Cracktastic Plastic

It’s election eve, and the Cracktastic Plastic crew is hitting the campaign trail—toy style! Jason and Elgn are casting their votes for the best politician and royalty-themed figures in their collections. From kings and queens to presidents and power players, it’s a full-on plastic parade of authority! Join the live chat, make your picks, and help decide who truly rules the toy shelf in this pre-e...

It’s that spooky season again, and the Cracktastic Plastic crew is glowing with ghoulish glee! This week, we’re summoning the spirit of Halloween by talking all about orange toys — those pumpkin-colored playthings that haunt our collections and light up our toy shelves like jack-o’-lanterns in the night! From fiery heroes to frightful figures, we’re diving deep into the blazing brilliance of orang...

Not every toy lives up to its reputation—some just don’t deliver. In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, Jason and Elgn dive into their Top 3 most overrated toys, the ones that get all the love but maybe don’t quite earn it. From plastic duds to collector disappointments, we’re calling out the figures, lines, and trends that left us scratching our heads. Get ready for some hot takes, a few broken...

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Cracktastic Plastic crew is turning up the brightness and celebrating the color pink! From Barbie dreamhouses to Power Ranger suits, from My Little Ponies to obscure retro figures decked out in fuchsia, we’re diving into the rosy side of toy collecting. We’ll talk about how pink has been used across toy lines through the decades — sometimes bold, some...

This week, the Cracktastic Plastic crew dives deep into the pixelated world of Minecraft toys! From blocky action figures and mini playsets to massive buildable environments, we’re exploring how this video game phenomenon made the leap from screen to shelf. We’ll share our favorite Minecraft figures, talk about the creativity these toys inspire, and debate whether they truly capture the charm of t...

Get ready for some plastic mayhem! In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, Jason and Elgn break out their top toy weapons of all time. From blasters to blades, we’re talking about the coolest accessories that made our favorite figures even more epic. Each of us is bringing our top three picks to the table—so load up, power on, and join the fight for toy weapon supremacy! Then we'll talk about Jak'...

Ever buy a toy that says “Ages 4+” and think, “Perfect, I’m 40+”? This week the Cracktastic Plastic crew is tackling those mysterious age classifications you see on toy packaging. Why does one action figure come with a choking hazard warning while another says “Collector Item, Not a Toy”? We’ll break down the USCPSC guidelines (that’s the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for all you acronym...

On this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, the guys are talking ink—specifically, toy-inspired tattoos! From Transformers logos to Ninja Turtle shells, we’ll be sharing the coolest toy-themed tattoos we’ve seen (and some we might secretly want ourselves). Whether you’re rocking your fandom on your sleeve—literally—or just curious how far toy collectors will go to show their love, this one’s for you....

Yeah, yeah… we know. It’s September. Definitely more than halfway through the year. But that’s not going to stop us from calling this one Halfway to Awards! In this episode, we’re each picking two of our favorite toy releases from 2025 so far and talk about why they’ve earned a spot on our shelves. Will these mid-year-ish picks still be standing strong when we put together our Top 5 lists in Decem...

This Labor Day, we’re shining the spotlight on the toys that go to work! From uniforms and job-themed figures to the everyday heroes of the toy aisle, we’re celebrating the action figures that punch the clock and keep the world of play running. It’s the ultimate Labor Day Lineup! Then we talk about Polar Bear's Pop Culture Shop to see if we should go there someday. Watch here: https://youtube.com/...

Keeping your collection looking fresh isn’t just about dusting—sometimes your toys need a deeper clean. In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we roll up our sleeves for Action Figure Clean-Up! From tackling sticky figures and grime-covered accessories to restoring that shelf-ready shine, we’ll share our favorite tips, tricks, and tools for cleaning your toys safely. Whether you’ve got vintage tr...

It’s time to put our toy knowledge to the test! In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we’re diving into a game of Toy Box Trivia — where each of us takes turns asking five trivia questions about our own favorite toy lines. From obscure character names to surprising production facts, we’ll quiz each other, keep score, and maybe even learn a thing or two along the way. Bragging rights are on the l...

As summer winds down, we’re taking one last victory lap through the sunny days of action figure fun. In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we’re celebrating the toys that made this summer unforgettable — from epic backyard battles to porch-side photo shoots and road trip toy hauls. It’s all about the figures that stuck with us through the heat, the adventures, and the good times. So before the l...

Up, up, and away! In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we're stepping away from the toy shelves and heading to the big screen to review the brand-new Superman movie. Is it a triumphant return to form for the Man of Steel, or just another cape in the crowd? We’ll break down the action, the casting, the callbacks, and whether or not Supes finally gets the respect he deserves. To help us bring the...

In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we’re diving into the shady world of false scarcity in toy marketing. You know the drill—"limited edition," "only 500 made," or the dreaded "sold out in minutes"... but was it ever truly rare? We’ll break down how toy companies manipulate demand, create artificial hype, and prey on collectors’ FOMO. From vintage tactics to modern pre-order panic, we're calli...

In space, no one can hear you… collect? In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we're diving headfirst into the ooze-dripping, face-hugging, chest-bursting world of the Kenner Aliens toy line! Released in the early '90s, these wild and wildly inaccurate figures were based on the hard-R horror franchise Aliens—yet somehow aimed squarely at kids. From the unforgettable Xenomorph variants like the Bu...

It was just Shark Week, and we couldn’t resist diving headfirst into the deep end of our collections to talk about all things shark toys! From chompy action figures and fearsome rubber beasts to fin-tastic vehicles and mutant shark warriors, we’re showing off the toothy terrors that have surfaced in toy aisles over the years. Whether they’re cartoony, creepy, or just plain cool, these shark toys a...

The 4th of July just blasted by, and we’re still feeling those freedom vibes! So this week, the gang is diving into the toy shelves to spotlight some of the best red, white, and blue toys around. From heroic action figures to star-spangled robots, we're talking toys that proudly wear the colors of the good ol’ U.S. of A. Whether it's patriotism or just awesome color palettes, these toys bring the...

Is your toy room a curated collection… or just controlled chaos? In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we’re diving deep into the cluttered conundrum of Hoarding vs Collecting! When does the joy of the hunt turn into a mountain of mayhem? Are we preserving plastic perfection or just stacking sealed sins? Join the crew as we debate, disclose, and dissect our own collecting habits—and maybe even e...

Every collector has to start somewhere, and in this episode, we’re blasting off into a galaxy far, far away to talk about starting a Star Wars vintage figure collection! With decades of figures, variants, and vehicles out there, it can be a little overwhelming—but fear not, young Padawan. We’ll help guide you to a solid launch point with a special focus on the original 12 Kenner figures that began...

In this episode, the gang transforms and rolls out to talk all about Bumblebee (2018)! Jason’s already a fan of this heartfelt and action-packed reboot of the Transformers franchise, but it’s Elgn’s very first time watching it—so we’re diving into all the feels, the G1 goodness, and that killer ‘80s soundtrack. Does this solo outing for our favorite yellow Autobot win over the whole crew? Or will...

Some toys are just too wild for store shelves! In this episode, the gang dives into the world of banned, recalled, and flat-out dangerous toys. From choking hazards and fire risks to weapons disguised as childhood fun, we’re counting down the craziest toys that got the boot. Which ones did we own before they disappeared? Which ones totally deserved it? And which banned toys still hold a special (a...

In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we’re diving deep into the world of concept art—those early sketches, renderings, and designs that bring our favorite toys to life before they ever hit the shelves. We’ll talk about how concept art shapes a toy’s final look, the unsung artists behind the designs, and some incredible examples of figures that changed drastically from concept to production. Plu...

Even the most passionate toy collectors can hit a wall. In this episode of Cracktastic Plastic, we’re asking the big question: Can you burn out on toy collecting? And we’re not asking it alone. We’re joined by my longtime Transformers friend and fellow collector, Chris “Turnip” Simmons—the very person who first brought this topic to our attention. When Turnip shared that he was feeling burnt out o...

In this episode, we're diving into the sticky, satisfying, sometimes stressful world of applying stickers to toys. Whether you're transforming a plain plastic robot into a battle-hardened ‘Bot with blazing insignias, or painstakingly lining up tiny tampos on a vintage vehicle, stickers can make or break the aesthetic of your action figures. We’ll explore the pros of pristine placement — that facto...