New York Comic Con (NYCC) has long been a fan-forward celebration — a four-day explosion of pop culture, collectibles, and creativity that turns the Javits Center into a temple of fandom. But this year, something different was in the air. NYCC 2025 celebrated the culture and became a platform for commerce in a broader sense, flourishing from seeds planted at events across the country in recent years.
On the show floor, major toy manufacturers didn’t just show up for the fans; they came ready for business. With so much focus on the rising importance of the adult collector to the toy industry’s bottom line, a growing number of kids are also leaning into similar patterns of toys not just as playthings but as objects to collect and display. The industry is taking note.
Alongside fan convention staples like Funko, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America, NECA and Kidrobot, Culturefly, Mighty Jaxx, Fanhome, Mondo, and Hasbro (hat-tip for bringing Cold Slither to town), other companies were either jumping into the waters for the first time or pivoting to new business models built on partnerships.
MGA Entertainment went big for its first convention appearance, setting up a sizable spread for its new action brands, Ninjombie — cover stars of The Toy Book’s Action & Adventure Issue — and Armorsaurs, the long-awaited transmedia property adapted from the Korean original. Even MGA Founder and CEO Isaac Larian made a surprise appearance at the show, walking the NYCC aisles with the enthusiasm of a big kid.
The Loyal Subjects showed off its retro-centric lines, including Jem and the Holograms, My Buddy, Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake, and M.A.S.K., while Aphmau unveiled a massive crane machine for her MeeMows brand. Bonkers Toys, which makes a range of Aphmau products, slid into the mix, and the official Skibidi Toilet mascot roamed the floor. Across the hall, EPOCH Everlasting Play celebrated 40 years of Calico Critters while Collect MAJOR unveiled its latest wrestling and mascot figures.
Lionel Trains, a company with a 125-year legacy of classic play, has become a fixture at NYCC. This year, the company brought a host of exclusive products and showed off licensed collabs, including Bobbleheads, Bull Airs sneakers, and a festive range from Hallmark, which also had its own booth.
Super7 and McFarlane Toys didn’t have booths this year, but they did participate in Walmart Live, broadcasting from the Walmart Marketplace booth at the heart of the showfloor. Their appearances drove fans to shop for exclusive offerings on Walmart Marketplace, alongside products from Boss Fight Studio, YuMe, Pudgy Penguins, and more.
The power of partnerships was strong for our sister publication, The Pop Insider. It fueled fandom throughout the event with in-booth first looks from Jada Toys and JAKKS Pacific, alongside the debut of YuMe’s Smart Machines, the epic Deddy Bears x Liquid Death collab from License 2 Play, and collectible blind boxes from Agoro. This was in addition to activations and giveaways from Casio, Craniacs, Wilder Toys, CGC, Bioworld, MagPie Games, Dyce Games, Kayou, Squaroes, Asmodee, Renegade Games, and Craft Buddy.
You couldn’t move a few feet without spotting designer toys and blind boxes. And while Pop Mart’s Labubu was certainly around, dozens of other brands were getting in on the action with zipper-top surprises for every interest, including the launch of Funko’s Premium Blind Boxes: Kiguzoomies and Fun Squad.
It would be remiss not to mention trading cards. This category, which is tracked under toys via Circana’s “Explorative & Other” designation, fueled massive growth for the industry in the first half of the year. At NYCC, they were everywhere, with major activations from Topps, Kayou, Wizards of the Coast, and others.
But that was all forward-facing.
Retailers, licensors, and licensees walked the aisles, watched reactions, and took notes. Off-site, hotel suites and private lounges hosted meetings and product launches. Deals were discussed, partnerships explored, and next year’s strategies quietly set in motion. Upstairs in the River Pavilion at Javits, known to many as “The Mattel Room” at Toy Fair, ICv2 presented an entire track of professional programming.
The lines between B2C and B2B are fading fast. Where fan conventions once served as consumer-facing spectacles, they’re now evolving into hybrid hubs where passion meets profit. The appeal is clear for toy and game companies: instant feedback from core fans and valuable time with industry players — all under one roof.
The energy felt familiar, yet new, as the business of play continues to evolve. Maybe this is the “new normal” folks have been discussing since the pandemic: a space where storytelling, fandom, and commerce coexist, each supporting the other.
Whether you’re on the show floor, behind the booth, or up in a suite hammering out next year’s exclusives, it’s all part of the same mission to connect creativity with the people who love it most. Perhaps it was the escapism of living in the moment, but for the more than 250,000 people who attended NYCC this year, the troubles of the world went away, if only for four days.
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