Meet Rich Mayerik: Inside the Collection
Get ready to be grossed out! This is one stinky collection — in a good way! Take a look.
Sep. 4, 2023
Television producer Rich Mayerik makes shows about toys — which has enabled him to fill his home with as many toys as possible. His wild and colorful collection reaches into some of the most unusual corners of the vintage toy landscape, with a heavy emphasis on legendary "gross-out" toys like Breath Blasters and Ooze-It.
Rich's space is everything that he dreamed about it being as a kid; With thousands of toys in his collection, Rich is living every kid's dream.
Our expert needed a calculator to estimate the value of this massive vintage toy collection! How many of these toys did you play with as a kid? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
1. Monster Bobbles
Rich has a couple Monster Bobbles to play with and a couple stored in packages. According to Rich, very few people know what these toys are.
These are considered a "rack toy," which means you would typically find them in your local convenience stores.
This collection features all sorts of classic monster tropes; From Frankenstein to Dracula and more. There isn't much information about these toys online, and it took Rich years to complete this collection of obscure toys.
Today these toys would be worth around $2,000. As Lisa said: "They're lame in a charming way."
2. Steve Scout Collection
This is the Steve Scout line which was released by the Kenner toy company in the 1970s. Rich has all the amazing accessory sets that go along with Steve and Bob.
The level of detail in the accessories and everything that comes with this collection is astounding.
Rich did not have these toys growing up because they pre-date him in age. However, he's collected the entire set over the years because he's an Eagle Scout.
As he said: "I'm basically a walking Swiss Army knife." They are a slice of history and to own a complete set is rare.
Today the collection would be worth around $800.
3. Breath Blasters
Gross! These toys are called Breath Blasters, well, because they had really bad breath. As Rich confirmed in the episode, these toys were made to smell terrible.
These toys were only on toy shelves for about six months; Something about too many children shoving these in parent's faces.
Rich's collection of Breath Blasters have lost their smell over the years, which we can imagine he's thankful for. Although, we have a feeling that's one smell you wouldn't forget.
Today this would go for around $3,000! That is one stinky set, with a sweet deal.
4. Ooze-It toy
Rich just might be the ultimate collector of ugly toys. So, here's another one!
This toy is called Ooze-It. Why? When this toy's stomach was pressed he would ooze out green goo from his eyes and mouth. The ultimate "gross-out" toy.
We had no idea there was a whole genre of toys dedicated to all things disgusting. The goo is hard to find today because it would typically have been used already. Guess you either ooze it, or lose it.
Today this toy would be worth around $2,000.
5. Dick Tracy's The Blank
The Blank is an iconic character from the 1990 movie Dick Tracy. Rich loved Dick Tracy and knew he had to have this rare toy.
Most of the Dick Tracy toys and figurines were easily accessible at local toy stores except for one: The Blank.
This toy features a gimmick that actually spoils the end of the movie. The movie studio asked the toy company to hold off on releasing the toy until the movie hit theaters.
By the time this figure was released in stores most people had moved on from the movie. This figure was never sold in U.S. stores, only in Canada and exclusively at JCPenney.
Spoiler alert: The Blank is considered to be one of the coolest characters in the movie. At the end of the film we find out that The Blank is none other than Breathless Mahoney, played by Madonna.
There are very few toys that feature Madonna's face, so it adds to this toy's total value. Many Madonna collectors would be interested in an item like this as well.
Today this toy would be worth around $2,500.
6. Captain Power Dread Commander
This toy was ahead of its time in so many ways. This toy was based on the live-action TV series Captain Power (1987).
Captain Power originally aired on Saturday morning TV and was marketed towards kids. However, the show turned out to be a bit too violent and dark for children and turned off many parents to both the series and the toys.
The series didn't last long, and neither did the toys. Some of them never even had the chance to hit store shelves.
Rich knew instantly that this toy had never been released in stores. This came from the estate sale of a former Mattel rep., so it could be one-of-a-kind.
This vintage toy is worth around $5,000 today.
7. The total value of Rich Mayerik's collection:
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