May/June 2010

Vol. 26, No. 3

May/June 2010

A ST RA ’S M a r k e tp lac e

Licensing Show 2010

page S18

Licensing in Toys: A Major Force

L

icenses play an extraordinarily important role in the toy business. The NPD Group estimates that license-bearing toy products sold in the United States represented about one quarter of the total, or about $5.4 billion last year. In fact, since the majority of this business is concentrated among the top five licensors and the top four toy manufacturers, the impact on a company that gains or loses a top license is dramatic. continued on page 16

Also Inside: Chatting with Retailers

page S6 Spotlight on Science

page 35

page S10

Clockwise from top left: Lilliputiens’ Nicky Bath Game, Kids Preferred’s Eric Carle Caterpillar Wood Pull Toy, ThinkFun’s Solitaire Chess, Holdenone’s Zippies, Plan Toys’ Tower Tumbling set, Smart Gear’s Wonderworld Rocking Raffy, Thames & Kosmos’ Electronics Workshop 2

table of contents Published by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.®

May/June 2010

Volume 26, Number 3 www.toybook.com

Licensing in Toys: A Major Force

Features

P UBLISHER Jonathan Samet

jsamet@adventurepub.com

by Lutz Muller; Page 16

Toy Design Education

by Peter Wachtel

Licensing Show 2010

Cover; Page 30

Page 18

departments Publisher’s Viewpoint Page 6 Page 8

Section 337 Investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission: A Powerful Weapon Toy Companies Can Use to Block Unfair Imports

TIA Perspectives Page 34

What’s New Page 90

Raising the Bar Page 91

Industry Marketplace Page 92

Flashback: May/June 1991

Page 94

jbreyer@toybook.com

Elizabeth A. Reid

ereid@toybook.com C ONTRIBUTING W RITERS Lutz Muller, Peter Wachtel P RODUCTION D IRECTOR

Where Have All the Merchants Gone?

by Jim Meyer Page 88

Page 10 Page 12

C HIEF

Gary M. Hnath, Jim Meyer,

by Gary M. Hnath

Go Figure!

Industry Update

IN

Jackie Breyer

A SSISTANT E DITOR

Page 84

Stat Shot

E DITOR

Anthony K. Guardiola

aguardiola@adventurepub.com P RODUCTION A SSISTANT Yasmin Johnson

yjohnson@adventurepub.com

Specialty Toys & Gifts: Page 35

C ONTROLLER /O FFICE M ANAGER

Editor’ s Pa g e ASTRA ce P a s g a e S3 pl Negw Market 0 5 S e Pa 201 18 Chatting ge S

rforde@adventurepub.com

Pa

cklist e h C G ST& age S3 P

nter Media Ce 7 Page S4

with Retailers Page S6

A S T R A’s I n s ig h t s

essing a c o r P t aymen age Make P titive Advant Compe ge S48 Pa

Pa ge S 4

Scienc Page S 10

e

Internal Auditing: An Asset for Companies Small and Large Page S49

Robert Forde

U.S.A. Corporate Headquarters: Laurie Schacht, President laurieschacht@aol.com Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® 286 Fifth Ave., 3rd Floor New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 575-4510 Fax: (212) 575-4521 THE TOY BOOK (ISSN-0885-3991) is published bi-monthly

by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® Editorial and advertising offices are located at 286 Fifth Ave., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001, Phone (212) 575-4510. Periodicals Postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2010 Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. Subscription rates: $48 one year, foreign $200. The Toy Book is a trademark of Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® Registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Toy Book, c/o Adventure Publishing Group, PO Box 47703 Plymouth, MN 55447.

Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by editors, contributing writers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of the management of The Toy Book.

Publisher’s

Viewpoint

The Places to Be in June Jonathan Samet publisher

J

une is an important month for the toy industry, as it hosts two important trade shows. June 8-10 is the International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, which showcases many of the entertainment and corporate/brand properties that are currently available, or will be available for licensing in the near future. As outlined in our feature “Licensing in Toys—A Major Force,” which begins on page 16, licenses play an important role in the toy business, with The NPD Group estimating that license-bearing toys represented about 25 percent, or $5.4 billion last year. Herein lies significant potential for ALL toy manufacturers to take advantage of, as it not only provides them with a proprietary point of difference from their competition, but also built-in awareness with both retailers and consumers.

The article referenced above gives an overview and highlights some of the larger licensors and the toy manufacturers that often have the master toy licenses for their properties. It is important for all toy manufacturers to realize there are opportunities available to them, be it to carve out a noncompeting product category in these master toy deals, or to opt for many of the hundreds of other available properties.

And though these properties may not seem to be a “home run” out of the box, there are some nice “singles and doubles” out there to choose from. Besides, you never know where the next big hit will come from!

Following the article is a sampling of the properties being showcased at Licensing Show. Check out our sister publication, The Licensing Book, for more in-depth coverage.

If you don’t receive The Licensing Book, you should. Check out our digital version, as we have incorporated some cool features that are not found in our print version (email subscribe@adventurepub.com and request to receive the digital versions of both The Licensing Book and The Toy Book).

Another important trade show taking place this month is the ASTRA Marketplace and Academy, which will be held from June 13-17 in Providence, R.I. This year, we have sig-

6 • THE TOY BOOK

nificantly expanded our coverage of the specialty toy market.

This year’s show floor is sold out, and will host its largest number of exhibitors showcasing their products for the upcoming holiday season. There are also great seminars on relevant topics for the industry, along with wonderful networking and information sharing opportunities for all in attendance. I have attended the ASTRA show the past few years and I am amazed by the camaraderie taking place between the toy manufacturers and retailers.

In my conversations I am always excited to hear the positive comments from retailers I meet, telling me how they value receiving both The Toy Book and The Toy Report, and the valuable information that Jackie Breyer and her team provide. At the same time I am surprised to occasionally hear specialty toy manufacturers tell me they are not familiar with these publications or our consumer-directed programs, The Toy Insider and www.TheBigToyBook.com.

Therefore, the goal of this issue is to deliver on our message that we are “The Voice Reaching the Entire Toy Retail Trade,” as well as consumers. Our Specialty Toys & Gifts section (which is included in every issue of The Toy Book) begins on page 35 in this issue and covers the ASTRA show and a broad list of the manufacturers that are exhibiting at the show.

In addition to our ASTRA coverage, we also have a showcase on science toys (many of these manufacturers are also exhibiting at ASTRA), a Q&A with specialty retailers, as well as independent articles we feel you will find interesting and relevant (please email Jackie your feedback on these types of contributions for consideration in future issues).

Whether or not your schedule allows for attending these shows in either Las Vegas (bring some gambling money) or Providence (the Newport beaches are close by!) you certainly need to read this month’s issues (as well as our weekly enewsletters and daily blogs) to stay on top of all that is taking place within the toy and licensing industries.

■

MAY/JUNE 2010

S TAT S HOT TOP -S ELLING FAMILY E NTERTAINMENT T ITLES R ANKED RANK

BY T OTAL

A MAZON . COM

U.S. U NITS , O CTOBER 2008

TITLE

PLATFORM

T OP S ELLING T OYS A PRIL 20–M AY 20

PUBLISHER

1

ORIGINAL SILLY BANDZ ROCK BAND SHAPED

1

JUST DANCE

WII

UBISOFT

2

ZHU ZHU PETS*

NDS

ACTIVISION/BLIZZARD

2

INSECT LORE LIVE BUTTERFLY GARDEN

3

SCRIBBLENAUTS

NDS

WARNER BROS.

3

SILLY BANDZ BASIC SHAPES

4

WII PLAY WITH REMOTE

WII

NINTENDO

4

ORIGINAL SILLY BANDZ WESTERN SHAPED RUBBER

5

MARIO PARTY

NDS

NINTENDO

6

HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT

NDS

EA

5

BANANAGRAMS WORD GAME

7

BEJEWELED TWIST

NDS

POPCAP

6

SILLY BANDZ BASEBALL SHAPES - 24 PACK

8

DEAL OR NO DEAL

WII

ZOO DIGITAL

7

JUNIOR STOMP ROCKET KIT

9

FAMILY FEUD 2010

WII

UBISOFT

8

SILLY BANDZ DINOSAURS - 24 PACK

10

GUITAR HERO 5*

WII

ACTIVISION/BLIZZARD

9

STEP2 WATERWHEEL ACTIVITY PLAY TABLE

10

LEAPFROG LEARN & GROOVE MUSICAL TABLE

RUBBER BANDS SET

SILLY BANDS BRACELETS PKG OF 36

*Includes Collector’s, Limited, Legendary, Bundles (Guitars) Editions

Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service

Top 5 Licensed Properties 12 Months Ending March 2010 (alphabetical order)

Disney•Pixar’s Cars Disney Princess Dora the Explorer Star Wars Thomas & Friends

Licensed Toys Comprise a Larger Portion of Total Toy Sales Total U.S. toy industry sales for the 12 months ending March 2009 were $21.7 billion. 24.3 percent dollar share was licensed, 75.7 percent was not licensed.

Total U.S. toy industry sales for the 12 months ending March 2010 were $21.5 billion. 27.5 percent dollar share was licensed, 72.5 percent was not licensed.

“Licensed toys generally represent about a quarter of total industry sales. Our latest 12-month sales data shows that this has increased roughly 3 percentage points, speaking to the strength of some of the top licenses listed here.”

—Anita Frazier, industry analyst

Source: The NPD Group, Consumer Tracking Service

Five-Year Growth/Decline in Percent of Kids Who Use Each Device

Kids on the Go—Portability Is Key “It’s not only adults who take their gadgets with them as they run from place to place; kids do too. But we know kids are using their portable devices even when they’re home and more stationary devices are available to them. It could be that since portable devices are less shared among household members, kids desire them because they can be identified as being their ‘own’ device.”

—Anita Frazier, industry analyst Source: The NPD Group/Kids & Consumer Electronics 2010 Edition

8 • THE TOY BOOK

MAY/JUNE 2010

Go Figure!

by Nancy Zwiers

I

by Funosophy

Boys and Their (Movie) Toys

t’s a given that many kid-targeted theatrical releases will result in a cornucopia of licensed toy products. But do blockbuster ticket sales always translate to blockbuster toy sales? Funosophy asked 198 boys ages 5-10 to name their favorite movie-based toy. Read on to see what tops their lists.

“What is your favorite toy received in the past year, based on a movie?”

Top Theatrical Toys by Flick

Top Theatrical Toys by Type

By Age

In Summary Only 19 percent of kids surveyed indicated that they did not have a favorite toy based on a movie. It’s clear that movies can drive sales at retail. More noteworthy is that 10 percent of boys’ favorites were theatrically based construction toys, surpassing video games (a seemingly natural extension of movies) and vehicles. Although the movies were similar among younger and older boys, the appeal of action figures was higher with younger boys.

Nancy Zwiers is CEO of kids’ marketing firm Funosophy, Inc. For more information on this survey or to conduct your own survey, contact Nancy at (562) 436-5251 or nancy@funosophy.com.

10 • THE TOY BOOK

MAY/JUNE 2010

Industry Update FanTOYstic Trivia

by Sort It Out!

In honor of our science section (see Specialty Toys & Gifts’ page S10), sort these inventions for natural energy by when they were created. (1 for earliest, 5 for latest.)

watermill solar cell hydroelectric turbine windmill lightning conductor (rod) Sort it Out! is new from University Games, www.ugames.com, and was named “Game of the Year” by the Toy Industry Association. This trivia was used with permission from University Games Corporation. To purchase this game online, visit AreYouGame.com. Learn more about the game or solve more questions by visiting Sort it Out!’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SortItOut.game.

TCKL NAMES SENARIO

AS

GLOBAL MASTER TOY LICENSEE

Senario has been named the global master toy licensee for TCKL, Inc.’s line of Drip Drops plush and toy sets. Brokered by Firefly Brand Management, the agreement gives Senario exclusive rights to manufacture, market, and sell the full line of Drip Drops toys and learning materials, which will be available this fall.

Set in Tint Town, the Drip Drops know everything about color and strive to bring color to the world. They come to the rescue when there is “color trouble,” explaining how our vivid and vibrant world works. The Drip Drops will be featured in several books, cartoon entertainment, a broad range of toys, and online.

BANDAI

TO LAUNCH

POCOYO LINE THIS FALL

Bandai America, Inc. the master toy licensee for Pocoyo in the U.S. and Canada, is launching an extensive toy line for the animated series. The line will hit store shelves in North America this fall.

Bandai’s Pocoyo products will include a 10-inch basic plush of Pocoyo, Elly (the elephant), and Pato (the duck); Squeeze ’n Play plush of the characters; 2.5-inch bath figures; a bath water taxi; a six-inch miniplush assortment of Pocoyo, Elly, Pato, and Loula the dog; and Bump ’n Go, an electronic car that stops, turns, and moves backward.

Co-produced by Zinkia and ITV Studios Global Entertainment, Pocoyo airs on Nick Jr. in the U.S. The show has been broadcast in more than 100 territories worldwide.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment handles the worldwide distribution rights for Pocoyo, excluding Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Latin America, which are handled by Zinkia. Home entertainment rights for Pocoyo in the United States are handled exclusively by NCircle Entertainment.

Answer: 1. watermill (400 A.D., China) 2. windmill (700 A.D., Persia) 3. lightning conductor (1757, Benjamin Franklin) 4. solar cell (1839, Antoine Becquerel) 5. hydroelectric turbine (1870, Lester Pelton)

Get the latest toy industry news delivered straight to your inbox each week for free! Subscribe to The Toy Book’s Toy Report. Just send an email to subscribe@adventurepub.com. Add jbreyer@toybook.com to your address book to ensure delivery.

For up-to-the-minute news, follow The Toy Book on Twitter: twitter.com/ToyBook, and become a fan on Facebook: facebook.com/TheToyBook. Visit The Toy Book’s new blog at www.toybook.com.

12 • THE TOY BOOK

MAY/JUNE 2010

Industry Update REPORT: UK FIRST QUARTER TOY SALES RISE 11 PERCENT According to The NPD Group, traditional toy sales in the UK were up 11 percent in the first quarter of 2010 (January to March), totaling £241.5 million compared to the £218.3 million generated during the same time period in 2009.

While the growth can be partially attributed to an increase in price points, The NPD Group reported that UK consumers were also buying more traditional toys in the first quarter of this year than they were last year.

January, February, and March all experienced positive revenue growth, with respective increases of 3 percent, 14 percent, and 13 percent. Unit sales decreased 5 percent in January, but increased 3 percent and 7 percent in February and March, respectively.

For the whole period, unit sales increased 2 percent to 42.8 million units.

For traditional toys priced at £5 and less, price point increased an average of 4 percent.

For toys in the £10-£20 range, price points increased 8 percent, while toys in the £5-£10 and £20+ ranges saw respective price point increases of 16 percent and 15 percent.

The NPD Group reported that action figures & accessories, vehicles, and youth electronics declined at 10 percent, 5 percent, and 31 percent, respectively. The most significant increases were the building sets and plush categories, which saw respective increases of 65 percent and 77 percent.

According to The NPD Group, licensed toys represented 25 percent of total industry sales in Q1 2010, compared to 2009’s 31 percent. Top properties for the quarter (based on total revenue sales) included Ben 10, LEGO City, Star Wars, Thomas & Friends, and Transformers (in alphabetical order).

14 • THE TOY BOOK

TOYS “R” US FILES

FOR

IPO

Toys ”R” Us, Inc. has filed a preliminary registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. It is anticipated that the offering will consist of newly issued shares sold by Toys ”R” Us, Inc.; however, the number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering have not yet been determined. The company expects to use the net proceeds it receives from the proposed offering primarily to pay down certain existing indebtedness, and the remaining net proceeds, if any, for general corporate purposes.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan, BofA Merrill Lynch, and Credit Suisse are serving as joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters for this proposed offering. Deutsche Bank Securities, Citi, and Wells Fargo Securities are also acting as joint book-running managers.

SABAN ACQUIRES POWER RANGERS

FROM

DISNEY

Saban Capital Group, Inc. has acquired the Power Rangers property from The Walt Disney Company, marking the franchise as the first property to be managed by newly established Saban Brands. Saban Brands was formed as a subsidiary of Saban Capital Group to manage and license entertainment properties and consumer brands throughout the world.

The acquisition represents the return of the global franchise to its original developer, Haim Saban, who introduced the first Power Rangers series in 1993. The deal includes worldwide rights to the brand, as well as the more than 700 episodes produced over 17 years.

Saban has also signed a new, long-term master toy and video game license agreement with Bandai Namco Group, the toy partner for the Power Rangers property since its start.

Additionally, SCG Power Rangers, LLC—an affiliate of Saban Brands—has partnered with Nickelodeon to make the TV network the U.S. television platform for Power Rangers. Nicktoons and Nickelodeon will also air the upcoming 18th season of Power Rangers (premiering in 2011), which will feature 20 new episodes. Nicktoons will launch the catalog of 700 episodes later this year.

■

MAY/JUNE 2010

Licensing in Toys: A Major Force

by Lutz Muller

L

icenses play an extraordinarily important role in the toy business. The NPD Group estimates that license-bearing toy products sold in the United States represented about one quarter of the total, or about $5.4 billion last year. In fact, since the majority of this business is concentrated among the top five licensors and the top four toy manufacturers, the impact on a company that gains or loses a top license is dramatic.

The following are the five largest toy licensors.

1. DISNEY has a number of iconic characters and brands, including Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princesses, Toy Story, Disney Fairies, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Cars, etc. Disney typically works with Mattel and JAKKS Pacific, but has recently granted a license (Tron: Legacy) to Spin Master.

2. WARNER BROS. is the second most potent toy licensor, with brands such as Looney Tunes, DC Comics, Batman, Harry Potter, etc. They typically work with Mattel as their master toy licensee.

3. NICKELODEON owns SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora, Neopets, iCarly, Penguins of Madagascar, The Last Airbender, and Big Time Rush. Nickelodeon typically spreads their properties across a number of partners, including JAKKS Pacific, Hasbro (for games), Playmates Toys, and MEGA Brands.

4. MARVEL, acquired last year by Disney, is the owner of Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine, Thor, etc. In a deal made in June 2006, all of the 5,000 characters in the Marvel portfolio were included in an exclusive toy license granted to Hasbro. First limited to five years, the license was subsequently extended to 2017.

4. LUCASFILM has two outstanding properties: Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Both have Hasbro as the master toy licensee.

I thought it would be interesting to look at licenses from the perspective of the licensor, the licensee, the mass

16 • THE TOY BOOK

retailer and the small specialty store. The basic question was, “What are the core decision processes?”

From the perspective of the licensor: “There are many considerations. We look first and foremost for companies that make great product and are the best in their category. For example, we work with Mattel on dolls and vehicles, Fisher-Price in preschool, and Huffy in bikes. We also look for companies who are great marketers. It’s one thing to make a great product and another to be able to rise above the clutter to tell people about it. And we always look for companies that are passionate about our properties and want to do something true to the stories and characters we create. We want licensees who don’t have a formula and who want to bring what’s unique about the property to life.”

—Chris Heatherly, general manager and vice president of toys, Disney Consumer Products From the perspective of the licensee: “We look for properties that look unique and feature characters that inspire children. Platform and promotional weight behind the license are key considerations.

Ultimately we have to believe children universally will connect emotionally with the story and characters to the extent they will want to purchase elements of the property and bring it home.”

—Adam Beder, vice president, global licensing, Spin Master From the perspective of mass retail buyers (composite): We basically take licensed product that meets two criteria: it is from a leading licensor and it is sold by a leading vendor. We do this because we know that both parties know what the ground rules are—solid product, well-researched

MAY/JUNE 2010

packaging, good price points, strong promotional backing.

If a large vendor comes with an unknown license, we give him the benefit of the doubt because we assume that the vendor has done his homework before committing for the license in the first place. In cases where this is reversed—a small vendor has a prestigious license—we become much more cautious and want to see a lot of stuff before we take the product in—market research results, promotional plans, track record in other countries where applicable— and we may in fact restrict our commitment to a number of test stores rather than a nationwide roll-out. Lastly, the case where a small vendor comes with a marginal license.

This we treat as if it was not a license at all and the vendor has to go through all the hoops we usually apply to it. The first question we tend to ask is whether the licensed product has been sold by another mass retailer before and with what result. If the answer is negative, we typically tell the vendor to come back once he can satisfy this question.

—based on conversations with several national mass retail buyers From the perspective of the small toy retailer: First store: “Licensing of properties is a two-way street.

For every Toy Story you get three to four licenses that do not work. I feel the right toy with the right license will work every time. Most products that are licensed are slower sellers except for that one exciting item. It was not Walmart or any discount store that has hurt the toy business, but it’s tough when specialty suppliers sell to mass retailers at a lower price.”

Second store: “I opt to only go with a license that is also sold by the big guys such as Toys “R” Us or Walmart because then I know at least that it is not a dog. What I then do is to price it on the same level as Toys “R” Us even if I do not make any money on it, because I use it as a come-on in the hope that I also sell other items on which I then in fact make money.”

Third store: “I do not handle licensed products because they are too expensive and not a good value.”

In essence, it is the quest for competitive advantage that drives the licensing business and this is the reason why the relationship between the licensor and licensee is often fragile and subject to unexpected changes. This statement proved to be particularly true in the past two

MAY/JUNE 2010

years when there was a great deal of movement in the toy licensing space.

Hasbro won the licenses for Strawberry Shortcake, the Care Bears, and, perhaps the biggest gain, Sesame Street.

Though Mattel took a tough blow in losing Sesame Street, it won licenses for Avatar, Thomas & Friends (non-wood), and WWE (formerly licensed to JAKKS Pacific, which has TNA Wresting, as well as UFC for figures and play sets).

MEGA Brands was also granted a license for Thomas & Friends, and has revolutionary plans up its sleeves for some amazing play sets.

It is a truism that no company can hope to advance to the top tier unless they land some top-rate licenses or make a massive acquisition. After Mattel ($6 billion sales), Hasbro ($4 billion) and LEGO ($2 billion), Spin Master, with its estimated $850 million, is rapidly on the rise. They are now at a point where they will most likely need to incorporate a combination of acquisitions and licensing deals to grow into and stay at the next level. The company has obtained toy licenses from three first-rate licensors: DreamWorks, Disney, and Nickelodeon. Spin Master also made an exclusive deal with Walmart U.S. for How to Train Your Dragon, which makes this retailer effectively Spin Master’s partner in developing the property in the U.S. This is demonstrated by the length to which Walmart goes to promote the product: posters at the entrances, a big Viking ship in the main aisle, an end cap and two sidekicks for the product, plus inclusion in their TV ads and their in-store TV promotions. With these kinds of partnerships, Spin Master is in the running for some considerably more potent licenses next year.

As the toy industry continues to prove, great licensing partnerships mean a lot to a manufacturer’s bottom line.

But as the toy industry has been known to demonstrate, no licensing relationship is ever carved in stone. The good news is there’s always another hot license right around the bend. It’s just a matter of signing on for the right deals. ■ Since 2002, Lutz Muller has provided competitive intelligence on the toy and video game market both in the U.S. and internationally to manufacturers and financial institutions. He gets his information from his retailer panels, from big-box buyers both in the U.S. and abroad, and his many friends in the industry. Read more on his website at www.klosterstrading.com

THE TOY BOOK •

17

Licensing Show 2010

P

Brand Freaks/Busy Life

erplexus, the original 3-D labyrinth game, is the focus of a new licensing program from Brand Freaks, a full-service brand consultancy. Perplexus is a bendy, curvy, can’tput-it-down game that challenges the brain in three dimensions. With plenty of twists, turns, and barriers between start and finish, it will leave you perplexed and wanting more.

The game is marketed by PlaSmart under license from Busy Life, LLC. Brand Freaks is in negotiations for key categories. Licensees are urged to focus on the game play and sculptural/aesthetic aspects of the product. Licensed products are expected to launch throughout 2011.

Disney Consumer Products

D

isney Consumer Products will focus on a breadth of licensing initiatives that are poised to deliver incremental growth to propel core franchises Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Disney•Pixar’s Cars, and Toy Story, while fueling emerging strategic properties including The Muppets, Phineas & Ferb, and Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

Disney•Pixar’s Cars 2 will hit theaters in summer 2011, and in spring 2011, Disney will release a new Winnie the Pooh Phineas and Ferb film that will depict the Hundred Acre Wood and its lovable characters as A.A. Milne did in the original books. The merchandise program will focus on infant and toddler products and a campaign appealing to moms.

Phineas and Ferb airs on Disney XD and Disney Channels in more than 135 countries and in 26 languages around the world. In summer 2011, Disney will release the first Disney Channel Original Movie based on the series, titled Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension, which will open up new licensing and retail opportunities.

18 • THE TOY BOOK

T

Marvel Entertainment

here will be a licensing and merchandising campaign to support Marvel Studios’ upcoming theatrical slate: Iron Man 2, followed by Thor and The First Avenger: Captain America in 2011, and The Avengers in 2012. Marvel is positioning Avengers Assemble as an umbrella theme that will provide licensees and retailers the opportunity to develop integrated, long-term consumer products programs based on the individual films and the overall story arc. Partners already on board include Hasbro as master toy licensee, Crayola for arts and activity, and Maisto for die-cast toy vehicles.

Marvel is also developing a multi-media and merchandising campaign for Super Hero Squad. Hasbro is the master licensee for the brand. A direct-to-video animated feature is in development for 2010, and other licensing deals include Disguise/Cesar for dress-up, MEGA Bloks for construction toys, THQ for video games, Elmer’s Products for arts and activity, and Bendon Publishing and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for publishing programs. Gazillion Entertainment is developing a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) based on the franchise, which is scheduled to launch in the fall.

MAY/JUNE 2010

Licensing Show 2010 Universal Partnerships & Licensing

U

niversal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L) offers a slate of entertainment properties available for both licensing and promotional partnerships. UP&L will showcase several key 2011 film properties, including Cowboys & Aliens, a DreamWorks Studios and Universal Pictures co-production based on the graphic novel and directed by Jon Favreau; Hop, the second film for Universal from Chris Meledandri’s Illumination Entertainment and starring Russell Brand and James Marsden; and Fast Five, with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker returning to star.

UP&L will continue to offer opportunities around properties including Curious George, and will be featuring opportunities around the studio’s 100th anniversary in 2012. On the promotions side of the business, Universal will focus on several key properties, including the 2012 release of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax from Illumination Entertainment and the first two films in development through the studio’s Hasbro partnership, Battleship and Stretch Armstrong.

S

T

Hasbro

he Entertainment and Licensing division of Hasbro will showcase its portfolio of toy and game brands across all major licensing categories, including apparel, publishing, and back-to-school, creating even more immersive brand experiences for the consumer.

Expansive programs are in place supporting Hasbro’s toy properties, including Nerf, Tonka, Transformers, Littlest Pet Shop, My Little Pony, and Playskool. Hasbro also has plans for extensions of its top-selling Hasbro Game brands such as Monopoly, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

Skechers Entertainment

uperheroes or Supermutants? Whatever you call them, three ordinary teens are changed forever when a freak accident exposes them to a mysterious green compound, endowing them with extraordinary powers in the new comedy-action/adventure series Zevo-3, the first animated children’s series from Skechers Entertainment production in association with Moonscoop. What originated as a comic book franchise has evolved into a 2-D animated series with 3-D CGI effects. Already pre-sold in the U.S., the series is set to debut this fall on Nicktoons.

In a city divided between old and new, order and chaos, and truth and lies, three young heroes are given powers they never asked for, and are caught in a conflict that started decades before. With their DNA changed in an instant by the Zevo compound, Jason (Z-Strap), Ellie (Elastika), and Matt (Kewl Breeze) discover that their superhero status has its ups and downs. With those powers come some very grown-up responsibilities, such as battling the evil villain Stankfoot, whose army of genetically altered freaks and monsters threatens their city, their lives, and their world.

Established in 2009, Skechers Entertainment creates and markets programming for children of all ages across a wide range of platforms Zevo-3 including television and DVD.

20 • THE TOY BOOK

MAY/JUNE 2010

Licensing Show 2010

N

Nickelodeon Consumer Products

ickelodeon Consumer Products (NCP) offers a strong portfolio based on entertainment brands for preschoolers, kids, and tweens. Nickelodeon has built a diverse global business from television programming to consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. This summer will see the release of M. Night Shyamalan’s epic movie adventure The Last Airbender. NCP will look to extend the brand’s presence across all retail channels with movie-branded products timed to the release of the Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures’ feature film. Spin Master is the global master toy licensee and THQ is the global interactive games partner.

2010 marks the 10th anniversary of Dora the Explorer. The Latina heroine kicked off her anniversary with a new pro-social campaign titled “Beyond the Backpack,” which champions overall school readiness for preschoolers. NCP is celebrating Dora with a toy and licensing program from Fisher-Price, Mattel, Hasbro, and MEGA Brands, and publishing from Wiley, Random House, Bendon, and more.

NCP will also continue to enhance merchandising programs for network favorites including SpongeBob SquarePants and iCarly and newcomers Big Time Rush and Team UmiZoomi.

Hidden City Entertainment

H

idden City Entertainment, Inc. announces the expansion of the Bella Sara toy line from JAKKS Pacific. Key items in the spring lineup include the Bella Sara Magical Horse collection, complete with secret codes for additional play at BellaSara.com. Each code unlocks adventure games and allows girls to discover the magical online world of North of North. The secret codes found in the JAKKS single horse toys contain exclusive adventures that cannot be found in any other Bella Sara products.

To complete the fun, girls can play with their Magical Horse figures with the Bella’s Ball Playset.

Bella Sara has also announced a new Italian marketing partner, MagicMarket Twenty Five S.r.l. (MagicMarket).

MagicMarket will launch Bella Sara’s Moonfairies collectible card series in June. Bella Sara also has a longstanding relationship with Giochi Preziosi, the master toy licensee for Bella Sara within Europe.

22 • THE TOY BOOK

4

4Kids Entertainment

Kids Entertainment and 4sight licensing solutions celebrate the 10th anniversary of Yu-GiOh! in three different years, reflecting the property’s original launch date geographically. Asia marks this milestone in 2010, North America will do so in 2011, and Europe and Australia in 2012.

The Dinosaur King animated series was launched in September on TheCW4Kids TV block and has been a key driver for the brand.

There are trading cards from Upper Deck, video games from SEGA, DVDs from Shout! Factory, and toys from Playmates.

Karito Kids and its parent company, KidsGive, look to expand into new categories through a worldwide licensing program. Each purchase empowers kids to make a charitable donation online via Plan International. The Quints line of quintuplet baby dolls debuted in 1990. 4Kids Entertainment seeks a global master toy licensee to produce the 21st century version of these quintessential kids.

MAY/JUNE 2010

Nelvana Enterprises

B

abar gets a 21st century update in the new CGI series, Babar and the Adventures of Badou, which introduces a cast of new characters. Confirmed broadcasters include TF1 in France, YTV in Canada, and Disney Channel in Japan, Spain, and Italy.

The latest season of Bakugan, Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders, follows Dan and his friends as they are drawn into a conflict between two alien factions. The Bakugan toy line from Spin Master continues to dominate the toy aisles, along with products licensed by Nelvana and Cartoon Network Enterprises, including interactive titles from Activision and a robust publishing program from Scholastic and Random House, Beyblade is back with Beyblade: Metal Fusion, offering a fresh take on the original Beyblade series with new characters competing for dominance with their spinning Beyblade tops. The series from Nelvana and d-rights, Inc. is set to air on Cartoon Network in the U.S., YTV in Canada, and Nicktoons in the UK. The new toy line features an innovative metal gear system and an online virtual battle component. Since its re-launch in Japan in 2008 by Tomy Company, Ltd., more than 17 million tops and accessories have been sold. Hasbro, Inc. has been appointed the master toy licensee for the new line in most international markets outside of Asia, with toys set to be on shelves this spring in Canada and this fall in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Scandinavia.

MAY/JUNE 2010

A

Mars Retail Group

t the end of May, Mars Retail Group (MRG) unveiled new items and retail programs for its M&M’S brand. From Advanced Graphics are cardboard standups and Wall Jammer wallclings that feature the M&M’S characters participating in winter activities such as snowboarding.

Brands Unlimited will offer several back-to-school displays at retail featuring the M&M’S characters on branded electronic products including flash drives, nightlights, lamps, walkie-talkies, and clock radios.

Made from repurposed, misprinted candy wrappers bound for the landfill, new “upcycled” handbags from Ecoist feature the M&M’S characters in fun ways.

Scented candles from Star Brite Illuminations reflect the personalities of the M&M’S brand characters with aromas such as twisted citrus, milk chocolate, and red hot apple cinnamon.

A division of Mars, Inc., MRG partners with more than 60 licensees to develop a wide range of products representing Mars candy brands, including M&M’S, Skittles, Snickers, and Starburst.

C

CBS Consumer Products

BS Consumer Products offers a television library of more than 180 shows. Following the blockbuster reboot of the Star Trek film franchise, CBS will look to extend its presence across all retail channels with movie, classic, and branded products targeting new fans and collectors timed to the follow-up installment slated for summer 2012. Television City will honor the 50th anniversary of classic TV series The Andy Griffith Show and upcoming anniversary campaigns for I Love Lucy and Mighty Mouse.

Among primetime series, look for new merchandising categories for NCIS, CSI, 90210, America’s Next Top Model, and more.

THE TOY BOOK •

23

Licensing Show 2010

I

MGA Entertainment

n celebration of the 10th anniversary milestone of Bratz, MGA Entertainment is poised to launch a new edition of Bratz fashion dolls. Slated for release in August, the girls in the Bratz pack— Cloe, Yasmin, Sasha, and Jade—are back, sporting a fresh new look featuring updated faces, bodies, and fashions. The new dolls will also feature 14 points of full articulation.

“We will continue the celebration with a mix of new products not only in this milestone year, but well into the next decade and beyond,” says Isaac Larian, CEO. MGA has expanded the Bratz brand beyond toys into room décor, electronics, stationery, sporting goods, publishing, games and puzzles, accessories, and more.

B

BBC Worldwide

BC Worldwide has developed a comprehensive licensing campaign for In the Night Garden, produced by Ragdoll Productions. BBC Worldwide has rolled out a full merchandising program to support the brand on a global level, with more than 70 licensees signed across all major categories. Hasbro is the global master toy partner. A live show is rolling out in the UK with plans to tour international markets.

The BBC has brought all of its natural history content together under one brand, BBC Earth. Included under this umbrella brand are Planet Earth, Life, and the upcoming event series Human Planet and Frozen Planet. Planet Earth Live is set to tour the U.S. this summer with composer and conductor George Fenton leading a live orchestra.

BBC Worldwide holds the global distribution rights for 3rd & Bird!, which is produced by Little Airplane Productions.

3rd & Bird! will premiere in the U.S. on Playhouse Disney in early 2011. Fisher-Price is the master toy licensee for 3rd & Bird! with global rights (excluding Asia).

Doctor Who has premiered a brand new season, opening up fresh opportunities for merchandise globally. Toy licens-

24 • THE TOY BOOK

ee Character Options continues to lead the range, supported by a roster of UK manufacturers.

Charlie and Lola, produced by Tiger Aspect Productions and distributed by BBC Worldwide, is based on the books by Lauren Child. The series features a collage animation style, is encapsulated in a range of licensed products, and airs daily in the U.S. on Playhouse Disney.

Top Gear’s format has been sold to History for a U.S. version being produced by BBC Worldwide Productions, which will air in addition to the UK version already on BBC America.

BBC Worldwide holds global rights to Teletubbies, produced by Ragdoll Productions, and has licensed consumer products since the property’s launch more than a decade ago. In Europe, Tomy is the master toy licensee for the brand and continues to roll out a range of products across multiple toy categories.

Tronji is a multimedia experience for 6 to 8 year olds incorporating a CG animated TV series, a website, and a 3-D massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). The BBC, BBC Worldwide, and Ragdoll have collaborated with online games specialist Nice Tech to develop a fully immersive 3-D world.

MAY/JUNE 2010

Licensing Show 2010

D

Discovery Communications/The Joester Loria Group

iscovery Communications is looking to expand its licensing program in 2010. A new rendition of the beloved childhood tradition, Animal Planet Cahooties are made of pre-folded, rip-resistant laminated paper with bold, colorful photographs from Animal Planet. In addition to traditional basic plush and plush bundled with an Animal Planet DVD, Jay at Play is collaborating with top factories and inventors to develop plush with innovative features and technologies unique to the Animal Planet brand. The spring 2010 launch, offering both domestic and wildlife animals, will feature electronic movement and authentic animal sounds. Discovery Communications and I Can Do That! Games are creating a game based on the Discovery Channel series MythBusters.

Baby Genius’ products feature music as a core learning tool, engaging and encouraging children to communicate, connect, discover, and express themselves. Baby Genius is celebrating 10 years of children’s entertainment. There are new toys and a new DVD launching this year, and an interactive website targeted to moms and kids.

Pinkalicious is a young girl who loves the color pink, and is especially fond of pink cupcakes. Ceaco will launch a Pinkalicious puzzle line that will include 24to 100-piece puzzles. Fundex will launch Pinkalicious games at mass retailers, specialty chains, bookstores, and drugstores this fall, and Madame Alexander Pinkalicious dolls are available at department and specialty retailers. the MythBusters, hard at work

W

Warner Bros. Consumer Products

arner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) is haunted town. Scooby and the gang will also star in Scoobybringing new content to a licensing staple with Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, a new, live-action/CG The Looney Tunes Show, a brand-new, half- movie. Curse of the Lake Monster finds the Mystery Inc. gang hour animated series on Cartoon Network that stars Bugs heading toward summer jobs at a country club owned by and Daffy living in a normal human world in the suburbs— Daphne’s uncle, only to stumble onto strange happenings a world where humans freely interact around the local lake, including mystiBugs Bunny and Daffy Duck with talking rabbits, ducks, pigs, cal moonstones, creepy characters, and gophers, monsters, and a Martian. a Frog Monster on the loose. The feature The Harry Potter franchise remains will premiere on Cartoon Network this a cornerstone property, with The fall and will be released on DVD through Wizarding World of Harry Potter openWarner Home Video in early 2011. ing in June at Universal Orlando Classic characters will remain a Resort and the seventh and final film, linchpin for WBCP. Licensees are continHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: uing to support The Wizard of Oz, Baby Part 1 hitting theaters this November.

Looney Tunes, Tweety, Tom and Jerry, Part 2 will be out in 2011. and other revered Hanna-Barbera characters. Yogi Bear will Scooby-Doo has a new animated television series, be coming to the big screen this December.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Inc. The series delivers a mix of comeAnother film on the way from WBCP is Cats & Dogs: dy, mystery, and adventure, bringing together Scooby-Doo Revenge of Kitty Galore, premiering July 30. This film feaand his four buddies who call themselves Mystery Inc., tures the continued story of the battle between cats and along with the scary mysteries they face in their seriously dogs for control of Earth.

26 • THE TOY BOOK

MAY/JUNE 2010

Licensing Show 2010 Sesame Workshop

S

esame Street, and specifically Abby Cadabby, continues to be Sesame Workshop’s key property. Abby, who joined the Sesame Street gang in 2006, serves as a great role model for young children. Best friend to Elmo, Abby is all about problem solving and embodies the wonderment of a 3 year old. Fans will find new toys, DVDs, apparel, and books. Abby now has her own CGI segment called “Abby’s Flying Fairy School” on Sesame Street, and appears regularly at Sesame Place (Sesame Street’s theme park) and Sesame Street Live. Abby is also spreading her fairy wings and flying to Australia with Elmo for Christmas in July. The pair will help promote the 40th anniversary and make special appearances in Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast.

Paramount Licensing

P

aramount Licensing handles licensing rights worldwide for the properties of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies, and DW Studios, LLC. Upcoming family films currently being licensed include Rango, due out March 18, 2011, which is about a pet chameleon who goes on an adventure to discover his true self. The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, due out December 23, 2011, is the first of a two-part 3-D motion capture film series directed by Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson, respectively.

In the second of its series of collectible fashion dolls from licensee Jun Planning, fans of Audrey Hepburn films will be able to purchase the Sabrina doll, based on the romantic comedy, Sabrina. The doll comes with two outfits from the film—the floor-length white gown with matching elbow-length gloves, and a bright red taffeta sleeveless dress with full skirt. The doll is 12 inches high and comes with a doll stand, and will be available at specialty and doll stores this spring.

28 • THE TOY BOOK

Big Idea Entertainment

B

ig Idea Entertainment, a member of the Classic Media family, is a faith-based studio and a producer of children’s and family programming, characters, and brands.

This year, Big Idea Entertainment celebrates 17 years of its faith-based preschool series, VeggieTales. VeggieTales is launching new products in several categories, such as candy (Frankford Candy & Chocolate), gift and plush lines (Enesco/Gund/Gregg Gift), seasonal baskets and gift sets (Sherwood Brands), and ball, bounce, and sport products (Hedstom). These licensees join premium VeggieTales partners including ScrollMotion (digital books), Carpets For Kids (area rugs), Kidlandia (personalized maps), Find It Games (games), Trace Designs (wall murals), and more, in addition to its current roster of partners, which includes Bendon Publishing (coloring and activity books).

MAY/JUNE 2010

The Voice Reaching Both Trade and Consumers

CONTACT: JONATHAN SAMET ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP 286 5TH AVENUE, 3RD FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10001 TEL: 212-575-4510 FAX: 212-575-4521 WWW.ADVENTUREPUB.COM

Toy Design Education “Clearly the designer of toys is an artist, a creator with a special turn of mind, a streak of fantasy preserved from childhood which most of us have lost.”

by Peter Wachtel, aka “KID Toyology”

What is Toy Design Education?

Toy design education is thinking about “how to think about” designing a toy. How do you do this? Start by becoming a kid again. Take your imagination, and your skills as a designer, and combine them. Today’s toy designer needs to know all the mazes and turns a toy takes to reach the market. What are the latest trends, safety concerns, colors, market, as well as manufacturing and cost analysis? Today, manufacturers need designers that can handle anything on a task. Learn how to draw, render, draft, and build. Develop a way to communicate your idea. Combine thoughts to create new ideas. Look for future trends and things that could be what people will want. Toy companies need these kinds of people, as well as teams that can search out and learn new things to better the bottom line.

So how do you do this? Go to trade shows, and study and draw and learn new computer programs in your free time. See what is new, take classes, teach, and write about toys. Follow groups, blogs, and web pages online about toys, design, and future trends.

Learn with imagination; whatever is around you is worthy of exploration. Play with every toy imaginable (you would be amazed what you can learn). Think and imagine your idea as big as it can be, and then engineer it back down to Earth. It is the idea that counts. Toys help children to become themselves and to unlock their own special uniqueness, teach them ways of manipulation in life, and show them options and possible solutions to problems. You can do this as well. I tell my designers to “have the imagination, desire, and love for what you are doing, make it part of your life, and become a child at heart.” If you love what you are doing, the skills, experi-

30 • THE TOY BOOK

ence, and wisdom will come.

“Learn how to learn, and re-teach yourself.” Sometimes it is helpful to act like a child in order to understand the creativity and play value in things. Ask yourself these questions when designing and making toys: What, When, Where, Who, Why, and How do children play with toys?

Wachtel’s Designs

What is needed in today’s/tomorrow’s designer?

Designers today need skills, knowledge, a playful and inventive attitude, child psychology, and philosophy. Be all that you can be, and everything is worthy of experimentation. Take a look at the path a toy travels from the idea to the shelves. Learn to think, create ideas, sketch, draw, render, sell, market, build, and produce it all with a playful attitude. These are skills you can take with you anywhere.

You need an expandable brain. Basically, you learn what you do in school, but take that building block and combine it with what you learn in the workplace and in life. Your skills have to develop and grow as the industry does. There is no more resting on your laurels. Companies will ask, “What have you done lately?” Grow as you learn and seek out new applications, people, ways of doing things, net-

MAY/JUNE 2010

working, etc. The world is a lot smaller than you think, and there are a lot of resources for the taking.

Toys of the present will soon be toys of the past. We can learn from the toys of today and take that knowledge into the future with us. Observe children playing in schoolyards, playgrounds, and classrooms. Spend time in toy stores, and take trips to museums, art galleries, hobby shows, antique shops, and libraries. Children find that skills are learned, and creativity is experienced. The creativity of a child is almost equal to the brainpower of an astrophysicist, in my opinion. The future of toys is pressing towards the combination of the past, present, and future, and toys are a “starter kit for life.” So keep those pencils burning, and the Illustrator & Photoshop twirling.

Many of us (at one time or another) have asked, “What happened to the good old days?” It is not any different in the toy industry. Ten or 15 years ago there were more than triple the number of toy companies there are today. The big four still stand: Mattel, Hasbro, JAKKS, and Spin Master, and on some accounts, they have merged with the smaller companies. What has changed? Everything. The economy, technology, and the internet, as well as people’s lives. However, the need for good, creative, fun, affordable, and reliable toys is still here.

Here are some attributes of a toy designer/inventor:

Mark Trageser developed this matrix while teaching in the Otis College of Art & Design’s Toy program.

What can we teach designers, students, and interns for careers and skills that will last?

Diversity—I cannot emphasize this enough. The more you know, the better you are. Teach them to draw, think, build, brainstorm, manufacture, have retail awareness, study trends and marketing, etc. Show them the journey a

32 • THE TOY BOOK

toy has to take, and these skills will last them a lifetime.

Show them the triumphs and the failures of toys, from what worked to what didn’t, and why. With that you can design and take calculated risks when designing.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Take what you know and expand upon it. I know plenty of designers who wonder why it is so hard to find a job.

It’s because there are a lot of designers. If you are a designer, branch out. Become familiar with marketing, sales, and manufacturing. Perfect your drawing, rendering, drafting, and modeling skills. You will grow both as a designer and as a person.

Your skills will only take you so far; the rest is up to your experience and your will to do more. Even if you are 10 years in as a designer, salesperson, marketing person, etc., you can always learn more.

Technology, the internet, and today’s fast-paced lifestyles have given us the need for more sophisticated toys that really challenge our imaginations, skills, and knowledge. Toys have become more than just a fun thing to pass the time.

They are a way to learn and grow and experience life. In the past a toy would take up to two years to take to market.

Now, toys are conceived, designed, manufactured, and distributed in as little as six months. Toy designing has changed in terms of safety, style, play value, manufactur-

MAY/JUNE 2010

ing, retail distribution, cost, and brand awareness. The designer must think like a kid and an adult at the same time.

Today’s designers have evolved as well. They now must not only be designers, but also educators, marketing people, and Wachtel’s Designs sales people—all-in-one design machines. All of these skills are needed when we design, invent, market, sell, teach, and write about toys; we are jacks of all trades and masters of even more. Toys have become a way of life and not just a profession for us. We as designers are here to inspire, entertain, and innovate the world. Everything that is around you is wor-

thy of exploration and use.

Our kids and our future depend on it.

■

Peter Wachtel, aka “KID Toyology,” is an award-winning creative toy and entertainment designer, inventor, and teacher.

He has designed more than 500 products for the toy, entertainment, and design education industries, many of which can be found at www.KidToyology.com. Wachtel was recently the chair/academic director and design instructor at Ai Hollywood for Graphic & Industrial Design, and has taught Toy Design at Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, and Otis College of Art & Design.

Toy Industry Association Perspectives

Craft & Hobby Association and TIA Partner to Highlight Toys, Games, and Fun at Summer Show

by Kimberly Carcone, director, trade show marketing

A

special section for toys, games, puzzles, models, and other kid-focused entertainment items will debut at the 2010 Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Summer Convention & Trade Show being held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center in Rosemont, Ill., this July.

The three-day event, which begins July 27, will include the first-ever Toy Industry Association (TIA)-sponsored pavilion for toys and other youth entertainment products.

Previous Craft & Hobby Show buyer-attendees have expressed interest in seeing more toys, games, puzzles, models, creative activity kits, and science and discovery sets at the summer show.

The latest in an ongoing series of joint initiatives between the two associations, this tradefocused collaboration provides increased opportunity for both organizations to better serve their buyer and seller communities in the critical weeks and months leading up to back-to-school and holiday shopping.

“Buyer surveys conducted by TIA following our own goto-market events indicate that retailers place orders well into the third quarter in time for fourth quarter sales,” says Marian Bossard, TIA vice president of meetings and events.

“This new pavilion satisfies that third quarter need for toy buyers and additionally, provides a timely and cost-effective opportunity for craft and hobby retailers to add a broader selection of youth products to their inventory.”

The near-Chicago location has widespread appeal to both East and West Coast retailers, as well as easy access for foreign attendees. Show organizers expect more than 3,000 craft and hobby store buyers from 49 states and more than 25 countries. Past attendees have included represen-

34 • THE TOY BOOK

tatives of A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc.; Archivers; Michaels Stores, Inc.; Tall Mouse Arts & Crafts; Big Lots/Consolidated Stores; Beverly Fabrics; Walmart; Dick Blick Art Material; Jo-Ann Stores, Inc.; Mary Maxim, Inc.; Stampology Chicago; Overstock.com; and Alin Party Supply.

Nearly all retailers attending CHA shows report that they attend primarily to see new products and supplies; 76 percent place orders and purchase products seen at the show.

CHA is also organizing a conference program designed to help attendees build new skills, increase their knowledge of business trends, and network with other members through hands-on workshops, business-focused seminars, demo-nars (sessions that combine the practical application of workshops with the business-oriented focus of a seminar), and special events.

“The educational content presented in conjunction with the CHA Summer Convention and Trade Show provides a high value not only for CHA members, but also for the toy, game, and puzzle marketers in the TIA pavilion, the independent retailers that attend the show, and business executives from both the buyer and seller communities,” says Steve Berger, president, Craft and Hobby Association. “Our industries already share a united voice on several important issues… it makes perfect sense to extend our partnership in the areas of education and market development.”

The TIA Pavilion will feature manufacturers and distributors from American International Toy Fair and Fall Toy Preview. To learn more about exhibiting, contact a TIA account executive at info@toyassociation.org, or (212) 675-1141.

■

MAY/JUNE 2010

MAY/JUNE 2010

T HE D EFINITIVE I NFORMATION S OURCE

FOR THE

T OY

AND

G IF T M ERCHANT

Doing Our Best to Serve You Better The Toy Book and Specialty Toys & Gifts have always aimed to provide readers with information on the latest trends, new products, industry news, and tips to run your business more efficiently. In this issue, we have broadly expanded our coverage of the specialty marketplace. Our coverage of products that will be exhibited at ASTRA’s Marketplace and Academy begins on page S18. Here we have highlighted just some of the items you should check out if you are attending the convention.

I often chat with specialty retailers in order to keep tabs on the latest trends and the hottest-selling products. Below you will find just a few of the top-selling items in the specialty marketplace, according to you, our readers.

Turn to page S6 to find a Q&A with several retailers from around the country. We talked about what they are doing in their stores to promote customer loyalty, how they prepare for the fourth quarter, and what strategies they use to make sure their product mix is full of items their customers are looking for, among other things. (If you’d like to join my panel, or have any suggestions for future coverage, please email me at jbreyer@toybook.com).

In addition to reading our bi-monthly publication, be sure to read our weekly Toy Report. This e-newsletter can be sent directly to your inbox

each week, for free. Send an email to subscribe@adventurepub.com to request it. If you’d like to check out what you’ve missed the past few weeks (or months—where have you been?), visit www.toybook.com. In addition to back issues of The Toy Book and The Toy Report, you’ll find our blog, which is updated daily with the latest toy news. Be sure to check it regularly.

Hope to see you in Providence! ●

ON

THE

COVER: SITTING ON MOM, HE MAY

HIS RUMP, TAIL CURLED AND

REACHING FOR OUT!

THIS BABY DRAGON

Jackie Breyer, editor in chief

LOOK HARMLESS, BUT WATCH

PUPPET, FROM

FOLKMANIS,

IS A

FIERCE CREATURE IN TRAINING.

ANIMATE HIS ARMS AND MOUTH AND HE’LL LIGHT FIRES IN YOUR HEART. FASHIONED IN SCALY TEXTURED FABRIC WITH SATINY WINGS, THE BABY DRAGON PUPPET MEASURES 12 INCHES TALL.

The ST&G Checklist Presented here are some of the hottest items in the specialty marketplace.

BANANAGRAMS Bananagrams

OGOSPORT DISKS OgoSport

HEXBUG NANO Innovation First

RUBBER BAND BRACELETS Assorted Manufacturers

LIVE BUTTERFLY GARDEN Insect Lore

SMENCILS Educational Insights

MAGFORMERS Rainbow Products

STOMP ROCKET D&L Co.

MAY/JUNE 2010

S3

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

ASTRA Insights

Steady on the Tiller Focusing on Business Essentials for the Rest of 2010

by Kathleen McHugh, president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA)

K

eep a hand steady on the tiller. It’s the advice any old salt worth his salt would give you if you were navigating through rough waters. As the first half of 2010 comes to a close, and the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) celebrates its record-breaking Marketplace & Academy (in the historic New England seaport of Providence, R.I.), perhaps “steady on the tiller” is the most important message we can send to independent toy retailers.

The economy has begun to show signs of mercy, but this is no time for complacency. The decisions retailers make between now and the end of the all-important fourth quarter need to be categorized as either “nice to do” or “absolutely necessary,” which hasn’t changed. This is the kind of business environment that requires intensive focus. “Steady on the tiller” means that you ask the tough questions all the way through 2010: • If I spend my time and money on this, will it increase my profits this year? Will it position me to be more profitable next year?

• My time and money resources for investing in business-building activities are tight (or even close to non-existent), but can I afford not to pump up my public relations program, or engage in other growth strategies?

• We’ve always done it this way, but is this the smartest way to do it in 2010?

As specialty toy retailers look ahead to maximize 2010 profits, here are four key priorities ASTRA recommends all small toy retailers keep in sight: 1. Tend to your store’s public relations program. Short on dollars to invest in marketing? Then invest your time in getting the free stuff. Whether you call it public relations or earned media, the point is that you can’t put a price on the value of positive media coverage, speeches you make about kids and play at PTA meetings, and attaching your store’s name to the issues parents care deeply about.

Since so many families are focusing on the basics and on getting a

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

S4

great value for their dollar, this is a great time to tell the story about the importance of old-fashioned, self-directed play in today’s highpressure world. Show that if a toy can last through hours of play and several children, it’s a fantastic buy. Get to know your local reporters, and make sure they know you are the best expert in town on toys and play.

2. Work together and get those creative juices flowing.

Don’t lie awake at night worrying about meeting payroll––instead, lie awake dreaming up new ways to work with other independent retailers in your area who sell to families with children just like you do. Think about ways you can share costs with other businesses (perhaps split the cost of a bookkeeper or consolidate printing orders). Think about ways you can cross-promote to your customers (coupons, flyers, or postering in each other’s stores). It’s time to create fresh alliances and explore new business practices that might not have seemed worth the time during more robust years, but may be central to survival now. Retailers can get ideas from the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) at www.amiba.net.

3. Check out ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids list and program. This program, offered free to ASTRA retailers, has been designed as a turn-key effort for store owners who are already stretched to the limit.

Whether or not the toys are your personal favorites, they tend to be good sellers. You will get many useful tools for promoting them in your store and in your locale. Behind the scenes, ASTRA will be reinforcing your work through national social media programs.

The end of June will be one quarter closer to better times, and the great news is that you and your independent store have survived.

Most likely, your business will be different in some ways, and maybe even better positioned for tough competition ahead. Make sure you get the payoff from all your hard work and sleepless nights.

Keep that hand steady on the tiller and make the success of this year’s fourth quarter a matter of smart, cutting-edge strategy, rather than a matter of luck. ●

MAY/JUNE 2010

NEWS GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS PRODUCTS

ON THE

WAY

Carson-Dellosa Publishing, LLC has inked a licensing agreement with Guinness World Records to manufacture a new line of Guinness World Records-themed educational products.

The first products to be created under the new deal include CenterSolutions Creative Writing Card Sets, Guinness World Records Reading books, and Guinness World Records Math books. The entire line of products will be distributed throughout North America.

ICON HEROES

TO

PRODUCE THUNDERCATS STATUES, FIGURES

Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) has partnered with Icon Heroes to create collectible products inspired by the 1980s animated series, Thundercats. Under the new deal, Icon Heroes will manufacture a line of six-inch and under-scale statues, vehicle replicas, environments, and dioramas inspired by the television series. The statues will be branded as “Staction Figures” (Static Action Figures), and will be non-articulated, standing on top of a detailed environment base.

Each Staction Figure will be scaled so that they can be displayed individually or alongside other six-inch action figures and statues. The first Staction Figures scheduled for release are Lion-O, Jackal Man, and Jaga. ●

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GIDDY GANDER PARTNERS FOR

THE WUMBLERS

The Giddy Gander Company has partnered with Skywriter Media and Entertainment Group to distribute The Wumblers internationally across broadcast, digital, and new media platforms. The preschool television series is produced in 2-D, and aimed at kids ages 2 to 6. The 25 x 11-minute series is currently available in English and Spanish.

The Wumblers features Bertrum, a 5-year-old Wumbler, and his best pal Raimundo, a Spanishspeaking snail, as they grow and learn how to make the world a better place for everyone. The Wumblers is also available as an educational DVD series.

Skywriter will also work closely with The Giddy Gander Company in building its merchandising portfolio as the show builds awareness globally.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

Chatting with Retailers Specialty Toys & Gifts spoke with retailers from around the country to get their take on what types of products they’re looking for, how they prepare for Q4, and what they do to stand out against the competition.

Steven Aarons president Barstons Child’s Play Washington, DC Arlington, VA Rockville, MD Baltimore, MD

Linda Hays owner Hopscotch Toys McMinnville, OR

Sharon DiMinico founder & CEO Learning Express more than 140 locations in 26 states

Michael Ziegenhagen owner Playmatters Pepper Pike, OH Cleveland, OH Solon, OH Mentor, OH

Phil Wrzesinski president & owner Toy House and Baby Too Jackson, MI

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

How do you prepare for the fourth quarter to ensure that you will be well-stocked with the toys gift givers will be looking for?

Wrzesinski: We measure, measure, measure.

We track sales and inventory monthly to see what is hot, look for trends, and keep our stock levels where they need to be. We use shows like ASTRA Marketplace to strengthen our relationships with our vendors so that we have strong communication back and forth about what is selling, what isn’t, and what might be in short supply come fall. We listen to our customers, too. Often they find a toy we might have missed, or find a benefit of a toy we overlooked. We also try to buy early.

Knowing that many vendors run out as we get closer to Christmas, we try to stock the store well in advance.

Ziegenhagan: While it is very important to prepare for fourth quarter business with product selections and early ordering, it is also very important to remain flexible until the latest possible moment. Quick response is one of the competitive strengths that independent specialty toys retailers enjoy. Flexibility and quick turnarounds contribute to our success.

Hays: I rely on my numbers from last year combined with a gut feeling about the innovative nature of the products, and the reputation of the company that is offering them. Will they fulfill? When? How? Is the item so cool it is worth having it in quantity in August just to make sure that I have it?

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Aarons: On products that we think will be key items, we place multiple orders early in the season to avoid any unexpected supply issues. We try to think of price point/niche and compare to previous hot sellers to anticipate demand.

DiMinico: The Learning Express family shares information on a daily basis. With more than 140 stores constantly communicating hot products and trends, we don’t miss anything. Even the fads that begin locally or regionally are on the radar screen as potential nationwide bestsellers. The dialogue that takes place year-round often determines which products will appear in our fourth quarter publications.

How do you merchandise and determine your product mix to keep customers coming back throughout the year?

Hays: I just want to always have what the kids want, and what I enjoy. I’m particularly fond of anything that creates a sense of dynamism in the store. If people are excited about it, or if having a demo of it makes coming to the shop more fun, then it’s a good choice. I also make sure the collectible lines stay fresh, and listen to the people on the East Coast who see the trends two years before we do out here in the west.

Aarons: We try as much as possible to pick and choose the best from specialty and mass companies. We focus on both breadth and

MAY/JUNE 2010

depth, but most importantly, we focus on staff training and development. Nothing encourages clients to come back like a great customer service experience.

DiMinico: Updating the product mix is a continual and essential process. We frequently evaluate inventory and run category analysis reports to discover how specific sections of the store are performing. Merchandising certainly helps keep the store fresh and relevant to the customer, and also communicates the key marketing message of the hour. A constantly evolving product mix coupled with consistent and exceptional customer service will keep customers coming back again and again.

Ziegenhagan: New, innovative, and different are critical to keep customers coming back from year to year. I do an annual review with my managers to choose which vendors and products are to be retired from our assortments.

We actively replenish them with our best qualified choices for the new year. There is no more powerful word in retail than “new!”

Additionally, we re-merchandise Playmatters stores so the presentation is constantly changing—not so much as to disorient customers— but enough to keep our look constantly fresh and engaging.

Wrzesinski: We focus on having minimum levels of product throughout the year. First, we make absolutely sure we are in stock on the must-haves—the products customers come in asking for by name. Second, we look for new and fresh items and highlight those as soon as they come in with end cap displays and other merchandising. These two steps give the store the appearance of being fresh and in-stock and give our customers the reassurance that we are staying current and will have what they want.

MAY/JUNE 2010

Then we fill in around the new stuff and musthaves with other tried-and-true product lines.

What strategies do you utilize to react to and restock hot-selling product?

Ziegenhagan: While computer reports can provide us with all the information we need, I feel that there is no better strategy for inventory management than “management by walking around.” A buyer needs to be on the selling floor with the staff to hear about the customer response and product movement.

Ordering can be rapidly adjusted with this type of front-line information.

Wrzesinski: Every toy we sell is evaluated by the same criteria: Is it interactive? Does it actively involve the child in the play? Is it open-ended? Does it have many different ways with which it can be played? Is it creative? Does it inspire a child to use his or her imagination? A toy needs to fit that criteria for us to carry it.

If something comes along that is a hot commodity but doesn’t meet those criteria, we know it won’t have staying power and usually stay away. But if a hot toy comes along with those characteristics, we’ll stock deeper than usual, and order earlier than usual. One such example is LEGO. I now get my fourth quarter order shipped to me in August because the fill rates are much higher than in September or October.

Aarons: A good POS system is critical. We run “Hot” reports and try to stock an extra 30day supply of those products so we don’t run out if we encounter slow shipment on a particular item.

DiMinico: Learning Express has several avenues of communication for owners to

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share product knowledge, sales information, and product availability updates. Good information leads to good decisions, so our strategy from a corporate standpoint is to encourage that dialogue.

Hays: This is one of those East Coast questions. We are pretty even keel here in the west.

Yes, the kids buy Webkinz, yes they pick up the Japanese erasers, Bakugan, Silly Bandz, squishies, whatever, but they aren’t crazy for anything. I stock the hot items just like I stock the other items in my store. When it looks like I’m running low, I place an order. I listen to my reps about potential shortages and order in advance for some of those items, but there is no sense of frenzy.

What strategies do you implement to maintain customer loyalty?

Aarons: Customer service, in the broadest sense. We recognize that we will never be the lowest-priced store. We make sure our staff is very well trained, not just on toys but on a multitude of child-centered resources in our community. We see ourselves as a “concierge” for most needs related to kids.

Need help with that science project to build a cell? We can help. A child with motor delays?

We can recommend fun activities to supplement occupational therapy. Need to talk about whether your child is old enough for a video game system? We’ve seen it all and can offer advice. Oh yes, and we sell video games, computer games, and other toys that we have vetted for violence, mature content, etc., so our customers stay with us until their kids are well into middle school.

DiMinico: First and foremost is customer service. We have several marketing programs and a rich calendar of events that fill an essential

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

Chatting with Retailers niche. Again, we think that communication and getting the brand message out there is key. Our stores send full-color catalogs with coupons, emails highlighting seasonal product, and updates via our blog, Facebook, and Twitter, to their core customers to announce the arrival of new and hot products.

ity to build customer loyalty is based on our everyday actions to ensure an outstanding product selection, and by offering customer experience that always exceeds expectations.

Ultimately, the quality of the customer’s experience is tied to the energy, knowledge, and professionalism of the Playmatters staff.

Wrzesinski: Over-the-top incredible customer service. Friendliness, helpfulness, and genuine caring for our customers and their families.

Offering an experience not found in the big chain stores—one of excitement, amazement, and most importantly, trust. Because of our criteria for selecting the toys we sell, our customers trust that we’ll only have quality offerings. Because of the knowledge each staff member possesses, our customers trust that we’ll give them good advice. Because of the deep caring our staff shows, our customers trust that we have their needs as our top priority. We are not in the toy business as much as we are in the smile business. Our job is to make our customers smile.

2009 saw a trend toward lower price points.

Was that a successful strategy for your store?

Do you anticipate this trend to continue for 2010?

Hays: Build relationships, nurture relationships, let them know I love them and appreciate them. One of the speakers at ASTRA a couple of years back said “When a customer takes time to go to a specialty store, they are not there to buy a thing, they are there to invest in you.” They are buying the relationship and what that means to their definition of themselves. I do the birthday bins, the newsletters, the Facebook, and the customer rewards cards.

I fill special orders, I remember names, I donate to every child-related fundraiser in the county, and I say thank you a hundred times a day. I love them. They love me back.

Hays: My store is in a blue collar town. I have always been conscientious about having a broad array of price points. I did move more of the lower priced items. The budget for a gift visibly shifted from $20-$25 to $10-$15. I do expect this trend to continue even as the economy improves. People are not interested in overspending anymore. They are much more budget oriented.

Ziegenhagan: Customer loyalty can be likened to the proverbial “wave upon the sand.” It vanishes as quickly as it appears. Playmatters’ abil-

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

DiMinico: We definitely saw success in lowerpriced items in 2009. Some of our strongest items last year were under $10; Smencils, Japanese erasers, and Zoomania pencil toppers were all great sellers. The consumer-driven trend is continuing thus far in 2010 with the addition of rubber band bracelets into the mix.

We are focusing on lowering the average retail in our advertising publications but as the economy continues to recover we anticipate that there is room for a few higher price points.

Ziegenhagan: While in the deep doldrums of 2009’s economy we may have felt that lower price points would be a strategy for survival/success, the consumer ultimately opened his wallet to spend for 2009 holiday purchases at normal price points. For 2010, while we do not anticipate a large business for large ticket items ($100 & up), we are not actively replac-

S8

ing moderately priced items with lower priced items.

Wrzesinski: Although we saw a decrease in sales in our top price points, it was the middle tiers, not the lowest prices that made the most significant gains. The lower price points remained relatively the same. So I think the trend is not strictly towards lower prices but towards better value. We are evaluating the value in every item a little more closely than before. And we believe value will continue to be a guiding factor in all purchases. Have we stayed away from some premium-priced items? Yes, but not all of them. If the perceived worth of the product equals the price, we’ll still bring it in.

Aarons: We watch our prices very closely. We carry some mass-market product, so we are mindful of the competition. In our bread and butter business, birthday party presents, we haven’t seen a precipitous drop in price points.

I think consumers will continue to be priceconscious for some time. We strive for making sure that the toys we sell are a good value and have lasting playability.

What industry and product trends are you noticing for this year?

Wrzesinski: There was more innovation at Toy Fair this year than in previous years. We are seeing a lot of vendors reach out into areas where they’ve never been before, but not just with “me-too” products. It has been a few years since we were this excited about the new offerings. We’re bringing new products in because they put imagination and open-ended play at the forefront, and customers are appreciating this. The biggest trend is customers looking for new ways to inspire their children. One such company was Little Little Little Toy Company with the Happyland products by ELC.

MAY/JUNE 2010

Ziegenhagan: We have observed a decrease in new product development from existing vendors, and fewer entrepreneurs are entering our market with new toy concepts. Many vendors have scaled back the size of their product offering by reducing SKUs. Additionally, many vendors regrettably choose to cross the line into massmarket sales, and therefore compromise the performance of their brands in independent retailers.

With the exception of shaped rubber bands, there have been no runaway bestsellers this year to create a revenue stream for toy retailers.

Aarons: We try to plan inventory levels such that we are ready for re-orders in June and can take full advantage of the promotions that many vendors offer at the ASTRA Marketplace. We review show specials ahead of the show (they are posted on the ASTRA website) and I travel to the show with inventories/orders for any vendors that will be showing at the Marketplace. The ASTRA show is a great opportunity to view mid-year introductions and helps us plan out our product mix for the fourth quarter.

Hays: Certainly lower price points on new releases. The expenses to the manufacturers have gone up so many of the core items are more expensive than they were a few years ago, but the new introductions are generally conservatively priced. There seems to be a heavier use of licenses even among my vendors who haven’t traditionally used licenses. I’m sure that can be attributed to the predictable sell through of licensed products here in the states.

Hays: I begin planning for ASTRA marketplace at Toy Fair in February. I keep a list of items that I want to order for fourth quarter and plan on doing that at ASTRA. I try to get the majority of my ordering done at these two shows so that my time at home can be spent on my store and my customers. I know it’s exactly what my business needs at that time of the year, so I can’t afford to talk myself out of it because of other things that might come up.

This year I have the same objectives as I have in past years. First is to get my orders in wherever possible. My reasons for doing this at ASTRA are twofold. One, I’m a girl who needs a hard deadline. Two, I think it is really important to thank the manufacturers that support us by giving them some hard numbers that they can bank on. I’m not a big player; it is only by joining with other businesses that have the same objectives that I do that I can have a voice at all. ASTRA gives me that strength in numbers. The manufacturers that support ASTRA support me, but they can’t afford to do it if there are no returns for them.

My second objective is to learn. I have only been in the toy business for seven years.

ASTRA gives me the opportunity to pick the brains of toy store owners who have been doing it for 40 years. It also gives me the opportunity to learn from and develop relation-

Aarons: Due to the internet (and especially YouTube), items can take off a lot quicker than ever before. We’ve had a number of new vendors over the past year that have one product that has taken off due to internet exposure.

DiMinico: Rubber band bracelets are the hottest trend right now, but there are many other collectible, inexpensive impulse products that are continuing to grow in popularity. If you look at the sales, these items won’t add up to the business we saw in the Beanie Baby or Webkinz years, but if you look at the number of units sold the rubber bands have already surpassed anything we’ve ever seen before.

How do you plan for ASTRA’s Marketplace?

What do you hope to accomplish at this year’s show?

MAY/JUNE 2010

S9

ships with my manufacturers. Then of course there are the speakers and the break out sessions, and the forums, and game night.

Learning every minute.

My third objective is to touch in with friends I only get to see a couple of times a year.

Ziegenhagan: ASTRA Marketplace is the launching point for the fourth quarter. Toy Fair may get the gears in motion, but ASTRA Marketplace takes us to our cruising speed for the year. It is a chance to meet with key vendors in a friendly and highly interactive environment. Here, I can follow up on the leads I have received from other ASTRA members of promising new vendors and items. It is the place where I become familiar with the items that will be appearing in our holiday catalog. By the end of Marketplace, I am 90 percent final on my product selection for the fourth quarter.

Wrzesinski: My main goals for ASTRA’s Marketplace are twofold. First, I hope to learn at least one new thing I can implement in my store to make me more efficient, more profitable, or more marketable. The speakers and keynotes are of great importance for this, and the roundtable discussions and networking with other store owners is absolutely priceless.

Second, as far as product goes, I hope to get to know my current vendors better. Toy Fair is so big with so much to see in a short time that I often don’t get to spend the necessary time with some of my smaller vendors. ASTRA Marketplace gives me that opportunity so that we can develop our relationship better. Yes, we look for new vendors, and often pick up a bunch of new lines at Marketplace, but that is because we have the time to get to know these vendors and their products better. ●

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

Spotlight on

Scienc e

From excavation to hydraulic science to fiber optics, science toys are simplifying complex concepts for future doctors, engineers, archeologists, environmentalists, astronomers, and more.

GIDDYUP introduces a brand new Mythbusters activity kit, MythBusters Science of Sports. Kids will determine the truth behind some well-known urban legends about sports. It might seem that the outcome in sports comes down to which team has the most luck or which athlete has the most talent, but science plays a major role as well—you couldn’t score a goal, hit a home run, or throw a touchdown without it.

The Scholastic-branded 50x/150x Refractor Telescope with Tripod, by KIDS STATION TOYS, is built to last and folds up for easy storage. Kids can use the telescope to study the stars and sky.

With EASTCOLIGHT’s Hydraulic Science kits, kids can learn about the basics of hydraulics and how they work.

Users build a complete set, observe various 3-D movements, and learn about the science behind this type of fluid mechanics. The sets in the series include Bulldozer, Excavator, Crane, Fire Engine, Robot Arm, and Woodloader.

Author Jim Becker helps kids understand the power of light with the SMARTLAB Fiber Optics Lab. Fiber optics may seem like supercomplicated technology, but the basics are simple. In the kit, kids can build 10 high-tech electronics projects such as a burglar alarm, an electronic rooster, and a flexible flashlight. The lab includes preassembled transmitter and receiver workbenches, three optical fiber rods and a connector, hookup wires, two LED couplers, and activity cards.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

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MAY/JUNE 2010

Science

Kids can make an environmentally friendly fondue with a self-made parabolic solar cooker, constructed by using the Solar Cooking Science kit by THAMES & KOSMOS. The science kit includes 14 interlocking foil pieces that reflect and focus the sun’s radiation on a small cooking container. Young scientists can use the kit to learn about solar thermal energy.

The Professor Noggin’s series of card games, by OUTSET MEDIA, encourages kids to learn interesting facts about their favorite subjects. Each card in the game features a trivia, true or false, and multiple choice question. A three-numbered die is included with the cards to create interaction and promote communication between players. Easy and hard levels keep kids interested and challenged. Among others, the series includes Wonders of Science, Earth Science, Famous Inventions, and Human Body.

Bombs away! The Bath Bomb Factory, from the Wild Science line by INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS, includes six activities and experiments to create floating bath bombs, soapy volcanoes, crackling balloons, and more. The kit teaches kids, ages 10 and older, about carbon dioxide and acid and base reactions, for fizzy fun at bath time.

The Hand Book by Pat Murphy, published by KLUTZ, gives readers the scoop on the handiest part of the body. The book includes a life-sized skeleton hand made of poptogether plastic parts. The 18 hands-on activities teach kids about the human hand and how it works, encouraging them to explore the science of their bodies and bones.

Kids will go mad about science with LEARNING RESOURCE’s Primary Science Set, which features real tools. Sized for little hands, this colorful set includes beakers, a magnifying glass, a funnel, test tubes with stands, goggles, and more—all made of durable plastic. Also included in the 12piece set is an activity guide and cards explaining easy-to-do experiments.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

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MAY/JUNE 2010

Science Get a 360-degree view of growing plants, from the roots up. The Hydroponics Lab, by EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS, reveals the magic of plant roots. The set includes three growing tubes as a mess-free way to explore hydroponics. The transparent seed baskets allow users to watch the seedlings grow from the top and bottom, while the water in the shatterproof plastic tubes creates an amazing, magnified view of the roots.

Kids can discover how compressed water works as potential energy in PERISPHERE AND TRYLON’s Water-Powered Vehicles. The kit includes plans to create 13 water-powered vehicle configurations. The vehicles can be built with self-contained propulsion systems for indoors, or can be propelled by water jets for playing outside. The company also introduces kits featuring windpowered machines, solar-powered vehicles, electric vehicles, and electric constructions.

The Big Bag of Science, by BE AMAZING! TOYS, is a giant kit designed to whet the appetites of budding young scientists by allowing them to set up their own science lab. The kit includes more than 70 unique, fun, and hands-on science activities, such as making water disappear, having liquid flow uphill, creating a 30-foot soda geyser, balancing six nails on the head of one nail, and more. Experiments cover three areas of science (physical, earth, and life), as well as activities in chemistry, physics, magnetism, weather, biology, geology, and flight. The included zipper bag can be reused to store all of the kit’s components when it’s time to put the lab away.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

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In Magic School Bus Back in Time with the Dinosaurs, Ms. Frizzle and her students take young scientists back in time with the dinosaurs through multiple experiments. The kit, by THE YOUNG SCIENTISTS CLUB, includes everything kids need for activities such as creating a timeline, designing a diorama, building a wooden dinosaur replica, making cast and mold fossils, molding clay dinosaur teeth, simulating a dino dig, folding 3-D dinosaurs, and more.

MAY/JUNE 2010

Science The skeleton of an extinct T-Rex has been discovered, and it’s up to players to remove each bone from the dig site. With UNCLE MILTON’s T-Rexcavator, little archeologists can learn fascinating facts about dinosaurs as they excavate. But watch out! Don’t touch the sides of the pit or the T-Rex will roar and you’ll lose a turn. Collect the most bones to win.

The Lunar Projecting Alarm Clock, from WILD CREATIONS, allows kids to create their own moon landing on their bedroom ceiling. The telescope and lunar projecting clock, from the UK’s National History Museum, illuminates a moon on any surface.

The clock is also programmed to ensure that the projected moon image is always in sync with the phases of the actual moon. The telescope includes an LCD clock, alarm buzzer, projector, and tripod.

The 4M Solar Rover, by TOYSMITH, can stimulate a kid’s interest in green science by allowing them to build a solar rover. The vehicle is constructed with the included parts and an old soda can, and is run on energy from sunlight. Detailed instructions are included.

The World Almanac for Kids Puzzler Deck: Ocean Science, for ages 5-7, published by CHRONICLE BOOKS, is a trivia deck consisting of 75 fun and educational brainteasers about oceanography. The deck is written by Christine Economos, writer and educator at the American Museum of Natural History, and author of the company’s World Almanac for Kids Puzzler Deck: Dinosaur Science.

Hydro-Dome, DUNECRAFT, by makes it easy and fun to grow plants hydroponically. The dome is designed after popular bubbler systems. Kids can grow plants in rock-wool in net pots, and use the special rack to suspend the plant in the air at the perfect height for maximum nutrition and aeration. This complete kit comes with a greenhouse with hydroponic tray, two-part nutrient, net pots, rock-wool, seeds, hydro-pump for aeration, and instructions.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

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MAY/JUNE 2010

ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 NEAT-OH! ZIPS

AND

RACES

NEAT OH! INTERNATIONAL, LLC expands its ZipBin line of play mats and sets that double as storage bins.

The LEGO Racers ZipBin Tool Box & Playmat is shaped like a toolbox and zips down into a play mat and racing surface. When kids zip down two of the sides, they can attach the included ramp for racing fun.

The LEGO City Fire ZipBin Toy Box and Playmat is an eye-catching storage bin featuring a firefighter battling blazes with a water hose, and transforms into a play mat and area for LEGO creations.

The artwork is to size with all LEGO tracks, and when it’s time to pack up kids can simply zip up the sides of the toy box and pop on the top.

When zipped, the ZipBin Princess PlayPack Doll House is a backpack fit for a princess. When unzipped, the drawbridge doors open and the bag converts to a secured palace for a precious doll. The castle includes a kitchen, a bedroom, and a pool that is accessible from the second story slide.

LEGO Racers ZipBin Tool Box & Playmat

BRIARPATCH SAYS WORRRD UP! WordGirl is one of BRIARPATCH’s latest licenses, and the company is introducing new games and puzzles based on the PBS Kids superhero.

In the Scholastic-branded WordGirl Worrrd Up! Game, players help WordGirl build a Word Tower to rescue the city from Dr. Two-Brains.

The game helps kids develop strategic thinking and problem solving; enhance vocabulary, definitions, and spelling; and promotes cooperative and competitive play. The company also premieres the WordGirl Colossal Gazette Card Game and the WordGirl 100-Piece Puzzle Assortment.

Madeline fans can join her in a race through Paris as she hunts for Genevieve’s lost pups in the Madeline in Paris Game. The game requires no reading, so preschoolers can join in the fun. The game helps develop simple decision-making skills, promotes memory and matching ability, and encourages social skills including sharing, taking turns, winning, and losing.

The United States Postal Service’s Love stamps are often recognized as the most popular group of stamps ever made.

Briarpatch allows users to relive happy times and romantic occasions with the Love in the Air 500-Piece Puzzle, featuring the unique imagery from the popular stamps.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

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MAY/JUNE 2010

ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 DRAW, LEARN,

AND SCRATCH WITH SCRATCH-ART

SCRATCH-ART CO., INC. expands its collection of Draw & Learn Stickers. With the Scratch Magic product, kids create their own stickers by scratching the pages with the included stylus. After the scratching is done, the magic happens and colorful, sparkling sea critters, rainforest animals, arctic creatures, or outer space objects appear. Each package includes 10 rainbow black stickers and 10 scratch & sparkle stickers in assorted sizes and shapes, a wood drawing stylus, instructions, and a fun facts guide to learn more about the fascinating subjects.

New stickers include Sea Life, Rainforest, Arctic, and Outer Space.

Kids can travel the world and design a jet-setting wardrobe with Scratch Magic Scratchin’ Fashion Dress-Up Stickers. Kids learn about the cool places and then create fabulous looks by mixing and matching tops and bottoms, and then adding sparkling accessories to complete the look. New kits include USA, Italy, England, and France, a Pre-packed Display Assortment, and a Fashion Deluxe Set.

HAYWIRE ROCKS OUT In Rock Stars, by HAYWIRE GROUP, players circle the game board gathering fans, acquiring equipment, answering music trivia, and completing physical challenges, aiming to become a rock star. After the winner is crowned, he or she takes center stage to perform a sing-along with the included CD and microphone.

Are you a Ninja Recruit or a Ninja Master? In Number Ninjas, players move around the ancient Japanese game board, visiting four different areas to win a token in each area.

Based on skill level, a player will use either the Recruit’s dice (two numbered dice and one die with a plus and minus), or the Master’s dice (two numbered dice and one die with plus, minus, and multiplication functions).

To win the token, players must answer a question. The first player to gather all four Ninja tokens and reach the Golden Dragon in the center of the board is the winner.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

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ELENCO DISTRIBUTES ENGINO ELENCO ELECTRONICS, INC. is now distributing the Engino line of educational construction toys. Engino is a line of 3-D construction toys for children and adults. The toys comprise a system of rods and connectors that allow users to connect the parts in up to three directions to build six different sides simultaneously. The parts can also connect in fixed angles, including right angle triangles.

Constructing the toys can improve hand-eye coordination and the perception of 3-D space. Additionally, sets can be combined to create larger models. The creative play of the products enhances Elenco’s philosophy of “Learn By Doing” and complements Elenco’s Snap Circuits Series of electronic building toys.

Engino 80 Models Engineering Set

MAY/JUNE 2010

ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 IT’S TIME

TO

EAT

WITH

HABA

HABA expands its pretend play products with healthy food and a delicious snack. Kids can shop just like Mommy and Daddy with the company’s new Shopping Cart. Featuring a sleek and sturdy design, double-wheels, a fabric basket, and cutout holes for a favorite toy, there’s plenty of room for groceries. Food such as Fish, a fabric toy with a playful plastic skeleton inside the skin; the Vegetable Set, which includes carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and a radish in a net bag; the Fruit Set, featuring apples, pears, strawberries, and plums in a net bag; and Assorted Wafer Cookies are sold separately.

The phrase “as soft as a baby’s bottom” may change to “as soft as Pure-Nature Cotti” after HABA premieres its Pure-Nature Cotti organic plush line. The eco-friendly toys are made from Öko-Tex certified polyester, making the products washable.

Shopping Cart

THAMES & KOSMOS REVS ENGINES WITH THE SUN THAMES & KOSMOS’ Stirling Engine uses simple, clean, and efficient energy. The engine in the kit uses renewable energy from the sun to drive a generator, which charges the rechargeable battery to power an electric car. The kit includes the charging station with a beta type Stirling engine, the electric car, and a 64-page manual.

Electronics Workshop 2 is an advanced science kit designed for children ages 12 years and older, or adult hobbyists with an interest in circuitry, constructing electronic devices, and investigating the digital world. The kit starts with lessons in simple series and parallel circuits and then moves on to complicated circuits using diodes and LEDs. A 172-page experiment manual guides the user through more than 300 circuits.

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MANHATTAN TOY ROCKS WITH FRAGGLES MANHATTAN TOY expands its recently launched Fraggle Rock Forever Collection with Fraggle Rock Spocket. Sprocket is the intelligent sheepdog owned by Doc, the inventor of Fraggle Rock, and spends much of his time in Doc’s Workshop observing him at work. Sprocket is very communicative and frequently Sprocket talks to Doc by barking, giving facial expressions, or pointing to objects in a form of charades.

He often helps with household chores, including repairs on the water pipes.

Kids can send marbles down a swirly, spirally path with Quadrilla Twist & Rail Set. The set consists of 99 wooden pieces, including curved rails, straight rails, and a big twist.

Fifty marbles and a cloth bag for storage are included in the set.

The Buggybu Stack-a-Bug is a large and colorful stacker.

The toy features vivid colors, various fabrics, soft plush pieces, and a sturdy wooden base. The Buggybu Collection features infant toys with high-contrast knit fabrics and wood accents.

MAY/JUNE 2010

An essential ingredient to every toybox, every childhood, every generation.

See more puppets at www.folkmanis.com 0r call 1-800-654-8922 for a free color catalog.

Visit us at major gift and toy shows.

ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 CLOUD B MONKEYS AROUND Mimicking Monkey will be the latest addition to CLOUD B’s Twilight Turtle & Friends Collection. The monkey uses a unique dual track voiceover option that allows users to record a personal message along with the included three unique sounds.

(Prototype Image)

LOVE BUGS ARE

IN THE

AIR

AT

HOSUNG

The Garden Love Bug Stroller Toy Set, by HOSUNG, is an enchanting bug collection that will stimulate children’s imagination and keep them entertained while on the go. Bailey The Bee has crinkly wings and dangling legs, Lola the Lady Bug has a mirror on her belly, and each has a chime inside that makes music as they bounce. The set includes straps to attach to a car seat or stroller. The love bugs are made from certified organic cotton and colored with the company’s all-natural PureWaterWash process, which uses only plants and minerals.

Hosung has partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) for a new eco-friendly collection. The My Natural Jane Goodall Wild Animal Collection was created with the Garden Love Bug Stroller Toy Set thought that “people, animals, and the environment are all connected.” The line of plush toys depicts animals from various habitats across the globe. The toys are made from untreated, unprocessed, and unbleached cotton and colored with plants and minerals. A part of the proceeds from each toy will go to JGI, founded by primatologist Jane Goodall.

Available are the Jane Goodall Lion and the Jane Goodall Hippo, among others.

GIDDY UP CREATES

WITH

FUZZY NOODLES

GIDDY UP introduces a new line of soft construction toys, called Fuzzoodles.

Fuzzoodles combine colorful, bendable, fuzzy noodles with the soft tactile feel of plush.

To create the colorful characters, kids mix and match the noodles and then add interchangeable toy pieces such as hands, feet, and googly eyes, or accessories such as sunglasses and a purse. With the product, children can design bracelets, decorate pens and headphones, or build and share their furry friends with one another. Plus, all of the pieces are reusable for continuous fun.

Fuzzoodles are available in themed small kits, large kits, or a big box.

Fuzzoodles Themed Small Kits include color-coordinated noodles (two 18-inch Fuzzoodle Noodles and four nine-inch noodles), themed Fuzzoodle pieces, and an instruction booklet. Fuzzoodles Large Kits contain six 18-inch Fuzzoodle Noodles, four nine-inch noodles, and an instruction booklet. The Fuzzoodles Big Box comes complete with 12 18-inch Fuzzoodle Noodles, 10 nine-inch noodles, and more than 25 Fuzzoodle parts.

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PRESSMAN TURNS KIDS

INTO

CODEBREAKERS

It’s codemaker versus codebreaker in PRESSMAN TOY’s Mastermind Animal Towers. In Mastermind, players try to solve their opponent’s code in fewer turns than it takes their opponent to solve their own code. In this vertical version designed for kids, players secretly stack their animals into a tower. By asking yes or no questions each player skillfully tries to get inside his or her opponent’s mind. The first player to break the code wins.

In Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cheese Touch Game, kids play along with their favorite characters from Jeff Kinney’s book series. Players move their game pieces—including Greg, Rowley, Fregley, and Manny—around the game board to face different challenges and see how well they know one another.

But beware, wrong answers can get players stuck with the moldy cheese that was found on the basketball court. The first player to reach the finish space, without having the Cheese Touch, wins the game.

MINDWARE DEBUTS A DIZZY DOMINO GAME

ASTRA GETS UGLY PRETTY UGLY debuts new Uglydoll plush characters for 2010, including Picksey. An inter-dimensional being, Picksey can be in many places at the same time. That explains why people see several Pickseys at the store. But, despite his ability, Picksey seems to be stressed out pretty much all the time. “What if I’m too early? Too late? What if my other self from another dimension forgets to leave a tip and everyone thinks I’m the stingy one?” As you can see, Picksey has a lot on his mind and needs help keeping his cool at times. This can usually be achieved through hugs, kisses, and contributions to his chocolate bar fund.

Other new plush include Pointy Max, Mynus, Ninja Batty Shogun, Ket, Wippy, Nandy Bear, and Cozymonster.

Pretty Ugly has also signed new partnerships for Uglydoll products.

Schylling is producing a line of tin truck pencil holders and coin banks, wind-up robots, alarm clocks, and a tin keepsake lunch box, while Abrams is releasing a 2011 locker calendar and a wall calendar.

Dizios, by MINDWARE, is a game of dominos, but instead of matching dots, players match colors and edges. To begin, all tiles are turned upside down and each player draws four from the pile.

Players take turns selecting a tile from their hand, attempting to match one side to an open edge of the starter tile. If successful, the player draws again, always keeping four tiles in his or her hand. If a player is unable to play, he loses his turn and tries again on the next round.

In Dizios, points are earned according to tiles you play next to, not the tile you lay down. Each tile is imprinted with dots showing how many points it is worth. Players score more if they play a tile next to one with a large number of dots. At the end of the game, pieces left over are deducted from the overall score of each player, and the one with the highest score wins.

Picksey

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 THERE’S

A

“FARMER

IN THE

DELL”

AT

MGA

MGA ENTERTAINMENT has entered the specialty marketplace with an array of new products. The Little Tikes Apple Grove Pals Deluxe Farm Playset features interchangeable hats. Kids can slide the elevator, spin the water wheel, or fold out the corral for play or storage. The play set includes a handle for easy carrying and a storybook.

The Little Tikes Apple Grove Tractor features interchangeable Pals hats, a removable tractor, and a storybook. Kids push the tractor to make the seat and driver bob up and down. Push the apple button and “Farmer in the Dell” plays.

The Dog Eat Hot Dog/DejaMoo/Big Fish Lil’ Fish Assortment includes three different card games for the whole family. In Dog Eat Hot Dog, players collect condiment cards so they can eat the most hot dogs. In Big Fish Lil’ Fish, players take turns using big fish to eat lil’ fish and get rid of their cards, while DejaMoo is a moo-tastic matching game.

MGA also introduces new BFC, Ink Doll Fashion Packs for the BFC friends: Little Tikes Apple Grove Pals Deluxe Farm Playset Addison, Calista, Aliesha, and Noelle.

ALEX PLAYS HOPSCOTCH

Hopscotch Rug

FOLKMANIS DIVES

The Sea Serpent Stage Puppet, by FOLKMANIS, is a mystery monster from the deep blue sea. The 16-inch puppet, in a dazzling blue color, features wiggling eyes, plus a movable mouth, tongue, and fins.

Baby Chimp is a huggable puppet that can be any child’s best friend. The 15-inch tall puppet has a movable mouth and sweet expression, and is fun for playtime, nap time, or on the road.

The 12-inch long Red Squirrel is ready to jump into someone’s arms. His mouth and front legs are moveable, and he has a detailed and realistic design.

Kids can make beautiful foil beads for necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings with ALEX’s Foil Bead Maker. Kids just roll foil, string, and wear their art. Included in the kit, for ages 7 and up, is the Foil Bead Maker Machine, three bead molds, a bead rolling guide, 72 sheets of foil in four colors, four earring hooks, elastic cord, five satin cords, a beading needle, and instructions.

The Hopscotch Rug is a non-skid rug that can be used indoors and out. The rug measures 24 inches by 76 inches, and can be rolled and stored. Included with the colorful rug are three beanbags.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

UNDER THE SEA

Sea Serpent Stage Puppet

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 TIER TOYS STACKS

TO THE SKY

TIER TOYS introduces three new styles of its multi-level puzzle toys. Kids journey under the sea to explore fish and flora in Animal Stackers Sea X-Plorer. The red, white, and blue boat expands to nine layers of storage space that holds 44 detailed figures. Among the items are starfish, octopi, sharks, shipwrecked items, and deep-sea divers exploring the adventurous ocean. The ship hoists a yellow submachine attached by hook and rope, and included is a bonus DVD with interactive sea games and the story of Captain Nemo.

More new items from the company include the Animal Stackers Pet House (eight stackable layers and 44 accessories such as a cat, bunny, cages, and feeding dishes), and the Animal Stackers Barn Yard (five layers and 51 figures, including roosters, horses, sheep, pigs, and cows).

Animal Stackers Sea X-Plorer

Er-u-di-tion, by ACUMEN ASSOCIATES, is a board game featuring more than 300 sight words to help young children learn to read, spell, and understand the most common words in the English language. In the game, players journey through literacy land, which is complete with common landmarks and street signs.

Game cards are categorized so children of all reading levels can play together and, in addition to the sight words, the game features letters of the alphabet and basic phonic sounds.

PRINCE LIONHEART’s balance bikes teach tots how to balance, a crucial skill needed before transitioning to a two-wheeled pedal bicycle. Children can build a sense of independence and self-confidence as they learn to balance and steer the bikes at their own pace.

The Chop BalanceBIKE mimics a vintage motorcycle, perfect for a cool little guy, while the Whirl BalanceSCOOTER is designed as a pink motor scooter for the chic little girl.

Chop BalanceBIKE

Babies can take a trip around the world with Sing Along Airplane, a pull-along airplane with songs, amusing sounds, and manual activities, by CHICCO. Press the red button and baby can hear four nursery rhymes sung by children from Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The airplane also features lights, engine sounds, the pilot’s voice announcing take-off, and activities.

The 1 Two 3 Playhouse has a cloud-shaped clothes hanger that serves as the support for the enchanting tent. The tent can also be folded flat against the wall for decoration or can be removed completely for storing or washing. The playhouse features a door with a working mail slot, a decorated interior, and compartments to store dolls or other toys.

1 Two 3 Playhouse

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Icosoku by RECENT TOYS makes simple addition complex. The hands-on puzzle challenges players to think strategically and plan every move. Players place the triangular tiles so that all of the dots touching a number add up to that number. The puzzle can be solved every time, regardless of how the number buttons are placed.

Icosoku

GORGEOUS PRODUCTS introduces new Boikido toys for toddlers, each made from wood from a FSC-monitored source, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a box made of recycled materials, and printed with soybean ink.

The Boikido Eco-friendly Wooden Activity Board works like a shape sorter and a color-matching game, and features different shapes that each have their own slots. Additionally, the gear shapes have wooden pegs attached for added color matching and spinning fun.

Created for a 2 year old, the Boikido Eco-friendly Wooden Geometric Stacking Puzzle has four puzzle pieces that contain up to four posts on which kids can stack a circle, rectangle, square, or triangle. Each shape features a different number of holes so it only fits on the Boikido Eco-friendly Wooden Activity Board correct puzzle piece, and is a perfect size for little hands.

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 SCHLEICH ADDS A NEW TRIBE

TO

BAYALA

A new tribe, Arelan, joins SCHLEICH’s growing fantasy world of Bayala, each character with its own animal collection. These magical characters are partially mutated with their animal: Apricum has the antlers of his deer, Noctis has the fur of his black panther, Gregis has the fur of a wolf, and Arelan has the thin, tapered wings of a falcon. Other new figures—including Marween, Lindariel, and Florindel—have a domestic animal as a companion, adding another dimension to the play value of the Bayala range.

Schleich also adds the Tinuveel Elf Riding Set, which includes an elf, saddle, horse gear, and reigns for the unicorn, but also fits all middle-sized Farm Life horses.

Apricum

HOLDENONE, LLC premieres Zippies, pals that hang around. The soft and durable rubber tags are a new way to personalize bottles, identifying a person’s beverage and helping to stop the spread of germs. The character tags are adjustable for bottles of all sizes and can multifunction as a tag for backpacks, belt loops, luggage, necklaces, and keychains. The Series #1 Limited Edition line includes Tazmo, Paini, Bruno, Flops, Wally, Chip, Kayla, Paco, Edge, and Ranger, with more series on the way.

Tazmo

New from HL GAMES, Beadecked is one beadazzling card game. The deck of cards features five shapes, four colors, and three patterns for six different and easyto-learn games, such as matching two patterns for a beadlightful string of cards. A typical play time for the two- to six-player game is 10-30 minutes.

DISCOVERY BAY GAMES’ Call-it! is a swiftthinking word-burst game created by actresses Daryl Hannah and Hilary Shepard. Players flip a card, match a symbol with an opponent’s, and try to be the first to call out a word from their category—a cartoon character, body part, name of a band, etc.—to win their card. The player with the biggest stash will be crowned the Call-it! master.

Inspired by the whimsical art from Alex Beard’s new book, Monk ey See, Monk ey Draw, the Alex Beard Flashcards teach kids their favorite animal names in four different languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, and French.

The multi-lingual flash cards can also be used as wall art for classrooms, nurseries, or bedrooms.

Alex Beard Flashcards

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Anomia, by ANOMIA PRESS, plays off the fact that our minds are always brimming with random information, such as things to eat, pop songs, websites, and more. Under normal circumstances, it’s easy to give an example of a frozen food or a dog breed, but under pressure your brain may work a little differently. In the card game, players compete to win the most cards by facing off with others. The game includes two decks, with each deck consisting of 92 unique cards and eight wild cards. During the game, it can be your turn at any time and anyone can be your opponent.

MAY/JUNE 2010

TOYSMITH’s PinToy Sorting Basket is a classic wooden toy featuring four colorful shapes that kids can push through matching holes. The sorting basket enables the shapes to be easily retrieved from inside the sorter, and is a great way for young ones to learn shape matching and develop hand-eye coordination. The Sorting Basket is made of eco-friendly natural rubberwood and waterbased dyes, and includes a carry handle.

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 GAMEWRIGHT HAS YOUR ORDER GAMEWRIGHT introduces new games for its 16th anniversary. In Order’s Up! it’s rush hour at the Ring-a-Ding Diner and you must serve a table full of hungry customers before the other players. Roll the die to add dishes to your tray. Roll a Free Meal or snag the Special of the Day to help fill your order.

If you roll a bell, make a mad dash to grab your food before another player beats you.

Look carefully when playing Can You See What I See? Bingo Link. Can you see a trumpet? How about a rabbit that’s pink? Now mark a path between them in this game of links. Be the first to link two sides together and bingo, you’ve won.

Rory’s Story Cubes is a pocket-sized story generator. Roll the cubes and let the pictures spark your imagination. The set comes with nine story cubes and rules. It is for one or more players, ages 8 and up, with no reading required.

The simple and eco-friendly design of the Tower Tumbling set, by PLAN TOYS, encourages children to match colors and stack the toys without letting them fall. Kids can select the colored round wood and then stack all the parts that have the same color as the round wood. Next, pick up the other colored pieces and stack them, trying to build the tower as tall as possible.

Up-and-coming fashion editors can design and publish their own fashion magazine with the Project Runway Fashion Magazine Editor Tote, by FASHION ANGELS ENTERPRISES. The kit includes tons of stickers, stencils, decorative papers, and two blank magazines to get started. The included design guide and CD have additional designs and tips on how to lay out a magazine like a pro. Once the magazines are finished, kids can store them and other items in the hard-sided portfolio tote bag.

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JACQUARD PRODUCTS introduces new twocolor Jewel Tones Tie Dye Kits that add a touch of sophistication and refinement to the decades-old trend. Available in seven color combinations, each Jewel Tones Tie Dye Kit contains enough dye to make two T-shirts. Each kit contains two complementary dye colors, two applicator bottles, soda ash, gloves, rubber bands, and detailed written and illustrated instructions for three tie-dye methods.

Tee Juice Fabric Marker Kits are filled with theme-related iron-on transfers and all of the Tee Juice Markers needed to create anything from a simple design to a masterpiece.

Choose from one of three themes—Tattoo, Aquatic, or Floral—then iron on the transfer (or transfers) to any type of fabric and color with the Tee Juice Markers. Users can iron over the design to permanently set it on fabric. Each kit comes with five markers and is for ages 8 and up.

MAY/JUNE 2010

ARTISANDS introduces new kits that allow artists to paint with sand. Party in a Box! is a birthday activity that is fast, fun, and easy to clean up. The kit includes 24 geometric pre-cut patterns (Sandesigns), 14 tubes of colorful sands, eight frames, and a tablecloth for a quick clean up.

Old MacDonald had a farm (E-I-E-I-O) and on that farm he had a barn, cow, rooster, and horse. The Farm Mini Kit includes those Sandesigns, plus four more peel-andstick patterns and nine tubes of sand color.

THE YOUNG SCIENTISTS CLUB introduces science kits that kids can use to unlock the secrets of animal tracks, design an animal track poster, and more.

Young scientists learn about the science of animal tracks with Science on a Tracking Expedition.

In the kit, kids identify animal tracks, learn about the animals that make the tracks, cast animal tracks, play the tracking game, create animal track prints, design an animal track poster, and explore real animal tracks in nature. The eight realistic animal footprint molds, large colorful poster, and 80 animal game cards will inspire all young scientists to become animal track explorers.

PARADISE KIDS introduces new Bella Sara 6� Horses. Each horse is posable, features hair that can be brushed, and a mouth that opens. Plus, each horse includes a brush, a carrot, and a Bella Sara card with a secret code for use on BellaSara.com. Available horses include Bella, Fiona, Thunder, and Jewel.

MAY/JUNE 2010

Jewel

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 HAPE CHANNELS AN AUSTRIAN ARCHITECT HAPE’s Organeco Blocks add a unique twist to wooden building blocks. The blocks are hollow and made entirely out of bamboo, making the oversized building toys light and easy for young kids to play with. Inspired by Austrian painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the graphics on the blocks are funky and feature unique shapes found in nature for endless possibilities of new buildings and creations. The 25-piece set includes six cubes, nine rectangle shapes, two cylinders, two semi-cylinders, four triangular prisms, one cross, and one bridge-shaped block.

Educo’s infant and toddler category launched last year and is expanding in 2010 with new products including the 17-piece Fantasia Stacking Block Train. The train features maple blocks decorated in bright rainbow colors and patterns.

Organeco Blocks

ZILLIO, INC. has produced a new way for kids to master multiplication tables without memorization or using a calculator.

The Zillio Mountain is a playful structure that allows kids to see, touch, and manipulate numbers while learning addition, subtraction, multiMini Mountain plication, and division.

Kids scale the mountain with their fingers, learning the critical math concepts of times tables and number lines. The 12 rainbow-colored staircases each represent a number and its multiples, and all equivalent numbers are at the same height so children can visibly see the pattern of a multiple family.

Available are Mini Mountain, Mega Mountain, and Mini Mountain 2D Playground, a laminated version of the Mega Zillio that can be used as a game board, poster, and worksheet.

CCA AND B, LLC, the company responsible for The Elf on the Shelf products, is introducing its newest book and plush gift set, A Light in the Night. Created by a mother to comfort her son when he moved to his big boy bed, A Light in the Night helps kids realize there’s nothing “going bump in the night.”

The set includes a light-up creature that emits a bright glow when its tummy is pressed, and an illustrated board book.

In Solitaire Chess, by THINKFUN, the best part of chess (capturing your opponent’s pieces) is the whole point of the game. Solitaire Chess is a single-player logic puzzle that uses traditional chess moves. Players get 10 chess pieces, two each of the Knight, Rook, Pawn, and Bishop, and one each of the King and Queen. After setting the pieces on the four-by-four game board according to the challenge cards, players use sequential reasoning skills to plan ahead and eliminate all but one chess piece. Players have to capture a piece with every move, so the game can be challenging.

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 LILLIPUTIENS HAS BATH TIME FUN It’s bath time and the tub is full of beasties. There is only one solution: hunt down the cute little intruders by going fishing. In Fishing Game, by LILLIPUTIENS, bathing kids can have fun capturing the aquatic figures by arming themselves with the magnetic rod. The game grows as kids age, allowing older kids to count the points embroidered on the bellies of the animals hooked.

In Nicky Bath Game, mother ducky Nicky has to teach her three baby ducks how to swim. The baby ducks, helped by a magnet, can follow one another and hang on to their mommy. If they start to feel tired, the ducks can find shelter under Nicky’s wings. The Nicky bath game is a fun way to role play while learning about independence and security.

Nicky Bath Game

ZOOBDude DudeMaker Kit, by INFINITOY, combines the company’s three ZOOBDudes into one kit so that kids can build all of them at once, or mix and match to create their own Dudes.

Each ZOOBDude includes its own working accessory: the Fireman has a squirting water hose, the Climber has a grappling hook to climb a line, and the Rescue Ranger has a large parachute. The DudeMaker Kit also includes four wheels and extra ZOOB Sparkle pieces so that kids can build more creations.

ZOOB building sets feature pieces that move after kids put them together, allowing kids to interact with their creations instead of just looking at them. The pieces snap, click, and pop together to form joints that rotate, limbs that extend, axles that spin, and more. The sets are based on reallife systems, such as the basic structural units of nucleic acids, and their mobility mirrors the natural movement of people, animals, and machines.

The

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

Tactile and stimulating, the Optica Baby Gym by KID O features three hanging shapes that baby can touch and move. The circular patterns on the shapes are color-coded for early recognition. The gym includes one wooden stand and Optica Baby Gym three removable rattles.

The A to Z Magnatab helps kids learn how to write letters. The magnetic stylus, which serves as the pencil, pulls beads featured on the letters up to create solid lines. Letters also feature up, down, and sideways instructions via easy-to-follow arrows. The Magnatab includes one magnetic board and one magnetic pen.

The 36 Piece Floor Puzzle (with 10 jumbo crayons) is the newest addition to OUTSET MEDIA’s Create Your Own Puzzle line. The blank puzzle pieces are made from sturdy boards, so little (and big) artists can paint on them.

Now there’s no need to spend time thinking of good charades. With Charades-In-A-Box the fun starts as soon as the box is opened. Each package includes a sand timer, a score pad, a pencil, and loads of charades.

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 ARTTERRO MAKES BUG FRIENDS Kids can create fun, one-of-a-kind bug friends with ARTTERRO’s Wool Felt Bug Kit. The artistic bugs are created from thick, hand-felted wool shapes; wire; and ribbon. Crafters can embellish the insects with glass and wooden beads, sequins, and colorful craft thread, and then display or play with them.

The Creativity Party Pack includes enough materials for 12 people to each make a decorative bookmark and collage, or an ornament art piece. The collection of Artterro materials are perfect for birthday parties, classes, camps, after school groups, or family events. Ideas and instructions are included, but it’s imagination that will bring great finished products to life.

Wool Felt Bug Kit

“What charms you?” is the question HIGH INTENCITY posed to girls across America through a nationwide Charm It! Design-a-Charm contest celebrating the 10th anniversary of Charm It! Girls were invited to design a charm, with the possibility of seeing that charm come to life in the What Charms You Collection.

The winning styles celebrate themes that girls across the country know and love, from world peace, save the animals, and other messages of positivity to creative designs like a talking taco and a best friend heart.

BEKA adds Block Buddies to its extensive line of hard maple block shapes. The modified blocks feature attached arms and a head that can come to life in a child’s imagination.

Kids can create their own game with the company’s Ring Toss Game. The game can be assembled in a variety of ways with interlocking base pieces and removable dowels.

Ring Toss Game comes with four colRing Toss Game orful rings.

Scattergories Categories, by WINNING MOVES GAMES, features a new twist on the classic game. Each round starts with a word (or two), such as “Road Trip,” and a phrase, such as “Names of Cities.” Then, players have two minutes to list as many cities as they can that start with the letters in the words “Road Trip.” Raleigh can be written for R, Oakland for O, Alexandria for A, and so on. When the two minutes are up, players compare their lists and score one point for each answer that doesn’t match an opponent’s answer. The more unique the words, the less likely they will match another person’s, which means more points for the player. The first player to earn 25 points wins the game. The game includes 125 cards, 250 word challenges, a two-minute sand timer, four pads of score sheets, a plastic card base, and instructions.

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Huzzah! You have been invited to dine with royalty at the legendary Knights of the Long Table. In the Flip-A-Longs game, by FAT BRAIN TOY CO., players venture to a faraway land and meet beautiful maidens, mischievous wizards, and brave knights. The aim of the game is to match cards to create scenes and build the longest table in the kingdom. The 38-card game encourages concentration, matching skills, counting, dexterity, memory, and more. Fat Brain also releases Flip-A-Longs - The Long, Long Locomotive, in which kids match the train car images to create the longest train.

As a part of KIDS PREFERRED’s Elmer line, kids can create their very own patchwork of colors directly on the plush of Elmer Color Me Toy. Elmer starts out decorated in white and black boxes and needs a child’s imagination to make him stand out in the herd. Wash him off to return to the black and white canvas to color again and again.

Kids Preferred is also launching new licensed plush for the children’s books Pat the Bunny, Guess How Much I Love You, and W here’s Spot?, as well as Disney Consumer Products’ new Classic Pooh range.

Knights of the Long Table

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 APPLE PARK INTRODUCES NEW PICNIC PALS APPLE PARK’s Picnic Pal products are handmade with 100 percent organic cotton, natural silk, and soy, and are stuffed with sustainable corn and organic cotton.

The Picnic Pal Soft Block Set includes three soft, 100 percent organic cotton blocks, adorned with images of the Picnic Pals, colored apples, numbers, and silk gingham patches. Each threeinch block makes a different sound: that of a bell, rattle, or squeaker.

Apple Park also releases the Picnic Pal Wrist Rattles, which jingle when shaken; the Picnic Pal Soft Teething Toys, which dual as a rattle; and the eight-inch Picnic Pal Hand Puppets.

Picnic Pal Soft Block Set

NORTH STAR GAMES introduces Wits & Wagers Family, a family version of the original party game, Wits & Wagers. Wits & Wagers Family has simpler rules: each player writes down a guess to a question, and players score points by choosing the closest guess to the right answer. The new version also has a faster game play, and there are no poker chips, so it’s family friendly.

The game includes 300 questions that kids may know more about than their parents, and is for ages 8 and up.

Scream for ice cream! In LEARNING RESOURCES’ Sky High Scoops Colorful Count & Seek Electronic Game, players listen carefully for the color and number of scoops to stack without toppling the whole sundae. Be the first player to stack all the scoops, plus the whipped topping, and win the game. The game, for two to five players, includes 16 colorful plastic ice cream scoops (two each of red, orange, yellow, blue, green, brown, pink, and white), and features a talking dish and sound effects, with adjustable volume.

A light strategy game for two to eight players, Seven Card Samurai is like a Rummy game, but with Samurai. The object of the MINDTWISTER USA game is to be the first to get a matching hand of seven Samurai cards. Five cards are dealt and 10 rice markers are given to each player, and during game play two cards are always picked up and discarded. Samurai and Ronin defend the rice tokens, those with bandit cards try to steal the rice, and Ninjas try to eliminate the Samurai.

Pentago Multi Player is the family version of the strategy game Pentago. The object of the two-, three-, or four-player game is to create a row of five game markers, in any direction, before your opponent does. The twist is that after every move, the player must rotate one of the game blocks.

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RE-MARK, INC.’s 60-piece puzzles can be used at home or on the go. The 24 styles of art-driven images feature puppies, kittens, wildlife, travel, horses, and nature. Completed, the puzzles are five-by-seven inches, and pre-assembled countertop displays are “ready to go” with 12 mini puzzles packed inside, plus an additional bumper pack of 24.

Build a brain and then pick it apart with SMARTLAB’s The Amazing Squishy Brain. This anatomically correct model has a moving mandible and squishy plastic brain and eyes. Activities help kids learn about senses, movement, memory, emotion, decision-making, automatic functions like breathing and digestion, and phenomena like brain freezes. The kit includes a nine-piece transparent skull, eight squishy brain parts, squishy eyeballs, four vertebrae pieces with spinal cord, a skull base, tools, a skull map, a brain blister with labels, and a 32-page, fully illustrated book.

The ArtLab Snap Fashion Jewelry Studio allows kids to make DIY jewelry in a snap. Kids can create interchangeable fabric-covered snaps that mix and match into rings, bracelets, necklaces, belts, ponytail bands, barrettes, headbands, and more. Included in the studio is the Look Book, packed with creative, fashion-forward ideas on how to pair snaps with fabric and other objects. The kit comes with a customizable snap maker, 25 domes and backs to cover with fabric, five necklace and bracelet snaps, two snap rings, gems, glue, and a 24-page book.

ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 ELF MAGIC’S ELVES TRAVEL

NORTH POLE

Each year, Elf Magic Elves visit children’s homes across the country and help spread the warmth and mystery associated with Christmas. It begins when a child writes a letter to Santa asking for an Elf to visit. After luring the elf with its favorite snack, ELF MAGIC’s 10-inch plush Elf magically appears in the child’s home between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Retail stores serve as a sort of travel agent for the Elves, not selling the magical creatures, but instead selling Elf “travel tickets” from the North Pole, which can be purchased by the parents. Sneakily, retailers give the Elf to the parent, who can concoct a fun way for the Elf to appear after the child writes to Santa.

New for 2010 is the Elf Suitcase, containing everything an Elf needs to ensure a comfortable stay and safe return to the North Pole.

The suitcase, which comes with a luggage tag and passport, doubles as a mobile Elf playhouse. Inside, children can hang “Elfits” in the closet, set Elf on a window seat, and play with a pouch filled with stickers and a passport.

Elf Suitcase

Many times infants and toddlers are more fascinated by the tags and labels on a toy than with the toy itself. TAGSMANIA gives kids what they want by making the tags the toy.

The Tagsdale is a plush horse with its mane, tail, and feet made of tags.

Tagasaurus is a friendly dinosaur with soft tags running down his back. The prehistoric creature is available in green, blue, and pink. The Tagacuda fish has lots of tags, features a squeak, and is available in green, blue, and pink.

Tagasaurus

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FROM THE

MINDLOGIC releases Consensus Music Edition, which requires only a minimal knowledge of some of the most popular songs of all time. Like the original version, it’s not a trivia or strategy game. The game is all about opinions, allowing participants to express themselves as individuals or as part of a group.

Players can learn about how friends and family view all sorts of things by their taste in music.

The Music Edition—for three to eight players, ages 17 to adult—includes a game board, 150 song cards, 70 music question cards, eight voting decks, eight game pawns, and an instruction sheet.

YOMEGA CORP. has released a second collectible aluminum yoyo, The Dash. The wingshaped, roller-bearing yoyo is constructed of aircraft grade aluminum, and features an ultra smooth rubber return system, a stainless steel ball bearing, and a weighted perimeter for enhanced play performance. The Dash—available in blue or gold—comes with the Yomega Mania DVD, extra string, and a trick book.

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PEACEABLE KINGDOM PRESS is debuting a new packaging style for its bestselling Valentine’s Day product line, Heart-Shaped Val Boxes. Slated to release for Valentine’s Day, each heart-shaped box includes 20 cards (four designs), 20 envelopes, and stickers for decorating card and envelope. The 12 new designs are Ballerinas, Wacky Animals, Mermaids, Monsters, Fairies, Construction, Funny Monkeys, Robots, Pink Pigs, Cupcakes, Dinosaurs, and Monster Cars.

Now players can take Word on the Street to the streets with OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING’s Word on the Street Party Case. The game includes the original Word on the Street in a deluxe carry case and an additional timer. In Word on the Street, one team flips over a category card and team members quickly brainstorm words that fit the category. The team agrees on a word before time runs out and then pulls each letter in that word one lane closer to their side of the street. The first team to pull eight letters off the street wins.

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 JOLLY, ROCKING WONDERWORLD

BY SMART

GEAR

The Wonderworld Jolly Walker, by SMART GEAR, is a bold push cart with a soft storage compartment.

Kids can play for hours while learning how to walk with the toy, which is crafted in rubberwood and decorated in bright colors. Also available is the Wonderworld Hopping Bunny Walker, which features detachable bunnies that hop up and down as the walker is pushed along.

The Wonderworld Rocking Raffy is a giraffe baby rocker with a backrest for little ones, which can be removed as they grow and gain confidence. As Raffy the Giraffe rocks he rattles, and the plush animal can be removed for cleaning.

Wonderworld Rocking Raffy

BUFFALO GAMES’ Truth Be Told is a revealing party game that determines who knows his or her friends the best. In each round, one of the players is the host and reads a question card such as, “Truth be told, my favorite snack is…”

The host writes down a truthful answer as the other players write down answers (either what they predict is the host’s answer, or a bluff answer to fake out the rest). The host reads the answers aloud and the other players try to guess which one is the host’s true answer.

Players score if they voted for the truthful answer, or if their bluff answer was chosen by others. Truth Be Told includes 564 questions, markers, fill-in-the-blank cards, paddles, a scorecard, and instructions.

For new players, or for those who may be a bit rusty, MAPLE LANDMARK WOODCRAFT introduces its Chess Pieces, which features each chess character’s move pattern engraved on the bottom. The pieces, made of hardwood maple and cherry, are blocks with the traditional characters engraved on two sides. The 32piece set includes 16 hardwood maple blocks and 16 hardwood cherry blocks. All the pieces are one inch wide and one inch deep and vary in height depending on the strength of the character. The Pawn stands at 1.25 inches tall and the Queen is 2.25 inches tall.

Each set comes with a cloth pouch for storage.

Djubi (pronounced joo-bee), by MOON RACER, was created nearly a decade ago, when David Yearick noticed his son was not interested in the traditional catch game, but something more extreme.

Soon, he set his sights on creating a new way to play catch, this type with specially designed racquets and a unique ball called “the djubi.” To play, users place the rubber loop over the launch hook, pull back, and aim. When the ball is released, it can fly at varying degrees of speed, distance, and height, depending on the trajectory at its launch. Then, the opposite player tries to snag the ball out of the sky with his or her deep racquet pocket.

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The IR Tarantula, by WILD CREATIONS, is a hairy, scary R/C imported from the London Natural History Museum. The infrared arachnid doesn’t spin webs, but can make mom’s hair rise as the realistic-looking spider moves on it own in a “prepare then scare” mode.

Kids can set the tarantula and leave the room, and after 30 seconds it will move randomly for half a minute. The toy is based on the Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula, the world’s biggest spider, whose bite is harmless to humans (but not to smaller prey).

Wallace & Gromit Water Rocket The Wallace & Gromit Water Rocket can blast off into the air with just water and some pumping.

Kids and teens can experiment with different amounts of water, water pressures, and angles of the launch. Based on those three elements, the rocket flies differently each time. But, as the instructions warn, be sure to stand back.

BEAD THE MESSAGE’s Secret Message Bead Kit features nearly 1,000 beads in 38 colors with each color representing a letter, number, or space. Kids can create bracelets, necklaces, backpack clips, key-rings, and more with coded messages, and have their friends decode them, or keep it a secret. Older kids can use text message abbreviations in their creations. The kit also includes a refillable case with a double lock and 20 decoder cards with instructions to make 20 projects.

ANGELS FROM THE ATTIC are a group of six friends who live in a magical attic. Each Angel has his or her own unique personality, and promotes creative play, positive attitude and behavior, and lessons of friendship and good deeds.

The product line includes picture storybooks, plush, activity and coloring books, stickers, puzzles, learning games, apparel, and accessories, as well as an interactive website.

The company has also partnered with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer to publish When Life Gives You Lemons. In the storybook adventure, the Angels set up their own lemonade stand and have lots of fun helping others. Also to be released is a 32-page activity book with games, activities, and coloring pages. A portion of the proceeds benefits Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2010 EEBOO

GATHERS

A

GARDEN

EEBOO introduces eco-friendly board games, made from 75 percent recycled materials and soy-based inks. The foldable game boards open to 18- by 18-inches and the game pieces store in a cotton canvas bag.

In Gathering a Garden Board Game, players take a trip around the board to each vendor to gather flowers, vegetables, and more for their garden. The player who completes his or her garden and goes home first wins the game.

In Robot Explorers Board Game, players navigate the solar system in a race to collect research specimens. A player’s robot might encounter obstacles such as asteroids and malfunctioning rocket parts, or get a helping hand from a friendly being. The winner is the person who fills the science shelf first.

The grass is greener across the way! Well, that’s what moose Jules and Ollie think as they stand on opposite sides of the river. In the game Elk Fest, by MAYFAIR GAMES, the only grass that’s better than the one you stand on is the one across the river. In order to cross the river with dry hooves, players flick river stones with their fingers so they can move their moose to the other riverbank first. The game includes two elk, two riverbank pieces, six gray river stones, eight rubber feet, and a rulebook.

Oceania is a quick 10-minute, two-person game of scouting. In the game, players choose a starting location, reveal a tile, and try to place it on the board.

If land is found, the player may assign one or more of his scouts to the land, but if the island is completely explored (surrounded by water), the player with the most scouts on the island score points based on size. The game can also be played solo.

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

Parents can create a “no blasting zone” music environment for kids with TUNE A FISH RECORDS’ Protective Ear Gear Headphones.

Listening to headphones at high volumes for extended periods of time can lead to lifelong hearing loss. The company’s headphones reduces the risk of hearing loss by automatically limiting volume levels to 85-decibels (as loud as an alarm clock), regardless of how high the volume is cranked up. The headphones work with any device with a headphone jack.

Christina Marie Pop-In-Kins, Santa’s newest children’s Elf from CHRISTOPHER POP-IN-KINS, will make her debut at ASTRA Marketplace.

Featuring games of hide-and-seek and holiday fun, Christina Marie Pop-InKins encourages children to do their best.

Each book set includes a fully poseable Christina Marie Pop-In-Kins doll, a Christina Marie and the Little Tree storybook, and a storage case for both.

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MEDIA CENTER Lullabies Go Contemporary

thinkSMART for Mental Fitness

A new collection of lullaby albums, BABY BLANKET MUSIC, has debuted. The collection features unique, soothing arrangements of classic songs that can appeal to babies, parents, and grandparents alike. The tunes use familiar infant music such as vibraphones and music boxes, paired with a full medley of richer, classic instruments such as strings, woodwinds, pianos, harps, and soft percussion. When melded together, the arrangements create gentle textures that are calming and enjoyable.

The current line includes Baby Billy Joel, Baby Elton John, Baby John Mayer, and Baby Simon & Garfunkel. Two new releases are slated for this summer.

Based on brainteasers and puzzles by Ravensburger, MENTOR INTERACTIVE, INC. has released thinkSMART, a series of games for the Nintendo DS and Wii. The original thinkSMART challenges older players to improve their mental fitness, while the Kids thinkSMART 8+UP version features a fast-paced collection of puzzles for children.

Both Nintendo DS games include three levels of difficulty and six categories (language, memory, mathematics, spatial reasoning, grasp, and logic). thinkSMART Family for Wii adds a physical challenge to gameplay. Designed for the entire family, the game features puzzles plus a physical fitness program, specially tailored for each individual player.

Pick a Card, Tell a Story

Preschoolers Learn ASL

Storytellers will never run out of ideas for a great tale with StoryWorld, published by TEMPLAR BOOKS (an imprint of CANDLEWICK PRESS), and written by John and Caitlin Matthews. The box contains 40 cards of pictures and words that can kickstart imaginations to create a new story every time.

Storytellers can simply pick a handful of cards and use the characters, places, and objects as inspiration to create their own narratives. The box also includes The Storytelling Book, which gives tips and ideas for creating a story, as well as games to play with the cards and a sample story written by using the cards.

SCHOLASTIC introduces a new Storybook Treasures DVD series that is designed to teach early sign language skills to preschool children. Based on the trend of babies learning to communicate by sign language, the DVDs help kids of all hearing abilities gain literacy and pre-reading skills. Each DVD features three classic children’s stories with vocal and ASL (American Sign Language) narration, sign language vocabulary lessons, and reading comprehension questions. The first release, Goodnight Moon and More Great Bedtime Stories, is adapted from the 1947 storybook by Margaret Wise Brown. A DVD based on A Pocket for Corduroy will debut this summer, with more titles to follow in the fall.

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Make Payment Processing a Competitive Advantage

By Scott Tanker, Benchmark Payment Networks

T

here are currently 576.4 million credit cards in the United States.

There are just about as many debit cards, at 507 million. That’s more than 1 billion cards that people are using every day to make purchases for their families. Every day, toy retailers across the country accept credit and debit cards at the register, over the phone, and through the internet for things like dolls, stuffed animals, puzzles, robots, blocks, trucks, and pretty much any kind of toy under the sun.

What happens when the card is swiped or used to pay through the internet and the receipt is printed isn’t something most retailers think about on a daily basis. But the truth is that working with the right partner to make that transaction happen can actually be a strategic advantage for any toy business. Making a few simple changes to the way you accept and process credit and debit cards can impact your bottom line.

Debit or Credit?

You’ve probably asked or been asked this question too many times to count. Unfortunately, many toy retailers don’t know why they ask the question or what the answer means to them. The truth is that every time a customer chooses credit, you as the retailer lose a few pennies. Those pennies add up over hundreds and thousands of transactions.

In the payment processing business, credit transactions will always cost the retailer more than debit transactions. This is because debit transactions are processed electronically with the customer’s bank and happen very quickly. They are simple transactions and don’t need to go through a third party, like Visa or MasterCard. When a customer chooses credit, those third parties need to get involved and therefore charge you for their service.

Doing more debit transactions instead of credit transactions can save you a lot of money over time. First, make sure your register or terminal accepts pin pad IDs. Then, instead of asking “Credit or debit?” train your staff to ask “Do you mind if I run this as debit?” Most people will agree. And you’ll all be happier.

Take Cards, Get Cash.

Cash flow is critical to running your business, especially these days.

You need to have it to pay your employees, order inventory, advertise, and make your rent. Every time you do a credit or debit transaction, it takes cash out of your business for a time. In some cases, it’s just a few

SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS

days, but those few days could make a difference in ordering the hottest toy on time or paying your electric bill.

Most payment processing companies out there have found a way to shorten the number of days it takes to get you the money you have made.

You should be able to turn most of your card payments into cash no later than the next business day. Take a look at your agreement with your processing company. If you’re not currently getting your money by the next business day, ask them if it would be possible. If they don’t offer this option, consider looking elsewhere.

Be Secure.

November 2009, Hancock Fabrics. March 2010, Mary’s Pizza Shack. April 2010, Mad Capper Saloon & Eatery.

You probably haven’t heard of any of these companies. They are small businesses from around the country. But they all have one big thing in common: they’ve suffered a data breach. They’ve also had to send out an alert to their customers letting them know that their credit and debit card number were violated. They’ve all had their reputations breached.

And they’re all in danger of possibly losing their ability to take credit and debit cards in the future.

The truth is that no business is immune to data breaches. If your payment processing company isn’t talking to you about the dangers of data breaches, you may have a problem. The Payment Card Industry, made up of companies like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, has developed Data Security Standards that you must comply with in order to take their cards. Call your payment processor and ask if you are compliant.

Charge Ahead.

Taking credit and debit cards should help your business. By learning a little, you could benefit a lot and get back to what really matters— helping your customers find the right toys. ● Scott Tanker is a business development professional with Benchmark Payment Networks. He works with retailers across the country to save them money on their payment processing and make it a competitive advantage. He can be reached at (609) 922-0201 or stanker@benchmarkpaynet.com.

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Internal Auditing: an Asset for Companies Small and Large

by Bob Hirth, executive vice president and global head of internal audit, Protiviti

T

he term “internal audit” usually inspires two immediate responses. The first is fear: Is something wrong in our organization? Have I done something wrong? What will “the fix” cost?

The second is the image of a large Fortune 500 company with the people and other resources that an internal audit function requires.

But smaller organizations and even entrepreneurs can perform internal auditing or have it performed in an efficient, cost-effective way that produces positive change and results, improves the business and its underlying processes, and may even make employees happier about their work.

Why would you want to do an internal audit?

Generally, smaller organizations have several common reasons to perform an internal audit: • To understand and verify how activities and processes are actually operating, rather than just thinking you know how they are working • To look into known problem areas and develop a fact-based plan to make corrections and improvements • To verify that critical areas that must operate flawlessly are doing so How should you conduct an internal audit?

As with any process, when you can organize, standardize, and document internal audit, it becomes more efficient and produces a more consistent, higher-quality result. To illustrate, let’s say you’ve identified an area of your business for audit. Here’s how a typical internal audit process might proceed: Decide what you want to achieve. Why did you select this area?

What are you trying to achieve through the audit? What benefits do you expect to derive?

Review objectives and identify risks. Ensure you understand the area’s business objectives, as well as the threats and risks that might obstruct them. Determine if there already are known problems so the audit can focus on them. In many cases, you will want to see that the main risks are mitigated adequately through the right combination of controls (such as reviews, approvals, procedures, reconciliations, monitoring, and supervision).

Plan the audit activities. Decide what you are going to look at, how much of it you are going to look at, and for what period of time. Identify in advance with whom you need and want to talk. Will you need to have specific information available? If so, request that information in advance.

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4.

Complete the work and validate the facts. Follow the procedures outlined in your planning, but don’t hesitate to change course midstream if new matters are brought to your attention or if early concerns prove unfounded.

Develop a deliverable or report that will drive action. Create a record of your work as needed. Develop a file of your findings and the evidence that supports them, especially if your findings and recommendations might be challenged. Create a report or plan from the findings so that the results of your work drive real, positive change.

Follow up. After a reasonable period of time, make sure your action plan has been carried out, and that necessary recommended actions are being acted upon and resolved. If appropriate, validate the results with corroborating evidence.

Keep learning. As you perform additional audits, work to continuously improve the process. Look for ways to plan better and work more efficiently and effectively. Experiment with different types of reporting to find the one that achieves the best result.

Is there a less demanding alternative?

Some entrepreneurs and small business leaders may appreciate the value of a thorough internal audit but feel they don’t have the time to perform one. While that situation may not be ideal, there are alternatives.

“Self-assessment,” for example, involves asking people questions or having them complete some form of self-evaluation or self-audit rather than the examining of independent information.

Self-assessment is much less rigorous than a traditional internal audit. Nevertheless, it can provide useful information about potential risk areas. In fact, self- assessment may lead to the discovery that a more thorough internal audit is necessary. ●

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Robert B. Hirth, executive vice president of global internal audit at Protiviti, oversees the strategy and the continued growth of the Global Internal Audit practice. He has more than 25 years of professional services experience working with a broad range of global, public, and local private organizations in a variety of industries, helping them manage their most significant business risks and issues. Hirth has been involved in assisting emerging, large, and fast growth public companies establish their internal audit functions and has helped them to evolve as they expanded geographically and reorganized their operations.

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Section 337 Investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission: A Powerful Weapon Toy Companies Can Use to Block Unfair Imports

by Gary M. Hnath, Mayer Brown, LLP

T

oy companies seeking to prevent competition from unfair imports have a powerful remedy at their disposal, which many do not even know about—Section 337 investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Section 337 prevents unfair acts in the importation of articles into the United States. The ITC has the power to issue exclusion orders, which are enforced by U.S. Customs and prevent unfair imports from entering the United States at the border. This article will briefly describe the types of cases that can be brought under the statute, the advantages of using Section 337 vs. other remedies to block unfair imports, the types of remedies available, and how a Section 337 proceeding works.

Types Of Cases That Can Be Brought Under Section 337 Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 is a statute that prohibits unfair acts in the importation of articles into the United States. Section 337 proceedings take place before the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, DC. As the graph shows, the number of Section 337 complaints filed has more than doubled in the past five years and continues to rise rapidly.

There are three basic elements for showing a violation of Section 337 and getting an exclusion order from the ITC. First, it must be demonstrated that there is some unfair act involved. Second, there must be some connection between the unfair act and importation into the United States, or the sale of goods after importation. Third, a complainant must show that a “domestic industry” exists.

As to the first requirement, virtually any unfair act in the importation of articles can be asserted under Section 337. More than 90 percent of the cases at the ITC involve allegations of patent infringement. However, Section 337 complaints have been based on a variety of other unfair acts, including trademark and copyright infringement, trade dress infringement, grey market goods violations, unfair competition, trade secret misappropriation, passing off, and violation of the antitrust laws. The statute could be used for other unfair acts as well. For example, if products were being made abroad using factories that violate environmental laws, or if illegal child labor was being used, or if the imported products violated safety standards, Section 337 could present a remedy.

While the ITC’s jurisdiction is limited to cases involving importing products, this is not generally a difficult requirement to satisfy. As fewer and fewer products are actually being manufactured in the United States, more products (those being made outside the U.S.) come within the ITC’s jurisdiction. The importation requirement can be satisfied by any

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importation; a single sample imported for display at a trade show in the U.S. can suffice. A contract for sale may also satisfy the importation requirement, even if no importation has yet taken place.

A company bringing a Section 337 case must demonstrate that a domestic industry exists. Once again, this is not usually a difficult requirement to satisfy. In a case involving “statutory” intellectual property rights, such as patents, registered trademarks, copyrights, and mask works, the domestic industry test can be satisfied through a variety of activities. Manufacturing in the United States is one way to satisfy the test but is not required. A company involved in significant or substantial activities relating to engineering, research and development, licensing, or even activities such as quality control and after sales service, may be able to satisfy the domestic industry requirement if sufficiently related to the intellectual property right being asserted. Foreign-based companies can also use the ITC to their advantage. Indeed, in 2009, more than 25 per-

cent of the complaints filed at the ITC were filed by foreignbased companies with U.S. operations.

In a case involving “non-statutory” intellectual property or other unfair acts, such as trade secret appropriation, trade dress infringement, antitrust violations, and so forth, a complainant must show injury to the domestic industry. Injury can be shown, for example, by demonstrating that the unfair imports have been causing a loss of sales, lower prices, or adversely affecting employment in the U.S. When actual injury has not yet occurred, the statute permits a showing of a “threat of injury.” If a company is concerned enough to bring a Section 337 complaint, it is likely that it will be able to prove injury to a domestic industry under the statute.

Advantages of Section 337 Vs. Other Remedies There are a number of advantages to the use of Section 337 as opposed to other remedies, such as litigation through the courts. For one, Section 337 is extremely fast.

By statute, cases must be resolved expeditiously. Typically, target dates are set that require the entire investigation to be completed, from initial institution of the investigation until a final Commission decision, within 12 to 16 months.

This means that the case is likely to go to trial in less than a year, much faster than most federal or state courts.

The remedies at the ITC are unique. If the complainant prevails, the ITC issues an exclusion order that is enforced by Customs and prevents the importation of the accused products at the border. The exclusion order can cover all products made, imported, or sold by the respondents that are infringing, not only products specifically found to infringe. In addition, in certain situations, a complainant may be able to obtain a general exclusion order that prohibits the importation of all infringing products, regardless of source. These remedies are not available through the courts.

All known companies can be named in a single investigation at the ITC, including companies that are manufacturing infringing products outside of the United States, importing products into the United States, and selling the product after importation. In contrast, in a typical court case, it may be necessary to bring multiple cases in different states in order to satisfy jurisdictional requirements.

In a court case, it may take several months to serve respondents in some foreign countries, and the complaint and supporting documents may need to be translated. In contrast, the ITC serves the complaint to all proposed respondents by certified mail without the need for translations. Companies named as respondents in a Section 337 investigation must answer the complaint and comply with discovery requests, or a default can issue and their products can be automatically excluded from the United States.

Furthermore, the Administrative Law Judges at the ITC are very familiar with handling patent cases, so you know you will be before a judge that is knowledgeable in these types of matters.

These are just some of the reasons that the ITC is often the forum for asserting violations of intellectual property rights and other unfair acts involving imported products.

How a Section 337 Investigation Works The process at the ITC begins with the filing of a complaint by the complainant, outlining the alleged unfair import practices, the basis for importation, and what con-

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stitutes the domestic industry. The Commission has 30 days to decide whether to institute an investigation.

Typically, the Commission will institute as long as the complaint complies with the Commission’s rules.

The case is then assigned to an Administrative Law Judge, or ALJ. The parties proceed much as in a typical court case, except that everything moves much faster. In general, parties will have 10 days to respond to discovery requests and motions, rather than 30 days or more as in most cases in federal or state court.

The parties in a Section 337 case exchange documents and other discovery and, where appropriate, submit expert reports. Any party can file a motion to resolve both procedural and substantive issues. The case then goes before the ALJ for a hearing or trial. Typically, trials at the ITC are in the range of one to two weeks. Any party can call witnesses and submit documents as evidence at the hearing.

After the hearing, the ALJ issues his decision, or initial determination, as to whether or not there has been a violation of the statute. Parties can ask the Commission to review all or part of the ALJ’s decision. The Commission then issues its final determination on whether or not Section 337 has been violated, and if so, the appropriate remedy. A party adversely affected by the Commission’s decision can file an appeal with the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, but the ITC’s exclusion order is in effect while the case is being appealed unless a respondent is able to obtain a stay of the order, which is unusual.

As this discussion indicates, Section 337 can be a powerful remedy for companies manufacturing and selling toys in the United States to prevent unfair competition from competitors that may be quicker and more effective in stopping unfair import practices than filing a complaint in state or federal court or pursuing regulatory remedies. At a minimum, companies should weigh the pros and cons of a Section 337 investigation when considering their options. ■

Gary Hnath is a partner in Mayer Brown's Washington, D.C. office. His practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and counseling, including disputes involving patent, trademark and copyright infringement, and trade secrets.

He is a leading authority in the area of Section 337 litigation and former president of the ITC Trial Lawyers Association.

Gary can be reached at ghnath@mayerbrown.com.

MAY/JUNE 2010

Where Have All the Merchants Gone?

by Jim Meyer, buyer, toys and seasonal, Duckwall-Alco Stores

W

here have all the merchants gone? That is the question being asked by many toy salesmen over the past few years. Whether the salesmen felt that they had a great relationship with a certain buyer, finally had the perfect line to sell that buyer, had called on that buyer for many years and “deserved” or “earned” the business, the replacement of many merchants by the lessexperienced, business-minded buyer has caused an upheaval in the toy industry. In addition to the retail side, this same change in the toy landscape has occurred on the marketing side of the vendor community as well.

Many large vendors have depended upon the retail merchant for product advice and have used this advice for planned spending on tooling, raw material, and factory resource commitments, promotional planning, and advertising buys, among other things. They have usually received this advice at pre-shows, which are advanced, intimate looks into the product development cycle. The buyer gave their opinions to the marketing team on the product and the marketing plans for the future lines. These “free” consultations were beneficial to both sides of the desk. The vendor secured valuable knowledge prior to incurring large costs on the product launch, and received a great read on the potential commitment of the retailer.

The retailer received an advanced look into their category ahead of the majority of the industry. The retailer also had the opportunity to negotiate a number of exclusives prior to his competitors seeing the product line. This advice resulted in a great deal of product direction for the entire toy industry. This trade-off seemed fair for both sides.

It seems now, however, that as the larger retailers attend these pre-shows, they are being joined by numerous competitors of all sizes. Gone are the marketing people

88 • THE TOY BOOK

explaining not only their vision for the product, but how they were going to market the product line. They have been replaced by vibrant “demonstrators,” showing just how the product works. Gone are the back and forth discussions needed to make the product better. For those of us experiencing these shows now, why does it always seem that the marketing person (if one just happens to be standing there) is a recent college grad or fresh out of a company like Proctor and Gamble? What used to be a very important part of the product development cycle has been cast aside.

I suspect that one of the main reasons is that the communication from the retail merchant is becoming less and less relevant to the vendor.

You may ask, why this is happening? It is my belief that many retail chains have also replaced their merchants with business associates who have limited toy industry experience. These young business associates have replaced the merchant in many retail companies. Realize that our industry is a high fashion industry. Trends and needs are changing daily. Identifying these subtle changes is a place where a merchant is extremely valuable.

The cost of inventory is huge. In many retail companies, it is their largest single asset. Why shouldn’t the retailer bring in numbers experts to manage that asset?

The retail management’s perspective seems to be, “The merchant knows product, not how to manage an inventory. We need a professional manager of that inventory— someone that can manipulate Excel spreadsheets, someone that knows how to make a computer “sing,” someone that can analyze that inventory and make sound business decisions based on cold, hard numbers.”

Hence, the merchant has been squeezed out of the equation at many retailers. First, complemented by the planner;

MAY/JUNE 2010

now, replaced by the planner. Some very large retailers have gone so far as to let the vendor handle all replenishment, being 100 percent responsible to a margin, sales, and turn goal. I maintain that there is a need for both the merchant and the “bean counter.”

Does the less-experienced buyer know how to pick a winner? Does the new buyer know which vendor understands how to market an action figure line, but can’t figure out how to make a doll sell? Does the new buyer understand when a vendor rushes a new product to market and solid packs that first shipment of action figures with a secondary figure just to meet an on-shelf date?

A merchant also understands when to stop buying a product line. The merchant has seen turnarounds time and time again and understands the life cycle of a license.

The merchant realizes how a license is made successful in the first place. How the next movie release in line will impact the last movie. Children are fickle, and the merchant knows this.

A new buyer can analyze product sales numbers very well; black and white. But, what is the new buyer’s rationale in the initial product selection? What is the new buyer comparing the item to? More than 50 percent of all toy products change every year. There are too many criteria to list here to judge a new item against. Any good merchant could rattle off numerous criteria that should be considered. This is where the merchant is most valuable—during the inventory management process. Making the judgment as to what to compare an item to is one of the most important decisions that can be made in the successful analysis of a product. A merchant can often do this in their head. No amount of ladder planning or systems can do this for the retailer.

History does have a way of repeating itself. How many times have Cabbage Patch Kids been released? The merchant can determine this because they have lived it and seen it with their own eyes. A newer buyer may know of Cabbage Patch Kids, but probably doesn’t remember how well it sold,

MAY/JUNE 2010

what it was selling against, or how it was marketed.

I am not making a case to replace all the “bean counters” with merchants. I believe that there should be time allocated for a merchant to mentor that young “number crunching” buyer. The idea would be to mentor the lesexperienced buyer to become a combination merchant and financial analyst.

I recall the time when I was a young assistant buyer.

After a vendor meeting, the two buyers that I worked for would stop and take the time to walk through the product presentation with me. They would discuss the items, the salesman, the sales pitch, the deal, and the promotions helping to market a product. Everything they could think of that went into why they were going to buy the item or not. This was extremely valuable to me and to the company’s success. The toy industry needs both a merchant’s perspective and insight and the financial analyst’s judgment.

Sound initial product selection is the beginning of a successful assortment plan, and that’s where the true merchant becomes the biggest asset for the retailer.

■

Jim Meyer, buyer for toys and seasonal at Duckwall-Alco Stores, has spent 42 years in the toy and hobby industry.

During that time, he has bought toys for a wholesale toy distributor (Blatt Dist), variety store chain (Rasco Stores), discount department stores (Rich’s Dept Stores & Hills Dept Stores), big box toy stores (Child World), specialty toy stores (FAO Schwarz), small box mall toy stores (Toy World and KB), and eCommerce and catalog operations (eToys). He has operated his own franchise toy store, opened three big box toy stores in Saudi Arabia for a Saudi Prince, and was a senior director of marketing for Tyco and Mattel.

THE TOY BOOK •

89

What’s

New

No Toy Gets Left Behind

T

A Kid’s Buddy for Telling Time

he Disney•Pixar Toy Story Multi-Bin Organizer, by Delta Children’s Products, comes with multiple-sized bins to fit toys, books, clothes, and more for any Toy Story fanatic. The organizer features five fabric storage bins and a bottom tier that is a fullsized toy box. Decorated in bright blue, green, and yellow, the multi-bin organizer shows Woody and his friends in action.

T

imeBuddy, by GoLearn Toys, is a battery-operated activity clock that aims to teach young children time and time management before they are able to learn how to read a clock. The clock has ABS plastic housing, a 24hour quartz movement, and a digital LCD clock with alarm settings. The alarm can be set for up to three activities, while the clock’s dials point to reusable stickers that can be placed at actual times to represent activities during the day.

Flashing, Racing Marbles

S

A Skateboard on Your Knees

T

kullduggery, Inc. releases Krazy Kars Light Up Marble Racers, a combination of a mini sports car toy and a marble. The “do-ityourself” toy features an LED marble that can be customized with themed crack-and-peel racing decals. Kids can race their creations on standard tracks and watch the marble flash to keep pace with their speeding car.

he Fuzion Landshark, by NextSport, is not quite a scooter or skateboard, but a combination of the two. The kneeboard has a low center of gravity, a seven-layer plywood deck, and durable foam pads to protect knees. Sporting a dual lever handbrake, the Landshark can handle turns smoothly when mastered and the product also features custom graphics and a rear safety flag.

Blip Has Tiny, Squishy Dolls

B

lip Toys premieres a vast array of tiny doll collectibles called Squinkies.

The squishy characters can be collected all by themselves, or can be used as a pencil topper, on a charm or bracelet, or even as a ring. Each Squinky (in characters such as horses, puppies, kitties, frogs, pigs, elephants, babies, girls, and monkeys) is delivered in a Bubble—a tiny capsule—with some Bubbles being frosted so the Squinky is unknown. Also available are vending machines that deliver the toy and then transform into a playset, and more.

90 • THE TOY BOOK

MAY/JUNE 2010

Raising

the Bar

Proper Trademark Usage

by Sanford Frank and Howard Aronson

A

trademark is a kind of property, but a very delicate property right it is. Great care must be taken in the nature of its use, and in the manner in which it is assigned or licensed, lest the significance of the mark be lost.

As Mr. Justice Holmes put it: “(A trademark) deals with a delicate matter that may be of great value but that is easily destroyed, and therefore should be protected with corresponding care.” —U.S. Supreme Court, 1923.

Proper trademark usage is not a mere formality.

Incorrect usage can lead to a trademark becoming generic, and therefore, all trademark rights are abandoned. Aspirin, a registered trademark in most of the world, is the generic word in the United States for a certain pain reliever.

Escalator might still be a trademark if the company’s own usage promoted the product as “moving stairs.” The list of important trademarks that have been lost due to misuse by the trademark owner is long. Trampoline, lanolin, nylon, yoyo, and corn flakes join the likes of aspirin and escalator, which could have been avoided had there been proper trademark usage by the company.

As a matter of grammar, a trademark is a proper adjective. This is why a trademark is always capitalized or otherwise set off from the rest of a sentence, and best followed by the generic name of the product in question (a noun). The basic rules of trademark usage are as follows: 1. Seek to juxtapose the trademark with the generic, descriptive, or common name of the product.

2. Never use a trademark as a noun.

3. As a proper adjective, a trademark is best highlighted or set off from the adjoining text or the descriptive name of the product.

4. Properly mark the trademark (“tm”; “sm”; or “®” if registered) to advise the public of its special nature.

5. Maintain uniformity of presentation. Never pluralize

MAY/JUNE 2010

or otherwise modify its grammatical status as an adjective.

Most important is to be clear and consistent with the name of the product (a noun) always associated with the trademark. The Jeep trademark is for vehicles; Vaseline is for petroleum jelly. Use of the word “brand” may easily help: Scotch brand transparent tape; Pyrex brand heatresistant glassware; and, of course, Band-aid brand adhesive bandages.

Why then might you see misuse of a famous trademark, for example by General Motors presenting the word Chevy or Chevrolet? There are a precious few trademarks that are so strong, well-known, and arbitrary that even when the products to which they relate (the noun) do not follow the trademark presentation as advised herein, the trademark may not be susceptible to becoming generic. What happens is that the consuming public subconsciously inserts the product/noun (“automobiles”) after the Chevy trademark, because the trademark is so strong and arbitrary. But laissez-faire usage, or the intentional omission of proper trademark usage, will likely become the demise of most trademarks. In fact, trademarks are objectionable in all instances, unless you are lucky enough to have one of the few precious trademarks in the United States where the public is creating correct trademark usage mentally on your behalf.

■ Sanford Frank, Esq. has for the past 26 years devoted his legal career to providing legal counsel to the toy industry both as general counsel (Tyco-Playtime and Toymax) and as outside counsel. Howard Aronson, Esq. is the managing partner of Lackenbach Siegel, LLP an intellectual property law firm having deep, longstanding roots in the toy industry. For further information please contact Sanford B. Frank at sfrank2@optonline.net or (631) 285-1147.

THE TOY BOOK •

91

Industry Marketplace

, OLLIE S WANTS YOUR

CLOSEOUTS!!

SELL DIRECTLY TO A RETAILER

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Classifieds Playtime Sales & Marketing Co. LLC A Toy Manufacturers Sales Representative Corporate Office 331 Piermont Road Norwood, New Jersey 07648 TEL: 201-784-7727 FAX: 201-784-1912 E Mail: murraybass@playtimesales.com // lensoyka@playtimesales.com The Playtime Sales & Marketing Company, LLC. is a Toy and Electronics Manufacturers sales representative organization. Our prime focus is to represent Toy and Electronics Manufacturers to the Mass Market Retailers. The principals of our Company our Len Soyka and Murray Bass. Our only vocation has been in the Toy Industry. We are dedicated toy professionals.

Our geographical areas of sales coverage and accounts include: • NEW ENGLAND…Connecticut North to Maine and Upstate N.Y. Accounts… CVS Drug, BJ’s Whle. Club, Xmas Tree Shops, Benny’s and Ocean State.

• N.Y. METRO…N.Y. City and New Jersey. Accounts… Toys R Us and their DOTCOM and Global Divisions, FAO Schwarz, Shepher Distributors and Supermarket Chains.

•MID-LANTIC…Pennsylvania, Wash D.C., Northern Virginia and Western Ohio.

Accounts…Rite Aid Drug, Group Sales and Lillian Vernon • K mart USA // JC Penney Catalog // Universal Studios Orlando // Gordman’s // Duckwall // Pamida // AAFES // Walmart // Variety Wholesalers • CANADA…Walmart, Toys R Us and Zellers’ We employ a staff of 5 toy sales specialists. Our contact information is listed on our above shown letterhead. We welcome your inquiries.

92 • THE TOY BOOK

MAY/JUNE 2010

Industry Marketplace Classifieds

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Klosters Trading, established in 1987, provides business intelligence on the toy and video game market to qualified clients. Sell-through data is derived from own retailer panels on a bi-weekly basis. Additional sources are national buyers at big box stores both in the United States and Europe; non-C level sales executives at the large manufacturers; and component suppliers located in China, Europe and the U.S. Please email lmuller@klosterstrading.com for quotes.

Place a classified in Please contact Yasmin Johnson 212-575-4510 x 2330 yjohnson@adventurepub.com

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Advertiser Index Adventure Publishing Group ........................................29 All Baby & Child .......................................................S37 Artisands.....................................................................S77 Briarpatch Inc ...............................................................31 Buy Seasons ...............................................................S35 Corolle Dolls.................................................................53 Charisma Brands ..........................................................S2 China Toy Association..................................................85 Cloud B.......................................................................S27 Delta Children's Products .......................................11, 13 Eastcolight ..................................................................S13 Elmer’s/Giddy Up...........................................................4 Folkmanis ...................................................................S23 Forum 123.....................................................................93 Funosophy.....................................................................95 Gold Crest Funding ......................................................92 Grand Prix International ...............................................33 HABA USA..................................................................S5 Holdenone LLC/Zippies...........................................S341

International Playthings LLC .....................................S11 Iseo Chemdis Pvt Ltd .................................................7, 9 Jonny Hawkins .............................................................92 Maisto ...........................................................................96 Mega Brands.................................................................15 Mindware....................................................................S31 Neat-Oh International.................................................S29 NPD ..............................................................................87 Ollie’s............................................................................92 Pacific Play Tents .......................................................S21 Perisphere and Trylon Inc ..........................................S17 Playtime Sales and Marketing ......................................92 Pressman Toy..............................................................S33 Pretty Ugly LLC.........................................................S45 Scratch Art ..................................................................S39 Skechers........................................................................27 Thames & Kosmos .....................................................S15 Top Trumps.................................................................1, 2 Universal Studios..........................................................25

THE AD INDEX IS PUBLISHED AS A COURTESY. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO BE ACCURATE, LATE ADDITIONS AND CHANGES IN LAYOUT MAY RESULT IN ERRORS OR OMISSIONS.

MAY/JUNE 2010

THE TOY BOOK •

93

Flashback: May/June 1991 2.

3.

1.

1. Playmates offers WaterBabies, 12-inch dolls filled with warm water that have the warmth and life-like response of a real infant. 2. Jim Henson Productions (now called The Jim Henson Company) signs a licensing deal with Direct Connect for a Muppet Babies plush line. 3. Hasbro announces plans for the Steve Urkel Talking Doll, based on the Family Matters character.

FCC’S NEW RULES AFFECTING CHILDREN’S TV 1. Defines shows based on toys as “program-length commercials” only if the show includes advertisements for the same toy. Rule will have no impact on today’s current popular TV programs based on toy lines.

2. Television broadcasters and cable broadcasters will only be permitted to air commercials during children’s programming for 12 minutes an hour on weekdays and 10.5 minutes on weekends. Rule only applies to programs for children under the age of 12.

3. In order to renew their licenses, television broadcasters (excluding public TV stations) and cable broadcasters will have to keep records showing what they did to provide educational and informational programming for children under 16. The requirement, however, does not set any minimum standards.

94 • THE TOY BOOK

NINTENDO SETTLES FOR $25 MLLION IN PRICE-FIXING INVESTIGATION Although admitting to no wrongdoing, Nintendo of America has decided to settle with the Federal Trade Commission, as well as New York’s and Maryland’s state attorneys, who charge that the video game maker colluded and bullied retailers to keep the NES at the artificially high price of $99.95 since its introduction in 1985.

The settlement, which calls for Nintendo to distribute $25 million in $5 coupons to NES owners, in the end may prove to be a silver lining for the company. The coupons can only be redeemed for future purchases of Nintendo products.

The company has also agreed to write to retailers informing them that they have the right to set their own prices for the NES.

MAY/JUNE 2010