Meet Dakota — Strong Collectors Podcast Dakota is one half of the team behind the Strong Collectors Podcast, a creator-driven show focused on action figures, comics, collecting culture, and the ever-evolving toy community. What started as lifelong conversations between friends about Marvel Legends, comics, and superhero media eventually grew into one of the most authentic voices in the collector space. Known for blending humor, passion, and genuine love for the hobby, Dakota and the Strong Collectors team have built a community centered around positivity, speculation, creator interviews, and celebrating what makes collecting fun. From interviewing industry legends like Todd McFarlane to diving deep into lines like Mythic Legions, Marvel Legends, and beyond, Strong Collectors has become a place where collectors from all walks of life can feel at home. For people who may not know you yet, give us the origin story — how did the Strong Collectors Podcast get started? As a kid, I grew up playing with my uncle’s old He-Man and Thundercats action figures. Eventually I discovered ToyBiz Marvel Legends at Walmart, and from that point on, pretty much all of my allowance money went toward Marvel Legends figures. What made them so special was that I could grow both my figure collection and my comic collection at the same time. By the time I reached late middle school and high school, right around finishing the Blob Build-A-Figure wave, I stepped away from collecting toys and focused mostly on comic books. Then in 2020, I stumbled across the Marvel Legends Facebook community and realized there were thousands of people who loved the same figures I did. From there, it was completely off to the races. What made you want to create a podcast specifically centered around the toy and collecting community? Since fourth grade, I’ve been sharing my love of action figures with Jordan, my co-host on Strong Collectors. I moved away in high school, so we lost touch a bit, but we reconnected in college and started collecting together again around 2020. We both worked jobs where we could spend entire shifts talking about figures, comics, movies — basically anything superhero related. At the time, our favorite podcast was The Oral History of Marvel Legends. When the host got busy and stopped releasing episodes, Jordan and I realized there was a gap in the kind of content we wanted to listen to, so we decided to create it ourselves. You’ve talked with a lot of collectors and creators over the years — what’s something about the community that surprised you once you got deeper into it? The biggest surprise for me was discovering just how large the collector community actually was for the exact kinds of figures I loved growing up. I had held onto my childhood figures over the years, and one day I randomly searched “Marvel Legends” on Facebook. Suddenly I found thousands of collectors sharing photos, opinions, customs, and displays. I genuinely had no idea there were that many people out there who were just like me. What are the main lines or franchises you personally collect the hardest right now? Marvel Legends still makes up the biggest portion of my collection by far. Right now though, Mythic Legions is probably the line I’m collecting the hardest. Blokees has also become my newest obsession lately. As both a collector and a podcaster, do you think differently about the hobby now than you did when you first started? I think the biggest difference now is that I’m much more aware of the community surrounding the hobby. Jordan and I never wanted Strong Collectors to become a review-focused channel. If we had gone that route, I think it probably would’ve changed the way I personally view collecting. Instead, we’ve always focused more on speculation, excitement, toy news, comic conversations, and talking about where lines could go next. That approach has helped me keep the hobby fun and avoid turning collecting into work. What’s been one of your favorite or most memorable podcast moments so far? One of the craziest moments happened only four months after starting the channel. We probably had around ten subscribers at the time when we somehow landed an interview with Todd McFarlane. At that point, DC Multiverse was my second biggest collection, and I was also getting heavily into Spawn comics. Todd ended up talking with us for over two hours and even revealed a figure live on the show. Only a few episodes later, we had Jeremy Girard from Four Horsemen Studios on to talk about Mythic Legions, which really solidified my love for the Legions line. Honestly though, my favorite part has just been all the doors the channel has opened — getting to talk with creators, artists, toy designers, other content creators, and attending events like NYCC and Toy Fair. Have there been any guests or conversations that really stood out to you or changed your perspective on collecting? A major moment for me was when Fin Fang Fabulous and Ms. Mint Condition guest-hosted a few episodes. I expected we might lose some subscribers because not everyone likes change online, but instead the community actually became even stronger. We gained more subscribers than we lost, and I received a ton of messages thanking us for the type of environment we were building. That was the moment where I realized Strong Collectors could be more than just a toy podcast. A lot of people stereotype collectors as “mouth-breathing neckbeards living in their parents’ basement,” but the reality is most collectors are just regular people looking for a community where they feel like they belong. What’s your current “can’t miss” line in the hobby right now? I absolutely love Mythic Legions. Once you buy one figure, you almost have to take it apart and experiment with all the swapping possibilities. That’s when the line really clicks. I only own one Plunderlings figure so far — Captain Teal — but honestly it might already be my favorite figure in my entire collection. What’s one trend in collecting that you’re loving lately — and one that drives you crazy? One trend I really love is seeing more women entering the hobby and creating amazing content. I follow a lot of female creators who are genuinely making some of the best toy content online right now. As for a trend I can’t stand? Negative collector creators. There’s enough negativity online already. I’d much rather create content that celebrates the hobby than content that constantly tears it down. How do you balance being a fan of the hobby while also covering it as a content creator? For the most part, the two things still feel very connected for me. The biggest challenge honestly is editing. That time probably used to go toward watching other creators or just relaxing with the hobby. The other balancing act is the pressure that comes after big reveals. There’s always a rush to be the first person to upload reactions or videos. That’s part of why I’ve never wanted Strong Collectors to focus heavily on reviews. I never wanted the channel to become a race. Our content is more about conversations, opinions, and excitement surrounding the hobby — and nobody can really beat us to our perspective. The collecting world moves FAST right now. How do you personally avoid burnout or feeling overwhelmed by constant releases? I’ve never wanted to be a completionist, and that mindset helps a lot. It keeps me from buying things I don’t truly want, saves money, and helps preserve shelf space. I’m also pretty quick to sell figures once I decide I’m done with them. Some figures are forever pieces in the collection. Others are just here for a season before they move on to another collector who’ll appreciate them. What’s one figure or collectible in your collection that has a story behind it? It’s less about one specific figure and more about the display itself. My wife and I live full-time in a converted shuttle bus, which definitely creates some unique collecting challenges. When she built the bus — and she did almost the entire conversion herself — she made sure there was a dedicated shelf space for my collection. I originally didn’t want toys taking up valuable room, but she insisted that something I loved shouldn’t get left behind just because we chose this lifestyle. She’s always been incredibly supportive of my hobbies. All other wives are fighting for second place. If you could instantly revive one dead toy line, what would it be? The first thing that comes to mind is the NECA Gargoyles line. I think if it had continued, we would’ve gotten some incredible figures. Coldstone was announced but never released, and characters like Griff or Talon would’ve been amazing additions. That said, I do think another company could potentially handle the line even better, so I’m hopeful we eventually see Gargoyles return. The other answer would probably be Digimon. I’m not even sure the line is officially dead, but the SHF Digimon lineup still feels incredibly limited. I don’t own any yet, but I’d love to see a much larger action figure push for the franchise. What makes a toy company or brand really stand out to you in today’s market? I think companies have to genuinely feel like fans first. Collectors can tell the difference between a cash grab and a labor of love. Things like livestream reveals, convention displays, fan voting, teases, and direct interaction with the community make a huge difference. Marvel Legends used to do this incredibly well when Ryan Ting and the Marvel Legends team would jump on livestreams and genuinely talk about the products. Four Horsemen Studios is another perfect example. Their convention every year creates so much excitement because fans can directly interact with the creators and feel their passion for the line. What advice would you give to someone thinking about starting a podcast or content channel in the collector space? One reminder I constantly give myself is: “I’m for the people I’m for, and not for the people I’m not.” There will always be people leaving negative comments or criticizing what you create online. At the end of the day, your content isn’t meant for everyone. Focus on staying true to the kind of content and community you actually want to build. Looking ahead, what’s next for Strong Collectors Podcast? Long-term? Keep an eye out for tickets to the Strong Collector Cruise. More realistically in the near future, I’d love to bring more creators into our livestreams, revisit some past guests like Todd McFarlane for a round two, and even bring on a psychologist someday to do a deep dive into the brains of collectors. We’ve got a lot of ideas. You’ll just have to subscribe and see what’s next.