Taipei Toy Festival 2009 on TOYSREVIL
Hobby Festivals and Conventions. The mecca location of choice and desire for fanboys and fangirls, collectors both hardcore and touristo - where everything and anything your collectible-heart desires are housed under a single roof (or hall, or event location etc) can be found. There are but a few whose name rings thru the cyberhighways and hangs on the lips of toy collectors the world over - one of which has come to echo thru Asian regions; TAIPEI TOY FESTIVAL [www / tagged on TRE]Organized annually by Monster Taipei, this year's TTF was held between July 9th~12th, 2009 (Thurs-Sun) at a new (ground level warehouse) venue from last year: East 2 Room, HUASHAN1914 CREATIVE PARK in Taipei.
[CLICK THRU to read more, including wrap-up links to TTF-Coverage on TRE]
I had mentioned (or rather tweetered) that TTF - to me personally - is more of an achievable destination, than say, San Diego Comic Con - in terms of financial affordability. As for "quality" of show and it's offerings? That is absolutely open to opinion (which I have none, since I've never been to either, and won't be fair of me to discern, innit? :p). And it is an event dedicated to "toys" - whereas at SDCC, I doubt I'll be able to enjoy each and every single booth, screening and panel I would want ("sour-grapes", a tad, deny not ;p).
In terms of sheer quantity - no doubt SDCC trumps TTF - as it too includes comics and media. But what TTF has (that I've noticed online anyways) to offer in lieu of "bulk", is the opportunity for online folks and attendees to see the Asian representation of toys - more likely from the smaller companies and boutique toy-makers, who might not make the trek to SDCC (regardless of whatever reason). And even moreso (my personal perspective) the opportunity to "know" of their existent - as my fellow Eastern-brothers and sisters are not necessarily as "updated" in the movements and developments of their products, both new and old - for product information (both new and old) is surprisingly scarce in this part of the world, IMHO.
Th same can be said of the 1/6th-scale hobby. Yes, the "big boys" do make a presence, but at TTF, we get to see a range of creations that may not get seen otherwise, IMHO.
POST-EVENT 1/6-SCALE COLLECTIBLES LINKS:
- Wrap-up of 1/6th-scale seen @ TTF 2009
- Giveme5ive & RC Work @ TTF 2009
- Jason Siu & Touch Co @ TTF 2009
- Animal Homme @ TTF 2009
Rather than just a series of image-posts (as I am physically not on-site to provide any effective reporting) - I had opted to conduct a series of event Wrap-Up Q&As with event attendees, booth exhibitors and artists / toy designers instead - to get a sense of what went on for the 4 day event - especially for folks like me who are not able to be there physically for the show.
WRAP-UP Q&A LINKS:
Event Attendees: Toy Collectors Jack & Eugene
Booth Exhibitor: Andy Woo of Crazy Label
Booth Exhibitor: Eddi Yip of adFunture
Booth Exhibitor: Dom Shi of Darkbox Workshop
Artist/Toy Designer: LouLou & Tummie (Netherlands)
Artist/Toy Designer: Filter017 (Taiwan)
Artist/Toy Designer: ARKIV (Indonesia)
EVENT-IMAGES POST LINKS:
- Wrap-Up Final post featuring CHI-BO by Chi-Kit Kwong, ANDOX merchandise from IND, Jimmy S.P.A., HUSKY, STAY REAL and PANSONWORKS.
ADFUNTURE:
- adFunture @ TTF 2009
- The Prostitute by Parra (Prototype)
- Upcoming Toys from adFunture (Prototypes)
- C.I> World @ TTF 2009
- Coarse @ TTF 2009
- Crazy Label @ TTF 2009
- Kennyswork @ TTF 2009
MEDICOM TOY:
- Medicom Toy @ TTF 2009
- M.aK S.A.F.S. @ TTF 2009
- Where The Wild Things Are BE@RBRICKS, KUBRICKS, VCDs and RAH.
- Necoco The Chocolate Cat by Winson Creation.
- Paradise Toyland @ TTF 2009
- Phalanx Studio @ TTF 2009
- Sea Monkey @ TTF 2009 (threeA Toys)
- Secret Base @ TTF 2009
- TAIBOSS @ TTF 2009 (threeA Toys)
- Tim Tsui @ TTF 2009
- TOUMA @ TTF 2009
- TOY2R @ TTF 2009
- Where The Wild Things Are by Medicom Toy
SELECT PRE-EVENT COVERAGE-LINKS:
- 1/6 Action Figures T Expect (Man Dollies for TTF 2009)
- Mui-Chan by iXTEE
- DIO Production pre-event set-up
- Darkbox Workshop pre-event set-up
- Da Sturm by Tim Tsui
- Tummie & Friends stop-motion video
- Designer Tees for TTF 2009 (TRE-video)
- DANIEL 1/6 by Paul Leung
- Coarse x Pixie JAWS SWITHC
- Kennyswork's Molly @ TTF 2009
*Note to Eastern toy-producers: Please do consider updating information about your product online, as there are folks eager to procure your product (much less toy-bloggers digging for information ;p). Blogs are recommended, as it does not involve a huge FTP.
Understandably a lot of your Eastern-customers may be readily connected via social networks like AliveNotDead and even Facebook, but there are many who are not - unless you do not consider their business important enough to be updated. Sounds harsh? No, it is not, not especially if you're on the blocked-end of information.
Do consider it, yeh? heers :)
