eBay Today: A Collector's Groundhog Day Posted by Rich on January 30, 2008 at 03:14 PM CST: Toy collectors can equate the yearly wait for Toy Fair to the cyclical repetition portrayed in the Bill Murray comedy titled after the holiday bearing a burrowing rodent’s name. We get a preview of the toys, we visit local retailers on toy expeditions buying new items as they’re disbursed throughout the year, and then we wait for more toys to be announced. The difference is that in our Groundhog Day--unlike Murray's Phil Conners--we as collectors are hoping someone else (the toy companies) gets it right. Maybe it’s the rumored product lists and grainy catalog scans arising from the Internet’s underbelly that excite us. Maybe it’s the hope that this year we’ll get that dream item we’ve been keeping our fingers crossed for over the last few years. Either way, you can’t deny that the build-up leading up to Toy Fair has a lot to do with getting our first glimpse at the new and exciting things we have to look forward to. For a moment, we forget about “their” mistakes from years past and look to the future with a hopeful, renewed interest. This year’s Toy Fair, held at its usual home in New York City’s Javits Center, runs from February 17-20. Just like in previous years companies will showcase news ideas, concepts, licenses, and of course, products. What’s made the last few years different is that we, the collectors, are now part of the industry we support. During the height of Kenner’s Star Wars line in 1983, for example, non-industry attendees at Toy Fair were rare if not unfathomable. As the toy industry grows, companies realize the importance collectors play in their business and the lines of communication have been opening. Maybe that rumored item may not become a reality this year, but it's a safe bet that the toy industry is listening so there’s always hope. Star Wars Kenner 1983 Pre-Toy Fair Catalog 016