Industry News

To mark Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Miniland Educational toy company partnered with online boutique retailer Little Wonder & Co in October to support Ruby’s Rainbow – a nonprofit that helps students with Down syndrome achieve their goals of higher education and independence.

Little Wonder – a natural and sustainable Children’s store that carries inclusive, diverse products – donated 10 percent of its sales of Miniland’s limited-edition “Ruby Doll with Down Syndrome” to Ruby’s Rainbow scholarships. They fund enrichment or vocational classes for students with Down syndrome. The amount was matched by Miniland.

The 15-inch baby doll with strawberry blonde hair features the sweet facial characteristics of babies with Down syndrome in a realistic and respectful way. Her design was inspired by a “real” Ruby who was born with an unexpected 21st chromosome.

“Nothing compares to the joy and wonder on a child’s face when they recognize themselves in their doll,” said Clara Roque, U.S. sales manager for Miniland USA. “Miniland’s sole mission has always been to inspire kindness and acceptance, regardless of a person’s condition, race, gender or background. Being able to provide an opportunity to help other students like Ruby gain access to the many opportunities they deserve is something our company is extremely proud of.”

Ann Williams Group, acquired by PlayMonster last year, received 15 different awards in 2021, including a 2022 TOTY nomination in the specialty toy category. Its products were honored by Autism Live, Creative Child Magazine, Happy Kid, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, and Toy Insider.

In addition, the Loopdedoo Deluxe is vying for a Toy of Year Award from The Toy Association. It combines two patented methods of making jewelry, and was created by Sheila Wright, founder of Ann Williams Group.

“Every product under the Ann Williams brand offers a unique way for fans of all ages to explore new creative possibilities, learn new skills and express themselves in new and magical ways,” noted Wendy Hartling, activities brand manager at PlayMonster.

American Girl Dolls, the board

game Risk, and “sand” were recently inducted into the National

Toy Hall of Fame. The honorees, unveiled during a special ceremony at The Strong National Museum of

Play in Rochester, New York, were chosen from a field of 12 finalists that also included Battleship, billiards, Cabbage Patch Kids, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper,

Mahjong, Masters of the Universe, the piñata, Settlers of Catan, and the toy fire engine. Created in 1986 by educator

Pleasant Rowland, the 18inch American Girl dolls and their accompanying books explore America’s social and cultural history. Says Curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, “Rowland’s formula for combining doll play with history lessons worked, in her words, like ‘chocolate cake with vitamins.’ In an era when some education experts claimed that school curriculums paid little attention

to history, this toy may well have filled a void. It now offers a range of dolls and stories of girls growing up in America, and promotes diversity in the world of dolls.”

Based on the French game Le Conquete du Monde, Risk translates the hobby of wargaming with miniature figures into a mass-produced war and strategy board game.

“Risk became one of the most popular board games of all time, inspiring a new corps of passionate gamers, and influencing other games which began the wargaming hobby and, by extension Euro-games like Settlers of Catan that many enjoy today,” says Curator Nicolas Ricketts.

Sand may be the most universal and oldest toy in the world. Educator Maria Montessori has argued that sand “is only one substance that the modern child is allowed to handle quite freely.” Children recognize sand as a creative material suitable for pouring, scooping, sieving, raking, and measuring. Wet sand is even better, ready for kids to construct, shape, and sculpt. Sand provides unique opportunities for tactical, physical, cooperative, creative, and independent free play.

Chief Curator Christopher Bensch says, “Although some playthings can only be found online or in certain stores, sand has a global reach that most toy manufacturers would envy. It’s been a vehicle for play since prehistory, and anyone who has spent the day at the beach can understand the allure of this toy.”

Story Time Chess, the original board game that teaches chess to young children using silly stories, vibrant illustrations, custom chess pieces, and a unique chess board was included in TIME magazine’s list of 100 Best Inventions in 2021.

TIME’s 2021 Best Inventions adds to Story Time Chess’s impressive list of 2021 award wins: the People’s Choice Toy of the Year Award, a Webby Award in the Games: Family & Kids category, and a place on ASTRA’s Best Toys For Kids list.

To assemble its list, TIME solicited nominations from editors and correspondents around the world, and through an online application process. Each contender was then evaluated on originality, creativity, efficacy, ambition and impact.

Also highlighted was the first LEGO brick made from recycled plastic. “The Danish toy giant hopes to integrate the recycled blocks into LEGO sets in the next 18 to 24 months,” wrote TIME’s Rebecca Katzman. “The impact could be considerable: the company uses some 100,000 metric tons of plastic resin in its products each year.”

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Other inventions recognized by TIME are an innovative, eco-friendly dye for jeans, a novel pasta shape, and groundbreaking vaccines for COVID-19 and malaria.

During the holiday season, Ty Inc. airfreighted Beanie Babies and Beanie Boos from China to Chicago to circumvent the global supply-chain crisis. The toys were delivered to small retailers and to specialty, convenience, grocery and drug stores – the core group in the company’s longstanding retail strategy. Though Ty Warner, founder and owner of the company, is the largest manufacturer of soft toys in the world, he does not sell to Amazon, Target, or Walmart.

From October through November 16, 283 air shipments were completed. Despite the increased expense – a typical cargo flight costs anywhere from 1.5 to $2 million – Ty Inc. did not raise prices.

Debbie Stevens, owner of Candyapple & Co. toy shop in Medina, Ohio, observed at the time, “This year has been an incredible struggle for small businesses because we are considered an ‘afterthought’ for most suppliers. Not Ty Warner. Ty has allowed me to fill my store with a terrific product – shockingly, without any price increases.”

The Beanie flights originated in airports in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and from other locations in China. They landed at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, where they were unloaded and carted to Ty Inc’s suburban Chicago headquarters for further shipping.

Industry analysts believe that the supply chain crisis will drive even more Debbie Stevens, Candy Apple & Co.

traffic to national chains like Walmart, Target and Amazon, and will hurt smaller retailers who struggle to find product. Ty’s sales strategy does the reverse.

A new 20,000-square-foot, two-story Toys “R” Us opened on December 15 at the American Dream megamall in New Jersey, reports CNBC. The store operated on extended hours throughout the rest of the holiday season, according to WHP Global, Toys “R” Us’s parent company. Since the toy retailer offers experiences for kids, including a two-story slide, a café and ice cream shop, it adds to the property’s experiential offerings, notes CNBC. The store is not far from the megamall’s Nickelodeon Universe theme park and DreamWorks water park.

The last two Toys “R” Us stores in the U.S. closed in January 2021. Then in March, WHP acquired the toy brand, promising a reopening somewhere in the future. Last August, WHP re-launched the Toys “R” Us website through a partnership with Macy’s, and in 2022 WHP is on track to open more than 400 Toys “R” Us shop-in-shops in Macy’s department stores.

About the American Dream location, WHP Founder Yehuda Shmidman told CNBC that “families will come to visit because American Dream is a destination for the day. We believe that this will be a critical tourist stop for every family visiting the New York area.”

Outside of the U.S., WHP operates roughly 900 Toys “R” Us stores globally.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA)

recently hired Briana White as its new communications and marketing specialist. ASTRA will be leaning on White to bring its social media presence to new heights.

A graduate of Clemson University with a marketing degree, Brianna also works for an advertising firm as a social media manager. She grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, where she frequented Dancing Bear Toys store as a child.

Briana joins ASTRA President Sue Warfield and two other staffers to round out the ASTRA team.

Membership Specialist Jenna

Stirling is a former ASTRA Board member, Jenna worked at a children’s museum and in a toy store in North Carolina before she became a full-time buyer for the toy-store franchise. She segued to a buyer position at another children’s museum, but was laid off in November 2020 due to the pandemic. ASTRA asked her to step down from her board position to become its full-time member specialist.

Special Projects and Events

Manager Michael Foldeak was employed at Melissa & Doug for 18 years before he was terminated, also due to the pandemic. He didn’t want to leave the toy industry, and spent more than a year without a job. A former customer told him about the opening at ASTRA, and he was hired last June. Michael works from his home in Norwalk, Connecticut.

ASTRA called downtown Chicago home for more than a decade, but when the association was forced to vacate its headquarters because of COVID stay-athome orders, the lease was never renewed. Everyone works remotely. “Not having an office in Chicago allowed me to hire from anywhere in the country,” notes Sue Warfield, who splits her time between Colorado and Minnesota. ASTRA maintains a permanent Chicago mailing address – 1 Erie Street, Suite 525, PMB 4624, Chicago, Illinois 60611 – and continues to operate in Central Time.