POST ALL TOY FAIR DISCUSSION HERE

[aferguson]

Getting ready for this weekend.....hope there's something to talk about...

[digger]

I live a few blocks from the JJ center and a friend who works for a trade publication said he would give me a pass - I will take him up on it if there is any reason to do so. Would love to see the new POC Joes that were just announced but I imagine Hasbro will be remote, and that photos of them will be everywhere. Any official sign of scale military and I should be able to go and get pics, etc..

[normandy]

Hay how about that 1:18th Horten Ho-229 coming out later this spring...... That's just encase there's no new news from the '11 toy fair.
Hopefully there will some intel on the so called new tooling, an Me-163 Komet? maybe a King Tiger? who knows at this point....we'll see...........
I feel good about this, we got a local NYC guy, who lives down the street from the Javets Center and goes by the name Digger. If there's any good sh.. to be found, he's our man.
Good hunting Digger!!!!!

[[CAT]CplSlade]

I will take him up on it if there is any reason to do so.

Dude, why wouldn't you just go anyway?

[NightVyper]

I agree with CAT I am going to to go maybe if i can get my baby there, but he is 2 months old right now so maybe not.

[Jesse James]

Hasbro's by invite only Dig, and remote from the Javits center. It's usually right off 8th Avenue not far from Rockefeller Center...

You can't just walk into Toy Fair though, it's a trade show, and as such you need some kind of means of getting into it (a press badge of some sort, vendor badge, etc.). You have to sign up and get your press credentials verified to get into the show and things (usually takes faxing your work to them) and pick them up with ID at the show's start. It's not like SDCC since it's a professional event though, just so people know.

To be honest, the main show's boring for the most part. 1/18 probably won't have jack anyway, unless the companies have gotten their stuff together and are serious about selling stuff to potential buyers. Mattel's pretty particular about letting you into their room at the Javits center, and some places only let you in by appointment (dependant upon how much interest there already is in their toy lines), and others won't allow photography and such. For instance, Playmobil didn't want you just wandering their area aimlessly. They wanted you scheduled and to have an escort through their area to discuss the product and things, get the goodie bag, and get the hell out so the next group could roll through.

Same with Lego, and other companies.

Places like 21st or whatnot probably were happy to accept anyone walking by willing to discuss and promote their stuff though. It varies by how much attention you already have going for whatever you're shilling.

Vyper, I didn't see one child there last year, at all, anywhere... I don't think you'd be allowed to bring kids in. Unless things have loosened dramatically in the last year or something.

[Threetoughtrucks]

I went for a number of years, but 1/18, even 1/6 kind of dried up. After 21C disappeared, along with the last few 1/18 plane guys, that only left outfits with 1/32 and 1/72, and even smaller. They just lost my interest.

The DML booth were always staffed with jerks and the Sideshow 1/6 and 1/4 figs were great, year after year. The Sideshow guys were the only ones to give out freebees to the "press", er... me. Freebees were figs that we were given out for my Daughter to review on her publication (newsletter) and she got a few for me.

I won't to be there.

TTT

[Jesse James]

Freebies have greatly dwindled... Lego gives the best ones. I wound up using them to help fund my trip... ahem. Dragon weren't there last year I don't believe. If they were I guess I just don't remember them. Sideshow don't attend Toy Fair any longer either. They're now quite happy to basically unveil things on their site the weekend of.

Toy Fair has slipped in its importance by a good margin.

Playmobil gives some cool stuff. Hasbro gave nothing last year which was a huge punch in the nuts for me since it was my first year and they'd given out something or other every year till then. In 2007 I was lucky someone actually gave me their coin they gave out that year, as it's actually a unique coin in the 30th Anniversary Star Wars collection of coins. I'm probably one of the few who honestly has EVERY coin released that year including the Indiana Jones and Star Wars coins from SDCC, and the Toy Fair Star Wars coin. It's one of the rare pack-in collections that is kind of cool to actually have, and have complete. The vintage coins, if you have a complete set, is worth big money. It's kind of neat having the modern equivalent all wrapped up.

Anyway that was a derailed thing there... Hasbro used to give cool stuff, like in 2005 they gave a unique Anakin/Vader 2-pack that spun the figure around to change him from one to the other... That thing was selling for thousands on Ebay and I'm pretty sure if another one came up it'd go for a lot because it's just that rare. Modern stuff and "rare" usually are not compatible, but that's one that truly is.

Freebies were sparse last year though for sure. Only the bigger companies dished much out.

[NightVyper]

Yeah one of my clients has small game company and goes every year and has invited me, so i have an in but i didn't know hasbro was by invite only so that would put me out, plus i cant ditch my son and wife for a day.

[Jay]

From the emailed badcat news/updates:

"We are sitting on pending news from the NY Toy Fair that should have something very interesting for 1:18 scale fans. In addition, our ear-to-the-ground connections within the industry are indicating a possible new player emerging, as well. Stay tuned, when we get any news, we'll report it."

................PS, don't shoot the messenger......namely, me...i'm just passing this s##t on!

[Jesse James]

Eh, maybe something interesting will turn up. I just am not getting my hopes up. The only "new player" that has emerged lately is the "Our War" figures from Asia. They're dabbling with a Wave 2, World War 2-themed, and that's the only thing I'm really hopeful anyone would see anywhere.

[aferguson]

well i think something's up. There have been several references over the last year of 'players, wanting to make 1/18 products, wanting to see 1/18 continue' etc. And now this. I think they'll be something interesting coming.

But after the last 2 toy fairs being very disappointing, i'm keeping guarded optimism this year...but optimism nevertheless.

[normandy]

No worries Jay, we won't shoot ya. Thats an interesting email you got from the cat.
Would AllGo be considered a new player? They haven't sold anything yet under that name. Or someone out of the blue?
I'd crack up if it were Pickelhaube with his T-34 and pre production pics (in 1:48th) of his new Ho 229.
His work deserves a look from the Big Guys!
Well lets see what happens. Oh and Jay thanks for the s##t!

[pickelhaube]

No worries Jay, we won't shoot ya. Thats an interesting email you got from the cat.
Would AllGo be considered a new player? They haven't sold anything yet under that name. Or someone out of the blue?
I'd crack up if it were Pickelhaube with his T-34 and pre production pics (in 1:48th) of his new Ho 229.
His work deserves a look from the Big Guys!
Well lets see what happens. Oh and Jay thanks for the s##t!

Suppose it was a T-34. Jesus.

I would shoot myself.

[normandy]

If it was a T-34, yours would still be better and the First! and there will be no shoot'n of one's self! ya got to much damn work ta finish Pickel...................

[aferguson]

lol...

if it was a T-34 you immediately start working on an su-85 conversion kit, su-122 conversion kit plus a host of other upgrades and conversion kits for it. It would be a good thing. Plus i'm sure most people would honour their commitments to you or at least buy other things from you of equivelent value..

nobody's gonna leave you dangling, PH. You're too valuable a commodity around here.

[CW4USARMY]

AMEN!!!!

[Threetoughtrucks]

For NightV and his infant. No one under age 18 is allowed as per The Toy Fair rules. I guess you can say he/she is a very realistic doll.

TTT

[ram04]

Never been to a toy fair, have been lucky enough to go to several motorcycle expos in Indianapolis, we always go for the off-road stuff, tons of freebiees, stickers, parts for our ATVs and what not.

Having a friend thats a dealer really helps, missed it last year, but the year before, between the redbull and beer at the exhibits, it was a really good time

[NightVyper]

@ TTT

He does have kung fu grip and bio chemical weapons action!

[Tambo]

It's a good thing people under 18 are not allowed into Toy Fair... A Toy could possibly get into the hands of a child.

[Threetoughtrucks]

As a matter of fact, in the years I went, the friendliest people were the 1/18 vendors, 21C and others. They would talk to anyone. The other booths were staffed primarily with salespeople. After all the entire purpose of Toy Fair is to sell toys to stores. The chest badges identified the viewer as press or vendor, or buyer. As soon as they see a "press" badge, they know you are not a "sale" and would often ignore you. The 1/18 guys were never like that as soon as you mentioned yourself as a 1/18 guy, they were glad to "talk 1/18". The 1/18 booths usually had at least one VP and they were genuinely nice guys or gals. The 21C booth always had a couple of 1/6 RC items, Stuart. M1 Abrams or a Humvee to try out and run around.

We always miss the "old days".

TTT

[normandy]

OK, what time do the doors open? Been up since 5.





Over the next few days we might some intel from figures.com http://www.figures.com/forums/news/1249 ... erage.html

[NightVyper]

Gi Joe Skystriker announced. as well as some new cobra vtol transport.

[Jesse James]

Tons of Joe news... New line look with 3 cardbacks... 2 classic (Joe & Cobra), and the Renegades.

Renegades will look realistic.

Skystriker gets a Transformers Star Scream repaint and a CC figure with a Megatron style pistol. We're covering the event at my site as well, www.JediDefender.com, so we're trying to get some live fed stuff posted as it comes in. Good stuff. GIJ has a big year coming up it seems.