Cracktastic Plastic

It’s time to head Back to School… Cracktastic Plastic style! This week, we’re digging through our collections for toy-related school supplies, classroom collectibles, and toys that bring back memories of lockers, lunchboxes, pencil cases, and playgrounds. From character-covered notebooks and backpacks to school-themed action figures and accessories, we’re showing off the stuff that would’ve made going...

Tanks for the Memories! This week, we’re rolling out the heavy artillery as each host shows off different toy tanks from our collections. From realistic military machines to outrageous sci-fi battle vehicles, these toys are built to crush the competition—and possibly a few action figures along the way. So climb aboard, secure the turret, and join us for a tread-filled trip down memory lane. It’s sure to be an abso...

This week on Cracktastic Plastic, we’re putting our best foot forward with an episode called Feet Fetish! From hooves and talons to wheels, claws, suction cups, and other bizarre bases, we’re showing off the toys in our collections with the most interesting feet. Kick off your shoes, mind the toe cheese, and join us for a truly soleful celebration of action figure anatomy.

We also spotlight From the Heart Toys & Col...

Every toy collection has a few pieces that make people stop, stare, and ask, “Why does that exist?” This week on Cracktastic Plastic, we’re digging into the strangest corners of our collections to show off our weirdest toys. From bizarre designs and questionable concepts to wonderfully odd figures we simply couldn’t leave behind, these toys may not be normal—but they’re definitely memorable.

We a...

This week on Cracktastic Plastic, we’re digging deep into the toy boxes, display shelves, storage bins, and possibly the emotional damage closet for Oldies, but Goodies! We’re showing off some of the oldest toys in our collections, including childhood survivors, vintage favorites, and the plastic legends that somehow made it through years of play, moves, yard sales, and questionable storage decisions. These are the toys...

This week on Cracktastic Plastic, we’re raising a glass to one of the weirdest, most wonderful corners of toy collecting: cups, glasses, mugs, tumblers, and whatever other drinkware somehow found its way onto our shelves. From fast food promo cups to cartoon mugs, character glasses, novelty bottles, and plastic sippers that probably should have been washed more carefully in 1988, we’re showing off our favorite toy-relat...

As June winds down, we’re letting the bugs out of the toy box! On this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we’re digging through our collections for all things creepy, crawly, winged, stinging, slimy, and suspiciously articulated. From heroic insect-themed characters to monstrous mutants, rubbery little weirdos, bug vehicles, bug accessories, and toys that make you ask, “Why did I buy this?” — we’re ...

This week, we're celebrating the dads, mentors, guardians, and father figures who helped shape the worlds we love. From wise leaders and tough-but-fair commanders to adoptive fathers and unlikely parental role models, we're showcasing the action figures and toy lines that gave us some of the most memorable father figures in pop culture. Whether they offered guidance, protection, discipline, or the occasional questionable life lesso...

In honor of Flag Day, we're celebrating the most famous flag in toy collecting history: the legendary U.S.S. Flagg! From aircraft carriers and pirate ships to speedboats, submarines, hovercraft, and everything in between, we're diving into the best boat toys ever made. Whether they sailed the high seas, patrolled dangerous rivers, or somehow fit in a bathtub, this episode is all about the watercraft that helped make our collections...

This week, we’re sharpening our collecting skills and diving into one of the coolest accessories ever packed in with an action figure: swords! From legendary blades and oversized fantasy weapons to futuristic energy swords and everything in between, they’re each bringing some of the best toy swords from their collections to show off and discuss. Which toyline produced the greatest blades? Which swords looked amazing but...

We’re officially halfway through the collecting year, which means it’s time for a little “Halfway Heat Check!” In this episode, the guys look back at the biggest toy wins, surprise pickups, sleeper favorites, and maybe a few purchases that didn’t quite live up to the hype. Think of it as a midyear report card for our collections before the big year-end awards roll around. What’s been worth the mo...

Last Saturday, the crew loaded up the van and hit the road for #JaysDay, an all-day toy hunting adventure through Des Moines with Elgn, John Tipton, Chris “Turnip” Simmons, and the family — including stops at all three Jay’s CD & Hobby locations in search of retro treasures, hidden gems, and questionable purchases we definitely didn’t need. Then, with Memorial Day setting the tone, Elgn and I take ...

This week, we’re strapping in and blasting off with an episode dedicated to Backpacks & Jetpacks from our collections! From action figures loaded with removable gear to outrageous rocket-powered accessories that somehow made perfect sense in the ‘80s and ‘90s, we’re digging into the coolest wearable toy add-ons ever made. Whether they were built for space travel, underwater missions, ghost busting, or ju...

This week on Cracktastic Plastic, we’re celebrating the real MVPs—moms! In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re digging into our collections to spotlight all the mom-related toys we can find. From iconic cartoon moms to action figure matriarchs (and maybe a few questionable choices along the way), it’s a tribute packed with nostalgia, laughs, and a surprising amount of maternal energy. Will these figures be nu...

This week, it’s Toy Pitch Meeting time—because clearly the world needs another toyline, and we’re just the geniuses to make it up as we go. We’re talking genre, action features, names, and maybe even letting the audience steer the chaos. Will it be brilliant? Questionable? Accidentally amazing? Yes.

We also spotlight Saturday Morning Toys during our Store Tour segment and talk about whether it’s a shop...

Slice into something sharp as we take a swing at one of the most brutal—and somehow most toyetic weapon choices out there: axes. From double-bladed beauties to chunky, chrome-plated choppers, we’re hacking through heaps of plastic to spotlight the most iconic, impractical, and just plain insane axes ever packed in a blister card. Along the way, expect some questionable design choices, a few safety red flags, and plenty ...

Strap in—this episode is all about the gear that takes action figures to the next level. From ammo-loaded bandoliers to utility-packed belts, we’re highlighting the figures in our collections that came ready for anything. Whether it’s over-the-top firepower or just impeccably designed accessories, these are the looks that made us stop and say, “Yeah…that’s cool.”

Join us as we dig into som...

Sometimes bigger really is better. This episode of Cracktastic Plastic is all about the absolute units in our collections—the shelf hogs, space invaders, and gloriously oversized toys that make standard action figures look like accessories. These guys dig into the biggest pieces they own, from towering action figures to massive playsets and jumbo collectibles, sharing the stories behind these larger-than-life treasures and wh...

In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we’re going full beast mode as we dive into the wild world of animal sidekick toys! From loyal companions to scene-stealing critters, Jason, Elgn, and Mike dig into their collections to showcase some of their favorite furry, scaly, and robotic partners in plastic. Whether they’re helping heroes save the day or just looking cool on the shelf, these sidekicks prove that sometimes th...