Sunday, July 1, 2012

Toy Con 2012

The long wait is finally over.  After almost 3 years, I was able to set foot again to one of the big events in the country --- The Toy Convention.  Yup, the gathering of the best toy collectors, merchants and hobbyists.  Plus more!  It was  a three (3)-day event for this year but the 1st day was solely the opening for the merchants.  I went in the 2nd day to see the programs and cosplayers as they strut their stuff.  The schedule for this year were as follows:


TIME
DAY 2
DAY 3
10 am
Ribbon-cutting with ABS-CBN talents
Registration for COSPLAY UNIVERSE individual competitionsRegistration for COSPLAY UNIVERSE group competitions
Toycon AVPsToycon AVPs
Emcees welcome & Sponsors acknowledgements Emcees welcome & Sponsors acknowledgements
RafflesRaffles
11 am
Games – Bring Me / Games – Bring Me /
Sponsor segments – ABS CBN HEROSponsor segments – ABS CBN Publishing
Panel discussions – Featuring: Collectors and their collections (PTK)Panel discussion – GI Joe: 30 years          (TS-118)
Band PerformanceBand Performance
12 nn
Film showing – Fan filmsFilm showing – Fan films
Band PerformanceBand Performance
Games – Batman TriviaGames – Batman Trivia
Panel Discussion – Komikon ArtistsPanel – Angry Woebots
1 pm
Sponsor segments – SMARTSponsor segments - SMART
Games – Hero Up Daddy Games – Hero Up Daddy
Panel discussions – Robot Love (Juan dela Customizer, Robot Collectors Haven)Panel discussions –  Toys for the Big Boys: Statues, Hot Toys, Scale Models (Pinoy 1/6)
2 pm
Band PerformanceBand Performance
Sponsor segment - AMPed FestSponsor segment – AMPed Fest
RafflesRaffles
3 pm
Band Performance Band Performance
Sponsor Segment -  Freego  or Sugar FreeSponsor Segment – ABS CBN Publishing
4 pm
COSPLAY UNIVERSE individual competitionCOSPLAY UNIVERSE group competition
Intermission – Alodia Intermission – Alodia
5  pm
COSPLAY UNIVERSE individual competitionCOSPLAY UNIVERSE group competition
Sport that dark Knight LookSport That Dark Knight Look
6 pm
Band PerformancesBand Performances
Film Showing – Animation and Fan filmsFilm Showing – Animation and Fan films
7 pm
Awarding of Cosplay and Custom ContestAwarding  of Cosplay and Contests
8 pm
Raffle draws and GamesRaffle draws and games
I was not disappointed one bit on my chosen schedule.  So armed with  my ticket which I purchased from SM TicketNet, it was HOLIDAY for me and my pal!!!

Having the tickets available prior to the event was one of the great improvements done for this year.  Coming from the province, it will be quite a drag to have to fall in line.  We arrived some 40 minutes earlier than the mall opening hours so we had to wait a bit.  When we got to SM Mega Mall's 5th floor/Convention Halls, the  queue were already long.

Ticket price is at PhP100 each for the general admission and is equivalent to a one whole day pass.  So the expenses for a trip such as this would center mostly on transportation and food.  Want to see the queue, here's a sample (and this is only for one of the 2 entrances).  It is always a good thing to be early and true enough, we had plenty of time to explore the whole 3 trade halls before the programs started.

My first loot were 4 volumes of Shonen Jump for a hefty bargain!  I even got a free one from purchasing 4 pieces.... all were in mint condition and if they only I did not have to carry 'em for the rest of the day, I would have gotten more!

Here are just some of the toy / manga / anime booth photos I got, sorry for if some are quite disorganized, I was overwhelmed much... read: a boy left alone in a candy shop (wink).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

There were a lot of bargains and some pretty good deals if especially for those who have the patience to really check the toys... I even saw some toys from my childhood which brought back some good memories :) In the next posts, I will be showcasing my Cosplay shots and a focused article on some great toys I saw.  And by the way, the food choices at the venue were superb!  To put it simple, you won't go hungry!


15 comments:

  1. omg. lucky you. never been to a toy con event but i imagine it would definitely be a lot of fun. packed event!

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  2. I never been in a toy con event. It must have been fun seeing all those toys and those doing cosplay.

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  3. The TOYCON would not be complete without the biggest gallery of toy collections from all over the Philippines . That looks great. Saya lang

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  4. Gasp! That would have been a real paradise for me. My husband and I love toys and a toy con would've been just our thing.

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  5. My children would definitely love to come to such an event. It looks fun.

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  6. my daughter and even my husabnd aswell would love to go visit things likethis! looks really fun! xx

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  7. Toy collections are fun. Even an adults like me enjoyed playing it and collecting some.

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  8. wow! my kids would have gone gaga too over the toys!

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  9. KAINGGIT!!! I've always wanted to go, but every year there's something that holds me back :( Hay, someday.

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  10. Looks like it was fun! Been to one, never did it again. Too much temptation.

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  11. Well, we are living in the Netherlands, and before that in Germany, they have here their fair share of toy conventions.

    It's interesting though to learn about how Toy Conventions are in the Philippines because I've never been to one. Only through having FB, did I learn about them in previous years.

    Looking forward to the continuation of your series of blog on your visit.

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  12. This is an experienced to cherish .I would love to see those toys too even if it cost me money because my kids will surely ask for some.

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  13. My ex is a comics junkie! Sadly, I have never been to any toycon so I don't really know what the fascination is all about. Thanks to you, I learned what to expect! :) Maybe next time I'll drop by.

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  14. How I wish I could bring my daughter to an event like that. She'd definitely love to see all of those toys and adults in costumes.

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