The episode opens with Jordan and Steve trying to get the store close as tomorrow they have to fly to Saint Louis for the Toyman Toy Show. In walk Todd and Todd father and son with load of toys in garbage bags. This is a problem when you have a store, people will walk into your store with goods despite have a rule of calling for appointments. Jordan and Steve go through the bags, the first item Jordan finds that he is interested in is a Mego Comics Action Heroes Robin on the card. The card has wear, but Jordan feels if he can get it for $30.00 which he does he can sell it for $50.00. Checking EBay I found two examples one loose with the card for $42.99 and a mint one for $92.99. Jordan next looks at large Warner Brothers Sylvester the cat crawling on Tweety Bird’s cage. Jordan looks over for any copyrights and finding none determines it is a bootleg, an unauthorized piece that will be difficult to resale. Jordan does find a Disney Channel mug, which he can sell due to it having the old logo. Jordan buys the mug for $20.00 and feels he can sell it for $30.00. I could not find any examples on EBay.
Steve finds a Funko Mighty Mouse Wacky Wobbler in the box. Steve offers $20.00, looking at EBay I found one in similar condition for $40.56. While they are looking through the toys, Jordan gets a call from Gentle Giant. They are looking for various pieces for Kenner Jumbo Series. This is a line that Gentle Giant does of the Kenner Star Wars Figures in a larger scale than the originals. Gentle Giant tells they looking for certain rare items Star Wars Cloud City Playset done for Sears and the Kenner 18″ Alien Doll from the movie Alien.
The next section has Jordan and Steve at the Toyman toy show. The first item that they find is Creature of the Black Lagoon shirt transfer mint unused. Jordan pays $200.00 for it figuring on selling it for $400.00. Checking on EBay I found one in same condition for $197.00. Next Jordan finds a Mego Hall of Justice missing table and chair. If Jordan can find the table and chair he can sell it for $200.00. Jordan pays $60.00. Checking EBay I found three examples of the set ranging from $200.00 to $574.00. Steve finds a Pez Wolfman no feet. Steve knows that it is rare and the teeth are perfect. Steve pays $100.00 and can sell it for $200.00. Jordan and Steve meet Jim a newbie dealer and someone that Jordan had picked before he became a dealer. Jim has on the side one of the items that Jordan is looking for the 18″ Alien in the box. The box has some wear but it have paperwork that Gentle Giant wants. Jordan pays $575.00 for it. Looking on EBay I found two box ones for $798.95 and $14.99. There was a loose one for $249.00
The last section shows Jordan and Steve going to Gentle Giant to deliver their find. There they meet with Rev and Greg. After showing the Kenner 18″ Alien to them. Jordan is able to sell it to them for $600.00. He has gotten a new client.
This episode spotlights what a friend of mine calls a secret show. This is toy show you can go to and make great buys for resale. The Toyman toy show because of its location looks to be a good secret show. Not everything will be cheap, but you will find items to make it worthwhile. Now they used the Toyman show in Saint Louis Missouri for this purpose, I would question this being a regular show for Jordan. Because of the distance from his home base, Jordan has much higher overhead that he would have spend $5,000.00 to $10,000.00. I am an hour west of Jordan’s location and have three secret shows within a few hours of home. These shows would be good for Jordan as well, but he has never been seen at these shows.
One person questioned the low price that Jordan sold the Kenner 18″ Alien figure for but as I mentioned in tweet, Jordan was giving that price to gain Gentle Giant’s business. Jordan has noted that he has sold to Gentle Giant several times since that episode. One final thing in regards to the Kenner 18″ Alien. Last year, Jordan tweeted a photo of himself with the Alien figure at the airport. Jordan was trying to have it as a carry on due to fear it getting lost. I can not blame him for doing that, but the dimensions of the box looked over the restrictions. Also I noted him he had the wrong size in his tweet of 16″ which he did not bother to correct .
I look on Toy Hunter the same way I now look on Pawn Stars: The show has superceded the business itself, and the show stars now “conduct business” in which the entertainment value has priority and thereby drives them to act in ways different than they would if the TV cameras were not rolling.
Although I guess I can understand why this approach may be necessary for a successful television show, it seems to me that American Pickers, when they are actually “picking”, still maintain an air of plausible reality.
Don
I agree with the points of your comment. I find that Pawn Stars and Toy Hunter are more for the entertainment value. I have seen that Pawn Stars is looking for people to bring rare and unique items so much is stage. Here is the link if you are interested.
http://coolandcollected.com/so-you-want-to-be-on-pawn-stars/
Toy Hunter is such a disappointment. The latest episode I pointed out that in reality a toy dealer would have a secret show much closer to base than shown on the show. Jordan has not been seen at any non Comic Con show in years prior in my territory prior to the show. These shows are well to pick for items without traveling. Steve Savino has shown up at shows including Macungie to sell and buy. He is a hard working guy and has my respect.
Pickers is a show that I can still watch their finds. The only thing I could complain about on the show is some of their free style is actually set up. It shows what they did before they become TV stars.
One new show thrift Hunters I can watch as they are realistic in their finds and make good points on items. The show before them Auction Hunters is another one for entertainment value only.
After looking up the Pawn Star link, I can now see why people come into the Pawn Star store with items that no thinking person would ever even consider bringing to a pawn shop to sell. I mean, would someone with an original Rembrandt painting, or a rare 16th century Bible, really think that the best place to bring those items to sell would be a Vegas pawn shop just off the Strip? And who, wishing to purchase an original Rembrandt, would go looking for one in a pawn shop? But I have seen all this and more on Pawn Stars. Of course, when I’m channel surfing, I still stop when I get to Pawn Stars, and watch a few minutes of it.
I don’t watch American Pickers too much anymore. Neither my wife nor I are all that interested in the cars and motorcycles they find so fascinating. But for awhile we were big fans of the show, especially since the first episode I stumbled across was their trip through Maryland and Virginia looking for Confederate items and Civil War relics for the Gettysburg museum — an episode you, and I, and probably most readers of this site, would have found quite interesting.
Incidently, what is a “secret show”?
Don
I agree on Pawn Stars especially if you see the actual building where it is located. (It is near the old hotels such as the Gold Nugget.)
Pickers we can still watch while they do emphasis cars and motorcycle, they do buy other items. Frank is into old toys from the 50’s and 60’s.
A secret show is a show where a dealer goes to show where he can buy items at great prices. This show is off the beaten path and most people are not aware of. Also the competition is not as tough. Laurie and I do one show where a dealer from North Carolina shows up with some amazing items. I have also made some purchases from other dealers. On the other hand a flea market called Renningers, I am dealing with heavy competition dealers and pickers are out with flashlights at 4 or 5AM at that flea market. I have put this flea market as occasionally.