Vol. 26, No. 1
January/February 2010
Vol. 26, No. 1
January/February 2010
Page 50
r i a F Toy 2010
page 115
How the Toy Space Changed in 2009 Clockwise from top left: Bamboo Bears, from Planet Fred; Mighty Beanz, from Spin Master; Perplexus, from PlaSmart; Koosh Balls, from Basic Fun; Hide and Seek Jojo Bunny, from Silverlit; Spy Video TRAKR, from Wild Planet; Erector Build & Play Train, from Meccano; Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Cheese Touch Game, from Pressman Toy
Page 32; by Lutz Muller
State of the Toy Industry: 2010
A
lot of executives are talking about “the new normal.” That is, there is a tacit acknowledgment that the world we are in now is very different from the world we were in before the 2008/2009 financial crisis and resultant “Great Recession.” In many ways, the world looks pretty much the same as it did in the past: the Yankees are champs; my beloved Mets are chumps; we’re still fighting over if, when, and where Toy Fair should be held each year; and every month there is a new technology unveiled that will actually reduce, not improve, the level of communication among us. continued on page 30 by Sean McGowan
State of the Industry Q&A Page 36
page 155
table of contents Published by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.®
January/February 2010 State of the Toy Industry: 2010
Volume 26, Number 1 www.toybook.com
Monopoly Celebrates 75 Years of Buying, Selling, and Trading Properties
by Sean McGowan Cover; Page 30
How the Toy Space Changed in 2009 by Lutz Muller Page 32
State of the Industry Q&A Page 36
jsamet@adventurepub.com
by Jackie Breyer; Page 44
What Toy Manufacturers Should Know About “Making the Sale”
The Next Decade of Innovation Heralds Tech Options for Kids and Families
TIA Perspectives Page 20
Go Figure Page 22
Marketing Memo Page 24
The Halloween Insider
Industry Marketplace Page 200
Flashback: February 1991 Page 202
ereid@toybook.com C ONTRIBUTING W RITERS /E DITORS
P RODUCTION D IRECTOR Anthony K. Guardiola
aguardiola@adventurepub.com Page 155
P RODUCTION A SSISTANT Yasmin Johnson
Toy Fair 2009 Category Guide What’s New Activity & Construction Dolls & Plush Boys’ Games & Puzzles Infant & Preschool
page 50 page 72 page 88 page 102 page 140 page 187
Page 26 Page 197
Jackie Breyer
jbreyer@toybook.com
Reyne Rice, Jennifer Sinclair
Industry Update Raising the Bar
C HIEF
Sean McGowan, Lutz Muller,
Stat Shot Page 18
IN
Elizabeth A. Reid
Publisher’s Viewpoint Page 16
E DITOR
A SSISTANT E DITOR
Page 46
by Reyne Rice; Page 198
departments
P UBLISHER Jonathan Samet
Specialty Toys & Gifts: Page 115
Edi to Lett r’s er Pa g e S3
Toy Fair 2010 Page S6
s Neagw 4 eS P
ecklist ST&G Che S3 Pag
ASTRA’S I
nsights
Page S5
yjohnson@adventurepub.com C ONTROLLER /O FFICE M ANAGER Robert Forde
rforde@adventurepub.com
U.S.A. Corporate Headquarters: Laurie Schacht, President laurieschacht@aol.com Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® 286 Fifth Ave., 3rd Floor New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 575-4510 Fax: (212) 575-4521 THE TOY BOOK (ISSN-0885-3991) is published bi-monthly by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® Editorial and advertising offices are located at 286 Fifth Ave., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001, Phone (212) 575-4510. Periodicals Postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2010 Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. Subscription rates: $48 one year, foreign $200. The Toy Book is a trademark of Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® Registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Toy Book, c/o Adventure Publishing Group, PO Box 47703 Plymouth, MN 55447. Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by editors, contributing writers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of the management of The Toy Book.
Publisher’s
Viewpoint
We Are Doing Toy Fair! Jonathan Samet, publisher
F
ebruary Toy Fair in New York has always been the most exciting time of the year for me. This is going to be my 27th Toy Fair (any “old timer” will always tell you “This is my #_ Toy Fair”), and whether it is taking place in the Javits Center or the Toy Buildings, or running for four days vs. when it ran for two to three weeks, it remains one of the highlights of the year. The reason is a combination of seeing all the new toys for the holidays, the crowded aisles, old friends, the parties and events (there always were tons of great ones but these days it is left to our friends at Spin Master to host an awesome party!). Whatever the reason, February Toy Fair is still a highlight for me and for the industry. What amazes me is how many times I hear people say “We are not doing Toy Fair this year.” The reasons I am given vary from “It is not that important,” to “Nobody comes anymore” to “We have seen everybody.” I always find it hard to justify these responses but each person/company needs to make the decision about what’s right for them. Well, I can tell you that we are doing Toy Fair in a big way. We are proud that we will be distributing the biggest and best issue at the show. Our State of the Industry provides commentary on a 2009 recap/2010 look ahead by two independent, highly respected experts along with the viewpoints of various industry leaders from manufacturers to retailers, to an inventor and the trade associations. Our annual product review has a broader list of manufacturers this year covering both the mass market and specialty toy retailing. Buyers should take special care to read through these pages as there may be manufacturers and products with whom you are not familiar. You never know where the next Cepia/Zhu Zhu Pets will come from! Lastly, we are introducing a new feature this year called The Halloween Insider (check it out on page 155) to give you an overview of this exciting product category/industry. Many of you retailers are currently already carrying Halloween products, but if you are not, it is an outstanding opportunity to drive consumer traffic/sales prior to the time when your holiday toy sales kick into high gear. We are not only doing Toy Fair in a big way, we are doing all of 2010 in a big way. We continue to grow and expand our business to be “the voice reaching both the trade and consumers” and we are doing so in print, online, and through social media. If you are not familiar with all we have to offer to help build your business, take a look at page 69 for a sample of our offerings, or better yet give either Laurie Schacht or myself a call (we answer all calls!) or send an email to learn more about how we can help you to grow your business. Have a great show!
THE TOY BOOK
16
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
S TAT S HOT Dollar Sales in Billions, U.S. Toy Industry Supercategories Categories
Annual 2007
Annual 2008
Change
Annual 2009
Action Figures/Acc/Roleplay
$1.52
$1.55
2%
$1.62
4%
Arts & Crafts
$2.57
$2.60
1%
$2.79
7%
Building Sets
$0.70
$0.88
26%
$1.08
23%
Dolls
$2.98
$2.67
-10%
$2.63
-2%
Games/Puzzles
$2.34
$2.35
0%
$2.37
1%
Infant/Preschool
$3.20
$3.03
-5%
$2.97
-2%
Outdoor & Sports Toys
$2.89
$2.74
-5%
$2.60
-5%
Plush
$1.37
$1.68
22%
$1.46
-13%
Vehicles
$2.29
$1.91
-17%
$1.80
-6%
Youth Electronics
$1.01
$0.92
-9%
$0.77
-17%
All Other Toys
$1.41
$1.32
-6%
$1.39
5%
Total Toy Industry
$22.28
$21.65
-3%
$21.47
-1%
Change
-
Source: The NPD Group /Consumer Tracking Service
TOP -S ELLING FAMILY E NTERTAINMENT T ITLES R ANKED RANK
BY T OTAL
A MAZON . COM
U.S. U NITS , D ECEMBER 2009
TITLE
PLATFORM
PUBLISHER
T OP S ELLING T OYS D ECEMBER 13–J ANUARY 13 1
WILD PLANET HYPER DASH
2
BANANAGRAMS
UBISOFT
3
LEGO ULTIMATE BUILDING SET - 405 PIECES
WII
ACTIVISION/BLIZZARD
4
UCREATE GAMES & ARTIMATION
DRAWN TO LIFE: THE NEXT CHAPTER
NDS
THQ
5
EYECLOPS NIGHT VISION INFRARED STEALTH BINOCULARS
6
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2
WII
ELECTRONIC ARTS
7
THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND*
WII
MTV/EA
6
SCRABBLE SLAM CARDS
8
DISNEY SING IT: POP HITS*
WII
DISNEY INTERACTIVE
7
THE SETTLERS OF CATAN
9
MARIO PARTY
NDS
NINTENDO
8
EYECLOPS MINI PROJECTOR
10
DJ HERO*
WII
ACTIVISION/BLIZZARD
9
ZHU ZHU PETS - FUNHOUSE SET WITH HAMSTER
10
BLOKUS CLASSICS GAME
1
WII PLAY WITH REMOTE
WII
NINTENDO
2
SCRIBBLENAUTS
NDS
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
3
JUST DANCE
WII
4
BAND HERO*
5
*Includes Collector’s, Limited, Legendary, Bundles (Guitars) Editions
Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service
THE TOY BOOK
18
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Industry Association Perspectives
Collecting for Kids
The Toy Industry Foundation continues its mission of providing toys to children in need across the globe. by Marisa Medina, Toy Bank coordinator
B
uilding on a commitment to our country’s military industry. Through the generosity of these companies, we families shown during Fall Toy Preview, the Toy have been able to share the incredible excitement of toys and Industry Foundation (TIF) launched a new national play with children in need worldwide.” partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America Military In the six years since The Toy Bank program’s launch, Services during a special toy dismore than 1,000 toy companies tribution at The Walter Reed have donated more than 7 milArmy Medical Center in lion toys for children in need Washington, D.C. this past across the globe. Nearly 400 December. More than 750 toys charities have received toys for were distributed to deserving children they serve who are livservice men and women—many ing in poverty, rescued from of whom have served multiple abuse, seeking treatment for tours of duty in Iraq—and their chronic illnesses, and going families. through many other difficult sitThe Play Comforts program uations. TIF has proudly partfocuses on delivering toys to nered with the following leading children at Boys and Girls Clubs national organizations to assist on military bases with the high- Toy Bank toys were recently distributed to military families at Walter Reed in placing the donated toys in est deployment rates; it is the Medical Center. All of the gifts were donated by toy industry companies. the hands of children in need: first-ever national toy distribution program to canvas every branch of the military (Air • Gifts in Kind International, Inc. Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy). The families • Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. of both active duty and reserve personnel are eligible. To kick • Ronald McDonald House Charities off the 2010 donations, TIF is hosting its annual toy collec• My Stuff Bags Foundation tion after the American International Toy Fair, held in New • Boys & Girls Clubs of America York City on February 14-17. Exhibiting companies are invited to contribute product to The Toy Bank. Through the foundation’s Play Heals program, every TIF has reported that generous product donations Ronald McDonald House in the United States and Canada received during the 2009 holiday season helped the industry can request Toy Bank toys each year for the children they reach an incredible milestone of $50 million dollars in donat- serve. With help from TIF, the My Stuff Bags Foundation proed toys. The product donations were received via The Toy vides more than 30,000 duffel bags annually, which are filled Bank, which was established as the Toy Industry with toys, clothing, and personal care products to children in Foundation’s signature program in 2003. foster care. Toymakers are encouraged to make a product “The mission of toymakers is to bring joy to children’s donation to help brighten the lives of children throughout the lives,” said Jean Butler, TIF executive director. “The Toy year. For more information, please contact Toy Bank Industry Foundation is proud to represent such an altruistic Coordinator Marisa Medina at (646) 454-5581. ■
THE TOY BOOK
20
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Go Figure!
by Funosophy
For Play Value, Most Girls Look to Dolls by Nancy Zwiers
T
he most important thing the toy industry delivers to its young consumers is “play value.” Yet, play value is not easily measured and, therefore, often gets short shrift in our decision-making processes. Funosophy, Inc., decided to ask moms of girls which toy their daughter played with most and to share why they think that is the case.
“What toy does your daughter play with most?”
Moms of Girls Ages 6-8
Moms of Girls Ages 3-5
30%
What type of doll?
20%
24%
23%
16%
10% 6%
0%
Barbie
Baby Doll
American Girl
9%
9% 5%
Polly Pocket
5%
Dolls in General
Doll House
Ponies
3%
Doll Characters
Littlest Pet Shop
In Summary According to these moms, most girls respond to toys that allow them to use their imagination in many different make-believe scenarios—fashion dolls, small dolls, and roleplay toys. Baby dolls and stuffed animals tap into the powerful nurturing instinct, especially among younger girls. Arts and crafts allow for creative expression. Finally, engaging game play that delivers on building a sense of mastery is liked by many girls ages 3-8, but in particular the older age range of girls 6-8.
Nancy Zwiers is CEO of kids’ marketing firm Funosophy, Inc. Funosophy, Inc. conducted this online survey with 200 moms: 100 moms of girls ages 3 to 5 and 100 moms of girls ages 6-8. For information about Funosophy, contact Nancy at nancy@funosophy.com or call (562) 436-5251.
THE TOY BOOK
22
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Marketing by Nancy Zwiers
Memo
Know Thy Consumer
T
he traditional definition of marketing is meeting consumer needs and wants. But, how many of us in the toy industry really know what the consumer needs and wants? Sure, there is plenty of conventional wisdom out there, and most of it is empirical (that is, we see how the marketplace treats various products, draw conclusions, and take action accordingly). We learn from the natural feedback loop and gradually develop and hone our judgment. However, consider this: the consumer is full of surprises. Even for someone who has been in the business for 20 years, understanding consumers and responding in effective ways (read “profitable ways”) is an art, not a science. How can we take a little of the guesswork out, make marketing less of an art and more of a science, and give it more predictability? Our industry is woefully behind other industries in leveraging consumer research to make smart decisions. There are some good explanations for this: • In many industries with sophisticated approaches to consumer research, life cycles of products are much longer and justify more spending to understand the consumer for that product. • In many industries, the consumer is a communicative adult who can get in touch with and articulate their needs and wants. Our consumers are children. These challenges have led to a historically underdeveloped appreciation and usage of consumer research. But now, the trade is demanding consumer insights. They want data and yet it costs money to get trustworthy data. There are two main types of consumer research: Qualitative Research: This is research which spurs insights, spawns hypotheses, and suggests directions, but this research does not attempt to predict a market result. The sample is too small to be statistically significant and is usually not nationally representative. Reports are written in words, not numbers. Focus groups are the most popular form of qualitative research and most companies with website-based panels deliver this type of feedback. • Use at the beginning of an initiative to generate hypotheses by exploring consumer attitudes and/or behavior. • Use to screen out less strong concepts (but, it cannot
THE TOY BOOK
tell you how strong a concept is). • Use to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each concept. • Use quotes to help you understand how people talk about the category or product being researched. Quantitative Research: This research includes a large sample (usually 150+) that is nationally representative, and therefore results can be extrapolated to the population it seeks to represent. Questions can be closed-ended (multiple choice) or open-ended. Online is the preferred method of choice, now that the online population is considered representative of the population at large. • Use to evaluate the strength of a concept or commercial (versus a control or established norms). • Use to understand awareness, ownership, usage, etc. • Use to understand the most important attributes andhow products stack up against those attributes. When researching with kids, remember: • Kids under age 6 do not communicate verbally well enough to participate in focus groups. Talk to their moms instead. • Kids under age 6 do not read well enough to particpate in written surveys. • Kids give the richest feedback when asked to react to stimulus versus just speaking from their mind. • When testing appeal, test multiple concepts or products since kids will say they like almost any toy; the question is how much do they like it relative to other offerings. • Testing pricing is helpful with moms but not meaningful with kids. For example, we ask for mom’s purchase intent at an expected price and at an actual price, but with kids we just ask about appeal. Costs for professional research can be as low as $1,000 so most companies, even small ones, can afford to understand their consumer better. ■ Nancy Zwiers is CEO of Funosophy, Inc., a strategic marketing consulting firm, offering a portfolio of research services tailored for toy companies. For more information, call (562) 436-5251 or email nancy@funosophy.com.
24
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Industry Update FanTOYstic Fact
It’s been 30 years since Hungarian professor Erno Rubik first introduced the mind-boggling, colored puzzle, Rubik’s Cube, to the public. Since its launch in March 1980, more than 350 million of the three by three by three plastic cubes have been sold (about 100 million sold during the first two years). Once the Cube has been scrambled, players solve it by twisting its 54 colored squares around its central axis (approximately 43 quintillion different combinations) until all six faces feature one solid block of color. “Speedcuber” Erik Akkersdijk holds the world record for the quickest solve, cracking the puzzle in July 2008 in 7.08 seconds.
MADAME ALEXANDER LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE LINES
LICENSES
WITH
ELMER’S DIVISIONS
Nocopi Technologies, Inc., a company that provides solutions for product counterfeiting, diversion, and creative ink technologies for national and international clients, has renewed its exclusive license with Giddy Up and Color Loco, divisions of Elmer’s Products, Inc. Giddy Up and Color Loco’s product lines include Blendy Pens, ColorSplitz, Dotza, SprayZa, Water WOW, Color-N-Carry, and Surprize Ink.
THE TOY BOOK
STORES
New dolls from Madame Alexander have premiered in Wal-Mart, Costco, Sears, Toys “R” Us, and Target stores. The 18-inch play dolls range in price from $24.99 to $29.99, and feature outfits that can be changed and shared with the other dolls and easy-to-style hair. Madame Alexander’s in-store exclusive lines of play dolls include: Friends 4 Life for Wal-Mart, Madame Alexander for Target, Dollie & Me for Sears, Alexander Girlz for Costco, and Mia Bella for Toys “R” Us.
TARGET OUTLINES GROWTH PLANS
FOR
2010
AND
BEYOND
Target Corporation is outlining its growth opportunities for the next five to 10 years. Target plans to continue growth within existing stores by investing approximately $1 billion in the renovation of about 340 stores, expanding grocery content in general merchandise stores, and enhancing layout, assortment, and “in-store experience” in areas including beauty, home, electronics, and video games. Target also plans to open fewer than 10 additional stores in 2010, and aims to increase that number in 2011 and beyond. Also in the company’s plans is to develop a smaller store format with an “edited merchandise assortment” to meet the needs of those in dense urban markets, as well as to expand outside the U.S, most likely in Canada, Mexico, or Latin America in three to five years.
HONG KONG’S TOY EXPORTS FALL
NOCOPI RENEWS EXCLUSIVE
IN
FOR
2009
According to figures released by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong’s toy exports fell 10 percent to $88.55 billion HK ($11.35 billion U.S.) in the first 11 months of 2009. While toy exports to Czech rose 58.2 percent, exports to Russia fell 57.1 percent, exports to the U.S. dropped 23.6 percent, and exports to the European Union dipped 8 percent. Baby product exports reached approximately $6 billion HK ($726 million U.S.) in the first 11 months of 2009. Hong Kong’s top export markets were the U.S., UK, Macao, Italy, and France.
Get the latest toy industry news delivered straight to your inbox each week for free! Subscribe to The Toy Book’s Toy Report. Just send an email to subscribe@adventurepub.com. Add jbreyer@toybook.com to your address book to ensure delivery. For up-to-the-minute news, follow The Toy Book on Twitter: twitter.com/toybook, and be our friend on Facebook: facebook.com/toybook1. Visit The Toy Book’s new blog at www.toybook.com.
26
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Industry Update JAKKS PARTNERS
WITH
DENTSU
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is teaming up with Dentsu, Inc. to produce an animated television series based on Monsuno, a new original boys’ action property. The Monsuno property follows adventureseeking boys who get their hands on reawakened Monster DNA. The property is being developed as 52 animated episodes and will be launched as a toy line, both targeted to boys ages 6-11. Monsuno is slated to launch in 2011 in North America, Europe, and Asia. Monsuno will be developed by JAKKS and Dentsu in conjunction with Dentsu’s Los Angeles-headquartered subsidiary, DCI-LA. Former producer of Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Mitsuharu Inoue, will serve as creative director.
WHAM-O BRINGS FRISBEE PRODUCTION
TO
U.S.
Wham-O has started producing half of its Frisbees in the United States, which the company says is an effort to increase manufacturing jobs in the domestic market. The domestic production is part of a partnership with Manufacturing Marvel America, a division of the international Manufacturing Marvel Group, which specializes in plastic injection molding for toys and operates facilities in California and Michigan. Last August, Wham-O began producing one of its PoolZone products in Michigan.
THE TOY BOOK
HASBRO HIRES FORMER LEAPFROG PRESIDENT Hasbro, Inc. has hired Jerry Perez as senior vice president and global brand leader for the company’s worldwide preschool business. In the role, Perez will lead global strategy, marketing, and merchandising for Hasbro’s preschool brand portfolio including Playskool, Mr. Potato Head, and PlayDoh. He will also lead global efforts around the recently announced Sesame Street toy and co-branded games license, in which the first products will be released in 2011. Perez has nearly 25 years of global and domestic toy industry experience. He has served as president of LeapFrog Enterprises and held positions at companies such as Learning Curve, Fisher-Price, and Kenner, which was acquired by Hasbro in 1991.
MATTEL LAUNCHES WWE TOY LINE WORLDWIDE World Wrestling Entertainment and Mattel, Inc. have debuted a comprehensive portfolio of WWE action figures and toys for both kids and collectors. Mattel will manufacture, market, and distribute the line. Mattel’s FlexForce Action Figures utilize flex-loaded arms and legs to execute the trademark maneuvers made famous by WWE Superstars such as John Cena, CM Punk, and Rey Mysterio. Other products designed specifically for kids will include Championship Belts, Ring Action Megaphones, and motion-activated Tough Talkers that deliver WWE Superstar catch phrases. With all action figures featuring “Superstar Scale,” fans can experience the differences in height and size between WWE Superstars. Mattel’s portfolio of action figures also features an Elite Collection, designed with precise detail and packaged with a collector stand and name card for display. Basic figure single packs will be released every month, while two-packs and Elite figures will roll out every other month. In addition to the global retail launch, Mattel’s line will be available to purchase at the more than 300 live WWE events held throughout the year.
RC2
TO
PAY $1.25 MILLION LEAD SETTLEMENT
RC2 Corp. has agreed to pay a $1.25 million penalty settlement for importing and selling Thomas & Friends children’s toys that contained lead that were above legal limits. As part of the settlement, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said, RC2 Corp. denied that it knowingly violated federal lead laws. The commission alleged that the company and Learning Curve Brands, Inc., one of its subsidiaries, knowingly imported and sold Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys that contained lead levels above .06 percent by weight. RC2 recalled approximately 1.7 million units in June and September 2007. The products—which included more than 24 styles of vehicles, building, and train accessories—were sold between May and September 2007.
28
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
BATTAT APPOINTED MASTER TOY LICENSEE
FOR
BABY GENIUS
Pacific Entertainment Corporation has appointed Battat as the master toy licensee for its Baby Genius brand for infants and toddlers, launched earlier this year. Under the written agreement, Battat will continue manufacturing an extensive line of Baby Genius preschool learning and development toys. The initial assortment includes activity, musical, and roleplay toys that incorporate the Baby Genius principle of music as a tool for engaging and learning. The Joester Loria Group, exclusive licensing agency for Baby Genius, brokered the deal.
SAKAR SIGNS LICENSES
FOR IRON
MAN 2, EA SPORTS
Sakar International is developing an Iron Man 2-branded line of spy gear, inspired by the upcoming movie release. The products are being developed under a license agreement with Marvel Entertainment. Expected to feature more than a dozen SKUs, the product line will include spy watches, walkie talkie/voice changers, digital and video cameras, nightvision goggles, blacklight decoders, micro-listening devices, and video game accessories. Release dates will coincide with the movie’s slated opening on May 7. Sakar has also announced a license agreement with Electronic Arts, Inc. to produce Wii and Nintendo DS gaming accessories and youth electronics under the EA Sports brand. Products will include gaming controls, skins and styluses for EA Sports and EA Sports Active titles, and a full range of audio and computer accessories such as MP3 players with sports-themed faceplates. The first items are expected to be released in spring 2010. The agreement marks the first time that the company will work directly with a game developer to design gaming accessories for game titles.
MANDATE
ON
REGISTRATION
OF JUVENILE
PRODUCTS APPROVED
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unanimously approved a new rule requiring manufacturers of durable infant or toddler products to establish and maintain a registration card program. As mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, each manufacturer of a durable infant or toddler product will be required to: provide a postage-paid consumer registration form with each product; keep records of consumers who register their products with the manufacturer; and permanently place the manufacturer’s name and contact information, model name and number, and the date of manufacture on each product. This new rule concerns 18 product categories including full-size cribs and non-full-size cribs; toddler beds; high chairs, booster chairs and hookon chairs; bath seats; gates and other enclosures for confining a child; play yards; stationary activity centers; infant carriers; strollers; walkers; swings; bassinets and cradles; children’s folding chairs; changing tables; infant bouncers; infant bathtubs; portable toddler bed rails; and infant slings. ■
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
29
HK TOYS & GAMES FAIR A SUCCESS This year’s HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair came to a successful close with more than 33,000 buyers attending the four-day exhibition, held January 1114. The number of buyers from overseas recorded a rise of 35.5 percent from the previous year. Local exhibitors at the fair said buyers had a positive attitude about placing orders and purchasing conditions have made an obvious improvement. “This year, the Toys & Games Fair coincided with the easing of the global financial crisis and signs of economic recovery,” said Wong Tit Shing, chairman of the HKTDC’s Toys Advisory Committee. “So at the fairground we saw not only a rising number of buyers, but also some very hot on-site business discussions.” During the first three days of the fair, the number of buyers from the U.S. and Europe rose by more than 30 percent, while those from Japan increased by 45 percent from the previous year. The figure for buyers from Association of South East Asian Nations and Russia marked the most significant rise, rising more than 60 percent and nearly 80 percent respectively. Next year’s show will be held January 10-13.
THE TOY BOOK
State of the Industry continued from cover Still, I agree that the distinction between “old normal” and “new normal” is necessary and useful, even as I recognize it can be used as an excuse for under achievement that may not, in fact, have anything to do with how the world changed. That said, I would have to add that I think the toy industry should be happy to note that the “new normal” looks a lot more like the “old normal” than is the case for other industries. More on this later. First, let’s have a look at my “report card.” That is, let’s review the predictions I made in this space last year, and have a look at my new predictions for 2010. In this column last year, I made essentially five predictions: 1) that 2009 would be another tough year for the toy industry; 2) that the U.S. dollar would remain strong compared to other currencies, challenging exporters; 3) that commodity prices would rebound, creating cost pressures; 4) that consumers would remain reluctant to return to old ways of spending; and 5) that many companies would fail but those that survived would be stronger than ever.
2009: Not Such A Bad Year After All My prediction that 2009 would be another difficult year was predicated on my belief that the first half would be very slow, and the second half would be hampered by continued consumer
THE TOY BOOK
sluggishness. I think I got this half right. The first half of the year was pretty weak for retailers and manufacturers. Inventories at the end of 2008 were too high, and in the face of weak consumer demand, it took most of the first nine months to work down these inventories, which curtailed demand for new shipments. But retail sales of toys during the fourth quarter were actually pretty robust, pulling through enough product to allow for increased shipments. This is, of course, what is supposed to happen in the fourth quarter, and it was encouraging to see the industry exhibiting the “recession resilience” that was so typical over the past decades, but was lacking in 2008. I.e., it was more of a “normal” year than I expected it to be.
Greenback Blowback I was way too bullish on the dollar. Looking at how quickly the dollar surged in late 2008, and the deteriorating conditions in many other global markets, I predicted that the U.S. dollar would remain strong in 2009, and that this would create challenges for U.S. companies selling their goods in other markets. I did, I must say, point out that the conditions in the U.S. were actually ripe for a reduction in the value of the dollar, but thought other countries were in worse shape. In fact, I should have paid attention to those conditions. Although the dollar was relatively strong in the first half, it weakened as the year went on, showing the
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impact of rising budget and trade deficits, the likelihood of increased taxes, and the fact that some other foreign economies (notably China) have rebounded much better than the U.S.
Input Costs Rebounded I got this one right. Commodity prices (resin, paper, memory chips, zinc, etc.), which had spiked around September 2008, plunged until around March (when everything bottomed out), and turned right around and rose sharply for the balance of the year. It didn’t become a big problem in 2009, but stay tuned.
The Bigger Chill I think I got this one mostly right. I speculated, and continue to believe, that with regard to overall consumer sentiment, the “new normal” was greater frugality. Consumers had learned that they didn’t need as much as they used to think they needed, and they spent less recklessly. Sure, spending rose over 2008, but that’s hardly a sign of robustness, so weak were the results of 2008. I think it will still be some time before consumption becomes as conspicuous as it was in the 2006 timeframe.
Economic Darwinism Finally, I predicted that many would not survive 2009, but that those who did would be stronger than ever. Well, look no further than Toys “R” Us, which not only had another solid holiday season,
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but has gobbled up the remnants of KB Toys, eToys, and FAO Schwarz. So, what does the new year bring? Well, I will repeat my disclaimer that the “new normal” is so new, predictions are difficult. (Actually, predictions are easy. Accurate predictions are difficult.) But here are my five predictions for how 2010 will play out for the toy industry.
2010: Happier Days Are Here Again 2010 is shaping up to be a good year, with retail inventories beginning the year at pretty lean levels, consumer sentiment rising, and the economy showing some signs of at least not getting worse. I believe that overall industry sales of toys will be up this year by a couple of percent, and that with even just a bit of inventory restocking, shipments should be up even more.
U.S. Dollar Still Looks Like Wilted Lettuce Getting the timing right on exchange rate forecasts is always dicey, at best. My view is that the U.S. dollar will continue to exhibit the downward pressure of low interest rates, rising budget and trade deficits, and anemic economic growth, at least for the first half of 2010. I see no particular reason for the dollar to strengthen or weaken in the second half, so I think the benefit to U.S. exporters will be limited to the first half. If the U.S. economy suddenly gets strong, and inflation is enough of a risk that the Fed raises interest rates, the dollar could rise, but, frankly, that’s not too high on my list of likely scenarios.
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Commodity Prices Continue to Rise Last year I predicted that oil prices would be closer to $150 than to $50 by the end of 2009. That was wrong, but the fact is that they are rising despite a lack of global economic growth. I believe that if China’s economy continues to grow at rates of at least 5 percent, if India recovers, and if the U.S. shows GDP growth of 2 percent or more, then oil prices are bound to be much higher, pushing resins up. Similarly, rising demand for basic commodities is likely to result in higher prices for paper, memory chips, zinc, transportation, and other input costs.
Consumers Still Cautious, But Not Scared I believe that in 2010, assuming even modest improvement in employment and stability in home prices, consumers will act less fearfully, even if they don’t fully go back to the spendhappy patterns of before. We are already seeing affluent consumers ramp up spending, and I believe over the course of the year spending will increase at lower economic strata. The recession may have taught us how much we didn’t need to be buying, but let’s face it, people like to go shopping.
half a cable TV channel, the company’s stock dropped in value by almost $700 million, reflecting investors’ concerns that they not only had wasted the $300 million, but had signed up for even greater losses. The stock has since recovered, but there is still lingering caution in some corners. The caution argument goes something like this: “Toy companies shouldn’t be trying to be media companies; these things always take longer and cost more than expected, and if shareholders wanted to invest in a cable network, they could have done that on their own.” I think this misses the point, which is that nobody at Hasbro thinks that buying a cable network is the best way to sell toys. They just think it’s the next best available, and the best one that is effectively available. That is to say that getting networks to produce and air programming tied to Hasbro’s toys (the 1980’s model) would certainly have been preferable, but that path is blocked. Getting your toys featured in regularly scheduled TV programming is still a proven formula for selling toys, and owning a network may be the only way to be sure that your toys will get featured. I wish all readers the best in the New Year, and hope that the cheerier parts of my forecasts turn out truer than the more bearish ones. ■
Hasbro’s Cable Deal Will Not Seem Like Folly My final prediction is that when 2010 comes to a close, Hasbro’s decision to invest in a cable TV network will be seen as pretty good forward thinking, and not over-reaching. When Hasbro announced last April that it was investing $300 million for
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Sean McGowan is a managing director in the Equity Research department of Needham & Co., a New Yorkbased investment bank. He has been covering toy stocks since 1986, and has also covered (currently or in the past) video games, sporting goods, and consumer electronics.
THE TOY BOOK
State of the I ndustry How the Toy Space Changed in 2009 by Lutz Muller
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here were significant changes in the toy space last year. These were apparent both in the ways in which the big retailers did their business as well as in the competitive landscape in which the various toy manufacturers found themselves. First, the retailers:
Both Wal-Mart and Toys “R” Us reduced the space devoted to toys. In the case of Toys “R” Us, this development was driven by an expansion of Babies ”R” Us within the TRU stores. Typically, BRU had occupied about a third of the store. Since late last year, this expanded to well over 40 percent and resulted in the first-time use of their Flagship Corner— which has traditionally been reserved for leading toy brands such as Barbie, Transformers, etc.—to showcase Babies “R” Us products in December. Even more significant is the transformation of WalMart’s toy space. Wal-Mart management had commissioned consumer research in 2008 to find out why certain consumer groups—particularly the more affluent matrons and the teenagers—would do virtually anything to avoid having to go near one of their stores. They found out, to nobody’s surprise, that their supercenters had all the allure of a subway station on a rainy day. So they set out to implement changes: widening aisles, getting rid of most aisle caps, improving the store lighting, and changing the color scheme. They called these changes “Project Impact” and effectively sacrificed about 20 percent of their selling space. At the same time, they spent a fair amount of thought on just how the remaining 80 percent should be allocated and came up with what I call the “winner, keeper, loser” categories. For instance, they looked at the performance of toys versus video games and this is what they saw:
THE TOY BOOK
Source: The NPD Group, U.S. Market
Toys were characterized as losers and video games, electronics, produce, and apparel became winners; this categorization drove the new space allocation. In mid-April last year I observed the first conversion along the lines of Project Impact and noticed that the toy space had been cut dramatically. This is how the Wal-Mart toy space allocation changed that day and how it developed from there in comparison to that of Target:
Source: Klosters Trading, Retailer Panel
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This is how the actual numbers read (given that endcaps and aisle caps are converted to running feet in proportion to their sales velocity): The move to the new layout is being pushed vigorously 12/13/2007 12/13/2008 12/13/2009 and about one-third of the Super Centers were converted by the end of 2009. At this rate, all Super Centers will have Wal-Mart 2,086 2,046 868 been remodeled by the middle of 2011. Target 992 1,245 1,240 In addition, the presence of private-label toys has increased measurably since the middle of last year at all Source: Klosters Trading, Retailer Panel three—Wal-Mart, Target, and Toys “R” Us. Toys “R” Us has always been a leader in private-label strategies and they took this to new heights when they acquired FAO Schwarz in the middle of last year. Just as they did with Imaginarium, they converted the store name to a product brand and added it to their existing private-label portfolio, which includes Animal Alley, Dream Dazzler, Fast Lane, Geoffrey, Imaginarium, Just Like Home, Just Like Us, Totally Me, You+Me, and others. In addition, they expanded the presence of these private-label brands both on-shelf and on the endcaps and aisle caps so that today, about one-third of their toy space is now private label. Target went the other route. They introduced a very powerful and inexpensive range of private-label toys—covering the entire gamut of toy categories— under the Target brand in September last year. By December, this range occupied six of the total 24 endcaps devoted to toys and about one-third of the toy shelf space. However, it was Wal-Mart who came up with the most interesting approach. They decided on a two-pronged strategy, one going the route of straight privatelabel products, the other making deals with trusted second-tier vendors. As for the first, Wal-Mart launched two new product ranges: Lovable Huggies for plush and Connecting Kids with Toys for nonplush toys. Both ranges are very well made, well packaged, and very economical. As for the second route, Wal-Mart approached an array of trusted but smaller vendors with a simple proposition: “If you give us a range of products that can effectively compete with the brand leaders in key categories, at prices that are very significantly lower, package them well, build the brand with promotions and advertising, and generally keep your nose clean, then we will give you generous shelf space and distribution in all our Super Centers and you can still sell the product to other mass retailers, as long as you do this at prices no lower than what we pay you.” At this point, I know of four such vendors, all present in major categories: Battat of Canada, whose Baby Genius preschool range is in the Fisher-Price/Playskool aisle; Funrise, whose Cutie Boutique accessories are in the doll department; Genius Toy, whose Little Dreams dolls are also in the doll department; and Meccano, whose Erector brand is in the construction aisle. In short, the large manufacturers not only see their real estate shrink but they also see themselves attacked by brands owned or strongly supported by the three large retailers. Between these two trends, the entry market for the leading manufacturers has effectively shrunk by approximately one third.
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THE TOY BOOK
As if this was not enough, the large manufacturers also saw themselves beset by an array of factors affecting the product categories in which they were operating.
Action Figures 2009 was dominated by Hasbro, whose action figure program, driven by XMen, G.I. Joe, and Transformers 2, pretty much demolished Playmates (Star Trek and Harry Potter) and NECA (Terminator). Mattel’s Avatar could, however, be the fly in the ointment for 2010. Even though toy take-off for Avatar in the late days of December was slower than anticipated, the overwhelming strength of the movie pretty much guarantees a significant showing for the toy range in 2010, when Hasbro has only one second-tier movie—Iron Man 2. In addition, Spin Master’s Bakugan has been quietly making progress all year and this is expected to continue into 2010.
Construction LEGO continues to grow and now has a near-80 percent market share in the U.S. Mattel launched a brand of its own—Trio—in competition but has not yet made a major impact. MEGA Brands continues to be a very distant No. 2. The joker in the deck is Meccano, whose deal with Wal-Mart could well have an upsetting effect in the construction aisle.
Dolls The most dramatic development is the de facto disappearance of MGA’s Bratz, which at one stage challenged Barbie for the No. 1 position. You can no longer find the product at the three large retailers and this is very unlikely to change as long as the ownership confusion, triggered by some very odd court decisions, continues to prevail. In effect, the market share of Bratz has migrated to Barbie. There were two other newcomers to the doll space, Spin Master’s Liv and MGA’s Moxie, which launched in the middle of the year. Their market shares are in the low single digits and were gained mainly at the expense of the two second–tier brands, Hannah Montana and High School Musical.
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Games and Puzzles This is Hasbro’s largest and most profitable business—a veritable cash cow with gross margins widely thought to be in the high 70 percent range. Unfortunately, Hasbro’s game range has not done too well and had it not been for the acquisition of Cranium in January 2008, its business would have declined in all of 2008 and 2009. In fact, its situation worsened appreciably in 2009 for three reasons. One is that Mattel bought Sekkoia, a French board game company, whose flagship product Blokus is doing very well both in the U.S. and in Europe. The second is the German board game Settlers of Catan, which is growing at a phenomenal rate also in Europe and the United States. The last and most serious threat comes from LEGO, which began test marketing a board game range in the UK and Germany last summer and which has done very well there. In fact, I understand that LEGO’s market share at the end of last year in both countries stood at high single digits. They are coming to the United States at Toy Fair and buyers have already committed significant shelf space to LEGO for this range.
Infant and Preschool Both Fisher-Price and Playskool were inordinately affected by the economic factors governing consumer behavior last year. The reason for this is what I would call “the wooden block and string syndrome.” Basically, what my shop floor friends at the large retailers told me is that “a 2 year old will play happily with a piece of wood and a string for 2.5 hours. The same kid will also play happily with a $30 Fisher-Price toy for 2.5 hours. If the mother has a 2 year old and a 6 year old, and the 6 year old screams for a Transformer action figure, guess who gets the toy if the mother has to make a choice?”
Youth Electronics Until the arrival of Zhu Zhu Pets, this category basically fell off a cliff in the past two years which, presumably, was one reason why Hasbro canned Tiger. There was a short scare in early December when GoodGuide.com osten-
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sibly found excessive levels of antimony in the Zhu Zhu Pets. Well, according to the Los Angeles Times, the test that found these levels was conducted incorrectly, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) said on December 8 that the toys are perfectly safe. Sales of Zhu Zhu Pets are projected to grow from last year’s estimated $70 million to $300 million in 2010, which would make it the leading product in the youth electronics category in the United States.
Plush According to The NPD Group, plush was one of the worst performing categories in 2009, down 13 percent in the U.S. through November. That is why I find Vermont Teddy Bear’s decision to enter brick-andmortar retail this year very interesting. With all three majors giving increasing shelf space to private-label plush, and assuming a continuing decline in the category overall, Vermont Teddy Bear could find their new venture a real uphill battle.
How did we end the year? All in all, the year ended pretty well. The fourth quarter was stronger for toys than most buyers had expected. The end effect is that we are going into 2010 very clean, without the horrendous inventory overhang we had a year ago. Whether 2010 will be the first growth year in a very long time remains a major question mark; unemployment and gasoline prices being two of the most important deciding factors. ■
Lutz Muller is a Swiss who has lived on five continents. In the United States, he was the CEO for four manufacturing companies, including two in the toy industry. Since 2002, he has provided competitive intelligence on the toy and video game markets both in the U.S and internationally to manufacturers and financial institutions. He gets his information from his retailer panels, from big-box buyers both in the U.S. and abroad, and his many friends in the industry. Read more on his website at www.klosterstrading.com
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State of the I ndustry 2010 John Frascotti, global chief marketing officer Hasbro
Sarah Wood, director Amazon’s Toy & Games Store
In what new directions is your company headed in 2010? We will remain focused on our strategy of re-inventing, re-igniting, and re-imagining our brands and delivering these brands to our consumers in multiple formats, whenever and wherever they want them. Our brands have enjoyed great success in both motion pictures and video games. This fall, we are particularly excited to be launching The Hub television network and hubworld.com with Discovery. The Hub will reach approximately 60 million homes and will offer young viewers and their families novel and compelling content, ranging from new comedies and animated adventures to live-action franchises and game shows, many based on Hasbro’s most popular brands, including Transformers and My Little Pony, and all celebrating the core childhood concepts of fun and play.
Zhu Zhu Pets came out of left field as the hit toy for 2010. How do you read trends early enough to inventory for the holidays? We listen to our customers to try to get an early read on successful toys, paying close attention to customer discussion boards and customer reviews. We look at how the product is performing on the site and since we can often offer products for preorder, it can help us determine how the toy will perform. We also work closely with our vendors and stay on top of industry trends to gauge whether we think a toy may take off. What industry trends from 2009 will carry into 2010 and which will fade away? Certainly value comes to mind. Parents want to spend their dollars wisely and want to purchase toys that have lasting play value. I don’t think this will change in 2010. I also think the integration of technology and toys will continue with robotic/animatronic and digital media themes. Toys that mimic high tech gadgets will also likely continue to be popular as kids that are too young for digital cameras, MP3 players, or cell phones still like to pretend they are using the real thing.
2009 saw a trend toward lower price points. Was that a successful strategy? Will this trend continue for 2010? We know that price will always be a factor in one’s purchasing decision, and that consumers in 2009 were very focused on value for money. Delivering strong value across various price points, many of which were less than $30, was a successful strategy for us in 2009, and we don’t see this changing dramatically in 2010. We also understand, however, that price often is not the primary consideration, and that consumers will almost always choose brands and products that provide high quality, meaningful innovation, and compelling entertainment experiences.
Retail prices seemed to drop by as much as 40-50 percent during the holidays. Are these price reductions handled as a partnership between manufacturer and retailer? We work closely with manufacturers to offer customers everyday low prices as well as value through shipping programs like Free Super Saver Shipping and Amazon Prime, which allow customers to save money and get their items delivered quickly. Amazon is committed to offering the lowest prices possible and will continue to do so in 2010.
To read the complete interviews, visit our website at www.toybook.com. THE TOY BOOK
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Anton Rabie, president and co-CEO Spin Master
Carter Keithley, president Toy Industry Association
In what new directions is your company headed in 2010? We will be focusing on employee engagement, training, and development. As a first step we have recently hired a new executive vice president of human resources, Sonia Narcisse, to help transform the way we operate with respect to our staff, which are our No. 1 asset.
How did the economy affect the toy industry in 2009 vs. 2008? What is your economic outlook for 2010? I think everyone recognized that the sluggish economy had a continuing impact on how consumers shopped in 2009. Parents and gift-givers were looking to stretch their dollars, looking for value, discounts, and great pricing. Manufacturers provided special pricing with retailer support, and offered multi-tier pricing for favorite brands and character-licensed products. Built-in pricevalue was achieved with toys and games that grow with children by offering beginner and advanced modes of play, as well as intergenerational products that appealed to both kids and adults. The good news is that retail inventories had been worked down pretty far by the fourth quarter, allowing for a pick up in shipments, and there were enough new product launches during the quarter to generate decent sell-in.
How did the economy affect your business in 2009 vs. 2008? What is your economic outlook for 2010? Spin Master had a very successful 2009 that included the launch of a number of new brands including our new Liv fashion doll line, which performed very well and will see increased shelf space in 2010. We are very excited about 2010. Spin Master Entertainment is growing and we are working on a number of new and exciting properties. We will be starting production on our Bakugan movie, which is scheduled for release in 2011. 2009 saw a trend toward lower price points. Was that a successful strategy? Will this trend continue for 2010? Spin Master has always tried to deliver the most innovative and exciting new products at affordable price points. While toy companies and retailers are cautiously predicting a more positive economy in 2010, pricing will continue to be an important consideration for consumers and therefore also for toy companies and retailers. What industry trends from 2009 will carry into 2010 and which will fade away? We applaud the success of Zhu Zhu pets. It’s a great reminder that innovation and small companies always have a great chance to succeed.
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What industry trends from 2009 will carry into 2010 and which will fade away? I believe the trend toward the purchase of higher quality toys will continue into 2010. Toy price points are low enough to make them accessible to consumers even in hard economic times, but the trend toward fiscal prudence will cause consumers to continue to look for durability and quality in their toy purchases. In addition, the concerns about toy safety have not completely abated, and the continuing desire of consumers to be sure their toys are safe will reinforce their willingness to spend a little more for quality. Certain toy safety requirements are being pushed back to 2011. How does this affect manufacturers’ product development plans? In reality, the requirements have not been pushed back. What the CPSC has done is simply to postpone active enforcement of some of the requirements. Companies are well advised to do everything they must do to assure that their toys meet the new requirements now. Moreover, the lead times involved in creating, designing, producing, testing, and marketing toys is long enough that a six month or even one year postponement in enforcement is meaningless to a manufacturer. They must start now to learn what is required and take the necessary steps to assure compliance.
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THE TOY BOOK
State of the I ndustry 2010 Julia Fitzgerald, DVP/CMO, Toys & Seasonal Sears Holdings Management Corp.
Stephen Berman, president and COO JAKKS Pacific
Was consumer spending what you expected in 2009? What is your forecast for 2010? Consumer spending was about what we expected this year. We knew we would have to offer moms good values on the toys her kids were asking for— not just offer cheap toys. Even when families are having a tough year, Mom always does what she can to deliver that special present. We see 2010 still being a pretty conservative year. Most trend trackers tell us that frugality is here to stay for some time.
2009 saw a trend toward lower price points. Was that a successful strategy? Will this trend continue for 2010? This is a strategy that JAKKS has incorporated since our inception and will continue to offer for 2010 and beyond. The majority of JAKKS products fall under $25, with just a few items over $50. Typically these items are in our electronics category and although they are priced at over $50, they are a toyetic version of popular adult-oriented consumer electronics products that are typically expensive and out of reach for many families. We are making them available in the toy aisle with fun, playable features at a more affordable price than other, higher-priced versions.
Zhu Zhu Pets came out of left field as the hit toy for 2010. How do you read trends early enough to inventory for the holidays? We try to pick up on trends by watching early POS data, and increasingly we listen in to the vibe of social media to see what kids and moms are excited about. How was the relaunch of your toy departments for the holidays? What is your anticipated strategy for 2010? We had a successful pilot program and learned a lot about what our customers want from their Sears Toy Shop. We look forward to building on this in 2010!
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In what new directions is your company headed in 2010? We recently announced Monsuno, a new original boys’ action property with an animated television series co-produced by JAKKS and Dentsu that we will be very busy developing in 2010 for a 2011 launch. This will initially be 52 animated episodes and a related toy line—we are very excited about the potential. For 2010 we will also be embarking on a new direction for our wrestling action figure portfolio with our new TNA line of action figures, playsets, and accessories. We have about 15 years of wrestling expertise we will apply to the line that will ship in April and are thrilled that WWE superstars such as Hulk Hogan and Mick Foley have joined the franchise. Our UFC line is off to a strong start and we expect to see that trend continue. Certain toy safety requirements are now being pushed back to 2011. How does this affect your product development plans? We have really tried to stay ahead of the curve with regard to all the safety requirements, and have taken steps to make sure JAKKS’ standards meet and usually exceed the CPSC requirements. We have seasoned teams working hand in hand in the U.S. and Asia at every step of the development and manufacturing processes.
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Eric Levin, president Techno Source How did the economy affect your business in 2009 vs. 2008? What is your economic outlook for 2010? It is hard to separate 2008 from 2009 when evaluating the business climate. Most of what happened in 2009 was a direct result of the severe economic downturn in late 2008. Since this happened so late in 2008, manufacturers and retailers had little time to react and adjust their businesses to the new economic realities. This made for slow sell through for Holiday 2008, and therefore little to no need for re-orders in the first half of 2009. While things certainly stabilized in the second half of 2009, the damage had already been done. 2010 seems to be starting from a much better place. While nobody is overly enthusiastic that 2010 will be a dramatic recovery year, it does seem that there is slow growing optimism, on a base of stability. This is allowing most people to take a much more positive approach to 2010 planning. We do believe 2010 will be a much better year than 2009 for most toy companies and retailers. Retail prices seemed to drop by as much as 40-50 percent during the holidays. Are these price reductions handled as a partnership between manufacturer and retailer? I would say that these price reductions are generally handled via some form of partnership. We do see rare cases where retailers take these actions and aren’t looking for some sort of contribution. That said, price reductions can come in many forms, including annual accruals, volume rebates, mdf funds, etc. So they are not always specifically directed funds that are pre-planned in partnership between retailer and manufacturer. Often, retailers are making moves on their own in order to gain competitive advantage vis a vis other retailers with little direct input from the manufacturer. Certain toy safety requirements are now being pushed back to 2011. How does this affect your product development plans? There is little impact on Techno Source’s development plans. As these rules have been such a moving target, we generally try to stay as far ahead of the curve as possible. If we know these changes are coming, we implement them as soon as possible. There is no reason to have the added risk in our supply chain at this time.
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State of the I ndustry 2010 Sharon DiMinico, founder and CEO Learning Express
Marc Bertrand, CEO MEGA Brands
How did the economy affect Learning Express in 2009 vs. 2008? What is your economic outlook for 2010? We planned for a 10 percent decrease in sales for 2009 for two reasons: declining sales in Webkinz, which was huge in 2007-2008, and the downturn in the economy beginning in the fall of 2008. We were very pleased that we finished 2009 slightly up. Unfortunately, there are still parts of the country where the economic decline is severe and unemployment is high— parts of Florida and Michigan especially. We plan to open 15-18 new stores in 2010, so we expect another year of positive growth for comp store sales and overall sales.
In what new directions is your company headed in 2010? In 2010, innovation and consumer insight will continue to lead our differentiation strategy. We’re very excited about the launch of a new product line based on Thomas & Friends. In the boys’ category, we are expanding the Halo collection and are thrilled to launch our Iron Man 2 lineup. We are also introducing innovations within our core line. Based on the past success of our Dragons line and Battle Strikers, we’re set to release a new futuristic version with Dragons Universe and reinvent battling tops again by creating new ways for kids to battle. Our Streetz line continues to have strong momentum and will be expanded with added collectibility and enhanced features. RoseArt and Mega Puzzles also continue to offer creative and entertaining activities in 2010 with simple crafts for young creative minds, as well as challenging puzzles for kids and avid puzzlers alike.
2009 saw a trend toward lower price points. Was that a successful strategy? Will this trend continue for 2010? We followed that trend too, especially in our advertising pieces. If we could have a “do-over,” we would have included higher price points in our fall catalogs. Although I believe there has been a shift in spending, I believe our customers will open their wallets to higher price points in 2010, as long as the value is there. What would you like to see toy manufacturers do better? Better inventory management so they do not run out of product in the fourth quarter, especially best sellers! Our stores are ready to re-stock best sellers on December 26th so they will have a good January. We would also like our manufacturers to develop more specialty-only products. What industry trends from 2009 will carry into 2010 and which will fade away? Inexpensive, unique items like the Iwako erasers and the collectible rubber bands will continue to be hot. Impulse collectables and fashion items are perfect for our discriminating customers that want to treat their kids but not break the bank.
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How did the economy affect your business in 2009 vs. 2008? What is your economic outlook for 2010? The toy industry has always been recession resistant, but last year the industry as a whole was impacted and business remained challenging for toy makers. MEGA Brands reacted quickly to the economic downturn and focused on delivering great value and innovation at lower price points that resonated with the consumer. All toys launched in 2009 were priced at key price points of $10, $20, $30, and $40 without compromising on value. Although consumers still looked to spend their hard-earned money on toys for their children, they became savvy shoppers, bargain-hunting for value and the best deals. In these times, consumers also gravitated towards classic and trusted brands.
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Kathleen McHugh, president American Specialty Toy Retailing Association How did the economy affect the specialty toy business in 2009 vs. 2008? What is your economic outlook for 2010? All reports indicate that specialty beat the average in 2009, which may say more about the creativity of entrepreneurial independent businesses than it does about the economy. The American Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) calculates that holiday sales were up an average of 2.2 percent for the independent retail sector this past season, compared to a .75 percent increase for all retail. Though specialty toy data is not teased out of the AIBA data, anecdotally ASTRA retailers and manufacturers are confirming this healthy upward trend. ASTRA retailers embraced a “let’s make lemonade” attitude in 2009, and focused on what they could impact in their own businesses rather than on the woes of the economy. We see a good year ahead for toy retailers who stick to the basics and keep that focus on the things they can do to sell more, no matter what the economy is doing. 2009 saw a trend toward lower price points. Was that a successful strategy? Will this trend continue for 2010? Many specialty retailers diversified their product assortment for the 2009 holiday season with lower cost items, so while the average sale may have dropped, this was not caused by shaving margins. Many ASTRA stores used these items to anchor Black Friday door-buster specials, thereby taking advantage of the media-driven focus on deals that day. The strategy worked for some and not for others, so it’s fair to say that this will be one of those ASTRA store-by-store decisions in 2010 rather than a trend that we can predict. What industry trends from 2009 will carry into 2010 and which will fade away? Consumers will continue to shop conservatively—meaning they will buy less and put a greater emphasis on unique, high quality play products with staying power. In other words, value will be a strong driver of sales in 2010, which is great news for specialty toy retailers because value is what we do best. Consumers, retailers, and manufacturers are growing more and more aware of environmental impact, so we can expect to see a continuation of the trend toward less packaging, green packaging, and use of recycled and environmentally neutral materials. This spills over into increased consciousness of buying from independently and locally owned businesses, which appears to be one of the factors that fueled the uptick in specialty sales this past season.
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State of the I ndustry 2010 Bill Beebe, president & COO Hooga Loo Toys
Bruce Lund, founder Lund and Company Invention How has the economy affected your partnerships with manufacturers? Manufacturers are putting fewer new products into the market because of reduced shelf space and other factors, making it more challenging for inventors to license products they have developed. We will be trying to work more collaboratively with our best client companies to make sure that we are creating products that they need—and want—to bring to market. I believe there are great opportunities for our industry and toy retailers, if we follow these simple prescripts: Toy Industry: Formulate a message to the public on the profound importance and impact of toys on children, and as children become adults, the profound impact of toys and play on adults. As adults run the world, make discoveries, change society, and influence politics and thinking, let them know toys impact our world more than any other product category. Retailers: Do not market toys in the boring manner in which you are currently doing. Make the toy department special, magical. If you can’t do it, I will take a year off and do it for you, one by one, in Wal-Marts, Targets, and even Sears/Kmarts across the country. Market to that part of the consumer’s psyche for which toys still are magical and laden with powerful emotional content. What industry trends to you foresee in 2010? Licensed characters and other entertainment-based toys promise to stand out in 2010, as do truly new products with established play patterns such as Zhu Zhu Pets and Bakugan. Products that truly amaze, and become newsworthy, such as TMX Elmo, and those that deliver superior play value, will always succeed. Increased costs due to new safety standards promise to put great pressure on smaller companies and make toys more expensive, and as a result have a lower level of features, mechanisms, technologies, and we hope not, but perhaps less need for the inventive features that we bring to toy products.
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How did the economy affect your business in 2009 vs. 2008? What is the economic outlook for 2010? There’s little question that 2009 was a challenging year from an overall economic perspective. It was, however, refreshing to see that many toy partners reported better than anticipated sales during the fourth quarter holiday sales season. Like all companies, we too were impacted. For Hooga Loo specifically, we continued the year-toyear growth that we have exhibited since our founding several years ago. This can be attributed to continued product innovation and strong relationships with our retail partners. Regarding 2010, I remain cautiously optimistic that our economy will continue to gradually recover. For the toy industry overall, and Hooga Loo specifically, I expect modest gains in 2010. 2009 saw a trend toward lower price points. Was that a successful strategy? Will this trend continue for 2010? The economy and a change in consumer shopping habits dictated a more concerted trend to lower-priced products. The real issue, however, is not necessarily the price of the product available at retail, but more importantly the perceived value that product delivers to a customer at a given price point. Was it successful? If you look at the retail sales numbers from the fourth quarter one would have to say that this strategy was sound. Based upon this experience, it’s reasonable to expect that this trend will continue in 2010. The most important consideration, however, is the value that a product provides to the customer.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
MONOPOLY Celebrates
75 Years
of Buying, Selling, and Trading Properties “During the past 75 years, MONOPOLY has truly become the world’s favorite family game brand and a part of pop culture. Today, MONOPOLY brand provides entertainment experiences for players in 108 countries across the globe in more than 40 languages. Whether they play the board game, digital or online games, or participate in casino or lottery gaming, there is a MONOPOLY experience to fit every lifestyle. While the original game, which we affectionately call by it’s product number, “Number Nine,” continues to be the most popular version, in 2010 we continue to reinvent new ways to play MONOPOLY that we think players of all ages will really enjoy.” —Jane Ritson-Parsons, global brand leader for MONOPOLY
Did you know. . . • The current standard MONOPOLY game includes eight playing tokens: flatiron, battleship, top hat, Scottie dog, racecar, thimble, boot, and wheelbarrow. Over the years, more than 20 different tokens have made their way into the game, including an elephant, a purse, a bag of money, and a lantern. • The three most-landed-on properties in the game (based on the Atlantic City edition) are Illinois Avenue, “GO,” and B&O Railroad. • The name of the iconic cartoon tycoon in MONOPOLY is named Mr. MONOPOLY, but until 1999 his name was Rich Uncle Pennybags. (The other MONOPOLY characters have names too. The man in “jail” on the MONOPOLY board is Jake the Jailbird. Officer Edward Malloy put him there). • In the event of a cash shortage while playing the game, the bank never runs out of money. The banker is authorized to act as a temporary “mint” to print more notes. • The total amount of money in a standard MONOPOLY game is $20,580. • More than 6 billion little green houses and more than 2.25 billion red hotels have been “constructed” since the MONOPOLY game was introduced in 1935. • In 1978, the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog offered a chocolate version of the game for $600. • In 1998, San Francisco jeweler Sidney Mobell created the most expensive MONOPOLY set in the world. Valued at $2 million, the set features a 23-carat gold board and diamondstudded dice.
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The Origin f o y r o t s i H d an 1904 Elizabeth J. Magie Phillips creates The Landlord’s Game to explain the single tax theory and the negative impact of concentrating land in monopolies. Over the years other players redevelop the game and make their own sets to play at home. In 1933, using this game as the foundation, Charles Darrow creates the game that we know as MONOPOLY. Adding color property groups and using the streets of Atlantic City, he creates a prototype using materials from his own home. He attempts to sell the game to Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers, but is initially rejected by Parker Brothers for 52 “fundamental errors” that include the game’s length and complexity. Undaunted, Darrow secures a copyright, manufactures the game, and sells it at department stores in Philadelphia. With the success of the game, Parker Brothers reconsiders its initial rejection and negotiates the rights to produce the game.
1935 Parker Brothers begins
1987
The MONOPOLY promotion is introduced at McDonald’s. Players start collecting game pieces for the chance to win big or small prizes.
selling MONOPOLY as created by Charles Darrow. Within a year of the release of the game in the U.S., 20,000 copies of the game are being made each week. The game sells for $2. At the same time, John Waddington Ltd. in the U.K. is granted rights to license and manufacture the game in Europe. The company changes the properties on the game board to reflect popular streets in London and begins selling the game.
2010
1941John Waddington, Ltd. creates a special edition of the game for World War II prisoners of war held by the Nazis. Hidden inside these special games are maps, compasses, real money, and other items that would prove helpful for escaping. In fact, the British Secret Service took over part of Waddington’s factory and produced the special MONOPOLY game with very few people at the factory finding out about the project.
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As MONOPOLY celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is currently sold in 40 languages in 108 countries around the world. In 2010, Hasbro is “amping up” the traditional game play experience by revolutionizing elements of the classic game with the new MONOPOLY Revolution, which features a modern, round game board and an electronic game unit that keeps track of players’ locations on the game board and features song and sound effects.
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What Toy Manufacturers Should Know About “Making the Sale” A conversation with Garry Neeves, vice president of sales and marketing for Regal Logistics What is a third-party logistics provider and what kind of companies need one? A third-party logistics provider (3PL) is a firm that provides a one-stop-shop service to its customers of outsourced logistics services for part or all of their supply chain management functions. The majority of the nation’s largest American manufacturing companies (74 percent) currently use 3PL services. An effective 3PL will deliver measurable results for its customers. Regal offers its customers value, competitive rates, and superior systems and service. We do this by operating more efficiently and by using sophisticated, standardized information technology to keep Regal’s costs low and pass those savings on to our customers. Some 3PLs also specialize in particular industries. For more than 40 years, Regal Logistics has offered toy manufacturers an integrated operation of services including warehousing, distribution, transportation, and value-added services, which can be scaled and customized to a specific customer’s needs based on its retailers’ compliance and delivery service requirements. A successful supply chain operation is built on sophisticated information technology (IT) and a 3PL should have the services to support this. Regal’s strong emphasis on solid IT systems ensures our customers’ merchandise is expedited professionally and cost-effectively: • Real Time Inventory Dashboard • Complete Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) services • Automated Transportation Management (ATM) • Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) • Electronic Bill of Lading • Tier One Warehouse Management System (WMS) Finally, the logistics industry ranks 3PLs, and there are various lists of recognized providers in the market. One such ranking is published by Inbound Logistics, a trade magazine
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targeting business logistics and supply chain managers. Again in 2009, Regal Logistics earned Top 100 3PL status for consistently showing results in transforming its customers’ logistics and supply networks by formulating strategies and actions that cut expense and improve customer service. What makes for a profitable and efficient supply chain? Product delivered to market just in time with the most cost-effective methods available. At Regal Logistics we say, “Let us help you make the sale.” The retailers our toy customers supply want orders shipped completely, accurately, just in time, and exactly as they require. Toy companies want to meet customer demand. Regal Logistics improves our toy customers’ supply chains by delivering faster replenishment cycles, higher sales, better store shelf stock rates, lower logistics costs, and superior customer service. With more than 1.2 million square feet of high-velocity distribution center in the Pacific Northwest and the U.S. Southeast, Regal Logistics offers a superior way to accelerate product to market, while reducing costs, with better access to important markets throughout the world. How does Regal Logistics support its toy customers? We use our Wal-Mart distribution expertise; information technology designed for the industry and mass retailers; ability to provide efficiency, value, and supply chain customization; as well as comprehensive warehousing, transportation, and value-added services to improve our customers’ supply chain, reduce costs, and increase profitability. Smart use of the latest technology combined with Regal’s established infrastructure means our customers track inventory more accurately, process orders faster, save on handling costs, and are better able to satisfy traditional and online
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retailers’ expectations. Regal distributes customer product to major retailers including Wal-Mart, for which Regal is an authorized trailer pool facility, Target, Kmart, Kohl’s, and Toys “R” Us. Consistent service and significant volume with WalMart earned Regal Logistics Preferred Provider distinction. Finally, we understand that each of our toy customers, including many industry leaders such as Spin Master, Pressman Toy Company, Rubie’s Costume Company, Wham-O, K’NEX, Radio Flyer, and VTech, operates differently. So we’re flexible in our ability to meet their demands, and we tailor our services to their specific requirements. What are the latest technologies utilized by Regal Logistics? Leading-edge information technology standardized for the logistics industry and tailored to mass retailers: It’s what Regal Logistics has and how we use it to save our toy customers money, support better methods and cost-effective processes to streamline their business, and manage the supply chain with better results. For example, using our tier-one WMS in conjunction with EDI allows our customers to reduce IT staff and costs. Our system is more cost-effective at expediting customer product in and out of our warehouse with speed and accuracy, and ensures immediate visibility of shipment status to our customers’ entire organization via the web. Similarly, Regal uses an online shipment tracking system with advanced dashboard technology—MyRegal—to provide our customers’ entire company with complete visibility to distribution status and useful data to ensure just-in-time deliveries and vendor compliance. Built with our customers’ needs in mind, MyRegal is web-based and powerful, yet easy to use by logistics, finance, customer service, and management staff throughout the customer’s organization. A final example is Regal’s electronic bill of lading that cuts time and cost out of our customer’s supply chain by eliminating excess paperwork and time-consuming human processing of shipments on a daily basis. We took a traditional bill of lading and made it electronic by accurately and efficiently capturing drivers’ signatures as shipments are received and distributed. The bill of lading
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is then instantaneously posted to MyRegal and available to everyone who needs it in our customer’s organization. Unique to the logistics industry, Regal pioneered this technology that makes our customer’s supply chain more fluid and efficient by reducing costs; increasing productivity, throughput, and order fulfillment; and ensuring consistent on-time deliveries. What are some of the special services Regal Logistics provides? • Full EDI including Advance Ship Notices • Product Recall • Returns Processing • Value Added, including o Club store (Sam’s and Costco) pallet displays o High volume pick and pack o Assembly and repackaging o Heat tunnel shrink wrapping How does Regal Logistics price its services to toy companies? We focus on long-term relationships with our customers and work with them to establish a rate structure that takes into account their budget, objectives, and the complexity of the shipments involved. We use simplified pricing so our customers know exactly what their distribution will cost, right down to the piece. We measure return per square foot, SKU, volume, and line items per order to develop fair and competitive distribution rates. We then quote those rates for toy companies based on the cubic foot. The team at Regal views itself as an extension of our customer’s business and, as such, does everything in our power to help achieve our toy companies’ financial goals. Additionally, there is no minimum storage commitment at Regal Logistics. And our comprehensive warehousing, distribution, transportation, and value-added services include complimentary WMS, real-time inventory dashboard, electronic bill of lading, and other sophisticated information systems that support better methods and cost-effective processes to streamline our customers’ business. ■
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Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Hasbro’s Ponies Like to Play
T
he Easy-Bake Oven & Snack Center, from Hasbro, is back in its original aqua color. The classic side-loading oven that bakes with a light bulb returns to let bakers-in-the-making whip up tasty snacks, including cakes, brownies, cookies, and much more. The oven comes with three different mixes, two baking pans, two utensils, a pan pusher, two warming cups, and recipes/instructions. One 100-watt standard light bulb is required but not included. The My Little Pony brand introduces family play to the My Little Pony line with a new collection of figures and playsets that feature little ponies accompanied by their mothers and siblings. Girls can join little Pinkie Pie and her mom for a fun-filled adventure with the My Little Pony Family Convertible vehicle. This pink and purple car features blue and yellow embossed balloons and a comfy car seat for Pinkie Pie to relax in. The Family Convertible comes with everything Pinkie Pie and her mom will need for a full day out on the town, including a grocery bag, lunch pail, and travel coffee cup. While supplies last, the playset comes with a 20-minute My Little Pony animated DVD. Pinkie Pie and her pony friends will enjoy the best view of Ponyville My Little Pony Family Convertible from the top of the Ponyville Ferris Wheel playset. This whimsical carnival ride features five colorful gondolas shaped like delicious desserts that can each hold a Ponyville figure. The real working Ferris Wheel travels round and round and comes to life with carnival music. Girls will love to style and accessorize their favorite ponies’ hair with the My Little Pony Hair Play assortment. Choose from three pony friends: Starsong, Rainbow Dash, and Cheerilee. While supplies last, each Hair Play product comes with a special edition Pinkie Pie. Now girls can splish and splash with My Little Pony during bath time. The cuddly So Soft Rainbow Dash goes from playtime to bath time with ease. Rainbow Dash comes complete with a rubber ducky and a soft pink washcloth. Strawberry Shortcake is also ready for fun in the water with the Strawberry Shortcake Splash and Petal Pool playset. Girls can fill the pool and whirlpool area with water and press down on the sunflower leaf for a shower. Then, glide the Strawberry Shortcake doll down the pink waterslide. After a day of splashing around, dry off the sweet-smelling Strawberry Shortcake doll with her fabric towel and put on her beautiful sunbonnet so she can stay cool. The Berry Bitty City girls love to shop and when they do, they go to the Strawberry Shortcake Fresh Fashions Boutique playset. In the boutique, girls can pick out hats, scarves, dresses, and handbags for their Strawberry Shortcake doll, who is accompanied by her chic cat, Custard. After mixing and matching accessories, girls can place the doll on the revolving pedestal to showcase her new styles. Strawberry Shortcake Splash and Petal Pool
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Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Spin Master Reintroduces Mighty Beanz
M
ighty Beanz are back, from Spin Master. Each zany and eccentric bean character belongs to a specific “Bean Team,” and each Bean Team has a different rarity level to signify its collectible value. Mighty Beanz move in wacky, unpredictable ways—collect them all to play games and race. Mighty Beanz are available in 20 different Beanz Team themes including zoo, prehistoric, music, fast food, space, sports, fantasy, and more. Also available are Mighty Beanz three packs, six packs, a Flip Track, and a Collector Case. Make your very own Dairy Queen ice cream treats in the comfort of your own home with Spin Master’s new Dairy Queen Blizzard Maker. It comes with everything you need to make delicious Dairy Queen treats, including ice cream mix, toppings, spoons, and a cup. Just add half and half, ice, and salt, and the Blizzard Maker pours out ice cream. Add some of the included toppings or try your own creations. The Blizzard Maker comes with three ice cream dessert mix packs, three candy topping packs, a Blizzard cup and spoons, an extruder to pour ice cream, and an idea/recipe book. Mighty Beanz
Pacific Play Tents Is Pitched for Success
P
acific Play Tents’ One Touch Play Tent is the newest technology in tents today. Simply remove the tent from the carry bag, unfold it, and then lift it up—with just One Touch, the tent is set up. No more parts or extra hands are needed. This tent has the structural stability to withstand wind and provide protection from harmful UV rays. Each tent is UV treated, SPF 30 rated, and has a waterproof floor. The tent comes in pastel blue, yellow, orange, and neon green, and measures 48 inches by 48 inches by 36 inches. The Pit Stop Garage Tent is for children who fantasize about driving their own racecar. The tent is made of 70 Denier Nylon 190T with PE coated fiberglass shock corded poles and includes a tunnel port with roll-up flaps that secure with Velcro tabs. The pit stop also includes multiple head cut outs that children can use to imitate a winner’s circle. This tent measures 48 inches by 48 inches by 42 inches. The Dino Tent & Tunnel Combo has your favorite prehistoric friends in a repeating pattern. Climb in through the secret tunnel and let your exploration begin. This tent is large enough for three to four kids, measuring 48 inches by 48 inches by 44 inches with a four foot by 19 inch diameter tunnel. The Construction Zone Tent is made of durable 70 Denier 190T polyester. The tent features a mail slot and tool storage, plus a tunnel port. The colorcoded poles make assembly easy for a parent, and the colorful graphics feature images of construction trucks used for excavating and transporting materials. This tent measures 58 inches by 48 inches by 58 inches. Pit Stop Garage Tent
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Neat-Oh! Hot Wheels Zip Bins!
N
eat-Oh! International, LLC has announced the latest introduction to its licensed product line—Hot Wheels ZipBins. Hot Wheels ZipBins transform from play mats to carrying cases, giving kids a fun and convenient way to play with and store their Hot Wheels cars. Unlike other toy storage containers, unzipping allows children to access toys inside without the usual dumping and inevitable scattering of toys. When play is done the toys zip back inside, ready to store or transport.
Drip Drops from Tckle Help Kids Color the World
Techno Source Bites and Tags
T
echno Source is bringing fashion to the toy aisle with the launch of two new accessory lines. BowBiters, the shoelace chompers from the ’80s and ’90s, are back and better than before. Lock preschoolers’ laces in place or use the new attachment to clip BowBiters to Velcro straps, elastic bands, and more. BowBiter Blinkers feature a built-in motion sensor and LEDs that allow them to light up with each step taken. Both versions are available in eight different styles based on licensed characters, including the Disney Princesses, Buzz Lightyear, Minnie Mouse, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Iron Man, and Lightning McQueen from Disney•Pixar’s Cars. TagEm is a new tween girls’ accessory line that lets girls personalize their style from head to toe. Young girls can string the tags on shoelaces or clip them to hoodies and headphone wires. Girls can collect, trade, and gift dozens of different Tag styles ranging from glamorous to sporty, sweet to edgy. Tags are available in four collections: Glam, Sugar, Sunkiss, and PopRock.
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ckle, Inc. has launched Drip Drops, a new preschool children’s property based on a series of books that teach children about color and nature. The Drip Drops are a fully integrated brand that includes books, animated entertainment, a comprehensive toy line, and an interactive online environment that transports children into the magical world of the Drip. The Drip Drops live in Tint Town, where the very first rainbow appeared, and as a result they were given special powers—the power of color. The mission of the Drip Drops is to color the world and in doing so, to teach children about color and nature with underlying messages of the importance of caring for one another. Why is the sky blue, why is the grass green? Why are a flamingo’s feathers pink? Children can find these answers in the six initial Drip Drops books. A full range of toys to complement the book series will include activity sets, plush, mini figures, and playsets, and is expected to launch in the fall. The first Drip Drops animated episode is available for families to enjoy on the interactive website www.thedripdrops.com.
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Toy Fair 2010 Join Bella Sara in the Hidden City
what’s new
Grani’s Got Girls and Boys Covered
W
ith Bella Sara Sunflowers, from Hidden City Games, join Emma and her friends as they search the Jasmine Forest for the missing horses of Herd Sunflower. Discover magical flower, tree, and plant horses and meet new friends and characters. Your adventure with Emma begins with the secret codes found on the Bella Sara Tickets in each Card Pack. Use your secret codes to unlock a new set of adventures at BellaSara.com. Activate all the Sunflowers adventures with specific new horses and characters from the Sunflowers release when you enter Sunflowers secret codes at BellaSara.com. Customize your very own avatar, unlock horses in their stables, receive seeds and objects to place in the world, and earn 250, 350, or 500 horseshoes, all with each secret code. The Sunflowers Set is comprised of 45 Bella Sara Horses/Wolves, rider with horse cards, five total characters, four rare animated cards only found in Double Card Packs, and 10 total story cards. Also available are Bella Sara Miniatures 3—a set of 20 new collectible miniature horses to add to your collection and activate online adventures. The set is a mixture of Bella’s Ball, Sunflowers, and Moonfairies velvety horses with secret codes. Each secret code activates new adventures in Bella Sara Adventures at BellaSara.com.
Bella Sara Sunflowers
G
rani & Partners S.p.A. introduces the Gormiti Sticker Album. Gormiti are back at newsagents and kiosks with a brandnew product: the original sticker album of the cartoon series. All characters and battles are depicted in 150 stickers, and 24 of them show special golden elements. The new collection of Bella Sara Grand Gala cards is now available. In the magical and enchanted world of North of North, Sara, Bella, and the magical horses are organizing a fantastic gala to celebrate the arrival of Emma. The new series of Bella Sara Grand Gala cards includes secret codes, which let you take part in the Bella Sara adventures online. Collect all 55 cards in the new Bella Sara Grand Gala collection and keep them in their own ring binder, which comes with issue 3 of the Bella Sara magazine. With the Planet 51 Official Movie Sticker Album Collection, re-live all the scenes from the animated feature film and accompany Lem in his quest to defend his planet from being overrun by “alien” invaders like Chuck. Grani is giving fans 32 exclusive pages featuring all the characters and scenes from the movie. With its completely laminated cover, the Sticker Album has an all-over mirror effect. Grani & Partners S.p.A. will also debut product in categories such as watches, bracelets, plush, inflatables, stickers, and cards for properties such as Ben 10, Gormiti, and Hello Kitty. Ben 10 Yo-Yo
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Play Visions Goes Batty
T
he new Batwing Flyer, by Play Visions, incorporates a gyroscopic freespinning wheel in the center of the flyer, which enables it to fly amazingly straight, and at the end of the flight, the wings wiggle like a real bat.
Uncle Milton Strikes Back with Star Wars Science Toys
U
ncle Milton Industries introduces the newest additions to its Star Wars Science line. Designed to entertain and educate, these toys teach the scientific workings and applications behind optics, animation, entomology, and much more. With the Remote Controlled Lightsaber Room Light, young Padawans can construct their own Jedi lightsaber and mount their creation as a room light on the wall. Eight color effects let kids personalize their lightsaber, and a wireless remote control turns the light on and off. During construction, kids learn about the electronics that make a lightsaber work. With the 12-piece Mini Lightsaber Tech Lab, discover the science of light and optics as you build your own miniature, 8.25-inch version of the lightsaber used by Anakin Skywalker. Choose from four different colored crystals to customize your lightsaber. There are two lenses (focusing and wide-angle) to demonstrate the principles of optics. Explore the worlds of Star Wars or your own backyard with the Clone Trooper Recon Kit. Find bugs and more using the included tools: a soil sifter, a magnifier, and a special reconnaissance tool. Even explore in the dark with the built-in searchlight. Once you have found an interesting life form, the kit transforms to an insect viewer to examine your specimen. Make your favorite Star Wars: The Clone Wars characters come to life with the Holographic Animation Lab. Learn about animation, persistence of vision, Death Star Planetarium and the principles of a zoetrope, an invention that is nearly 2,000 years old. The Animation Lab comes with 10 animation disks—one side has characters from The Clone Wars and the other side is blank so you can create your own moving pictures. “That’s no moon; it’s the Death Star Planetarium.” This tabletop Death Star opens up into a planetary projector to display the cosmos on your bedroom ceiling. Choose to view a map of the worlds that make up the Star Wars galaxy, or view the Earth’s own night sky. With The Clone Wars Ant Farm Habitat, the classic Ant Farm gets an update from a galaxy far, far away. Watch live ants dig and tunnel beneath two Star Wars planet landscapes from Season 2 of The Clone Wars—Geonosis and Felucia. As always, Ant Farms are connectable, break-resistant, and escape-proof. Clean tunneling sand and clear connector tubing are included; just mail in the coupon for live harvester ants and let the digging begin.
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Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Razor Gets Kids Moving
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azor premieres another souped-up reinvention of a classic ride, this time a go-kart. The Ground Force Drifter has a classic kart styling, a race-tuned chassis, and Super Slider POM rear wheels on a sturdy steel construction. The electric-powered drift kart, for riders ages 8 and older, features a high-torque motor with speeds up to 12 mph. The Sole Skate is a single-foot, three-wheeled skateboard. The lowprofile deck sits flush with the axis for more fluid pushing movement, and the two front polyurethane wheels sit on a single pivot axle for easy carving. Weighing only 2.5 pounds, the lightweight skateboard is travel friendly, and will be available in blue, green, and white. Ground Force Drifter
Delta Has Disney Furniture for Every Child
D
elta has announced a new line of licensed children’s furniture for 2010. With the latest installment of Toy Story on everyone’s mind, Delta introduces The Toy Story Book & Toy Organizer. The upper section of this organizer is made of durable fabric and is designed to hold a child’s favorite books, while the lower portion is a toy storage area with four removable fabric bins printed with the Toy Story characters. Cars is another Disney•Pixar film with a big following of tiny fans. The Cars 8-Piece Rolling Bin Décor Set will let little racers decorate their room Cars-style. The personalized picture frame allows children to write their name in the designated white board area on top of the frame. With the round, racecar-red chalkboard featuring Lightning McQueen, kids can unleash their artistic talents. Markers and chalk are included. Kids can hang up their drawings as Mater looks on, or draw their own designs on the white board front of the blue fabric bin. The triptych coat hooks feature favorite characters from the movies, and are just the right size for hanging kids’ clothes. The Disney Fairies Standing Easel lets little girls show their artistic side. This kid-sized art station is pale purple with colorful flowers and fairies adorning the sides. One side of the easel is a chalkboard and the other side is dry erase. There’s plenty of storage underneath the boards for storing art supplies, and markers and chalk are included. The easel is safety-hinged to give parents peace of mind. Cinderella, Belle, and Princess Tiana look on as little ones prepare to greet the day like a true princess with the Disney Princess Wall Station. With multiple hooks to hang headbands and ponytail holders, a drawer for clips, and shelves for brushes and bottles, this all-in-one primping station has everything to help little princesses get organized and ready for the day, including a whiteboard to decorate or remind her not to forget her tiara. The wall station is pink, with an oval mirror in the center. Also new from Delta will be the rotating Disney Princess Vanity Caddy, featuring compartments and drawers for all of a little princess’ stuff. Disney Fairies Standing Easel
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Kids Get Going with Jeep and BERG
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he new Jeep Junior Pedal Go-kart from BERG Toys is lightweight and compact. The go-kart is designed using a unique patented BFR-hub technology, making going forward, in reverse, freewheel, and braking simple, easy, and controlled with only the use of the pedals. The Jeep Junior Pedal Go-kart also features an adjustable steering wheel and seat, providing optimal comfort for kids ages 3 to 8. With real off-road tires that can handle any terrain, the new Jeep Wrangler Pedal Gokart from BERG Toys exemplifies the rugged, outdoor adventure attitude of the Jeep lifestyle. This go-kart features a roll bar for extra safety, an adjustable steering wheel, and a fivepoint adjustable sports bucket seat, allowing easy access for adults and children. It also features a front swing axel, offering secure on- and off-road handling. Additionally, the Jeep Wrangler Pedal Go-kart can stop on a dime thanks to the handbrake and features a full-sized spare tire with cover on the rear—just like the real Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep Wrangler Pedal Go-kart is for children and adults starting as young as 5.
Get the HEXBUG and Get Moving
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he HEXBUG Nano is a tiny, collectible, micro robotic creature that uses the physics of vibration to propel forward and explore its environment. Powered by a small motor and 12 fixed, angular legs, the industrious critter traverses the ground beneath it and quickly navigates through the most complex mazes. Possessing an uncanny sense of balance, it can even flip to its feet and zoom forward when turned on its back. When coming into contact with an object in its path, the energetic insect will switch directions and scurry away on a new path. The HEXBUG Nano family is diverse and includes several unique collections and series, named after the world’s most accomplished scientists and their key discoveries. The Newton Collection includes five distinct series of HEXBUG Nanos, with each series representing a key scientific discovery. The HEXBUG Nano Gravity and the HEXBUG Nano Orbit are the first and second series in the Newton Collection. Each HEXBUG Nano is assigned a unique serial number and point value system that owners can use to register their Nano collection online, hunt for rare creatures with the highest point values, play games, earn points, and learn about real scientists and their discoveries. The HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set contains two extremely rare mutations and everything one needs to build a customizable habitat for the HEXBUG Nano to traverse. The HEXBUG Nano Starter Set contains one extremely rare mutation and everything a beginner needs to build a customizable habitat for the HEXBUG Nano to traverse. With HEXBUG Nano Accessories, the possibilities are endless for HEXBUG enthusiasts to craft their unique HEXBUG Habitat environment. HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set
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ADVERTORIAL
The Bridge Opens in Hong Kong
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ay Foreman’s new company, The Bridge, debuted its new headquarters in Asia, during the January market weeks in Hong Kong, with a blast hosting what is without dispute the hottest toy company in the world, Cepia and its Zhu Zhu Pets line. The company also previewed DTR programs its doing with Cookie Jar for Richard Scary’s Busytown and the fashion brand Bobby Jack, as well as a program for artist Romero Britto. “It’s great to be back in business and I’m extremely excited about the response to the new business model we’ve developed at The Bridge” said Foreman, the President and CEO of the company. “The company is setting itself up as a global sourcing solution provider with a core focus on licensed children’s consumer products. “We were thrilled to open our doors with Cepia and help them present their lines to market including the hot new boys’ extension, Kung Zhu Pets. Given how hot Zhu Zhu pets was and continues to be, you can only imagine how busy the showroom was with Cepia clients from around the world clamoring for more goods and a peek at the hot new product for 2011,” Foreman told us. The Bridge also displayed its own line of ancillary toys and novelties based on the Zhu Zhu pets, where they are acting as a “one stop shop” for a broad range of product. “We see a need in particular from IP owners to find a way to do more business with less overhead and potentially fewer partners given budgetary constraints and the general condition of the economy. We also see the need by small and medium sized companies in the industry to find a way to lower costs and add a level of expertise in sourcing and quality control that might be beyond their ability from an experience or financial perspective. The Bridge aims to be a solution provider in this area as well. “Finally, from the perspective of the retailer, we see a desire for them to take more projects in house while raising the level of quality and sophistication. We’ve also noticed a desire on the part of retail to do more business with fewer vendors. We are working with key retailers to organize a “combine” of smaller lines under our roof so the retailer can carry core “one off” items without having to deal directly with too many manufacturers,” Foreman explained. So it seems that The Bridge is off to a fast start, much like Foreman’s last venture, Play Along, which is now part of JAKKS Pacific. ■
Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Shred the Streets with Shred Sled
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tart shredding in no time with the Shred Sled, the next generation caster board. A four-wheel, dual-deck inline caster board, the Shred Sled makes it smooth and easy to start carving up the streets. Shred Sled’s two boards and flexible connector allow both boards to rotate around the vertical and horizontal axes so it’s easy to maneuver the board—you don’t even have to push off. For better control and traction, each deck has a grip surface to maximize traction and stability while the concave decks make for better foot control. The 4 x 80 mm polyurethane wheels and ABEC-5 bearings are smoother and stronger than standard hardware and rarely need to be replaced. Riding the Shred Sled feels like a combination of snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing. The Shred Sled is available in black, blue, or red and is for ages 8 and up.
Sakar Goes Underwater with SpongeBob
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pongeBob SquarePants lives under the sea, and so does the waterproof SpongeBob SquarePants Underwater Camera, from Sakar. It’s great for the beach, the pool, or on dry land. The camera takes up to 152 photos and comes with a case. With the EA Nintendo DSi Football Kit, football fans can show off their passion for the sport with matching game case, earphones, skin, and stylus for Nintendo DSi. Kids can videotape and create their own web shows— just like the star of Nickelodeon’s iCarly—with the iCarly Digital Video Cam with Faceplates camera and accompanying interactive software. The Iron Man 2 SMS Text Messenger is a fun texting set that lets kids send messages and plan secret missions. The set is part of a spy gear line inspired by the upcoming Iron Man movie sequel. The Hello Kitty 5 Megapixel Digital Camera is the cat’s meow with five megapixel CCD, two-inch color LCD display, VGA video recording capability, built-in 32MB memory, and SD card slot.
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WowWee, Let’s Eat!
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elicious donuts can be baked in as fast as a minute with Entenmann’s Donut Maker Playset, by WowWee. The set includes a mixing station, donut dough mix, chocolate icing mix, sprinkles, a cooking tray, a mixing bowl, and instructions. With adult supervision, kids can mix up the batter and pop it in the microwave to cook a dozen donuts. The IHOP Breakfast Maker Playset allows kids to make their own pancake and waffle breakfast easily and safely, using the microwave. Included in the set are pancake molds, waffle molds, a cooking tray, a mixing bowl, sprinkles, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, and a whipped cream decorator unit. The playset makes eight pancakes and four waffles.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
JAKKS Has Fairy Magic
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he Disney Fairies 4.5-inch Magical Fairy Talents Playset, from JAKKS Pacific, has five talent areas inspired by the main fairies with a magical activation in each area. The doll activates light, motion, and sound features by proximity—no touch needed. The set includes a 4.5-inch Tinker Bell doll and two accessories that can be used with any 4.5-inch Fairy doll to activate the playset. Disney Fairies 4.5-inch Mini Playset—Lizzy’s Fairy House is inspired by a key scene in Tinker Bell & the Great Fairy Rescue, where Vidia accidentally traps Tink in a cardboard “Fairy House” made by a little girl named Lizzy. Exterior features include flying vine, working bell, and mailbox. The playset opens up for house play and cute pet reveals. Disney Fairies 4.5-inch Magic Glow Fairies’ wings light up in three different light patterns when the button at the waist is activated. Bella Sara Mom & Babies two-pack horses come with rooted hair and vibrant designs. Bella Sara 5-Inch Magical Horses and 5-Inch Winged Horses come with rooted hair and online credit at BellaSara.com. Non-winged Magical Horses also come with a charm necklace. Bella Sara Bella’s Ball Playset is beautifully designed and is the perfect playset for Bella Sara’s adventures. Build a Hello Kitty World with mini Bella Sara 5-Inch playsets themed Dentist Office, Travel Magical Horse Agency, and Tanning Salon. Each playset connects to the others and comes with a Hello Kitty figure. Puppy In My Pocket Fashion Academy playset is for puppies to get together and play. The set comes with two puppy figures with removable fashions and fun accessories such as mirrors, microphones, a DJ turntable, and more. Phineas & Ferb Jumping Beans are 1.5-inch figural characters— Phineas, Ferb, Agent P, Perry, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Three sets of two-packs are available. The Phineas & Ferb Ferb My Ride is a sixinch by four-inch vehicle that comes with a figure. Two styles are available—Ferb with Mom’s car and Agent P with his scooter.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Tyke Ryder Balances Fun and Development
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yke Rider, LLC believes that learning balance is the most critical element to learning how to ride a bicycle, and that training wheels provide children a false sense of balance. The eventual transition from training wheels to a regular bike can be difficult, frustrating, and slow. A balance bike eases this transition. Since there are no pedals, the child’s feet rest firmly on the ground. This position is comfortable and allows the child to start, stop, and control speed at will. Initially, the child will begin by walking the bike around at a slow speed. As they become more comfortable, they will begin to run or scoot with it. Eventually instincts will take over and they will begin to glide relying on their newfound ability to balance. The Early Rider Balance Bike has traveled from Europe and will be distributed in the U.S. exclusively by TurnStyle Brands. There are three different styles available. The Lite is the smallest and lightest of the three, with a seat height of 28 centimeters for children as young as 20 months. The Classic is for 2 ½ to 3 ½ year olds. It has a larger, longer frame and larger wheels. The Evolution is the most ergonomic of the three, and is big enough for a growing 5 year old but light enough for a tall 3 year old. An additional footrest allows larger children to rest their legs as they will want to glide more frequently.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Wham-O Partners with Electric-Spin
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lectric~Spin, a manufacturer of home sports simulation products and creators of the Golf Launchpad series of golf simulators, has teamed up with Wham-O to create the next generation of interactive sports toys and products, starting with golf and soccer. Through the partnership, Wham-O plans to introduce interactive technology products that enable children of all ages to play games and sports online.
Ming the MiniBus Zooms on with Good Link
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ood Link International, Ltd. is launching a new toy line for the cartoon show Ming the Minibus, created by Australian educator Thomas Beckett. When he started teaching in Hong Kong, he quickly understood that the curriculum that the students were using was not working; it was too complicated and the kids could not relate to the material. He took it upon himself to create a simple, easy reading book that the students could relate to. Ming the Minibus will premiere on ATV Network in Hong Kong, Southern China, and Macau. Ming the MIniBus and his two student passengers travel to a different country or city each week; through songs and simple computer graphics, kids learn important facts from each location visited. Each location will have characters and animals that will be included as plush in the Ming the Minibus toy line. Ming’s friends, the other vehicles from the show, will also be represented as plastic and metal toys. The toy line will also include backpacks, kids’ travel accessories, and room décor items. Good Link International, Ltd. is the producer of both the cartoon and the toy line.
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Bandai Goes to Town with Tamagotchi
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andai’s Tamagotchi is introducing a whole new way to play and nurture Tama characters for fall 2010. TamaTown, by Tamagotchi, features the original nurturing play pattern and character customization. The TamaTown egg is larger for easier play. TamaTown is the base for the Tama characters (sold separately). Attach any Tama character and activate character-specific new games. TamaTown includes an interchangeable design sheet and one “lite” character unit. When you collect multiple characters, TamaTown rewards you with a special announcement.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
The Voice Reaching Both Trade and Consumers
CONTACT: JONATHAN SAMET ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP 286 5TH AVENUE, 3RD FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10001 TEL: 212-575-4510 FAX: 212-575-4521 WWW.ADVENTUREPUB.COM
Toy Fair 2010
what’s new
Mattel Brings the Pop to Playtime
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our interactive buddy is back with the Real Talking Rigs assortment, from Mattel. With one push, Real Talking Rocky and his friends will pop up and show off lights, sounds, and phrases. The line includes Real Talking Stinky the garbage truck, Real Talking Smokey the fire truck, and Lanky the crane truck. The Barbie I Can Be… line features a variety of careers for girls to experience including ballerina, race car driver, tot doctor, and bride. Additionally, each I Can Be… doll is packaged with a code that unlocks exclusive online content. RADICA: Pop Swap is a compact, electronic handheld mind twist game for the entire family. Up to five players can compete to be the first to unscramble the most pop culture phrases to become the top Pop Swapper. Fully equipped with speakers and LED lights, RADICA: Pop Swap challenges players with five skill levels and hundreds of pop culture phrases from TV, music, movies, and more. The Disney Princess Transforming Castle is full of enchanted surprises. The fairytale castle opens up to reveal a bedroom with a fold-out bed, an armoire, and a vanity so girls can get their Disney Princesses ready for the ball. Real Talking Stinky
Basic Fun Brings Back the Koosh Ball
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asic Fun is bringing back the original Koosh Ball for a new generation of kids to enjoy. Hundreds of colorful, soft strands of latex make the Koosh Ball fun to throw and easy to catch. The sound that the ball makes when you catch it was actually the inspiration for its name. Beginning in spring 2010, Basic Fun will launch the original Koosh Ball in six color combinations, plus miniature Koosh Ball key chains. For fall, co-branded styles will be introduced, including Disney Toy Story Koosh and Disney Mickey & Friends Koosh. Basic Fun will expand its Fisher-Price Classics Line with four new offerings based on childhood favorites. They include the TV Radio, Change-A-Record Music Box (Record Player), Milk Wagon, and Change-A-Tune Piano. These full-sized replicas include the working features of the originals and are styled to maintain the vintage charm. Basic Fun will also introduce David Kirk’s Fun House, a preschool line of imaginative pull toys, stacking toys, and jack-in-the-boxes designed by storyteller David Kirk, creator of the Miss Spider book series. Continuing to expand its line of handheld electronic games, Basic Fun will introduce Bop-It, Simon, and Catch Phrase in miniature carabiner format. These scaleddown miniatures work just like the originals for game play on the go. In the impulse category, Basic Fun will expand on its Bakugan Battle Brawlers Mega Key Chains with two new series. Each Battle Brawler, in a slightly oversized format, springs open and morphs into one of six Bakugan fighters when you pull the button. Koosh Ball
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
activity & construction
Spin Master Expands Craft Lines
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pin Master’s Aqua Sand never gets wet. Pour it in water and build up sculptures, pillars, and creations. Then take it out of the water and the sand is instantly dry. New for 2010 are the Aqua Sand Mermaid Island and Ocean Adventure Creation Kits. Each kit, sold separately, includes two 2 oz. bottles of Aqua Sand, a two-in-one scoop/rake tool, an easy-sculpt nozzle, an underwater castle, a figure, a water tank, and a background graphic poster. Magic Fabric is creativity that sticks—no sewing, glue, or heat required. Make endless combinations of puffy creations with the precut sheets of self-sticking fabric. Design your own bookmarks, picture frames, danglers, and characters—just layer and press. The craft cloth can be repositioned until you’re ready to make it stick for good. Then, just use the rollers and—presto—it’s permanent. Magic Fabric is for kids ages 6 and up. With the Magic Fabric Studio, you can make five different puffy characters or mix and match to make your own designs. Just roll your creations through the studio and your design magically joins together. The Magic Fabric Studio comes with five pre-printed, precut character sheets, five foam inserts for 3D characters, one set of hinged press plates, and an instruction guide. Magic Fabric Studio New molding compound Moon Dough is soft and marshmallow-like, does not stick to or stain material, and never dries out, so you can use it again and again. Bring all the fun of the farm right into your own home with the Moon Dough Barnyard. Bale some hay, put it in the barn silo, and turn the crank to create fun 3-D Moon Dough animals. Other sets include the Moon Dough Pizza Shop, Magic Molding Doghouse, and Moon Dough Burger Shop.
RoseArt Offers a Woodtopia for Creativity
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olor Blanks, from RoseArt, allow your child to engage in creative fun by designing their own plastic character using stickers, mini markers, and more. Your child can create, play with, and display his or her own character. This activity set features either one or two poseable plastic figures, colorful stickers, and mini markers. Color Blanks come in single and double packs, with a total of six figures available. Woodtopia lets kids create and decorate four different wooden animals using various wooden parts, mini markers, paper cutouts, and more. Kids can also convert the package into a Woodtopia play environment. Woodtopia comes in three different themes: Barnyard Buddies, Zany Zoo, and Playful Pets.
THE TOY BOOK
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
activity & construction
LEGO Has Bricks & More
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ittle builders can build a chicken coop and then help grandma collect eggs from it with LEGO’s Chicken Coop, a part of the company’s LEGO Duplo Legoville line. Other new releases from the line will include Little Piggy, Farm Bike, Farm Nursery, Big Tractor, Horse Stables, and Big Farm. The minifigures premiere in 2010 with Series 1. The set features 32 new faces, with each figure and accessory packaged in a sealed mystery bag. Among the new characters are a crash test dummy, a forester, a cowboy, a super wrestler, a zombie, a ninja, a cheerleader, and more. LEGO also expands its Toy Story sets and adds new products based on the upcoming Toy Story 3. Young Toy Story fans can build the Sheriff’s office and then look out after the town with Jessie and Bullseye. The Jessie’s Roundup set includes bricks for the Sheriff’s office, and Jessie and Bullseye figures. Kids can recreate Disney’s Prince of Persia with the company’s upcoming construction sets. In Fight for the Dagger, builders help Dastan run up walls, jump from balcony to balcony, and escape hidden traps as he battles Asoka for the powerful Dagger of Time. LEGO expands its Star Wars line with Rebel Trooper Army Pack. Builders can build up the Rebel forces and add to their defenses on planet Hoth as they help keep Imperial troopers back by firing missiles from the Rebel combat speeder. The set includes one Zev Senesca and three Rebel Rebel Trooper Army Pack Troopers with new Hoth helmet minifigures.
MEGA Bloks for MEGA Fun
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elebrating its 65th anniversary, Thomas & Friends is now available for preschoolers through Mega Bloks. Help Thomas and Mavis transport rocks from the quarry to the dock with the Busy Day at the Quarry set. This buildable, four-foot long set includes Thomas and Mavis characters, a real working crane, coal, a coal chute, and buildable blocks and ramps. Other Thomas & Friends Mega Bloks sets include Thomas at the Sodor Fair, Thomas & Friends 3-in-1 Buildable Assortment, and Thomas Buildable Character Assortment. The new line of Ni-Hao, Kai-lan sets allow kids to create their very own Kai-lan world. In the Kai-lan’s Garden set, Kai-lan and Hoho need help tending to the garden so flowers can grow and everyone can have healthy vegetables to eat. Mega Brands is celebrating a decade of Dora with new Mega Bloks sets. With Dancing Dora’s Musical Fiesta, preschoolers can dance, listen, create beats, and sing along with Dora the Explorer. This boombox transforms into a “fiesta” with music, and when the party is over, all the pieces fit nicely inside. Other Dora sets include Dora’s Play Date Busy Day at the Quarry Adventure, Dora’s Park Adventure, and more.
THE TOY BOOK
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
activity & construction
Klutz Wrote the Book on Creativity
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lossy Bands, by the Editors of Klutz, are bracelets you squeeze out of a bottle of acrylic paint. Mix and swirl the paints to create one-of-a-kind designs. Once dried, your body warmth permanently seals the band closed, but leaves it stretchy enough to put on and take off. The Klutz Book of Animation, by John Cassidy and Nicholas Berger, introduces kids to the world of animation. This book makes the basics of stop-motion animation quick, easy, and fun. By using an ordinary video camera, a computer, the included software, and the step-by-step instructions, animation is easy. The Doodle Journal: My Life in Scribbles, with text by Karen Phillips and art by Elise Gravel, is filled with irresistible excuses to doodle. The cover, end papers, and borders of nearly every page are covered with inspirational artwork. Rubber Band Powered Flying Machines by Pat Murphy & the Scientists of Klutz Labs comes loaded with everything kids need to build three rubber band-powered contraptions: a high-flying outdoor plane, an acrobatic flyer that loops around indoors or out, and a tight turning indoor plane. Kids can modify these flying machines time and time again to make them even better. With Fashion Origami, by Eva Steele-Saccio, readers learn to turn single sheets of paper into sassy fashions that are anything but flat. Super-clear, step-by-step instructions show kids how to fold 10 unique pieces, from party dresses and skirts to pajamas and purses. The Slightly Odd United States of America, by the Editors of Klutz, is the ultimate, offbeat, coast-to-coast oddity odyssey. This is a celebration of all the truly interesting information that has been shamefully overlooked by your typical textbook. The book includes maps, goofy games, quizzes, and puzzles, for ages 8 and up.
Step2 Turns Kids into Art Masters
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rt Master II features a large work surface with molded-in compartments and a dryerase writing surface. The raised shelf organizes art supplies and a push-button light helps illuminate drawings. Four large bins provide extra storage for coloring books and art supplies, and the playset includes a New Traditions chair. Toddlers can feel like a Picasso in the making with the Deluxe Easel/Table. The folding easel is a magnetic dry board that easily folds flat for storage or transport. The easel has an attached tray to keep brushes, markers, and chalk, and has a rear storage area for coloring books and paper. The School House Desk has an angled desktop and storage area so preschoolers can have their own space to learn and play. Flashcards can be placed in the slots at the top of the desk for practice, and a clock with moving hands and a mechanical bell is included for learning about time.
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Deluxe Easel/Table
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
activity & construction
K’NEX Builds on Fun
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’NEX Brands introduces the new K’NEX FireStorm Ferris Wheel. The FireStorm Ferris Wheel offers strobing multi-colored lights that spin with the Ferris Wheel to create a dazzling show. This building set comes with more than 525 pieces, including gears, a motor, and a light strip with six pre-programmed light routines. Builders and thrill ride enthusiasts ages 9 and up can follow the color-coded instructions to create it. With the Fire Rescue 10-Model Building Set, young builders can create 10 different models and bring them to life with the included spring motor. After the building is finished, the fun continues with models that move. Packed with 127 parts and building ideas for 10 unique models, the Fire Rescue 10-Model Building Set comes packaged in a convenient storage container for easy clean-up. Create vehicles that will make the earth move with the Collect & Build Construction Crew Series. Construction Crew 1 includes an excavator, front loader, steamroller, and backhoe. Each set comes with approximately 120 parts that build a working construction vehicle, a K’NEXman, K’NEX FireStorm Ferris Wheel and accessories. By combining all four sets, young builders can create their own construction site. New to the Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection Building Sets are the Firehouse Building Set and School House Building Set. Each set is loaded with 40 parts, including two buildable characters—Elmo and firefighter Ernie or Elmo and Grover. On the heels of last year’s Moto-Bots Series, new Micro-Bots are here. Each mini-robot—Scooter, Hopper, Speedy, and Crawler—has more than 100 parts and a motor that allows for unique mechanical motion features. Collect all four and combine sets to build two larger robots, then turn them on for head-to-head battling action. Build the pit crew for your favorite NASCAR driver’s team—Dale Jr./#88 AMP Energy, Jeff Gordon/#24 DuPont, or Tony Stewart/#14 Office Depot. Each set comes with three K’NEXmen and more than 20 parts, including a gas man with buildable gas can, jack man with buildable jack, and tire man with spare tire.
Scratch into Fashion with Scratch Art
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cratch Art expands its Scratch Magic creativity products with the debut of a new collection of Draw & Learn Stickers. Kids can create their own stickers by scratching the pages with the included stylus, making colorful, sparkling sea critters, rainforest animals, arctic creatures, or outer space objects appear. Each package includes 10 rainbow black and 10 scratch & sparkle stickers in assorted sizes and shapes, a wood drawing stylus, instructions, and a fun facts guide to learn more about the fascinating subjects. Kids can travel the world and design a jet-setting wardrobe with Scratch Magic Scratchin’ Fashion Dress-Up Stickers. Kids can visit cool places and then create hot looks by mixing and matching tops and bottoms, then adding sparkling (via scratching) accessories.
THE TOY BOOK
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
activity & construction
Tinker Bell Is So F.A.B.
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.A.B./Starpoint introduces Tinker Bell Wall Scrapperz. Wall Scrapperz is a new category of DIY toys that applies the scrapbooking concept to your wall. The basic kit comes complete with a dry erase board, stickers, paper frames, and jewels. All of the items have a special adhesive that can safely be removed from the wall without damage. Additional squares and accessories can be purchased to expand the design.
ALEX Makes Fashion Fun
New Erector Sets from Meccano
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ith Tie Dye Fashion Best Friend Scarves and Tie Dye Fashion Groovy Tote, from ALEX, cool tools make both kits super easy. The scarf set includes two 54-inch cotton scarves and beads. The tote set comes with one cotton tote bag and “peace and love� stickers. Both kits come with tie-dye tools, three bottles of tie-dye color, and more. The kits are for ages 6 and up. Design colorful bottle cap jewelry with Cap It Off Jewelry. With this kit, kids can make earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and more. The set includes bottle caps, stickers, jewelry findings, beads, buttons, cord, glue, and instructions, and is for ages 7 and up.
he Erector Build and Play Train, from Meccano, comes with 130 pieces with big, flexible parts, for children ages 5 and up to build six different models. The Erector Build and Play Tipper Truck comes with 120 pieces and builds five different models, and is also for ages 5 and up. The Erector Multimodel 25 Model Set is for ages 8 and up. It comes with 250 parts, tools, and instructions, plus a three-volt motor, steering, and suspension. The Erector Xtreme Power Motor 4x4 allows kids to build even faster. For ages 7 and up, this set comes with 100 parts, a six-volt motor, tools, and instructions to build three different models. The Erector Xtreme Radio Control Truck is also for kids ages 7 and up, and comes with 110 parts, tools, and instructions for two different models.
Erector Build and Play Train
Tie Dye Fashion Best Friend Scarves and Groovy Totes
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
activity & construction
CitiBlocs Are Hot, Cool, and Natural
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or 2010, CitiBlocs is making its simple, precision-cut wooden plank sets available in a wider variety of colors. The new skyline packaged sets will be available in three different color variations: Hot, Cool, and Natural. The Hot Colors Set includes red, yellow, orange, pink, and natural colored planks. The Cool Colors Set includes blue, green, turquoise, dark green, and natural color planks. CitiBlocs’ cornerstone product, the natural planks, will also be available in a Natural Set with the new skyline packaging. This new packaging line was designed to underline the simplicity and classic “modern style” of Citiblocs. The Hot and Cool Colors Sets are available in 50, 100, and 200 pieces, while the Natural Set is available in all of these as well as in 150- and 300piece sets. An additional packaging style for the natural wooden plank sets is being introduced for 2010. An “Under Construction” box theme was designed to have a general audience look for major mass retailers. All CitiBlocs sets, whether colored or not, are made from sustainably harvested, precision-cut pine. For its colored planks, CitiBlocs uses certified waterbased stains, which the pine naturally absorbs. The water-based stains give CitiBlocs Cool Colors Set the planks vibrant color, and each stain color is tested and verified to be lead-free. CitiBlocs keeps packaging purposefully minimal to reduce use of natural resources.
SmartLab Goes Itty-Bitty
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martLab premieres new Itty-Bitty activity kits: kits that capture real life but shrink it down to size. Kids can pretend they are a pizza chef while playing with the ArtLab Itty-Bitty Pizzeria Kit. This teeny-tiny pizza parlor has everything kids need to make bite-sized versions of the world’s most celebrated pizzas, from Italy to New York and beyond. The kit includes two pizza pans, two delivery boxes, a pizza wheel cutter, a pepperoni cutter, a pizza peel, a rolling pin, a circle cutter, and a recipe book. The ArtLab Itty-Bitty Baking Kit features a cookbook with scaled-down recipes for cake and frosting. The kit includes a froster; frosting tips in round, star, and leaf shapes; a silicone cupcake pan; cutters in circle, heart, and star shapes; a spreader/scoop tool, and a 32-page recipe book. Budding artists can pick up some tiny tips on how to create miniature art such as pencil projects on paper or watercolor masterpieces on canvas in the ArtLab Itty-Bitty Art Studio Kit. The set includes eight watercolor paints, a palette, a paintbrush, a pencil sharpener, three picture frames, six canvases, an easel, art paper, and an idea book.
THE TOY BOOK
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Playmobil Sails the Ghost Ship
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ail Playmobil’s Ghost Pirate Ship on the dark seas. Open the hidden flap to expose the three figures. Treasures and two working cannons can be stored in hidden compartments. Enjoy hours of fun on the go with My Take Along Princess Fantasy Chest. For twice the fun, open both sides of the chest to reveal the Princess’ dressing room and palace garden. The set includes four figures, a white pony, and accessories for the Princess’ birthday party. Take care of the animals in the Wildlife Care Station, which includes two figures, leopard and cubs, a baby rhinoceros, a giraffe, a zebra, a cage, and an animal enclosure. Rub the baby giraffe’s wound and it will disappear. Prepare to defend the Great Dragon Castle, which includes four figures dressed in armor, a red dragon, and a working ballista. The Great Dragon Castle Ghost Pirate Ship comes with a beacon that lights and the dungeon can be opened. Monitor the seas with the Coast Guard Boat, which includes two figures, a Coast Guard Boat with Underwater Motor, plus an anchor and cable winch with tow hook. Quickly slide down the firemen’s pole at the Fire Station and rush off to put out the fire. The fire station comes with a firemen’s pole, a fire hose tower, and a large gate for the fire emergency vehicles. chalkboard.
Toy Fair 2010
activity & construction
Build Your Imagination with ImagAbility
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magAbility, Inc. fills a wedge in the market with the new Weebabu WEDGiTS, a new soft yet sturdy handling and stacking toy. Weebabu WEDGiTS from Rubbabu are made from all natural rubber, not synthetic foam. The blocks and cars are designed for fun and engagement, while encouraging the development of gross motor skills and spatial relationship understanding, as well as hand-eye coordination. The semi-soft products are made for little hands to comfortably hold, and are coated with a silky layer of colorful flocking, plus they are solid enough to withstand endless play. As a child starts stacking, pushing, and pulling the Weebabu WEDGiTS, cognitive skills are developed through task definition, shape and color identification, and imaginative play. The new Weebabu WEDGiTS join the growing WEDGiTS construction toy brand from ImagAbility. WEDGiTS are building block toys that resemble square donuts and diamonds with angled edges. The five primary pieces of the WEDGiTS toy are graduated in size, so the blocks nest together and stack into the shape of a pyramid. Each block is a different primary color. In addition to various WEDGiTS sets, other products in the WEDGiTS line include the infant squeeze toy, WEE WEDGiTS; WEDGiTS Wipeoff Book Series; WEDGiTS To Go; mini WEDGiTS; WEDGiTS on Wheels (WOW); WEDGITS eXplorer Pak 125; and WEDGiTS add-on expansion blocks and other accessories.
Crayola Revolutionizes Glow-in-the-Dark Art
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rayola’s Glow Explosion Markers and Paper system lets kids supercharge their drawings with colors previously seen only in glow sticks. The fun starts with a sheet of special Glow paper, Glow Explosion markers, and a dash of imagination. Sketch a scene, write a message, or just start coloring. When you color over it with the Activator marker it lights up like a neon sign. Crayola Model Magic Presto Dots give kids a whole new way to create with Model Magic—a soft, squishy, air-drying modeling material. First, cover a plastic base with Model Magic. Next, take the easy-to-use Pop-Dot tool to capture just the right amount of Model Magic and begin building your character. The tool comes with an insert that will scoop up a round ball of Model Magic, about the size of a marble. Now press these “dots” onto the Model Magic-covered base and they will stick to it. Continue to place, press, and pop Model Magic dots with your tool and watch your one-of-a-kind, 3-D character come to life. Crayola Spira-Chalk Blaster lets kids create big, multicolored spiral designs with a whirling, twirling chalk tool. The Spira-Chalk Blaster is kid-powered and needs no batteries. Just insert a stick of sidewalk chalk into the Blaster, press down to launch it into a spin, and watch as it skips across the driveway or sidewalk leaving colorful spiral designs in its path. The Spira-Chalk Blaster comes with one chalk launcher, two chalk wheels for creating different patterns, and five sticks of Crayola sidewalk chalk.
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Be an Allstar with Bendaroos
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endaroos flexible building sticks, from Allstar Products Group, provide kids with a unique way to express their creativity. These reusable building sticks, made from colored string coated with a special wax, let children play and expand their imaginations for hours. Bendaroos building sticks adhere to virtually every household surface, and can be easily removed and used again and again. Now kids can store and display their Bendaroos building sticks creations for all to see with the Bendaroos Creation Station. The colorful platform allows kids to construct new models, showcase their favorite creations, and store spare Bendaroos building sticks. The Bendaroos Creation Station features a rotating plate, four molding and shaping tools, three BendaModels for easy 3-D modeling, crimper cutters, and 100 Bendaroos building sticks. The Bendaroos 500 Piece Mega Pack now includes fun tools to further expand kids’ creativity including three BendaModel tools, plus crimper and cutter tools. The product also features easy-to-use fun guides, traceable templates, and 250 rainbow-colored and 250 neon-colored building sticks. Also available is the Bendaroos Glow-in-the-Dark Mega Pack.
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THE TOY BOOK
Toy Fair 2010
activity & construction
Explore Science with Elmer’s
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cientific Explorer, a brand from the Giddy Up division of Elmer’s, wants to teach kids about penguins; they’re funny-looking birds that don’t know how to fly, but they do lots of other fun things. The My First Penguin Kit will teach children everything they need to know about how to become a penguin: how to live like a penguin, eat like a penguin, dance like a penguin, and more. In each activity, kids will get to act and think like a real penguin. They’ll use their eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands, and feet to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel as a penguin would. As part of the activities, they’ll also measure, compare, and ask questions. With the Heavenly Hair Kit, children can make their own shampoo and conditioner to keep locks shiny, silky, bouncy, and healthy. In the process, they’ll also learn some really cool science that explains why hair looks the way it does—how it grows, what makes it curly or straight, why it’s a certain color, and more. The kit also includes great tips from the pros on how to choose the perfect cut and style for your face and hair type. Get ready to bust some myths about sports with the MythBusters Science of Sports. It might seem that the outcome in sports comes down to which team has the most luck or which athlete has the most talent. And sure, both of those things are important. But science plays a major role in sports as well—you couldn’t score a goal, hit a home run, or throw a touchdown without it. With Giddy Up’s Sprayza Airbrush System, kids can create cool airbrush effects on paper or any surface using nothing more than kid power. This battery-free activity kit contains a selection of stencils, posters, and a Sprayza Color Guide designed to work with the Sprayza tube. First, slide a Sprayza marker pen into the Sprayza tube chamber until it clicks. Artists can then simply blow into the Sprayza tube and create an amazing airbrushed effect to jazz up their everyday works of art. The closer kids get to the paper, the more intense the spray. Little artists can mix and match colors and even blend them by simply changing the marker. They can also use the Sprayza marker pens to color with and add details to all of their pictures.
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Velcro Companies Introduces Velcro Kids
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elcro Companies is launching a new brand, Velcro Kids, in spring 2010. Designed so children can create their own 3-D world, the Velcro Kids collection features colorful playsets constructed using a variety of wall and floor pieces. Each double-sided, fabric-covered piece is made of durable, rigid foam and features printing on both sides. Pieces are assembled quickly and easily thanks to innovative hook edges that touch-fasten walls to floors. Each themed playset features characters and an assortment of Hoox decorative pieces with new soft-touch Velcro brand micro hooks on the back of tearresistant pieces. This new innovation allows kids to easily dress, decorate, and play with the characters and playspaces over and over again. With the Velcro Kids Royal Princess Castle Fantasy Deluxe Playset, kids can set the scene for an enchanting evening at the castle. The set includes 3-D furniture pieces, dresses, crowns, fireplace, chandelier, doors, windows, flowers, and more. Also available are the Velcro Kids Royal Tea Party Fantasy Playset and the Velcro Kids Pirate Ship Adventure Deluxe Playset. Velcro Kids Royal Princess Castle Fantasy Deluxe Playset
Toy Fair 2010
dolls & plush
Spin Master’s Liv Girls Get Puppies
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his fall, the Liv dolls are happy to welcome a new BFF to the crew—introducing Hayden. Hayden just moved to town. She’s the ultimate animal lover and will take care of anything that moves. She is always taking in strays: dogs, cats, mice, spiders—whatever. Her buds may not love all of her furry friends, but they’re thrilled to have her as part of the crew. This spring, Liv girls will sport the ultimate fashion accessory—puppy dogs. Each spring 2010 Live Girls doll includes one doll, one dog, and plush fashions and accessories for both the girl and her pup. The new dolls include Katie and her Border Collie—Sk8, Daniela and her Yellow Lab—DJ, Alexis and her Bichon Frise—Lacey, and Sophie and her Shih Tzu—Frizzy. The new Liv Dolls Mall Kiosk set is where all the Liv girls can get just about any rad accessory. The kiosk comes with more than 15 detailed pieces, including hair extensions, sunglasses, purses, necklaces, and a cash register. New Liv wig and accessory sets are also available. Hayden
Little Corolle Dolls Are Big on Style
My Pillow Pets Make Snuggly Friends
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orolle introduces its new 14-inch specialty doll, Lou. Part of the Miss Corolle Vanilla Collection, this doll features dark hair and inquisitive eyes. Lou comes complete with a polka-dot dress, striped tights, and pink shoes. Little girls can also choose from several new fashions in the Miss Corolle Collection, making Lou ready for any party. Making her official debut into the Miss Corolle collection, Ambre (14 inches) is for little girls on the go. Ambre sports a fashionable outfit and long, rooted hair that is perfect for styling. With a sweet face and huggable body, Bébé Chéri Elise is Corolle’s new 20-inch classic baby doll. Encouraging little moms to care and cuddle, this lifelike doll comes snugly dressed in an adorable pink sweater, matching pants, and chic beret.
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y Pillow Pets are snuggly plush companions made from soft, high-quality chenille. They are also a comfortable pillow for bed, television, or travel time. New friends for 2010 include the Thumpy Bunny, Fiery Dalmation, Splashy Whale, Hungry Hippo, Zippity Zebra, Icy Polar Bear, Chocolate Moose, and Magical Unicorn. In addition to the 18-inch and 11-inch My Pillow Pets, the line has expanded to include blankets, neck pillows, and slippers.
Ambre doll
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Toy Fair 2010
dolls & plush
JAKKS Celebrates 50 Years of Sanrio
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he Sanrio 50th Anniversary Beanies, from JAKKS Pacific, feature Hello Kitty dressed to look like her friends. With Sanrio Collector Plush, for the first time ever available at mass retailers, Hello Kitty and Friends plush will be boxed together in a special 50th anniversary gift box. These plush have a collector quality and look for fans of all ages and are available for a limited time only. Club Penguin 6.5-Inch Collector Penguin Plush are part of the authentic, serialized, collector-based plush program focused on delivering high-quality replications of the hundreds of unique Penguins that exist in Club Penguin’s Online Virtual Community. Each includes a coin Club Penguin 6.5-Inch Collector Plush, Dragon with a code to access the online world. With the Taylor Swift Performance Collection Doll Assortment, kids can bring a Taylor Swift performance home. Each of the dolls in the assortment sings a 30-second highlight of one of Swift’s hit songs: “Our Song,” “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Picture to Burn,” “Love Story,” and “You Belong With Me.” Dressed in an outfit replicating what Swift wears in the music video, each doll also comes with accessories, including a guitar and hairbrush.
Toy Fair Is Looking Ugly
Jay at Play Has Wild Eyes
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ay at Play debuts new, cuddly, Animal Planet plush items with motion and sounds. Pick Me Up Cuties are big, lifelike dogs that whimper as you pet the canine on the back. Kids can have fun picking out and learning about different doggie breeds. At 40 inches, the Wild Eyes Snake looks and feels like a real reptile. Kids will be amazed as they watch the snake come to life, bend and shape, and slither on the floor. Jay at Play also introduces the Wild Eyes Endangered Series— sculpted plush animals that are nine inches in size. The animals’ light-up eyes provide hours of fun. The Growing Up Series consists of a plush animal plus a DVD that includes at least 40 minutes of footage. Viewers can watch the unique animal grow up, as they connect with it and learn about the animal’s wild habitat.
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retty Ugly introduces Pointy Max. You can’t control Pointy Max. You can’t stop Pointy Max. You can’t tell Pointy Max what to do. Oh wait, is that cheese? Oh, then you own Pointy Max. Ok, so other than the weakness for cheese, Pointy Max can’t be beat. Unless you have blank pieces of paper. Pointy Max has a blank page phobia. Ok so there’s that. But good luck trying to hold him down! It won’t happen! Or it might happen if you sit on him. Or hold him down? If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em? Now that it’s clear you and Pointy Max are on the same side, perhaps you could let him in on your plans and dreams? Perhaps together, you’ll be unstoppable.
Wild Eyes Snow Leopard
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Toy Fair 2010
Goldberger Introduces Yum Yums
Folkmanis Is (Hermit) Crabby
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olkmanis introduces new puppets for 2010, each recommended for ages 3 and up. Heirloom-quality styling destines the Polar Bear puppet to become a family favorite. Soft, cream-toned faux-fur contrasts the smoky-dark details on his nose and toes. A movable mouth and paws add endearing life to this endangered bear. The Polar Bear puppet is nine inches tall. Feeling crabby? The brilliantly colored Hermit Crab puppet can cheer you up in a pinch. With his bright orange body and soft patterned shell, he’ll sidle blithely into your heart. Slip your hand inside his underside to animate legs and pincers. The Hermit Crab puppet is 13 inches long. The heirloomquality and timeless design of the white Polar Bear Rabbit puppet make him a winner, no matter what race is run. With velveteen ears and nose and a bright white tuft of tail, once you pick him up you won’t want to put him down. The Rabbit puppet stands 17 inches tall. The two-handed Mozart in Piano puppet lets one hand control animation of the keys, while your second hand operates the removable Mozart hiding inside the grand piano. Designed in sumptuous velvet fabrics, the Mozart in Piano puppet measures 10 inches wide. Feathers are flying with the funky Chicken puppet. Movable beak and two-handed wing design allow for endless combinations of clucking, strutting, scratching, and flapping. The Chicken puppet stands 22 inches tall.
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he Goldberger Company introduces a new subbrand, Yum Yums. Like all Goldberger dolls, these new additions will be phthalatecompliant and come with the Goldberger “Love It for Life” lifetime guarantee. The Yum Yums line will debut with three new dolls. Lolli with Bottle has a soft, huggable body, fun expression, and style. Lolli can drink from her pretend bottle that’s attached to her hand. The doll is machine washable and is for newborns and older. Musical Lights Lolli and Lolli Twins will also be available. They are also machine washable, and are for newborns and older.
BamBoo Bears by Planet Fred
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amBoo Bears are the fresh new faces of ecochic. With soft organic fur and eye-catching colors, these little bears give eco-friendly a stylish new twist. BamBoo Bears’ fur is made from natural bamboo and organic cotton fleece. Their corduroy ears, tails, and paw pads are made from naturally grown hemp and organic cotton. Hypoallergenic corn-fiber stuffing, embroidered faces, and non-toxic dyes make BamBoo Bears safe for babies, while their bold colors and playful design stimulate older children’s developing minds.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010 Madame Alexander Hits the Emerald City
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ew cloth dolls from Madame Alexander include Goldilicious Cloth. She favors a princess look, has brown eyes on a printed face that features pink circles on her cheeks, and a pink mouth with a big, open, infectious smile. Her hair, Tosca yarn, is styled into pigtails with bangs. She wears a princess dress that pairs a magenta and light pink bodice with an iridescent pink overskirt. Fancy Nancy Tea Party Cloth is an 18-inch doll. She has a printed face and short, red yarn curly hair that’s decorated with a silver lame crown and a chiffon ruffle. She’s wearing a fabulous dress that has a white satin bodice with puffed sleeves and a scoop neck that’s embellished Emerald City Townswoman with yellow and fuchsia felt flowers. The skirt, which features multiple petals of pink shimmer organza over tulle, has a bright yellow with fuchsia polka dots bow at the waist. Pink gloves, white lace-trimmed socks, pink taffeta panties, and fuchsia stuffed high heels that are tied on with blue polka dotted ribbon complete the look. She’ll even bring her own polka dot and flower-decorated pink felt teacup. Part of The Wizard of Oz line, the Emerald City Townswoman is a fully articulated Wendy with green eyes and red hair that she braids and wears with bangs. Her chartreuse cotton frock has a full skirt, sheer emerald green chiffon, puffed sleeves, and a bodice that is detailed with emerald green picot trim. The Wizard of Oz “himself” and The Town Crier are also being introduced to this line.
THE TOY BOOK
dolls & plush
Manhattan Toy Debuts New Dolls
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anhattan Toy has developed three new doll brands: Lilydoll, Cutie Cakes, and Beneath the Leaf. The Lilydolls are the very best of friends. These young ladies are always thoughtful towards other people and the environment, and are all about making a positive impact in the world. The current offering consists of three dolls—Harper, Josephine, and Astrid—and three outfits. Cutie Cakes are completely sweet inside and out. These cupcakes don’t have your traditional filling, but convert into sweet dolls. Also available Wembley are loveable pets that live inside bite-sized cupcakes. Cutie Cakes dolls include Jelly Bean Bella and Bubble Gum Hopper. With Beneath the Leaf, fairies really do exist. Three elfin fairies are ready for mischief, while another three are sweet and eager to delight. The first of the Beneath the Leaf fairies is Liliana. Manhattan Toy has been tapped by The Jim Henson Company for a licensing agreement to create a collection of Fraggle Rock plush toys called the Fraggle Rock Forever Collection. Manhattan Toy is kicking the product launch off with the five main Fraggle characters who live in the Rock: Gobo, Boober, Red, Wembley, and Mokey. The new Fraggle Rock plush line is for ages 3 and up. Manhattan Toy introduces 33 new items to its Groovy Girls doll brand. The new Goovy Girls are Thora, Tessa, Tamae, Tegan, and Tamsen. The Groovy Girls’ removable fashions allow girls to dress and undress their dolls for hours, which is why Manhattan Toy is introducing three new Groovy Girls fashion items—Debut Dazzle, Awesome Artist, and Daydream Doctor.
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Toy Fair 2010
dolls & plush
Vermont Teddy Bears Hit Retail
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his year marks the first time ever that Vermont Teddy Bears will be available to retailers. Go Green Bears are handmade in the Green Mountains of Vermont, and their cuddly soft fur and paw pads are made from 100 percent recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. For the first time in more than 10 years, the company has modified the design of the Vermont Teddy Bear to make a bear created specifically for giving out the best bear hugs anywhere. Featuring a huggable floppy body, cuddly washable fur, and an ultra suede nose, Soft Floppy Bears are available in maple, dark chocolate, light pink, and light blue. New Take-Along-Teddies feature a soft flat body and cuddly washable fur. Take-AlongTeddies are available in seven fur colors: light blue, light pink, sapphire, holstein, maple, snow, and espresso. Made from 100 percent wool, new Woolen Bears are all natural, soft, warm, and hugGo Green Bear gable. Wool is naturally flame resistant and hypoallergenic, making the bears safe for all ages, and they’re stuffed with 100 percent recycled stuffing.
Hosung Is Good for All
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osung introduces the My Natural “Good for All” Cotton Toy Collection. All of the plush in the My Natural line are made with all natural cotton fabric and colored with only plants and minerals using the company’s unique PureWaterWash process. The plush are certified non-toxic; any packaging used is made with recycled materials through a low-eco impact manufacturing process. Available for Earth Day 2010 at Target stores nationwide are an eight-inch gorilla, hippo, alligator, and elephant. Also part of the line is the licensed Dr. Seuss Eco-Plush Cat in the Hat, which is 11.5 inches in size.
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New Karito Kids Inspired by Real Girls
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nspired by real girls from around the world, the Karito Kids characters start the new decade with a completely new look. KidsGive, the company behind the philanthropy-focused, multicultural Karito Kids line of dolls and books, has unveiled the updated Karito Kids World Collection. The dolls will arrive in completely updated packaging designed to better showcase how kids give to other kids with every purchase. The new packaging also reflects each character’s unique personality and includes a revised edition of the character-specific Karito Kids Adventure chapter book, with a dedicated section on giving and caring. An aspiring fashion designer, Gia from Italy wears a fitted sweater over a tailored dress. A native of Florence, Gia helps her parents run their family pensione but dreams of a high-powered fashion career. Zoe from the USA is a New Yorker to the core, who loves music and vintage looks. Her updated Bohemian look includes bright colors and cool boots. Zoe helps her single mom save their family home when a developer threatens foreclosure. As Wan Ling from China adapts to sophisticated Shanghai, Ling pairs a beautiful traditional Chinese jacket with a comfortable skirt and practical yet fashionable boots. This aspiring scientist needs practical footwear to help her zoologist Dad care for their beloved Pandas. Lulu from Kenya, Pita from Mexico and Piper from Australia are also available. The website, www.karitokids.com, will include new video segments introducing kids to the characters’ home countries. Also, look for new games and activities that allow kids to earn World Change that can be donated to one of four causes: home, health, food, or school. New webisodes are also on the way to further engage girls.
Wan Ling from China
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
dolls & plush
GP Toys Brings Home Monster Factory
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here’s a little monster in all of us. Monster Factory is a line of plush characters with monster personalities. Aimed at the tween and pre-tween market, these monsters each have rich character profiles and human-like personalities. The first collection of nine monsters will include five-inch and nine-inch plush, with each new wave of six monsters offering unique variations, from green monster teens in hoodies or headphones to round-shaped creatures clad in fashionable plaid ties. Monsters in the line include Colin, who divides his time between playing video games and fretting about his future; Maggie, whose vivid imagination never lets the facts get in the way of a good story; and Todd, who puts undue pressure on himself to succeed. Fans can learn about each of the character’s personalities on the newly updated MonsterFactory.net website. A series of comedy webisodes based on the characters will be streamed online beginning in early 2010. Todd
Steiff Helps Kids Sleep Well
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o enchant the very young, Baby Steiff’s Sleep Well Bear is delightfully plush for baby soft skin. This cuddly bear is machine washable and contains the trademark button in the ear, Steiff’s symbol of excellence and tradition. The Sleep Well Bear is for newborns and older, and comes dressed in blue plaid, pink plaid, or beige striped pajamas.
THE TOY BOOK
Bandai Knows Fashion
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andai’s Harumika combines the play patterns of fashion dolls with arts and crafts. Harumika mannequins are the newest addition to the line and have just hit store shelves. Style your imagination with the Harumika Style Starter Set, a whole new way for girls to design their own fashion line. Select a fabric, wrap it around the dress form, and secure it in the exclusive Style Lock System on the back of the dress form. The set includes a white dress form, a stylus tool, fabric swatches, fashion accessories, fashion stickers, and a rhinestone sheet.
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Hasbro Comes Alive
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he most soft and snuggly Baby Alive dolls from Hasbro, the 1st for Me line encourages the earliest care-giving experiences for girls as young as 18 months. It’s dinnertime for Baby Alive Sips & Cuddles. Girls can feed this snuggly plush doll from the yellow bottle tethered to her arm and she will slurp it all up. She’ll also respond to hugs from her mommy and coo like a real baby to show how delighted she is. Baby Alive Better Now Baby isn’t feeling well and she needs mommy to make her all better. Use the stethoscope to check her heartbeat, make sure she drinks plenty of fluid from her sippy cup, and don’t forget to change her diaper. The doll will take the medicine from her magic spoon. Cover any of her pretend boo-boos with adhesive strips and cuddle her in her soft blanket to make her feel good as new. Hasbro introduces the Talkin’ Sid the Science Kid plush character. This soft plush is 12 inches tall and comes with his iconic microphone. Squeeze his belly to hear seven different phrases from the series. The Sid the Science Kid Mini Plush assortment allows kids to bring along Sid and friends as they investigate their surroundings. Collect all four friends and act out Baby Alive Sips & Cuddles enriching adventures from the show.
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Toy Fair 2010
dolls & plush
MGA’s Dolls Are a Girl’s Best Friend
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he girls from the BFC, Ink. (Best Friends Club) line are inducting two new friends to the club in 2010. Twin sisters Aliesha and Noelle each join the club with two fashion outfits, accessories, a journal with lock and key, and a membership card to unlock secret games online. Aliesha is the club chairperson and a natural leader. She loves acting and rock music and she loves being the center of attention. Noelle is club secretary because she’s very organized. Sweet and caring, Noelle is also painfully shy. She cares most about her twin sister, her friends, and animals in need. The Moxie Girlz More 2 Me Music 2 Makeup Boombox lets you get ready before you rock out. Nobody has to know about the hidden vanity with real makeup hiding inside your real working boombox and MP3 dock. The volume knob reveals hidden nail More 2 Me Lexa polish, the sound graph is also a nail file with a hidden mirror, the speakers hide secret lip glosses, and the sound controls move to reveal makeup brushes. Also part of the More 2 Me line is the More 2 Me Doll Pack, More 2 Me Beauty Phone, and More 2 Me Mic 2 Brush. Harness the happiness and the love in you with the Moxie Girlz I Am… Pillow Assortment with rosy light-up cheeks. I Am… Happy and I Am… Lucky pillows light up when you squeeze them. Other products from the I Am… line include the I Am… Doll Pack, I Am… DIY Moximini Figurine, and I Am… Moxiemini Assortment. The Moxie Girlz know that Art-titude is about being fearless and determined when it comes to expressing yourself. The new Art-titude line’s key feature is that girls can create the fashions for their Moxie Girlz to express their personal styles. The Art-titude Doll Pack includes a second outfit, big city fashion accessories, a bike, and two markers so you can style and personalize your Moxie Girlz. Also available is Art-titude Best Friends, Art-titude Fashion Design Kit, Art-titude RC Vehicle, and Art-titude Airbrush Fashion Gallery Playset.
Ganz Releases New Webkinz Jr. Pets
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anz has released a new set of Webkinz Jr. pets, a line of plush pets that come to life in a completely new and educational website just for kids 3 to 6 years old (www.webkinzjr.com). With each plush toy purchase, children receive an access code that unlocks content in a virtual world where they can practice navigating online while having fun and learning for a whole year. Parents have their own login area to set their child’s skill levels and manage the account. A deluxe membership is also available for purchase, which sends detailed reports about your child’s progress along with even more fun and games, daily surprises, and exclusive activities. Areas of the website include Home, with cozy rooms and lots to do; School, the Acorn Academy, which is full of interactive activities; Park, with Ranger Kenny helping you play hide-and-seek, tag, and more; Caring Center; Playhouse; and W Shop.
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Toy Fair 2010 Silverlit Is Laser MAD
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ITC Launches Duck Hunter Xtreme
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ilverlit Toys introduces new Iron Man 2 Racers and Speeders. The RC Speeder, in a 1:16 scale, features maroon finishing and an Iron Man controller. The War Machine RC Speeder, also a 1:16-scale vehicle, is available in black with a War Machine controller. Silverlit updates its Laser MAD line by introducing a four guns/four headset line. The headset has laser control for more than 160 feet, zapping vibrations so users know when they have been hit, a 360-degree danger alert, a reaction monitor mirror so players can see when opponents approach, and a life point level indicator that indicates how many times a player has been zapped by an opponent. The guns have a transmisson distance of more than 160 feet, a pull rear mechanism for reloading, a target lock for when opponents are in sight, a light pointer, a light beam focus emitter, and a power indicator with lights and sounds. Green City is a new line that features playsets with environmentally friendly concepts. The Green Garage is a nonbattery-operated playset constructed as a multi-level garage. Kids can drive their cars to the top of the solar powered Green Garage, get their car washed, or power up their vehicles at the power stop.
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ew for 2010, the two-player Duck Hunter Xtreme, from Interactive Toy Concepts, gives kids the option of being the hunter or the prey. Player one takes to the sky with the fullfunction R/C duck, while player two tests his hunting skills by trying to blast the duck from the sky with the infrared blaster. Three direct hits will bring the duck down. The Virtual Reality Control (VRC) lineup released this year will revolutionize traditional R/C play. Using patented technology, VRC offers the most realistic flight control available by using tilt steering rather than thumb control. The new Skeet Shooter item in the Hunter Series offers all the thrills of skeet shooting in the comfort of your own living room. Load the skeets into the launcher, then sit back and take aim using the infrared blaster. A direct hit will break the skeet in two. Then snap the broken skeets back together and load them back in to test your skills again.
RC Speeder
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Toy Fair 2010
boys’
Go Hasbro, Go Joe!
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.I. Joe 3.75-Inch Rip Attack Vehicles, from Hasbro, are powerful new vehicle launchers that allow you to take control of the action. Load the vehicle into the launcher, pull the ripcord, and watch these vehicles go. Each set features a launcher, a vehicle, and an exclusive 3.75-inch figure. Replicate your favorite ninja moves with the highly detailed G.I. Joe Foam Sword Role Play swords, in the style of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Or, you can look just like your favorite G.I. Joe character with the collection of G.I. Joe Role Play masks. Will you be Snake Eyes or Storm Shadow? Gear up and get ready to take on the role of everyone’s favorite Ninja from the G.I. Joe team with the G.I. Joe Snake Eyes Sword and Mask Role Play set. With the Snake Eyes katana-style sword, which features special lights, sounds, and a secret dart launcher hidden in the handle, and the Snake Eyes mask, kids can play the part of their Ninja hero.
It’s a Wild Planet; You Need Spy Gear
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ild Planet plans to launch its most advanced spy vehicle ever, the Spy Video TRAKR. This vehicle gives users the ability to create, download, and share custom programs for the sleek new R/C device. The TRAKR sends live digital video and audio to a full-color LCD monitor and speaker on its remote control. In addition to video and audio, a 2.4 GHz RF transmission and internal processor allow the TRAKR to transfer an endless combination of data between the vehicle and remote. Programs can be created and installed on the vehicle to make it follow a variety of custom commands. The TRAKR also comes with pre-loaded applications that can be used immediately, as well as a USB cord, allowing users to write their own apps or modify apps obtained (for free) through an online community. This fall, Wild Planet will release new Spy Gear gadgets. The Lie Detector Kit contains a sensor that monitors skin moisture, which increases when someone lies. This truth-detection method, modeled after the galvanic skin response system, is similar to the technology used in polygraph tests during real-life investigations. Lights on the kit illuminate as more moisture is emitted from a suspect’s fingertips. The Lie Detector Kit also comes with a tip booklet that shares psychological techniques you can use during interrogations. The Spy Decoy Listener looks like an ordinary flip phone but houses a directional microphone that amplifies sound, allowing you to hear distant discussions more clearly. If approached, quickly end your call and push the keypad before closing your phone to trigger the time-delayed ring. In 10 seconds you’ll have a believable excuse to answer your phone and tune back in to confidential conversations around you. Spy Video TRAKR
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Toy Fair 2010
boys’
JAKKS Has TNA, UFC, and MXS
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AKKS introduces new toys to its TNA Wrestling lineup. New TNA Impact Deluxe action figures are seven inches tall and fully articulated to perform all signature moves. These figures focus on popular, exclusive TNA talent and use Real Scan technology sculpts. The TNA Six Sided Ring is a value-focused TNA playset to stage wrestling events. This hexagon ring comes with all the essential TNA ring elements and trademark six-sided ring design—it’s an authentic replica of a real TNA ring. JAKKS will also release TNA Championship Belts, roleplay authentic replica belts from TNA’s top wrestling divisions, and TNA Micro Impact 3-Packs (Micro Figures), micro-scale TNA action figures in interactive playsets. New toys based on Ultimate Fighting Championship include the UFC Deluxe Figures 2-Packs, These seven-inch collectible action figures celebrate the best MMA fights of all time. They are targeted towards collectors, with deluxe packaging, complete authenticity, and detailed sculpts. These figures reflect fights from the past and present including UFC championships, epic battles, and legendary fights from UFC, Pride, and WEC. The UFC Electronic Reaction Octagon is a 20-inch Octagon with figure-activated sound effects. Real UFC announcers call the action in this authentic replica of the real UFC Octagon with officially licensed sponsors and brands. Also available are UFC Micro Figures 2-Packs and Playsets. JAKKS introduces MXS Performance SFX Bikes—authentic and MXS original die-cast bikes that feature real engine sounds. The MXS 4 in 1 Stunt Bike is a great way to capture the ability to perform the coolest stunts in one bike at a great value. This bike and rider can do wheelies, spins, and more. Also available are MXS X Changers, which are expanding the MXS brand into the customizing play pattern. The MXS Customizer Series enables kids to customize their favorite MXS bikes to any terrain for any race. MXS 4 in 1 Stunt Bike
MXS 4 in 1 Stunt Bike
NKOK Has Halo 3 R/C
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KOK debuts a new line of Halo 3 Remote Control Vehicles, which will hit retailers as Microsoft and Bungie launch Halo 3: ODST, the latest entry in the Halo series. The Warthog R/C car comes with a Master Chief and Blue Spartan figurine. The rear-mounted M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun turret is fully moveable and has a place to position one of the figurines. With a top speed of approximately seven miles per hour, the Warthog is the fastest R/C vehicle in the Halo collection. NKOK has also entered into a licensing agreement with SEGA of America, Inc. to develop and market a line of R/C vehicles and slot car racing sets based on the Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing video game for North America. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is a fast and furious battle to the finish line. Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rain forests, and bustling cities, all taken from the universes of Sonic and SEGA.
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Spin Master Does the Vectron Wave
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ew from Spin Master’s Air Hogs brand is the Vectron Wave, a hand-sized UFO that is unlike any flying machine ever seen before. Equipped with a state-of-the-art lever sensor, the Vectron Wave can sense objects below it and will automatically adjust its height accordingly to hover above them. The Vectron Wave does not need a remote control—it is guided by a wave of your hand or other object. For more fun, toss it back and forth with your friends for an extreme game of catch. The Vectron Wave is for ages 8 and up. Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders, the third season of Bakugan’s animated TV series, will launch this spring, along with a new lineup of Bakugan characters, an all new Bakugan MMOG, and new accessories. Transform your favorite Dekasized Bakugan warrior into an awesome fighting monster with the BakuMorph package, which includes one deluxe, Deka-sized Bakugan and one Metal Gate card. Other Bakugan products slated for the spring include Bakugan Battle Gear, Brawler Game Pack, and Character Packs. With Spin Master’s new The Last Airbender toy line, follow Aang as he uses his wit and martial arts skills, and join with his fellow benders as they band together to manipulate earth, water, fire, and air. Watch Fight ’n Flight Aang’s head and eyes light up just like in the movie. See his staff spin around while hearing dramatic sound effects. Vectron Wave
Learning Curve Gets Rugged
F
rom rough and rugged sandbox vehicle play to the most intricately detailed collectible, John Deere promotes the best of farm and construction play for kids of all ages. New for 2010, Learning Curve will debut more than 70 new John Deere items. With its distinctly unique John Deere look and monster vehicle styling, the new Radio Controlled John Deere ‘Monster Treads’ Gator is ready to tackle any obstacle that lies in its path with all-terrain tires and super fast off-road speed. The brand will also introduce the second release of the John Deere 50 State Tractor Series. Commemorating the importance and diversity of farming within each specific state, items from the John Deere 50 State Tractor Series feature all die-cast construction, custom collector cards with state farming facts, and unique state emblems on each tractor. To keep collectors on the hunt, “state capitol” tractors will also be randomly inserted across the production run. Johnny Lightning becomes more affordable with the new Forever 64 series. With brand new models, limited releases, exciting themes, and chase programs, this line will be a “must have” for every die-cast collector in 2010. Radio Controlled John Deere ‘Monster Treads’ Gator
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Toy Fair 2010
boys’
Carrera Gains Exclusive Rights to Ferrari for Electric Racing, Enters R/C Market
F
errari and Carrera have come to a worldwide exclusive agreement for the slot racing sector. Carrera is introducing exclusive historic and modern Ferrari models in various scales. The vehicles are authentic, highly detailed replicas of the originals. The Ferrari 250 GTO was originally built in 1953-64 and is to be produced in three versions: Targa Florio 1964 No.112, ’62 Sebring 12h 1964, and ’62, in the worldwide unique 1:24-scale format. The classic Ferrari 12 cylinder was given its name, as were its many successors, to reflect the cylinder capacity of each of its 12 cylinders: 250 cm³. Carrera is also introducing the successor of the 250, the Ferrari 330, as a P3/4 No.22 and the NART ’67 version of the Ferrari 412P originally introduced in 1976. In the 1:32-scale digital format, there will be two complete Ferrari sets and a range of five individual cars. In the Formula Racing set, the Ferrari F1 2010 by Fernando Alonso creates authentic Formula 1 racing fever at home. Ferrari Competition sees drivers enjoy the Ferrari 599 XX in the racing version or in the Geneva Motorshow presentation Ferrari 599 XX variation. The Ferrari 599 XX is the second-most powerful sportscar ever produced by Ferrari and, as with many other Carrera Digital 132 models, it has front (xenon) and rear lights including brake lights. The Ferrari 458 Italia also enables Carrera fans to experience the brand new 570 bhp sports car coupé from Maranello on a digital racetrack in two versions; a system allowing racing with up to six cars on a two-lane circuit. Carrera will also enter the R/C category with a line of on- and off-road trucks, buggies, boats, and more. Carrera R/C models will include a lightweight but extremely powerful Lithium-ion rechargeable battery and high performance SPS charger. The dual-mode speed function lets you set two speeds for indoor and outdoor use. Special body plastics technology and an almost indestructable chasis are both more than forgiving when it comes to the odd bump or two. A particulary clever feature is the steering setting on the transmitter. Drivers can choose whether they want to steer the vehicle either with the joystick or joypad.
Little Kids Signs with MLB
T
he Major League Baseball Players Association has granted a license to Little Kids’ Junk Ball Backyard Sports to produce and sell its brand of baseballs as well as bat and ball sets featuring the likenesses of active Major League baseball players such as Tim Lincecum, Dustin Pedroia, Alex Rodriguez, and Johan Santana, among others. The Junk Ball MLBPA Bat and Ball set comes with a classic Junk Ball Baseball, Junk Ball Bat, and a sheet of stickers that kids can use to customize their own bat. Each sticker sheet will have six players on it so kids will be able to put their favorite players on the bat. The Junk Ball MLBPA Baseballs are sold individually, packaged in a box with a player’s signature, name, and number printed on the ball, along with the MLBPA Players Choice name/slogan. Junk Ball Baseball is a re-designed, official-sized plastic baseball that enables anyone to throw “junk” pitches including curves, fastballs, sinkers, risers, sliders, and knuckle balls. The Junk Ball features a Dial Your Pitch ring and raised scuffmarks that together let the pitcher change the way the ball moves toward the batter.
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Toy Fair 2010
boys’
MEGA Expands Dragon Universe
M
EGA Brands introduces several new toys to the Dragon Universe, where the soldiers of the Alliance are under attack from the Predavors, an alien race of warlike dragons. The decisive battle has erupted. The ultimate large Predavor Dragon, Clawripper faces off against the super heavyweight class Alliance Warbyrd, equipped with multiple missile launchers, double flight-stick landing gear, and light and sound effects. This buildable set includes Alliance Captain, General, and exclusive Chief Commander figures with shields and weapons, as well as exclusive Clawripper Dragon with buildable, removable weapons and Power Core in chest. New to the Halo universe, the Halo UNSC Pelican Dropship vehicle lets kids build and recreate epic battle scenes between the UNSC and the Covenant. The Pelican Dropship’s primary role is to deliver troops, equipment, and weaponry. This 920-piece vehicle holds up to four mini-figures and includes a real working cockpit, four rotating thrusters for VTOL action, working rear bay door, and two pilots. Buckle up and race into Streetz, the only construction toy line where kids build and bring to life their own city. Off the Streetz and onto the racetrack, the TwinLoop Dragway is the perfect place for two cars to face off. The set includes light-up cars, stunt action cars, speed boosters, and a car container. Overlapping loops make for an intense racing experience. Other Streetz sets include Downtown Mayhem, Cross ’n Crash, Bowling Bash, and Car Pack Series 2. The Battle Strikers Series 2.0 Tournament Set is the ultiAlliance Warbyrd mate set for the ultimate battle. It includes two Turbo Launchers to rev up your Striker to more than 6,000 RMP, two Controllers, the Knockout Arena, and Series 2 Strikers Scarab and Scorpion. Other new Battle Strikers products include Starter Set Series 2, Knockout Arena, Reload Strikers Series 2.0, Metal XS Tournament Set, and more.
Daron Lets Imaginations Soar
D
aron Worldwide Trading’s tagline, “Let your imagination fly,” reaches out to its client base of aviation enthusiasts and collectors alike. Its expansion into the toy market over the past five years has included imaginative toys for air, land, and sea. For young astronauts, the 2-in-1 Rocket delivers space travelers to another world. Complete with detachable capsule, moon buggy, and two astronauts (who are outnumbered by three aliens), the colorful plastic rocket stimulates sensory awareness with realistic rocket sounds and stands more than 16 inches high. At Toy Fair, Daron will unveil its newest licensed line, a full range of Chevron-licensed toys and playsets. Also being introduced is a new line of authentic NYC Police and Fire vehicles. The 1:24scale die-cast models include a New York City Police Car, Taxi Cab, and FDNY Fire Chief’s SUV. Features include turning wheels, plus hoods and doors that open. 2-in-1 Rocket
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Bandai’s Got Morphin’ Power
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andai introduces new toys to its Mighty Morphin Power Rangers lineup. Each Morphin Racer, Zord Vehicle, and Dino Cycle has a unique morphin’ action of its own and includes an articulated four-inch Ranger. Collect and combine two or three vehicles or collect five to create the ultimate Megazord. You can also combine these with the Deluxe Megazord to create a super ultimate Megazord. The Zord Vehicles are available in red, blue, black, and yellow, with each colored vehicle having its own unique feature—red for Propelling Coin Action, blue for Multiple Missile Action, black for Launching Action, and yellow for Morphin’ Sparking Action. Dino Cycles are available in red, green, blue, and black, and each morphs into an animal beast. The Power Rangers can race to defeat evil with the sleek Red Morphin Racer. The Racer morphs into a Zord Robot. Customize the Morphin Racer with included sticker decals and details. Blue Zord Vehicle
Toy Fair 2010 Venom Takes to the Skies with New R/Cs
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he Venom Micro Troop Transporter, from Venom Group International, is perfect for taking on missions in your living room, from the coffee table base to the sofa mountain range. With dual counter-rotating blades, you will be able to easily navigate through tight living room canyons. The Micro Troop Transporter’s rugged design and flexible rotor blades will stand up to the rigors of active duty in your home. The Micro Troop Transporter features a three-channel IR controller with adjustable trim, three frequency and color variations, dual counter rotating rotor design, sturdy and durable design for flying indoors, scale detailed fuselage, rechargeable li-poly battery pack, and bright multicolor LED flashing lights. The Venom Kodiak Helicopter is a durable, easyto-fly heli that is fun for pilots of all skill levels. Ready to fly in minutes, the Venom Kodiak features a counterrotating design that makes the heli extremely stable and easy to fly. Its scale body and functioning LED lights will make you feel like a real heli pilot, while its light weight makes it perfect for flying indoors or out on calm days. A fully charged Kodiak will fly for eight to 10 minutes. The Venom Kodiak features a three-channel FM transmitter, coaxial counter-rotating design, functional LED lights, and rechargeable lipoly battery pack.
Venom Micro Troop Transporter
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Konami Has New Yu-Gi-Oh TCG Sets
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ith the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Absolute Powerforce Booster Set, the skies clash with the sounds of epic battle, as Absolute Powerforce brings Duelists everywhere the ultimate monsters featured in the climax of the Dark Signers’ storyline from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s. Five Synchro Monsters anchor this 100-card set, including new trump cards used by Yusei and Jack, as well as the new Dragons of Rex Goodwin. Absolute Powerforce also includes a brand new X-Saber Synchro Monster, plus other new cards for XSabers, Reptiliannes, Koa’ki Meiru, Ritual Monsters, Earthbound Immortals, Psychics, and more. As an added bonus for long-time fans of Yu-Gi-Oh!, the Gravekeepers return. First introduced in 2003, this mysterious sect of Egyptian magicians has fascinated many a Duelist over the years. Now, the Gravekeepers are back; Absolute Powerforce includes 10 World Premiere cards never before seen, plus 10 bonus cards previously available as promotional cards only in Japan. The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Machina Mayhem Structure Deck is a readyMachina Mayhem Structure Deck to-play Structure Deck with a war machine unlike any seen before. This 40-card Deck includes 11 brand new cards and gives Duelists the tools they need to summon awesome engines of destruction— designed to pulverize the opponent’s monsters. Konami will also introduce the 2010 version of the YuGi-Oh! Trading Card Game Duelist Pack Collection Tin containing the usual assortment of packs, plus a powerful variant card from the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s animated series.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
T HE D EFINITIVE I NFORMATION S OURCE
FOR THE
T OY
AND
G IF T M ERCHANT
Toy Fair Comes But Once a Year It’s Toy Fair! The show we’ve been waiting for all year—unless you also attend the ASTRA Convention, ABC Kids Expo, etc. But Toy Fair has that certain magic about it. You never know when you’ll walk around the corner of an aisle and discover the next big hit for your store. As a specialty retailer, you know that this is the time to put your feelers out and try to find that special toy that will have customers coming to you throughout the year. For manufacturers, especially new companies trying to get a foothold in the market for the first time, this is it. This is their big chance to make a great first impression and get picked up for a spot on your shelves. They might be sitting there with the next big thing, just waiting for you to come across their booth. Be sure to take the time to check out companies you’ve never met with before, in addition to your usual roster. For a sneak preview of the new product offerings from companies both new and “old,” check out our specialty Toy Fair coverage, beginning on page S6. Also flip through the
Toy Fair section of The Toy Book (you can’t miss it, it takes up most of the pages in this issue). There are specialty manufacturers to be found there as well, divided by product category. Wishing you a great show and a successful year ahead! ●
Jackie Breyer, editor in chief
ON THE COVER: 4D CITYSCAPE’S SKYLINE TIME PUZZLE OF NEW YORK CITY. THIS PATENT PENDING PUZZLE ALLOWS YOU TO REBUILD THE WORLD’S FAMOUS CITY SKYLINES, STARTING FROM THE PAST, TO THE PRESENT, AND INTO THE FUTURE. EACH PUZ2,000 EDUCATIONAL FACTS ABOUT EACH CITY. WHEN COMPLETE, IT’S A MINIATURE MODEL WITH GLOW-IN-THE-DARK STREETS. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.4DCITYSCAPE.COM. ZLE COMES WITH MORE THAN
The ST&G Checklist Presented here are some of the hottest items in the specialty marketplace.
BANANAGRAMS Bananagrams
PERPLEXUS PlaSmart
BLOKUS Sekkoia SAS
SET GAME SET Enterprises
HEXBUG NANO Innovation First
THE SETTLERS OF CATAN Mayfair Games
JISHAKU RSV Productions
SNAP CIRCUITS SC-300 Elenco
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NEWS HOBBICO ACQUIRES ESTES-COX Hobbico, Inc. has acquired Estes-Cox Corporation from a group of investors. Estes, founded 51 years ago, is located in Penrose, Colorado, where it operates a manufacturing plant and distribution center. It will continue to operate there as a subsidiary of Hobbico. Estes products include a wide range of flying model rockets in kit and ready-to-fly form, as well as launching systems and miniature solid-propellant rocket motors. Hobbico is a manufacturer and marketer of model hobby products, including radio controlled models, plastic model kits, trains, and other hobby and toy products. The 100 percent employee-owned company sells products through several subsidiaries including RevellUnited Model, Great Planes Model Distributors, and Tower Hobbies.
MMAC
TO
PURCHASE TRUDY
CORPORATION’S ASSETS Trudy Corporation, a publisher of children’s educational story and novelty books, audiobooks, and plush toys, has entered into a definitive Asset Purchase Agreement. In the agreement, Trudy will sell substantially all of its assets to MMAC, LLC, which also would assume certain liabilities of Trudy. Trudy, which is located in Norwalk, Conn., does business as Soundprints, Studio Mouse, and MusicforLittlePeople.com. Under the terms of the agreement, MMAC will assume substantially all of the secured and unsecured liabilities of Trudy with the exception of $2.7 million of personal debt owed to the principal shareholder and Trudy Chairman, William W. Burnham. The deal is expected to close in February.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
PATCH PRODUCTS SECURES TWO NEW LICENSES The Jim Henson Company has granted Patch Products licenses for PBS Kids television series Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid. Patch will develop magnetic and foam activities based on Dinosaur Train and sciencethemed kits and toys for Sid the Science Kid. The new toys and game activities will arrive on store shelves this fall. Sid the Science Kid
STINKYKIDS, AMERICAN BASS ANGLERS APPOINT STONE AMERICA LICENSING Stone America Licensing has been appointed exclusive licensing agent by Britt Menzies, creator of StinkyKids. StinkyKids is a group of 10 diverse “little stinKers” who learn to make the right choices through common mistakes. The group lives by the motto “Always Be a Leader of Good.” The StinkyKids plush line premiered last year in all 110 Nordstrom stores. Stone America’s first priority will be to solidify a new master toy/plush licensee and publishing licensee. StinkyKids’ first book, StinkyKids and the Runaway Scissors, was released in January. Stone America has also been appointed the exclusive licensing agent by American Bass Anglers (ABA), the largest bass tournament trail dedicated to the weekend angler. Licensing categories available to manufacturers and retailers include toys and games, publishing, electronics, equipment, apparel, apparel accessories, and more.
MUNCHKIN EXPANDS
WITH
ACQUISITION
OF
LINDAM
Munchkin, Inc., designer and manufacturer of infant and toddler products, has announced the purchase of Lindam, the UK baby safety brand and developer of nursery products. The purchase adds Lindam’s safety portfolio to a Munchkin portfolio that includes products across infant categories such as bath, care, travel, and feeding, as well as pet categories through the company’s pet division, Bamboo. Lindam’s current baby care portfolio includes safety gates, baby monitors, feeding accessories, jumpers, and other nursery products.
LEARNING EXPRESS CONVENTION
TO
BE HELD
IN
NASHVILLE
Learning Express has announced that its annual company convention and vendor expo will be held June 27–30 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. Attendees of the convention will include the company’s corporate staff, owners of more than 150 Learning Express toy stores, and more than 100 toy vendors. Each year, more than $14 million in toy merchandise is purchased at the convention. The convention also hosts a gala banquet on June 30 where awards for outstanding manufacturers, as voted by Learning Express owners, will be presented. ●
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ASTRA’S INSIGHTS
Behind the Scenes at ASTRA: Creating a Member-Driven Convention
by Kathleen McHugh, president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA)
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hen the registration desk welcomes the very first attendee to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (ASTRA) Marketplace & Academy each year, it’s easy to feel a twinge of Christmas morning-like excitement. Independent toy retailers, who represent the bulk of the attendees, walk in to see a robust event focused comprehensively on the business of specialty toys: a packed exhibit hall, an impressive roster of speakers, a top quality educational program, and unique opportunities for trying out new games and kits. What attendees do not see when the doors swing open are all the ASTRA member volunteers who worked so diligently behind the scenes to make it all happen. Planning Process as a Reflection of ASTRA’s Values As a trade association, one of ASTRA’s primary commitments is to provide highly relevant, affordable professional development opportunities for its members. To that end, it publishes newsletters, books, and web content, as well as hosts timely webinars. But, the biggest professional development event of the year happens at the annual convention during the Academy portion of the event. “Our process for planning the Academy program demonstrates what ASTRA really is: an organization of its members,” says Elaine Hackney, owner of BOING! JP’s Toy Shop in Boston and volunteer chair of ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy planning committee. The 16-member planning group includes storeowners, manufacturers, and sales reps. Its mission is to monitor trends, listen to members, and then shape member needs into educational sessions with speakers who fit the ASTRA audience. Educational Sessions Responsive to Member Needs Using a process that Hackney credits ASTRA veteran Terry Myers (owner of Kaleidoscope Toys, Inc. in Round Rock, Tex.) for developing, the convention committee reviews evaluations from the previous Marketplace & Academy. “The vast majority are hugely positive and offer constructive ideas for future meetings,” notes Hackney. “We tease out what type of content members are requesting for the next event, even as we keep our ear to the ground for anything new. If we’re not sure about an idea, we vet it on ASTRA’s listserv.” Content—not speakers—drives the crafting of educational sessions, emphasizes Hackney. Once topics are determined, the search for engaging, knowledgeable presenters begins. The committee looks at clips of the potential keynoters and presenters and collects information about their abil-
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
ity to engage with an audience like ASTRA’s: small, independent business owners who operate on thin margins and need profit-generating ideas they can use right away. The result? Some topics are timeless, such as financial management, merchandising, and staff hiring and training; some change in response to external conditions, such as training on new toy safety requirements; and some evolve between the time the session is drafted and the convention itself, often the case with technology topics. The Outcome: The 2010 ASTRA Academy Program Sessions Staff Hiring/Training • Raise the Bar! How to Create and Profit with a High Performance Team • Beyond Clerking: Teaching your Staff the Experience Difference Marketing • Optimize Your Marketing Dollar: The Secrets of Getting Better Results on a Shoestring Budget • Marketing Strategies & Media: Retail Marketing Goes High Tech • Emergent Technologies for the Retail Environment Financial Management • Improving Your Store’s Bottom Line • Getting Back to the Good Old Days (avoiding profit traps that emerge at the end of every recession) And more! • Strategic Forum for Sales Reps • Solid Advice from Long-Time Manufacturers and Distributors • Small ASTRA Stores, Unique Business Strategies • Play in the Lives of Children: Communicating the Importance of Play to Parents & Families • Optimizing Inventory Management • Ten Ways to Renovate Your Store on a Tight Budget What is the best part of planning the year’s biggest gathering of the specialty toy industry? “With all due credit to the remarkable staff,” says Hackney, “it’s such a thrill to craft something as representatives of our peers, then watch it grow and come out of the chute as a huge, viable, indispensible part of the specialty landscape.” ● This year’s ASTRA Marketplace & Academy will be held June 13-16, 2010 in the historic New England port city of Providence, Rhode Island. Learn more at www.astramarketplace.org.
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Toy Fair 2010
specialty
Join The Young Scientists Club
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ew for spring, THE YOUNG SCIENTISTS CLUB introduces science kits to unlock the secrets of animal tracks, recreate global warming in a bottle, and design a diorama for dinosaurs. In Magic School Bus Solar Energy to the Rescue, Ms. Frizzle and her students take Young Scientists on a wild ride. Young Scientists explore the greenhouse effect, collect real carbon dioxide, recreate global warming in a bottle, use a solar panel to spin a fan, make a solar secret code, design solar spinners, and watch solar energy inflate balloons. With Magic School Bus Back in Time with the Dinosaurs, Young Scientists create a timeline, design a diorama, build a wooden dinosaur replica, make cast and mold fossils, mold clay dinosaur teeth, simulate a dino dig, and fold 3-D dinosaurs. Using Science on a Tracking Expedition, Young Scientists will identify and cast animal tracks, learn about the animals that make them play the tracking game, create animal track prints, design an animal track poster, and explore real animal tracks in nature. The eight realistic animal footprint molds, large colorful poster, and 80 animal game cards will inspire all Young Scientists to become animal track explorers.
Pedestal Pets Are Standing Tall
PlaSmart Introduces Perplexus
isa J. Scherfel of Wexford is the inventor and owner of INSPIRED DESIGN, LLC. Scherfel created Pedestal Pets, a series of animal pencil toppers that sit atop colorful, coordinating pencils. She came up with this idea after observing how much money she was wasting trying to obtain certain collectible animal pencil toppers through vending machines for her young daughter. Pedestal Pets come in packages of four animals that are grouped by themes, such as Neighborhood Friends. Included with each set are trading cards that contain fun facts. Pedestal Pets also offers a website that children can access to learn more about their favorite pencil toppers.
erplexus, from PLASMART, is a can’t-put-it-down challenge. Flip, twist, and spin Perplexus to move the ball along the numbered path, working with and against gravity. But be careful—faster than the blink of an eye, your ball can fall off course and you’ll have to begin again. Perplexus is fun for the whole family, with more than 100 barriers to master.
P
L
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Mandy and Pandy Teach Chinese
T
he approach of writing the English question, the English phonetic pronunciation, and finally the Chinese characters, paired with a CD so kids can hear the languages, is one reason why the book series Mandy and Pandy has been so successful in teaching early Chinese reading skills to youngsters of all nationalities. The author of the series, Chris Lin, began writing the books in order to help his newly adopted Chinese daughter, Mandy, learn to speak her native language. Mandy, a curious young girl, and Pandy, a funny and sweet Panda, have been illustrated in a way that makes them pop off the page and become instant friends with the reader. Their adventures are fun and relatable, and the selection of themes and words to learn is thoughtful and intelligent. Two new books are being introduced this year. In Mandy and Pandy Play “What Colors Do You See?,’’ Mandy and Pandy visit the lake and ask each other about the colors of the objects around them. Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo is a journey through the local zoo. Children can learn the Chinese and English names for wild creatures such as tigers, hippos, and flamingos.
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Toy Fair 2010
specialty
HQ Kites Makes Kite Flying a Breeze
H
Q KITES & DESIGNS is expanding its line of easy-to-fly kites for kids in time for spring. Perfect for specialty stores, each kite features high-quality construction with hand-sewn appliquĂŠ or colorful dye-sublimation on a ripstop nylon or polyester sail. The durable fiberglass frames will keep these kites flying for years of outdoor use. Each kite includes flying line, winder, and tails. The new designs are featured on diamonds, deltas, and sled kite models and will appeal to kids of all ages. The themes include sharks, dolphins, clownfish, fairies, dragons, air and spacecraft, butterflies, frogs, ponies, kittens, puppies, ladybugs, fiery flames, and phoenix.
Thames & Kosmos Gets Cooking with Science
T
& KOSMOS introduces new science kits for kids ages 8 and older. Kids can heat water or melt chocolate with a self-made parabolic solar cooker, constructed by using the Solar Cooking Science kit. The science kit includes 14 interlocking foil pieces that reflect and focus the sun’s radiation on a small cooking container. Young scientists can use the kit to learn about solar thermal energy while cooking up a snack. With the Chem C100 Test Lab, kids can conduct experiments on household substances to reveal their unique chemical properties. Experiments include testing the substances to see if they dissolve in a solution with water, and seeing how substances react to form gases. The Physics Simple Machines kit teaches kids about six simple machines: levers, pulleys, inclined planes, screws, wedges, and wheels and axles. By assembling and using the spring scale, kids can measure how the machines change the direction and magnitude of forces. Recycle scrap paper and old newspapers using the Recycled Paper Press. Users can start draining paper pulp in the sieve tray, then press it flat with the included tool. Customize the final paper product by using different paper fibers and adding pigment tablets to change the color. Kids can grow phosphorescent crystals that glow in the dark with the Glowing Crystals set. The kit teaches why crystals form, what crystal lattice structure is, and what makes these crystals glow. With Little Labs Stars & Planets, kids can explore outer space by building a solar system, making moon craters, launching a rocket, and testing to see which planets could support life. Sustainable Earth Lab explains environmental problems that threaten the Earth. The science kit is organized into five main sections about renewable energies, natural resource usage, climate change prevention, waste and water management, and energy conservation, aiming to educate kids in a non-frightening and simple way. Hands-on experiments in the kit include constructing a miniature water treatment plan and experimenting with heat transfer and insulation. In the Crystals, Rocks, & Minerals kit, kids can learn about rocks and the minerals that form them by conducting more than 18 hands-on projects and investigations such as growing chemically different types of crystals with different colors and crystal shapes. HAMES
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
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As Earth-Friendly as a Dandelion
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Earth-Friendly Goods are stuffed with natural corn fibers, making them completely machine-washable and one of the most natural toys available. All of the Dandelion Earth-Friendly Goods are grown without pesticides and chemicals. Dandelion’s new organic toys offer simple shapes and sounds with sophisticated style while using ecofriendly materials and dyeing processes. The variety of textures including velour, terry, and canvas will delight and engage babies as they explore and teethe with their very first toys. The soothing colors and gentle rattles, squeakers, and crinkle noises will encourage hand-eye coordination and encourage learning about cause and effect. The new Organic Soft Plush line from Dandelion Earth-Friendly Goods includes a turtle, duck, and bear. The Organic Cotton Canvas Diaper Bag is stylish, practical, eco-friendly, and ready for any adventure. Made from cotton canvas with cotton rope shoulder straps to make it comfortable, this bag is lightweight and portable. Each diaper bag has four outside pockets, one big snap pocket, two elastic bottle holders, and one large open pocket. Six different prints are available. ANDELION
Organic Plush Turtle
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Toy Fair 2010
specialty
Eastcolight Introduces HD Microscope
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ASTCOLIGHT’s Dr Mike LCD HD Digital Microscope features a 2.4-inch TFT colored LCD HD screen, instant view and storage of images and videos, up to 2600X with 4x digital zoom, coaxial fine focus for quick and precise focus adjustment, and easy connection to TV and computer with application software included. The microscope is also SD/MMC card compatible. Accessories include eight blank slides, four prepared slides, 12 cover glasses, 12 blank labels, 12 slide covers, metal tweezers, scalpel, spatula, screwdriver, four collecting vials, petri dish, hatchery (micro-incubator), USB cable, AV cable, CD-ROM with driver and application software, and an instruction manual. The kit requires three AA batteries, not included.
DuneCraft Offers Strange
Peaceable Sticks Quick
Plants and Owl Puke
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UNECRAFT
introduces a plethora of new science kits, including the Outer Space Explorer, Slimy Squishy Polymer Fun, and Unreal Upchuck. The Unreal Upchuck box set combines the thrill of dissecting owl puke and rebuilding skeletons with hypoallergenic and sanitary supplies. It is 100 percent sanitary, safe, and nontoxic. Delve even further into DuneCraft’s world with the Happy Cat Plant and Dog’s Delight—both are quick to sprout and easy to grow. DuneCraft has announced an assortment of other new educational, eco-friendly, and sustainable products, including the Strange Plants Dome, the Water Wonders Set, the Hydro-Dome, many new Capsule Terrariums, a Silly Squares Stacker Set, and more.
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KINGDOM introduces Quick Sticker Projects: all-in-one craft kits that include everything a kid needs to create, build, and decorate. Nine designs were released in January, with more to follow in May. Quick Sticker Project Wands & Tiaras Kit is great for little princesses who want to make their own accessories. The kit includes two paper wands, two paper tiaras, and 146 glitter stickers to decorate and design with. The Quick Sticker Project Galactic Spaceships Kit is a blast into outer space. The kit comes with 13 interchangeable spaceship parts to build three spaceships, plus 60 stickers to spruce up the spaceships. The company will also add two new Sticker Activity Totes, featuring educational and reusable stickers. The new designs include a United States Map and School Time, which kids can play with at home or on-the-go. EACEABLE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Sprig Eco-Shakes It Up
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TOYS debuts new items made from the company’s Sprigwood, a bio-composite of recycled wood and reclaimed plastic that has real wood “flecks” and a fresh, wood-shop scent. The Sprig Cone Stacker gives toddlers stacking play without the post. Each differently colored piece of the stacker has a three-dimensional shape on the underside that fits into the top of the piece below it, teaching shapes and matching. New walkers will enjoy pushing and sorting with Shapes Rattle and Roll. Kids ages 18 months and older can push the toy or sort the pieces by color and shape. Eco-Shaker is an eco-friendly rattle for infants ages 6 months and older. The rattle is made from Sprigwood and is filled with the same material to produce the rattle sound. Soarin’ Sea Plane is the company’s latest addition to its Sprig Adventure Series. The stunt plane, decorated in bright yellow, has a spinning propeller, rubber cargo net, and pontoons for bathtub water landings. Adventure Guide Pelican Pete, included with the aircraft, has a removable pilot hat with goggles and sits in the cockpit. All of Sprig toys have no paint and are dishwasher safe. PRIG
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
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Soarin’ Sea Plane
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Toy Fair 2010
specialty
Babies Are Singing “Wooden It Be Nice!”
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ABA introduces its newest line of wooden toys. Bright colors, smooth edges, and whimsical designs are behind this year’s additions to HABA’s nursery. Brightly colored with water-based stain, Lirum and Larum Rattles are sure to keep baby happy and busy. Whether babies want to shake it or spin it, they’re going to love it. These rattles are for babies 6 months and up. Paulina Horse Animal Scooter’s bells, offset wheels, and non-removable, twistable head is sure to roll its way into any ponyloving baby’s favorite toy stable. The Bear Ben Animal Scooter is a blue bear with a bell; a non-removable, twistable head; and offset wooden wheels. Crocodile Chris Animal Scooter’s large, grinning face makes for some great fun. Add his jingly bell, offset wooden wheels, and non-removable, twistable head and he’s not the only one who will be smiling. Cow Caro Animal Scooter makes every baby a moo-ver and a shaker. Push her around on her offset, wooden wheels, shake her to hear the bells, or twist her non-removable head so she can smile in every direction. All the Animal Scooters are for ages 1 and up. The Zoolino Stacking Toy, featuring a bear, a rhino, and a crocodile, is a developmental toy. Children can stack the blocks on one of three wooden rods in any order—do it as shown in the picture, like a puzzle, Lirum and Larum Rattles or be silly and mix up the animals. When it’s all done, pull the Zoolino stacking toy around and have your own zoo parade. The stacking toy is for ages 18 months and older.
Schylling Works the Register
Sing Along in the Minivan
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he Tin Cash Register, from SCHYLLING, has working buttons and an opening drawer to teach kids how to count while they play. Also being revived are the Tin Chime Ball, which makes a chime sound when rolled, and the Tin Music Radio, which has a winding knob, music, and moving images. Starting in 2010, Schylling has been named the exclusive U.S. distributor of Ambi toys. The company will now distribute popular Ambi toys, including Baby’s First Car, Chirpy, Focus Pocus, One Man Band, and Tedd & Tess Carousel.
PRODUCTIONS will release three CDs from Peter Himmelman’s currently out-of-print catalog of family music: My Fabulous Plum, My Best Friend Is a Salamander, and My Lemonade Stand. The CDs will feature refreshed package designs with artwork by Pete Oswald, the children’s book author/illustrator whose work is currently appearing in the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. These CDs will be featured at the NewSound Kids’ booth at Toy Fair. Minivan Productions is a new record label that has the intention of becoming a full-service production company for artists and projects in the kids’/children’s/family music genre. INIVAN
Tin Cash Register
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Teamson Gives Kids’ Rooms the Royal Treatment
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DESIGN CORP. is bringing its line of children’s furniture, room décor, and wooden toys to kids’ rooms. The latest additions are the no-tools-required wooden Play Castles, which are available in blue or pink. The castle’s pieces fit together like a puzzle. Included are furniture, a royal family, knights, horses, and turrets with flags. The castle walls and floors come apart to be stored. The Magic Garden and the Princess and Frog collections will transform any little girl’s room into a fairytale land. These collections include a valet rack with cubby and hand-carved wooden hangers, vanity, step stools, table and chair sets, rocking chairs, toy boxes, table lamps, a seven-drawer cabinet, and more. The Safari, Sunny Safari, and Alphabet collections will transport adventurers to a safari filled with zebras, giraffes, elephants, monkeys, tigers, and lions. The safari collections include table and chair sets, storage step stools, bookcases, toy boxes, rocking chairs, time-out chairs, a desk, and rocking animals. When children have completed potty training, Teamson’s Potty Chairs convert to chairs and rocking chairs to create extra children’s seating anywhere in the home. All of the potty chairs feature removable toilet paper roll holders and book/magazine racks. The Cowboy, Jungle, Noah’s Ark, Magic Garden, and Wings & Wheels potty chairs convert to a rocking chair. Teamson also offers a line of Thomas & Friends Wooden furniture. EAMSON
2010
specialty
Charisma Has Dolls to Adore
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BRANDS, LLC is re-launching the Adora doll collection at Toy Fair, along with Charisma’s other brands, including Marie Osmond Dolls, Kewpie, and Penny Brite. Charisma’s new collection of Adora dolls includes 27 limited edition dolls, 31 toddler dolls, and 10 baby dolls. For added play, 19 interchangeable costumes are available. For 2010, Adora introduces Yana, a limited edition doll. Yana represents Malaysia and is dressed in a traditional Sabah costume. This costume features more than 500 beads and jewels adorning the dress and accessories, and her headpiece features an additional 360 hand-sewn beads and metal accents. Panda Fun is one of the 31 new 22-inch vinyl toddler dolls. She is cuddly like a panda bear in a pink and black polka-dot outfit with coordinating panda boots and hipster purse. She stays warm with her furry shearling vest, complete with panda ears on the hood. Her hood is lined in coordinating polka dots. The Sweetheart baby doll is one of 10 new 20-inch vinyl baby dolls. She wears a soft pink jersey knit romper accented with three heart-shaped buttons on the bodice. Her undershirt and coordinating hat have printed flowers and hearts. Whimsical is the theme of this year’s Marie Osmond Doll line. Peter Pan, by Sonja Bryer, is the debut doll within the theme. Peter Pan is limited to only 125 pieces worldwide. In addition, Darlene—Sprinkle of Sunshine, by Karen Scott, is limited to only 150 dolls. New for 2010, Marie also introduces a series of articulated Mop Tops. This collection is based on Marie Osmond’s AdoraBelle character, featuring 13 points of articulation. The Mop Tops include five exclusive designs costumed by Connie Lowe. The first doll, Paris Posh, has sold exclusively to QVC. Lively Lucy, Patti Princess, Ruella Raspberry, and Lottie Love round out the collection’s first offering. Charisma’s Penny Brite, originally produced in the 1960s, was the solution for mothers who wanted to introduce fashion dolls that had a more wholesome appeal to their daughters. The 2010 Happily Ever After collection debuts an updated Penny sculpt with slightly elongated legs and a slimmer torso. Penny’s costumes let her step into the world of fairytales and fantasy as Tinkerbell, Snow White, Rapunzel, Alice in Wonderland, Sweetheart Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood. HARISMA
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
FamilyTimeFun Enjoys Pizza Night hether your pizza is pick-up or delivery, FAMILYTIMEFUN’s Pizza Night Family Dinner Game is designed to add fun to family pizza night and bring everyone closer together. This game includes pizza box packaging, 150 spill-proof pizza-slice game cards, and six game categories: Family Style, Fun Time, Get Creative, Brainy, Action Packed, and Talk Town. Once seated with your family and favorite pizza, role the die. Whatever color appears on the die is the colored card you play. Then just pass the die to the next person. It’s quick and easy to play for anyone ages 5 and up—just gather your family, grab a pizza, and begin the fun.
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Trance4mation Keeps It Real
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RANCE4MATION
GAMES, LLC debuts at Toy Fair with its first product, Keep It Real Rx. The conversation-starting board game allows players to share their personal beliefs, convictions, feelings, memories, imaginations, and more, aloud. To play, up to 12 players move around the circular track of the board, responding to questions in the categories Personal, The World, Fantasy/Imagination, Reflection, and Action/Description, determined by the roll of the dice. Players can be prompted to move out of their comfort zone when they are playing in the challenge category or to simply engage with one another in the interaction category. While playing, there are opportunities for players to win gold coins, and the first player to reach the middle space with the most coins wins the game.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
S15
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Toy Fair 2010
specialty
Out of the Box Hits the Streets
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ord on the Street Junior by OUT OF THE BOX brings the excitement of Word on the Street to the entire family. On each turn, one team flips over a category card and team members quickly brainstorm words that fit the category. The team agrees on a word before the time runs out and then pulls each letter in that word one lane closer to their side of the street. The first team to pull eight letters off the street wins. Word on the Street Junior encourages vocabulary development, creative thinking, and teamwork. The game is for two to eight players, ages 8 to adult. In Bug Out!, each player starts with four leaves but only knows what’s under two of them. Players must draw leaf cards, swap them, and discard, in an effort to get the lowest total number of bugs under the four leaves. Think you have the lowest number of bug points? Shout “Bug Out!” If you are right, your points are cut in half, but “bug out” too early and you get double the points. Bug Out! is for two to six players, ages 6 to adult. Gather your sunglasses, snowshoes, and mosquito spray—it’s time to travel to new destinations with 10 Days in the Americas. Players use destination and transportation tiles to chart a course across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America—touring by airplane, cruise ship, or on foot. With a little luck and clever planning, you just might outmaneuver your fellow travelers and be the first to make connections for a complete 10-day journey. The game is for two to four players, ages 10 to adult. In Pirate Versus Pirate, three bands of pirates have discovered an island brimming with treasure. Conquer the island by capturing the gold and silver, or by eliminating the enemy pirates. Position your pirates carefully; enemies are all around and they are hungry for treasure. The game is for two or three players, ages 8 to adult.
Huckleberry’s Toffee Dolls Are Part Animal
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n 2010, HUCKLEBERRY is focusing on promoting and building its Toffee doll brand with the release of the second series in April. The Toffee dolls are a mixed medium and can be deceiving to the naked eye upon first glance. Toffee dolls are 97 percent plush and utilize faceplates and hands. The dolls are articulated with five simple joints. The fabrics that make up the doll also play a role in their overall look and are matched to complement the outfits they wear. Another noticeable feature is that the Toffee dolls all have animal ears. This is because the dolls aren’t human; rather, they possess human and animal elements to form their own species. Some dolls have rabbit ears and some have cat ears. The cat dolls also have fangs. Toffee dolls come in high-end collector boxes, which can display the doll mint-in-package or be opened to remove the doll for display. The dolls come with removable background dioramas that can be placed behind the dolls when they are out of their box. Each doll is handmade and is hand-numbered in limited editions.
Avery doll
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
S16
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Griddly Games Gets Your Mind Going
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Join the Princess Academy
GAMES has announced the release of its new social, brain-teaser games, Words of the Wise and Chronicles of the Mind. Both games come with French, Spanish, and German translations. In Chronicles of the Mind, the playing group chooses one of four different versions of the game to suit their group. The goal is to get to know everyone better as each player reports, recounts, and relates funny, inspiring, sad, true, or false stories. In the Chronicler version, a player picks a category card and shares a story that matches the category. The next player turns over the next card and recounts another story in a new category. In the Kit ‘n Caboodle game play version, a player picks up a category card and then each player shares their own story that matches the category on the card. In The Gambler version, each player is dealt five category cards. Players can choose to return some or all of their cards and receive replacements. Then each player must share a story that matches the categories of their cards. In the Bamboozle game play, each player picks a card from the category deck and without telling anyone else, chooses to tell a true or false story. After the story, all players must use their Voting Card to say whether the story was true or false. Players receive a point if they answer correctly. If a player is incorrect, then the storyteller receives their points. The first player to reach 20 points wins the game. Words of the Wise turns the ABCs into a challenging and often hilarious game. Players pick up a card from the deck of unique and thought-provoking topics, then have to think fast to find the words to match—alphabetically. Compete head to head, in teams, or on your own. To start, separate Wise Alec Cards from the Category Cards. Shuffle the Category Cards and place them in a pile. The object of the game is to be the first player or team to reach the targeted point value. There are three ways to play: Standard, Speed, or Challenge rules. RIDDLY
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
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ress up as a princess with the new My Princess Academy Pixie Dress. This adorable dress has a high scoop neck, tea-length skirt, and coordinates perfectly with My Princess Academy shoes, tiaras, boas, and wands. The dress is available in sizes 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8.
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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Toy Fair 2010
specialty
Pressman Expands Chimp and Zee
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RESSMAN TOY has announced new additions to its Chimp and Zee line of preschool specialty games that have been developed with the help of teacher and parent input. Games from this educational product line are easy for parents to set up, fun for kids (even when it is not their turn), take only 10 minutes to play, and make kids laugh while learning memory, counting, communication, and sharing skills. As they learn through play, kids have fun with Chimp (a chimpanzee) and learn with Zee (a zebra). Each of these new preschool products is for ages 3 and up. Shopping Cart Dash gives kids the chance to take a moveable shopping cart and a shopping list and race along the supermarket aisles to collect fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish. By paying at the end of every turn, players get closer to winning. In Going on Vacation, be the first player to pack everything in your backpack and head out to the car. Children get the chance to move through the house game board to collect everything needed for vacation. The 3-D board game Heads in the Sand sharpens memory skills while playing with glittery ostriches. On each turn, a player removes an ostrich from the sand. If the ostrich’s head matches the color you need, you become one step closer to winning. The four-piece 3-D puzzle, Chimp and Zee 3D Dinosaurs, features colorful, sparkly dinosaurs with wobbly eyes that give kids fun ways to learn coordination, imagination, and observation. Also available is the Chimp and Zee 3D Animals puzzle, featuring farm animals.
Learning Resources Sets up a Pizza Shop
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o mad over science with LEARNING RESOURCES’ Primary Science Set. Sized for little hands, this colorful set entices children to experiment and explore. The Primary Science set includes a beaker, magnifying glass, funnel, test tubes, and more, all made of durable plastic. The set also includes an activity guide and cards with fun, easy-to-do experiments for ages 4 and up. Hop aboard the Twist & Learn Busy Bus, which is loaded with opportunities for imaginative play and learning. Sort shapes into their “seats.” Twist the three-piece characters (farmer, police officer, teacher, and fire fighter) to create 12 different options. Hear “Wheels on the Bus” at the press of a button. Get extra large imaginative play topped with learning fun with the Pretend & Play Pizza Shop Set. Plus, serve up literacy skills as children write down pizza orders. The Pizza Shop Set includes six-inch hook-and-loop pizza, realistic toppings, canvas apron, pizza utensils, write and wipe order card, and “delivery” box for storage. Let kids get to work with cute, colorful Animatools: the Hammerhead Shark Set and the Monkey Wrench Set. Durable plastic sets introduce measurement concepts and sharpen motor skills—all while providing hours of imaginative play. Wooden planks are marked with real measurements, and fit together with planks from other sets. Each Animatools set is for ages 3 and up.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
specialty
SmartLab Builds a Robo Bug
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atch a motorized bug scurry across the floor like a futuristic beetle. The SmartLab YouBuild-It Robo Bug can crawl over sand and rocks, and even up hills. The toy includes the robotic bug, a gearbox, six traction pads for the bug’s feet, string for experiments, and an illustrated booklet by bug expert David George Gordon. For more bug fun, kids can wrangle their own backyard critter and place it in the SmartLab Bug Playground to watch them behave. The plastic playground is five inches wide by 3.5 inches high and is three inches deep. It includes a climbing wall, a pool with ramp, a curly slide, a crawling tube, and a jungle gym. Author Jim Becker helps kids understand the power of light with the SmartLab Fiber Optics Lab. In the kit, kids can build 10 high-tech electronics projects such as a burglar alarm, an electronic rooster, and a flexible flashlight. The lab includes preassembled transmitter and receiver workbenches, three optical fiber rods and a connector, hookup wires, two LED couplers, and activity cards.
Lilliputiens Goes on Safari
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n The Safari House, from LILLIPUTIENS, Jack knows the savannah inside and out. At the wheel of his solid jeep, he glides down grass tracks to waterholes, looking for his animal friends. Along his way, he meets Théophile the crocodile, Arnold the hippopotamus, Igor the lion, Noémie the giraffe, and Basile the monkey, who is by far the most agile, leaping from trees using creepers. Initially a toy of discovery and manipulation, The Safari House quickly changes into roleplay. Friend or enemy? Harmless or dangerous? Flee or overcome fear? It’s a full program of adventures.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Think-a-lot and Tell a Story
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toryPlay Cards by THINK-A-LOT TOYs are 90 vividly illustrated cards that can be used for storytelling, playing card games, or starting conversations. The cards come in 11 different categories called suits (people, animals, elements, power, love, journey, skills, creations, nature, food, and symbols), with eight cards in each suit plus two wild cards. Each card features a short summary and a question to think about for conversation. Or, the cards can be used to tell stories or play classic card games such as Spoons, Poker, Concentration, Battle, Speed, or Animal Slap. The cards, recommended for kids ages 8 and up, will be available at stores nationwide in the spring.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Bruder Gets Building
ThinkFun Shares What’s GNU
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s the U.S. gets back to rebuilding in 2010, BRUDER will launch a major construction toy line with the Americanbased JLG brand. Founded in 1926, Bruder emphasizes safety and play value. Bruder set out to capture the power and performance of the JLG brand. Sold in more than 130 countries, JLG vehicles, telehandlers, and construction equipment can operate in the roughest and most treacherous terrains in the world. That’s why JLG machines are called in on the most difficult and biggest sites in the world from the U.S. to Europe, from Australia to Afghanistan. Bruder is seeking friction, battery-operated, R/C, plush, die-cast, and plastic toys to complement its specialty toy store marketing. JLG is now in its fifth decade of operation, and is looking to show you how JLG toys can be the next great toy franchise.
celebrates 25 years of making games that challenge players at every stage of life. This year, the company introduces new games in its 4 and up, 8 to adult, and brainteaser categories. With Zingo! 1-2-3, players must match their numbered tiles with the corresponding display on their challenge board. The first player with a full card wins the game by yelling “Zingo!” Two levels of play focus on image recognition and addition. Zingo! 12-3 is for two or more players, ages 4 and up. With Travel Zingo! Bingo, everything you love about the original Zingo! now comes in a portable package. Just shake the Zingo! Zoomer car to expose the two dice. Got a match? Turn over the corresponding traffic light on your game board. The first player that turns over a completed traffic light wins. Race to be the first to get the animals into the barnyard in FlipOver! Focusing on image completion, players search their cards to complete a barnyard animal, then use the Barnyard Flipper to turn over the card and reveal the next image to be matched. Images help children match, while the writing on each card will help early readers make associations between the words and the image. FlipOver! is for two or more players, ages 4 and up. What’s GNU? allows young players to build their vocabularies. Players slide the “Letter Getter” to reveal two letter tiles at a time, then use those tiles to create three-letter combinations on their Word Starter cards. The player who spells the greatest number of words wins—but everyone has fun and gets to learn while playing. The game is for two or more players, ages 5 and up.
Hugg-A-Planet or Hugg-A-Moon
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he HUGG-A-PLANET product line brings the universal appeal of these fun and educational products to earth. Start children’s geographic education with Hugg-A-Planet Earth, HuggA-Moon, and Hugg-A-Planet Mars. More than 600 locations are labeled on the Hugg-A-Planet Earth, including the world’s smallest nation (Niue).
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
HINKFUN, INC.
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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Toy Fair 2010 Wild Republic Has Chompers, Grinders, and Crunchers
Imaginative Play with ImagiPLAY
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elebrating 30 years in nature-related fun, WILD REPUBLIC swings into Toy Fair with new product lines, including Chompers—trigger-action toys; Crunchers—all-terrain toy vehicles; Mini Morphs—interchangeable figures; and Bouncers—fabric-covered inflatables. The new Chompers line includes T-Rex and velociraptor dinosaurs, great white shark, tiger, white tiger, and lion. The Chompers have oversized heads and child-hand-sized bodies, and open and close their mouths when a child operates the animal’s arm/leg lever. Crunchers are four-wheeling toy vehicles topped with animal shapes. The Cruncher shark, tiger, crocodile, and triceratops vehicles have mouths that open and shut when the wheels roll, activating the jaw crunching action. Bouncers are fabric animal shapes that have an inflatable ball inside. When air is pumped into the softly covered penguin, elephant, dolphin, triceratops, tiger, or T-Rex, the newly formed round-bellies become fun beach ball-like bouncers for all ages. Mini Morphs are the latest in the line of Wild Republic’s interchangeable, mix-andmatch, snap-together toys. Mini Morphs come in North American, African, Aquatic, and Dinosaurs sets. Each set is interchangeable with the others, so all sets can be combined and played with for the ultimate in arms, legs, wings, fins, heads, and body options. This year, the Wee Lil’ Keeper colorful Guardian of Nature sisters add a new light-up feature to the fins of the original Mermaids, and introduce their four Wee Lil’ Fairy friends, which have light-up wings. Mongo Grinders are bendable animal action figures with suction cups on their hands and feet so that they can be positioned to hang-on and hang 10 Chomper on their skateboards. This year, new characters will be added, and new combination sets have been designed with ramps, boards, and environment backdrops.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
specialty
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MAGIPLAY
has announced its new line of eco-affordable toys. Priced under $10, the creative new products include a solution for fidgety kids, a new take on an old favorite, and a special place for true believers to keep something special for the Tooth Fairy. Pozimals are poseable wooden animals. The Pozimal camel, giraffe, kangaroo, and elephant are sized to captivate kids on the go. They fit easily in a purse, backpack, or stroller. When it’s time to put this toy away, it becomes a room décor item, holding its pose on a bedroom dresser or playroom shelf. With six styles, ranging from a panda with bamboo to a tree in summer and autumn, the world’s second-oldest toy makes a comeback with Eco Yo-Yos. Remove the colorful “hat” on the solid wood Toothie the Toothsaver character to reveal a special place to store baby teeth. With LacingScapes, create and recreate an Ocean or PondScape filled with colorful plants and animals. Cotton laces help build fine motor skills. With A Day on the Farm Playset, a favorite for generations of preschoolers goes green. The set features farm animals and a traditional red barn and henhouse made from rubberwood. BeadMazes are busy bead toys featuring a bear with buzzing bees, a flower with ladybugs, a frog that swallows colorful beads, and a cat that bats at them.
Pozimal, elephant
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
specialty
Mezco Visits Wonderland
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ith Perseus Clash of the Titans Mez-Itz, the son of Zeus is re-imagined as a six-inch rotocast vinyl collectible. The tamer of Pegasus and the slayer of Medusa becomes part of MEZCO’s designer vinyl line and comes with his sword of the gods. Clash of the Titans, a remake of the 1981 film, comes to theaters in March. Lawrence Talbot transformed into The Wolfman, and Mezco has transformed him into a Mez-It. Universal’s classic monster has returned with The Wolfman, a new film starring Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro, which opened February 10. From his fangs and pointed ears to his clawed hind paws, the Wolfman Mez-It is howling good fun. Watchmen: Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan have been re-imagined as Mez-Itz. The masked Rorschach comes complete with his trademark hat and grappling gun. Dr. Manhattan features art inspired by the Watchmen film. Introducing Living Dead Dolls Presents: Living Dead Dolls in Wonderland. Four Living Dead Doll characters have gone through the looking glass and been re-imagined as characters from Wonderland: Sadie as Alice, Sybil as The Mad Hatter, Eggzorcist as The White Rabbit, and Inferno as The Red Queen. Mezco Toyz summons the afterlife’s leading freelance bio-exorcist, Beetlejuice. The Living Dead Dolls Presents: Beetlejuice doll captures this rogue ghost’s crazed eyes, wild hair, and mossy green teeth. It’s easy to see why he’s the devious, mischievous bad boy of the underworld. Beetlejuice stands 10 inches tall and comes with a film-accurate cloth costume. Living Dead Dolls in Wonderland
Educational Insights Has a Lot to Offer
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DUCATIONAL INSIGHTS
will release more than 50 new products in 2010. Crinkle, crackle, and create with Foamfetti, the revolutionary new arts and crafts substance. Stick your creations to unfinished wood, cardboard, or paper—Foamfetti dries by itself to make endless permanent masterpieces. Hot Dots Jr. brings the magic of Educational Insights’ classic classroom line home to the preschool set with Ace, the Talking, Teaching Dog. Even the youngest kids can learn and explore independently, simply by pressing the tip of this wiggling, giggling pen to the correct answer on one of hundreds of interactive learning cards. Card sets range from The Alphabet, Shapes, Colors, and Counting to Beginning Phonics and Patterns & Sequencing. Stix & Stones is the prehistoric picture-making race that challenges players to create an image of a word on a card using only sticks and stones. This game is perfect for mixed ages and whole family play. In Laundry Jumble, draw a card, reach into the dryer, and pull out the matching piece of doll-sized clothing using just your sense of touch. The engaging 3-D game play encourages tactile exploration, fine motor skills, counting, and vocabulary. New for Design & Drill, expansion packs for 2010 include the Design & Drill Power Tool Workshop, Fun Bolts, and Take-Along Toolkit for even more tool time fun. Kids use electronic, battery-powered tools and brightly colored bolts to replicate included patterns or create original designs.
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You’ll Flip for Fat Brain’s New Lineup
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BRAIN TOY CO.’s Flip-A-Longs invites kids to dine with royalty at the legendary Knights of the Long Table. In this far away land, players must have a keen sense of memory as they match cards to create scenes and build the longest table in the kingdom. Flip-A-Longs combines puzzle play and memory matching to create a new game that children and adults alike will “flip” for. Simply flip over cards, and if you find a match, add it to your table to make yours the longest. Who will be seated at your table? Mischievous wizards? Beautiful maidens? Brave knights? Dynamic game play and silly illustrations encourage memory, matching, counting, dexterity, and more. Flip-A-Longs is for two to four players ages 4 and up. With AnimaLogic, the river is rising and the rapids are raging. Can you help the animals to safety by solving the puzzle? AnimaLogic will have children working their brain overtime to solve these smart safari stumpers. Lions, hippos, giraffes, and camels are all waiting to get to the other side of the river. Animals can only cross the river bridge one at a time and they must travel in the proper order to safely arrive at the other side. What can you learn from a rabbit that is exactly four inches tall? If you are a child, plenty. Inchimals is a set of 12 wooden blocks that measure from one inch in height (the ladybug) to 12 inches high (the giraffe). Combine the blocks with the 100 write-on/wipe-off math puzzles and you’ll soon discover that Inchimals are more than toys. Explore counting, number value and recognition, scale, fine motor skills, language, and imagination. In Sturdy Birdy, Reggie the Pigeon dreams of a life in the circus as a high wire acrobat. Now he needs your help to perfect 12 poses to land his dream job. Players must master the 12 unique poses and be the first to make it to the end of the line. Sturdy Birdy challenges children on a physical level while encouraging counting skills, self-esteem, and more. Bust out of the everyday math drill doldrums with Math Busters. Children are eager to practice their basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fraction facts with this new math series from Fat Brain Toy Co. and author Evelyn B. Christensen. Each Math Busters book features 30 puzzles that take students on a mathematical journey while creating geometric shapes, discovering symmetry, solving mysteries, cracking codes, perfecting map-reading skills, deciphering riddles, and more. Brain Food putty has been a favorite for years and the company is introducing six new brainy colors—Frontal Lobe Fuchsia, Temporal Lobe Teal, Parietal Lobe Pearl, Brain Stem Blue, Grey Matter, and Glow in the Dark Ganglia. Squish it, squeeze it, stretch it, sculpt it. Each tin of Brain Food contains 1/5 pound of smooth, pliable putty. AT
OWI Kits Unearth Kids’ Love For Paleontology
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ooden, resin, and plastic dinosaur kits are prehistoric—a thing of the past. OWI’s new aluminum dinosaur kits replicate the authenticated version of everyone’s fossil favorites. With soft pre-punched aluminum parts, screws, nuts, and assembly tools included, young builders can easily create a sturdy and durable dino. Aspiring paleontologists can choose from three Jurassic buddies: T-Rex, Stegosaurus, or Triceratops. OWI will debut four new Mini Solar Kits at Toy Fair. This line lets kids create their own battery-free toy activated by a mini-solar panel. The first Mini Solar Kit is a T3 Transforming Solar Robot, which transforms from Tank to Robot to Scorpion with animated movement powered by sunshine or a halogen light. The 3-in-1 Solar Stallion pulls a chariot, flies like a Pegasus, or runs with the help of its trainer, powered by renewable solar energy. The Solar System features paintable planets revolving around their very own solar-powered sun. Finally, the Solar Bullet Train zooms with the help of its solar panel. Its 18 parts snap together and are secured with only four screws. It then travel without rails.
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Toy Fair 2010
games & puzzles
Techno Source Teams with Nick
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echno Source and Nickelodeon/Viacom Consumer Products have formed a licensing agreement that will allow Techno Source to create electronic handheld, tabletop, and key chain games based on properties Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, SpongeBob SquarePants, and iCarly. In Dora’s Backpack Adventure, a massive whirlwind has tossed many of Backpack’s explorer tools into the forest. Help Dora retrieve the matching items for Backpack for her next great adventure, while avoiding Swiper and his robot butterflies. In Go, Diego, Go! - Skate to the Rescue!, Help Diego rescue baby king gorillas as he zooms through the jungle on his skateboard. But watch out—you’ll need to swerve around slippery banana peels left behind by the Bobo Brothers. Show off your crazy dance moves with iCarly’s Random Dancing challenge. Learn random dance routines from Carly and Sam in this electronic handheld color LCD game. With SpongeBob SquarePants - Krabby Patty Party, help SpongeBob make Krabby Patties for a party at the Krusty Krab. Catch the needed ingredient (patty, lettuce, buns) while dodging everything else. The Shake & Shoot Sports assortment is a line of sports games that put the action right in the palm of your hand. Quickly pass to your teammates, take the open shot, and shake the ball to score in Basketball, Soccer, and Hockey. The Drag & Drop electronic handheld game assortment offers three games that allow players to take down ships, subs, planes, and even aliens in Bombs Away!, Alien Attack!, and Battle Bombers!. Use the magnetic missile stylus to pick up a ball and then aim carefully to drop them in the holes to win. Bicycle Pocket Blackjack and Bicycle Pocket Slots are the two newest additions to Techno Source’s electronic handheld LCD Bicycle card games line. Take a game break and try your luck at Blackjack or Slots right in the palm of your hand. Also available are Bicycle/World Series of Poker Pocket Five Card Draw, Bicycle/World Series of Poker Touch Pad Texas Hold ’Em, and Bicycle/World Series of Poker Touch Screen Texas Hold ’Em. To celebrate the Rubik’s Cube’s 30th anniversary, Techno Source introduces a new Rubik’s challenge that combines casual gaming with the speed and strategy of classic cubing. In Rubik’s Slide, slide the squares into the correct pattern by twisting and shifting the lighted panel to solve the puzzle. Featuring more than 10,000 puzzles, Rubik’s Slide is perfect for casual gamers of all ages. Techno Source is also launching a more traditional board game for 2010: BubbleTalk. BubbleTalk is a new family board game that asks players to match funny captions with funnier pictures. At the beginning of the game, each player draws seven random caption cards. The judge for that round draws a picture card and players must quickly try to match the funniest caption they have to the picture. The player who makes the judge laugh the most wins that round. Rubik’s Slide
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Pressman Hops Aboard the Dinosaur Train
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he Jim Henson Company and Pressman Toy Corporation have signed a deal to introduce games based on Dinosaur Train. In the works are a Dinosaur Train Pop ’N Race Game, Make a Match Game, and All Aboard Game, all featuring the show’s main characters and educational content from the program. Pressman Toy Corporation and CBS Consumer Products have reached a licensing agreement allowing Pressman Toy to create the NCIS Board Game, which will play off of the show’s sequence of collecting evidence, interviewing suspects, and working with team members to solve crimes involving members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Pressman has signed with Good Marketing, Inc., for WaveLength, the game in which players rank, match, and score to determine, “Are you and your partner on the same WaveLength?” For teens and older, the game includes more than 1,000 pop culture questions about movies, television, music, sports, history, politics, geography, and even household goods. In the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cheese Touch Game, kids play along with their favorite characters from Jeff Kinney’s book series. Players move their game pieces— including Greg, Rowley, Fregley, and Manny—around the game board to face different challenges and see how well they know each other. Last year, CBS launched a new version of TV game show Let’s Make a Deal with Wayne Brady. The Let’s Make a Deal Game allows players to join in the fun and suspense of making deals for “what’s inside the box” or “behind the curtains” in their own homes.
Goliath Builds the Best Burger
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ast Food, from Goliath Games, is a game where you build the biggest, juiciest hamburger by recognizing matching ingredients. It’s a fast-paced game where you actually lose calories while racing to build your burger. Just be the first to see a match, slam the burger, and add the next ingredient to your burger. But watch out—if it doesn’t match, your burger starts to shrink. In 2004, Tetsuya Miyamoto invented KenKen. This puzzle started in Japan and is now published all over the world in more than 40 KenKen books. Fun, fast, and highly addictive, KenKen is a great way to enjoy yourself and exercise your brain at the same time. Now you don’t have to exercise your mind alone—play the KenKen board game. Each player takes turns filling in the cages of the KenKen puzzle. The player who fills in the most squares at the end of the round wins. This game is fast paced, with 52 changeable puzzles of varying sizes and difficulty. Pop the Pig is creating a fever in the U.S. Roll the die and whatever color it lands on, pick that color burger. Press the pig’s head down each time you feed him. Watch his belly get bigger, bigger, and bigger. But be careful—if you feed him too much his belt will explode and you’ll lose the game.
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MEGA Games and Puzzles
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he MEGA BLOKS Streetz Racers game utilizes a game board and building game play that requires both strategy and luck. Players move throughout the city, shopping at different locations to build up their cars. Be the first player to build up your car and reach the finish line. MEGA BLOKS Match & Build game uses simple board and building game play to help teach skill sets such as memory, numbers, matching, and motor skills. Players travel around the park to collect animal blocks. Be the first to collect all five animal part blocks and assemble your animal to win. MEGA Brands introduces Switchables—puzzles that allow youngsters to customize their puzzle experience using interchangeable puzzle pieces. Each Switchables puzzle package includes three 150-piece stand-alone puzzles, with corresponding uniquely shaped puzzle sections that can be mixed and matched between each puzzle. MEGA Brands also offers several new puzzle collections, including Disney, Extra Large 1,000-Piece Puzzles, Floor Puzzles, Saturday Evening Post, and much more.
Gamewright Gives Crazy Advice
University Games Asks 20 Questions
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or its 16th anniversary, Gamewright will introduce nine new games. In Take the Cake, a batch of cupcakes is fresh out of the oven and it’s time to decorate. Shake the sprinkle shaker and see which shapes pour out. If any match a cupcake, add them to the card. Collect the most cards and win. What’s the best plan for climbing Mt. Everest? Find out in Sounds Like a Plan, the party game that’s all about giving outrageous advice. You might have to give out bad advice, your grandma’s advice, or even advice from a psychic. Other games to be released include Order’s Up!, Rory’s Story Cubes, Hide and Eeek!, and much more.
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riginally introduced in 1987, 20 Questions is the classic game of people, places, and things. Each round features a new mystery topic from history, entertainment, sports, or culture. As clues are read aloud, players rack their brains to figure it out—the fewer clues you need to guess correctly, the farther you move on the board. The company will also introduce new Eric Carle games such as Yoohoo, Can You Moo, a game of imitating animals and matching; Eric Carle’s 123 Rooster’s Off to See the World Game, a game about number recognition and counting; and Eric Carle Match-ominoes, which packages matching, bingo, and dominoes all in one box.
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Patch Products Stirs It Up
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tir em’ Up! by Patch Products is no ordinary crossword game. Scoop out the letters, but don’t get attached—the die may force you to flip them or switch them. And once it’s time for everyone to make their own crosswords, don’t dawdle—you’ve got 30 seconds to use more letters than everyone else. Let the games begin. Just five seconds, that’s all you have in 5 Second Rule, a crazy new race-against-theclock party game from Patch Products. It should be easy to name three breeds of dogs—but can you do it under the pressure of five seconds? Time’s not on your side, so just say what comes to mind and risk shouting ridiculous answers. With 3D Sneaky Puzzle, Singin’ Sea Creatures, put together the colorful sea and then slip on the included 3-D glasses for a magical experience. Children will be astonished as they watch the sea creatures swim towards them, and hidden within the puzzle are all of the letters of the alphabet and numbers 0-9. Patch Products will also debut the Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? board game with new rules and questions and new Crepe Rubber Puzzles, made for children ages 1 ½ and up to match patterns, not jigsaw.
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LEGO’s Got Game
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EGO introduces LEGO Games, board games that can be built, played, and changed. In Robo Champ, players try to build a robot with all the correct color parts. Each roll of the dice is a chance to collect the parts needed or grab them from other players. The first player to build his or her robot wins the trophy and is named Robo Champ. Magic is brewed in Magikus, a game where players try to be the first to cast the magic spell in the cauldron. With the help of the owl, and by rolling the dice, players race to be the first to collect the four special ingredients needed. In Monster 4, players try to get four of their monsters in a row. By rolling the LEGO dice, players have a chance to move their own or another player’s monster, or send in the giant spider to clear some space. The bravest knight of all is crowned in Lava Dragon. In this strategy game, players roll the LEGO dice to climb, block opponents, avoid lava, or knock others in the volcano, aiming to be the first to climb the volcano and summon the mighty dragon. Race 3000 is a race to the finish line. Players must use shortcuts, overtake, or turbo boosts to pass their opponents, and change lanes to avoid oil slicks. In the logic game Pirate Code, players try to become pirate captain by guessing their opponents’ secret treasure code before their own is revealed to the crowd. Players try to be the first to lead their three heroes to the temple in Minotaurus. But to get their heroes to safety they must avoid the Minotaur, a mythical creature who protects the secret temple. By changing the dice, players can jump hedges and rebuild the maze for a new adventure every time. In Ramses Pyramid, players must unlock the crystal-coded layers to climb to the top of the pyramid and defeat the Mummy King. Players can compete against each other or team up to dethrone King Ramses. Lava Dragon
Zwiggle Games by Tara Toy
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ara Toy introduces its new Zwiggle line of games. Meatball Madness is a get-up-and-go game of speed and skill. Use the air-powered ladle to float meatballs through the kitchen-themed obstacle course. The three obstacles can be placed as close or as far apart and as high or low as you want—you control the level of difficulty. The built-in timer indicates each player’s time—the player who is the fastest wins. Zwiggle games teach children dexterity, fine motor skills, problem solving, and social skills through interactive play. The Zwiggle line also includes We All Scream for Ice Cream (an ice scream scoop stacking game) and Old MacDonald, a preschool game.
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Guinness Goes Haywire
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he Haywire Group is adding a new line of games and puzzles to its product line based on the Guinness World Records books. The Massachusetts game company has been working closely with the Guinness World Records team in New York and London to create a new line of products that bring the records of the renowned publication to life. Guinness World Records The Board Game contains elements including trivia questions, learning activities, and physical challenges that require players to make and break their own “house” records. Haywire will also release a travel game in a compact tin and a 300-piece puzzle that will include a magic-reveal feature, allowing users to decode what records are depicted on the puzzle.
Fundex Is an Armchair Quarterback
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FL Armchair Quarterback lets everybody play along with the live action of a football game, on TV or at the stadium. Players score points by guessing the plays before they happen. Match your knowledge of football strategy against the players, coaches, and everyone watching. The game includes customizable playing boards, styluses, football field game board, player tokens, and sheets of NFL team helmets. Rapid Response is the speed-of-shout game that will have you losing your marbles. Players guess the phrase on the card, based on the descriptions given by their teammate. But beware of the timer. If the marbles run out, your time is up. In Inch Worm, roll the colored die and pull the worms from the dirt one segment at a time until your color is revealed. Some worms may be long and some may be short, but if you free a worm, it’s yours to keep. Once the last worm is pulled, line up all your worms and the longest Inch Worm wins!
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Idea Storm Has Party Time Planned for 2010
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dea Storm Products is extending the premise of its Yamodo!-branded products with the introduction of its new Yamodo! Party Time group game. While Yamodo! Volume 1, and Yamodo! Good To Go are casual and silly creative collaborative efforts, the new Party Time adds a competitive spirit and an everyone-play-at-once experience for a definitive game of made-up words that is as ridiculous or serious as the group who is playing. Played in quick rounds, Yamodo! Party Time has all players compete at the same time to win the current judge’s favor by creating the “best” definition to a given made-up word and tagline. All players have to stay on their toes though, because midway into the round, the judge spins the Spindoodler and the consequences add to the fun. Write it, doodle it, and feel free to lobby the judge on why your definition is the best. Every round has a new judge, word, and tagline, so you never know what your mind will draw out. The object of Yamodo! Party Time is to collect three Yamodo! word cards by having the “best” definitions and win the game.
Crayola and Wild Planet Extend Partnership to Include Games
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uilding on the success of Crayon Town, Wild Planet will release its first line of Crayola-licensed games this fall. The new games focus on recreating images and matching and mixing colors, all without the use (and mess) of traditional art supplies. Guess My Picture is part puzzle, part art project, and part guessing game. It promotes spatial thinking and fine motor skills and allows artists of all levels to excel at creating recognizable pictures. Doodle Match is a memory game in which players practice matching colors and objects. The game involves artistic set-up as players color images outlined on specially coated cardboard tiles. Having the images colored differently for each game increases the memory exercise and keeps players’ minds sharp. Color Mix-A-Roo teaches players about primary and secondary colors. Colors come pre-printed on the palette, which has a center dial similar to that of a rotary phone. Players dial in combinations of two, three, or four colors to make their desired shades. Wild Planet will also introduce non-licensed games. Flipper Frenzy is a fast-paced preschool game that features four sea creatures and an electronic handheld scoop shaped like a smiling shark. The animals are spread out around the room, house, or yard. The shark calls out characteristics of the animals and players run to scoop up the corresponding creature. Hyper Dash Extreme has more games and more math than its predecessor—but the major enhancement is the upgrade from static to moving targets. The game’s redesigned electronic handheld tagger houses a microchip that recognizes each target and calls out the next one to tag. It tracks the amount of time each player takes to complete his course and declares the winner at the end of the game.
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Buffalo Games Signs William Wegman
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uffalo Games, makers of multiple party games and jigsaw puzzles, has announced its partnership with artist William Wegman, known for photographs of his Weimaraners, Man Ray and Fay Ray. The company will launch four of Wegman’s photographs in its 500-piece jigsaw puzzle series. The William Wegman 500-Piece Series of jigsaw puzzles will include Roller Rover, Stanley, Dockers, and Farm Days. Wegman’s photographs, videotapes, paintings, and drawings have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide. In addition to video segments broadcast on Sesame Street, he has created numerous films and video works for Saturday Night Live and Nickelodeon. He has also photographed and authored such books as Wegmanology, The Night Before Christmas, and The New York Times bestseller Puppies.
Fun and Games from Briarpatch
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lockers is the newest in a long line of games from Briarpatch that gives players the chance to conquer family and friends using their own choice of strategy. Aggressive or passive, Blockers allows players the opportunity to decide their own course of action through strategic thinking. Create connected groups of your own color while blocking and capturing opponents. Blockers can be played cooperatively or competitively, and is for two to five players, ages 8 and up. Madeline has joined the Briarpatch family with the Madeline Grab & Go Matching Game. The game features the artwork that Madeline is known for. Held in a colorfully decorated carrying bag, the game contains 36 tiles and rules for multiple games to play. Madeline Grab & Go Matching Game is for one or more players ages 3 and up. Made for lovers of everything Fancy, the Fancy Nancy Grab & Go Acting Fancy Card Game challenges players to act out the Fancy description on their card. The game comes in an elegant pink bag that lets kids take Nancy and her plush lifestyle with them anywhere. The Fancy Nancy Card Game comes with 48 action cards, 10 card stands, and 21 game chips, and is for three or more players, ages 6 and up. I SPY Quest is a matching adventure the whole family can enjoy. Find the matches and solve the riddles to win, or hunt for matches cooperatively as a team. The game tray provides 16 different ways for you to continue your Quest. I SPY Quest comes with a game tray, two double-sided picture boards, a sheet with answers to 16 riddles, and 36 pawns. This game is for one or more players, ages 4 and up. SPYing just got easier with I SPY Link-Alikes Grab & Go. Link-Alikes is packaged in a carrying case that’s perfect to Grab & Go. The game comes with 24 double-sided tiles and rules for cooperative and competitive ways to play, and is for one or more players ages 4 and up. Blockers
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Playroom Turns 10
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layroom Entertainment celebrates its 10th anniversary by dealing out its largest and most aggressive new product lineup ever. In Killer Bunnies and the Ultimate Odyssey, six new starter decks allow players to construct a personalized deck with any of the cards in any deck. However, players can only play up to 60 cards in each game. For its Killer Bunnies and the Journey to Jupiter game, Playroom is publishing its second booster. The new Ultra-Violet Booster contains three new sectors for the Jupiter board, 55 new cards, new ships, markers, dice, and planets. Saddle Up! is a game where you don’t want to make a match. Each card has four objects, and players must place cards next to each other under one condition: a matching object or color cannot touch vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. In The Dog’s Meow, players need a quick reaction of backwards thinking. As cards are flipped over, players follow directions by doing the opposite of what the card says. In Crazy Train, players form two-player teams. One player of the team portrays six tourists, trying to find their correct seats on a train. The other player is the train conductor, who must tell the tourists where to sit. The problem is that the train conductor speaks a different language. The first conductor to correctly guide the tourists yells, “Crazy Train!” and wins the game.
Toy Fair 2010
games & puzzles
Peaceable Kingdom Makes You Choose
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eacable Kingdoms Press introduces a new spin on its This or That? Game. This or That? Girl Talk is a quick and clever get-to-know-you game for two to four players ages 6 and up. The game is comprised of 80 double-sided sticks (one side pink and one green), with a total of 160 This or That? questions and an instruction booklet. Hip-Hop or Ballet? Splinter or Paper Cut? Wishing Well or Shooting Star? What’s your favorite? The object of the game is to have fun talking about your favorite things and learning about your friends’ favorite things. Play just for fun, or keep score and try to guess what other players’ answers will be.
Daddy-O Smells Like Fun
Diggin Takes Golf on the Go
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addy-O Games has announced the release of Smells Like Fun, a new line of card games that feature card decks infused with familiar, fun scents. The Smells Like Fun line features Nab Nana’s Num Nums, which smells delightfully like chocolate. In the game, players try to collect sets of chocolates while nabbing the chocolates of others. The line continues with Bea & Buster’s Bubble Burst, a fun-filled race to blow the biggest bubbles in a game that smells like yummy bubble gum. Dr. Fizzy’s Fabulous Float is a root beer-scented game of speed where players compete to make root beer floats first. More scented games are in the works and each game will feature a ballot for kids to vote for the scented games they want to see added to the line in 2011. The line was conceived by game designer and author Tim Walsh, best known for the game Blurt and his books, Timeless Toys and WHAM-O Super-Book.
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oGolf, from Diggin, is the ultimate onthe-go game. Throw the Velcro disc to play anywhere. There is no set up and it is easy to play. Just throw the hole and take turns throwing your ball at the target until you hit the disc. Fewest throws wins the hole. The course is never the same twice and no location or obstacle can stop you. GoGolf comes with two balls and one flag disc. GoGolf is for ages 6 and up. Joust Tag is the first soft and safe sword game. Each player gets a Velcro target vest, an inflatable sword, and a soft score plug. Dodge, lunge, and score. Tag the vest to win. Joust Tag is a game in aim, skill, and agility, and is for ages 5 and up.
GoGolf
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Curtlin Battles the Xiacons
SmartLab Puts It All Together
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urtlin’s new board game, Xtreme Takeover Battle of the Xiacons, pits two sworn enemy Xiacon forces against one another, and the object is to take control of your opponent’s bunker while defending your own. The game is portable, with a traylike game board and wedge-tight pieces, enabling players to battle each other virtually anywhere.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
uzzles enter a new dimension with SmartLab’s 3D Puzzle Play. Kids can find out if a banana is bigger than a T-Rex tooth, or if a Barosaurus is a meat eater or a plant eater as they compare the dinos side by side in the SmartLab 3-D Puzzle Play Dinosaurs. The set includes five build-yourown 3-D dinosaur puzzles; diorama pieces; and five trading cards with statistics.
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JAKKS in Motion
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V Games Motion is a new video game line that combines JAKKS Plug It In & Play technology with real accelerometer technology, powering one of the most popular trends in video gaming: motion games. With the reactive motion controller, the gamer’s moves control the action as characters replicate their movements in real time on the TV screen when they jump, wave, and move around. The controller plugs into the A/V jacks of any standard TV and contains multiple games in each controller, and no additional consoles or cartridges are needed. New TV Games Motion titles for fall include Disney Princess, Phineas & Ferb, and Kitchen Kraze.
Take a Walk Down Liberty Street
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iberty Street Games Introduces Bailout!, the hilarious parody of the government bailout where, when you lose, you win. In this role-reversal of the classic board game, debt is king. Players compete as rival banks (Bankruptcy O’ America, Worth Farless, No Cashvia, Washed Up Mutual), who must make risky investments to lose it all and get a Bailout. Land on or pass over Frantic May and Frivolous Mac spaces and get slammed with bad debt. As you follow the money trail, you will be forced to undermine the competition, endure the uncertainty of the stock market, avoid hostile takeovers, deal with the instability of the housing market, and your bank may even be forced to take a bank holiday.
Welcome to The Halloween Insider, our new annual look at the best the Halloween market has to offer! We’ve got 32 pages of the best kids and adult costumes, accessories, and Halloween-related games, with the best coverage of the holiday you’ll find anywhere. We hope you love it. Note: In our Kids’ Costumes section, the Scooby-Doo Costume at right is erroneously identified as being manufactured by Disguise. The manufacturer of the product is RUBIE’S COSTUME CO. THE TOY BOOK
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January/February 2010
PRESENTED BY
WELCOME
Table of Con ten ts
Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Halloween Insider, The Toy Book’s look at the hottest costumes, trends, and retailers this Halloween season. Inspired by the labor of love that is The Toy Insider—our annual look at the top holiday toys— we’ve set our sights on one of the biggest events of the year... and certainly the scariest.
Halloween: All About You 6
We kick off our coverage with a look at the Halloween holiday, and how it flips the holiday convention on its head. Instead of buying for others, it’s the one holiday where customers are shopping for themselves. We take a look behind the curtain at the Wisconsin-based hybrid distributor/retailer BUYSEASONS before moving to an interview of Howard Beige, the executive vice president of Rubie’s Costume Co. Rubie’s is the ultimate rags-to-riches Halloween success story: forged on a single street corner in Queens, the company has grown to become an international powerhouse. Next, we take a close look retailer Halloween Adventure. How do they go about stocking their shelves for the big day? How do they get people in the door? Finally, there’s the meat of the issue: our Halloween products gallery. It’s eight pages of the hottest products this season. We look at four separate categories: Kids’ costumes, Adult costumes, Masks and Decorations, and Toys and Games. We’d like to thank you for reading the inaugural issue of The Halloween Insider, and we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line or visit us at adventurepublishinggroup.com to let us know what you think, and happy buying!
Look Inside: BuySeasons 10 HOWARD BEIGE Invites the industry home for dinner and a lesson in halloween 11 RETAILER SPOTLIGHT: Halloween adventure 14
CO-PUBLISHERS Jonathan Samet and Laurie Schacht EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bryan Joiner CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jennifer Sinclair Elizabeth Reid Jackie Breyer PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Anthony K. Guardiola CREATIVE DIRECTOR Anthony K. Guardiola
Adventure Publishing Group Inc. 286 5th Avenue 3rd Floor New York, NY 10001 (212) 575-4510 PH (212) 575-4521 FX www.adventurepublishing.com
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The halloween Insider
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Halloween expo showcase 16 SPOOKY, SCARY stat•shot 30 January/february 2010
Halloween 2010 A rebounding economy will give consumers more options to celebrate and enjoy the one holiday that’s all about them. by Bryan Joiner
t’s no secret why Halloween is different from other holi-
I
tumes and materials until the
days and events that are a boon for retailers. Christmas,
last minute possible because
Hanukkah, birthdays, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, graduations,
they know that someplace will
anniversaries, engagements, weddings… on these holidays,
always be there to service them.
you’re tasked to buy a gift for someone else. Halloween flips
The problem in Halloween is not
the convention on its head. It’s the one day which is totally
creating a market; it’s cornering that
and unambiguously about you.
market.
It’s the one day where we can become avatars of ourselves in the real world, instead of just online or on our
For manufacturers and retailers, that takes different forms.
Xbox platform. If in the digital world you’ve got a picture
Howard Beige, executive vice
of Miss Piggy where your face should be, Halloween is
president of Rubie’s Costume Com-
the day to bring that personality to life. Halloween gets big-
pany, cited the January timing of the
ger and bigger, even in the lean years,
Houston Halloween show as key to
because we’ve become so darn good
getting a grip on the holiday with
at creating alter egos for ourselves that we
perennially-expanding possibilities.
won’t miss the one day to really celebrate. The
Beige was the key proponent of
only thing that changes is how much we think
making the Houston show the in-
we’re willing to spend—and how much extra
dustry standard rather than those in
money retailers can squeeze out of us with
Las Vegas or Chicago. “It gives every-
some well-chosen or well-placed products.
body I work with more time to work ahead, it allows vendors to
Retailers did not suffer greatly during Hal-
prepare better, and it helps everyone work another two months
loween 2009, which bodes well for Halloween
out. Now that there are extra testing requirements, that extra
2010 if the economy rebounds as expected, and
time gives a people to place a much larger percentage of their
they’re able to pull buyers into their store
orders in December and January. That has really worked to the
when there are so many options out
industry’s benefit.”
there. The proliferation of Halloween
The numbers from Halloween Expo 2009 back this up. A
stores has led more and more people to put off buying cos-
spokesperson said that last year the inaugural show featured
The Halloween Insider
H6
January/February 2010
1,350 booths and 317 exhibiting
That’s easily reflected in the switch in popularity from
companies, both figures that are ex-
pirates to vampires and zombies over the past few
pected to be repeated in 2010. A big
years, a trend that won’t peter out by next Decem-
increase is expected in attendance,
ber. Overlay that with prod-
where the Expo is pacing far ahead
uct from new movies including
of last year’s 5,000 visitors.
Prince of Persia, Clash of the Titans,
That’s music to the ears of people like Rasta Imposta’s Gary
Toy Story 3 and more, and you can be on full shelves come next October.
Schneider, who found the best part
What you won’t see are trends that have
of last year’s show was the type of
long passed, says Schneider. When trying to ride
attendee. “We’ve been to shows
the cultural wave, you’ve got to know when to
before and it’s really just a spectacle. It kept a lot of buying traffic off the
say when. “People asked me, ‘What about an
show floor. The people at the show are ready to do business.”
Octomom costume?’ Well, that was in May or
This year’s Halloween business is expected to closely resemble last
June. By the time Halloween came around, it
year’s, with the date falling on a Sunday instead of a Saturday. As the
wouldn’t have any legs. We try to stay away
kids will “always go out, no matter what,” says Schneider, the Sunday
from that sort of thing.”
date simply extends the weekends for adults by another day. With a re-
Instead, Rasta focused on bringing back clas-
bound in the economy expected, that means that numbers could (and
sic properties that aren’t necessarily anchored to
maybe should) even go up.
a new product: try a few well-known older That’s good news for California Costumes, which despite the predicted down year actually saw an uptick in revenue in 2009, says
brands and see what sticks. What stuck was Gumby, which, despite having a high price point, “blew out” last year and prompted Rasta to create a Pokey costume
Christopher Guzman, senior vice
this year. Another type of innovation is technical, which Guzman has over-
president of marketing and devel-
seen at California Costumes, where they have created ani-motion masks
opment.
that move alongside the wearer. If you open your mouth, your werewolf
“Customers
aren’t
spending as much, but we’re putting out a product line that people are looking for. The core
mask will bear its teeth. That’s the scary side and new side of Halloween all wrapped into one.
did suffer, but people are buying
If scary isn’t your thing, that’s fine.
more of our product. When things
There’s no lack of choices, and that’s the whole idea. Hi-tech, low-tech, sexy, scary,
are down, it’s the best time to escape.” Guzman sees the rise of horror and the
silly, whatever—it’s about you being you,
gore genre in general, one that’s been
even if it’s just once a year. Trick or treat?
creeping back up in popularity since 9/11.
The Halloween Insider
You decide.
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January/February 2010
Look Inside: BUYSEASONS by Bryan Joiner
et’s say you’re the world’s foremost authority on pet Halloween costumes. Let’s say you start a website to detail your infatuation with dogs dressed as Yoda and Wonder Woman. Let’s say you build a steady following and soon your website is featured in a New York Times trend story about boutique websites, and you get flooded with emails asking, “Where can I buy those? They’re great!” And let’s just say you don’t have a mind to send these potential customers away. That’s right: You’re starting a business. How do you do it? It’s simple: You call BUYSEASONS. BUYSEASONS is the world’s largest retailer and supplier of costumes, accessories, seasonal décor, and party supplies on the internet— but its drop-ship business is basically invisible to consumers, and that’s the point. If you’re selling something as big as every toy imaginable (Toys “R” Us) or as small as that Batman mask for Fido, BUYSEASONS is the place to go to get hooked up with your inventory. If you can deal with the sheer number of choices, that is. BUYSEASONS offers 50 different styles of every product that isn’t available to retailers who buy from somewhere else—thousands of different items, many not typically carried by online or traditional retailers when they are buying products and warehousing themselves, giving it a serious leg up on the competition. If shopping at Wal-Mart is like choosing seven Scrabble tiles—small, consistent selection—getting your inventory from BUYSEASONS is like having 20 bags of tiles to sort through. And while other holidays do a solid business for BUYSEASONS, there’s nothing quite like Halloween. It’s by far the biggest holiday for the mega-retailer, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The key to Halloween, and to much of BUYSEASONS’ overall business, is drop-shipping. If I really, really, really want that Yoda dog costume and I order it from your pet-costume themed website, you’ll send the order to BUYSEASONS, and they’ll send me the costume. You can also buy wholesale, naturally, which is what brings Sears.com, Kmart.com, and ToysRUs.com into the fold. The major advantage for Halloween retailers, especially brick-andmortar retailers, is that there is “no margin for error” on making money for Halloween, according to Jon Krouse, director of business develop-
L
The Halloween Insider
ment for BUYSEASONS. “You can make or break your business in just a few weeks. If you go wrong, you can’t fix it until next year.” With such a large percentage of Halloween business occurring in actual stores, retailers can’t afford to stock up on certain products and just hope those will be the ones that customers love. “Maybe 10 years ago you could get away with that, but not anymore,” Krouse says. “We take the inventory risk and capital requirement out of the equation.” Plus, as a BUYSEASONS client, you’ll have the opportunity to buy access to products that others won’t. BUYSEASONS has agreements with Rubie’s and other various manufacturers each year for exclusive products available to almost anyone who has BUYSEASONS accounts. An example of this, Krouse says, is that whether you’re a business large or small, “99 times out of 100 in drop-shipping, anyone can buy it or sell it.” The inventory is huge, but it still has to be assembled. BUYSEASONS doesn’t have—and doesn’t want—everything. Its buyers go to shows, meet with manufacturers, make judgment calls based on previous year’s sales, make educated guesses based on new trends—and that’s just the beginning. They scour pop culture, movies, and cartoons to “venture beyond what’s normally produced,” says Krouse. Not only that, the lion’s share of its inventory is available at all times. Unlike traditional Halloween retailers, BUYSEASONS doesn’t want to purge its entire inventory of Halloween-related materials by November 1. The goal is to still be in stock, to be a year-round source for what you need, so if you see a Yoda-fied Jack Russell terrier on Halloween and start having dreams of a different shade of green, you know who to call. Although BUYSEASONS’ inventory is huge, with more than 20,000 different products in their catalog, they don’t go out and buy just anything. Special care is taken to select those products that the buying staff feel are going to sell well. The buying team at BUYSEASONS works yearround, going to multiple public and private shows, meeting with all the major and many minor vendors, and researching pop culture, all in an effort to make sure all angles and niches are covered... including pet costumes. Just in case.
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January/February 2010
Howard Beige Invites the Industry Home for Dinner and a Lesson in Halloween by Bryan Joiner Howard Beige
here’s not much you can say about Howard Beige, executive
It was straight out of his family playbook. He put out the invi-
vice president of Rubie’s Costume Company, that hasn’t
tation to come to Houston like he does so many dinner invites dur-
been said before. Rubie’s is the titan of the industry, and
ing the year. Only this time, the family extended to his hundreds of
Howard is at the center of its operations, which puts him at the
customers. The result was the equivalent of a full dinner table, the
T
center of Halloween in America. When kids go trick or treat-
size of which had never been seen before.
ing from Tucson to Topeka to Trenton, they don’t know that
“We expect tremendous growth this year,” Beige says,
there’s a good chance the costume that they’re wearing
“but even last year it was the biggest Halloween show
was signed off on by a man who still has dinner with every
ever, which is pretty amazing. This year, more people
family member he can find every Friday night. It’s the
will be coming and we’re actually taking up more
way he was raised in the working-class neighborhood
space.”
of Queens where he grew up, and it’s the way he still
That’s right: an even bigger table. What
lives his life.
can’t this company do?
In March 2008, Rubie’s was an exhibitor at the Las
•••
Vegas Halloween Show and found it to be scary—in a bad
In a way, Beige can see the future. Looking ahead
way. It was too expensive, too disorganized, and most im-
to Halloween 2010 or 2011, he can plot the vari-
portantly, “too LATE,” wrote Beige in an open letter to
ables—the economy, big-time movies, the general
other Halloween businesses. In 2009, Rubie’s would at-
mood in the country—and see what sectors of the busi-
tend the brand-new show in Houston, Texas, set for January,
ness will be affected. Think the economy is going to im-
he wrote. “In today’s economy, Rubie’s, its affiliated compa-
prove? Bet on accessories. “People really want to
nies, and our customers must all make our Trade Show dol-
accessorize their costumes,” Beige says. “That’s where
lars be as meaningful as possible… We will be renting more
you’d see an improvement.” Got a great idea for a mask? Try
booths in Houston than we ever have before at any Trade
prosthetics instead. “When people wear masks and go to
Show. Houston will also see the return of the Rubie’s Hal-
a party, it’s hard to eat and drink.” Are you a retailer strug-
loween Bash, which we will heavily promote to
J.O.N.A.S. costume from Disney
make sure all of Rubie’s customers attend.”
January/February 2010
gling to compete? “Spend a little bit more effort to bring customers to the store, through advertising,
H11
The Halloween Insider
promotion, or building a website. I’ve seen large stores with thou-
scape, as pirate costumes head to their watery graves (at least
sands of costumes that haven’t been able to
until Pirates of the Caribbean 4, due out next May), and real-world
do this. You need to make the shopping
costumes like Michael Jackson are sold alongside those from new
experience fun.”
movies including Clash of the Titans and Toy Story 3. One of the biggest segments for Rubie’s, as
Here he’s the head of the family,
it is for everyone else, is tweens. The category
dishing advice to those wise enough
has exploded over the past few years,
to listen. Because when you’re as
but it’s got its own rules. “Our
big as Rubie’s, what’s good for
tween costumes are modi-
the industry is good for you—
fied versions of our adult
a lesson Beige almost
costumes—something
learned the hard way in the
mom
early 1980s when razor-in-
would approve of, but the child will still
the-apple scares threatened the
enjoy,” Beige says. That means product for
existence of Halloween as we know
Twilight: New Moon and The Vampire Di-
it in America. Backed against a
aries (and maybe even the more adult-
wall, the industry adapted by focus-
themed True Blood) that’s provocative
ing on safety (in the form of single-
enough for the kids’ taste, but not provocative enough to turn off mom and dad.
serving candies and parties in churches and homes), allowing the
Rubies’ key price point currently
holiday to eventually transition
sits at $19.99, but Beige says he
into something new altogether:
wouldn’t be surprised if that nudged
one enjoyed by children and
north with an improving economy.
adults alike. Rubie’s has been
$29.99? $39.99? That just de-
ahead of both of these curves,
pends on how good it gets.
making nicer costumes for those
•••
indoor parties and working to cor-
Halloween 2010 falls on a Sunday, which is good news for
ner the sexy market. Beige says sexy will be as big as ever in 2010, a statement that’s backed up by the fact that his Deli-
Licensed Playboy Cleopatra costume (left) and Ms. Crackerjack from the Delicious line
Beige and others in the industry. That means three days of celebrations for the adults
cious line—catering to the vampish adult—is the fastest-growing within the company. Vampires are
that’s “basically the same as Saturday,” says Beige, which gives
the big draws for both kids and adults, as they are across the land-
him an opportunity to expand on the 2009 playbook rather than take
The Halloween Insider
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January/February 2010
a whole new approach. 2011’s different, but 2011 is far off. The irony of the Halloween Expo moving earlier and earlier is that it caters to an audience, Beige notes, that buys its costumes later and later. More than half of buyers in 2009 bought their costumes in the last week, says Beige, which means a lot of traffic at brick-and-mortar stores. In an alternate universe, that might be Rubie’s. It was founded as a retail store and quickly outgrew its humble roots and moved across Queens’ small-town landscape to a larger location. It was still just retail, but eventually the call to become something bigger was too loud to ignore. “People kept asking, so we started selling masks and costumes, and eventually other shops wanted to buy from us,” Beige says. “That’s how we grew from a family business into what we are today.” They’re still a family business, only the family is as big as an industry. Halloween Expo is the dinner table. It’s time to gather ‘round.
January/February 2010
Jonah Hex
Retail Spotlight: Halloween Adventure/Smart Toys Halloween Adventure, owned by Masquerade, LLC, opens between 50 and 70 temporary retail stores each year for the Halloween season. Additionally, there are four year-round Halloween Adventure stores—one at 11th Street and Broadway in New York City and others in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Halloween Adventure has been in the business of spooky sales since opening the doors of its first store in 1984 at the Tri State Mall in Claymont, Delaware. Bob Schank, COO of Masquerade, LLC, and Jay Ullom, a buyer who has been with the company for 17 years, weigh in on the ever-changing nature of this holiday. by Jennifer Sinclair
A
s Halloween continues to generate excitement and fanfare
a fantasy world the second you enter Halloween Adventure. We
year after year, Halloween Adventure strives to stand out
put forth a great deal of effort into training our seasonal staff in
from the competition by presenting its customers with an
how to truly help our customers have a wonderful Halloween, and
experience rather than just a shopping trip. “Compared to other
they keep returning year after year.”
themed and party stores, the main difference at Halloween Ad-
One thing that keeps the customers returning is the company’s
venture is customer service,” says Schank. “You are enveloped in
collective eye for trends of Halloween past, present, and future. Everyone from Schank to buyers such as Ullom to the sales associates at each Halloween Adventure store need to be aware of this evolution. To that end, Schank and Ullom say that they do quite a bit of their own trend research. “The biggest trend is the continued growth of adults celebrating Halloween—they are willing to go all out to make their night a blast,” says Schank. For retailers like Halloween Adventure, this translates to increased interest in better and more elaborate adult-themed Halloween costumes, decorations, and party accessories. “Costumes, especially for adults, follow the fashion industry closely. A witch costume can be
The Halloween Insider
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January/February 2010
designed hundreds of ways, but the styles that emulate the fashion
but year-round. “Halloween is the biggest part of the costume mar-
runways have an edge over the same old, same old designs,” says
ket, but far from the only part. In addition to theater groups and
Schank. Similarly, popular decorations such as Christmas lights can
children’s costumes for school plays and just as playwear, there
be adapted and changed to orange lights to reflect the Halloween
has been quite an increase in themed adult parties that require
season. Halloween Adventure tries to stay on top of trends in news,
costuming.”
celebrity gossip, festive décor, and more, and discover how those
When people aren’t focusing on Halloween, Schank says the
trends are being incorporated into Halloween merchandise. “We
company’s year-round locations cater to such holidays as Mardi
also rely on information from our vendors as to the trends they are
Gras, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, and even Dr. Seuss reading day.
seeing, especially when it comes to hot new licenses,” says Schank.
“Dressing up is fun all the time,” he says.
For adults, Schank and Ullom agree that fashion and style have more of an impact than who the biggest celebrity or licensed character of the moment may be, while licensing plays a larger role in children’s costumes. But there are exceptions to this rule: “Michael Jackson was big in 2009 and vendors are already jumping on the Tiger Woods bandwagon,” says Schank. Seasonal Halloween Adventure stores open around Labor Day and close or convert to Smart Toys stores after Halloween for the December holiday season, but Schank says that customers now are looking for costumes and other goods not only earlier,
January/February 2010
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The Halloween Insider
INSIDER LOOK At:
kids’ costumes Aeromax offers costumes and accessories for kids including the Junior Garden Fairy, a green shimmery satin dress with detachable gold wings and smartly designed back with comfy fabric. On the boys’ side, there’s the Junior Yellow Fire Fighter with Helmet, which includes bib overalls with pockets and knee patches with adjustable suspenders. Also included is a coat with buckles, zipper, pockets, authentic gauntlet cuffs, and reinforced elbow patches.
Warner Bros. asks, Scooby-Doo, where are you? This plush Scooby-Doo costume includes a jumpsuit, along with a headpiece that depicts the friendly face of Scooby-Doo. Manufactured by Rubie’s Costume Co.
Rasta Imposta and Crayola have teamed up to bring kids and adult crayon costumes out for Halloween 2010. There will be a whole range of colors from which to choose your own personal style! Additionally, TexStyles, a long-standing Crayola licensee, expands its Create-Your-Own Pillow-
May the force be with
case product line into the Halloween
you. Rubie’s Costume Co.
season. The pillowcases are adorned
offers a Licensed Cad
with spooky line art and come with an
Bane Deluxe Costume
eight-count box of Crayola Fabric
from Clone Wars Season
Crayons that allow children to person-
Three.
alize and decorate the perfect sack for collecting Halloween treats.
The Halloween Insider
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January/February 2010
Insider Look at: Kids’ Costumes Disguise has teamed with Disney to introduce costumes from the forthcoming release
Prince of Persia, starring Jake Gyllenhaal (Prince Dastan), Gemma Arterton (Tamina), Ben Kingsley, and Alfred Molina. Prince Dastan and Tamina costumes are available for both kids (at left) and adults.
All aboard the cutest train on Thomas the Tank Engine’s Island of Sodor with a James costume in the shape of popular Engine #5. The costume, made by Disguise, features a foam train overlay with engineer cap. The foam is lightweight and shape holding. Accessorize with a Thomas Tank trick or treat pail. Thomas the Tank Engine costume for toddler boys is available in Toddler size 3-4T.
In Character presents its Delinquent Devil and Robin Hoodlum costumes for tweens. Delinquent Devil includes dress, vest with attached wings, and character hat. (Sunglasses and socks not included). Robin Hoodlum includes: Top with attached hoodie vest with feather and leggings. Both available in sizes 8-10, 10-12, & 12-14.
Kids can bring the Old West to their neighborhood with mini cowboy and cowgirl kits from Elope. Kits include scarf, badge, moustache, and pressed cowboy hat.
The Halloween Insider
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January/February 2010
INSIDER LOOK At:
adult costumes In Character presents a Voodoo Priestess Dress with crushed panne and leopard print, printed collar with fabric fringe, printed corset with fabric fringe, arm cuffs, and vinyl bone tiara headpiece. (Voodoo doll not included). Available sizes: S, M, L & XL. Witch Doctor costume includes: Large shirt, fur trimmed cape with bone and tooth cape chain, hat, arm cuffs with raffia details, and skull and tooth vinyl belt. (Pants not included). Available sizes: M, L & XL
California Costumes and Paramount have teamed up to bring favorites of the silver screen alive for Halloween. Dress as Grease’s Frenchie (left), or characters from Saturday Night Fever and Dreamgirls, among others.
The Women of Marvel collection—designed to be a full lifestyle brand for women— from Marvel and Disguise will return in 2010 with costumes including Spider-Girl, Black Suited Spider-Girl, American Dream, Black Cat and Emma Frost.
The halloween Insider
Elope features Waldo and Wenda costumes for adults and children. Last year’s costumes sold out nationwide and this year will have a full, dedicated push.
H20
January/February 2010
Insider Look at: Adult Costumes
HouseHaunters believes a great costume should transform the wearer, and to that end, their costumes are not for shrinking violets. Testers of the Gorilla Cage prototype said it brought out their inner Robin Williams—outrageous, spontaneous, and absurd. Police unsnarled traffic jams around the "gorilla guy" and then snapped a couple photos for themselves.
Delicious Sexywear is the fastest growing division of the Rubie’s empire, with costumes like “Leader of the Pack,” “Mrs. Crackerjack,” and “Book ‘em” (pictured) to stimulate the imagination... at the very least.
Eye, eye, eye!
Toy Story 3 is sure to be
one
of
the
biggest hits of the year, and Disguise is covering all bases with costumes for both adults and kids for characters including Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
The halloween Insider
H22
January/February 2010
INSIDER LOOK At:
Masks/Deco Paper Magic’s Don Post Studios has created this licensed mask to transform you into RoboCop. The full, overhead latex hood allows the wearer’s face to show through; best for comfort and breathability. Add the authentic Helmet (included with mask) to finalize the look.
This frighteningly realistic customsculpted 3-D mask, from Fun World, has dry brushed features and antiqued accents. Available in two styles: Open or Closed mouth, and four colors: White, Red, Flesh, and Silver.
HouseHaunters’ motto is "Create a Scene,” and they’ve done that with a line of vinyl window silhouettes. Viewed from the outside, these silhouettes are an understated but shocking way to dress up the front of a house. “We all wear costumes, why can't our homes?,” they ask. For the inside of your home, HouseHaunters offers a line of creepy rat, bat, and spider silhouette stick-ons, another low-key but shocking way to create a scene with HouseHaunters.
The Halloween Insider
H24
January/February 2010
Insider Look at: masks/decorations
WOWindows introduces its Silhouette Series. Each two-part poster pack includes creative Halloween images, such as “Cats and Bats,” printed black on a yellow field for maximum visual contrast from interior room lighting. Removable Foam Adhesive Squares are included for easy hanging.
For 2010, California Costume Collections introduces a truly revolutionary mask design with Ani-motion. Sponge foam latex covers a rigid mask frame with a mechanism that lets the wearer operate the Werewolf mouth and lips just by opening and closing their own mouth. Mask includes adjustable straps for fit and comfort.
Pleaser has a range of spooky, scary shoes to accessorize your undead look. For women, there’s the Sexy Vampire Shoes, featuring a 3.75-inch heel (far left) as well as Zombie, Circus, and Alice In Wonderland-themed shoes. For men, there’s the black patent leather vampire loafers (near left) and a variety of Zombie, Skeleton, and Horror-related costume shoes.
The Halloween Insider
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January/February 2010
INSIDER LOOK At:
toys/Games Aurora World, Inc.’s YooHoo & Friends line includes more than 50 variations available at retail with a variety of sizes and themes. The cuddly plush YooHoo & Friends characters make a unique and funny sound when you squeeze their tummies. For Halloween, Aurora offers purple/black and orange/black YooHoos (five inches, with sound).
Halloween Source’s Pumpkin Pals help you display your pumpkin in style. Face patterns are included that allow you to carve the perfect character to create your special scary pal. Each Pumpkin Pal comes with removable stickers that allow you to carve your personalized scary face and can be used as patterns if you choose to carve your pumpkin.
New for 2010 from HIT Entertainment
and
Learning
Curve, it's Halloween on Sodor and Thomas is ready to trick and treat. This new two pack features Thomas with a Halloween banner and a Halloween decorated caboose.
January/February 2010
H27
The Halloween Insider
Insider Look at: Toys/games
Bigstuffstatues.com specializes in massive non-licensed and highly detailed specialty store props, including The Original Dead collection, featuring six different skeletons dressed up in their favorite Halloween garb and rockin’ out on musical instruments including guitars, mariba, bongos, and drums. Also in the company’s product portfolio are chain garlands, weapons, hanging decorations, and Halloween jewelry.
Bendaroos flexible building sticks (not pictured) provide kids with a unique way to express their creativity. The reusable building sticks, made from colored string coated with a special wax, let children play and expand their imaginations for hours. Bendaroos adhere to virtually every household surface, and are easily removed to be used again and again! Simply pull Bendaroos apart to transform everyday objects into incredible new creations and fun figurines. Bendaroos building sticks won’t leave any stains or sticky residue behind.
PTI’s Plush Elmo Basket from CSS Paper Magic is the perfect addition to a child’s trick-or-treat experience, turning an ordinary container into an enchanting keepsake and costume accessory for children of all ages.
The new Batwing Flyer by Play Visions incorporates a gyroscopic free-spinning wheel in the center of the flyer that enables it to fly straight. At the end of the flight, the wings wiggle like a real bat.
The Halloween Insider
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January/February 2010
The Voice Reaching Both Trade and Consumers
CONTACT: JONATHAN SAMET ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP 286 5TH AVENUE, 3RD FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10001 TEL: 212-575-4510 FAX: 212-575-4521 WWW.ADVENTUREPUB.COM
Spooky, Scary Stat•Shot MOST DESIRED COSTUMES
H ALLOWEEN E XPO 2009
H ALLOWEEN 2009
B Y T HE N UMBERS
RANK 1
ADULT WITCH
CHILDREN’S PRINCESS
PET PUMPKIN
2
VAMPIRE
WITCH
DEVIL
3
PIRATE
SPIDER-MAN
BOWTIES/FANCY COLLARS
4
CLOWN
PIRATE
WITCH
5
WENCH/TART/VIXON
PUMPKIN
SUPERDOG/SUPERCAT
6
CAT
VAMPIRE
PRINCESS
7
DEVIL
DISNEY PRINCESS
BAT
8
SCARY COSTUME/MASK
STAR WARS CHARACTER
DOG
9
ATHLETE
TINKERBELL
ANGEL
10
POLICE OFFICER
BATMAN
BEE
BOOTHS/EXHIBITORS: 1,350/317 ATTENDANCE: 5,000+
Source: National Retail Federation’s 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey
Nearly one in three consumers said the state of the U.S. economy would impact their Halloween 2009 spending plans. Of those affected, 88 percent planned to spend less overall.
How will you spend less?
“The overriding theme for Americans’ Halloween celebrations [last] year...‘How creative can I be, and how little can I spend?’” - Phil Rist, executive vice president, Strategic Initiatives, BIGresearch
How much will you spend? On what?
Total dollars per person: $56.30
Source: National Retail Federation’s 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey
The halloween Insider
H30
January/February 2010
Toy Fair 2010
infant & preschool
Winfat Rocks out with Wubbzy
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infat combines tunes, beats, and music with two fun musical introductions for the continuing Wow! Wow! Wubbzy license. Wubbzy’s Kooky Keyboard, with a 25-note keyboard, different rhythms, and instruments, features 15 demo songs, including Wubbzy’s signature TV melody. Wubbzy’s Rockin’ Guitar taps into preschoolers’ rock star talent with three modes of play, special effects, and a cool strum and whammy bar. The Winfun brand introduces the Jr. Rockin’ Band Set, with four modes of play. This band set is ready for preschoolers’ musical debut with snare, tom, and bass drums; a cymbal; a sing-along headset; and a stool. Wubbzy’s Kooky Keyboard
Explore ’n Grow with Playskool
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he Explore ’n Grow line of infant developmental toys from Playskool inspires curiosity and exploration as babies develop. The Press ’n Pop Shapes toy “grows” with babies as they discover more about the world around them. When pressed by little hands, each of the character heads pops up with a color-coded visual effect of spinners, twirlers, or moving beads. The characters are removable for older babies to explore circle, square, and triangle shape sorting. Fascinating sights and sounds are found on the Explore ’n Grow Activity Tower. The activity cube has a mirror, spinner, clicker, slider, beads, and a handle to engage baby’s senses of touch, hearing, and sight. Later, when baby grows, the four numbered cubes can be nested inside one another or stacked tall by tiny toddler hands to create a tower with a squeaking character on top. The Play ’n Roll Vehicle is sure to bring laughs and joy as little ones chase it around Press ’n Pop Shapes the room. Baby presses the smiling character’s head and off it goes. Watch baby’s face light up as the Play ’n Roll vehicle zips and zooms. Choose between a circle or square critter toy, each sold separately. Fifty years later and the Play-Doh Fun Factory is still a favorite. This updated version features a thick handle so little hands can easily press down on the extruder to create one of eight silly shapes. The extruding dial is now attached so that it cannot get lost—simply spin the dial to select a favorite shape. The set includes two two-ounce cans of Play-Doh compound and a plastic cutting tool, which can all be stored in the Fun Factory base. With the Poppin’ Movie Snacks set, kids can create all their favorite snacks from the movie theater concession stand. Use the popcorn cranker to fill up a bucket of popcorn or create colorful candy, a hot dog, French fries, or ice cream treats. Don’t forget to mold out a movie ticket. The set includes a movie theater-themed playmat, plus four two-ounce cans and one five-ounce can of Play-Doh.
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Toy Fair 2010
infant & preschool
International Playthings for Little Ones
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nternational Playthings introduces the Yookidoo Tote Along Musical Mirror, which is a baby’s first mirror, featuring music and lights. A large mirror is fitted on to the front of the tote bag and friendly faces light up one after the other in time with the music, encouraging baby to follow along. The Yookidoo Baby’s First Bumper Book accordion-fold book includes a friendly face on every page that encourages the baby to lift their head and shoulders to play. The Bumper Book allows infants to follow along while faces light up one after the other in time with the music. Yookidoo Baby’s First Bumper Book This product supports infant growth with simple patterns and images on one side and more advanced graphics on the other, for two stages of development. Earlyears Baby Tea Party is a five-piece soft plush playset that stimulates babies’ developing senses. Each play piece features different activities: the teapot plays “I’m a Little Teapot,” the cups rattle or jingle and have a crinkly tea bag tag, the croissant crinkles, and the rattling cupcake has a mirror inside. The easy-to-assemble iPlay My First Train Set is comprised of more than 34 pieces, including curved track, straight track, switch track, stop track, ramps, bridge, boulder, and crate. This set also includes two freight cars and a train. By pressing the button on the train to start the caravan, children will hear realistic train sounds. The iPlay My First Baby Doll comes with a diaper bag, teddy bear, bottle, diaper, wipe case, and wipes. Baby also comes wearing a removable hat and outfit. Everything stores in the diaper bag for on-the-go fun.
Green Toys Stacks Up
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he Green Toys Stacker takes a classic toy and makes it safer and more playful. The whimsically colored nesting pieces stack easily from large to small, while also allowing little builders to use their imagination and stack in any order. Little ones can develop hand-eye coordination and color recognition while having plenty of good green fun. Embark on a cruise across the bathtub with the Green Toys Tugboat. Navigate the wading pool. Even splash around in the occasional mud puddle. This colorful craft really floats, and has a wide spout to scoop and pour water. Green Toys Blocks are the world’s most environmentally friendly basic building set. All 18 boldly colored blocks are oversized and lightweight, making it super-easy for tiny hands to stack and unstack. This block set includes a variety of shapes for building castles, towers, or any structure budding architects can dream up. Each of these My First Green Toys products is recommended for ages 6 months and up. They are made in the U.S. from 100 percent recycled plastic milk containers, which save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contain no BPA, PVC, phthalates, or external coatings. Green Toys Blocks
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
ALEX Jr. Is the Talk of the Farm
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he ALEX Jr. line of developmental, plush, and bath toys for baby expands with 19 new toys for baby’s first year. 28 new products have been added to the Little Hands line for preschoolers including Ready, Set skill-building activities, craft kits, and an interactive talking play mat. With I Can Cook, every day is spaghetti day. Fill and spill a soft pot with pasta and vegetables. Squeak the carrot, rattle the radish, and jingle the tomato. I Can Cook is for ages 10 months and up. With Tub Soup, kids can make pretend soup in the bathtub. The set comes with nine pieces that stick to the tub wall, plus a pot, spoon, and salt shaker squirter. Tub Soup is for ages 2 and up. Talk of the Farm is an interactive talking play mat. Drive the truck over the musical notes and listen to the fun at Buttercup Farm. This interactive farm mat helps children learn simple phrases, counting, and following directions. Talk of the Farm is for ages 18 months and up. Let’s Pretend School makes school time fun time. This 225-piece set includes wipe away boards with letters, numbers, colors, shapes, a world map, a food pyramid, a pointer, nine pencils, a dry erase marker, and an eraser. Let’s Pretend School folds into an easy carrying case so you can take it anywhere, and is for ages 3 and up. Talk of the Farm
Learning Curve Rides the Dinosaur Train
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earning Curve has created an all-new line of products based on The Jim Henson Company’s animated series Dinosaur Train. Dinosaur Collectible and Train Car 2-packs include a detailed dinosaur figure and a train car decorated to match the character. Each dinosaur figure fits inside its respective train car, which can be attached to one another for train play fun. The 2-packs also include a special Dinosaur Train collector card. Character packs include Buddy, Tiny, Morris, Tank, Ned, and the Conductor. Also available are Dinosaur Collectible 3-packs and Dinosaur Train InterAction Figures. Now even the youngest Thomas fans can enjoy the fun and discovery with Learning Curve’s newest Thomas Wooden Railway innovation: Thomas Wooden Railway Early Engineers Line. Thomas Wooden Railway Early Engineers Roundabout Station is a great start for little engineers. With simple features and easy engine control, the Roundabout Station lets little engineers pick up and deliver passengers. The set includes a Thomas Engine, two destinations, a tracktile, and two accessories, and is for ages 18 months and up. Also available is the Early Engineers Busy Day on Sodor Set and the Early Engineers Rock and Roll Quarry Set. The Caring Corners line continues to grow with the introduction of Nanny Oakes Interactive Treetop Nursery. Nanny Oakes teaches children to love and nurture her “Baby Buds”—little babies who nestle in her branches. When children press Nanny’s nose, they discover activities, sounds, words, and lullabies about caring for baby. Nanny Oakes features a hanging swing for up to six babies, a mini pool, a snack table, and a tree top merry-go-round. Dinosaur Collectible and Train Car
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Toy Fair 2010 Colorful Fun for Babies
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rayola Beginnings products are designed to inspire babies ages 6 to 36 months to express themselves with age-appropriate creative activities designed specially for them. Crayola Beginnings Jumbles is a building set designed for baby’s first grasp. Their unique shape allows this colorful building set to connect easily, so babies as young as 6 months can pile and play with them. Jumbles are available in 12-count and 20-count sets, in 10 colors. Crayola Beginnings Color Tumbler combines a classic ball-popper toy with the surprise of changing colors. Pressing and releasing the top sets the Color Tumbler twirling, and as red, yellow, and blue balls bounce and tumble behind tinted windows, they magically change colors. Crayola Beginnings Bop & Color introduces babies to color while developing hand-eye coordination and motor skills. Add Bop & Color to playtime and babies can push a button to color a car red, turn a dial to make a tiger orange, flip a switch to tint a frog green, or pull a lever to make a cell phone purple.
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infant & preschool
Baby Genius Makes Pet Care and Household Chores Fun
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ith the Baby Genius Pet Care Center, there’s so much to do for a new puppy. Your child can take care of Melody, feed her, listen to her heart, trim her nails, and give her lots of cuddles. Open the pet carrier door and hear Melody’s theme song. The plush puppy and all her accessories store easily inside the carrier. Kids can hear all the Baby Genius friends on the Swivel ’n Sounds Phone. They can pretend to make calls, take pictures, or listen to messages. This realistic phone has a custom Baby Genius ring tone, a light-up screen, and picture shutter sounds. For a real surprise, parents can record a message for their little one that they can play over and over again. Sweeping the floor becomes a musiAll-in-One Musical Band cal event when a child picks up Vinko’s Musical Broom and pretends to sweep. The easy-to-push handle button activates four phrases, realistic sweeping sounds, and Vinko’s tune. When the cleaning is done, press Vinko’s nose to hear him giggle. The All-in-One Musical Band includes a Frankie tambourine, two maracas, a Vinko flute, and a drum with two colorful drumsticks. Little musicians can play their favorite instrument while marching along. When playtime is over, all the instruments can be stored in the drum.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Toy Fair 2010
infant & preschool
Silverlit Expands into Preschool
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ilverlit introduces Jojo, part of the company’s new preschool line. Hide and Seek Jojo Bunny is an electronic hide-and-seek game. Jojo’s ears fold over to hide his eyes while he counts, and as he looks for the child, he speaks and makes sounds. When the child is finally found, Jojo asks for a kiss as a reward. Other introductions in the line will include Jojo Buggy, a wobbly vehicle that ejects Jojo when it runs into an object, an R/C vehicle, a water toy that is activated by sensors when put in the water, and a pull toy tractor with animal sounds. Hide and Seek Jojo
Step2 Stores & Scores
Bandai to Launch Toys for Pocoyo
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tep2 adds new backyard toys, art sets, and more to its line. With the Store & Score Toy Box, preschoolers can shoot hoops and store their toys in one compact box. The set includes 3.88 cubic feet of storage and a junior-sized inflatable basketball and soccer ball. The Sports-tastic Gym Center includes a bat, a club, and two balls, and allows kids to choose from four sports to play. The center has storage space on the side for sports gear. The new Versa-Seat Wagon has removable seats that lift out to seat two anywhere. The wagon is equipped with eightinch wheels with rubber tread, high-back seats for a comfortable ride, and seat belts for added safety. Step2’s Lifestyle Sizzle and Store Kitchen features an electronic stove burner that lights up and makes cooking sounds, a sink and faucet, two stove burners with clicking knobs, a cutting board decal, salt and pepper shakers, a coffee maker/coffee pot, a utensil storage pocket, and built-in storage shelves for dishes and cups. Step2 also introduces the Sizzlin’ Shapes Kitchen, which features an electronic burner with real cooking sounds for pretend fun.
P
ocoyo, a preschool international CGI series, brings to life the vibrant world of a young boy who discovers and explores the world around him with his animal friends. The program is currently airing on Univision in Spanish and in leading markets on PBS Kids in English. Bandai’s line of Pocoyo toys is poised for a fall 2010 launch. Pocoyo Bath Figures make bath time fun. The 2.5-inch figures are styled after colorful characters from the show. Kids will enjoy squirting water in and out of the tub with these collectible figures. The Pocoyo Vehicle Bath Set comes with three bath vehicles that can float in the tub or be pushed along on the floor. The set includes Scuba Pocoyo and two of his sea creature friends. Pocoyo Mini Plush is an assortment of tiny, cuddly Pocoyo characters, including Elly, Pato, and Lola. The 10-inch Basic Plush are available in Pocoyo, Elly, and Pato—these three are also available in 10inch musical styles, which make musical sounds from the show when you squeeze their bellies.
Store & Score Toy Box
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
MEGA Puts out the Fire
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our toddler can experience what it’s like to be a firefighter with the 3-in-1 Ride On Fire Truck, from MEGA Brands. The truck acts as a walker, ride-on, and dump truck. Kids can fight “fire” while riding on the fire truck with a steering wheel designed as a fire hose, fun lights, and sound effects. The truck also comes with 10 MEGA Bloks for added play value. The 20-piece Pull Along Musical Pirate Ship is quick and easy to build, and it transforms into a treasure hideout and boat. The ship comes with two pirate characters, one shark, and lots of play accessories, including a working cannon, a treasure chest, and a secret trap. Also available is the Play ’n Go Garage, Lil’ Pink Bus, and Lil’ Boat. 3-in-1 Ride On Fire Truck
Bug out with Manhattan Toy
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anhattan Toy introduces three new baby collections for 2010, offering a wide variety of play patterns and sensory stimulation for babies at core stages of development. Designed to encourage discovery and develop fine motor skills, the Buggybu Collection is an array of mixed mediums of high contrast knit fabrics and wood accents made to provide tactile interest as well as developmental benefits. The Buggybu Collection is comprised of six new gender-neutral baby toys in a citrus palette bug theme. New products in the line include the Bug-aRounds Stacker, Soothing Sound Bug, and Playtime Busy Bug. The Little Bloom Collection is unique with its Asian-inspired theme and designs offered in feminine colors. There are eight new infant items in the line, including the Flowering Tummy Garden, Sweet Sounds Lantern, Snuggly Space Friends, Alien Bobble & Stack, Alien Stacking Shapes, and Jiggle Wiggle UFO. The Classic & Modern Collection offers four new toys that blend soft fabrics and wood together. This combination gives babies tactile and sensory stimulation. The collection includes Look at Me! Puppy, Travel & Play Puppy, Clicky Clacky, and Puppy Pal Ring. Manhattan Toy presents the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom infant toy line, based on the rhythmic chant by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. The product line showcases the illustrations by Lois Ehlert while helping babies and toddlers become familiar with their ABCs and 123s. Simon and Schuster is the publisher of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. The collection consists of nine infant items, including Buggybu activity toy the Count & Sort Coconut Tree and ABC Tummy Time. Manhattan Toy introduces Groovy Girls Darling Dramatics—now little girls can dress up like their favorite Groovy Girls. The company has created four new outfits that are the perfect fit for little girls, along with accessories to coordinate with each outfit. The four themes available are Fayla Fairy, Princess Seraphina, Belisima Ballerina, and Maddie Mermaid. The outfits fit girls sizes 4 to 6.
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Toy Fair 2010
infant & preschool
Ludorum Appoints VTech Global Partner for Chuggington
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udorum has appointed VTech the global licensee for Chuggington electronic learning products. VTech will launch its new Chuggington Laptop in June. Suitable for ages 3 and up, the VTech Chuggington Laptop features friends from Chuggington including Wilson, Brewster, and Koko, with real character voices from the show. Featuring a Wilson-shaped selector, ABC keyboard, and numbers 1-10, the VTech Chuggington Laptop teaches language, numbers, and logic, and offers games. It also includes an Adventure mode with special bonus animations and a help button to provide assistance to children.
Chicco Has a Turbo Touch
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hicco has announced several new preschool toys for 2010. The 1 Two 3 Playhouse is the coolest hangout around. A whimsical cloud-shaped clothes hanger serves as the support for the play tent, which can be easily folded flat against the wall or removed completely for storing or washing. The playhouse features a door with a working mail slot, a decorated interior, and compartments to store dolls or other playthings. The 1 Two 3 Playhouse is for ages 2 and up. Turbo Touch Speed Truck makes fun engine noises and transports up to five Turbo Touch vehicles (one is included). Best of all, it opens up into a racetrack more than three feet long. A working race light signals the beginning of the race, and a sensor on the track senses when the cars cross the finish line. Charge your Turbo Touch vehicle and let it race. If it crosses the finish line with a green light, you’ll hear claps and cheers as the vehicle exits from the hidden door chute at the front of the truck. The Speed Truck is for ages 2 and up. The Ducati 1198 R/C intuitive remote control is shaped just like motorcycle handlebars and rotating it makes the motorcycle turn left or right. The Ducati makes realistic horn and engine motorcycle sounds and helps to develop creativity and coordination skills. This motorcycle is for ages 2 and up. The Magic Window Talking Farm features a color LCD display that brings the farm animals to life with smooth animation. The toy features three levels of play to keep the fun engaging while children learn by listening, watching, and interacting with the animals on the farm. Keeping time with the music, children also learn to sing the first letters of the alphabet and the first numbers, in English and Spanish. The Talking Farm helps teach numbers, colors, animal names, and sounds, includes eight nursery rhymes and five songs, and is for ages 1 and up.
Turbo Touch Speed Truck
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Toy Fair 2010
infant & preschool
Douglas Expands Baby Line
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ouglas Company is expanding its baby collection substantially and will offer a separate Douglas’ Baby Cuddle Toy catalog for 2010. Baby Cuddle Toy Rattles have a sturdy clear plastic teething ring filled with natural wooden balls that rattle, attached to a soft toy animal head. Each animal head has embroidered eyes. Choose from Orange Dog, Blue Dog, Pink Dog, Hot Pink Horse, and Green Frog. Baby Cuddle Toy Wuvee is a new twist on the classic “blankie.” It is the size and shape of a seven-inch square potholder, yet it still resembles its animal counterpart, with a satin padding on the paws, a distinctive tail, and embroidered eyes. Baby Cuddle Toy Lil’ Snuggler new designs are created from pure, bright hues and have very wide-awake eyes. Each blanket incorporates a 13-inch by 13-inch square of soft fabric, a plush animal head, and is lined and edged with ultra soft satin. Baby Cuddle Toy Animal Towel is a brand-new concept for Douglas. Each is designed with intricate embroidery and appliquéd Baby Cuddle Toy Wuvee animal head hoods. Each 28-inch square towel is edged in a coordinating designer fabric. Choose from Orange Dog, Blue Dog, Pink Dog, Hot Pink Horse, or Green Frog. Baby Cuddle Toy Baby Blanket is another new design concept for Douglas. Each 28-inch by 36-inch blanket is created from soft plush material with satin edges. Choose from five colors: orange, blue, pink, hot pink, or neutral.
Babalu Shares the Fantasy
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oining the Babalu lineup are classic toys from WJ Fantasy, a company that Babalu recently acquired. WJ Fantasy has been specializing in nesting blocks, building blocks, advent calendars, and books for more than 25 years. Shadow Books, for ages 3 and up, each feature an eight-inch by eight-inch foldout backdrop for the story, a 26-page book, and a flashlight. In each story, the flashlight is used to cast shadows on the die-cut pages with images of ordinary objects. Through storytelling and fun examples, the child My Tool Box learns that the shadows need not be feared. Shadow Books include Camping with Four Out, Forest Fairies, and Time for Bed. Board Books ABC Building Blocks, for ages 3 and up, will help children learn the alphabet with bright and colorful illustrations by Sarah Buell Dowling. Children can identify the letter by the picture. Children will love pretending to help out on the job with My Tool Box with Four Board Books for ages 3 and up. They can strap on the denim tool belt/apron with adjustable waist and carry the plastic hammer, saw, screwdriver, and pliers around in the two deep pockets. The toolbox comes with four board books, shaped like each of the four included tools. Illustrations and text depict each tool as a character, describing what it does and how it works.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
Raising
by Sanford Frank and Howard Aronson
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Copyright or Design Patent?
esign patents and copyrights are distinct forms of protection—each is an asset that exists separately from the other. They can, however, co-exist without complications or undermining the essence of protection granted by the other. And the good news is that copyrights and design patents are well-suited to protect toys. The reasons for selecting different types of protection often relate to the effectiveness of enforcement and duration of protection. A design patent can last a maximum of 14 years while a copyright could last 90 years. Copyright protection extends to pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works and requires only originality and creativity. Various creative aspects of toys, games, and models may be protected by copyright. The Copyright Act, however, denies copyright protection to a useful article except to the extent that the useful article incorporates pictorial, graphic, or sculptural features that are capable of existing independently of the utilitarian aspects of the useful article. A design patent protects new, non-obvious, and ornamental features of a utilitarian article, such as a toy. In situations where the aesthetic features cannot be separated from a utilitarian item, a design patent can protect the ornamental features of that item, whereas a copyright cannot. For example, a design patent could protect the ornamental appearance of a sleek toy case whereas a copyright could not. The prerequisites to enforce a copyright and a design patent are different. To violate a copyright, an infringer must have access to the copyrighted material and a substantial portion of the pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work must be copied. With a design patent, a comparison is made between the two works based upon the “eye of the ordinary observer,” considering the non-functional, ornamental aspects of each work. The process to secure one type of protection may impact the other. For example, information on the first use date or
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
the Bar
publication date in a copyright application may render obtaining a design patent impossible, as there is only a one-year period to file a design patent after public exposure within the U.S. Outside the U.S., there is no grace period and design protection must be sought before any public disclosure. Car replicas: The design of a Formula One race car could not be protected by copyright because the design was dictated by utilitarian factors. Courts have found, however, that many commercial automotive designs can be protected by both design patent for the ornamental aspects and by copyright for the related pictorial, graphic, or intrinsic sculptural work. The same is true for replicas of airplanes, boats, and motorcycles. Plush toys: Copyright and design patent protection extends to the artistic aspects of a plush toy, such as a facial design and body shape. Utilitarian or functional features would not be protected. Board games: Copyright protection exists for the graphical and sculptural aspects of such games, and interestingly, design patents are often used to protect the non-functional aspects of either the board game itself or the play characters employed. Toy manufacturers should consider the various types of design protection as early in the development stage as possible, ideally before any public disclosure, to avoid losing the ability to secure a design patent. ■ Sanford Frank, Esq. has for the past 25 years devoted his legal career to providing legal counsel to the toy industry both as general counsel (Tyco Playtime and Toymax) and as outside counsel. Howard Aronson, Esq. is the managing partner of Lackenbach Siegel, LLP, an intellectual property law firm having deep, longstanding roots in the toy industry. For further information, please contact Sanford B. Frank at sfrank2@optonline.net or (631) 285-1147.
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The Next Decade of Innovation Heralds Tech Options for Kids and Families by Reyne Rice, toy trend specialist
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he Consumer Electronics Show has always been about the gadgets, but this year it was really the marriage of technology and content that took center stage. Access and mobility were the driving messages. Though there was no “one big announcement” or innovation evident from the show floor, the over-arching message was connectivity—when, where, and how the consumer wanted it. For toy and game manufacturers, the key message is that alliances and connectivity to communication devices and partners will be an important and integral part of mar-
keting and product development strategies for the future. Aligning their vision for brands, choosing the right technologies and partners to implement that vision, and ensuring accessibility for loyal consumers will be key strategic decisions that will impact their core brands. Kids have 24/7 access to their favorite shows, sites, and brands via mobile phones, devices, and alliance programs, such as FloTV, Nickelodeon, and Disney Online, and even in the family car with the new SYNC technology from Ford, to name a few examples. Major technology trends unveiled on the 2010 CES show floor included 3-D TV, mobile DTV, connected TV, green technologies, eReaders, and apps: • Trends affecting families and kids were most prevalent in the Living in Digital Times Pavillions: Kids@Play, MommyTech, and Higher Ed Tech. • Family tech was also previewed in the Gaming Pavillion with LEGO Universe and other new gaming options displayed by a variety of manufacturers, many intended for tweens, teens, and older gamers. • Microsoft previewed all of the new family options and parental controls on the Xbox platform, including Project Natal, its new gaming platform, which will be launched in the second half of 2010 as the first voiceand gesture-controlled gaming platform. The product is expected to provide some serious competition for the Nintendo Wii platform for family entertainment time.
The 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show attracted more than 120,000 industry professionals, up from 113,085 verified attendees in 2009. International attendance increased by more than 1,000 attendees, and upwards of 5,000 reporters, analysts, and bloggers generated significant global media coverage. THE TOY BOOK
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Cutting-edge technology trends wowed crowds throughout the Disney’s Netpals 2010 International CES show floor, including advancements in 3-D technology, mobile DTV (digital television), tablet PCs, netbooks for kids and moms, eReaders, apps, connected TVs, embedded internet technologies, and green technology. Major innovations specifically designed for kids included netbook PCs from Disney (Netpal), the Dell MiniV Nickelodeon (currently a Wal-Mart exclusive), The HP Mini 5102 with touchscreen, and the Intel Classmate PC. In the classroom, new e-textbooks provide embedded videos and FAQs, highlighting capabilities, note-taking, and other new features designed to take the weight out of
textbooks and to enhance learning with instant and interactive tutoring. E-books in general were a big buzz with more than a half dozen new models introduced; varying screen sizes, prices, and capabilities will suit a wide variety of readers. Barnes and Noble’s new Nook e-reader has a special category for children’s books, so the Amazon Kindle now has more competition. Exhibitors at CES 2010 definitely demonstrated “All Access to Technology, Anytime, Anywhere, 24/7” across multiple platforms, devices, and services. ■
Access and connectivity to all sources of content was a recurring theme across the CES 2010 Show. The devices, products, and services on display supported this integration. Everything is being developed to help consumers access, manage, and enjoy content: • Movies, television programming, and sports content are being developed for 3-D viewing format. • Platforms for written materials— tablets, e-readers, PCs, and phones— are focusing on the increasing numbers of digitized e-books, newspapers, and magazines that are newly available. • Broader ranges of digital devices are providing internet access to support both content and the user’s online social life.
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Industry Marketplace
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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION: REQUIRED BY 39 U.S.C. TITLE OF PUBLICATION: THE TOY BOOK. PUBLICATION NO. 750-050. FREQUENCY OF ISSUE: MONTHLY. NUMBER OF ISSUES PUBLISHED ANNUALLY: 7. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $48. COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS OF THE HEADQUARTERS OF GENERAL BUSINESS OFFICES OF THE PUBLISHER: 286 5TH AVE, 3RD FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10001. FULL NAMES AND COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESSES OF PUBLISHER AND EDITOR: PUBLISHER, JONATHAN SAMET, 286 5TH AVE, 3RD FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10001; EDITOR IN CHIEF, JACKIE BREYER, 286 5TH AVE, 3RD FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10001. OWNER: ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP, INC., 286 5TH AVE, 3RD FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10001.
EXTENT
AND
NATURE
OF
CIRCULATION:
Avg. No. Copies Each Actual No. Copies Single Issue Issue During Preceding Published Nearest to Filing 12 Months (9 issues) Date Total No. Copies
15,750
16,171
13,068
12,850
208
201
Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 1. Outside Counrty Nonrequested Copies 2. Nonrequested copies Distributed Outside the Mail (include Pickup Stands, Tradeshows, Showroom, and other sources)
13,276
13,051
1,006
975
871
1,500
Total Nonrequested Distribution
1,877
2,475
Total Distribution
15,153
15,526
597
645
15,750
16,171
88%
84%
Ligitimate Paid and/or requested Distribution 1. Outside Counrty Paid/ Request Mail Subscription 2. Sales Through Dealer and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and other Paid or Requested Distribution outside USPA
Copies Not Distributed Total Percent Paid and/or Requested
THE TOY BOOK
Playtime Sales & Marketing Co. LLC A Toy Manufacturers Sales Representative Corporate Office 331 Piermont Road Norwood, New Jersey 07648 TEL: 201-784-7727 FAX: 201-784-1912 E Mail: murraybass@playtimesales.com // lensoyka@playtimesales.com The Playtime Sales & Marketing Company, LLC. is a Toy and Electronics Manufacturers sales representative organization. Our prime focus is to represent Toy and Electronics Manufacturers to the Mass Market Retailers. The principals of our Company our Len Soyka and Murray Bass. Our only vocation has been in the Toy Industry. We are dedicated toy professionals. Our geographical areas of sales coverage and accounts include: • NEW ENGLAND…Connecticut North to Maine and Upstate N.Y. Accounts… CVS Drug, BJ’s Whle. Club, Xmas Tree Shops, Benny’s and Ocean State. • N.Y. METRO…N.Y. City and New Jersey. Accounts… Toys R Us and their DOTCOM and Global Divisions, FAO Schwarz, Shepher Distributors and Supermarket Chains. •MID-LANTIC…Pennsylvania, Wash D.C., Northern Virginia and Western Ohio. Accounts…Rite Aid Drug, Group Sales and Lillian Vernon • K mart USA // JC Penney Catalog // Universal Studios Orlando // Gordman’s // Duckwall // Pamida // AAFES // Walmart // Variety Wholesalers • CANADA…Walmart, Toys R Us and Zellers’ We employ a staff of 5 toy sales specialists. Our contact information is listed on our above shown letterhead. We welcome your inquiries.
BUSINESS DIRECTORIES 2010 Trade Show Directory $39.95 Independent Sales Rep Directory $69.95 Toy Wholesalers & Manufacturers $29.95 1-800-635-7654 www.forum123.com
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Industry Marketplace Classifieds
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Klosters Trading, established in 1987, provides business intelligence on the toy and video game market to qualified clients. Sell-through data is derived from own retailer panels on a bi-weekly basis. Additional sources are national buyers at big box stores both in the United States and Europe; non-C level sales executives at the large manufacturers; and component suppliers located in China, Europe and the U.S. Please email lmuller@klosterstrading.com for quotes.
Place a classified in Please contact Yasmin Johnson 212-575-4510 x 2330 yjohnson@adventurepub.com
Advertiser Index Adventure Publishing Group .............69 ALEX.................................................73 Alexander Doll...................................89 AllStar Products.................................75 ASTRA ............................................S19 Bachmann Trains .............................107 Basic Fun ...........................................66 Brairpatch Inc ..................................143 Carrera of America ..........................103 Cassidy Brothers ................................86 Cloud B ..............................................97 COG Limited .......................8, 9, 10, 11 Commonwealth Toy...........................95 Delta Children's Products ............25, 27 Douglas Cuddle Toy ........................S13 Dune Craft .......................................S17 Eastcolight .........................................53 Elenco ..............................................S11
Elmers/Giddy Up .............................4, 5 Folkmanis ....................................12, 13 Funosophy........................................101 George & Company.........................153 Goliath Games .................................145 Grand Prix International ....................87 HABA USA .......................................S7 Hasbro..............................................1, 2 Hidden City......................................141 Hosung ...............................................99 ImagAbility Inc..................................79 Imperial Toy.......................................59 Innovation First..................................55 Interactive Toy Concepts ...................61 Jay At Play .........................................93 Jishaku .............................................128 Kids Wish Network .........................195 Life-Like Products ...........................109
Maisto.......................................111, 204 Manhattan Toy ...................................91 Meccano.............................................77 Mega Brands ......................................51 Neat-Oh International ........................83 NPD .................................................191 Ollie's ...............................................200 Pacific Play Tents...............................65 Peachtree Playthings ..........................81 Plasmart .......................................19, 21 Planetpals LLC ................................201 Play Visions .......................................47 Playmobil ...........................................85 Playtime Sales and Marketing .........200 Pressman Toys .................................147 Pretty Ugly Doll ........................96, 200 Regal Logistics ..................................35 Rubies Costume Company ................57
Sakar International...........................6, 7 Scratch Art .........................................S9 Sesame Workshop............................203 Silverlit Toys (USA), Inc...................67 SpinMaster ...................................15, 17 Street Surfing .....................................49 Techno Source....................................23 Thames and Kosmos .........................S2 The Bridge .........................................63 The Haywire Group .........................151 Tickle Inc (Drip Drops) .........39, 41, 43 Uni Toys (HK)LTD ..........................113 US Games ........................................149 Velcro Kids ......................................S15 Venom Group Intl ............................105 WinFat................................................71 Yoe Studios......................................S23
THE AD INDEX IS PUBLISHED AS A COURTESY. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO BE ACCURATE, LATE ADDITIONS AND CHANGES IN LAYOUT MAY RESULT IN ERRORS OR OMISSIONS.
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THE TOY BOOK
Flashback: February1991 4.
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Meritus Industries introduces The Michelle Doll, based on the then-4-year-old star of Full House. 2. Kenner premieres the Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure action figure line. 3. TCA Group creates Fun Cam, a video camera for preschoolers. 4. Hasbro offers New Kids on the Block Poseable Figures. 5. A 6.75-inch poseable Harry, fashioned after the character on Harry and the Hendersons, debuts from Just Toys.
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WHAT’S HOT!
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THE TOY BOOK
NATIONAL BEST SELLERS TV Promoted Toys 1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Playmates 2. Barbie - Mattel 3. Go-Go Pups - Hasbro 4. WWF Action Figures - Hasbro 5. NES - Nintendo 6. Magic Nursery - Mattel 7. New Kids Figures - Hasbro 8. Scattegories - Milton Bradley 9. Game Boy - Nintendo 10. Mario Bros. 3 - Nintendo
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