The 1996 Hasbro Pre-Toy Fair Catalog brought to light the exciting line-up of action figures for that year. In the 90s, toy companies could not simply advertise their new products to dealers, retailers, and vendors online like they do today. Since the internet was still in its infancy, companies still needed to hand out promotional material directly to trade professionals. Thus, companies like Hasbro produced thousands of catalogs to promote their toys to prospective dealers. Hasbro even created catalogs for them to distribute before they attended any toy fairs. Such was the case in 1996 when Hasbro released this Pre-Toy Fair Catalog.
Like other promotional catalogs, the 1996 Hasbro Pre-Toy Fair Catalog displayed images of Hasbro’s upcoming toy selection. Since these toys were still in the late production stages, full-color prototypes were photographed. So, it was not uncommon for a toy to look different in a catalog than on the toy shelves.
This catalog gave sneak peeks at several upcoming toy lines that hit the shelves in 1996. For instance, readers had the chance to look over both Batman and Superman toy lines. They also could examine toys from the Gargoyles and The Mask. Furthermore, there were upcoming Beast Wars Transformers and G.I. Joe Extreme toys.
Wheeljack’s Lab proudly presents high-definition scans of the 1996 Hasbro Pre-Toy Fair Catalog featuring Beast Wars, Gargoyles, and more.
Explore the pages of the 1996 Hasbro Pre-Toy Fair Catalog
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About Our Hasbro Catalog Scans
To promote their upcoming slate of products, Hasbro handed out catalogs to attendees of toy fairs and other events. Each catalog was filled with information about their newest toys, even ones still in development. Thus, they often provided the first looks at action figures, playsets, vehicles, and more from their lines. Therefore, they have become valuable and rare collector’s items.
These Hasbro Toy Fair Catalogs featured toys from their beloved lines. For instance, the company was responsible for one of the most popular action figures of all time: G.I. Joe. They also partnered with Takara to bring the Transformers to the Western market. The company also dipped into the fantastical worlds of Air Raiders, Inhumanoids, and Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light. After Hasbro acquired Kenner, they also became the home of toy lines like Jurassic Park and Star Wars.
Hasbro used in-production prototypes in their images, as these catalogs were prepared before the lines were released. This meant that the featured toys often differed from the retail releases. Moreover, toys sometimes appeared only on these catalog pages, as they were canceled or never hit retail store shelves.
While Hasbro only handed these booklets out to trade professionals, we have now made them available to all. You can explore the toys featured in these catalogs with our Hasbro Toy Fair Catalog Scans. This is a rare treat since catalogs like these have become increasingly difficult to locate with each passing year.