Stuff You Should Know – “Selects: What Is A Mold-A-Rama?” (Dec 6, 2025)
Hosts: Josh Clark & Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this episode, Josh and Chuck take listeners on a nostalgic journey through the fascinating world of Mold-A-Rama machines – quirky, mid-20th-century devices that dispensed freshly molded plastic figurines on demand. Blending personal anecdotes, technical explanations, and historical anecdotes, the hosts explore the cultural impact, mechanical ingenuity, and enduring appeal of these “factory-in-a-case” wonders. Whether you grew up eagerly awaiting the warm, plasticky sculptures or are just now hearing about Mold-A-Rama, this episode is packed with insight, humor, and a love for bygone eras of hands-on fun.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is a Mold-A-Rama?

[02:46 – 05:45]

• Spoiler: Mold-A-Rama is a vintage machine that dispenses warm, freshly molded plastic toys while you watch.
• Technical description: “It is basically an on demand injection blow molded plastic toy dispenser. That’s a technical definition for it.” (Josh, 04:14)
• Compared to jukeboxes at a distance; “you walk up…put in 50 cents…and right before your very eyes, it will mechanically create a little plastic toy of an alien or a building or a lion at a zoo.” (Chuck, 05:01)
• Nostalgia Factor: The experience is as much about witnessing the process as the souvenir itself.

2. Nostalgic Memories and Cultural Place

[05:48 – 09:17]

• Mold-A-Ramas evoke fond memories of bygone eras—Chuck compares them to the now-rare record-cutting booths and penny smashers.
• Machines are still in use today; “Every Moldorama machine that you might encounter…were built in the 60s and have been operational ever since.” (Josh, 08:00)

3. Origins and History

[09:19 – 15:36]

• Inventor: J.H. “Tyke” Miller of Quincy, Illinois, who made figurines with his wife in the late 1930s for nativity sets.
• During WWII, American-made “Liberty Figures” filled the gap left by German import shortages.
• Postwar, Miller shifted from plaster to plastic, using injection molding—“nothing says 1950s Midwest more than plastic Nativity figures…made by a man named Tyke.” (Josh, 12:12)
• Their company thrived until 1959, when they went bankrupt—but Miller envisioned on-demand vending.

4. Rise of the Machines: Debut and Popularity

[13:52 – 17:08]

• Miller licensed the concept to Automatic Retailers of America (ARA, eventually Aramark).
• Debut: 1962 Seattle World’s Fair – early models vended Space Needles, monorails, etc.
• Explosion at 1964–65 New York World’s Fair: Upwards of 150 machines, with branded molds for Sinclair Oil, Disney, and more.
• “If you were a company…you could license and brand your own Moldarama…set it up and people would take home your little branded tchotchke. It was pretty cool.” (Josh, 16:10)
• ARA dreamed of “on-demand everything,” seeing plastics as the future.

5. The Mold-A-Rama’s Mechanical Magic

[21:16 – 25:22]

• How It Works: Hydraulics press two mold halves together; hot plastic (225–250°F) is injected in, using colored pellets.
• Blow-molding: Compressed air “pushes the plastic against the mold…and also blows the excess plastic out, so it’s hollow. Then that plastic goes back in the vat.” (Josh, 24:27)
• Sensory Memory: “The smell, Chuck, you’ve never smelled anything like it. It’s…pleasing and totally noxious.” (Josh, 25:26)
• Safety: Warnings to avoid hot plastic—“hold upside down while it cools. Don’t let the molten plastic drip on little Timmy’s hand.” (Chuck, 23:54)

6. Decline, Survivors, and Maintenance Challenges

[20:08 – 21:15, 26:13 – 27:03]

• Machines were expensive (about $3,600 in 1962, nearly $30K today) and required constant upkeep—“you had to refill them with plastic, fix any parts, keep them clean, get gum off them…” (Josh, 20:44)
• ARA sold off the business; machines acquired by families and small companies.
• Machines’ ruggedness celebrated: “They’ve been sitting in the elements for 50 plus years and they still work. They’re pretty well built machines for sure.” (Josh, 26:13)

7. Collecting, Custom Molds & Modern Fans

[27:07 – 36:43]

• Single Mold: Each machine dispenses one shape at a time—color can change when the plastic is swapped out.
• Enthusiasts: Collectors like Bill Bolman of moldville.com estimate 300+ different mold designs exist.
• Variety of figures: From dinosaurs to the St. Louis Arch, Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Lawrence Welk, NASA missiles—even Pumpkin Festival pumpkins.
• Sculptors today are producing higher-quality molds compared to the 1960s, improving details and artistry.

8. Modern Mold-A-Rama Businesses

[36:48 – 39:27]

• Two primary operators: Replication Devices (Florida-based, Strigow family) and Mold-A-Rama Incorporated (formerly William A. Jones Company, Midwest focus).
• Machines have supported three generations of operators: “...machines built in the 60s, left out in the elements for 50 years, are managing to support three generations of the families...super cool.” (Josh, 38:15)
• San Antonio Zoo example: “130,000 figurines a year from their one Moldorama—at $2 a pop.” (Chuck, 38:02)
• Some independent operators (e.g., Knoxville Zoo, Rotofugi in Chicago with its “Rotomatic” and Helper Dragon design).

9. Legacy and Fun Facts

[41:33 – 42:57]

• Price History: “In 1962, it was 50 cents—about $4.12 in 2017—now about $2. The price has actually gone down by half over the last 50 years.” (Josh, 41:33)
• Inventor’s Later Years: Tyke Miller invented the “Golden Goat”—an early aluminum can recycling and redemption machine.
• The Mold-A-Rama “rabbit hole”: Infinite online possibilities for collectors and the curious.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the appeal:
  “It’s not putting your quarter in a gumball machine... This is made just for you, right in front of your face.” (Chuck, 09:04)
• On the Mold-A-Rama as experience:
  “It’s the process. It’s watching this thing happen...at least probably 80% of the appeal.” (Josh, 31:45)
• On maintenance woes:
  “[They] required almost constant attention. You had to go refill them with plastic...fix parts...keep them clean...get gum off them because...these are interfacing with little kids.” (Josh, 20:44)
• On sensory nostalgia:
  “The smell... you’ve never smelled anything like it. It’s at the same time, pleasing and totally noxious...as a kid you’re like, oh, this smells weird and cool. But as an adult, I’m sure you’d be like, this is gonna kill my whole family.” (Josh, 25:26)
• On collector passion:
  “There is a website...waymarking.com. They have a comprehensive list of every single Moldorama in use today in the United States...They have longitude and latitude coordinates if you wanted to, I guess, geocache your way to them.” (Josh, 27:07)
• On economic surprise:
  “These machines...are managing to support three generations of the families who have been operating. I just think that’s super cool.” (Josh, 38:15)
• On the Golden Goat recycling machine:
  “[Miller's] invention… would take up about two parking spaces, and customers would come in and put in their used aluminum cans…the Golden Goat would weigh it and then give them some money in return.” (Josh, 41:57)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:46 – 05:45: What is a Mold-A-Rama? First descriptions & nostalgia.
• 09:19 – 15:36: The origins—Tyke Miller, liberty figures, and postwar plastic.
• 13:52 – 17:08: Mold-A-Rama’s rise at the World’s Fair.
• 21:16 – 25:22: Step-by-step of how the machines work.
• 27:07 – 27:56: Where to find Mold-A-Rama machines today.
• 31:14 – 33:32: Collectors, mold varieties, and changing colors.
• 36:48 – 39:27: The surviving businesses and their remarkable longevity.
• 41:33 – 42:57: Historical pricing and the inventor’s later innovations.

Final Thoughts

Through wit and warmth, Josh and Chuck trace the journey of the Mold-A-Rama from its humble, depression-era beginnings to the obsessive collectors of today. The machines are not just relics, but enduring artifacts of a past age’s mechanical optimism and tactile fun, still enchanting kids (and adults) with the magic of molten plastic—and a whiff of nostalgia.

Want to spot Mold-A-Rama in the wild? Visit waymarking.com, or keep your nose peeled for that “pleasing and totally noxious” scent at your next zoo or roadside attraction.

Recommended for: Fans of retro tech, collectors, pop culture historians, and anyone who finds magic in tactile, analog experiences.