Chi Toy Town

JORDAN: I'm in Chicago, trying to track down... [ Siren wails ] I have no frigging idea where I am. ...what could be the Mecca of toy collections... Oh, my God. ...the Nerdseum. Cowabunga, dude! Please tell me you want to sell this. BEAR: $650. Could be. I'm Jordan Hembrough. For over 25 years, toys have been my life. Found something I want. My mission is to explore the country... Do you know how much I can get for this? ...finding fortunes buried in your toy chests, at flea markets, auctions, and mega conventions. I just touched a $17,000 toy? [ Laughing ] They call me the Toy Hunter. -- Captions by VITAC -- Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC. I'm in Chicago, "The Windy City." Not only is this home to Marvin Glass, one of the most successful toy manufacturers of all time, it's also home to the Nerdseum. It's supposedly the Shangri-la of toy dens, and I'm going to be the first buyer to ever set foot through the doors. This could be my most plentiful pick of the entire year. That's why I'm setting my budget at a whopping 4,000 bucks. And for this trip, I am definitely saving the best for last. First, I'm checking out a few stops that my buddy Mark lined up. Man, I got to tell you -- it is great to see you again. Mark is a fellow dealer and an old friend, and we sometimes help each other out when we're in each other's towns. Over here to the right. So, where are you taking me first? I'm gonna bring you to my buddy Rick's house. We go way back. He's a former college-football guy. I think you'll like his stuff. You know, he's got some Megos. You know, since you're in town, I'm gonna let you have first picks. Don't upset him. He'll put you in a headlock. You better give him a good deal. I'm gonna get my *** kicked. Yeah, he's gonna kick your butt. [ Doorbell rings ] RICK: Hey! Mark! My name's Rick. I used to be a passionate football player. And now I'm a passionate toy collector. [ Laughing ] He drags me in here. [ Laughs ] Ooh! Ooh, this is nice. Look at the trophies. You can only play football for so long. So, on Saturday mornings, instead of getting ready to go to a football game, I get ready to go to a flea market. All right, well, did you pick all the good stuff? Did you leave me with something? MARK: I don't know. You'll have to look. Oh, shut up. All right. This is like a geek's dream come true. I'm gonna take toys from the jock. This is like my version of "Revenge of the Nerds." Lincoln Logs. Aren't we in the land of Lincoln? Illinois. See that? I knew that. Oh, my God. You're, like, a real Batman fan. RICK: I love Batman. 1960s, I grew up with Batman and Robin. It was just part of my childhood. This is great. I love Mego. And you've got all the classic figures from the Batman line. See, Megos are what my specialty is. Became one of the largest toy companies in the '70s, which... All right, I'm just gonna tell you right now -- matter of fact, Mark is a motormouth. It started with a character called Action Jackson. And them, from there, they got the superheroes license. And then... He's kind of like that fast-talking Micro Machines guy. He'd be like, "Dad, we need Batman and Robin. We need Spider-Man." So he'd go out and he'd get the license. He does this all the time. He's very annoying. [ Laughter ] Is he missing anything? Really? Yeah, Penguin swiped his shoes. JORDAN: Check this out. This is Robin. Someone painted his mask green. Riddle me this, Batman. This is not even the Riddler. It's your old chum Robin in the Riddler disguise. The flea market -- they took me good. We schooled him. Someone fooled him. That's right. Absolutely. All right. Want to sell these? Yes. What can you offer me? If they were all complete, probably like $125 to $130. Ow. Boy, that hurts. Is Mark kidding me right now? He's siding with Rick? If he messes up this deal for me, I'm gonna have to sew his mouth shut. And I paid like $125 20 years ago. The best I can do is probably like 50 bucks. [ Clicks tongue ] How about $90? What about $60, and you keep the Robler? $60's a deal. I was shocked. I thought I had complete Megos. So that was a good education for me. Oh, my God. This was one of my favorite toys as a kid. '70s versus '80s. I'm gonna go for the '70s. Oh, my God. This was so badass, man. This is the remote-control Batmobile by Richman Toys, based on the 1989 Tim Burton movie. It's when they really redesigned the Batmobile, and it had this whole new shape. And here was your remote control. And this was the little gyroscope here for the steering. The electronics are second to none. These front lights would blast out this high beam of light. The back taillights worked. JORDAN: The Batmobile first appeared in comics in the 1930s as a bright-red coupé. Since then, it's gone through so many transformations that during the filming of "Batman Begins," a panicked driver actually crashed into it, thinking it was a spacecraft invasion. This Batmobile should sell for about $300, so I don't want to spend more than $200 on it, especially since I want to save the bulk of my budget for the Nerdseum. What do you got to get on something like this? God, I'd have to get at least $200. What about $150? Oh, man. $175? All right, $175. Thanks. Awesome. This is the Dutch rub. You just rub the living hell out of... I like where this is going. Rick, keep him in a headlock for the rest of the day, and we are golden. What's up here? Might just have to go in there and find out. Back off, man. I'm a professional. All right. Got a lot of boxes back here. Don't hit your head. Model kits. [ Laughing ] Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! JORDAN: I'm in Chicago, digging through Rick's collection. I have over $3,000 left to spend at the Nerdseum. And I just found the ultimate throwback. My light is shining bright on this guy. This is a 1966 Batman Space Probe. They actually operated on the principle of jet propulsion. You would put it in water, and through pumping it, with the air, it would cause all this pressure and it would propel the jet all the way up forward. It uses the same principle as the pump-action Super Soaker. And if you're looking for one, just check on your neighbor's roof. If you don't want this piece, I'll take it in a heartbeat. No, no. You're hosting me. Mark knows this is a huge find. Because with the right buyer, I could get up to $700. What do you say about $350? [ Sighs ] How about my football number, which is 45, and add a zero? $450. I will definitely take it off your hands for you. All right. Thanks, man. [ Laughs ] Pack it up. Come on. Mark and Rick threw some punches... [ Laughter ] ...but I still came out on top. I picked up a bunch of Mego dolls for $75, and I should sell them for about $120. I sped away with a Batmobile for $175, and I should get about $300 for it. And I uncovered the Batman Space Probe. I bought it for 450 bucks, and I know I can get at least $700. With those and a few other items I found, I stand to make about $600, and I still have over $3,000 left in my budget -- all the more to spend at the Nerdseum. Mark may have introduced me to Rick, but I'm flying solo to Rockford to meet my next collector, Bear, if I can just find the place. WOMAN: After one quarter mile, keep right. You know what? I could totally use Mark right now. I have no frigging idea where I am. After 200 feet, turn left. No! Second left. Third left. [Bleep] Oh, son of a [bleep] Why is the GPS lying to me? This isn't fair. It's a conspiracy. [ Knock on door ] Well, hi, Jordan! How are you? [ Laughs ] Bear? BEAR: My name is Bear. I like to share my toys with the world, because I think the world needs more friendship and more fun, and that's why I love to play Santa. Thank you. I do that. He really does exist! [ Laughing ] Wow! I'll tell you -- you've got a great place. This is the Bear Cave. Bear is a collector of really early sci-fi toys. BEAR: I love space toys because they do remind me of my childhood. JORDAN: I rarely buy a toy that dates this far back, mainly because they're tough to sell. You can just dig in. Oh, here we go. [ Laughing ] Wow! This is neat. "Battery Powered Saturn Robot." Oh, this came out in 1981 from Kamco Corporation. Whoa! Look at that. How cool is that? This robot featured stop walk, stop action... He's moving a little bit. Oh, look at those eyes. ...and four shooting missiles. Uh-oh. [ Laughs ] I grew up during the 1970s. 1977, "Star Wars" came out. It was filled with robots. The first time that I seen the robot was Tobor -- and that's "robot" spelled backwards -- from "Captain Video." Starting with the creation of Frankenstein, man-made machines were linked to all things scary. But as fascination with sci-fi increased in the 1950s, robots hit the pop-culture world with a new, more lovable look. They even spawned a dance craze, which inspired some of Michael Jackson's moves. What?! This piece is only gonna sell for about $50 retail, so I really don't want to spend too much money on something I'm gonna have to sit on for a while. I'd probably put him in for 50 bucks, which means I got to be probably around $25. $30? $30. All right. Robot. There you go. I'm doing the robot. Doing the robot. Doing the robot. [ Laughs ] Oh, look what he found. What do you say about 10 bucks? $10? Thank you. These are cool. What do you say, um...$15 each? Perfect. [ Laughing ] Oh, Bear! Is that not the cream de la cream? Oh, wow. That's from 1936. This is the Buck Rogers water pistol, made by Daisy. You know how you would do this, right? You'd put it in the water, and you'd pull it back. There was no plastic. You sucked the water into the leather bladder. The first water guns date back as early as 1896, and they had to be refilled after only one shot. I've made my life selling toys. To actually hold a toy that a child from 1936 held -- Yeah. This was so ahead of its time, because toy guns really didn't become popular until after World War II, some 10 years later. I got to ask you -- how much? Ah, God, in that condition, you got to be at least $800. When I buy a rare toy, especially one from the 1930s or '40s, I got to look around, if the clientele is still around. Unfortunately, Jordan, there's not a whole lot of buyers that are maybe even alive from that era. You know, I don't want to jinx myself. Good point, Bear. I think I might have to pass on this one. The number I need to be at is closer to probably about 500 bucks. [ Laughs ] $800. What about $700? I throw in a bear claw, little something sweet? Oh, man! No, no, no, no, no. We don't want to do that. All right. I know where it is if I need it, okay? Okay. This was a tough toy for me to pass on, but that just means I've got $800 more to spend at the Nerdseum. Oh, my God! [ Both laugh ] This find is gonna send me to the moon! [ Gasps ] JORDAN: I'm near Chicago at Bear's. I've found some great early sci-fi toys, and I still have most of my budget left for the Nerdseum. So I couldn't be happier to come across this. Oh, my God! [ Both laugh ] This find is gonna send me to the moon! [ Both gasp ] This is the Tom Corbett Space Patrol Helmet. BEAR: With the original box. 2. Just like the good old days, when kids dressed up like cowboys and Indians and were transported to the Wild West, when you put on the Tom Corbett Space Helmet, your backyard transformed into the surface of the moon. The actors from Jon Favreau'*** movie "Cowboys & Aliens" even wore these helmets to get into character. I'm just kidding. But it's still a cool toy. Oh, my gosh. But that's made for a child. I feel like I'm in Space Patrol. You really must have a small head, because when I put it on, it went on okay. But it didn't come off very good. Are you serious? I figured, "I'm gonna have to call 911. Got my helmet stuck on my head." And they're gonna say, "What? What are you talking about? Are you loony?" Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. I figured you'd have to, like, butter my head or something like that or grease my head down. Bear, you don't see stuff like this anymore. No, you don't. This is a one-of-a-kind find, but I don't want to go higher than $850 because I know it's gonna be tough to find that right buyer. All right, what are you thinking on something like this? Well, I was thinking like about $1,000. [ Sighs ] I can do $700. Now we're getting in the ballpark. $800? That's kind of in the middle. Oh, my God. I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes. Oh, man! That's great. 800 bucks. Even though his toys weren't exactly my specialty, hanging with Bear was a blast. A Bear hug? Yeah. I won't hurt you. [ Laughs ] I bought the Saturn Robot for 30 bucks, and I should get $50 for it. The Tom Corbett Space Patrol Helmet wasn't exactly the out-of-the-world deal that I was looking for. I had to cough up 800 bucks to buy it, but I should be able to get more than $1,000 for it, if I can find the right buyer. With these and a few other items I found, I stand to make at least 400 bucks. And I still have a little more than $2,000 left in my budget, which is perfect, because my next stop is the moment I've been waiting for -- the Nerdseum. Is this thing on? Is this thing even on? Turn left. Now it tells me to turn left. [ Siren wails ] Oh, my God. Go around me, sir. I have no frigging idea where I'm going. You have reached your destination. Finally! [ Knock on door ] John? Jordan. How's it going, man? Good to see you. I'm here to check out the stash. Yeah. Come on back. The moment I've been waiting for has arrived. Nerdseum, here I come. [ Record scratches ] As you can see, we have more boxes than space. JORDAN: Totally not what I was expecting. I was thinking, like, glass cases in hallways. This has got to be the preview, right? The Nerdseum first came to be when Kevin and I realized that we both had too many toys to keep at home. We combined our collection, and that was how it all started. That's our security camera. You don't trust me? Well, we don't trust anybody with our toys. It's not exactly what I was expecting, but these guys do look legit. And it's not always about quantity. It's about quality. So it's time to dig in. Dungeons & Dragons. This is all your stuff, isn't it? All right. [ Zapping ] Whoo-hoo-hoo! Cowabunga, dude! This is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Thrower by Playmates, 1989. One of my favorites. I remember opening that on Christmas day. Oh, yeah, you got it in here. Hang on. Yep. Everything should be there. Ooh. Yeah? You take all the pizzas. This one's got, like, ice cream and cherries on it. Just stick them in here one by one. Doop, doop, doop, doop, doop, doop, doop. JORDAN: After McCain Ellio's repackaged their pizzas with the faces of the Turtles, their sales doubled, giving the business a much-needed boost. Yeah! Yeah! Oh! [ Laughter ] Well, you know what? Do you want to sell it? It'd be tough to part with, but I would probably let it go. What about 50 bucks? [ Sighs ] I don't think I could do $50. Yeah, I would do that. Thank you. [ Growls ] I feel like Indiana Jones, especially when I find Indiana Jones. [ Laughter ] This was done for "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." This was actually the sequel to "Raiders of the Lost Ark." They only did three -- Indiana Jones, the Giant Thuggee, who was the bad guy, and they did Mola Ram. The line didn't perform as well as they had hoped, so these two figures they never made. Do you want to sell them? Yeah. This is actually interesting. These are owned by both of us. What do you think about $120 for the set? Uh...What do you think? Talk amongst yourselves. I think that's fair. Thank you. Okay, there's more here than meets the eye. I don't quite see the gold mine I was looking for, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled. Oh-ho-ho-ho! Please tell me you want to sell this. Tell him to sell it. Oh-ho-ho-ho! Now, this is what I came to Chicago for. This was the Ghostbusters Proton Pack from Kenner's Real Ghostbusters line. What was so cool about is -- you can strap it on your back and run around like a Ghostbuster. Ghost! JOHN: It came with the armband. Yep. You've also got this little P.K.E. Meter that actually rotated. So it was like two toys in one. Everyone knows the movie, the "Ghostbusters." It was a box-office smash, but due to the resurgence of video games and the talk of a new movie, the toys are becoming worth big bucks. For that whole summer, everyone had "Ghostbuster" fever. This coal mine may have just turned into a gold mine. In this condition, they probably can go for as high as $400. That's a lot of money. [ Both laugh ] What about $150? Wow. Uh... Wait. Is that a good "wow" or a bad "wow"? No, that's a bad "wow," I think. Yeah. How about $200? Are you whispering? Yeah. What? Are you in the toy Mafia? Could be. $225. Deal. Awesome. You want to say goodbye to it? You want to hug it? All right, that's enough. [ Laughter ] JORDAN: The Nerdseum wasn't what I expected, but I actually found some really great stuff. I scored the Ninja Turtles Pizza Thrower for 60 bucks, and I should sell it for about $100. I dug up the Indiana Jones figures for $125, and I think I can sell them for about $200. And I bought the Ghostbusters Proton Pack for $225. I hope to zap one lucky customer for $400. In the end, I only spent about half my budget, but I just got wind on a buyer for that Tom Corbett Space Helmet I got from Bear, which may make this trip a home run. Don, here I come. [ Knock on door ] You must be Jordan. I'm Jordan. I heard you got something for me. DON: Hi. My name's Captain Don, and I'll be your toy buyer for today. I've got something that I think you are gonna go crazy for. Let's go look in the box! All right, this is something super, super rare. Let's look. No way! Isn't that cool? This is awesome! Well, I kind of have to put it out at a price that kind of will cover all my costs. How do you feel about $1,200? It's a little high for my budget. What do you think? How about... Would you do maybe $900? Mm...how about $1,100? Ooh, boy. Um... Yes, I'll take it. You are now the proud new owner of a brand-new vintage Space Patrol helmet. Wow. Thank you so much. JORDAN: Chicago definitely had its ups and downs. I expected to hit the gold mine and walked away with just a few gems. I only spent half my budget but stand to make at least $4,500. Plus, I found the perfect home for the Tom Corbett Space Helmet.