Toy Hunter with Jordan Hembrough premiered last year, and first episode of Season 2 airs later tonight on Travel Channel. I spoke with Jordan Hembrough last year, and had the chance to catch up with him recently to talk about how his life has changed since the premiere of the series, The Walking Dead collectibles, and what we can look forward to in Season 2.
We last talked before the premiere of the first season of Toy Hunter. Has your life changed a lot since then? Have you noticed a big increase in toy selling and hunting inquiries?
Jordan Hembrough: It has been crazy and we have been getting 500 emails a day. I sift through emails for about an hour and a half each day, and I can't get through it all. I try my best to get back to everyone and it's a big task, but I'm loving it. The short answer is that the amount of emails have tripled, with 80% of people wanting to sell collections, while 20% of people want to find collections.
Is it more challenging for you to buy a collection or acquire a rare item?
Jordan Hembrough: Definitely acquire something. We are Toy Hunter, and it's all about the hunt. Negotiating a deal is the easy part because you can always walk away. Finding something is much more difficult, because you need to find it and then see if the person who owns it is interested in selling.
For people that have been following the show from the beginning, is the format basically the same?
Jordan Hembrough: We have changed it a little bit. You'll see a broader cast of characters, which I think will help the show grow. You'll see a more diversified amount of collectibles that we acquire. We're branching out into pop culture, so you'll see movie posters, World's Fair memorabilia, and more. But, don't get me wrong... the toys that you love are still going to be there.
We have tons of Walking Dead fans, and I understand you have an episode coming up with Norman Reedus. Can you tell me more about that?
Jordan Hembrough: We filmed over at HorrorHound in Cincinnati, and Norman was there. Not only is he great on the show, but he's a fantastic guy in real life. He's personable, and we hope to have some more stuff on tap with him in the future. I don't want to give away too much, because nothing is set in stone, but The Walking Dead fans should stay tuned.
The Walking Dead has exploded over the years, when it comes to collectibles. What items would you suggest fans going after if they are looking to own something that will increase in value over time?
Jordan Hembrough: It's interesting that you said that. When we were at HorrorHound, people were trying to sell The Walking Dead comic books, including the first issues. The interesting thing is that The Walking Dead comics have been around for a while, as you know, but the show just recently started. The property is now in the stratosphere, and I think that The Walking Dead will have this cult status for a while. If you want to get something that will be valuable in the future, I'd suggest going after the limited edition collectibles, or the first comics if you want to spend a good bit of money.
One of your big guests this season is Gene Simmons. Can you tell me about your experience meeting and working with him on the show?
Jordan Hembrough: It's very humbling for me to see the number of celebrities who watch Toy Hunter. Gene reached out to us and said: "I want to be on Toy Hunter." He's a fantastic guy and a marketing genius. He's the business that is KISS and it was great to talk with him one-on-one. We had a lot of downtime and we got to relax, away from the cameras at his home like two regular guys. We talked about being on the road, families, and it was nice to have a bond like that with him.
To give our readers a tease, did Gene reach out for you to acquire an item or sell one?
Jordan Hembrough: Gene has an incredible collection of thousands of pieces of KISS memorabilia, and wanted help finding something to spice up his collection. It posed quite a number of problems, but had a really cool resolution, and something that has never happened before in my entire career. People will definitely want to tune in because you'll see something you've never seen on Toy Hunter before.
How many episodes will we see this season and do you already have plans for a third season?
Jordan Hembrough: They are going to get thirteen episodes, plus a one-hour Halloween special. It will be filled with dark and scary stuff, and zombies, so expect to see that around Halloween. We also have enough on tap for season 3 if Travel Channel wants more. We're excited and would keep on doing this forever.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today. Before we wrap up, I was interested to know what your favorite horror movie was and what type of horror collectibles you always go after?
Jordan Hembrough: I'm a classic horror guy. I love Universal monsters, and I'm a Creature from the Black Lagoon dude. Not everyone would consider it horror, but Jaws is far and away my favorite of all time.
---------
The first two episodes of Toy Hunter premiere on Travel Channel tonight, starting at 9pm. Jordan promised that the official website will include deleted scenes this season, along with new content on a regular basis. There is also a toy gallery that allows you to upload your own items to show to other collectors. For more information, visit:
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
