Since the release of the new Transformers film last summer the toys have been proving very popular. Comaco Toys recently received a new consignment of Hasbro Transformers figures. There are three different kinds; pocket sized Classic Legion, larger Power Battlers, and two figure Dino Sparkers.
Power Battlers are approx 13 cm high and fully transform in 8 steps. Other figures available are Scorn and Autobot Drift.
Late January brings the start of the Toy Fair season with in short succession, the London Olympia, the Spielwarenmesse in Germany, and the Spring Fair at the Birmingham NEC. Last week it was the Kensington Olympia Toy Fair and I made a literally flying visit from snowy Inverness down to grey and rainy Gatwick to visit the capital for the day.
It was a great chance to catch up with some of our principal suppliers such as HTI, Papo, Padgett Bros and Peterkin. In addition, I was also of course on the lookout for what’s hot in the toy world in 2015, and for what might fit snugly into our rapidly expanding range of products.
Model designer Schleich was one of my first stops. They have a great range of dinosaur figures that will hopefully complement our lines from Papo. In addition there are also new exciting Justice League figures featuring Batman and Superman.
Movie tie-ins are obviously going to be a major factor in 2015. Minions were everywhere, Frozen was ever present, and there were no shortage of Transformers, Super Heroes and Dinos from the new Jurassic Park. Spongebob is also due to make a reappearance and even a certain franchise set in a galaxy far far away is about to prove it isn’t done yet.
A good hour was spent having a guided tour round the Hasbro, where Transformers, Marvel Jurassic Park were in clearly in evidence. However of particular interest to me were new Nerf ranges. Below can be seen the Nerf N-Strike Modulus ECS-10 Blaster:
Sadly, since we are not an existing Lego customer, I couldn’t get in to see their stand, but Playmobil had a great display, as did Bandai with their Power Rangers, and Character Options with Doctor Who, Simpsons and Minecraft Toys amongst others.
There were many others too numerous to mention, including some lovely toy vehicles from Britains and Bruder, and smart toy versions of household appliances and power tools from Casdon and Klein. Finally, after helping myself to Character’s generous array sandwiches and snacks, it was time to make my way back to Gatwick for the evening flight. One of my final stops was at HGL’s stand, where Megasaurs look likely to roar their way into stock range very soon!
Well Christmas has been and gone and what a busy season we had – our best ever. But onwards and upwards, and we have a great January special offer for you. From now until 31st January we have an automatic 30% off selected toys.
Designer Loom Jewellery Maker. Loop, weave and wear with this Loom Kit which includes 500 bands, 30 clips and knitting tool. Great for making bracelets, rings and much more besides.
The last time I posted about Christmas it was late September and the festive season still seemed a good way off. But how time flies! Two months have whizzed past and we’re now firmly in midst of xmas shopping madness.
Somehow my thoughts of putting up a post in early November seem to have gone out of the window, but I still thought it was worth putting together a few biggish present gift ideas for the big day.
All of the products below, plus many more besides can be found in our new Christmas Toys category on the website. However, be warned things are moving very fast stock-wise. What we have now may well be all gone by next week!
We recently got in a range of new toys in the popular Fun Time range from A to Z (see also our earlier post). These are especially designed as moderately priced colourful learning toys for toddlers and younger children.
We have shape sorters, push along toys, bath toys, pop up toys, clockwork musical toys, stacking cups and learning bricks: check them out!
Bath Time Activity Centre. Two to choose from; Frog or Sea Horse.
Here’s some good news for our blog readers in the USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, India and other locations outside Europe. With the busy Christmas season coming up we are very happy to announce that we are reintroducing worldwide shipping from Comaco Toys.
As from 27th October customers throughout the world will be able to order from us again. For buyers in the UK and Europe nothing will change. However, outside Europe we will offer new shipping services which are fully tracked where possible, and which in every case will require a signature on delivery. Therefore customers will have the reassurance of knowing that their package can be traced, no matter how far it is going.
If delivery before Christmas is required, please make a note of our last recommended shipping dates to various locations around the world. We recommend you place your order with us at least two days before these dates if at all possible to avoid any chance of disappointment.
Wednesday 3 December: Asia, Far East (including Japan), New Zealand Thursday 4 December: Australia Friday 5 December: Africa, Caribbean, Central & South America, Middle East Monday 8 December: Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Greece Tuesday 9 December: Canada, Poland Friday 12 December: USA Saturday 13 December: Western Europe (excluding Greece, Poland)
I wrote a post over 6 months ago about the new Papo Dinosaur figures we had at Comaco. This has been a double success; not only have the figures proved to be a great hit, but also that post has been our most popular so far.
Recently we received stock of brand new Papo product – Dinosaur Mini Figures. These are six superbly detailed figures, each about 7 cm long, in a tub.
Check out the individual dinos above; click on the pictures to view them full size. This product makes a welcome addition to the popular Papo tubs of Mini Knights, Mini Pirates, Mini Fantasy Figures and Mini Horses we already stock.
Another new Papo product for 2014 is the Dilophosaurus. This mid sized predator is approx 15 cm long and sports a colourful head crest.
In addition to all these we still have a sizeable range of older dino figures. Not least our favourite Spinosaurus; a giant predator bigger than T-Rex that hunted like a crocodile. Check them all out here.
Here’s a great new gift idea at Comaco Toys. We have some fantastic quality die cast models of military helicopters now in stock. They are all 1:60 or 1:55 scale and come boxed, complete with a stand.
What’s more you either just display them on the stand and admire from afar, or else you can take them off the stand and play to your heart’s content. This really makes it a toy or model suitable for boys of all ages!
This is a great idea for Hello Kitty fans at Halloween! We have three new Kitty fashion figures which come packaged in a smart box complete with a choice of accessories.
Each figure has a attachable dress, shoes, hair bow, plus one other object to give her a distinct personality: a pumpkin on a stick, an umbrella or a guitar! Why not collect all three? Check out the Hello Kitty Halloween Figures here.
Ok, I know it’s still only September and, believe me, I am not anxious to see any tinsel going up just yet, but the truth is some people have already started their Christmas shopping. As a toy retailer it will be no surprise to hear that Christmas is by far the busiest time of year for us. October will see a steady ramping up in sales and then in November it will begin to go really mental.
At Comaco Toys we will soon be offering two new categories: Christmas Toys – for larger present ideas – and Stocking Fillers – for the smaller gifts that help make the big day that bit more special. In addition, we already have some Christmas Items in. These are decorations, cards and xmassy themed products just for the festive season.
For those of you who prefer not to think about Christmas until at least the beginning of December, you have my sympathies!
