March/April 2017

LET PLUSH DO THE TALKING

STORYTELLING PLUSH SPARKS KIDS’ IMAGINATIONS

FLYING HIGH-TECH

DRONES SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS

march/april 2017

®

Volume 33, No. 2 — Published by Adventure Publishing Group

Jonathan Samet Publisher jsamet@adventurepub.com Jackie Breyer Editor-in-Chief jbreyer@adventurepub.com

DEPARTMENTS 7 Editor’s Viewpoint

14 TIA Perspectives

8 Stat Shot

30 Talking Social Media

9 TIA Happenings

42 What’s New

10 Industry Update

58 WIT Stories

13 Sweet Suite 2017

60 Compliance & Regulations 62 Outside the Box

Maddie Michalik Associate Editor mmichalik@adventurepub.com

66 Flashback:

March/April 1997

Stephanie Grassullo Assistant Editor sgrassullo@adventurepub.com Kristen Nelson Editorial Assistant knelson@adventurepub.com Joe Ibraham Art Director jibraham@adventurepub.com

12 Do You Need to Gamify? 32 Flying How Elements of Game Play Are High-Tech 16 Let Plush Do the Talking Storytelling Plush Sparks Imagination in a New Generation of Kids

20 Plush Showcase

The Hottest Plush Hitting Store Shelves in 2017 28 It’s Slime Time!

The Sticky Trend That Is Taking Over Retail

Ali Mierzejewski Senior Editor amierzejewski@adventurepub.com

65 Industry Marketplace

features Everywhere

Marissa DiBartolo Senior Editor mdibartolo@adventurepub.com

Bill Reese Production Director breese@adventurepub.com

Toy Drones Fly to New Heights

Lori Rubin Controller/Office Manager lrubin@adventurepub.com

33 R/C Showcase

U.S. Corporate Headquarters

What’s New This Year in the R/C Aisle

Laurie Schacht President laurieschacht@aol.com

41 Inside INPEX A Look at America’s Largest Invention Show

Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® 307 7th Avenue, #1601, New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 575-4510 • Fax: (212) 575-4521

Gund’s My Magical Sound & Lights Unicorn

specialty toys & gifts: 43 44 ASTRA’s Insights

54 A Special Way to Play

56 What’s New

ASTRA Goes Full Speed Ahead into Its Next 25 Years

A Look at Toys Designed for Kids with Special Needs

57 Media Center

The Toy Book Volume 33, No. 2 THE TOY BOOK (ISSN-0885-3991) is published bimonthly by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® Editorial and advertising offices are located at 307 Seventh Ave., Room 1601, New York, NY 10001, Phone (212) 575-4510. Periodicals Postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2017 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, 307 Seventh Ave., Room 1601, New York, NY 10001.

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.

46 Plush Showcase What’s New for Plush in Specialty Stores Cover photo by Stephanie Glover

Member, International Toy Magazine Association

EDITOR’S VIEWPOINT

Springing into Fun

Outdoor/Active Play Is on the Rise

by JACKIE BREYER, Editor-in-Chief SPRING HAS SPRUNG, THE WEATHER IS warming up, and outdoor toys are beginning to sell across the country. While we know that toys is largely a fourth-quarter industry, outdoor and sports toy sales were up 10 percent last year, according to The NPD Group.

Thanks to innovations such as Zuru’s BunchO-Balloons and the popularity of hoverboards and R/C and drone vehicles, the category had a nice pickup.

We are also noticing a trend toward active and outdoor play, with millennial parents looking to get their kids up, moving, and engaging in healthier activities. This backlash against too much tech benefits companies who have invested in the warmer months, such as Spin Master with its recent acquisition of SwimWays.

That said, consumers are still buying tech products, but the purchases have to make sense for consumers and their families. In this issue we take a look at what’s driving the R/C category. R/Cs are the perfect blend of hightech and outdoor/active play. Senior Editor Ali Mierzejewski spoke with a few R/C manufacturers who are finding new, innovative ways to engage kids and families with quadcopters and drones. The combination of easier maneuverability, a smaller learning curve, cool new features, and the dropping price of technology is allowing these manufacturers to give consumers a fun, tech-y experience while still getting up and outside. Read about it on page 32.

Perhaps also benefitting from the move toward traditional play, plush toy sales were up 6 percent last year, according to The NPD Group. Associate Editor Maddie Michalik gives us the lowdown on what’s driving sales in this category on page 16.

As you can see from our cover, we are taking a dive into the slime craze to see what’s driving this trend. Kids are making homemade slime and watching YouTube videos to learn new recipes. Senior Editor

“Have you seen Stanley? He’s going to be late for picture day at preschool!”

Marissa DiBartolo explains more about what retailers can do to take advantage of this trend on page 28.

As we go to print, we’re also taking notice of the fidget spinner trend. I was watching the trend for a week or so when I came home from work one night and my 7 year old asked, “PLEASE can I have a fidget spinner?!” It seems that every checkout counter is selling them and they just can’t be kept in stock. I’m wondering if this will “spin” off into additional fidget toy sales, or just run its course as a one-off.

Enjoy this issue of The Toy Book and let us know what you think! Tweet @toybook and @jackiebreyer, or email me at jbreyer@adventurepub.com. » Jackie Breyer is editor-in-chief of The Toy Book and The Toy Insider, and editorial director at Adventure Publishing. She has been reporting on new products and toy industry trends for 15 years. Contact her at jbreyer@adventurepub.com.

toybook.com | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | THE TOY BOOK 7

Plush & R/C Toys

Plush & R/C Toys

Units

Dollars

Plush grew twice as fast as the total toy industry unit growth of +5 percent in the 12 months ending January 2017, driven by lower prices.

Both Plush and Radio/Remote Control Toys outperformed the total toy industry dollar growth of +4.7 percent in the 12 months ending January 2017.

$1,200

150 12ME Jan. 16 12ME Jan. 17

+11%

100

+6%

$900

$600 50

12ME Jan. 16 12ME Jan. 17

+5%

$300

Flat

0

Plush

Radio & R/C Toys

$0

Plush

Unit Sales (MM)

2016 Plush

Super-

Category

10

Radio & R/C Toys Dollar Sales ($MM)

Holiday* contributed 39 percent of all plush sales for the year, while—among the three holidays below—Easter outperformed the others, growing 12 percent for the comparable period the prior year**.

(Weekly Dollar Share)

Holiday

Dollar Share (%)

8

Valentine’s Day

6

4 Easter 2

0

*Holiday is defined as November and December combined. **Easter is defined as the week of Easter plus two prior weeks.

Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service/Annual 2016

8 THE TOY BOOK | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | toybook.com

HOST A GENIUS PLAY DAY IN YOUR STORE

TIA HAPPENINGS

by LAURIE CHARTORYNSKY, communications specialist/content developer, Toy Industry Association FOR SPECIALTY TOY RETAILERS WHO are in the business of bringing the joy of play to children, it should come as no surprise that playtime has proven developmental benefits for kids. But with so many families leading hectic lives, filled with school, structured activities, and homework, how can a small toy store owner help spread the word about the value of play— and draw parents and kids into their stores?

It’s pretty simple: Host a play day! The Genius of Play, a national movement spearheaded by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) to bring more play into kids’ lives, designed a free “Genius Play Day” kit that store owners can use to host a fun-filled day for families.

WHY HOST A PLAY DAY? • It’s fun for kids! Consider hosting a craft station or a designated area for kids to play board games. They’ll make new friends and enjoy playing with them.

• For parents and caregivers, it is a chance to come into the store, perhaps for the first time—to see all that a retailer has to offer and to see the store owner as an expert on play.

• Store owners will gain loyal customers, who will be more likely to come back—even months after the event—to purchase toys at the store.

Download the free Genius Play Day kit online (at thegeniusofplay.org/retailers) for everything needed to organize and promote a successful in-store event. The kit includes activities, such as coloring pages and activity sheets, as well as various promotional templates, including an event flyer, an email header, and sample social media posts that are easy to customize. Retailers can also request a store window cling that reads “The Genius of Play: It’s More Than Play,” and download a sample brochure to share with parents and caregivers outlining the many benefits of play (with instructions for ordering additional free brochures).

“Play is critical to child development and a ‘Genius Play Day’ is a perfect opportunity for independent retailers to share that information directly with customers, while allowing kids to experience open-ended play without

any strings attached,” says Anna Yudina, TIA’s director of marketing initiatives. “This kit can help retailers build sound relationships within their community and pave the way for repeat customers.”

A RETAILER’S EXPERIENCE A play event does not have to be a huge event, nor does it require store owners to lay out large sums of money. Cassandra Abramson, president and co-founder of ECi Stores, organized a successful in-store event at Cutie Patuties, her children’s consignment shop based in Leominster, Mass.

Abramson says approximately 20 to 30 families attended her event. She put out sample toys for kids to enjoy, including doll houses, a train table, a stable with horses, coloring books, and crayons. She also had a popcorn machine and refreshments for visitors.

“It was one of those feel-good events.

It’s an easy thing to host. It wasn’t a lot of expense,” says Abramson. “It was good for parents to bring their kids—they weren’t expecting a big prize or takeaway but to just come and play. There was no sales pressure.”

Still she notes that one visiting family at the fall 2015 event returned to the store a few months later to make their holiday toy purchases.

“I really think a lot of retailers that put on an event expect immediate success and to say ‘Wow, today was the best sales day we ever had.’ I don’t look at it that way,” Abramson says. “I look at it as building a relationship with your customers.”

Abramson suggested that retailers also use the media to promote their event, such as sending a press release to the local newspaper.

She also emphasized

never underestimating the power of word of mouth referrals.

“You never know who else is going to hear about you or your business, even if they don’t come to your event,” says Abramson, who plans to do more in-store play days in the future.

MORE RESOURCES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Looking for activity ideas for your in-store play event? The Genius of Play offers more than 100 ready-to-use play ideas that can be sorted by age group, developmental benefit, or set-up time.

The Genius of Play website also outlines the six key developmental benefits of play with short animated videos, infographics, expert tips, inspirational quotes, and other shareable content via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Retailers interested in learning more about hosting a “Genius Play Day” in their stores can contact Deanna Speziale (dspeziale@ toyassociation.org), TIA’s marketing communications coordinator, for more information. »

Laurie Chartorynsky has been a member of the TIA’s communications team since September 2016. At TIA, she is responsible for the weekly e-newsletter, Toy News Tuesday, and writes articles based on the latest trends in the toy industry.

Laurie has a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

toybook.com | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | THE TOY BOOK 9

INDUSTRY UPDATE

CRAYOLA RETIRES ICONIC CRAYON COLOR Crayola weeded out the dandelion crayon from its 24-count box of crayons, marking the first time the company retired a color from the iconic crayon box in the company’s 100-year history. The announcement was made to celebrate National Crayon Day, March 31, at an event in Times Square in New York City.

Crayola also announced that a shade in the blue family will replace dandelion, and fans will have a chance to name the color in May. Meanwhile, the Dan D. crayon is going on a four-week retirement tour across North America, and fans can #CelebrateDandelion on social media. »

FISHER-PRICE NAMED MASTER TOY PARTNER FOR NEW SERIES KINGDOM FORCE Boat Rocker Studios and Industrial Brothers named Fisher-Price master toy partner for the new original series Kingdom Force.

Kingdom Force was created by Industrial Brothers’ Matt Fernandes and will be co-produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios. Boat Rocker will distribute the series internationally and manage the merchandising and licensing for the brand on all platforms, as well as lead the digital and brand initiatives.

Kingdom Force follows a team of fearless animals who fight disaster and protect their community with the help of their individual rescue vehicles that transform into a giant super robot. »

MOOSE TOYS LAUNCHES DISNEY CROSSY ROAD MERCHANDISE Moose Toys announced plans for its new toy line based on the mobile game Disney Crossy Road. In the game, players collect an 8-bit design of iconic Disney charac-

Crayola’s SVP of U.S. and Global Marketing Melanie Boulden celebrates dandelion’s retirement on National Crayon Day at an event in Times Square on March 31.

ters as they hop, dodge, and slide their way through busy lanes of traffic. Since its launch a year ago, the app has been downloaded more than 31 million times.

The initial collection will feature Disney and Pixar characters from the app including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Buzz Lightyear, Simba, Baymax, and more. The line will include collectible micro figures, backpack hangers, and plush. »

TIA TO HOST WASHINGTON, DC FLY-IN TAX DEBATE FOR TOY COMPANIES As momentum builds on tax reform, trade, and regulatory reduction, the Toy Industry Association (TIA) is urging its members to attend TIA’s ninth Washington, DC Fly-In, where toy companies can share their concerns with key lawmakers. With the debate on healthcare reform now on the back burner, congressional and Trump administration officials are turning their attention to tax reform, including the controversial Border Adjustment Tax. Taking place May 9 to 10, the Fly-In is free for TIA members to attend. During a series of meetings held over the course of

two days, TIA staff and members will hold face-to-face meetings with policymakers and their staff members to discuss policies affecting toy companies, while also educating them on the positive developmental benefits of toys and the U.S. toy industry’s impact on the economy.

In addition to tax reform, discussions will cover regulatory requirements, threats to imported products, trade barriers in other countries, and other important issues affecting the business of toys and play. »

CLUB PENGUIN ISLAND LAUNCHES FOR MOBILE Disney launched an all-new Club Penguin experience, Club Penguin Island, for mobile devices. The new app features an updated take on Club Penguin, which first launched 11 years ago. Developed especially for mobile devices, Club Penguin Island brings together many classic Club Penguin elements with new designs and features.

In Club Penguin Island, players can join a community of players, embark on island quests, earn special rewards, and take on daily challenges to level up their penguins.

Club Penguin Island will provide a secure environment for kids, with a new safety moderation system that includes a chat filter.

The updated chat function features unique emojis and 3-D animations. Players will also have access to familiar reporting tools, which STAY CONNECTED!

@ToyBook 10 THE TOY BOOK | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | toybook.com

Disney Crossy Road Mini Figures, from Moose Toys

INDUSTRY UPDATE

allows them to self-moderate the community.

The game is available for free to download, with an option to purchase a $4.99 monthly recurring membership subscription, on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Users can try Club Penguin Island with a seven-day free trial. »

BONKERS TOYS LAUNCHES SLITHER.IO BLIND BAGS Slither.io bendable blind bag toys, from Bonkers Toys, are available now at Target, Toys “R” Us, Hot Topic, and other national and regional locations. Featuring 15 mystery Slithers in the first assortment, the collectibles in the blind bags are based on a selection of skins from the free app and game, Slither.io. Fans can collect a variety of colors and patterns including rainbow, patriotic, and ultra rare versions.

The Slither.io product line will continue to expand this summer and fall with small and large plush, collector vinyl figures, backpack clips, and more. »

HASBRO, INDIEGOGO, AND DAYMOND JOHN ANNOUNCE CROWDFUNDING GAMING CHALLENGE WINNER Hasbro and Daymond John, creator of FUBU and co-star of ABC’s Shark Tank, have selected Cloud Control as the grand prize winner of the Fall 2016 Gaming Challenge.

The Fall 2016 Gaming Challenge offered independent game designers a platform to promote their ideas. The winning game, Cloud Control, created by Eugene Bryant of Suwanee, Ga., is a family-friendly game that allows kids to turn, twist, overlap, and animate cards to form clouds into recognizable shapes before time runs out.

Cloud Control was one of five finalists in Hasbro’s Fall 2016 Gaming Challenge, which raised more than $22,000 across all five campaigns. Each of the selected finalists ran crowdfunding campaigns that were promoted on Hasbro’s partner page on Indiegogo.com. The final Indiegogo campaigns closed on Feb. 12, with Cloud Control raising more than $6,700 from more than 180 backers.

Bryant will receive the $25,000 prize and a trip to Hasbro headquarters for advice, mentoring, and assistance from Hasbro’s game development team to help make his game a reality.

He will also have the opportunity to meet with Daymond John. »

DO YOU NEED TO GAMIFY TO STAY IN THE GAME?

by WENDY SMOLEN, founder, wendysmolen.com WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, KIDS JUST played. After a game of hopscotch, kickball, Chutes & Ladders, or Barbie, I never asked my mother, “How’d I do?” I didn’t collect a reward for playing well (or not so well). I played because it was fun. To paraphrase Jean Piaget, play was my work.

But lately, gamification, or elements of game playing, are everywhere—not just in apps and toys, but in company cultures, health care programs, marketing campaigns, and education systems. Do we need to earn reward points for going to the gym? Isn’t showing up its own reward? Is mastering CPR more effective when it’s taught with an interactive video? Must kids play in order to learn history? Will a product fail if we don’t gamify it? What is the underlying message here?

Margaret Wallace, CEO of Playmatics, a creator of digital and real-world games and interactive experiences, reminds us that games have been around for thousands of years. It’s not surprising that gamification is increasingly seen in the overall design of things today. “Games (and play in general) lend form to our lives and can imbue meaning around a whole variety of human endeavors, motivations, and experiences,” says Wallace.

“Moreover, games provide more than just a structured context for play, sociability, and exploration: Games are essentially practice runs for a variety of real-world scenarios. At their best, therefore, games can also encourage the development of skills in leadership, teamwork, agility, mastery, and problem-solving.”

Aha! So games can help us work better.

The Institute of Play, a research-led, non-profit design studio in NYC, pioneers new models of learning and engagement rooted in the principles of game design. C. Ross Flatt, manager of programs at the Institute, believes that being a successful learner in the 21st century requires 21st century skills,

similar to the skills that Wallace cites above.

“Game-based learning allows students to take on different roles and empathize with others, work in teams, learn new languages, make split second decisions, measure feedback at a moment’s notice, and learn through failure,” says Flatt.

When working with teachers rather than students, the Institute of Play helps them rethink their own approaches to subjects through a gamified, and more engaging, lens. “Games can be used as both formative and summative assessment, to introduce a core concept, and to reinforce and practice important skills for any subject,” says Flatt. “A game such as Galactic Mappers can be used to assess student’s abilities to design maps, analyze the impact of physical geography on a continent, and measure students’ abilities to work in teams. Other games, such as Socratic Smackdown can be used as a way to both organize a Socratic seminar and allow a teacher to assess student discussion techniques.“ The Institute has developed seven game-

12 THE TOY BOOK | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | toybook.com

like learning principles that it has successfully applied to non-game settings. These include: • Everyone is a participant.

• Learning feels like play.

• Everyone is interconnected.

• Learning happens by doing.

• Failure is re-framed as iteration.

• Feedback is immediate and ongoing.

• Challenge is constant.

Okay, take a breath here. You’re not mapping the Earth or organizing a Socratic seminar, but, in your job, or your company, you are defining a creative culture and setting the course for a developmental process.

How do you approach new products and problems? What is your design strategy?

Look at the seven gaming principals. For starters, are your “team players” interconnected? Is failure an iteration? Are your challenges fun or just plain frustrating?

“Great games are designed with moment-to-moment interaction in mind.

Elements such as flow, pacing, and feedback allow players to comfortably immerse themselves in the experience,” says Wallace.

Gamification principles provide an engaging framework for motivation, collaboration, and creativity. Although not every product or process can—or should—be gamified, elements of play, reward, and iteration can be used in most situations. The resulting product is not guaranteed to be better, but getting there will probably be more fun.

Are you game to try it? » Wendy Smolen has spent more than 20 years playing in the toy industry. She cofounded Sandbox Summit, an idea forum focused on the intersection of play, learning, and technology. Currently, she works with companies and organizations to create playful solutions that engage kids and families in innovative and impactful ways.

TIA PERSPECTIVES SWEET SUITE

SWEET SUITE 17 RETURNS TO PIER SIXTY THE TOY INSIDER’S EIGHTH ANNUAL SWEET SUITE EVENT WILL take place on July 12 at Pier Sixty in New York City. Known as The Biggest Night of Play, the premiere toy party of the year will welcome more than 250 influential bloggers and vloggers and more than 100 members of traditional media to connect with toy companies in advance of the holiday shopping season.

Sweet Suite will be the feature event at the fourth annual Blogger Bash, a two-day conference for experienced digital influencers featuring multiple parties, exhibitions, and learning sessions.

Blogger Bash attendees will be welcomed into high-energy party atmospheres, giving them a chance to have fun while mingling with brands in a professional yet inviting setting.

Last year at Sweet Suite, bloggers enjoyed one-on-one time with representatives from more than 75 of the hottest kids’ brands and properties on the market, including VTech, Activision, LeapFrog, Jakks

Pacific, Hasbro, Spin Master, Lego, TOMY, Warner Bros., and more. #SweetSuite16 generated more than 185 million Twitter impressions, more than 2.6 million Instagram impressions, and dozens of YouTube videos and blog posts.

This year, Sweet Suite will give digital influencers and members of the press a chance to meet old and new friends while sipping on cocktails, feasting on sweet treats, and—best of all—playing with the hottest toys before they even hit the market.

Enormous swag boxes will once again be shipped directly to attendees’ homes after the event, sparking a resurgance in social media impressions, and ensuring bloggers and journalists have products readily on-hand to review and share with their followers. » If you’re interested in learning more about these events, contact Laurie Schacht at thetoyinsidermom@gmail.com.

toybook.com | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | THE TOY BOOK 13

TIA PERSPECTIVES

THIS YEAR’S HOTTEST TECH TOYS MARRY TRADITIONAL PLAY WITH CUTTING-EDGE INNOVATION

by KRISTIN MORENCY GOLDMAN, communications specialist, Toy Industry Association TODAY’S TECH-SAVVY KIDS HAVE HIGH expectations when it comes to their toys— and toymakers are going above and beyond to meet demand. From artificial intelligence and augmented reality to drones and robotics, expect to see the latest innovations in tech on store shelves throughout this year.

“We’re noticing a growing trend of tech toys that enhance classic play patterns, like make-believe, physical activity, and social play,” says Adrienne Appell, trend expert at the Toy Industry Association (TIA). “This isn’t much of a surprise given that sales across classic toy categories are on the rise, proving that kids still love toys that offer high levels of engagement, whether they are playing with tech or traditional toys, or playing solo or with friends.”

From wearables that kids can customize through coding to easy-to-fly drones equipped with HD cameras, cutting-edge tech toys galore were spotted at TIA’s 114th North American International Toy Fair in February. On top of encouraging hands-on play, many of these toys are also very affordable.

“Technologies that emerged a few years ago are

now more cost-efficient for toymakers, which means they are available at more reasonable prices for families,” adds Appell. “At one time, it would have been impossible to imagine a 3-D printer for kids for less than $60— but that now exists. It’s a really exciting time for both the industry and consumers.”

Read on for a few examples of this year’s hottest tech toys, designed to get kids learning and interacting as they play: “SMARTER” TOYS Dolls and plush toy sales were up 10 percent and 6 percent respectively in 2016, according to The NPD Group. The categories will continue to evolve this year thanks to innovations such as artificial intelligence and dynamic connectivity.

Wicked Cool Toys is breathing new life into a 1980s classic: Teddy Ruxpin. The new Teddy features LCD eyes with more than 40 animated expressions that are synched to app-based stories, and touch sensors in his hands and vest allow children to start, pause, and fast-forward through stories and songs viewed on a tablet or smartphone.

A “smart” companion and connected plush rolled into one, Woobo, by Woobo Inc., uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to create dynamic, personalized content for kids. This enriching toy

promotes curiosity and imaginative thinking, and encourages positive social-emotional development.

Mattel’s iconic Barbie brand is going high tech for 2017 with Hello Barbie Hologram, which combines artificial intelligence with an expressive holographic character, giving kids an entirely new way to engage with Barbie.

Featuring kid-friendly speech recognition, kids can converse with the Barbie hologram, giving them easy access to customizable play, animated weather reports, alarms, night-lights, daily reminders, and more. The Bluetooth speaker also allows kids to choreograph Barbie’s dance moves while listening to their favorite songs.

AUGMENTED REALITY Augmented reality is a growing force in the toy industry, blending tactile play with virtual worlds to bring storybooks, dolls, and kids’ creations to life.

Pai Technology’s Ocean Pets tale allows kids as young as 3 to create physical fish characters out of putty and scan them into an app to come to life on a tablet or smartphone. Kids can watch and care for their creation as it travels the ocean, and learn facts about aquatic life.

Crayola’s Fashion Superstar, an arts and crafts kit with an accompanying app, is perfect for budding designers. Kids simply color pieces of clothing, take a picture, and then upload their designs to a virtual closet where they can mix and match pieces to create thousands of outfit combinations.

INTERACTIVE ROBOTS Robots are quickly becoming ubiquitous, from interactive robots for toddlers to robots that older kids can code and “train.” The best among them get kids interested in important concepts, such as math and science, at a young age.

The Young Scientists Club’s Hurdle the

Dance Code Belle, from Hasbro

14 THE TOY BOOK | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | toybook.com

TIA PERSPECTIVES can control the collapsible flyer via the free app. It also includes Wi-Fi video streaming, an auto hover feature, LED lights, and a manual swivel camera to take snapshots from all angles.

RedwoodVentures’ Aloft HD is an ultralight, rechargeable, hands-free HD video camera that mounts to a tethered, reusable Mylar balloon. It captures videos and photos in crisp HD resolution through a 120-degree wide-angle lens. Fill the balloon with helium, adjust it to the desired height, and users can capture HD footage on a smartphone or tablet using the free Aloft HD app.

Hello Barbie Hologram, from Mattel

Robot is a build-your-own robot kit that includes components such as a computer module, a motor, a chassis, gears, and a colorful cover, as well as detailed illustrated instructions for building the robot followed by stimulating learning activities that provide hours of robotics fun.

Minion MiP Turbo Dave, from WowWee, responds to hand gestures and can even navigate kids’ bedrooms. Kids simply download the Turbo Dave app to control the Minion remotely, plan paths for him to self-navigate, or even have him interact with other characters or props from the Despicable Me franchise.

Also included is a coding platform for hightech programming fun.

DRONES 2.0 Drones first “took off” a couple of years ago and are continuing to scale new heights this year thanks to innovative features, such as HD cameras, and tweaks to the technology that make flying easier and more fun for kids.

KD Interactive’s Aura drone is a kidfriendly drone that is controlled by hand gestures while wearing a special glove controller that uses patented Gesturebotics technology. The drone can roll, climb walls, and fly around the room, and has “headless navigation,” meaning that it always follows your lead, regardless of its orientation. A rolling cage protects it from crashing, offering fun and safe play for kids.

Pocket Drone II, from Odyssey Toys, is an update to the original Pocket Drone. Users

NEXT GEN CODERS Coding toys tap into kids’ desires to customize and build something unique from the ground up. These toys offer incredible play value since they offer limitless opportunities for learning and play.

The Mover Kit, from Technology Will Save Us, encourages children to code their own wearable device. To accompany the wearable, the company created an educational “make platform” filled with projects that help kids invent and code using their Mover Kit. Kids build the technology themselves and then bring it to life, with the wearable reacting to movement—whether by running, jumping, dancing, spinning, or using it as a lightsaber, a wizard’s wand, or a police car light, among other endless possibilities.

Hasbro’s Disney Princess: Dance Code Belle Doll teaches young fans of the Beauty and the Beast franchise how to code. Using the free, interactive dance code app, kids can create a unique choreographed dance routine for the doll. Then, by simply pressing Belle’s necklace, they can watch their choreography come to life as Belle dances and twirls across the floor.

Lego Boost is a supercharged building and coding set that lets kids bring their Lego creations to life by adding movement, sound, and personality. The line combines the endless play opportunities of a traditional Lego set with an endless variety of movement and sound capabilities made possible through an easyto-use, app-based coding environ-

ment. The set includes building instructions for five models, including Vernie the Robot and Frankie the Cat. “As we saw at Toy Fair, there is no shortage of incredible tech toys that enhance classic play for today’s digital natives,” says Appell. “Kids not only want jaw-dropping tech, but they also want to be challenged and they want to have fun. Luckily, toy companies get it.”

For more information about the hottest toy trends of 2017, visit toyassociation.org/ trends. » As TIA’s communications specialist and editor of its Toy News Tuesday e-newsletter, Kristin Morency Goldman stays abreast of the latest economic data; safety standards; trends; and toy-, play-, and youth entertainment-related news.

LEGO Boost Vernie the Robot

toybook.com | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | THE TOY BOOK 15

PLUSH

let

hello!

do the talking How Storytelling Plush Is Sparking Imagination in a New Generation of Kids

by MADDIE MICHALIK, associate editor THANKS TO A BACKLASH AGAINST TECHtoy overload, classic play is alive and well.

Plush is among the most traditional of classic toys, and is reaping the benefits of millennial parents’ desire to reign in the tech, yet still provide innovative and nostalgic toys to their kids.

The plush category grew 6 percent in the 12 months ending this January, outperforming the total toy industry dollar growth of 4.7 percent, according to The NPD Group. The increase is more than double the 2 percent growth in the industry in 2015. In addition, plush grew twice as fast (11 percent) as total toy industry unit growth (5 percent) over the same period last year.

NPD attributes plush category growth to

a number of strong new introductions last year. If this trend continues as expected, the plush category will continue to thrive throughout 2017.

Last year, the toy industry saw some of the most innovative and realistic feature plush, such as Little Live Pets Snuggles, My Dream Puppy, from Moose Toys. (Snuggles was also the ninth top-performing traditional toy item ranked in dollars last year, according to NPD.) This year, companies continue to create plush that is driving innovation in the industry, but in ways that are more traditional to the roots of the category.

Storytelling plush are simply toys that read to kids, or ones that kids use to make up their own adventures, fantasies, and narratives. These products aren’t limited to classic low-tech cuddly playthings—some storytelling plush this year have as much technology in them as the mobile devices with which kids are used to playing.

BORROWING FROM HIGH-TECH One of the most anticipated toys of the year is the relaunch of Teddy Ruxpin, from Wicked Cool Toys. After more than 25 years, the plush is making a comeback this fall with modern enhancements and innovations, designed for preschoolers and pre-readers. The original bear featured a motorized mouth and eyes and told stories through a rear-loading cassette-based system that synced to the bear’s speech pattern.

“We approached the family and estate of the creator and founder of Teddy Ruxpin. It’s been the founder’s lifelong mission to bring fun, reading, and storytelling to children,” says Jeremy Padawer, co-president and

Teddy Ruxpin, from Wicked Cool Toys

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partner at Wicked Cool Toys. “Ken Forsse, the original inventor, has now passed and this would be a fulfillment of his to see Teddy come back to bring storytelling and instill a life-long love of reading to today’s children.”

The revamped Teddy Ruxpin will read stories to kids with a motorized mouth, just like the original. However, this new version features Bluetooth technology, LCD eyes with more than 40 animated expressions that are synched to the stories (similar to the technology in Wicked Cool’s Cabbage Patch Kids Baby So Real last year), and touch sensors in the hands and vest that allow kids to start, pause, and fast-forward through stories and songs. The bear will include three built-in stories with seven additional stories available through the free app.

“Teddy Ruxpin will be brought to life in the most magical of ways. Baby So Real was based on a nurturing and reality play pattern; Teddy Ruxpin is fantasy,” says Padawer.

“Therefore, we were able to bring more fantasy style expressions such as hearts, snowflakes, stars, and much more to complement the exciting story adventures Teddy is sharing with today’s children.”

Kids can play with Teddy Ruxpin in two different modes of play—with or without the app. In addition to accessing Teddy’s library of stories, kids can connect to the app to read along to the story Teddy Ruxpin is telling on their smart device. The app is in-sync with the story, so they can flip the pages as he reads.

Although using the app is an additional feature to keep kids engaged with a story, it is secondary to the plush itself. Kids can take Teddy Ruxpin along for story time wherever they want, without using the app.

PLUSH REACHING MILLENNIAL FAMILIES Teddy Ruxpin was first released in 1985 as an original animatronic storytelling bear.

At the time, it was the first of its kind, and there’s no denying the popularity of the cuddly bear.

Between 1985 and 1990, Teddy Ruxpin was the top-selling toy, selling 8 million units and 11 million books in 13 different languages. The plush was also the star of a 65-episode animated TV series on air globally for a decade. There were 60 original stories with 10 to 15 new stories released each year over the five-year period.

The new iteration of Teddy Ruxpin truly delves into the market of millennial families.

Tapping into nostalgia is an ongoing trend in the toy industry, but now more than ever parents are excited about seeing toys from their own childhood. Teddy Ruxpin will still have the core features that parents and grandparents fondly remember, making them more willing to purchase the toy for their kids to share the experience with them.

“Adults who were kid consumers of Teddy Ruxpin now have children of their own.

They are looking for safe, fun, innovative, good-for-you toys as well as shared experiences with their children,” says Padawer.

“The original Teddy Ruxpin and today’s Teddy Ruxpin have the same goals for kids: influence the love of storytelling, reading, and fun, up-to-date technology for today’s world.”

Parents have a built-in emotional connection to the brand, and the technological expectations of today’s youngest consumers will be fulfilled.

Disney Classic Character Puppets, from Folkmanis

KEEPING IMAGINATIONS ACTIVE NPD’s strong numbers in the plush category prove that classic play remains as relevant as ever. Naturally, storytelling is inherent to Folkmanis’ line of plush puppets.

“Folkmanis believes imagination is the key to a healthy childhood, encouraging play and discovery to develop the skills necessary in life,” says Maria Fortez, marketing manager at Folkmanis. “The open-ended play that puppets provide inspires independence, natural curiosity, and creativity. This type of authentic play encourages variation and flexibility as there are no standard rules. Puppet play fosters exploration and diverse and alternate ways of thinking. As citizens of a global community, it is imperative that we nurture these crucial skills from a young age.”

Puppets have an inherent added play value over ordinary plush. They encourage simple, raw play, and kids intuitively start acting things out. Storytelling lends itself to a number of crucial early developmental skills in kids, including listening and communication skills, creativity, and being able to express themselves verbally. Storytelling is the most natural way for kids to engage with their imaginations.

“Kids engage with storytelling plush best when allowed to explore and discover independently,” says Fortez. “Given the opportunity for open-ended play with no rules, a child will instinctively narrate their experience. Children seem to be natural storytellers this way… animating and giving voice to almost anything they find… be it food or fork, action figure or animal.”

This year, Folkmanis introduces four beautiful, classic Disney characters to its collection. Each puppet—Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pluto—has a 1930s aesthetic, is dressed in a retro style, and stands 22 inches tall.

“It’s been an incredible journey for our design team… perfecting each Disney character’s personality, as well as engineering a quality puppet worthy of the Folkmanis brand,” says Fortez.

“We worked with their product development

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Dalton the Storytelling Dragon, from Cuddle Barn

team at each step of the design phase to ensure that the final product remained true to both companies’ visions. Our creative teams worked diligently to produce truly unique and exquisite Disney Classic Character Puppets.”

Folkmanis’ line of the original Disney gang will draw in parents and grandparents, who will be excited to relive their old memories, while making new ones with their kids and grandkids. Like Teddy Ruxpin, parents are excited to share the nostalgic experience.

While licensing is not a focus for Folkmanis, there are a few more Disney and Pixar surprises on the way, according to Fortez.

FINDING OUT WHAT WORKS No matter what kind of plush companies create, the key is to find what works best for their brand. For Wicked Cool, it’s incorporating high-tech in a traditional play pattern. For Folkmanis, it’s continuing to evolve puppet engineering with complex designs and innovative fabrics.

“In the past, we tried to incorporate high-tech in the puppets with sound chips and we even developed an online-world component to complement our (retired) WebWilds line,” says Fortez. “What we found was that puppets have a unique niche and that they don’t need to be modernized with high-tech gizmos—it just takes away from their play value. We think that when children are challenged to play on their own, without pre-scripted play as found in some electronics, they thrive, discover, and grow. Besides,

PLUSH snuggling with a puppet cannot be replaced with a cold tablet.”

For companies like Cuddle Barn, it has found success with one product and expanded its lines to reflect those achievements.

The company’s roots are in plush gifts for adults and Christmas presents, including plush that sang nostalgic tunes such as “Singing in the Rain” and “Deck the Halls,” according to Mye Hoang, marketing director at Cuddle Barn. Since then, Cuddle Barn has branched into the kids category.

Staying true to its brand, it took one of its most popular kids items—Mother Goose, which recites seven nursery rhymes—and developed more plush items based on that success. New for this year, Dalton the Storytelling Dragon recites five fairy tales, including Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, The Ugly Duckling, and Sleeping Beauty. His book features soft color-changing lights as he recites the stories.

“We feel Dalton is the perfect item for a child who has outgrown Mother Goose’s nursery rhymes,” says Hoang. “Kids can listen to their favorite fairytale with Dalton, with the added feature of being able to pause or skip to the next adventure. Dalton ends each story

with a follow-up question to stay engaged with the child. He’ll pause to ask what the child thinks of the story, or whether they would have made the same decisions as the characters.”

Cuddle Barn’s line this year also includes Preston the Storytelling Pig, which comes with four finger puppets and recites the full story of The Three Little Pigs. Best of all, it comes packed in a colorful scenic box with illustrated windows and doors, which kids can use to double as a stage for the finger puppets so kids can act out the story.

STANDING THE TEST OF TIME While there were many key drivers in the plush category in 2016, this year might be even stronger. No matter how saturated the toy aisles are with high-tech toys, plush will never go away. Companies are constantly coming up with new ways to engage kids in classic play patterns, especially storytelling.

“There are so many toys and games on the market, it will always be a challenge to compete. So, the solution is not to compete, but to embrace being different,” says Hoang.

“High-tech toys will never go away. Plush has qualities to offer other than entertainment.

Plush can comfort and soothe. It can also educate and stimulate imagination. But no matter what, we want our plush to make people smile, and you can’t always say that about all high-tech toys and games.”

Rather than plush competing with hightech toys, the two types of toys juxtapose each other and grow in tandem with one another, each offering something the other can’t.

“Toy trends come and go, but one thing remains true about traditional play: The best toys are those that actively engage a child mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially,” says Fortez. “Play that is imaginative and unstructured, open-ended and versatile, carefree and fun, not only empowers children through their developmental stages, but also creates long-lasting memories. » Maddie Michalik is an associate editor at Adventure Publishing Group, where she contributes to The Toy Book and The Licensing Book. She also reports on trends and news, and writes weekly product reviews for The Toy Insider.

tokidoki Unicorno Line

TOMY introduces the Sonic Collector Large Plush, made for kids ages 3 and up. Sonic fans can celebrate the release of the new Sonic video game with this 12-inch plush.

The plush stands in an iconic pose, is highly detailed and embroidered, and features 1998 styling.

Kids can bring their Pokémon along on their adventures with TOMY’s Shoulder Bag Plush. Made for kids ages 4 and up, each weighted plush sits comfortably on kids’ shoulders or can be carried in its dedicated bag.

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This year marks the 10th anniversary of YooHoo & Friends, and AURORA WORLD will introduce 5-inch Barnyard and Jungle YooHoo & Friends, including animals such as a cow, lamb, snake, chameleon, crocodile, scorpion, and more.

Designed for kids of all ages, this collection will be available early this year.

Tokidoki is Aurora World’s newest licensed property. The Unicorno line includes 8.5-inch plush characters such as Cleo, Zamba, Bowie, and Pixie, each with its signature design. The Donutella line introduces three products, each in its original design. The lines will be available in the spring.

Shoulder Bag Plush

Teletubbies 8-inch Tallking Plush

SPIN MASTER offers new plush based on the Teletubbies animated series. The Teletubbies 8-inch Talking Plush feature Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po, featuring original Teletubbies styling and authentic Teletubbies voices and sounds. When kids press the tummy screen of the 11-inch Jumping Po Plush, she jumps up and down while she giggles, sings a song, and says phrases from the TV show. The 10-inch Lullaby Laa-Laa plays music and beams a soft light on the wall whenever kids press her tummy. Parents can set how long the plush stays active using the built-in switch for five, 10, or 15 minutes.

BEVERLY HILLS TEDDY BEAR CO. introduces Series 2 Surprizamals, made for kids ages 3 and up. The collectible plush hide in Surprizaballs, so kids never know which pet they’ll get. Surprizamals include common, rare, and ultra rare stuffed animals for kids to collect.

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Peppa Pig Stackables

Peppa Pig Stackables join JAZWARES’ line of Peppa Pig items this year. Kids can bring home Peppa and her friends in plush that are shaped to be stacked. Kids can collect all five characters, including Peppa, George, Suzy Sheep, Pedro Pony, and Zoe Zebra.

Jazwares also expands its Animal Jam line with Animal Jam Adopt a Pet Clip Plushies. Kids can take their favorite pets from Jamma with them wherever they go with the 4-inch backpack clips.

Building on the success of Snuggles, My Dream Puppy, MOOSE TOYS introduces the Little Live Pets Cuddles Kitten. Cuddles has sensors in her nose, head, and tummy.

Kids can listen to her purr or scratch her face when they pet her, and she will nuzzle into their hands. Her tail will also move, showing that she’s happy. Kids can feed Cuddles with her bottle and then lie her down and watch as she falls asleep.

Also new is the Disney Crossy Road 6-inch Plush, collectible plush based on Disney and Pixar characters in 8-bit form.

Little Live Pets Cuddles Kitten

Flip Zee Girls

New from JAY@PLAY is Flip Zee Girls, a line that lets kids flip their plush from a baby to a big girl. Each Flip Zee Girl is two dolls in one and features colorful hair and wears a dress. The dolls come in six styles to collect, including Zara Flower, Zabrina Ballerina, Zandy Candy, Zoey Bear, Zana Strawberry, and Zuri Cat. FlipaZoo 2.0 lets kids have two buddies in one. Each Flipazoo features two soft animals that flip back and forth for two sides of fun, come in mini or jumbo sizes, and can double as a soft pillow.

CJ PRODUCTS expands its line of subtly scented Pillow Pets folding plush with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Raphael. This fearsome crime-fighting stuffed animal smells like a cheesy pepperoni pizza, and will turn into a comfy pillow.

DGL TOYS, a division of DGL Group, aquired iPlush’s patented technology for inflatable soft toys. DGL’s new InflateA-Mals are inflatable soft toys that are custom designed to depict favorite characters, animals, seasonal icons, and lifelike superheroes. Items in the line comes in assorted sizes, ranging from 2 to 6 feet in height, and are customized to be lightweight, machine washable, hypoallergenic, soft, and durable. Although some characters are up to 6 feet tall, their packaging ranges from 12 to 18 inches for retailers to drive sales on shelf space with small packages and a big presence. The Inflate-A-Mals also deflate for easy storage.

Mickey and the Roadster Racers: Racing Adventures Mickey feature plush, from JUST PLAY, drives his car around and drifts, does a figure-eight, and performs 360-degree spins. Based on the new Disney Junior car-racing series Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Mickey sits in his car and moves his head side to side as if he’s really driving. Mickey can stand, wave his flag, move his arms up and down, talk, sing, and make racing sounds with a touch to his light-up helmet. He can also play a game of Race to the Flag, and when he captures his flag, he does a victory dance.

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PLUSH

Kids can embark on pet adventures with Barbie Pet Bean Plush, from MATTEL. The plush come in a miniature size, are made of soft fabric, have glittery eyes, and come with a unique accessory. There are six versions of the pets for kids to collect. The Barbie Hug and Kiss Pet Bag lets kids take care of their plush pets.

Each plush features pressure-sensitive points on its paw and mouth that activate different sounds and a light-up nose that indicates how to make them feel better. The bag includes a backpack, a plush pet, a stethscope, an otoscope, a syringe, a treat, a bottle, and a bandage.

WICKED COOL TOYS introduces Cabbage Patch Kids 9-Inch Safari Friends Cuties. Inspired by exotic colors and adventurous wildlife, these soft Cuties each wear a onesie with an adjustable hood. Each Cutie is numbered for collectibility and has a thumb-sucking feature. The six styles for kids to collect include Kona Lion, Lola Giraffe, Chiro Frog, Sasha Koala, Keiko Zebra, and Bijou Toucan.

SUPER IMPULSE, in partnership with The Jim Henson Co., is bringing a line of Fraggle Rock toy products out of their caves and into kids’ homes. Super Impulse’s line of Fraggle Rock products include Fraggle Rock 10-inch Plush Characters, 4-inch Plush Backpack Clips, 6-inch Beanbag Plush, and 15-inch Feature Plush. Fraggle Rock stars a cast of puppet creatures called Fraggles, quirky cave-dwellers who live in an underground world alongside their industrious green neighbors, the Doozers, and a family of enormous Gorgs.

WHIFFER SNIFFERS introduces Series 4 of its collectible scented plush line. Kids can collect the new series of characters and add them to their collection of Whiffer Sniffers Scented Backpack Clips, Super Sniffers, and Scratch ‘n Sniff Stickers.

Each character has its own unique scent and quirky personality.

TPF TOYS expands its line of Peppy Pups, kid-powered plush puppies that walk, jump, and prance like real dogs, with Peppy Pets. Five new playmates join the pack, including a Dalmatian, a pug, a bulldog, a unicorn, and a dinosaur. Designed for kids ages 4 and up, the plush pals with ultra soft fur feature a patented skeletal structure that emulates lifelike movements and require no batteries.

Brimming with personality, each pet runs, jumps, wiggles, and wags while kids walk it on its included leash. The new Dalmatian Peppy Pet will be available this spring, with additional styles that will be available this fall.

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HASBRO introduces the Littlest Pet Shop Plush Pairs Assortment, for kids ages 4 and up.

Each of the plush pets come with a plush baby for kids to play with together or separately. Kids can collect all eight plush pairs including puppy, owl, kitty, bunny, monkey, hound, seal, and bear sets.

KIDS PREFERRED offers a Doug the Pug collection for fans of the canine sensation. The new collection includes a 6-inch Clip-On Assortment, with a plastic clip kids can attach to any backpack, belt buckle, or purse; Large Doug the Pug plush that measures 10 inches tall and features a pizza shirt or rasta styles; and Mini Doug the Pug plush that measures 6 inches tall and wears a doughnut shirt, a raincoat, a beach shirt, a pug life shirt, a pizza party shirt and hat, a crown, or a lamb hat.

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Preston the Storytelling Pig, from CUDDLE BARN, recites the full story of The Three Little Pigs while his head sways and his mouth moves. The plush also comes with four finger puppet pals to represent the big bad wolf and the three little pigs. Preston comes packaged in a colorful scenic box with illustrated windows and doors, which are perforated and can be punched out to double as a stage so kids can act out the story with finger puppets.

Smurfs The Lost Village Talking Feature Plush, from JAKKS PACIFIC, are 12-inch feature plush dolls that are soft-to-the-touch and equipped with unique phrases. The Smurfs line also includes Jumbo Basic Plush and 8-inch Bean Bag Plush.

Also new is the World of Nintendo collection, featuring 7.5-inch plush characters from Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Donkey Kong, and Animal Crossing, and 20-inch Jumbo Plush, which includes the characters Super Mario, Luigi, Wind Waker Link, and an Orange Splatoon Squid.

20-inch Jumbo Super Mario

by MARISSA DIBARTOLO, senior editor IT’S GOOPEY, GOOEY, AND KIDS JUST can’t get enough. DIY slime is the latest craze among kids, tweens, and teens. From rainbow glittery versions to puffy, fluffy pink stuff, kids are finding tons of ways to personalize their unique, sticky creations.

Basic slime recipes call for school glue, borax, and water. Kids can add things like glitter, food coloring, shaving cream, and even scented lotion to customize their slime’s appearance, texture, and scent. According to a report from The NPD Group released in February, glue sales were up 4 percent in the second half of 2016, with 70 percent of the growth stemming from brick-and-mortar stores.

When kids are looking for slime inspiration, they often turn to YouTube. A YouTube search for “DIY Slime” yields

TA Y TREND IS KING OVE K C I T S RR THIS ET W O H AI L ZIMPLI KIDS’ Slime Blaster lets kids blast each other with gooey slime. It includes a pre-measured Slime Powder that kids can mix with water inside the blaster, shake it up, and get ready to fire. The blaster shoots up to 7 meters, and kids can get more than 200 shots out of one pack of Slime Powder. The slime is safe on skin, non-toxic, and eco-friendly.

Slime Blaster is designed for kids ages 5 and up.

DUNECRAFT’S Ooey Gooey Snotty Slime Kit lets kids ages 4 and up customize their own slime. Kids can choose the thickness, color, and whether it should be chunky or smooth. The kit includes enough ingredients to make almost a gallon of multi-colored slime; all kids have to do is add water.

Ooze Labs, from THAMES & KOSMOS, are simple science experiences packaged in chunky plastic test tubes. Three of the five available mini kits teach kids how to make their own slimy creations, including Magnetic Slime, Hypercolor Slime, and Glowin-the-Dark Slime. Designed for kids ages 7 and up, each Ooze Labs kit lets kids create a chemically interesting, yet totally safe, material. Kids can mix up slime that reacts to a magnet, changes color depending on temperature, or stores light energy to glow in the dark.

more than 6.6 million results. Leah Bankord, founder of the YouTube channel KeepCalmAndBlushOn, published a DIY slime video titled “DIY Pinterest Slime Tested” last May, and the video has amassed nearly 3.2 million views. “I think slime videos are so popular because it is something that you can make yourself at home with supplies you probably already have lying around your house,” says Bankord. “Slime can be made in under five minutes, so it provides quick entertainment that is super fun to play with.”

Retailers are responding to the slime trend by making the basic and more creative slime ingredients more accessible to consumers. Michael’s craft stores feature “Slime Station” endcap displays that have multiple types of school glue, glitter packets, wooden stirring sticks, and even small toys kids can incorporate into their slime. To drive traffic to specialty retail stores, storeowners would be wise to schedule in some DIY slime tutorial sessions or other ooze-filled events.

Toy manufacturers are also getting in on the gooey fun, introducing new all-inclusive DIY slime kits, providing kids all the components they need to make

Cool Slime, from BE AMAZING! TOYS, includes Green Slime Goo Solution and Cross-Linker Solution that kids can mix together to create slime with the perfect consistency. The set also comes with a measuring scoop, measuring cups, and a stir stick. Kids can choose from four different activities, including Top Secret Slime, Slime Your Friends, Nose Hang, and Slime Bubbles. Kids will learn about the science of polymers while they play.

their own slime in one package. Other manufacturers are selling new versions of pre-made slime and similar compounds, while additional companies are bringing slime accessories, such as blasters, to market.

Whether kids are looking to create fluffy, crunchy, rainbow, sticky, or scented slimy concoctions, this popular play pattern allows them to get creative. Check out some of the latest slimy offerings that we are totally stuck on. » Marissa DiBartolo is a senior editor at Adventure Publishing Group and manager of digital and social media content for The Toy Insider. A professional toy reviewer and an industry expert, she consistently reports on the latest toy trends.

WECOOL’S Bobble Bitz is a squishy, squeezy, crunchy medium that doubles as a molding compound. Bobble Bitz lets kids design customized 3-D creations that harden overnight. Designed for kids ages 5 and up, the Creation Station includes six pods of different colored crunchy compound and an assortment of molds, clips, and art tools, letting kids design jewelry, window clings, key chains, and more.

Nickelodeon Slime, from CRA-Z-ART, includes all the ingredients kids need to make their own version of the network’s iconic green goo.

Available in April, Nickelodeon Slime kits will come in a variety of colors and textures, including glitter, neon, and glow-in-the-dark. The kits will also include glue, which Cra-Z-Art already produces in the U.S.

Orbeez Super Fine Crush: Magic Chef Set, from MAYA TOYS, lets kids crush their gooey Orbeez into a fine, slimy mash. Kids can use recipe cards to shape the crushed Orbeez into foods, such as bacon and eggs, watermelon slices, pizza, ice cream, and more. With 2,000 Orbeez in seven colors and five food molds, kids ages 6 and up can create realistic-looking culinary creations. toybook.com | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | THE TOY BOOK 29

TALKING SOCIAL MEDIA

INFLUENCER MARKETING

How to Effectively Build Relationships with Influencers

by MELISSA HUNTER, founder, Family Video Network THE WORD “INFLUENCER” WAS probably the most used word in marketing and public relations last year, and it is only going to become more ubiquitous this year.

Every company knows they should be working with influencers, but not many people are clear on the most effective way to make use of this group. Tapping influencers to promote your new products or brands may still seem mystifying, but here are some best practices to get you started down this path.

WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE? Before reaching out to influencers, figure out whom you hope to reach. Are you trying to build brand buzz within your toy or game’s target demographic? Or do you want to sway parents and other caregivers to believe your product is a worthwhile purchase?

If you’re looking to reach adults, then it’s best to engage influencers with a strong Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter following, as well as those with a large blog readership.

If you want to reach children directly, then you will need to work with YouTubers and Instagrammers.

FINDING A MATCH Now that you’ve figured out which platforms to target, how do you find the actual influencers? Search each platform for posts about your product or similar products. Engage with those posts from influencers right on the platform. Interact with their audience by answering questions or offering tips, and be sure to thank the influencer for their coverage to show your appreciation!

Also reach out to the influencer directly through a message on the platform or via email, and thank them for their coverage and support. Ask them if they would like additional products for review or if they would like to offer their followers a giveaway. Many will say yes, especially if they have seen you engaging with their audience. Others may not reply at all, and some may ask if you have a budget in mind for future promotions.

TO PAY, OR NOT TO PAY Offering monetary compensation has become a very common way to engage influencers for promotion. The question of when to pay for promotion is the most difficult one

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you will face. Do not feel that the only way you can get your message to the masses is through paying influencers. There are many reputable bloggers, YouTubers, and other social media professionals with loyal and engaged audiences who will be more than happy to share your product with their audience at no cost. If your product closely relates with their normal content, it makes perfect sense for them to share it with their readers, followers, or subscribers. Start with influencers who are willing to work with you on a no-fee basis, and slowly build relationships with them and their audiences before you commit a budget to influencer marketing.

In some cases you will want to invest in a paid campaign with one or more influencers.

At this point you should be asking for specific data points before choosing to invest your dollars. What are the demographics of their audience, with age and geographical location being of most importance? Some influencers with a large preschool audience may be perfect for your new toy, but if that audience is not predominantly based in the U.S., and they don’t have access to your products,

TALKING SOCIAL MEDIA you’ve just wasted money. Always do your research.

CONTENT CREATION For a campaign to be successful you will need to let the influencer take the lead on the style and creative around the piece, but you will also want to be sure that your brand is being represented properly. For a paid campaign, you have the right to ask to preview the post or video before it goes live and request small changes.

Prepare a brief that includes specific talking points you feel are required, but don’t try to turn this into a script. Let the influencer use their own brand voice and style to get the points across. If there is a specific phrase or term you want to be sure they use or don’t use, state that clearly in the brief. Always include information on which retailers are carrying the product, when it will be on shelves, and what the retail price will be, so that viewers and readers know where to find it.

GIVE A REALISTIC TIMELINE Influencers are always working on multiple projects, and have their production schedules lined up weeks in advance. If you have a

specific target date on which you need your piece to post, ho are ee w make sure you get s r e c -f the product into influen you on a no ps h t i w hi the hands of the Start work with ations fore l e r d o l t i influencer at least e u willing d slowly b nces b r e i d three weeks prior to u n a e a r basis, m and thei t to influenc the post date. This e he lead time will allow with t mit a budg for possible shipping u com .” o y delays, replacement ting marke of a malfunctioning product, and ample time for the influencer to test out all of the feabecome brand evangelists, and you will have tures and ask any questions they may have. created enduring partnerships that will con-

“

ENGAGE, ENGAGE, ENGAGE Once your influencer campaign goes live, make sure you go back to where you started this relationship and engage with the audience on the post. Be ready to answer questions, thank people for kind comments, and praise the influencer for their work.

Remember: Influence isn’t about speaking at people; it is about speaking with them. Build relationships in 360 degrees. When done right, your chosen influencers will grow to

tinue with you on your toy industry journey. »

Melissa Hunter is better known in the YouTube world as Mommy, the co-host of Mommy and Gracie Show, which she shares with her 13-year-old daughter, Gracie.

In 2014 she launched Family Video Network, a multi-channel network (MCN) focused on kidand family-friendly content.

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Toy Drones Fly to New Heights

by ALI MIERZEJEWSKI, senior editor ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’RE becoming commonplace in the R/C aisle, the concept of a flying R/C is actually still quite novel in the category. The progression from ground R/C to difficult-to-fly helicopters to slightly more stable quadcopters led us to where we are now: within constant search of how to make this still-challenging play pattern more fun.

Truthfully, a company could add lots of bells and whistles into a drone, but that still doesn’t mean a consumer will pick it up off the shelf. Since flying an R/C tends to be more difficult than controlling one on the ground, there is already an initial reluctance for a consumer to purchase a drone.

However, with new features added in to promote user accessibility and easier-to-use controls, such as one-touch stunts; auto-launch, -land, and –hover; and more durable bodies, drone companies are looking for ways to add to the user experience and make it less intimidating for beginners, but still fun for more advanced fliers.

“With a drone, you’re still having to manage height and altitude with all that, so it just becomes that using two thumbs at the same time is definitely more of a challenging thing than using one thumb,” says Jared Wolfson, senior vice president of marketing, licensing, and entertainment at Skyrocket Toys.

And now that most companies are incorporating a lot of flight assist features that allow users to concentrate less on the complicated maneuvering and more on the in-flight experience, they’re starting to delve further into more advanced technology, just like the high-tech features that are found in hobby and professional grade drones.

The biggest challenge for companies competing in the drone category of R/C toys is to figure out how to balance all of the hightech features with a price point that is reasonable for consumers. “The challenge we’ve had out there in the past is that the new

technology costs a lot of money and in order to kind of cheat that technology, people have really scaled down the benefit that you get from it and it just really hasn’t had a good pay off,” says Wolfson. Skyrocket, like other companies in this toy space, is blending the real-life technology and still giving consumers the lower price point they’re looking for, meaning: Drones are becoming much more than just “a flying R/C toy.”

GPS & GEOFENCING Wolfson says that the company combats issues of high-end technology versus consumer-approved price points by building Skyrocket’s hardware and software at the same time. Using the same Cleanflight system that is very familiar to drone enthusiasts and professionals, Skyrocket is able to map out exactly what they want to build and integrate it all at the same time, instead of having to go back and overcorrect any issues.

By building the hardware and the software at the same time, we get ahead of issues such as where you’ve got a really expensive GPS module, but it doesn’t necessarily work with the other parts. Then you have to add other costs to get it to properly work,” says Woflson. “We’ve layered that all in at the beginning. We know what we want to achieve, and we cost-effectively, yet very meaningfully, implement it all together at the same time.”

One of Skyrocket’s newest products in its Sky Viper line, the v2700 GPS, features builtin GPS technology that battles two major issues for quadcopter pilots, especially beginners: controllability and fly away. The GPS allows the drone to know where the controller is in relation to the drone itself, so it adds in new safety capabilities, such as geofencing.

With this new feature, users can draw a zone around themselves and their drone, and the drone won’t fly outside of that virtual fencedin area.

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Battlecopters, from NKOK

Skyrocket Toys’ Sky Viper V2700 GPS

Additionally, it offers the ability to add in a one-touch return to home button. “The flight range on the GPS drone right now is about 2,000 feet, which is a big distance. So if you have it out on the far end of that range, it’s harder to see,” explains Wolfson.” With a one-touch button that returns to home, you can press that button and because it knows where it is in relation to you, it’ll fly all the way back to where you are and land.”

FPV & DRONE RACING There is nothing trendier in the world of drones than drone racing, and thanks to partnerships with professional leagues like the Drone Racing League (DRL), companies such as Toy State can bring the drone racing experience right into consumers’ homes.

Toy State’s Nikko line will introduce the official DRL-licensed Nikko Air Race Vision 220 FPV Pro drone, which gives users a first-person view (FPV) in real time.

“With the technology we’re bringing, you’re seeing a real-time view of what that camera on the front of the drone is seeing, so you can have that traditional racing experience, just like the professional pilots that you see in the DRL events,” says Andy Friess, president of Toy State.

With very little competition on the market, this FPV drone uses a 5.8 GHz connection with the camera, so there is no delay between the drone and the FPV goggles.

In addition to providing a realistic racing experience, DRL will also feature Nikko Air exclusive courses on its flight simulator, allowing users to practice their piloting virtually in between being able to take their drone out for a spin.

“It’s one of those really neat twists in this type of product that you do have that virtual playground where you can go and practice

and do all the things that you would be doing outside, just on your computer instead of out in the open air, which gives you a lot more practice time,” says Friess.

LASER TAG & GAMING DRONES NKOK figured out a way to take a technology that they already use in their line of toys—laser tag—and incorporate it into flight.

Using an infrared connection that allows the drones to engage and interact with each other, NKOK’s Battlecopters turn flying drones into a multiplayer experience.

“That’s the biggest development. It’s no longer one person at a time doing their own thing, it’s expandable infinitely,” says NKOK designer Kevin Greene. “You could fill up an auditorium with a hundred of these if you had them and everyone would be able to be engaged. It’s the next evolution of drones where more than one person is not only flying at the same time, but interacting.”

The Battlecopters feature three levels of piloting difficulty, allowing them to be more accessible to a wider range of fliers. Players

are challenged to fire their laser at the other drones. Each time a drone is hit, the controller unleashes vibrations and sound effects, and the drone does an aerial maneuver. On the third hit, it descends and must be repowered up to rejoin the battle.

The addition of laser tag ability expands the R/C play pattern to a social—as well as competitive— experience for the pilots.

As far as what’s next, we know that as an ever-surprising and developing category, flying R/C will never cease to go above and beyond our expectations.

“In these technology-based toys, you never truly know all the frontiers that are going to come next, which is exactly the exciting part of this type of category,” says Friess. “There are so many things in the flying space that are virtually untapped. If people just keep an eye on it, they’re going to be excited with what they see coming out over the next couple of years.” »

Nikko Air Race Vision 220 FPV Pro drone, from Toy State

Ali Mierzejewski is a senior editor at Adventure Publishing Group, contributing to leading trade magazines The Toy Book and The Licensing Book. She is the co-director of digital media content for The Toy Insider.

The Air Hogs DR1 FPV Race Drone joins SPIN MASTER’s Air Hogs line, letting kids get even closer to experiencing professional drone racing with the drone’s first person view (FPV), speed, and durability. Designed for kids ages 8 and up and officially licensed by DR1 Racing, the drone has Wi-Fi streaming to race to the finish line.

DGL GROUP partnered with the NFL for a new line of NFL drones and R/C vehicles. The official drone collection depicts NFL teams and engages fans in a competitive team experience. The DGL NFL line of drones will feature drones with stunt capabilities, nano drones, and a racing drone series. DGL’s R/C vehicles will feature collectible racing cars and monster trucks.

Fans will have the opportunity to engage and battle drones and R/C vehicles that represent competitive NFL teams and experience high-energy plays to out-maneuver their competition. product image not final

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JAKKS PACIFIC will expand its XPV line of R/C toys.

XPV Rock ‘n Roll Groot dances, spins, talks, and lights up. In Manual mode, kids control him with the remote, which is modeled after the Awesome Mix cassette tape from the Guardians of the Galaxy film. In Listen Mode, he dances on his own to almost any song when he’s near a speaker. A button on the remote also triggers four different “I am Groot” phrases during play.

Designed for kids ages 4 and up, the XPV RC Spider-Man Web Striker has a multi-function controller that lets kids drive the vehicle and launch a web attack when braking or spinning. The web extends up to three feet when launched, has 360-degree spin capabilities, and retracts as kids drive away.

The XPV Extreme Performance Skateboard drives up to 14 mph and can be launched off of jumps. Kids can drift the skateboard when doing high-speed turns.

It also includes a roll-bar that puts the vehicle back into position when knocked over.

K’NEX introduces the 10-in1 RotoKontrol Building Set. With this set, kids can build 10 different models and then make them move with the included remote control. Designed for kids ages 8 and up, the set includes a newly designed motor with four rotor blades that allow kids to build a tank, a ship, a car, and a quadcopter that really flies.

With the FurReal Makers Proto Max Pet, from HASBRO, kids can create and program their own dream pup. Kids can quickly program their pup’s starter personality or download the FurReal Makers Proto Max app for a more expansive coding experience.

They can take their pup’s personality to the next level by programming more than 10 activation points while connected through Bluetooth. With more than 400 sounds and 100 eye animations along with lights and motion, kids can assign a response for the pup to give when activated.

In addition, kids can also create their pet’s personality and code routines and actions through the app, where tutorials and starter challenges are also available.

Through remote control play, kids can command their pup in real-time, run the routines that they coded using the app, change the light patterns, and send emotions to their puppy.

The app-based games feature a variety of interactive activities, such as feeding, nurturing, and virtual games of fetch. FurReal Makers Proto Max will be available this fall.

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Nintendo’s Super Mario takes off with the new Carrera RC Super Mario—Flying Cape Mario flier, from CARRERA OF AMERICA. This 2.4 Ghz flying figure comes ready to fly out of the box with a controller and a recharger for figure’s built-in rechargeable battery. A coaxial rotor system keeps the figure stable as kids fly it for up to five minutes on a 30-minute charge.

This fall, ALPHA GROUP US will introduce Drone Force: a team of fun and easy-to-fly R/C creatures, each with different performance and battle features, desgined for kids ages 6 and up.

Stinger brings alien drone technology to kids’ fingertips.

They can take control of the skies with stable and intuitive flight control. Stinger features a durable exoskeleton roll cage for safe and strong indoor flying.

Arachno Fury is the spider that flies. It can perform flips, dips, and dive bomb stunts indoors and outdoors with an easy-to-use controller.

With an infrared targeting system, the Raptor Strike can take aim and fire dual missiles in flight. Raptor Strike is safe and fun to fly indoors and outdoors.

Angler Attack is the terror of the sea illuminating the skies. It features electro-surge attack with luminescent LEDS and glow effects, and one-touch take-off and landing for easy indoor and outdoor flight.

Morph Zilla features surface to sky mayhem. Kids can drive in in Ape Mode, morph into action, and then fly in Drone Mode. It is easy to morph, stunt, and fly both indoors and outdoors.

REDWOODVENTURES introduces Velocity Video R/C, a new brand that lets kids easily capture high-speed R/C footage from a unique action-sports perspective right from the vehicle. Users can film and share drifting, stunts, crashing, and more of their R/C driving skills via HD video.

Velocity Video R/C uses a specially mounted jib arm that holds a wide-angle, micro-HD camera. The camera can be adjusted to capture film from a variety of perspectives including first and third person views, and can rotate freely around the vehicle. Users can also lock the rotating arm for fast-action, fixed-position footage. The R/C controller has a special mount that can hold a mobile phone for easy-to-reach recording action. The free Velocity Video R/C recording app makes it simple to record and share footage via users favorite social channels.

Designed for kids ages 14 and up, Velocity Video R/C comes with a High-Speed Velocity Video R/C vehicle, a full-function controller with mobile phone mount, a micro-sized HD camera with a 120 degree wide-angle lens, and a roto-cam jib arm.

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WOWWEE introduces The BotSquad, two interactive robot construction vehicles that let kids grab, plow, stack, wreck, and then do it all again. GRiP is a hardworking, interactive jack-of-all-trades bot.

He has speed, can turn on a dime, and can grab and haul. Kids can also build onto GRiP’s truck bed with the included bricks, which are also compatible with major brick brands.

Plow is a fast-talking, hardworking bot with a can-do attitude. He can clear paths, tow loads, and with his LED eyes, no job site is off limits.

Designed for kids ages 5 and up, SILVERLIT’s Train My Dino is a new robotic dinosaur pet that follows kids’ instructions and hand movements when they touch his head. Built-in sensors react when kids pet Dino, and also help him avoid obstacles when he walks behind kids via remote control.

Train My Dino features two play modes: Wild Mode creates random movements with sound effects, and Training Mode calms Dino down as it wears a collar and follows kids’ movements.

JADA TOYS’ Mickey Transforming Roadster is an R/C vehicle based on the ones that Mickey drives in the popular Disney Junior series Mickey and the Roadster Racers.

This vehicle features Mickey’s two cars into one that magically transforms back and forth at the simple press of a button. Additionally, it features lights, sounds, and Mickey’s voice. A fully functioning 2.4 GHz R/C designed for kids ages 4 and up, the roadster can move forward, backward, left, and right; honk its horn; and transform all from the easy-to-hold remote control specially made for kids.

Inspired by Warner Bros. Pictures action-adventure film, MATTEL’s Justice League Ultimate Batmobile features R/C functionality, premium deco, and real world features. Through an app-enabled tablet or smartphone, users can take control of the vehicle like the Dark Knight. The Batmobile features smoke release from the exhaust pipe, moving missiles on the hood of the car, roaring engine sounds, and four armored up wheels. It also includes a camera in the cockpit so kids can drive from Batman’s point of view via an app-controlled device. The special “jump mode” feature elevates the Batmobile with hydraulic-like movement. The included Batman figure has full body movement—his foot presses the gas pedal, his arm shifts the gear, and his head turns.

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MUKIKIM introduces the Voice ‘n Go Racer, which features three models of voice controlled sports cars in red, blue, and yellow. Kids can speak into the voice-controlled smartwatch with commands, such as “go forward,” “car brake,” “go back,” “demo,” “turbo,” “lights on,” and “lights off.” Push the watch face to pair the watch to the car, and to start and stop the car. Kids can steer the car left and right by moving the beze on the watch.

Voice ‘n Go Racer cars feature 2.4 GHz radtion control, rechargeable lithium batteries, and a rechargeable watch.

The Bumper Drone, from ODYSSEY TOYS, features a crash-proof protective airbag. Bumpy can bounce off of a wall or any obstacles it may run into. Despite its adorable looks, Bumpy contains a lot of high-tech gear found in professional drones, such as altitude hold, auto take off and auto landing, and a 720p high-def camera.

The MAISTO TECH Rock Crawler 6x6 is a six-wheel radio controlled off-road vehicle featuring an articulated suspension and low gearing. This vehicle is made to climb any obstacle in its path. The Maisto Tech Rock Crawler 6x6 is approximately 16 inches long and comes with a tri-channel pistol-grip controller.

Aura, from KD INTERACTIVE, is a gesture-controlled drone that uses patented Gesturebotics technology, powered by LocoRobo.

The wearable glove controller lets kids control the drone by hand motions made while wearing the glove. Aura includes kid-friendly auto features and a frame to protect the drone from crashing, offering fun and safe play.

Previously only used in military applications, Aura removes the learning curve of using a joystick controller to pilot a flying drone. Aura is designed for kids ages 7 and up.

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INVENTHELP’S INPEX

AMERICA’S LARGEST INVENTION SHOW

by RACHEL RUSHLANDER THE YEAR 1985 MARKED the inception of an innova­ tive event that has grown over three decades. Formerly known as Tech­nology/lNPEX, it is known today as lnven­ tHelp’s INPEX, Amer­ica’s Largest Invention Show. This exciting three-day event offers much more than just a trade show—it is a hub for all things inno­vation, complete with educational seminars, live product demos, pitching panels, and lively networking oppor­ tunities. Historically, INPEX has been held in Pittsburgh, and this year will be no dif­ ferent. INPEX’s 32nd annual show will be held from June 13 to 15 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Lo­ cated in the downtown Cultural District, this location is just minutes from the Steel City’s famous sports stadiums and mu­ seums, and walking distance from award-win­ ning restaurants.

The exhibitors at INPEX are primarily pat­ ented or patent-pending inventors looking to bring their products to market. The inventions fall into 45 different product categories, rang­ ing from household products and hardware and tools to sporting goods and medical prod­ ucts, and everything in between. Each INPEX show typically has about 300 inventors that exhibit in the hopes of meeting a company that can help bring their product to market.

INPEX exhibitors come from all over the world and are different from year to year, lending to the show’s high rate of returning business

attendees who travel to Pittsburgh each sum­ mer to see what new inventions INPEX has to offer. Attendees of this unique event include licensors, marketers, manufacturers, distribu­ tors, retailers, and investors, all of whom are interested in bringing products to market.

One of the more popular categories at INPEX is toys and games. Over the years, at­ tendees were among the first to see Sketch It, Word Roulette Game, Soft Toss Universal Golf, Puzzling Polygons, Home Run Derby Batting Cage, Cannonball Air Blaster, and many more inno­vative toy and game inventions.

“After more than 10 years of being in­ volved with INPEX, I have definitely noticed some trends,” says Nicole Lininger, director of INPEX. “Along with household products, personal care products, tools, and sporting goods, our toys and games category is one of our larger product categories at INPEX.” One well-known toy, the Spin Pop, was licensed by Hasbro after the inventors were discovered at an INPEX show in the early 1990s. Following their license deal, Spin Pop became a staple in many mass retailers, an ex­ citing outcome for the two couples that spent more than five years trying to get this toy invention to market before purchasing their booth at INPEX. Years later, Hasbro signed on

to participate in a private product search at INPEX, an opportunity offered to select quali­ fied companies.

These product searches provide inven­ tors and companies with a Shark Tank-like experience, during which a panel of company representatives meet one-on-one with select inventors of products relevant to their line.

This year, INPEX is excited to welcome HSN, Cuisinart, Allstar Products Group, Schroeder & Tremayne, MPO Global, Top Dog Direct, Danco, Retail Products Group, and LSP, all of whom will participate in private product searches throughout the show.

INPEX is also home to Virtual Invention Browsing Experience (VIBE), a state-of-the-art tech­ nology that houses more than 1,500 virtual inventions and allows attendees to participate in private viewing sessions of select inventions relevant to their line. VIBE’s sleek and modern design provides a relaxing experience for users as they evalu­ ate new in­ventions, reviewing, rotating, and requesting additional information with the touch of a fin­ger. Much like the opportunity to network with hundreds of inventors under one roof, VIBE can only be found at INPEX. Between the three-day trade show, live product demos, pitching panels, and nightly networking events, INPEX offers its exhibitors and attendees a full schedule of potential business opportunities. For more information, visit INPEX.com or contact Rachel Rushlander at rrushlander@inpex.com. »

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WHAT’S NEW

Slimeball Bow, from DIGGIN ACTIVE, includes an 18-inch target poster, a bow, and two flinger balls. The bow, which is an expansion of the Slimeball line, features a built-in recoil launch mechanism, a contoured grip, and an easy-to-use aiming system. Kids can pull back the flinger ball and launch. Flinger balls only stick to the poster and are soft and slimy, but leave no marks on any surface.

MERGE VR is adding to its augmented reality experience with the Holo Cube, a holographic object that users can hold in their hands. While wearing a VR headset, Holo Cube allows users to touch and interact with a holographic world. The cube itself is a foam block, but with a mobile-friendly headset, and it transforms into a hologram that can be turned and flipped to expand the augmented world.

Inspired by the world of Nintendo, JAKKS PACIFIC introduces a line of Splatoon Blasters, available in the fall. The Splatoon Quick Shot Blaster shoots a washable gooey compound up to 20 feet away and comes with a pair of Inkling Goggles and a canister, which is good for up to 50 shots. The Splatoon Splattershot Blaster shoots up to 30 feet away and includes two canisters for up to 100 shots.

Tat2Life are temporary tattoos, from SAVVI, that come to life with movement and sound using augmented reality technology.

The augmented reality tattoos appear with sound and motion when kids use smartphones to capture and share the augmented reality graphics. The tattoos come in a variety of trendy designs, such as monster trucks, animals, and hot rods.

Splatoon Splattershot Blaster

Kids can crown a bottle-flipping champion amongst their friends with Bottle Flip: The Game, from EDGE INNOVATIONS. Bottle Flip has taken the popular trend of bottle flipping and turned it into a board game. Kids can complete individual challenges, face-to-face “Flip Offs,” group “All Out Flip Outs” or create their own challenges to earn points and move along the board. There are more than 100 different challenges, such as throwing the bottle between your legs or flipping it over another player’s head.

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WHAT'S NEW IN PLUSH

A SPECIAL WAY TO PLAY A LOOK AT TOYS DESIGNED FOR KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS | ASTRA’S INSIGHTS

HAVE YOU CHECKED US OUT LATELY? ASTRA Goes Full Speed Ahead into Its Next 25 Years

by KIMBERLY MOSLEY, president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association THE 25 YEAR MILESTONE SEEMED LIKE a dream back when the founders of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) originated and got 501(c)(6) tax status for the concept of an association to help independent toy retailers succeed.

Thousands of retailers, manufacturers, and sales representatives later, ASTRA is poised to start its second quarter century.

If there is anything that captures our spirit, it’s the “Mighty Together” theme you’ll see at Marketplace & Academy, which will take place from June 25 to 28 in Philadelphia.

Business does not sit still, nor do you, and nor do we. Built into our mission is the role of monitoring “evolution” in the specialty toy industry so we can address member needs, and be a change agent ourselves when the situation demands that leadership. Here in the ASTRA office, we evaluate member benefits and services against our strategic plan goals. We also constantly ask ourselves if the idea is relevant, timely, and fresh.

By sharing leadership, experience, and expertise, ASTRA retailers get a package of education, networking, product sourcing/ discounting, and customer contact support.

Check out the details: BUSINESS EDUCATION: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • ASTRA Marketplace & Academy: Learn from the best in the business at the “Academy” part of Marketplace & Academy.

• Product Trends: Learn from industry experts who offer insight on new product adoptions and marketing trends.

• ASTRA Certifications: From marketing to personnel training to merchandising, retailers can bolster their business know-how when they become a Certified Master Retailer. Members also have the opportunity to become their community’s play authority with our Certified Play Expert program.

• On-Demand Education Online Sessions: With sessions available on demand, industry experts cover topics that help members learn ways to run a business profitably.

• Educational Publications: Build busi-

ness know-how and stay informed on important topics with the weekly ASTRA Digest, the quarterly ASTRA Toy Times Magazine, and special ASTRA publications.

NETWORKING: INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS AND SHARING BUSINESS IDEAS • ASTRA Connect: The online community of specialty toy retailers who share ideas and information is a business sounding board at members’ fingertips.

• ASTRA Events: Catch up with old friends and make new industry contacts at Marketplace & Academy; ASTRA Meet, Visit, and Play events that take place nationwide; and at Toy Fair events.

• ASTRA Member Directory: Find manufacturers, sales representatives, and affiliates using our online membership directory.

PRODUCT SOURCING AND DISCOUNTS: SAVE, SAVE, SAVE! • ASTRA Connect: Contact fellow retailers online and locate items that may not be on hand for a customer request.

• ASTRA Toy Times Magazine: Keep up with new manufacturers and special deals in ASTRA’s quarterly publication filled with industry news and retail tips.

• Toy Fair: Access member benefits at Toy Fair, including a place to rest in the ASTRA Lounge and participate in Share the Fair, a retailer-only event for spotting stand-out, don’t-miss products members may not have had the time to discover on their own.

• Year-Round Deals: Take advantage of specials, product support for business owners’ in-store events, and staff training from our manufacturer members.

• Business Services Discounts: ASTRA negotiates for its members so that they can save from vendors offering member discounts on shipping, payment processing, email marketing, retail consulting, and more.

CUSTOMER CONTACT: BUILD AWARENESS OF THE SPECIALTY DIFFERENCE • Online Store Finder: The user-friendly store map on astratoy.org is available for ev-

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ery parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or child caregiver whenever they look for quality toys.

• ASTRA Branding: On retailers’ doors and websites, ASTRA’s logo reminds parents that they are a part of the nation’s best independent toy seller network.

• Best Toys for Kids Awards: Viewed by millions nationwide, the awards highlight top toys chosen by ASTRA retailers, with free marketing materials they can customize with their store brand.

• Neighborhood Toy Store Day: Start the holiday season by participating in ASTRA’s annual consumer outreach program designed to promote independent toy stores and shopping locally.

ASTRA exists to help retailers fill in their knowledge, strategy, and operations gaps.

We help members with today’s operational challenges, even as we take the lead in looking ahead to new opportunities and threats emerging on the horizon.

If you are inspired by the same vision that drives us here at ASTRA—to change the world through the power of play—I invite you to join forces with us and your fellow business owners in the specialty toy space. Let’s be mighty together for our next 25 years! »

Kimberly Mosley, president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, is an experienced, award-winning, results-oriented association executive with a long track record of success in managing association operations, developing innovative programs, and growing revenue.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS | PLUSH

Mixing different fabrics and textures, ALEX BRANDS’ Kaloo line offers new plush items this year. Plume was updated to include new colors and each comes wrapped in a customary gift box.

The Kaloo Rouge Prestige Bear has smooth, silky fur and details such as a tiny red nose, an embroidered arm patch, and red-stitched toes. New in the Perle Collection is Kaloodoo doudous, featuring a smiling rabbit face and soft muslin.

Series one of Silly Scoops, from GANZ, features 20 different plush styled after different ice cream flavors. Six Silly Scoops are always visible, and 14 are always hidden, so kids can go on the hunt for the rare and ultra-rare versions. The included collector’s guide helps kids track their success.

Ciara, from DOUGLAS, is a 15-inch large Aquatic Mermaid, featuring a textured tail with transluscent blue organza fins. She wears an organza ruffle at her mid-section and an aqua plush bikini top, and her hair features shades of aqua and platinum blonde. Ciara also wears a seashell crown with embellished jewels on her head, and comes with a brush.

SNAPTOYS launches a range of Word Party plush as the master toy licensee of The Jim Henson Co.’s Netflix original series for preschoolers, Word Party. The line of plush will come in Kip the Wallaby, Lulu the Panda, Bailey the Elephant, and Franny the Cheetah, featuring 7-inch Small Babies Plush assorted in a PDQ display and the 10-inch Snuggle and Play Babies.

Snuggle and Play Bailey and Kip hold a blankie and Franny and Lulu hold a bottle.

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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS | PLUSH

Based on Art Baltazar’s classic designs and the interstitial cartoon characters featured on Cartoon Network’s DC Nation block of TV shows, DC COLLECTIBLES grows its line of DC Super-Pets.

Fans can take home Damian Wayne’s favorite bovine sidekick, Bat-Cow, or Harley Quinn’s demented pets, Crackers and Giggles, which are available as a matched set.

Jack, Jinja, Harvey, and Robin, from SAGO MINI’s preschool apps, are now available in 6-inch plush versions in the Small Plush Gift Pack. The packaging folds into a house for kids to decorate for their new Sago Mini friends.

Kids can collect all of the different animals in the BeanieBoos collection, from TY. Geared for kids ages 4 and up, each plush features a heart-shaped tag that indicates an authentic Ty product. TeenyTys are mini versions of Beanie Boos characters, so kids can collect and stack different designs. There are more than 30 designs available now.

Comfy Critters, from INFINITY PRODUCT GROUP, is a line of hooded chenille fleece blankets that kids can transform into an animal pillow. When unfolded, the blanket measures 36-by47 inches. The line features 23 critters, including those from a variety of licensed properties, including Paw Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants, The World of Eric Carle, and Grumpy Cat.

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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS | PLUSH

GUND’s My Magical Sound & Lights Unicorn is a 17-inch animated plush featuring light-up wings and magical sparkling sounds when kids pet its back. The plush has a rainbow mane and tail and sparkly accents on the harness, horn, and wings to complete its magical look.

Also new is a collectible series of box sets showcasing internet sensation Pusheen and her sister and sidekick, Stormy. The Pusheen Baking Collectible Set features the best friends packed in a decorative box with a window-style display. The 8.5-inch Pusheen wears an apron and a chef hat, while Stormy sports a matching chef hat.

Zippity Hug ‘n Hide, from ADORA, is a collection of plush that feature magnetic hands and a secret side zipper pocket. Giselle the Giraffe features a lemon yellow body with a white belly.

She has embroidered lavender eyes that match her lavender ossicones. Celeste the Unicorn features a light blue body with pink ears. Her embroidered lavender eyes match her purple yarn mane. Whispurr the Cat has a lavender body with a white snout and pink nose.

Her embroidered blue eyes complement her purple ears.

Giselle the Giraffe

Pusheen Baking Collectible Set

FOLKMANIS introduces four 22-inch classic, heirloom-quality Disney characters to its collection of puppets. In retro style, the Mickey Mouse puppet dons his signature red shorts, large yellow gold shoes, and white gloves. In vintage style, Minnie Mouse sports her classic polka-dotted skirt over bloomers, oversized heel pumps, white gloves, and a flower hat. Both Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse’s mouths can be animated with hands through the access point in the back, and there are pockets in the gloves to make them wave, clap, and blow kisses. Plump and plush, the Donald Duck puppet is decked out in his characteristic sailor shirt, bow-tie, and cap. The gang’s loyal canine companion, Pluto, has an expressive face with a movable mouth and perky ears. Kids can engage Pluto in fun antics and bring out his good nature by animating his ears with a squeeze to the airbladder at the base of each foreleg.

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Mickey Mouse

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS | PLUSH

YOTTOY’s Little Golden Books’ 75th Anniversary Collection features soft toys inspired by some of the most beloved children’s books of all time. The commemorative collection honors Gustaf Tenggren and Tibor Gergley’s illustrations from The Poky Little Puppy, The Saggy Baggy Elephant, Scuffy the Tugboat, The Shy Little Kitten, and Tawny Scrawny Lion. Each plush is 7 inches long and features soft fabric and delicately embroidered details.

Huggers, from WILD REPUBLIC, are plush that hug kids back. These small plush pals have their arms spread wide open, and the long plush arms will instantly wrap around when kids give their bellies a squeeze.

Huggers can hug onto wrists, backpacks, strollers, and more.

Snug Up Doll Jonas and Thea, from HABA, are 11.5-inch plush dolls that can sit up. Each plush features soft stuffing for kids to snuggle and clothes that are sewn on.

Snug Up Doll Jonas

Love to Play Puppet Books, from DEMDACO, are interactive plush puppets. The soft story book is attached with Velcro to the puppet so kids can read along and act out the story.

DEMDACO also expands its Animalcraft line with new animals based on customer feedback and marketplace popularity, including dogs, cats, and more. Animalcraft plush animals feature realistic design details and diverse plush materials. Each plush is available as bean bags and in large or small sizes.

Animalcraft

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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS | PLUSH

BEARS FOR HUMANITY’s Animal Pals plush are available in 14 different styles. Made from the same organic materials as the company’s plush teddy bears, the line includes a shark, a dog, a giraffe, a dinosaur, a monkey, a penguin, an elephant, a lion, a cat, an eagle, a patriotic-themed eagle, a panda, a turtle, and a tiger. The company’s “Buy One, Give One” program provides a bear to a child in need for every bear purchased.

CLOUD B’s Beebop is a musical playtime pal and soothing bedtime buddy for kids. Using Bluetooth technology, this cuddly creature plays songs from personal playlists and lights up with the beat. As music plays, lights glow and flash in blue, green, or red to match the tempo of the tunes. When it’s time to calm things down, Beebop can play a favorite lullaby while slowly morphing through colors, or the lights can be turned off altogether.

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Worry Eaters, from THE HAYWIRE GROUP, are a safe, non-pressure way for kids to express their worries. Kids write or draw their worries on a piece of paper, feed it to their Worry Eater, zip up the mouth, and let it hold their troubles so they do not have to carry the weight of that worry. A parent or caregiver can then acknowledge that the worry exists to help the child find solutions or face that worry.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

A wAY TO PLAY

A Look at Toys Designed for Kids with Special Needs

by STEPHANIE GRASSULLO TOYS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT. EVERY KID IS UNIQUE, AND A TOY THAT WORKS FOR ONE child may not work for another. Specifically, kids with special needs may benefit from toys that are designed with certain features in mind.

“Buying a toy for a child with special needs can be a frustrating experience. You want the toy to be right for the child, to be fun, to engage, and to promote growth, yet you need to recognize the specific capabilities and challenges that the child faces,” says Matt Barber, CEO of PlayAbility Toys. “Many specialty toy retailers, including PlayAbility Toys, will help by categorizing toys into the special needs areas that the toys have been designed to benefit.”

PlayAbility Toys is one of many companies that works with specialists to provide customers with the best toys for their kids. “The Nurture Smart Crib Mobile was developed with design input from many certified child life specialists and pediatric nurses to create a product that would meet clinical standards and include exceptional safety, child development, and comfort features for infants,” explains Barber.

In recent years, the toy industry answered the high demand for toys in the special needs market. “This increase has paralleled the dramatic rise in the number of children diagnosed with a special need and the developmental diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorders and hypertension,” says Barber. Check out some of our favorite picks from key areas below:

DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS MICRO KICKBOARD distributes Micro bikes, a line that is designed to make learning how to ride a bike safer for kids. Kids leave their feet on the ground and maneuver on the balance bike. This helps kids to build the strength and skills needed to learn how to ride a bike. New to the Micro line, the G-Bike Chopper features a height-adjustable seat with classic chopper handlebars, a lightweight frame, and more. The training bike is designed for kids ages 2 and up.

The Nurture Smart Crib Mobile, from PLAYABILITY TOYS, provides kids with visual and auditory stimulation and has multiple sound options.

Designed with input from healthcare professionals, the mobile includes safety, child development, and comfort features. The mobile includes dual-sided visual panels, a dome mirror, a night-light with celestial images, an adjustable arm to match kids’ progressing visual range, and more.

SCHKIDULES manufactures ready-made visual schedules that help kids learn to take on everyday responsibilities and life expectations. The line of products helps to build skills in areas including cooperation, memory, and transitioning. SchKIDules’ new 114 Piece Entire Gallery includes activity magnets that feature images for daily routines, school subjects, chores, and more. Most importantly, it includes 18 activities geared toward kids who have special needs or behavioral diagnoses.

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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

emotional DEVELOPMENT

Superhero Will

Wonder Crew Buddies, from PLAYMONSTER, is a new line of dolls inspired by boys, but created for all kids. The collection offers dolls that boys can relate to and is designed to promote emotional maturity, compassion, and empathy.

Made for kids ages 3 and up, the dolls combine the adventures of an action figure with the emotional connection of a stuffed animal. The line features African American, Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic dolls, and each comes dressed in a superhero outfit.

NEAT-OH! adds to its Magnutto line with Magnutto Mood Match Game, designed for kids ages 5 and up. Kids draw tiles that feature different moods, and then use the emotional cues to find the character on the game board that matches the mood on the tile.

From there, kids make a story to explain why the character feels that specific mood. The next player draws a tile and adds to the story. The game helps kids develop emotional and communication skills through memory and story-telling activities.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT TANGLE CREATIONS features a line of twistable toys that encourage kids to use their minds in order to solve brain-teasing activities. Tangles are a series of 90-degree curves that pivot at each joint with no beginning or end, allowing for a continuous motion. Available in a collection of patterns and colors, Tangle Imagine and Tangle Think are new to the line this year.

Tangle Think

FINE MOTOR SKILLS THE ORIGINAL TOY CO.‘s Hen House helps kids build fine-motor and hand-eye coordination skills during playtime. Designed for kids ages 1 and up, the Hen House comes with three colorful, wooden balls and a hen hammer. Kids aim the wooden balls—designed to resemble eggs— through the barn structure.

WACKY LINKS features a collection of colored tubes that kids can combine and connect to make necklaces, backpack charms, shoe decorations, and more. Each set comes with 15 brightly colored tubes and 15 pronged charms. The tubes require no instructions. Kids can use their imagination to create different combinations, while they also build hand-eye coordination and strengthen their fine-motor skills. The line is available in different series, with new additions for this year that include ocean, safari, rock ‘n roll, and princess themes.

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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS | WHAT’S NEW

Zipes Speed Pipes, from NEAT-OH!, is a new track system that lets kids drive R/C vehicles through pipes. The glow-inthe-dark vehicles light up as they move through the pipes. The Zipes Speed Pipe Performance Pack (Starter Set) comes with an R/C vehicle, a Cosmic Ball, four straight pipes, eight curved pipes, and 12 small pipe connectors. Available in different styles and expansion packs, kids can create and reconstruct different track systems. Designed for kids ages 5 and up, the new line will be available this spring.

EDUSHAPE introduces the Curiosity Cube, designed for kids ages 18 months and up.

The Curiosity Cube comes in a set of four cubes that are available in blue, green, red, and yellow. Kids will develop early STEM skills as they maneuver the beads inside the cube until each one lands where it belongs.

Each of the four different cubes offers a different skill level.

THAMES & KOSMOS will add to its Remote-Control Machines line this summer with Construction Vehicles.

Designed for kids ages 6 and up, little builders can make eight remote-controlled construction vehicles and use a wireless remote to move the models around. Kids can also control the models’ construction apparatuses (diggers, shovels, etc.) in order to move construction materials.

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS’ GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope introduces preschoolers to animals, plants, and household items with the updated version of its Talking Microscope, which will be available this summer. The GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope includes two eyepieces and 20 slides, each with three full-color, photo-quality images. Designed for kids ages 4 and up, the microscope speaks more than 100 facts and features a Quiz mode to let kids test their knowledge.

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SCHLEICH adds to its Wild Life line with the Croco Jungle Research Station. Designed for kids ages 3 and up, the set features secret doors and comes with 27 accessories, including a croc, a baby elephant, an orangutan, a black panther, and a Croco skull that has an upper jaw that can be opened and closed for a secret hiding place. The Croco Jungle Research Station will be available this fall.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS | MEDIA CENTER MAKE READING HANDS-ON WITH SILVER DOLPHIN’S INTERACTIVE CONSTRUCTION KITS

MOVE AND GROOVE WITH DANA’S BEST JUMP & JAM TUNES

Dana’s Best Jump & Jam Tunes is a collection of action songs for kids. As a singer, songwriter and educator, Dana Cohenour is inviting kids to get off their screens and start dancing, jumping, playing, and singing.

This is Cohenour’s sixth interactive album, which features 12 songs designed to get kids moving and laughing, but is meant to engage children and adults together.

Produced at Beaird Music Group Studios in Nashville, Dana’s Best Jump & Jam Tunes offers a variety of genres, such as rock, bluegrass, jazz, country, and pop. Inspired by her experiences as a mom and working with children, Cohenour wrote these songs with preschoolers in mind while respecting adult listeners in production and musical styles.

Silver Dolphin Books has combined story time and playtime with its new series of Construction Kits, featuring imaginative tales and hands-on activity sets.

In Princess Ice Palace, it’s Princess Lara’s birthday and her friends are throwing her a surprise party.

Readers can follow along with the fairy tale, and then throw their own party using the included foam model pieces to build Lara’s ice palace and press-out characters of all her friends.

Aspiring paleontologists can find inspiration in Dinosaur Construction Kit: T. Rex, in which readers can learn about the king of the dinosaurs as he explores his prehistoric world and hunts for food. Kids can get hands-on with the foam model pieces to build their own T. Rex and continue the primeval fun.

FUNNY FACES BRINGS SILLY MUSIC WITH A POSITIVE MESSAGE

As the second release from Michael & The Rockness Monsters, Funny Faces leads kids on an energetic musical journey.

The 14 original songs balance silly and serious, as it adds a little comedy to the tough times of growing up.

Funny Faces has an overarching message: be yourself, feel free, respect others, and enjoy life. Overall, the goal of this album is to make people laugh and to make them reflective of their lives and relationships with others and the world.

There are doses of funk with the message of gender equality, and there are comforting reminders for listeners of all-ages to feel good about who you are and to embrace our differences as well as our similarities.

MR. DAVE BRINGS THE ENERGY WITH FEELING GOOD

Feeling Good, by Mr. Dave (a.k.a. Dave Hamilton), is a mix of upbeat, fresh, and funky tunes that are easy on adult ears and also geared toward getting little ones grooving. Inspired by artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Paul Simon, the Beach Boys, and Frank Ocean, Mr. Dave dives into themes of love, learning, and positivity with his fourth kids/family album.

Feeling Good revs up the fun with easy sing-along tunes, but also includes tracks of safety, diversity, and acceptance as he mixes rap with melodic elements. Grammy-nominated Jamie Candiloro produced the album.

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WIT

The Toy Book Spoke with Four Toy Industry Entrepreneurs About Productivity, Challenges, and What Drew Them into the Toy Industry in the First Place.

How long have you been a Women in Toys (WIT) member?

Since 2014—right before launching our Kickstarter campaign.

What is your single best piece of business advice?

I have two sons, and they are big fans of the TV show Mythbusters. One of the hosts, Adam Savage, popularized the saying, “Failure is always an option.” I urge everyone to embrace that motto and learn to love it. Because even if your business endeavor ultimately succeeds, there will be failures along the way. It is unavoidable. IAmElemental has certainly had its fair share (though I prefer to call them “rookie mistakes”). Accepting the fact that failure is not just an option, but a prerequisite to success, has materially changed the way I live and the choices that I make. The key is flexibility and the ability to brainstorm your way out of a problem.

Julie Kerwin, CEO, IAmElemental

What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?

My work day starts with a walk. After I drop my younger son off at school, I head home through Central Park. On that walk, I think and create. For example, for weeks I spent every morning composing the IAmElemental Kickstarter video script in my head. When I finally sat down to write it, most of my key phrases and themes were already outlined on my morning stroll, and it flowed right out of me.

Once I arrive at home, I spend some time on the internet reading articles and researching whatever questions I have pertaining to our current projects. I find this just as helpful to my creative process as my free-thinking walks. I am a big picture to small picture learner. I love to amass massive amounts of applicable knowledge. Then, I slowly sift through it on my walks, breaking it down into digestible bits, until I find exactly what I need to move forward.

What is your favorite productivity tip?

I am obsessive about keeping my work email to fewer than 50 emails. I have an obscene number of folders, and as soon as I tackle an email it gets filed. When emails move to page two, they are more likely to get forgotten and problems can arise. I avoid this by keeping everything on page one.

What drew you into the toy industry?

I believe that if we change the way children play when they are young, we can change the way they think as they grow older. Putting strong, realistic female action figures in a girl’s hands will impact the stories she tells. A girl who envisions herself saving the day when she plays will go out into the world better equipped to emulate the strong women who inspire her—be they favorite teachers, prominent world leaders, or historic figures such as Joan of Arc. Armed and confident in her superpowers, she just might become a real superhero herself one day.

Having said that, we are not anti-doll or anti-princess. We believe that there is room in a child’s toy box for both dolls and IAmElemental action figures. However, they are very different things. That difference is at the heart of our tagline: If you give a girl a different toy, she will tell a different story. And, to be clear, as the mother of two boys, I think that it is equally important that boys have the opportunity to play with a strong, healthy image of a female action figure as it is for girls.

How can we hope to promote the notion of gender equality if we only teach girls what it means to be a powerful woman?

What unique challenges does the toy industry present?

There are a number of challenges unique to the toy industry. However, manufacturing is at the top of my list. While IAmElemental has been very lucky, relatively speaking, we had our share of both production and transportation issues. I have a lot more access than I would have had 10 years ago. I can

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email and Skype with my factory in China 24/7. Today’s freight-forwarding companies are more accessible and transparent than they used to be. FedEx delivers prototypes in no time at all, and so on. Nevertheless, having to completely give over production of my action figures to someone on the other side of the world has been a challenge. It is, perhaps, naive of me, but I would love to see the U.S. toy industry form a coalition and develop a plan to build factories in the U.S. Playmobil has its factories in Malta, Spain, and Germany. The company is an outlier, of course.

But, maybe, they could also be a model.

How long have you been a WIT member?

Since March 2017; I’m a new member.

What is your single best piece of business advice?

Enthusiasm, perseverJohanna Lopez Vice President, ance, and communication Tree House Kids will lead you to achieve your goals. Also, pay attention to every detail. The detail you didn’t pay attention to will become your worst mistake and mistakes cost money.

What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?

I concentrate on urgent matters that need to be prioritized and work on it until it’s done.

What is your favorite productivity tip?

Focus and don’t let yourself be distracted until you finish your goal. Don’t leave for tomorrow what can be done today!

What drew you into the toy industry?

I had my corporate law practice and I became fascinated by the fast pace, diversity, and fashion of the toy business. Inadvertently, I started spending more time in the toy industry than in corporate law and ended up working full time in the toy industry.

WIT STORIES What unique challenges does the toy industry present?

Every year is something new—pricing, manufacturing, retailers’ terms—you always need to be ahead of the game and prepare for the new challenges.

How long have you been a WIT member?

One year.

What is your single best piece of business advice?

A reality TV show may Laurie Peterson seem like a unconvenFounder and tional source for business CEO, Build & wisdom, but Tim Gunn’s Imagine catchphrase “Make it work” on Project Runway best sums up my entrepreneurial philosophy.

As a toy start-up founder, every day presents new challenges, often times in a domain in which I’m not an expert. The most important ingredient is resilience. Just keep showing up and figuring “it” out, no matter what “it” is. If I feel overcome with paralysis when I don’t know how to solve a problem, I find it helps to approach it with a curious scientific mindset. Instead of pretending I know the best course for everything, I develop a hypothesis and put experiments in place to validate whether my business decision is sound. Then, I evolve the plan as necessary to “make it work.”

What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?

In the first hour of work, I try to unbury myself from the mountain of emails that always seem to accumulate overnight. It may not be the most strategic move, but I find it hard to dig into something meaningful until I’ve pruned the chaos. Truthfully, I get started on this as I prepare my kid for school. I delete a few emails while brushing my teeth, a few more while yelling across the house for the fifth time, “Do you have your shoes on yet?”

Once I’m sitting at my desk and the email clutter is controlled, I review and refine my to-do list for the day.

What is your favorite productivity tip?

I use a scrum-like methodology to define my goals and track my daily tasks. It keeps me centered. I have a backlog of tasks I want to complete that month, and then move them into my daily task lists based on evolving priority.

What drew you into the toy industry?

I grew up wanting to be a scientist. When I got to college and pursued a science and engineering track, unfortunately I did what a lot of female students do. A few years in, I looked around, saw only four women in my computer science lecture hall filled with hundreds of students and concluded: “These aren’t my people, so this must not be my field.” I ended up following my roommate to the visual arts department, where I helped found a new major called Computing in the Arts. I studied gender and video games, in particular, because I felt if we got more girls gaming, they would develop comfort with technology and I wouldn’t have felt so alone in my coursework.

Shortly after graduation I got my first job in toys working as a producer for LeapFrog, where I made educational electronic games for kids. Ten years later, I started my own toy company, Build & Imagine, for similar reasons.

I wanted to have a voice in shaping the construction toy category, to get more girls building as an early path to STEM confidence.

What unique challenges does the toy industry present?

The last few years, the TAGIES picks for “Rising Star Toy Inventor of the Year” have been independent female entrepreneurs, myself included. Women entrepreneurs are driving much needed innovation in the toy industry, particularly around gendered toys, and we’re inspiring, perhaps forcing, the “big boys” to keep pace. Yet, there is very little systematic financial support for toy start-ups. I’d love to see us take inspiration from the tech industry and create models for funding the service independent inventors and founders are providing.

How long have you been a WIT member?

About one year; I am also a chapter co-chair.

What is your single best piece of business advice?

Brandi Pinsker Be flexible. Our indusCEO, try is fickle. Buyers and Project Genius trends can change on a dime. Being able to respond quickly can really set you apart from the competition. As a small company, we’re pretty nimble and our buyers appreciate our willingness to take their feedback and execute immediately.

What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?

This first thing I do during my business day is eat a frog. Okay, I don’t really eat a frog, but I do make sure to tackle the most important items on my list. Like Mark Twain said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

I believe in identifying the top two to three most critical tasks on my docket in the evening the day before, so I’ll be ready to hit the ground running first thing in the morning.

What is your favorite productivity tip?

Close your email or set it to deliver only once an hour. I think email is the biggest distraction. I have to laugh about answering this because in the middle of typing, I stopped, took a call, answered an email, read a text, and now I’m back. I’d do well to follow my own advice here. I get a lot of work done on planes and I think it’s because my email and phone are shut off.

What drew you into the toy industry?

I got a job as a buyer for a chain of games stores when I was younger. I came in with no buying experience, but was eager to learn. It was so much fun and I fell in love with this industry instantly. I personally love board games and think they are a great tool for teaching social skills, which is increasingly important considering the rise in autism.

Even though the products we make are for recreation, I think the work we do is important and impactful.

What unique challenges does the toy industry present?

Competition with electronics. It gets harder every year to compete with iPhones, apps, and computer games. I find it encouraging, however, to see the upward trend of adults playing board games and puzzles. The rise in escape rooms and board game cafés is proof that, while we might be losing kids to electronics, we’re getting them back as adults. Most of us work on computers all day, so it’s pretty refreshing to unplug and connect with our friends and family. »

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COMPLIANCE & REGULATIONS

CHINA’S 62 MILLION LEFT-BEHIND CHILDREN: How the Toy Supply Chain Can Make a Difference

by MARK ROBERTSON, director of communications and stakeholder relations, ICTI CARE Foundation DOMESTIC MIGRANT WORKERS MAKE up a substantial percentage of the workforce in China’s toy factories. These workers often originate from towns and villages hundreds or thousands of miles away from the factories where they work. The majority of these workers are parents, and due to childcare needs and the Hukou system—a household register that has tied people’s access to social services to their hometowns, making it difficult for millions of domestic migrant workers to take their children with them—many are forced to leave their children behind when they move to cities in search of work.

Gradual reforms to China’s Hukou system are underway, but an estimated 62 million children are separated from their parents, staying behind in China’s rural communities. The frequency of reunions between children and their parents is depressingly low; the most fortunate are the 30 percent of children who see their parents on an annual basis when they come home to visit them. The remainder go even longer between meetings.

This separation puts a significant strain on relationships, parent well-being, and child development. Those who have to care for left-behind children—commonly grandparents—may not have the physical ability, financial means, or knowledge required to raise left-behind children adequately. Studies have shown that left-behind children are more vulnerable to becoming a victim of human trafficking, being involved in criminality, and suffering from depression than other children not in these circumstances.

As the world’s leading ethical supply chain program for the toy industry, ICTI CARE focuses on enhancing the well-being of workers

“

at toy factories. For many parent workers at toy factories in China, a key challenge they face is finding time to be with their children.

This summer, ICTI CARE ran pilot projects to create Family-Friendly Factory Spaces (FFFS) at two toy factories in China: Yuanli Toy in Heyuan and Best Top in Qingyuan.

Developed in partnership with the Center for Child Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility (CCR CSR), the project aims to reunite migrant workers with their left-behind children during the summer months. The spaces create a safe environment to learn and play while their parents work.

Selected staff at each toy factory were trained in the implementation and safe management of the FFFS. Suitable spaces on-site,

that her husband also works full time, means that neither parent has time to properly care for their daughter.

Although the situation is not uncommon, Ms. Huang feels the repercussions of her departure every time she speaks to her child: “I’m not so close to my daughter because I never raised her. She doesn’t talk much during phone calls and doesn’t tell me about any problems she has,” she confides.

Ms. Huang goes back to see her daughter a few times a year and calls her about 10 times a month. Despite her efforts to maintain a close relationship with her daughter, she’s all too aware of the emotional distance between them. Her mother-in-law often throws even more salt into an already aching wound by accusing her of being a bad parent.

But that changed this summer when Ms. Huang received a letter telling her about the FFFS that was opening up in the toy factory where she works during the school break.

The concept was unfamiliar to her and her biggest concern was safety. But when she learned her daughter could stay in the factory during the entire summer vacation and be looked after by trained teachers in a safe space, she quickly signed up.

Since her daughter came to the FFFS, Ms. Huang reports a significant transformation.

No longer closed off and reserved, her child now happily talks to her and shares details of her everyday life.

In the initial FFFS pilots, each toy factory developed a day care center and hired professional teachers to care for and educate the children during the working day at no cost to their parents. The children who attended the FFFS benefited not only from being reunited

...the project aims to reunite migrant workers with their left-behind children during the summer months. The spaces create a safe environment to learn and play while their parents work.” away from the factory floor, were identified and transformed into safe, secure, and colorful spaces for children, at which the staff ran fun and educational activities for children, including singing, dancing, drawing, games, homework hour, and movie hour.

In total, 97 parent workers attended the initial FFFS pilots, benefiting 85 children. The positive impacts on workers and their children were plain to see as CCR CSR reported.

Ms. Huang (pseudonym), 32, is a toy worker from Zhanjiang. She has a 6-year-old daughter who lives with her grandmother back in her hometown, a 10-hour train ride away. Work pressures, coupled with the fact

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COMPLIANCE & REGULATIONS with their parents, but also from making new friends and learning new skills.

Mr. Zhang Quan, another parent participating in the FFFS, reported: “I’m very relaxed that my daughter is looked after by them. She likes singing and dancing. When she first came, the teachers said my daughter was the most timid girl. Now after a couple of weeks, she would even greet people she never met before. When she comes home, she would sing and dance for us. She’s learned a lot and learns very fast. I’m very satisfied with her progress.”

In addition to delivering a positive impact on migrant workers and their children, an evaluation study and surveys conducted at both factories shows that the FFFS pilots have delivered important business benefits for the toy factories that participated.

While initially raising concerns about liability and safety, factory management has been quick to see the positive potential of the project, and worked to address the challenges associated with setting up each pilot location. At both factories, CCR CSR reported that management appeared motivated by genuine concern for the well-being of the children and by the opportunity to show their support to workers, which in turn helped to build trust and increased worker satisfaction.

Each toy factory reported significant improvements in retention rates among workers that participated in the FFFS, as well as improved employee-management trust

and confidence: “This is the first time the factory provided professional teachers lunch, and snacks to workers’ children. The workers didn’t believe it at the beginning. Now they trust us more... I feel now that my relationship with the workers transcends a work level and we feel more like a family, which is a very good way for me to communicate with and retain our workers,” the general manager of one factory commented.

“When workers are happy, we are happy, too. When they are grumpy, they either make trouble for you or pick fights from time to time… Now we can sleep better at night,” echoed another manager.

General managers at both factories said they will continue the Family-Friendly Factory Spaces in the future and will commit resources and capacity to do so.

Beyond the FFFS pilots, the second phase of ICTI CARE’s work to support migrant workers at toy factories with left-behind children is focused on Remote Parenting Workshops. Delivered in partnership with CCR CSR at 10 toy factories, these ‘Parents at work: Distance without Separation’ workshops aim to provide workers with support mechanisms and the tools necessary for improving and maintaining relationships between migrant workers and their children.

The training program is made up of three parts, the first of which is intended to help parents come to terms with the separation from their child and become empowered to

more constructively handle problems and conflict. The second will help parents to understand the emotional and physical needs of their child at various stages of development, so that they can respond to their needs and provide support. The workshops will also help workers to remotely help their children strengthen their resilience and handle problems. The third focus is on parenting skills and will offer practical guidance on how migrant workers who are unable to be a part of their child’s everyday life can effectively communicate and engage with their child. This is designed to strengthen the parent-child bond when they don’t have the opportunity to be with each other.

We want to apply learnings from these initial pilots to scale up the Left-Behind Children program, and we encourage more toy brands and retailers to support this program.

Further funding will help us to reach even more toy workers and their children will reap the benefits next year and beyond. To find out more about ICTI CARE’s Left-Behind Children program—including details on how your brands can support this work—contact mark.robertson@icti-care.org. » Mark Robertson has more than 15 years of experience with sustainability. He leads on global communications and stakeholder outreach at ICTI CARE Foundation, and is passionate about sustainability.

FFFS PILOT RESULTS According to The Center for Child Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility (CCR CSR), pre- and post-evaluation data from the factories that took part in the program was positive:

IN ONE FACTORY,

IN another FACTORY,

73 I00 %

of workers said they would recommend their factory to others. This is up from 54 percent before the FFFS opened.

%

of working parents whose children were participating in the FFFS said they would like to stay working at the factory for two years or longer, a 41 percent increase from the answer given during the baseline assessment.

A POTTERY FACTORY in Donguann, China observed a year-on-year reduction of turnover rates from

19.4

%

to just

3

%

and cut costs on recruitment and training.

toybook.com | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | THE TOY BOOK 61

OUTSIDE THE BOX

TRADITIONAL TOYS:

DOOM OR BOOM?

by TED MININNI, president and creative director, Design Force MANY INDUSTRY EXPERTS THEORIZED that the rise of technology would spell doom for traditional toys, but, if anything, the opposite is true. Tech savvy almost from birth, today’s kids find traditional toys engaging because of the integration of technology, which has given rise to a whole new category of playthings. Digitized toys are creating emotive, connected play experiences for children.

Additionally, toy brands in general have become entertainment properties, leveraging multiple media platforms that allow constant access for their young fans. Brand owners are increasingly understanding the power of media convergence; Movies, digitally created short content, gaming, TV programming, mobile device access, smartphone downloads, and YouTube unboxing videos are powerful marketing tools that benefit the toy industry enormously. The final piece of the puzzle in building relationships with consumers is packaging, since it brings brands to life on retail shelves.

According to The NPD Group, the U.S. toy industry grew by 6.7 percent in 2015, translating to $19.4 billion in sales that year. The consultancy also reported that U.S. toy sales increased by 6.5 percent in 2016. A report filed by the Toy Industry Association referenced NPD sales volume in 2016 for the 80 percent of the toy industry it represents at $20.36 billion in sales. Extrapolating that to 100 percent of the market, total sales of toys were put at $26 billion last year.

What’s even better is that there is strength in virtually every toy category. Besides well-designed hybrids that merge technology with traditional toys, collectible brands such as Shopkins, outdoor and sports toys, STEM toys, and the resurgence of puzzles and family games all contributed to significant industry growth. Hot retro properties are repositioned in a relevant manner that lead to successful toy launches for a new generation, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Powerpuff

Girls, and Thunderbirds Are Go. Licensed toys related to blockbuster movies such as Star Wars and Minions, among others, and evergreen properties from Disney, Lego, Hasbro, and Mattel contribute to the substantial increase in industry volume. Consumers heavily purchased high-ticket technology-based toys during recent holiday seasons to cap off two extraordinarily strong years.

The toy/entertainment industry is on a high that we haven’t seen since the 1990s.

Will this momentum keep building? Given the glimpses we’re seeing of the future, I think it will.

WHAT’S DRIVING IT? Strong digital content drives demand for physical toys. Brands with which we’ve worked and are intimately familiar—Paw Patrol, Sonic Boom, Thunderbirds Are Go, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—attest to that. Next, the smart integration of well-developed technology into traditional toys by numerous manufacturers appeals to today’s

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kids in a meaningful manner. Spin Master’s Hatchimals brand is a great example. The more kids interact with their toy “eggs,” the more responsive their Hatchimals become, in a similar manner to a family pet.

The level of emotive attachment created by these kinds of toys is significant and deeply personal. Because of the constant, deeper level of engagement with toy brands, one could argue that kids are more emotionally invested, and the nature of their relationships with these properties are stronger than ever before.

Classic properties, such as Star Trek and Rugrats, offer new digital fare and licensed consumer products in a well-conceived manner. They’re new to younger demographics and endearing to adults who loved these brands when they were young. Recent films, such as Jurassic World, Minions, and The Avengers: Age of Ultron, were smash successes, naturally lending themselves to licensed consumer products in many categories, including toys. Whether classic or new, these properties have broad appeal to adults as well as children, leading to purchases of toys, collectibles, apparel, and home décor by both groups.

Having said all of this, today’s kids are similar to adult consumers in that they want and expect constant evolution from their favorite brands—otherwise, they lose interest. The elements of enjoyment, surprise, and delight cannot be overstated when it comes to today’s toy consumers in a marketplace in which there are seemingly limitless brand choices.

THE FEMALE FACTOR Because parents are interested in providing toys that allow for creativity while also helping their children learn and enhance their skills, STEM toys are doing very well. There is currently a definite tilt of STEM toys toward young girls, who respond to brands such as MGA Entertainment’s Project MC2, which

OUTSIDE THE BOX touts that “Smart is the new cool.” With scientist dolls and science and technology experiments, tween girls are able to catch the bad guys.

Girls are also responding enthusiastically to classic and emerging media-based action figure properties, such as The Powerpuff Girls, Mysticons, and DC Super Hero Girls. Mattel’s licensed DC Super Hero Girls action dolls, figures, and play sets extend the digital experience with physical toys. Licensed consumer products are hitting the market at a dizzying pace due to the tremendous growth potential of superhero role models for girls.

Likewise, a great deal of Hasbro’s business growth recently came from girl-tested brands.

According to Bloomberg, “The girl-focused, archery-themed Nerf Rebelle products that debuted in 2013 led the brand to its best sales year and made it the third-largest U.S. toy property, trailing only Walt Disney Co.’s Frozen and Mattel Inc.’s Barbie. Nerf shipments rose more than 30 percent, helping total sales rise 4.8 percent last year (2014).”

Hasbro’s recent debut of another hit in the making, Hanazuki, features a young heroine in a YouTube series whose name means “moonflower” in Japanese, marking the first digital animated series for the toy/entertainment company. A recent article in Forbes states, “It’s clear that with Hanazuki, Hasbro is hoping to excite My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fans and initiate similar success. It can’t be stressed enough how lucrative My Little Pony was for the company. The first quarter after the show’s debut, sales of toys aimed at girls (mostly from the My Little Pony line) grew 21 percent, while toys for boys rose just 2 percent.” A Hanazuki interactive app and toys will debut later this year.

DIGITAL DETOX Given the panoply of sophisticated toys for every age group and entertainment platforms replete with branded content, it might be surprising to learn that evergreen brands, such as Hasbro’s Play-Doh, saw substantial growth last year. Likewise, outdoor and sports toys enjoyed a 9 percent rate of growth in 2016. Kids’ need for physical, hands-on play

and a parental and cultural push for sports-related physical activity likely played a key role in this surge. Interestingly, craft and hobby toys are enjoying resurgence as well.

Most striking of all is the 16 percent increase in the puzzles and games category over the past year. Hasbro’s Pie Face Game and Mattel’s Uno Card Game were both among the year’s top 10 selling items. Families are putting down their mobile devices and playing games again in what some experts refer to as “digital detoxification”— the need to engage in real-life, hands-on activities together. Ironically, tablets and

smartphones might have played a role in this phenomenon because of consumers’ ability to join in online gaming communities. Regardless, evergreen puzzles and games, as well as creative new entries in this category, should continue to fuel interest and growth.

TOY PACKAGING: SEALING THE DEAL Nothing is more exciting to kids than being in the toy aisle of a retail store. And nothing can make great toys come alive like brand-centric package design. The design of toy and licensed toy packaging must create instant recognition and connection with young fans in a scant few seconds—and that isn’t easily done. In aisles where kids are easily overstimulated due to a plethora of color-saturated choices, it’s hard to hone in on the specific brands with which they most engage. That’s why the design of a unique visual brand language is so crucial.

Package design that encompasses color, structure, typography, imagery, and selective verbal brand communication should create

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visual separation from everything else on the shelf. It should also deliver the unique assets of the brand; those that are most emotive to kids. It isn’t an accident that top-selling toys and licensed properties are so strong in the marketplace. The manner in which they are packaged seals the deal.

For example, Little Live Pets Snuggles, My Dream Puppy, from Moose Toys, has a sweet canine face with an expression that begs for a child to adopt him. His package structure suggests a pet tote, making it easy to carry him home. Every aspect of the visual and verbal communication makes the point that he wants to be cared for “just like a real puppy.” What child can resist even though there are legions of plush brands?

MGA Entertainment's Num Noms Lipgloss Truck looks like an ice cream truck filled with luscious colors and flavors. Kids can mix their own lipgloss combos and serve them up. Soft pastel packaging in a sea of bold primary colors, as well as visuals that are irresistible to a child, drove the brand to the top of the sales charts over the past year.

Hasbro’s Pie Face Showdown package depicts two kids playing the game—one who is quicker on the button than her friend who has whipped cream all over his face— along with the exhortation: “cream your opponent!” It is an irresistible invitation to kids.

Packaging like this promises enjoyment merely in the act of unboxing, which more parents and kids film and put on YouTube and Facebook. It does more than make a sale; it markets toy and entertainment brands in a powerful manner, creating and driving more fans to these properties. »

Ted Mininni is president and creative director at Design Force Inc., a package and licensing program design consultancy to the consumer product and entertainment industries. The goal of Design Force is to establish strong emotional connections with consumers and create powerful visual brand experiences that engage, excite, entertain, inspire, and influence consumers’ decision to buy. Mininni can be reached at (856) 810-2277. Visit designforceinc.com for more information.

INDUSTRY MARKETPLACE

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 carolleeman@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 are 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, Benny’s and TJ Maxx, • NY METRO​ NY City and New Jersey. Accounts...Toys R Us and their DOTCOM and aGlobal divisions, TRU Express, dd’s Stores, Macy’s Backstage, Cititrends, Burlington Stores, Quidsi’s, Xmas Tree Shops, Shepher Distributors, Buy Buy Baby, Party City, National Whle., Bed Bath and Beyond, Stevens Intl., and NY area Supermarket chains.

• MID-LANTIC…Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and Western Ohio. Accounts…Rite Aid Drug, Group Sales, Boscov’s, Omni Global, 5 Below, Dollar Tree, Variety Wholesale and Big Lots.

• K mart USA // JC Penney Catalog // Universal Studios Orlando // Gordman’s // Target and Walmart • CANADA…Walmart, Toys R Us, Canadian Tire and Costco • CHINA…We maintain a full time Hong Kong sourcing Office We employ a staff of 5 toy sales specialists. Our contact information is listed on our above shown letterhead. We welcome your inquiries. ®

To place a classified ad, please contact Bill Reese at 212-575-4510 x2322 or breese@adventurepub.com

toybook.com | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | THE TOY BOOK 65

MARCH/APRIL 1997

FLASHBAC 1

Preschool » property Arthur is growing in popularity.

Eden has expanded its offerings to include not only Arthur, but also his sister D.W. and his best friend, Francine.

2

Galoob Toys is creating a line of action figures and vehicles for this summer’s film Men in Black, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as two of the government’s immigration force for aliens. The Ultra Alien Terrorist Edgar stands 12 inches tall and includes a removable Men in Black figure that fits inside the alien’s translucent belly.

» SPECIAL-FEATURE AND MINIATURE DOLLS SHINE IN ’97 DOLL CATEGORY Up, Up & Away introduces new Rainbow Brite dolls this year. Available in 9- and 15-inch sizes, the dolls feature multicolored hair that can be styled and painted with water-soluble Color Glo paints.

FISHER-PRICE REVAMPS LITTLE PEOPLE LINE Fisher-Price redesigned its nearly 40-yearold Little People line to incorporate different characteristics, such as molded arms, hands, hair, clothes, and other details.

The new lineup features more than 50 Little People.

66 THE TOY BOOK | MARCH/APRIL 2017 | toybook.com

3

»

Kidsview is bringing back Pillow People soft characters and soft mini versions. The Pillow People collection includes Sweet Dreams, Pillow Fighter, P.J. Sandman, and Rock-A-Bye Baby. Four additional Pillow People will be available in September, including Betty Bye, Hugga Bear, M.C. Dozer, and Big Footsteps.

The NBA licensed Corinthian Marketing to create a line of Headliners for the NBA, such as Dennis Rodman. The collection includes four different variations of his hair color in red, orange, green, and yellow.

4

»