Now that we’ve had time to digest the excitement and craziness that is Toy Fair, we want to hear what you all liked and didn’t like. What companies or products hit it out of the park? Was there a company, line or product that didn’t quite hit the mark? What was the most surprising bit of news from the event for you? If you missed any of our coverage, you can check out Every Toy Fair Link from our entire network by Clicking Here.
For me, there were a few different companies that really came out swinging. NECA, Diamond Select Toys, LEGO, and Playmates revealed some of the best new items at the show. Capo Toys’ Street Fighter Figures, and Bif Bang Pow’s lineup were some of the biggest pleasant surprises. These guys all look to be gearing up for a great 2014.
Read on to check out my thoughts, and be sure to join in on the discussion to let us know what you liked and didn’t like.
NECA’s Alien line is kicking into high gear and we’re going to finally see an Ellen Ripley figure after all this time. The addition of a stunning looking Power Loader may be the second best new items outside of Ripley. Their 1/4 scale figures continue to look amazing as well. Predator fans are getting a stunning looking vehicle, while their other lines also continue to grow.
Diamond Select Toys shocked a ton of people with the announcement of a TMNT license. Adding Ninja Turtles to the Minimates line sounds like a recipe for success and may just give LEGO TMNT Minifigs a run for their money. Not only that, but they showed off a new line of Plants vs Zombies Select figures and Minimates, a slew of fantastic looking Jay and Silent Bob items and the expansion of licenses like Pulp fiction, Kill Bill, Sin City and more.
LEGO continues to be LEGO. They have no shortage of great sets for the likes of TMNT, Star Wars, Marvel and DC. We weren’t allowed to photograph some of the best stuff (like the TMNT movie sets). But they are fully embracing the success of the LEGO Movie with a massive Metal Beard’s Sea Cow ship.
Fans of the TMNT Classics line have been split on the new 1990 Movie Ninja Turtles Classic Figures. It’s a great idea (I personally love the figures) that shows that the Classics are branching out in exciting ways. Their TMNT cartoon figure display was probably the most impressive looking setup at the show. It showcased pretty much every figure they’ve released so far, as well as a slew of highly anticipated new figures, like Slash!
Capo Toys looks to fill in the hole left when SOTA abandoned their Street fighter figure lineup. Their 7″ scale figures look to pack some seriously impressive articulation. Combined with spot on sculpting, it looks like we may have a Street Fighter figure lineup fans have been hoping for.
The folks at Bif Bang Pow probably had the most surprising line up at Toy Fair. Their introduction of 3.75″ figures for the likes of Twilight Zone was a welcome and unexpected surprise. Fans of the show Archer will have fully articulated figures coming in the near future and they are teaming with DST on a lineup of Big Bang Theory Minimates that looks better than they have any right to.
While no one company really disappointed me too much, there were a few places fans were hoping for more. Mattel’s DC lineup was a mix of cool and bizarre. The DC Super Powers line has the potential to be fun, but will fans line up for simple (and at times very odd) repaints. Funko was another company that many thought would have more on hand. They showed most of their best new items in the weeks leading up to Toy Fair. Fans were expecting an explosion of Legacy figures after the killer line of Game of Thrones figures. But we got Magic: the Gathering and Fantastic Mr. Fox, two licenses that didn’t seem to have a huge demand (though the figures themselves looked good).
There was one development that was a real let down. The complete lack of really anything Thundercats at the show. With the 2011 show dead and buried, the original characters are ripe for new licensing oppurtunities. Mezco showed nothing related to their Mega Scale line (we need a Tygra), and companies who are now specializing in retro figures don’t seem too interested in picking up the license. Funko’s line up of ReAction and Legacy figures seems like a natural fit for the license, but it doesn’t sound likely at this point.
In the end, it’s not really about what I say, but what you, the fans and collectors, think. So drop by and let us know your thoughts. Please keep it civil and try not to throw insults. Above all, have a bit of fun.