Should I go to ToyFair?

digger · Post by **digger** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:09 pm

A girlfriend who works for a toy company has lined up tickets, but I am not sure there is reason to go. I see bbi is showing in private, so aside from Unimax I am not sure there is reason to go. If anyone thinks otherwise let me know. Also, if anyone has a booth they want checked out, let me know and I will try to get photos.

Tambo · Post by **Tambo** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:10 pm

I'd go for sure.

Razor17019 · Post by **Razor17019** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:20 pm

Maybe you can get the scoop on 21st C from the other vendors.

hworth18 · Post by **hworth18** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:20 pm

Tambo wrote:I'd go for sure.

Yeah, I'd go.. No telling what cool stuff might be there, even if it isn't 1/18, but I collect multiple scales and multiple things, so it would be interesting for me.

grunt1 · Post by **grunt1** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:27 pm

Yes, 21C scoop would be worthwhile plus FoV might reveal upcoming Bravo Team items.

Jesse James · Post by **Jesse James** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:52 pm

Dig,

I'd go for just the expeirence if you're into toys much... BBI may talk to you anyway. They were begging people to listen to them last year, so the "private" thing is overrated. Generally the people you can't get into are Mattel, Hasbro, etc. Hasbro's always off-site doing their own private showing and they hold a press day and a purchasers day...

Anyway, I'd go. You're already there in the area, you got ticks lined up... It's a cool experience just to learn things about the toy industry I've found. Is FOV going to be there? I'd go if I were you.

I actually was gonna go but work interefered this year, hah.

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:06 pm

I'd go. I know Jesse said that Hasbro is hard to get into, but it would be cool if you could get us a hook up with some pictures of the new GI Joe, Star Wars, and Marvel stuff they have coming out in 1/18 scale.

Plus it would be awesome if you could bend FOV and bbi's ears about what they are up too with 1/18.

Plus you could be on the look out for this new mystery company with the 1/18 F-14....

pcsguy88 · Post by **pcsguy88** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:12 am

And get us pics of the new Devastator. I hear it's 2.5ft tall.

normandy · Post by **normandy** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:12 am

Digger, Go For It! Your in the city and have tickets.

As others have said maybe you can get some intel on 21st and find out whats up with the FOV/UNIMAX 1:18th Tiger I.
Oh and a girlfriend that works for a toy company....

.....Dude this sounds like a date made in Haven.

Should I go to the Toy Fair? You crack me up

coreystinson · Post by **coreystinson** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:34 am

Even I stopped going four years ago. It's largely a waste of time and here's why:

- manufacturers will keep any truly interesting projects a secret until the last minute, for competitive reasons

- anything else shown there you will find out about on the internet a day or two after

The only reason to go to Toy Fair these days is to establish sales relationships with cagey vendors - relationships that would be difficult to forge over the phone or via email. There is still some value to this angle, and it makes sense for vendors/retailers looking to establish new sales relationships. Face to face conversations always have a lot more value than phone/internet.

If you have some time to kill and can attend at little/no cost to yourself then it might be a fun experience, but it is not worth dropping a lot of money on.

digger wrote:A girlfriend who works for a toy company has lined up tickets, but I am not sure there is reason to go. I see bbi is showing in private, so aside from Unimax I am not sure there is reason to go. If anyone thinks otherwise let me know. Also, if anyone has a booth they want checked out, let me know and I will try to get photos.

digger · Post by **digger** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:19 am

Thanks guys. My initial feeling was Corey's - that there really isn't anything to see that won't be online in hi-res by day's end. It was cool to talk to Jason in the past but it doesn't appear he is going. I forgot about the new company with the big jet(s). That recon alone can get me over there.

Unimax is notoriously suspect of what they tell people that doesn't mean I won't ask.

Jesse James · Post by **Jesse James** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:32 am

It's a fun experience talking to some of the people Dig, and some of them are very friendly and insightful on the production aspect of things, so there's benefit to going and looking at the toy industry from the inside more rather than the outside... Hasbro generally just shows their wares and doesn't delve into too much about production and things. Last year you were basically walked around to take photos and nobody was really there to discuss questions and things, which irked some of the "media" but wasn't a surprise to most of us. Mattel's apparantly locked up like Fort Knox this year... i'm not sure why but I don't really follow lines they make either.

The smaller companies though often are very talkative. I know BBI's guy was all gung-ho to chat it up with the guys we sent a year or two ago. We've not got anyone going this year but a buddy of mine for another site is going under sponsorship and he's been there before. He always looks forward to going back. Often the booths have little freebies too, so don't forget to bring a backpack maybe.

Post by **aferguson** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:55 am

as far as i know the Bravo Team line is still a Target exclusive so Unimax probably wont' show anything for that....and who's ever there will probably know nothing about it. The ages of action figures or whatever they're called should be on display though.

Still, if you have little else to do and it's not a hassle i'd go. Who knows what nuggets you might find?

thehun · Post by **thehun** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:00 am

Go---Go---Go---

popeye357 · Post by **popeye357** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:12 am

Give me your ticket, Ill go:)

lightning2000 · Post by **lightning2000** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:35 am

Hello,
I have to echo Corey's sentiments. Years past, attending Toy Fair was on a par with a religious trip to Mecca. Back in the 80's, when I was a buyer, it would take us several days to tour all the buildings and corridors, which were largely located around the Flat Iron district. Now that everything is located further uptown in the Javits Center, you can see most of the vendors in a single day. Plus, with the Internet and a few phone calls, you can obtain all the information you'll ever need from the comfort of your easy chair.

If you live outside the NY metro area, you might want to think twice about attending, particularly if you need a hotel room. The costs can add up and you'll need to weigh these factors against what intel you'll obtain.

Up until yesterday, I was thinking about not even going, and we live just a few miles away. Several of the vendors we've seen in the past will not be going this year and, judging by the exhibitor map on the TIA site, they dont seem to be replaced by vendors of any import to us.

Anyway, we'll be going next Sunday for a few hours. Heck, you never know what type of info you'll turn up and nabbing pix of new items go a long way towards providing our customers with more in-depth knowledge they might otherwise not posess.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

CENT-ONE · Post by **CENT-ONE** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 11:58 am

I'd say to check it out if only for the unimax and "unknown F-14 company" possibilities. I'd also say to wait until the last day since then you can make a better decision based on what's already shown up online and there's always that off chance that, if something like the F-14 is actually there, you can buy the display off the vendor so they don't have to deal with packing it up.

Another plus, for us anyway, would be to have some first hand input on how some of the other 1/18 lines could have potential for use mixed with XD. Either customized or as they are. It seems like there's lots of random 1/18 stuff scheduled for this year and it would be really nice to get input from someone who understands exactly how/if it could work for us.

Oh, and don't forget that javitts is always fun!!!

Dauntless · Post by **Dauntless** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:09 pm

Dude! Go!

I wouldn't pass on the opportunity.
If I could, I would for sure. Camera in hand, laptop, up to the minute news corespondent, that would be me. It would be my sacred duty.

Sure there's going to be lots of Star Wars, GI Joe, Transformers, Star Trek. etc. etc. etc.
and even though there's some interest, they all ignore the military toys.

Who's going to cover the military toys? We need an emissary.

Small Scale Military Headquarters

Should I go to ToyFair?

Should I go to ToyFair?

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