The first day of Toy Fair is always the best. Behind only San Diego Comic Con for its excitement and importance in the action figure world, every collector should figure out a way to experience the first day of the world's biggest toy show.

I already walked you through Day 0 of my Toy Fair trip, and now it's time for the show proper.

After waking up in a dark and drab hotel room and walking through a dingy city layered in brown snow, there's nothing quite like the Sun shining through the open framework windows of the Javits Center where Toy Fair is held. From a dreary world, you're suddenly transported into a place loaded with fun in every color. The only thing more striking than the various lights, whether from the Sun or the show floor, are the vibrant colors stealing your gaze in every direction. It really takes a moment to adapt to the new world in which you've entered. You have to change your perspective on the world to a more positive one, lest you become overwhelmed by all the fun sights, sounds, and toys.

As hard as it was to avoid running through the show floor screaming with glee, I made my way to the press center to confirm my registration and become accustomed to my new surroundings for the week. Toy Fair has really started going all out for their press members, a wonderful change that's often lacking at other conventions. But there's little time for pampering when there are sights to be seen!

Walking the show floor is an exhausting endeavor, and I don't mean because of the 20 pound bag of supplies and and camera hanging around your neck. Although those burdens do begin to feel like the one ring burdening your shoulders and soul before the end of the day, the real exhaustion is a mental sort. It's really quite tiring to take in all the stimuli that surround you. There's something to see or do in every square inch of the building, and there's simply no way to experience it all.

But I found solace in the action figures. The comforting predicability and familiarity makes everything else vanish in a way. Who cares about scooters or puzzles or dolls when there are action figures to be seen? And boy did I see some action figures. I swung by every booth of importance and took nearly 3,000 photos before the day was done.

Of course not all the booths and toys were so readily available to prying eyes like mine. Mattel's annual Collector Night event (which is mysteriously held at 3pm), was closed off to the "public" of the general Toy Fair audience, and reserved for the die-hard collectors. But that didn't stop an enormous crowd of slobbering bloggers like myself from lingering together in a horde of anticipation. I am not in this photo, but you might recognize a few familiar faces if you've been around toys for a while.

Free sodas were consumed by the gallons, and eventually we made our way to Castle Grayskull and the rest of the toys! You can't even begin to imagine the frenzy of 100+ diehard collectors and bloggers rushing to see all the latest figures. It's like Scott Neitlich dropped a figure made of meat into a pool of starving piranhas. They consumed the various tables and displays, shutter clicks raging like machine gun fire! I always have to stand back in awe for a moment before I join the mob, realizing the toys will still be there in an hour and that I need not fight for a spot amongst my brethren.

There was a vicious circle of cameras surrounding Castle Grayskull as Toy Guru walked everyone through the various details. Adam West Batman had a big crowd. Masters of the Universe and DC Comics each had lots of eyeballs. Only Max Steel and the WWE figures seemed left out of the fun, but even they were eventually addressed by a majority of the folks in the room. Scott Neitlich did a fine job with his presentation, and people listened. But no one really seemed to care all that much once the toys had been seen and the photos had been taken. I even witnessed a mass of peopele wandering off before the presentation was done.

Maybe they just wanted an early entry into the Playmates Toys Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles event that was starting mere moments later. As excited as I was for Mattel's properties, nothing is as important to me as TMNT. A free figure from Mattel, a quick stroll, and a few detours later, I arrived at the Playmates booth ready to lay eyes upon my heroes in the halfshell. And let me tell you, there were oh so many turtles to be seen.

Along with a small group of other press members, we were led into a beautiful showroom full of TMNT dioramas and loads of new products. There were TV screens overhead playing promotional clips of various aspects of the brand. They were often ignored as cameras turned to turtles instead. The new Nickelodeon figures looked impressive, and will no doubt continue that line's rampant success.

Bebop and Rocksteady from the Classic Collection looked stunning as expected, if a little smaller in person than I'd hoped. I had to ask what was coming next for my beloved Classic Collection, and the prognosis was neutral at best. The standard "if they're successful, we'll make more" line was dropped. It's not an axe, which is a relief, but neither was it a strong vote of confidence in the line.

But still yet, after seeing all the glorious Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there was nothing left for me at Toy Fair that day. I had to end on a high note and return to my humble hotel, free figures in hand.

Although when it comes to Toy Fair, your day never ends, and the nights spent processing photos, writing, and posting are longer than the days. But I do it in service for you kind reader, hoping to bring you a little closer to Toy Fair each step of the way.