ToyCon UK 2016 took place Saturday 9th April 2016, at York Hall, London.
We nipped down at 8am to see who the early birds were, and despite the rain there was indeed a group of around a dozen collectors who had started to arrive at 6am. After a chat with these devout collectors we nipped back to our hotel to dry off and warm up before returning for the opening of the Con at 10am.
From the moment we arrived at the event everything was handled in an extremely professional and friendly way and the growing queue of fans was in the building very quickly. This is always the best way to start any kind of event, and we have been on the other end of badly managed amateur events which can make your day more challenging than it needs to be.
The entire event buzzed with excited collectors and business was brisk immediately with the star of the show being the team from 2petalrose who managed to sell out all they had with them in around 10 minutes. This work is amazing, and the artist Liam Scriven has a very special talent which we look forward to seeing grow...
First in line when you come through the door was a treat for the eye and the mind with the crew at The Toy Chronicle putting together many show stoppers as soon as you get in the place. With a late in the day announcement that Nathan Hamill would be in attendance on the day, they really did something very special for all the collectors who made it to ToyCon. Huck Gee was his charming self and on the Toy Chronicle booth all day, taking time to talk to all of his fans who had come to get something signed or even get a one off sketch from the man.
One of the biggest buzzes of the day was around the Martian Toys booth, with the winning dunny custom artist RxSeven in attendance alongside many well know and established artists from the art toy world.
On a purely personal note, we found it hard to tear ourselves away from the 1000 toys stand. The work that this guys brought with them from Japan was just show stoppingly beautiful with their upcoming Kugutsu piece getting a lot of attention and enquiries from visitors. We are pretty sure we saw more of their WeGo pieces in people's hands than any other piece in the show.
The day was a constant stream of buyers and artists with steady business happening all around the venue. It’s genuinely one of those events you need to come and see for yourself. In the fourth year ToyCon UK has grown and matured into a well handled, professional event which can only go from strength to strength.
Some of our personal picks from the day included but not limited to the following:
Our showstopper Kugutsu comes from 1000 Toys
Mike Strick - Victor Blattodeas Manual Over Ride
All Style City Trains painted live by Original Gee
For a full list of all exhibitors at ToyCon Uk 2016 go here.
We have attached some photos for you to take a look at from the event. REALLY looking forward to next year as this was a stunning success for everyone involved.
