We’ve been in business for nearly twenty years and I cannot recall a time when there were so few new product introductions being made mid way through the month. While Hobby Master has yet to announce their roll call for the month of May, and Eaglemoss has been mum of late regarding new product announcements, several manufacturers have seemingly gone dormant of late or showed their hand and intentions months ago at the last round of Toy Fairs held at the beginning of the year.
My guess is that a lot of companies have decided to take a cautious stand in recent months largely due to the trade war we are now facing with mainland China. While some spokespeople — including our own president — remain hopeful, continuing to present a rosy picture even in the face of stalled negotiations and Chinese reciprocity, its becoming increasingly clear that the business world has begun to take a dim view of the proposed tariffs, which will now affect our industry as early as June.
Its difficult to say how or even when this situation will play itself out since there are many factors to consider and several points of view that coalesce to form the overall picture. Its also a question of saving face at this point as neither side wants to be seen as giving in to the other, even if their case and cause seems justified despite the collateral damage created in its wake. So, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that this issue gets resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, and the flow of goods and new product announcements resumes unabated all aimed at keeping this hobby alive and vibrant for years to come. Lets hope this current trade war ends up as a scuffle and not a full-blown conflict with no resolution in sight and the business world doing its best to stay apace.