Toy Fair Day 1: Let's Build
Sunday, February 16. 2014
In recent years, we at spencer1984.com have been making a more concerted effort to encourage constructive hobbies. Whether it was participating in Make & Takes, talking to and promoting the work of creative companies, or offering one-on-one advice, we try to find ways to encourage new builders. Happily, we've also seen a general trend in that same direction: since we first started attending Toy Fair five years ago, we have seen a substantial increase in the number of companies offering creative assembly toys. This year has been especially great, with several unique options available for builders of all skill levels.
The first and newest company we taked to at toy Fair was Build & Imagine. Founded by Laurie Peterson as a way to get more girls interested in building, Build & Imagine features a series of wooden panels that can be locked together and decorated using magnets. The full series is scheduled for release later this year, but Laurie and her team had prototypes of their "Malia’s Beach House,""Marine Rescue Center,"& "Surfside Café" sets at the show. The scenes were well built, brightly colored, and fit together beautifully—a great alternative to traditional dollhouses.
For more experienced builders, Robert Darling was there with Slotto. Slotto is a series of interlocking pieces made from HDF that can be used to make a number of 3D constructs. Made in the USA and recommended for boys & girls of all ages, Slotto has a great classic toy feel with a cool modern look. The houses on display also scale out to 1/16, so you have lots of options for accessorizing, too.
In a similar vein, Maria Chee of Urban Canvas was also at Toy Fair with their series of eco-friendly kits. These included animals, buildings, and—my personal favorite—the above-pictured Metropolis Train Set. With reversable panels, crayon-erasable surfaces on the undecorated sides, and the ability to combine multiple kits to create a longer train, the flexibility of this particular kit offers a ton of options.
If metal is more to your liking, Eitech had quite a few new and upcoming sets including a Hot Rod, a Chopper, a Jeep, and several R/C vehicles. Although the look is familiar to anyone who has worked with a classic Erector set, these vehicles offer a whole new level of design sophistication.
Finally, in the world of plastic models, there were representatives from Round 2, Revell, Moebius, and MRC on hand to show off their newest kits. These included snap and glue kits of the 2015 Mustang, new entertainment properties, and several prepainted kits to help out those who love building but hate painting bodies. One kit that I somehow missed entirely was Jack Reacher's '70 Chevelle from Round 2. It uses their classic Chevelle kit, which is an older tooling but builds up nicely with a little TLC. I'm definitely going to have to pick one up.
The first and newest company we taked to at toy Fair was Build & Imagine. Founded by Laurie Peterson as a way to get more girls interested in building, Build & Imagine features a series of wooden panels that can be locked together and decorated using magnets. The full series is scheduled for release later this year, but Laurie and her team had prototypes of their "Malia’s Beach House,""Marine Rescue Center,"& "Surfside Café" sets at the show. The scenes were well built, brightly colored, and fit together beautifully—a great alternative to traditional dollhouses.
For more experienced builders, Robert Darling was there with Slotto. Slotto is a series of interlocking pieces made from HDF that can be used to make a number of 3D constructs. Made in the USA and recommended for boys & girls of all ages, Slotto has a great classic toy feel with a cool modern look. The houses on display also scale out to 1/16, so you have lots of options for accessorizing, too.
In a similar vein, Maria Chee of Urban Canvas was also at Toy Fair with their series of eco-friendly kits. These included animals, buildings, and—my personal favorite—the above-pictured Metropolis Train Set. With reversable panels, crayon-erasable surfaces on the undecorated sides, and the ability to combine multiple kits to create a longer train, the flexibility of this particular kit offers a ton of options.
If metal is more to your liking, Eitech had quite a few new and upcoming sets including a Hot Rod, a Chopper, a Jeep, and several R/C vehicles. Although the look is familiar to anyone who has worked with a classic Erector set, these vehicles offer a whole new level of design sophistication.
Finally, in the world of plastic models, there were representatives from Round 2, Revell, Moebius, and MRC on hand to show off their newest kits. These included snap and glue kits of the 2015 Mustang, new entertainment properties, and several prepainted kits to help out those who love building but hate painting bodies. One kit that I somehow missed entirely was Jack Reacher's '70 Chevelle from Round 2. It uses their classic Chevelle kit, which is an older tooling but builds up nicely with a little TLC. I'm definitely going to have to pick one up.
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