Toy2R
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Toy2R is a designer toy company based in Hong Kong that was founded by Raymond Choy in 1995.
Choy spent 10 years as an employee of an American footwear company. During his tenure there, he developed skills in general business operation, especially quality control. Following his dream of combining his hobby with his career, Choy pursued a business degree and studied design, working all the while.
After much research and planning, he opened a toy store in 1995. Four years later, Choy observed a recent trend in collectible toys, now known as designer toys, specifically urban vinyl movement of toy design. He decided to put all his funds into the development of a vinyl figure, intended more as art than as a plaything. He called this figure the Toyer.
The Toyer design, which resembles a simplified human form with a head that resembles a cartoon skull, became his first trademark. The commercial response to this figure led to support from artists and designers all over the world, and enabled his next endeavor, the Qee figure.
In 2001, Choy designed a series of figures originally intended for use as keychains, and named it the Qee Keychain Collection. This distinctive design resembles a round and squat human form, and features a variety of animal heads and a broad range of paint applications. The Qee figure and its many variations (nearly 1000 figures have been produced to date) are the signature product of the Toy2R brand.
The Qee figure is noteworthy for being one of the most easily recognized designer toys. Toy2R has collaborated with artists and designers from all over the world, including such influential illustrators as Gary Baseman, Coop, and Frank Kozik. Additionally, Toy2r has been commissioned to create exclusive Qee figures for such companies as Adidas, DKNY, Mitsubishi, Sony, and Starbucks.
