Collector's Call - Season 6

Bruce Pascal's got a need for speed. As a child, he loved Hot Wheels. Now, as an adult, he has a jaw-dropping, museum-like car collection that includes not just the cars. but also, some extremely rare items that were used to make the cars. Bruce takes Lisa on a tour of his collection--from a hand-drawn sketch of the Olds 442, to a wood model Ferrari, to the Holy Grail of Hot Wheels, Bruce has them all and loves sharing his passion with others. Our expert, Joel Magee, will appraise Bruce's collection, and who better than a self-proclaimed toy scout and a race car driver. Joel will also attempt to pull off a heart racing car trade with Bruce. One, one-of-a-kind prototype, for another. Who will end up in the driver's seat, our expert or collector?

They say to do what you love - and Shawn Peterson loves PEZ. After years of collecting rare dispensers, candies, and other company artifacts, Shawn successfully pitched a PEZ Visitor Center at the company's historic and still-functioning factory, where he now manages and shares his collection with 80,000 visitors a year. He also shares his collection with Collector's Call, taking Lisa, and PEZ Price Guide expert and appraiser, John LaSpina, on a ride through PEZ history, including: a 1940s PEZ Girl uniform, a rare Colonel Sanders prototype, and a giant edible candy tablet that you can only acquire if you're invited to the headquarters factory in Germany. John appraises Shawn's collection and attempts a trade - offering an ultra-rare set and display featured in a Montgomery Ward catalogue in exchange for a dispenser from the 1984 Winter Olympics. Also - Shawn shows Lisa around the PEZ factory and takes her behind-the-scenes of the candy-making process.

Ashley Sero grew up in a doll house. Literally, surrounded by the vast number her mother Patty had collected over several years. As Ashley - and her love for the collection -- grew, she wanted to start one of her own. She decided to begin with Skipper, Barbie's younger sister. More than two decades later, Ashley has a wide-ranging doll collection numbering in the hundreds, and she walks Lisa through it all. As she expanded the scope of her prized possessions, Ashley decided to share her passion for and knowledge of doll collecting with others, launching her own YouTube channel, Confessions of a Doll Collector's Daughter, which has attracted scores of avid fellow collectors. Ashley takes personal property appraiser and fellow doll aficionado Kate Martin through some of her more unique items, including extremely rare Japanese Skipper dolls. Kate appraises Ashley's collection, before offering a tempting trade - a beautifully preserved iconic figure from Switzerland for one of Ashley's long treasured, and with good reason, staple items.

As a child growing up in foster care, Doogie Sandtiger never learned to tie his shoes. Today, he is the Guinness World Record holder for most Crocs-- a goal he put into motion years ago and proudly achieved by showing Lisa his more than 3500 pairs. This Croc-star's eye-popping collection includes high end collaborations with famous artists, to a finger-lickin'-good collab with everyone's favorite chicken franchise. There's even a special pair he wore to be in his brother's wedding. Today, our Croc-solid toy expert, John Ragusa, steps into his role of appraiser and expert, by putting a dollar amount to Doogie's collection and then, by offering a Crocs trade. John hopes his trade item--a combination between a toy and Croc, will convince Doogie to swap some of his Crocs, while our collector hopes he won't "Croc" under the pressure.

Peter Morcey is the kind of guy who collects Star Wars toys, lots of them, and displays them in a meticulous fashion that shows off all his complete toy lines, toy lines from other countries, and toys that no one else has.

When a teenage Joe Salg heard Cyndi Lauper's single "Time After Time," he was hooked. She represented what he had been seeking as a young gay man: Outside acceptance of one's true colors, whatever they might be. He began buying albums and any other memorabilia he could find. Then he went on a quest: to gain bragging rights to the most unique items ever related to the pop icon. Years later, he had so many prized possessions that friends and family urged him to open a museum dedicated to the singer. Today, he is the proud owner of The Cyndi Lauper Museum, which is acknowledged and admired by the music legend herself. Joe walks Lisa through some of the most iconic items, including the first microphone Cyndi ever used as an emerging star and everything from a quirky corset used for a famed photo shoot to a glamorous dress worn to the 50th anniversary of the Grammys. Later, expert Liam McEwan will propose a trade: one of his most treasured items, personally signed by the singer, for Joe's rare relic of '80s pop culture itself.

Former police officer Justin Cary gave up life as a cop to become a full-time vintage toy collector and dealer and has never looked back. Justin takes us on a tour of his amazing collection, showcasing such highly-sought rarities as a MacGyver action figure available only in Brazil, a professionally graded prototype of G.I. Joe's Croc Master, and - the cornerstone of his collection - a 1980s Masters of the Universe store-display diorama that is possibly the only one of its kind. On hand to appraise Justin's collection is toy store owner John Davis, who's also brought along a very tempting trade item, one of the toy community's holy grails: an action-figure of Dick Tracy's The Blank. Justin's definitely interested - but when he hears what John wants in return, his decision becomes a dilemma.

Claire Peterson is not your typical Transformers collector - most are male. But as the daughter of an engineer, she loved working with her hands, and she became enamored with Transformers when she was still a child. That was in the early 1990's, during what is called the Generation 2, or G2, Transformers era. Generation one started in the 1980s. Now, Claire collects everything from G one and G two to the B Wars, the Beast machines, and beyond. Claire also buys and sells Transformers at local and regional conventions as well as online. She has about 1,100 on display and a little more than 2000 in storage, each of them unique. Out of all the cartoon, TV shows, and movies that have come out of the franchise, the 1986 animated film "Transformers" is one of her favorites. She says she is devastated, though, that she still does not have the full Devastator combiner set. She and our expert, Ben Talmage, had already crossed paths, having met at a local Michigan toy convention.

Mike Lefevre was five years old when his father brought his little sister home from the hospital, holding her in one hand and a plush Snoopy in the other. For Mike, it was love at first sight - for both his sibling and her stuffed toy. And from that moment on, America's favorite anthropomorphic beagle became a fixture in Mike's life. By the time he was ten, he had acquired more than a dozen Snoopy collectibles. Today, his collection contains more than 15,000 Snoopy items. They are on full display for all to see in a museum he has built at his waterfront restaurant in suburban Detroit. Our pop culture toy expert, Johnpaul Ragusa, has his own connection to the Peanuts character. His wife is an avid fan, and his home is filled with Snoopy paraphernalia.

Janay Smith is giving us a small glimpse at the world's largest, private, game worn sports collection- a collection she inherited after her sports crazed, lawyer father left her, when he passed. Some of this spectacular collection is at the Smithsonian, but today, she'll show us Hank Aaron's jersey, and the game ticket from the day he broke Babe Ruth's home-run record. We'll see Muhammad Ali's trunks and training robe, Kobe Bryant's #8 autographed jersey, and Jim Brown's MVP trophy. Historian and African American material culture expert, Philip Merrill, will evaluate this collection with a number never heard before on "Collector's Call," and then attempt to trade Janay with a big-time big league offer. But will she play ball?

Registered dietitian nutritionist and public speaker David Meinz has spent decades assembling what can only be called a museum of vitamin history -- including a range of quack cures and weird weight-loss schemes. Lisa has invited vintage drug-store collector Henry Tankersley to appraise David's wildest items, including LaMar Reducing Soap, Trim Reducing Cigarettes, and Hadacol -- the vitamin elixir for the whole family that's 24-proof alcohol. Henry then attempts a trade for a bit of pristine pharmaceutical paraphernalia he's brought along ... and Lisa brings it home with an unforgettable demonstration of a weight-loss jiggle-belt machine.

Vintage memorabilia collector David Schafer has spent decades assembling the toys, comic books, and other collectibles from his childhood - all in strikingly pristine condition. David shares some of his rarest and most valuable items, including a Batman and Justice League playset released at the height of the Caped Crusader's 1966 popularity; a Mad Magazine straitjacket that was available by mail only; and the 1941 comic that features the first appearance of Wonder Woman. Joining Lisa is "Collector's Call" favorite Joel Magee, a.k.a. America's Toy Scout. Joel appraises the entirety of David's dazzling collection, then makes a trade offer for one of David's Disney rarities. The show concludes with David unveiling to Lisa a 1982 Mad Magazine parody of "The Facts of Life."

Alex Arnold is known as "The Indy Guy" in the Indiana Jones collectors' world. He was five years old when his parents introduced him to Indiana Jones, and he was instantly hooked; Indiana Jones was more relatable than superheroes with superpowers. He didn't start collecting, though, until 2016, when his mother gave him a resin box that held Indiana Jones DVDs, a Blockbuster exclusive. After that, the hunt was on, and he began to collect every Indiana Jones item he could find. Today, his job as an RN can be taxing, and his R and R is turning on one of the movies and posting Indiana Jones related content on social media. His public exposure has led to everything from promoting Indiana Jones products to being invited to movie premieres. Alex will show us the treasures he has collected, and our pop culture expert Joel Magee, a.k.a "America's Toy Scout", will put a price on the entire haul.

Andrew Somer has a heart that's three apples tall, and it's filled with Smurf collectables. After a lifetime of collecting Smurf memorabilia, Andrew is ready to share his incredible Smurf room with Lisa Whelchel and expert appraiser and toy shop owner, John Ragusa. Together, they go deep into the world of blue creatures and hidden villages, checking out one-of-a-kind wax prototypes from the 80s, an entire end cap shelf display, and even a letter from the daughter of Peyo, the creator of the Smurfs characters. As a collector, Andrew is particularly a fan of store display pieces, and John Ragusa attempts to trade one of Andrew's prized display stands for a one-of-its-kind keychain display.

Kirk Kirkland has been spent many years creating a work of art out of his science fiction props and costumes. He has built an office adjacent to his home to house his collection - and unlike collectors who find an item and then look for a place to display it, Kirk finds a spot he wants to fill and looks for the perfect collectible to display. Also, unlike collectors who will never part with their prized possessions, Kirk plans to sell some of his larger pieces so he and his wife can travel when their daughter goes to college. His fascination with all things sci-fi began when he was just nine years old and watched famed producer and director Irwin Allen's Lost in Space and Star Trek on television. Ever since moving from Appalachia to Los Angeles, Kirk has had a successful career in the entertainment industry himself, working in post-production. Kirk is joined by pop culture expert Rob Klein, who has an extensive collection of sci-fi memorabilia of his own.

Former Marine Corps Reservist Neil LaSala may have retired from duty, but his devotion to the armed forces continues in his expansive collection of the original, 12-inch G.I. Joe action figure. Neil's home is a virtual museum of the iconic toy's early years and rare interim incarnations, and he shares with Lisa some of his most desirable items - including an African American soldier, Joe as a State Trooper complete with motorcycle and accessories, and a complete (and pristine!) run of the super-rare Photobox series. Joining Lisa is Collector's Call favorite Joel Magee a.k.a "America's Toy Scout." Joel appraises Neil's meticulously curated collection, then offers him a trade for something he ends up already owning - but with an unexpected, Joel Magee twist. And when Lisa learns it's also Neil's birthday, she rises to the occasion with a final, G.I. Joe-themed surprise.

Denise Davis may be a Star Trek collector, but she's no typical Trekkie. Her passion for collecting all things Star Trek began after reading collector's books and deciding she too wanted to collect, but not the usual type items. Today Denise will show us her vast as the galaxy collection, including a hard-to-find Lt. Uhara doll, a Star Trek lamp with some serious sentimental connections and even some Star Trek clothespins. We've brought along our expert and fellow Star Trek fan, Mark Short, who'll appraise Denise's collection, and then attempt to make a trade. While Denise is leery of giving up anything in her collection, Mark's brought an item he knows Denise wants, and hoping resistance is futile.

Ozzie Cicchetti is the master of Masters of the Universe and THE man for He Man collectibles. After over 40 years of collecting, he shares his incredibly curated personal collection with Lisa and toy shop owner and expert appraiser, John Ragusa - including rare gift sets, prototypes, and a complete (and still functioning!) Eternia playset. John appraises Ozzie's collection and attempts to make a trade - a rare Tri-Klops figure in mint condition in exchange for every collector's bread and butter - a lot of cardboard boxes. These two self-described Italian-American New Yorkers both grew up negotiating at flea markets with their fathers, and they're ready to put their skills to the test to see who will be the Master of the Collector's Universe.

Unlike most animation fans, Tom Margarites isn't satisfied to just watch cartoons. Tom has gone above and beyond, filling his home with nearly four thousand statues and figurines of characters both iconic and obscure - from Walt Disney's Pinocchio, to The Simpsons. He shares with us some of his most treasured finds, including a chess set of Tex Avery characters (including Droopy), a porcelain set of Rocky and Bullwinkle cast members, and never-produced prototypes of Wally Gator and Hardy Har Har. Lisa has invited Collector's Call favorite Mark Short to appraise Tom's collection; Mark will also try to tempt Tom into a trade for a pristine cookie jar based on the Laurel and Hardy cartoon show, resulting in some highly animated negotiation.