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So we saw what rocked last year. But what happens next? No, no crystal ball or tarot cards, but just a few points to ponder on the year to come. Oh, and don't forget folks, the NY Toy Show is just weeks away, so who knows what's up now.
Where art thou, Hasbro? Hasbro controls some VERY hefty liscenses; Transformers, Batman, Pokemon, and of course, Star Wars. However, all is not well; Star Wars has saturated the market, the kids think Pokemon sucks, and we keep getting the same re-paints for Batman. So, what's next? Beast Machines is the only liscense that is generating new, interesting product right now. Considering the restructuring Hasbro has done in their corporate structure, 2001 should be very, very interesting.
Are Movie Tie-ins Dead? X-Men was a pretty solid movie, and the toys were pretty decent, but they never grabbed you. Dinosaur from Disney also did well, but there was no toy push. Now the Summer of 2001 is approaching, and the pickings are even worse. Anyone for a Ben Affleck figure with saluting action from Pearl Harbor? .... didn't think so. Granted, Tomb Raider the Lord of the Rings series promise some good product, the days of movies and action figures don't look promising.
Japanese Imports Galore? At first, imports were something your comic shop got because of dumb luck, or you bought something from a friend of a friend of a friend who had a relative in Tokyo. Now, Internet shopping givew collectors easy access to the plethora o' goodies from across the big pond. With the huge interest in Gundam and Transformer; Car Robots, will we see even more product here, such as the Brave Series? Or is this just a passing fad which will simmer down once people forget about Gundam Wing?
Surprise, Surprise. If you told me in 1999 wrestling toys would dominate shelves at stores, I would say you were nuts. If you told me in 1998 that comic toys would make a come back, I would say you're dreaming. Now, wrestling toys are a runaway success and comic based figures have a nice foot-hold in the collector market through your local comic shop. So what's the next thing? Sports figures, now that Todd Toys has made hockey figures so popular? More comedy figures, like the Saturday Night Live line?