It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years since the last time your PopCulteer attended the International Toy Fair in New York City.

That’s the quick music video I made for it up above this text. It’s five and a half minutes of what, at times, seems like a furry convention on acid.

For decades, Toy Fair in NYC was a February tradition, but then the pandemic hit, and they didn’t even have it in person for a couple of years. The truth is, I knew about COVID back in December, 2019 because so many Chinese vendors were pulling out. Mel and I had toyed with the idea of going in 2020, but bailed on it due to the virus concerns before we made any solid plans. Turns out to have been a wise move.

After two full years of not having Toy Fair in person, it was decided to move the event to the fall, closer to the holiday season. The show’s dual purpose of hooking up toy buyers with toy makers  and getting plenty of free press seems to have proven to be two things that don’t necessarily have to happen at the same time anymore.

I got nothing.

Toy buyers will meet up with toy makers virtually, all year long and at specialized events organized by the big companies, while the fall show will be timed to maximize the effect of all that free press on the general public in time for the holiday shopping season.

So I’m posting this video as a virtual salve for any phantom pains that folks might be having over there not being a Toy Fair in the US to report about this February.  Next week I hope to have some video from last weekend’s GI Joe Winterfest, There just wasn’t enough time to do it this week. There will be another Winterfest photo essay later on Sunday, just to tide you over.