Contributed by collector and Overstreet Advisor Art Cloos
Photos by Alice Cloos
The fall edition of ToyConNJ was held on Saturday and Sunday, November 10-11, 2018, at the Parsippany New Jersey PAL building. The convention featured over 200 vendor tables that really were packed with all kinds of vintage and current pop culture collectibles. As we drove toward the con, we saw the main parking lot was full and the secondary lots were almost the same, with a line of people waiting to get in to the building.
Regular single day admission was $15, cosplayers and veterans had a discounted rate, plus there was an early bird special and VIP unlimited access passes.
I am happy to say the food truck was once again set up in the parking lot and, yes, it already had a line at 10 AM. Beyond the food truck, which is always set up in the parking lot across from the entrance, there are at least a dozen places to eat within minutes of the show. There are also several hotels conveniently located nearby.
The show was packed with thousands of current and vintage toys, comics and magazines, movie memorabilia, model kits, superheroes, playsets, character toys, anime, DVDs, posters, military, action figures, sports and non-sport cards, dolls, trains, advertising items, gumball and vending, dime store, autographs, cap guns, diecast, toy soldiers, Transformers, Disney, Barbie, GI Joe, Star Wars, Lego, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Pez, tin toys, battery-op, board games, monster collectibles, and more.
Allie and I brought along Dayana, the 12-year-old daughter of a family friend, who was both overwhelmed and in love with what she saw in her first major con.
Show promoter Joe Veteri describes ToyConNJ as a family friendly event. There are many free extras that attendees can participate in, including prizes, based on free raffle tickets that were given with paid admission.
The Legion of SuperVillains had a very cool exhibit set up. They are a cosplay group, founded in October 2014 as a place for supervillains and antiheroes to thrive, support each other, have fun, and do charity work to help the community. They brought a mega sized action figure backdrop where people could step inside for a photo op, posing as a toy.
The Finest a G.I. Joe Costume Club also appeared at ToyConNJ. Founded in 2007, the club has expanded to include several hundred members in nearly 40 states and seven countries appearing and exhibiting at more than 100 pop culture conventions, parades, and other events worldwide. As of 2018, they have raised more than $60,000 with all proceeds donated to military and veteran charity organizations such as the USO and K9s For Warriors
Once again, diecast racing was back at the show. The Lincoln Johnny Lightning Race Club brought their Banger Track that featured downhill drag racing in demolition derby form. F&M Hobbies was back sponsoring their indoor RC Car racing. There were eight Traxxas Slashes with four racing at a time. Attendees had the opportunity to test their driving skills and race these cars around an indoor track. For those who do not know F&M Hobbies is a full service hobby shop, specializing in RC cars, boats and trucks, along with model railroading supplies. I didn’t try it but I did watch the cars racing for about 20 minutes. It is really fun to watch.
One of the most popular show events was Creative Faces by V with face painting and glitter or metallic tattoos. There were dozens of tattoo and face painting options for attendees young and old to enjoy for free.
Another event that was really cool was the Saber Guild Corellia who had their Jedi Knights hold training sessions for youngsters to learn how to use the Force and how to wield a lightsaber. But before that session, the Guild performed their newest show titled “Dealing in Absolutes.” In this show a young Sith failed her mission after being confronted by the Jedi Master of the temple, revealing the true battle of conflict going on inside of her. This show was performed twice on Saturday as another of the free extras. We watched their first performance and I have to admit, I got caught up in their act which earned them a nice round of applause from the audience. Dayana took part in one of the sessions and got a certificate for her efforts.
Video game consoles, classic arcade games, and pinball machines were available to play for free and provided by Billy’s Midway. Players could compete either individually or in teams on the games, which were in constant use. My good buddy Andrew Heller teamed up with Dayana against one of the games and I am happy to say they won. Allie said the adults were having more fun than the kids with the games there.
Allie and I always appreciate a show with wide aisles and that was the case with ToyConNJ. It makes navigating the crowds a lot easier. It also made running into friends easier too. I chatted with fellow Batman collector Doug Greenwald and his 84-year-old dad Allen, who has been collecting toys since 1964. While catching up with comic dealer Bill Sakas, I found a nice Tales to Astonish comic with an early Ant-Man appearance, which has been added to my collection. Toy Hunter Steve Savino and I literally almost bumped into each other. I also ran into fellow Batman collector Stuart Greenberg and show promoter Mike Carbonaro, who is already is brimming with ideas for his 2019 Big Apple event.
ToyConNJ will return in 2019 in its home at the PAL Building, located at 33 Baldwin Road in Parsippany, NJ. Dates haven’t been announced yet. Information can be found by visiting www.toyconnj.com or their Facebook page, or call Joe Veteri at (973) 768-6649.
