April 18-20, 2025: Hot Toys was one of the largest vendors on the floor, and one of the most popular. There never stopped being a huge lineup just to get in. It zig zagged around the convention floor endlessly, but the staff managing it had it down to a science and moved it along very quickly!
There was one item that EVERYONE was after, kind of like that one toy at Christmastime that all the kids want. The 1/6th scale (12.2″ tall) CHERRY BLOSSOM STORMTROOPER collectible figure, which was of course sold out. It was exclusive to Star Wars Celebration Japan and is definitely beautiful:
They had many other figures on display, including my boys THE BAD BATCH along with other familiar characters:
I did NOT want to get into the line, but Hot Toys had one small item I wanted that I knew about ahead of time, and eventually I caved. The Stereo Plush Loth-Cat… Small but mighty, worth every minute and every penny!
Hopefully this video of my Loth-Cat with sound (turn it up!) does not take too long to load:
Also got this little guy, just ‘cuz. A trooper with his AT-AT balloon. He’s around 3 inches tall. Fun!
Despite the line to get in and the very crowded store itself (picture below), there was no lineup to pay. I think they had at least 15 cashiers waiting! Maybe that’s why the line to get in moved so quickly. It took me about 30-45 minutes to enter, which I thought was pretty good considering how long the line was! It was a bit misleading I think, so I am glad I got my Loth-Cat!
