting out there in the world and finding that bit of nostalgia for toys that many of us have. As Jordan reiterated several times over, toy collecting is about having fun.

“what I tell amateur toy hunters is this – collect what you love. Have a good time, don’t worry about what the toys are going to be worth. Collect what you like, have fun. This is a social activity, bring a friend along. Use the internet for research, don’t worry about what people might think of you online when you ask questions. Don’t worry about what you collect, collect what you love, educate yourself and just have fun. That’s what toys are about.”

Toy Hunter premieres on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at 10 p.m. EDT then moves to 9 p.m. next week. Be sure to follow Travel Channel on Twitter and Jordan as well. you can also catch Jordan in Orlando Aug. 23 to 26 at Star Wars Celebration VI.

Image courtesy Travel Channel