ToyCast

Josh dives deep into a 1989 Playmates Genghis Frog figure from the second series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys, exploring why this particular figure resonated with him as a kid and how it holds up today. The crew discusses the paint applications and accessories on vintage TMNT figures, compares them to modern Super 7 and NECA updates, and touches on the economics of collecting across different TMNT toy lines—from original Playmates to movie figures to cartoon-inspired variants. They also cover Funko Pop collecting, specifically Prince Adam as a Freddy Funko variant, and announce a new toy photography segment for the show.

TFG1Mike and Josh the FloorBurger open the display case to examine two figures: a Funko Pop retro toys version of Masters of the Universe's King Randor, complete with his unusual royal spear, and a DC Superheroes six-inch Steel figure from the 2006 line. Mike digs into the history of Steel as a character and figure line, discussing the challenges of finding the rare metalized version and why this sculpt still holds up today against modern standards.

Mike welcomes Chris Sully, former Funko marketing employee, to discuss the origins of toy collecting through 42 questions about childhood toys, collecting philosophies, and memorable purchases. The conversation spans Sully's early memories with Speak & Spell and Hot Wheels, his favorite action figure lines like Transformers and He-Man, and shifts into an in-depth exploration of his career at Funko from 2016 to 2020, including how he got hired, his work building the Funko Podcast and live video content, and the creation of successful product lines like Funko Soda and Letter Kenny Pops. The episode also covers his current collecting interests, convention experiences, and thoughts on unlicensed properties like Nintendo and Spaceballs.

TFG1Mike welcomes Erik Braley from Toy Robot Magazine to discuss the origins of toy collecting. The two dive into their earliest toy memories, family support for collecting, favorite toy lines from childhood, and how their collecting habits have evolved. They also discuss the realities of modern toy hunting, pre-ordering strategy, opening versus keeping toys in package, vintage versus modern collecting preferences, and their most expensive purchases. Braley shares stories from his days running a toy store and attending conventions, and the conversation touches on toy company approaches to balancing child and adult collector markets.

Steve and Josh celebrate Knight Rider's 40th anniversary by discussing Knight Rider toys and Josh's incredible find: a 1983 Kenner Knight 2000 voice car with Michael Knight figure for just four dollars at a toy show. They explore Josh's extensive Michael Knight figure collection, his personal history with the character despite never seeing the show, and his creative approach to building his own toy stories around the character and toys. They also touch on other notable toy finds and recommend checking out their companion podcast Beyond the Knight, which reviewed the original Knight Rider series.

TFG1Mike welcomes back A. Das Baron for his first in-person visit to Chicago since they started talking years ago. The episode recounts their weekend adventures in chronological order: picking up Das from O'Hare, hitting up a church rummage sale, exploring the Volo Antique Mall, catching a roadside dinosaur walk-through attraction, visiting Woodman's supermarket, attending the Renaissance Faire with performer Brune, hanging out back at Josh's place with homemade Ecto Cooler cocktails, and capping things off at Mitsuwa Japanese supermarket before Das's flight home. Das shares his impressions of the Midwest while the hosts discuss toys, collectibles, food, drinks, and the general chaos of showing a guest around the Chicago area.

TfG1Mike sits down with longtime friend Heather Ha-Hee Prime to explore the origins of toy collecting through 42 questions about her journey as an adult collector. They discuss her early memories (or lack thereof) with toys, her preference for modern Transformers, her kids' engineering approaches to toys, the Jada Toys Nano Metal Figs series, and advice for collectors of all ages. The conversation touches on display versus play, customs and modifications, and the importance of simply having fun with toys however you want to.

Josh "Floorburger" dives into his long-running obsession with Waterworld—the film, the toys, and what drew him in despite the movie's infamous production troubles. He walks through his reasons for loving the 1995 Kevin Costner film, discusses the Kenner toy line's surprisingly functional design and gimmicks, and explores how the film's themes of freedom and isolation resonated with him as a kid. The hosts also dig into 1995's box office landscape and why some movies got toy lines while others didn't.

Justin Bevente, a digital artist and toy collector, joins Mike to discuss how he got into toy collecting, starting with a 12-inch Spider-Man figure from the 1994 animated series. The conversation covers childhood toy experiences, the shift from playing with toys to keeping them mint-in-box, the massive appeal of Funko Pop culture and exclusive variants, navigating collector stickers on Funko boxes, finding deals at flea markets, and what toy licenses Justin hopes to see in the future—especially Nintendo characters as Funko Pops.

Steve and Mike examine the TransArt Optimus Primal figure—a masterpiece upgrade of the original Beast Wars toy with improved articulation, swappable face plates, show-accurate details, and better engineering. Mike also delivers a passionate rant about Funko's Transformers NFT collection, criticizing the environmental impact of NFTs and the decision to lock Hot Rod behind digital tokens instead of releasing physical figures. The episode covers TransArt's approach to upgrading classic Transformers with better joints, accessories, and paint while keeping transformations faithful to the originals.