Geek Chic: Villager Gets Toy Collection TV Pilot

Jordan Hembrough may be new to television, but he's no rookie to the toy game. It isn't a hobby for the six-year resident of Ridgewood who grew up in Washington Township.

Years ago, Hembrough was the buyer for a global chain of retail stores. When the business closed, he purchased the inventory. Now the president of Hollywood Heroes, he's living his childhood dream.

On Sunday night, the pilot episode of "Toy Hunters" premieres on the Travel Channel. If things go well, the network will sign up host and veteran toy collector Hembrough for a full series.

"I have a real love affair with pop culture, nostalgia and vintage toys," he says, rattling off a series of prized toys he's had that includes everything from GI Joe figurines to Star Wars replica X-Wings.

The stigma behind the fanboy identity is waning, Hembrough maintains. Citing the cultural embrace of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," Hembrough believes that in today's times being nerdy is well, hot stuff.

"It's cool to be a fanboy now," he chuckles, "Being a geek is sexy."

His fandom paid off when in February of 2011 Hembrough was approached by Sharp Entertainment, the producers of Extreme Couponing and Man vs. Food (which, incidentally, has been to Ridgewood's  for a ).

"At the time they couldn't find a host [but] they found me, I nailed the audition and I talked about what I do in real life," he recalls.

"It's kind of like 'American Pickers' for toy collectors," Hembrough says of the show. "We go in search of the rarest, most sought after toys of the last 30 years."

New York Comic Con and its cultural power has been a boost to the village toy collector. According to Hembrough, organizers of the Super Bowl of the toy/comic world sent out a blast e-mail to 130,000 visitors, enticing them to check out the Sunday broadcast.

"I've gotten incredible support for the collecting comunity," he notes, mentioning that about 300,000 viewers would be a mark he'd like to hit when the pilot airs at 11 p.m. on Sunday.

That may sound late, but he says it's a unique time – with the Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend, most people have Monday off.

"Lots of people are staying up watching Leno and Conan already," he says. "Stay up and watch this, it's a great show!"