When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!

The Retro Con household has an unhealthy obsession with offbeat/quirky toys, and now we wanna see YOUR weird flex! Come witness the strange, the bizarre, the unexpected… at the Retro Con 2025 Weird Toy Contest!

The contest will be held in our Panel room on Saturday afternoon (exact to be determined soon). No sign-ups are required, you can simply arrive for line-up with your toy just before contest start time. However, you must be present for the contest, so please no item “drop-offs”.

Your toy can be officially licensed, unlicensed, vintage, new, or even bootleg. However, custom toys will *not* be allowed in this contest. We also request that your toy be suitable for a family-oriented crowd. We reserve the right to decline any toy we feel is inappropriate for the contest (nudity, bodily functions, suggestive features, etc). So leave your Shape-shifter Punisher and ET Finger Light at home, per favore!

If your toy involves a gimmick you’d like to demonstrate, you’re welcome to do so. We’re also allowing “toy adjacent” items to be entered, which are those tie-in items associated with a toy line or brand, such as lunchboxes, gumball machines, electronic toothbrushes, model kits, pharmacy rack toys, and of course… Smurf Big Wheels!

Top prize for the contest is the HasLab Ghostbusters “Two in the Box” prop set featuring a PKE Meter, Ghost Trap, and all bonus tiers, a $400+ value! 2nd Place gets you a 40th Anniversary Studio Series Optimus Prime figure ($90 retail price), and 3rd Place gets you the new Target-exclusive Star Wars ‘A New Hope’ figure set ($60 retail price)!

The contest will be co-hosted and judged this year by Mike from The Breaux Show, and our old friend Mr. Lobo from Cinema Insomnia! Come watch or participate in the fun! And remember… weirdness is often just a side-effect of being awesome!