Toy Fish Factory has arrived!

[sbell]

Good news everyone! I received my first few sets of the new Toy Fish Factory!

The River Monsters are of course the big splash, but the American Angler series is good too. it's easier to compare the latter series to the original RTF series. The sculpts are very similar (maybe the same sculpts, if not molds?) but the paint jobs are a little different.

Really big difference is the material--the new TFF line is much softer material, so there is a little flex to them. The orignal RTF figures, as anyone that has any would know, are a very solid PVC material that doesn't bend.

But enough words---pictures!

Set 2: American Angler[/u]

Channel catfish:


Crappie (probably a White Crappie, unlike the RTF that was more like a black crappie due to the speckled markings...still hard to know for sure)


Largemouth bass:


Striped bass:


Bluegill:


And Set 1: River Monsters (I did them in reverse order for the dramatic reveal!)

Giant Snakehead:


Piranha (probably red-bellied, although the tail colour and orange belly are more like Serrasalmus altipinus):


Goliath Tigerfish:


Arapaima (it's a little long-finned, but nice. enough. Maybe there's a longer-finned species?):


Goonch catfish:


One thing that isn't easily clear in the photos--in the goonch and snakehead, the teeth are clearly sculpted and visible. But the figures are small, so it's harded to see in photos!

[bmathison1972]

These are neat Sean. Any chance this company might branch out a little to the freshwater/brackish crustaceans (e.g., crayfish?).

[stargatedalek]

I'm seeing some real potential here, though I feel Replica Toy Fish had more interesting species choices and I preferred the release format of varying sizes over themed sets. I like the original material, it's hard and sturdy but not so hard it's brittle and fragile like some gashapon figures. Hope this one isn't too much softer.

I assume you're going to be stocking these? I may wait until there are a few more sets and then get them in one go.

[sbell]

These are neat Sean. Any chance this company might branch out a little to the freshwater/brackish crustaceans (e.g., crayfish?).

None whatsoever. He's all about fish (and mostly freshwater fish; and modern, not prehistoric fish...)

I'm seeing some real potential here, though I feel Replica Toy Fish had more interesting species choices and I preferred the release format of varying sizes over themed sets. I like the original material, it's hard and sturdy but not so hard it's brittle and fragile like some gashapon figures. Hope this one isn't too much softer.

I assume you're going to be stocking these? I may wait until there are a few more sets and then get them in one go.

And I agree that RTF came out of the gate with a good range; I think the current plan is to straddle that line with worldwide 'exciting' and notable fish; and North American-focused popular fish. Still heavier on the game fish than the non-game fish, but I'll take it.

The material is soft enoigh to bend at the caudal peduncle and fins, but they don't fold or twist or anything like that. It probably means less risk of breakage if they hit the floor hard (I've handled hundreds of the RTF ones and never saw that mind you...)

I am hoping to carry them--his minimums and costs for wholesale are pretty high, so I have to work things out. I run a small operation, and his requirements mean I'd be sinking 10% of my inventory costs into 2 products...but I want to have them in. Plus, the price is tougher; each box set is 5 figures; the Monsters is $15 USD, the Angler is $10USD. Canadian exchange would turn that into $13 and $19-$20. Business deciding is hard...!

It's a catch-22 here; he needs the sales of the first boxes to fund the next boxes; but people will tend to wait to get the next boxes all at once. Personally, I would not have advertised all of the planned sets just yet, maybe a few teaser 'coming up ones'. But that's just how I roll.

I do know that his goal is to have these stocked in stores, especially sporting goods stores. I really hope he can pull that off, because the presentation is great. I just wish that the boxes came with binomial names and even a tiny bit of info on the animals; give it that 'education' angle people like to see with animal models. Even to do it for his website (like Safari--tiny bit on the tag, more on the site!). I even offered to write copy for him.

[brontodocus]

So great to see that he is still making new figures under a new brand now! I was a bit worried he might have stopped this business entirely but great to see they are back. I hope he has success with this line and it's amazing how many new boxes are planned for future release.

[Isidro]

That snakehead looks like as wearing a strange writing from an ancient or mythological culture!