Trying to track down a cool new toy for Velma's cousin, the gang finds another mystery when they spot the manager recalling all the action figures, accompanied by a female activist claiming the toys are unsafe. The gang stays in the mall overnight and finds that something seems to be bringing the toys to life.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Attack of the Killer Whatever: Evil toys, along with a gumball machine that snaps at Shaggy like an attack dog in one scene.
- Bluffing the Murderer: A variant; Velma calls all the suspects together and has Scooby walk toward them, wearing a collar she says will go off in the villain's presence. Harry Noze confesses when Scooby approaches him and the collar starts flashing. However, the collar itself wasn't anything special, just a novelty from the mall. Furthermore, it turns out Harry confessed to the crime without having committed it.
- Chekhov's Gun: The gang hears a loud roaring noise during the toys' attack. It turns out to be the culprit drilling holes in the foundation, looking for hidden paintings in the basement.
- The End... Or Is It?: As the gang is driving away with a Spaceman Swinton doll, the doll's eyes glow and it flashes a Slasher Smile at the viewer. However, this is never mentioned again.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Velma realizes who the true culprit must be when she overhears Shaggy saying he keeps a backup stash of snacks in the Mystery Machine's compartment. Remembering how the toy store turned out to have been built over a closed art museum, and having encountered drill equipment, she realizes Harry Noze's confession doesn't explain the drill and the museum's art thief must've buried the stolen paintings for digging them up later, and the culprit is the security guard who worked at both buildings.
- Fame Through Infamy: Harry confesses to committing the crime without actually having committed it. Velma deduces that he did so because he wanted to be a famous toymaker and the microchips controlling the toys were much more impressive than anything he had accomplished.
- Good News, Bad News: The gang are riding an elevator when something goes wrong. Daphne takes out her compact to catch a glimpse of the top and sees some of the toys sawing through the cables. When the others ask her what's happening, she asks if they want the bad news or the really bad news.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: A variation comes up in which the team decides to mix up their usual split; the boys team up while Scooby goes with Daphne and Velma, rather than Shaggy and Scooby going one way while the other three go another. To say Shaggy and Fred's small talk is awkward would be an understatement.
- Living Toys: The "monsters" of the episode are toys brought to life, from Spaceman Swinton action figures to Barbie doll expies. Naturally, however, they're just props for the real villain. There's also a
gumball machine that growls, for some reason. - Moral Guardians: Sandy Gordon, a representative of POUT (Please Oust Unsafe Toys) is a parody of the archetype. She enters protesting all the toys on the shop's shelves and demanding that they go because they promote violence. Later, she gets tied up by the toys while trying to strip out their batteries.
- Red Herring: Harry Noze, a fanatic who's camping out for first dibs at the new toys, shows the ability to create toys himself and he ultimately confesses to the crime. However, he wasn't the actual culprit.
- Wicked Toymaker: A wicked toymaker uses living toys to wreak havoc in a mall as a cover for his real crime.
