NYC Toy Fair

[Bostet@aol.com]

The following was sent to my by Marvin Brown HOT G.  Even though is mostly 
about G gauge, thought you might find it interesting.

bob




A report from the New York Toy Fair by Dave Smith

I attended the NYC Toy Fair for the first time today and was just
overwhelmed! I didn't know there was so many types of toys. For a "toy 
junky" like me, it was heaven. Here's what I found in the world of large 
scale.
Aristo, although still listed on the Directory in the lobby, doesn't seem to 
have an office in the Toy Building on Broadway any longer. I couldn't find 
any reference to them in the Javitz Center directory and I was embarrassed 
to ask LGB or Bachmann, 'where's AristoCraft'...kind of thought that was like 
going into a Ford dealership, complimenting them on their cars and then 
asking, 'Hey, are there any Chevrolet dealerships near here?'
Bachmann showed me the new 2-8-0 which I've seen before. He also showed me 
the 20 foot "shorty" cars at 1:20.3 scale but I can see now why the group on 
the 1:20.3 list claim these aren't even close to that scale.  I asked the 
representative about the Heisler and he said that was still on hold. They're 
retooling the side dump cars and putting metal wheels on them. He told me 
they were originally made in Denmark and Bachmann wasn't thrilled with the 
appearance (I thought they were excellent and I have six) so they're redoing 
them. He said that Bachmann probably won't announce their new products until
either the NMRA nationals OR the Chicago Toy Fair. I had forgotten how much 
of their line is NOT large scale! Thus the importance of the NMRA. However I 
saw a drawing of the upcoming On30 2-truck Shay and fell in love. I see that 
some of these trains in this scale is in my future! Basically B-mann is just 
re-lettering their engines although they are also making a lot of painted, 
unlettered cars.
LGB: I was escorted around their crowded showroom at the Toy Building on 
Broadway. There was SO MUCH in the showroom that I couldn't concentrate on 
any one thing! The Mikado was running and it was very nice but I can't 
afford the price!  I really liked the Sumptner Valley (sp) loco with the 
tender but don't know if that's a new item. I saw the Christmas car set with 
the "snow globe." Piko is doing a nice job on some of their small buildings. 
They're doing a Texaco station, Switch Tower (European looking to my eye), 
Exxon oil storage facility. I saw the Chicken Dance car which was nice 
(plays the chicken dance). LGB will not be doing a new 2002 catalog. Rather 
they're doing a supplement to the 2001.  There was reference on one of these
newsgroups to a new Peanuts/Snoppy car. The representative told me that 
might not be done as there are some licensing issues. At the very least it 
will be delayed. There's also talk that LGB will be the distributor for and 
existing line of figures from Europe. These were being handled by a dealer 
in NJ who specializes in figures but that may come over to LGB to package 
and distribute. Also, there are some nice cars coming out in the Lehmann 
line (they're a "Fun" train, aren't they?)
MTH had their Hudson running and said release may come in April. The C
challenger not until November at the earliest. The side dump car was running 
but I didn't see it operate. It uses a trigger track with center rail to 
operate.
HLW is my "big news." They are going to do a South Shore car which is going 
to have a detailed interior and operate just like the South Shore did. I'm 
sorry I didn't ask enough questions about what that means. It was almost as 
if it was going to have a computer chip or something inside that would make 
it start and stop realistically.  They also showed "Sparky" which is a tiny 
steeple cab Pacific Electric. This was a really neat little 
critter.
Too, a prototype of a powered box cab work car was being shown. If released 
as shown it will have a cable reel, ladder, figure playing the harmonica and 
other assorted tools. This is one car I would really like to see.
Lionel is re-releasing the Thomas set and it comes with 3 figures and some 
new graphics on the passenger car ends. Nothing much has been done to the 
motor mechanism. They also don't have plans to reenter the large scale 
market. They displayed a really nice O scale hobby shop with a removable 
clear top titled "Madison Hardware." Inside are three model railroads which 
actually run (the scale of the model railroads in side must be something 
like 1:400). They also had a nice O scale haunted house with flying witch 
and ghost coming up and down out of the roof. One item in "O" I'd like to 
see come to large scale was a rotary coal tipple. The coal car goes in and 
get rotated 180 degrees thus spilling out the load.
There was a company selling "smoke guns" that shot a huge amount of smoke 
(including "rings") about 8 feet out into the air. I wonder if something 
like that could be adapted for our scale?
For a "toy addict" like me, there is so much to see it'll just overwhelms 
you. 
I can't even imagine what the toy show that specializes in just the hobby 
industry must be like!
I hope this small treatise gives some idea of what is coming.
Dave Smith

    
Bob Stettner