Tag: TOYCON PH

But first, a Sidenote: I am yet to return from blogging like I used to do, given that I am more focused on VTuber NewsDrop and fixing my life altogether.

I swear to myself one day that alongside the transition of keepsakes. to its new permanent domain, I will re-haul this website to make it relevant for me and for you, readers.

Until I learn how to write for the Googlebot and AI-infested search engines, I will resist succumbing to SEO. That said, please allow me to write this post with a local (and very playful) touch.

---

So, 21 years na ang Philippine TOYCON. Yung mga nasa Coscomm ng Matatanda (I love you three times a day), for sure nadaanan na ang TOYCON.

Dati rati kilala ang TOYCON as a toy market, pero ngayon it’s more than that: I have never imagined a time where art toys would be a potential hit, so when that idea hit TOYCON (thanks to the collectors who made toys their cherished investment for their financial and emotional well-being), iyon ang isa sa naging focus points ng event.

Don’t get me wrong, may mga collectors pa rin na gusto magdagdag sa kanilang collection and they scramble at TOYCON to hopefully find another piece to add to their toy shrine.

Sina Totoy at Ineng na nahilig sa Lego, figures/figurines, and other pop culture merch, they can start collecting by getting stuff and inspiration mula sa mga Totoy at Ineng of decades past sa TOYCON.

In short, the TOYCON we have today is more than just a toy bargain market or a weekend Greenhills-out-of-Greenhills toy bilihan. Hindi pa nga nabubuo ang Secret Fresh gallery, may TOYCON na. This to me is why TOYCON is still a major force to be reckoned with, 2 decades after.

As the Philippine TOYCON grows, so is its ambitions, so they made their statement: This is “Where Asia comes to Play,” inviting not just toy collectors from the whole Philippines or ASEAN region, but also their neighboring Asian countries. (Meron nga rin na TOYCON sa UK pero iba naman ang organizer doon. We shall focus on the Philippine TOYCON.)

Saan at Kailan ang TOYCON 2024?

• Date/s: June 14 to 16, 2024 (Friday to Sunday, kasabay ng Father’s Day weekend)
• Location: Main Event – Ground Floor, SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

  • Extended Activities at TOYCON Playgrounds to be held at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall

• Schedule of Activities to be released soon via the Philippine TOYCON Facebook page

Bakit ka pupunta ng TOYCON?

• Toy Collector ka at gusto mo magdagdag ng bago sa collection mo (or gusto mo makakita ng bago at up-to-date na laruan)

  • Gusto mo in ka sa latest and exclusive toy releases na makikita mo lang sa TOYCON
  • Wish mo makita yung lodi mo na toy artist na sa TOYCON lang nag-aappear

• Hilig mo maglaro ng Tabletop RPGs at naghahanap ka ng new ideas para sa campaigns mo
• Solid Kapuso ka at nabalitaan mo na may mga darating na artista

  • Voltes V fan ka at na-miss mo yung malaking Voltes V setup at TOYCON years ago

• Fan ka ng Fildub (ako din hehe, ang ganda ng Fildub especially these days)
• Japanese Idol fan ka at nagkaroon ka ng FOMO kasi ang daming nainvite na performers straight from Japan last year
• Cosplayer ka at may ka-eyeball ka sa TOYCON (only Coscomm ng Matatanda knows) or ikaw yung tipo ng cosplayer na nanghihina kapag hindi nakakapag-cosplay every month

So ano ba meron sa TOYCON this year?

• May bagong ilalabas si MindSTYLE (now MNDSTYL kasi di ko alam kung bakit tinanggal nila ang vowels) at yung gumagawa ng Funko Pops (shoutout sa mga Funko Funatics, sila ang mostly mga tito at tita nabudol ng kapwa magcollect ng figures, peace po ✌️)
• Si Quiccs may bagong pakulo kasama si Jollibee (at hindi na ako magugulat kung magiging matinik sa brand licensing si Jollibee in the future, daming ganap ng bubuyog eh)
• Exclusive toys from Solid Toys, RLux Custom, Armored Komodo, Devil Toys, Omo Collectibles, and 50 other designer toy artists (‘di ba yung Armored Komodo may sariling toy paint brand yun na patok?)
• New toy releases from Hot Toys, Jada, Bandai, Funko, Toy City and more
• Artist appearances from GMA Network in line with the station’s 74th anniversary, as well as a 20-foot reveal of Telesuccess Productions’ Voltes V Legacy display
• Freddy Funko’s Sari Sari Store from Funko Funatics Philippines
• International artist appearances and performances:

  • (From Ambox Events) BUGVEL, Chicken Blow the Idol, Kuroguro, idol and voice actress Ai Negishi (D4DJ’s Merm4id!!!)
  • (From MNDSTYL FanX) Jpop singer-songwriter krage (feeling ko this is read as ku-ra-ge) and Kpop boy group n.SSign (ensign?)

• Local performances: Davao’s very own Pastel Mix, Day Night Explorers, girl groups G22 and Female Alphas, (from Calico Toys) I Belong to the Zoo
• Upcoming movies: Alien vs Predator: Romulus, A Quote Place: Day One, Deadpool and Wolverine (!), Friendly Fire, Horizon: An American Saga, Inside Out 2, Transformers One
• Cosplay Competition: TOYCON’s Cosplay KO Competition
• (Also from CaliCo Toys) Meet and greet with local voice actors Nica Rojo (!), Elle Genovata, Alain Alfred and Blair Arellano (!)
• Toy Gallery na may 100 toy collector displays na pwedeng picturan (no touch, wala kang choice, naka-kordon at glass display yan)
• Kawayan Light Saber from Saber Source
• Interactive Workshops and Panel Discussions with toy industry experts, designers, marketers, etc.

Juskolord pag wala ka pa sa TOYCON after all of this, di ko na alam kung ano gagawin ko sayo :) The Philippine TOYCON is the place to be for toys, collectibles, and pop culture in the country. So ano, G na?

How to Buy TOYCON 2024 Tickets

Tickets are available at SM Tickets online, onsite at select SM Stores or SM Cinema outlets, or at the event gates for 540 pesos a day (exclusive of ticket fees).

Praktikal tips lang mula sa taong matagal na nagto-TOYCON and also as a team helper:

• Bibili ka sa SM Tickets in advance para less time sa pila at may pang-print ka ng sarili mong ticket or kaya mo pumunta sa SM Tickets outlets, kasi since the past few TOYCONs may separate express lane for SM Tickets holders where they scan the ticket’s QR code.
• Pero kung gusto mo makatipid, pwede rin bumili ka on the event days para walang tanong-tanong (ang ticketing counter ay cash basis only, wag n’yo po sila paghanapin ng GCash or barya).
• KIDS PASS: Php200 only. Parents, please get this on-site. Kung ayaw nyo malito as a family going to TOYCON, I suggest you to buy all of your tickets on-site at the event days.
• Senior Citizen and PWD Discount also offered, please prepare your IDs and keep it with you at all times.
• Toddlers 3ft below can enter for free (syempre kelangan kasama ng guardian, hindi po totoo si Boss Baby na pwede pumasok mag-isa)

Ang daming sumusuportang sponsors sa Philippine TOYCON, including (teka i-copy-paste ko mula sa press release) Jollibee, Great Toys Online, Talent High, Urdu, XURE, College of St. Benilde, Solid Toys, PUBG Mobile, Filbars, Devil Toys, CO The Collectible Store, CaliCo Toys, Bullyboys, Hubbyte, Grimalkin, JADA, RLux Customs, OMO Toys, Courtside, Toki, Funtastick, Clay Miniatures, Armored Komodo, The GMA Store, Imageworld, Tiktok Shop, Legendary Beast Studios, Oishi, Telesuccess, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, Parallax/Saga Studios and Black Cap Pictures.

Wait ka lang di pa tapos yan, may mga partners rin sila like Baguio Country Club, Mana Underground, Ambox National, Telesuccess Productions, United Neon, Devant, Quiccs, The Jakarta Toys and Comics Fair, IPMS, Exlink Events, Anime Alliance, the Philippine Toy Group Association, (official residence partner) SEDA Manila, (media partners) Inquirer.net, POP!, Scout, Cebu Daily News, Esports INQ, and Be An Inquirer.

“Jay, ginawa mo namang mga tito at tita ang mga pumupunta sa TOYCON.”
“Aba eh, bakit, tito rin naman ako, may pamangkin din ako, huy.“
“Tapos yung sa ticketing, pano mo nasabe yan?”
“Eh kitakits na lang sa TOYCON, ganun.”

(Photos from Philippine TOYCON)

TOYCON returns to the SM Megamall Megatrade Halls next weekend, July 8 to 10, 2022. Megatrade Hall served as home to TOYCON for a long time, before it moved to SMX Manila in 2016 as its audience grew bigger.

What does TOYCON’s return to Megatrade mean to me? Memories—lots of memories. My first TOYCON was at the Megatrade, after all. Let’s go back to 2010, when my older cousin and I visited its 9th edition. At that time, DC Comics was celebrating its 75th year; 2RATS, CSCENTRL and GamerTotoy exist; Encantadia was the hit TV series; OTACOOL was one of my dream books to collect; and I was just having fun. Those were good times.

Fast forward to 2017, I get to be part of the team servicing specific parts of the event, thanks to my current job at the events company. SMX Manila became home to TOYCON starting that year, and a large statue of Voltes V was displayed there. If there’s one thing I remember about TOYCON at the moment, it’s how it shows its love for the mecha series.

Fast forward to this coming weekend, Voltes V celebrates its 45th year anniversary, and the QUICCS V63 figure is going to be released at TOYCON. There’s more to this year’s event—let me pull the list for a sec:

• The biggest Voltes V Licensing and merchandise exhibit, in collaboration with Telesuccess Productions Inc.
• Surprise Celebrity appearances (to be announced soon!)  
• Funko Funatics Philippines release of exclusives and celebrity signings
• Top toy studios and designers from the region on exhibit 
• TOYCON Creator’s Alley co-organized by the Bulletpunk Network where the top Filipino toy creators meet the up-and-coming young upstart creators
• Artist Alley – co-organized by Komiket with some of the Philippines top comic book artist/s assembled for signing and sketching
• The TOYCON Collectors Gallery c/o the Philippine Toy Groups Association
• Toy Art and Toy Customizing competition
• ToyClick and Cosclick Photography contest
• The TOYCON Cosplay Competition and the World Cosplay Summit Philippines NCR Qualifiers
• Collectors and Customizers Panel discussions  
• The Pinoy Pop Culture Icon Awards
• And the Biggest collectibles retail floor of more than 250 booths

There are also live auctions, online selling seminars, and livestreams from its co-presenter Lazada. If you’re into digital collectibles, co-presenter Smart Signature got you covered.

Did I mention that the local idol community is already marking its return to live events after getting stuck in online streaming for two years? Event partner Ambox gathers local idol groups past and present for its Aidoru Sekai 2022 segment. ASFIRE, Pastel Mix, Color Up Project, P7eiades, Bella6ix, URODIA, Starlight and MiQx are lined up to perform at the TOYCON stage. Please look forward to them.

Wrapping this up, prepare your comfiest shoes, your big and wide eco-bags, especially your wallet, for three days of toys, hobbies and collectibles. The 19th Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention (TOYCON PH) happens from July 8 to 10, 2022 at the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. Tickets are available onsite, at SM Tickets outlets and online, or through the TOYCON 2022 Store on Lazada.

I won’t be roaming around too much since I’m going to be busy working, but I look forward to seeing you there regardless. Who knows, we can meet and I can share a piece of wisdom I learned from the events industry.