Does anyone remember the vintage 1980s Masters of the Universe character named Leech? He was one of Hordak's Evil Horde henchmen, the guy with the suction cup hands and suction mouth. I think he was subtitled something like "Master of Power Suction." Remember?

I've got that Leech action figure from when I was a kid. When I picked him up after all those years in storage--in the garage, in my mom's basement, in a storage unit--I found him a little gooey. No, he was really gooey--and sticky. I think it was mainly the soft plastic parts, the limbs and the suction mechanism for the mouth.

I thought to myself, "How could such a cool figure ever end up so gross?" Well, as it turns out that figure was given the perfect name. Even a great toy company like Mattel couldn't have chosen a better name. Perhaps it was all part of their master plan.

The issue is plastic "leeching." Many plastics, particularly softer ones, are manufactured using chemicals that may be released over time under certain environmental conditions. The variety of plastics and chemicals used may vary widely, so I'm not going to list specific plastics or toys here. I can say that I've noticed this phenomenon in a number of my childhood toys, and it makes me wonder how much of it I was exposed to while playing with them as a kid.

Given that many of these toys are now desirable to collectors, I do have a couple of recommendations.

• If such a toy would fill a gap in your collection, consider holding out for one with little or no leeching. Along with finding a safer toy, you just might find one that's in better overall condition.
• If you find one you simply must have, consider it a collector's item rather than a toy you intend to play with. Perhaps enclose it in its own display case or otherwise seal it from exposure to your gallery, thereby preventing it from exposing you to the leeching chemicals.

I'm not an expert in plastics technology, so these statements are only recommendations. Following them just might make your hobby a little safer and more enjoyable. Happy collecting!

Remember: You can't collect 'em all without Collect-em-Mall!

Why Thrill of the Chase? Because collecting is about passion and pursuit!

Virtually everyone can relate to the tireless search for that last elusive piece of the puzzle. It goes something like this:

"Where is it? How can I find it? Hey, there it is! Is it really the one? Yep, it's the one, all right. Now, how can I get it? Ready, set, grab it! Okay, I got it! Will it really fit? Let's see.... Yes! Woo-hoo! Oh, yeah! Who's the Master Collector now?!"

Like a truly awesome chase sequence ripped out of your favorite action movie and dropped right into the middle of your favorite drama, building your collection of whatever-it-is can be exciting from start to finish. There's something for just about everyone at Thrill of the Chase and Collect-em-Mall!

Remember: You can't collect 'em all without Collect-em-Mall!

Hello, eBayers! Bonjour! γειάσου! Hola! здравствулте! こんにちは! Hallo! 여보세요! Ciao! 你好!

Many thanks to all of you who have already enjoyed collecting the Collect-em-Mall way! We've finally entered the blogosphere with Thrill of the Chase, a blog devoted to hobbies and collecting.

On Thrill of the Chase, we'll be bringing you news and insight into hobbies and collecting you won't want to miss!

Remember: You can't collect 'em all without Collect-em-Mall!