Entry posted by Black Six
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Hey everyone, now that I'm all done with Toy Fair coverage I thought I would do two things. First - update my blog more regularly again. Second - talk more about Toy Fair! I just can't get away from it, can I?
Behind BZP - Toy Fair
This was the eighth year I've been invited to a part of Toy Fair by LEGO. The way they've handled the event has changed over the years. Originally they had a private show room they would give us a tour of. Then they had gala events for a couple years where they'd make big announcements. Nowadays though they get us into the expo hall early and let us take pictures and talk to the PR teams about the new sets before anyone else (well, except for the people who went to the other Toy Fairs). BZPower greatly appreciates the opportunity and will continue to go as long as we are able.
So, Toy Fair 2012. No longer living int the New York metropolitan area, it's a bit more of a hassle to attend, but thankfully I still know people in the area to help make the process easier. Arriving in the greatest city in the world the Saturday before, I headed for my hotel and checked in and got settled. A short while later I headed out to a local Thai restaurant to meet up with Jim Foulds and Joe Meno. I hope you all know who Jim is by now. In case you don't know Joe, he's the owner and editor of Brick Journal magazine and a long time member of the AFOL community. Both are cool guys and total geeks so we get along quite well.
After dinner, we attempted to make our way to Burgers and Cupcakes for some dessert, but unfortunately it was closed for a private party (very private, there was only one person there). We turned around and headed uptown then until we found ourselves in Time Square, where we of course had to go to Toys 'R' Us. A word of advice - never ever buy anything there. Their prices are always jacked up, and NYC has some ridiculous sales tax. We followed that up with the Disney Store, and then made an attempt at Rockefeller Plaza to go to the LEGO Store. Unfortunately it was closed, so we resumed our attempt to find cupcakes, when we fortuitously stumbled upon the Magnolia Bakery, which deliciously satisfied our hunger. All this was interspersed with talk of LEGO, the community, and various geek topics. All in all a fun time.
Sunday started way too early with breakfast at the Skylight Diner with Jim and Joe again. By seven we were at the Javits Center getting checked in. From there it was two hours of taking pictures, talking to other attendees, and taking pictures. Yes, as you saw, there were lots and lots of pictures. I chatted with the BS01 guys, Cholie and Aanchir, as well as people from some other fan sites. Everyone has their own interests and favorites, and it's nice to get different perspectives from other fans. And that's actually all there is to it. After the event I went back to my hotel and checked out, hopped back on a train, and was on my way to picture-editing land, where I would stay for far too long.
One of these days we're going to get ourselves into the full event. That will allow us to walk around the whole show. From the LEGO perspective there wouldn't be much added bonus (other than more time to gain info and take pictures), but as a geek I'd love to see some of the other toys out there.
I think that might have come off as more boring than I thought it would, but there you have it. If you have a better idea for a Behind BZP, post it in the comments or PM it to me.
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