TTPM Spring Showcase 2019 Recap!

One week ago today (Thursday, April 25th), I had the fantastic opportunity to attend the annual TTPM Spring Showcase in NYC! A huge thanks to TTPM for the invite, I had an absolutely blast. I was able to go to the 2018 Holiday Showcase last fall (which I failed to do a write-up on, but documented it on my Instagram stories) and so I was thrilled to find out they had an event each spring as well. These events essentially play out like a mini Toy Fair where the biggest companies gather to show off the latest and hottest toys of the season!

Most of these Toy Story 4 toys I'll be showing below are ones you've probably already seen (since many of them are in stores right now), but I just had to document and share them here as well. The toy companies went all out with their displays and presented the toys in a really vibrant way, so I really wanted to make sure they know their hard work was appreciated. Let's get to it!

I started my day early and took the 7:00 a.m. train into NYC's iconic Grand Central Station. From there I had a 35 minute walk to the event location. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for a stroll through the city.

My journey took me right through Times Square, which was so fun since I hadn't been there in YEARS! I was so pumped when I noticed I'd be walking right past the Disney Store (the massive two story one) too, so I obviously had to stop in for a few minutes. Luckily I was ahead of schedule and was able to soak in some of that Disney magic.

I loved seeing some of the giant Pixar characters they had on display on the second floor!

I got to the event right before it started at 10 a.m. and got all checked in. After a brief presentation featuring the "Hottest Toys" out there this spring and a quick catered breakfast, we were all able to hit the showroom floor! 

And here we go...of course there were many different companies there, but I just documented the companies that displayed Disney/Toy Story 4 merch: Just Play Toys, Mattel, Disney Consumer Products (which is all different companies combined showcasing some of the latest from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm), LEGO and Hasbro.

Check 'em out!

JUST PLAY TOYS

Just Play Toys does mainly plush, both big and small; talking and non-talking!

And for those interested in the new Lion King remake plush, here you go!

 Additionally, Just Play Toys was very generous by letting attendees spin a prize wheel...

And look what I won— their Toy Story 4 slow foam plush Bunny (which I reviewed already HERE)! I'll admit that I didn't actually win it fairly (to be honest my spin landed on the Secret Life of Pets 2 category), but the guy running the game saw I was THE Pixar guy and broke the rules for me. It was super nice! 

Look how cool the Mattel booth looked. They went all out!! The lights, the colors, the presentation...very tasteful. Most importantly, the kids in attendance seemed to be having a great time playing there with the toys all day long!

MATTEL

I even got to meet my friends from over at Tubey Toys again! So awesome.

Lunch time! Panera Bread catering was a superb choice. Thanks TTPM!

DISNEY CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Here they had a nice selection of Mattel, Thinkway, LEGO and Disney Store products. And be sure to check out the video below to see Thinkway's new "Drop Down" Woody in action! Hilarious.

LEGO

HASBRO

I actually really dig these new Mr. and Mrs Potato Head toys by Hasbro! They're still not perfectly movie accurate, but seeing them in person really convinced me that I'll need to pick these up for my collection.

There you go! I hung around at the event until it ended around 2:30, but that was pretty much it. It was a great place to network and meet some great contacts in the toy industry—not to mention other great toy review influencers! I had a beautiful walk back to the train station and, yes, I stopped into the Disney Store one more time for another quick look around. :)

Another big thanks to TTPM for the invite! If you'd like to see more photos and videos of the event, check out my Instagram stories HERE.

Let me know your thoughts down below! What was your favorite item you saw on display?

Events: Toy Story 4 Toys—OFFICIALLY OUT NOW!

When Toy Story 3 came out in 2010, I thought (as did everyone else) that it was the end. I figured it was the last theatrical Toy Story movie we'd ever get and the last time the toys and merchandise would be available (at least in that capacity); so I stocked up on it and basically got everything Toy Story related in sight! Well guys, I was wrong—nine years later and it's back. And boy is it back and bigger than ever...here we go again!

Last Monday (April 22nd) was the official street date for Toy Story 4 toys, however many stores did not adhere to that date. It was an especially frustrating week for fans and collectors as many of us drove all around town to several Walmart and Target stores only to find nothing had been put out yet. It was a very odd and slow release with a little bit being put out here and there throughout the week. Now of course this wasn't the case everywhere (some stores did a good job getting the merch out on time), but I know my area and so many others I saw through social media had the same problem. Oh well, at this point it all seems to be out now (at least the first wave) and so I wanted to document what I've found so far!

As I've done since 2013 (starting with Monsters University), I just love documenting the in-store release for new Pixar toys. It's a bit of history and I'm sure I'll look back at these pics fondly one day! As a toy collector, it's just so fun seeing brand new Pixar merch on the shelves in full force—especially Toy Story! This release is extra special because 1: the nostalgia that comes with it and 2: the fact that Toy Story is my favorite Pixar film. I couldn't be more thrilled!

Let's take a look below at what I've found so far and what the merchandise set ups look like at different stores (Walmart, Target and Barnes & Noble). Note: This isn't a comprehensive look at everything available. There is much more out there that I haven't found yet and more on the way. If you're looking for Disney Store merch, check out my write-up HERE.

WALMART

TARGET

As seen below, even the Target Dollar Spot ("Bullseye's Playground") currently has some fun and super cheap items!

BARNES & NOBLE

Anyone else out there miss when we would get those huge displays for new releases at Toys R Us and the toys actually hit on time when they were suppose to? There was so much more excitement/hype in the air with signs posted on the windows telling guests exactly when the new toys would be available. It's just not the same! I've still had fun this week though, hitting up several stores on a nightly basis trying to find as much as I can. I guess you could say the thrill of the hunt is half the fun as a collector!

There we have it everyone. Everything I've found thus far! And like I said, there's still a lot out there and more on its way, so stay tuned. I mean, just look at these amazing pictures Mattel posted today of their massive Toy Story 4 line! Pure magic.

Can't wait to hear all your thoughts below. Have you been out there Toy Story 4 hunting? Have you bought more than you'd ever care to admit? Is your wallet suffering as much as mine is? Shout it out down in the comments including your favorite item(s) released so far. Look for my detailed reviews of many of these items right here soon!