The Toy Fair

Illustrator/blogger Lisa Hanawalt and her boyfriend masquerade as chia seed employees to visit the Toy Fair at NYC's Javits Center, which is sort of an architectural Death Valley, without all the fun spots. It's the perfect place for a manufacturers' or any kind of sales convention. The toy show, of course, is absolutely limited to the trade—no kids running around here, thank you very much, despite what they happen to be offering. This is serious business, and Hanawalt is the perfect guide:

Do you remember your favorite toys as a child? And maybe you wondered why adults didn't seem as enchanted with your toys as you were? I used to swear I'd never lose interest in my figurines and dolls, I feared it would mean losing my entire sense of self. But of course I grew older and started leaving those beloved things behind. I can pick up a Breyer horse, admire the smooth plastic and artful details, but … that's it. I'm not going to sit on the floor with it for hours, making it talk to other toys, acting out my latest conflicts and fantasies, forming pretend relationships. I wish I could enjoy toys on that level again.

Sigh...

Breyer horses are at the show. And Legos. And this poor guy below selling bobble heads. Take the trip: The Toy Fair (via).