Toyfair Australia 2015 report and pics.
Alrighty then... this is the full report from today, and my photos (Demonac took some photos as well), but I didn't get to take close-up photos of
everything I wanted to, because they were closing up when I was taking most of these.
But don't worry, as we didn't have much that was NOT on display at NY Toyfair, which you can see in the many galleries at TFW2005 or Seibertron.
(the original post of mine with the initial brief bits is quoted in the third post, so that you can see what has been added, or explained)
Naturally, a huge thankyou to Hasbro Australia, who have let me visit their exhibit for the eighth year now, asking them a lot of questions (we ended up
spending about 2.5 hours)... and after many years of hard work, we are building a very good relationship now, that earned me a sneak peak at
some items I can't talk about yet, and, should see some interesting projects and exclusive Retailer offers over the next couple years for Ozformers
members... especially as we celebrate our 20th anniversary next year as a fan community/club.
The entrance sign of this year's Toyfair, which is the 50th Toyfair for Australia (apparently).
At registration, we get a bag for all the paperwork and samples the Retailers collect.
Outside the entrance are some promotional displays...
Adventure Time.
Tonka (a giant inflatable truck... I just want to jump on it like a jumping castle).
Turtles (a custom van, and screen to have a photo in front of).
Dora and Spongebob.
Inside we had a person walking around in a Twilight Sparkle costume, filling out the front legs, with the back half dragging along behind).
Okay okay, onto the Transformers stuff.
Licensed exhibitors first.
Nikko Remote Control cars, who produced the four Movie cars in the middle of last year (two convertible, two non-convertible), will be released
again this year, and the distributor here said that they will be at BigW, DavidJones, TRU and Toyworld this year. The Helicopter (Drift) is still not
coming here this year, as it was apparently cancelled (stopped production) soon after it was started, and only ended up being released in a couple of countries.
Nikko were planning to do some new ones for RID, but didn't get enough retailer interest, so cancelled them and that's why the Movie ones are
being re-released this year.
Loyal Subjects Wave 3 figurines should be out in the next month, as they have a March release date in Australia.
Hasbro.
GENERATIONS.
They only had the first two waves of the regular release figures, and only one of each of wave two Deluxes, so didn't want to open up the Deluxe
Stunticons to make a Menasor to fight off Superion.
.
The Titan Generations Devastator was on display, with my Gen1 Devastator I posted to Hasbro last week for them to show off the
difference of 30 years of evolution in Transformers looks like. (they didn't have the individual Constructicons though, which NY Toyfair had on display)
The Retailers have loved the new Devastator, with BigW already signed up for a June/July release (the mid-year toy sales).
I asked about DLX Slingshot & Wildrider after it was noted on another fansite, and was told that they aren't part of this year's range for
Hasbro... since the Combiners line is already aimed to be at least two years, maybe they are in the next series of GEN toys.
So if you want these characters, maybe get the TakaraTomy versions if Hasbro versions aren't announced before they are released.
I asked about the ToysRUs listing of Leader Class Starscream's bio, and it is a toy for wave 4, after Ultra Magnus in wave 3.
Generations will see TV commercials here, which will be a first for us, due to a lack of Generations toys released here in the last few years.
No Generations Boxsets are planned at this time. (I asked, because TakaraTomy are doing it)
Robots In Disguise.
The giant Bumblebee - makes the classic transformation sound when you transform it. You can never get too tired hearing that sound in a
Transformers toy.
Transforming Titans... yes, just like Actionmasters decades ago, thosecrappywacky non-transforming Titans will have some
transforming versions, that are just as simple as those Elite Actionmaster were.
Minicons. They only had two of the single packs on display, but this looks to be a first appearance of what the packaging will look like.
.
Over to one side was this display of some licensed merchandise and potential merchandise here... plus a time-trial competition for the Retailers.
It was only a simple toy, the Mega 3-step Optimus, because the Retailers don't have time to be mucking around with a complex toy (and Hasbro
wouldn't want them frustrated with a product which might have them refuse to stock it).
Hero Mashers.
Only wave one RID shown, plus the re-release of the larger size classes. Hero Mashers will be huge this year, with about four Brands being released
as Hero Mashers.
.
Rescue Bots.
.
The new "Mini Scene Packs" that were at NY Toyfair, which will have a couple of figurines packed with a vehicle from the Cartoon.
Plus, a new convertible Bumblebee in a new style of packaging, which I don't recall seeing at the NY Toyfair.
And the High Tide playset. I wanted to have a play with this but ran out of time.
That's all the photos this year, which was more than the last couple of years.
Now for the info of things not on display...
Masterpiece.
Australia will continue to be following Hong Kong's lead and having both Hasbro and TakaraTomy Masterpiece toys at ToysRUs stores here.
The Japanese Masterpiece toys that SHOULD be coming this year (details and dates are for Australia, which is usually about a month after JP/HK
dates - these can change, and often do)...
- Gold bumblebee in around July,
- The Convoy reissue middle of the year,
- Tracks is mid-year and was NOT noted as MP-25 on the Hasbro Australia list, but maybe they have 25 and 26 mixed up, as Tracks was labelled as
MP-25 in a recent Japanese Hobby magazine.
- MP-25 (or 26 if the numbers were mixed up on the list) will be here in about Sept (I know what it is, but I'm not allowed to reveal the name
before TakaraTomy announces it)
- Two "sports cars" for OCT and NOV (the names haven't be revealed to Hasbro Australia yet, as it is so far in the future, so I have no idea if they
are new moulds... but with three new moulds already coming this year, I'd imagine that at least one of these are a redeco).
(please don't bother asking me, or expect, any more information on the future Masterpiece toys, as I am not expecting updates before
TakaraTomy reveals the next few... and everything I am allowed to talk about is listed here already)
Hasbro Masterpiece.
The Starscream Masterpiece will be the second version of the mould, which was MP-11, because that was apparently chosen because it was what the fans wanted.
Masterpiece Bluestreak will be out here in about July.
Platinum Edition.
It really is the year of the Gen1 reissues.
Myer exclusives - Seeker 3-pack, YOTG Optimus, YOTG Soundwave.
ToysRUs will have the Insecticon 3-pack, the Perceptor/Blaster 2-pack, Trypticon, aaaaand.... Dinobots. YES, Gen1 Dinobots multipack which I
hope is all five, and all in Gen1 colouring.
I guess all the popularity with Dinobots last year, it was finally worth rebuilding or reverse-engineering the original Dinobot moulds. Plus Trypticon
as another Dinosaur to sell off the hype of the Movie Dinosaurs.
(no sign of the Astrotrain/Blitzwing 2-pack here as it was not on the future store exclusive listing)
Miscellaneous items...
Firstly, there were two items that I was shown that I can't say until they are officially revealed... so I'm just noting it here, so that when I can
describe them later, I can refer to this post to show that I'm not just making it up at that later time.
The Japanese Movie Stinger is still on for this month, but only at TRU though... Hasbro is still hoping to organize an Ozformers member discount.
Some SDCC exclusives will be released in Australia this year at the Oz Comic Con (not related to SDCC I think, but must have struck up a special deal
this year for the two events that are after SDCC - Brisbane 19/20 Sept & Sydney 26/27 Sept). Hasbro AUS weren't allowed to reveal what items will be available
here because SDCC and Hasbro America have to make the
official announcements by Press Release around June... but at least one
will be a Transformers SDCC toy. For the Brisbane convention, Hasbro asked me if I was interested in lending some of my collection for a small
historical display of the toyline... and if they are having booths at the other four shows, I can see if they want locals in that area to do the same.
Details will be released later when known or allowed.
Hasbro Australia have decided to abandon Kreo in this country... so none of the RID build sets and the Convertible Kreo sets seen at NY Toyfair are
NOT coming here. (last November we were originally slated to have the first wave of Convertible Kreo in March, but it looks like that's now cancelled).
(a lot more items I need to import...)
That's pretty much all I can talk about from the 2.5 hours we were there, and if you have any questions about what Devastator was like to hold and
play with, Demonac will hopefully respond, as he got to do all the playing with the toys while I was busy taking photos and talking to people.
Lastly, a thankyou to Patrick from Hasbro Rhode Island, who was in Australia for the Toyfair I think, and talked to me for a few minutes to talk
about what he does at Head Office in America (works on the colour layouts of toys and games at Hasbro).
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Originally Posted by griffin
