Our pals over at Action Figure Insider have sent over details of two panels they’re hosting at SDCC after the convention floor closes. Their “after dark” series collects some of your favorite folks behind the toys you love and lets them talk about where the hobby has been and is going, the process behind how toys are made and everything else under the sun. Dan’s put together two great sets of panelists, so I’m sure neither will disappoint. He’s also teased there my be some surprise guests or give-aways for asking questions. Check both out below.
Action Figure Insider Presents: Everything Old Is New Again: the 90s Live On!
Thursday, 7/24/14, 7:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. ROOM 29A
Vintage and retro are still hot with Boomers and Gen X, but millennial collectors are now coming into the marketplace looking for their childhood “new classics” toys of the 1990s! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Batman Animated, and Aliens are all on the rise again and in demand (to say nothing of the My Little Pony renaissance!) Can Furby’s comeback be far behind? Come talk to creators and collectors of all generations about Total Justice, Street Sharks, and Dexter’s Lab among many other totally rad 90’s toys and find out what Clinton-Era toy-line is now the “new Star Wars” for collectors! Come join moderator Daniel Pickett (ActionFigureInsider.com, Geek Shall Inherit Podcast) discuss this and much more with a panel of toy industry experts including: Reis O’Brien (Funko), Jeff Trojan (Playmates Toys), Kevin Kiniry (DC Collectibles), Randy Falk (NECA), Phil Ramirez (Ramirez Studios), and Jeremy Sung (Spy Monkey Creations).
Action Figure Insider Presents: Toy Collecting In the Modern Age: The High Price of Having Fun
Saturday, 7/26/14, 7:30p.m. – 8:30p.m. ROOM 8
Are mass-market collector toys dying? The price of raw materials and the production process continue to skyrocket. Action figures that were $7.99 five years ago are now in stores for over $20. At that price can you still be a “completist”? And will there even be a next generation of collectors if parents can’t afford more than one or two figures? How have collectors’ habits changed along with the economy and are toy companies doing anything to counteract price hikes and hold onto the collectors market? Come join in the discussion with a panel of toy industry insiders and collectors on just what is going on today and where it’s all going in the future!
Come join moderator Daniel Pickett (ActionFigureInsider.com, Geek Shall Inherit Podcast) discuss this and much more with a panel of toy industry experts including: Jerry Macaluso (Pop Culture Shock Collectibles), Eric “Cornboy” Mayse (The Four Horsemen Design, Mattel MOTUC), Eric Treadaway (The Four Horsemen Design, Mattel MOTUC), Jean St. Jean (Jean St. Jean Studios, DST).
