Vol. 27, No. 6
Oh Boy! Craft Kits Get Creative to Expand Their Demographic
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he arts and crafts category has long captured the interests of tween girls with make-your-own jewelry and accessory kits. With this success comes the challenge of producing new items with fresh takes for the category and keeping up with tween fashion trends. Alex, among other companies manufacturing products in the category, has turned to unconventional materials as the basis of its new fashion kits. Alex is introducing five kits this year that use duct tape to make accessories, including All Duct Out to make belts, jewelry, headbands, glasses, and a purse. Some companies are trying to capture a new audience: boys. Retailer Karen Barwick, owner of Boomerang Toys in Manhattan and Staten Island, N.Y., has tried different boy-targeted arts and crafts, but those products aren’t as popular in her shops as she would like them to be.
December/January 2012
Nuremberg Toy Fair
page 60
page 67 Naughty or Nice? Green Toys at the Tipping Point
page S8 Getting a Read on Children’s Publishing
page S12
page 20
table of contents Published by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.®
December/January 2012 Departments Editor’s Viewpoint Page 9
Stat Shot Page 10
TIA Perspectives Page 12
Volume 27, Number 6 www.toybook.com P UBLISHER Jonathan Samet jsamet@adventurepub.com
Features
E DITOR IN C HIEF Jackie Breyer jbreyer@toybook.com
Oh Boy! Craft Kits Get Creative Page 60
A SSOCIATE E DITOR Elizabeth A. Reid ereid@toybook.com
How to Boost the Value of Your Vertical Business Page 86
A SSISTANT E DITOR Melissa Tinklepaugh mtinklepaugh@licensingbook.com
Nuremberg Toy Fair
Opening
page 20
Page 14
Welcome to Nuremberg
page 21
Marketing Memo
Nuremberg Toy Fair: Where the World Shops
page 22
Industry Update
Page 16
Talking Social Media Page 17
Property Profile: Moshi Monsters
Reinventing the Wheels: The May Cheong Group Celebrates 45 Years
page 24
Nuremberg Product Preview
page 26
From Salzburg to You
page 58
Specialty Toys & Gifts: Page 67
International Toy News
Getting a Read on Children’s Publishing Page S12
Industry Marketplace Page 88
Flashback: December/January 1992
Page 90
C ONTRIBUTING W RITERS /E DITORS Mike Handelsman, Bryan Joiner, Carter Keithley, Ernst Kick, Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Andy Marken, Kathleen McHugh, Atsuko Tatsumi, Scarlett Wisotzki A DVERTISING D IRECTOR Diana Veach dveach@adventurepub.com P RODUCTION D IRECTOR Anthony K. Guardiola aguardiola@adventurepub.com C ONTROLLER /O FFICE M ANAGER Robert Forde rforde@adventurepub.com
Page 18
Page 82
A SSISTANT E DITOR Ericka Johnson ejohnson@toybook.com
New Page s S2
ights s n I s ’ A R AST ge S4 Pa
Wha t’ Pag s New e S1 4
owcase h S s e i t i v i Act Page S6
Naughty or Nice? Green Toys at the Tipping Point Page S8
O FFICE A SSISTANT Jazmin Idakaar jidakaar@adventurepub.com U.S. Corporate Headquarters Laurie Schacht, President laurieschacht@aol.com
Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® 307 Seventh Ave., #1601 New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 575-4510 Fax: (212) 575-4521
Member, International Toy Magazine Association
Editor’s
Jackie Breyer editor
T
The Toy Book Heads to Nuremberg
he Toy Book‘s tagline is “Serving the Global Market,” and we strive to deliver on that promise. While we primarily offer coverage of the North American toy industry, we have been expanding our reach by leaps and bounds, incorporating news and new products from international manufacturers, and providing insight into the benefits of attending international trade shows. Last year, The Toy Book joined the prestigious International Toy Magazine Association, and we are now able to offer our readers articles from toy publications based around the world. In this issue, you’ll find an article from Germany’s Das Spielzeug about the recently held China Toy Expo, and from Japan’s Weekly Toy News about the continued recovery of Japan’s toy industry following last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami. In December, we sent out our digital Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair overview and directory. If you didn’t receive it, please email subscribe@adventurepub.com and request to be added to The Toy Book’s subscriber list. We also cover global toy news in our weekly e-newsletter, The Toy Report. In this issue, we turn our focus to International Toy Fair Nuremberg. Beginning on page 20, we cover what’s new at the show, and what you will see from some of the exhibitors, both American and international. If you are attending the show, you probably picked up your copy at the show’s exhibition center. If you are reading this as a subscriber, first of all, thanks! This will serve as your taste of Nuremberg Toy Fair. We hope we are able to introduce you to some new manufacturers and products you haven’t seen before. Be sure to check out our profile of international property Moshi Monsters, which is rapidly gaining popularity around the world. Coverage is on page 18.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Viewpoint
Also within this issue, we take a look at the arts and crafts category, and the way manufacturers are tackling retailer and consumer requests for more innovative products— both for the usual tween girl audience, as well as how they are getting boys in on the creativity. Coverage begins on page 60. Also be sure to check out our presentation of what’s new in the world of eco-friendly toys. You’ll find this within our Specialty Toys & Gifts section, beginning on page S8. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 9
S TAT S HOT TOP 10 FAMILY E NTERTAINMENT & CASUAL GAMES TITLES R ANKED BY T OTAL U.S. U NITS , N OVEMBER 2011
RANK 1
TITLE
12 ANGRY BIRDS 5” PLUSH RED BIRD WITH SOUND
WIPEOUT 2
4 ANGRY BIRDS: KNOCK ON WOOD GAME
14 LEAPFROG LEAPPAD EXPLORER LEARNING TABLET
WIPEOUT: THE GAME
6 ALEX FRIENDS 4 EVER BRACELET MAKING KIT
16 FISHER-PRICE BRILLIANT BASICS BABY’S FIRST BLOCKS
MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE
8 SCRABBLE SLAM CARDS
18 MELISSA & DOUG WOODEN SANDWICH-MAKING SET
10 SNAP CIRCUITS JR. SC-100
20 AIR SWIMMERS R/C FLYING CLOWNFISH
4
ROCKSMITH
5
JUST DANCE KIDS 2
7
PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES
8 9
10
11 SPOT IT
2 AIR SWIMMER R/C INFLATABLE FLYING SHARK
DANCE CENTRAL 2
6
1 RORY’S STORY CUBES
B EST-S ELLING T OYS , D ECEMBER 2011
JUST DANCE 3
2 3
A MAZON . COM
3 QWIRKLE BOARD GAME
5 SYMA R/C HELICOPTER
THE BLACK EYED PEAS EXPERIENCE JUST DANCE 2
Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service
7 PERPLEXUS MAZE GAME
9 SPY NET: STEALTH VIDEO GLASSES
13 MELISSA & DOUG SEE & SPELL
15 THE ELF ON THE SHELF
17 SNAP CIRCUITS SC-300
19 APPLES TO APPLES PARTY BOX
Toy Sales Are Mixed Around the Globe “As Europe gets nearer to peak season there is much talk about the difficulties faced by the Eurozone and its currency. Toy sales performance shows a discrepancy between the northern countries (the UK, France, and Germany/Austria) and the southern ones (Spain, Italy, and Portugal), affected by the recession and increasing unemployment. It is with some anxiety that Europe moves into peak season; however, given the high seasonality of sales, everything is still possible and we remain optimistic for a 1‐2 percent growth for full year 2011 in Europe.” —Frederique Tutt, Industry Analyst, NPD EuroToys
Sources: Europe: NPD / Retail Tracking U.S.: NPD / Consumer Tracking Service
10 • THE TOY BOOK
“U.S. toy industry sales were soft heading into the holiday time frame. As Frederique mentions, total year results are highly dependent upon the holiday time frame and, in particular, the last six weeks of the year when up to 30 percent of total year revenues can be realized. Our KIDS holiday wish list results reveal that toy items once again comprised nearly half of all wish list mentions for holiday 2011, so toys were top of mind with parents when thinking of gifts for their children.” —Anita Frazier, Industry Analyst
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
European Market Update
TOP 10 ITEMS YTD, WEEK 50 he NPD Group is about to release its final numbers for the toy IN VALUE IN THE UK market for 2011. As of press time—with two critical weeks of data missing—it is still early to provide an accurate figure, but NPD is RANK PRODUCT, MANUFACTURER hoping that after a good start in December in the largest markets, sales 1 VTECH KIDIZOOM TWIST DIGITAL, VTECH from the last and extra Saturday before the holidays will record a double2 LEGO MINIFIGURES, LEGO digit growth in most countries, and bring full-year figures up slightly from 3 LEAPPAD EXPLORER TABLET, LEAPFROG those recorded at the end of November. Yet, these figures will fall on the whole somewhat short of industry ex4 INNOTAB LEARNING TABLET, VTECH pectations. Even though 2011 started fairly well up to Easter in most Eu5 STAR WARS 2011 LPP, LEGO ropean countries, growth slowed down from May to September. As we 6 FIRST STEPS BABYWALKER, VTECH entered into peak season there was real concern over the European econ7 BEN 10 UA 10 CM ASST., BANDAI omy, and the various government budget cuts started to have a bigger impact in many retail markets. All in all, the European toy industry has 8 CARS 2 CHARACTER ASST., MATTEL proven its resilience once again thanks to the largest countries (France, 9 NERF N-STRIKE MAVERICK, HASBRO Germany, and the UK to some extent), and the slight progression 10 NERF N-STRIKE BARRICADE RV-10, HASBRO recorded should ensure that the five largest countries record a slight inSource: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service crease in the single digits. 2011 was a difficult year for many, and the winners were mostly the big suppliers with global reach on the manufacturing side as well as on the licensing side. Due to the recession, it is becoming harder and harder for smaller players without a USP to reach critical size and exposure, and to simply free up marketing budgets and promote themselves or invest in R&D. As we enter 2012, this leaves the toy industry in Southern Europe in a difficult situation. Frédérique Tutt, analyst for NPD EuroToys, says, “2011 was a challenging year for the UK toy industry, and once again we realize how fortunate we are to be working for an industry dedicated to children. Our consumer data shows that parents and grandparents worked their budget a little bit harder but spent more overall, and families came first to the expense of friends, therefore children were spared on the whole. New toys were also of a very high standard this year, thanks in part to technology, and some fantastic new brands were launched (Lego’s Ninjago, Mattel’s Monster High, Spin Master’s Zoobles), which drove consumers into shops. 2012 is likely to be even more challenging.” ■
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European Toy Markets—Year-to-Date 2011
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
THE TOY BOOK • 11
Toy Industry Association Perspectives
Optimizing Your Investment in Global Toy Fair Participation by Carter Keithley, president, Toy Industry Association (TIA)
T
oy companies seeking to sell their products outside their home market need to make careful strategic decisions about participating in the many toy fairs around the world that will connect them with toy retailers in different markets. There are many events to choose from; in the first two months of each year toy fair locations include Hong Kong, London, Nuremberg, and New York City. Later in the year, there are fairs in São Paulo, Canton, India, Shanghai, and elsewhere. Each city offers opportunities to create or enhance the dialogue between producers and retailers. I would first like to make the case for participation in our New York Toy Fair. The Toy Industry Association’s American International Toy Fair in New York City, like our Fall Toy Preview in Dallas, opens the door to those who want to sell their toys in North America, which is still the largest toy market in the world. The aggregate European market is a close second to North America, but it is fragmented by differences in toy preferences that appeal to children in different nations. The aggregate Asian market, including China, Japan, and Korea, is also a close second, but there are substantial difficulties in penetrating those markets. South America, while growing, is still less than onethird of the size of North America. The North American market offers convenient distribution, no artificial obstacles to entry, consistent regulation, and easy paths for promotion—and our toy market is still growing. The population of North American children ages 0 to 10 is expected to grow by nearly 15 percent over the next 20 years. Each February, TIA hosts more than 25,000 guests from 90 countries focused on selling toys in the North American market. We will introduce new technologies and opportunities at the fair. This year, we will debut the new Brand & Entertainment Showcase, which will satisfy increased demands from the licensing community to collaborate in a formalized setting. We are also offering a buyer-exhibitor matching program that enables buyers to identify the types of products they’d like to see and be matched with appropriate companies. Our social
12 • THE TOY BOOK
media programs, the Toy Fair Mobile app and Online Press Room, make it easy for exhibitors to spread important information about their companies and products. Foreign buyers also attend New York Toy Fair in huge numbers to shop for new toys that will sell well in their markets. At last year’s fair, TIA saw a 20 percent increase in global toy retailer attendees, and we expect this number to continue to grow for this year. We’ve had a productive partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) Foreign Buyer Program, and in hosting TIA delegations to foreign markets. Every toy fair in the world offers its own unique advantages and opportunities. Any company in the toy business must take advantage of new introductions, serendipitous meetings, nurturing of relationships, and the new understandings that are gained at toy fairs around the world. The most successful toy companies participate in as many fairs as possible, but the cost of participation can be significant; smaller companies must make careful decisions about where they should attend and display. The numbers are up substantially for 2012 New York Toy Fair, to be held February 12-15, and we expect a fantastic show. Upward of 1,000 members of the global press are expected to converge in New York City to report on—and play with—all sorts of wonderful new toys. I hope everyone has a safe journey in their first quarter travels, and TIA hopes to see you at New York Toy Fair in just a few short weeks. For more information about TIA’s Toy Fair, visit www.ToyFairNY.com. ■
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Industry Update FanTOYstic Fact Babar, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary, was created when Cécile de Brunhoff invented a bedtime story for her sons. The tale centered on a little elephant living in the jungle whose mother was killed by a hunter. After her husband, Jean de Brunhoff, saw how hooked their sons were by the story, he created an illustrated book about the elephant. When de Brunhoff died of tuberculosis, his 12-year-old son, Laurent, took over. To date, more than 10 million Babar books have been published in the U.S. alone. Through September 2, Babar will be featured in the Toy Gallery at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, highlighted by illustration boards and vintage toys. A new CGI TV series, Babar and the Adventures of Badou, is currently broadcast around the world.
SHOW RENAMED TOYFEST WEST The Western States Toy & Hobby Show has been renamed ToyFest West, and features the tagline “The Buyers’ Playground.” The show will run March 24-27 in Long Beach, Calif., at the Long Beach Convention Center. Events will include the PlayWest Gala Reception, ToyFest Game Night, and the “Best of the Fest” by ASTRA. For more information, visit www.toyfestwest.com.
14 • THE TOY BOOK
NEW SHOW TO RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH TIA’S FALL TOY PREVIEW This year, Dallas Market Center will premiere a new trade event for massmarket retailers, “PB&J: The Preview for Baby & Juvenile,” created as a joint venture with the Toy Industry Association (TIA). The new show will debut and run concurrently with TIA’s annual Fall Toy Preview, to be held October 2-4 on the Dallas Market Center campus. PB&J will offer a focused selection of baby and juvenile resources from different manufacturers, with an emphasis on companies in the categories of furniture, bedding, gifts, décor, baby care, accessories, strollers, high chairs, and nursing/feeding. Echoing Fall Toy Preview’s model, PB&J will be a by-appointment-only event that brings together vendors with mass retailers for private meetings and networking events. The Dallas Market Center will provide meeting rooms, Babar WiFi, special hospitality, and other amenities. For more information, visit www.pbandjshow.com.
ABC KIDS EXPO’S 2013 SHOW MOVES BACK TO VEGAS ABC Kids Expo is moving its 2013 show back to Las Vegas after feedback from industry participants, announced All Baby & Child, Inc. (ABC), the parent company and organizer of the trade show. The location for the upcoming 10th annual Expo, to be held October 14-17, will remain at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Most of the exhibit space for the 2012 show (75 percent) has already been sold. ABC says it is working closely with Louisville officials and suppliers to address concerns for this year’s show. Concerns being discussed include improved healthy food options and reduction in wait times, reconstruction of the expo center’s WiFi system, and more restaurant options in the city on Sunday. For more information, or to register for the show, visit www.theabcshow.com.
U.S. TOY RECALLS DOWN IN FISCAL ’11 There were 34 toy recalls in fiscal year 2011, down from 46 toy recalls in fiscal year 2010, 50 in 2009, and 172 in 2008, according to U.S. officials. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) officials said stronger federal rules are making a positive impact and restoring confidence in the safety of toys.
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, and add that address to your address book to ensure delivery. For up-to-the-minute news, follow The Toy Book on Twitter: twitter.com/ToyBook, and “like” The Toy Book on Facebook: facebook.com/TheToyBook. Visit our blog at www.toybook.com.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
KOELNMESSE PARTNERS WITH TJPA TO CO-HOST CHINA KIDS EXPO
LOTERIA COMES TO THE U.S.
Koelnmesse and the China Toy & Juvenile Products Association (TJPA) have announced a collaboration that will see the German trade fair organizer co-hosting the China International Baby Carriers & Baby Articles Fair (China Kids Expo), which will be held October 11-13 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in China. The partners aim to maximize the synergy of both parties to establish China’s only international showcase platform for the industry. As the driving force behind juvenile products fair Kind+Jugend, Koelnmesse will lend its expertise and contacts to give China Kids Expo a worldwide reach. China Kids Expo co-locates with the 11th Trade Fair for Toys & Hobby, which is also organized by TJPA. Organizers project more than 1,000 exhibitors to participate at the events, which span approximately 80,000 square meters in total, including 500 companies at China Kids Expo. For more information, visit www.china-kids-expo.com.
Techno Source, a division of LF Products, and FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), have signed a new licensing agreement. As part of the deal, Techno Source will bring Loteria, Mexico’s most popular family board game, to the U.S. market. Sold for more than 200 years, Loteria is a classic bingo-style game of chance that uses colorful, iconic images of Mexican culture on playing cards instead of numbers on ping-pong balls. The game will launch at retail this spring.
TIA TO HOST SAFETY COMPLIANCE UPDATE DURING NY TOY FAIR The Toy Industry Association’s 2012 Toy Safety Compliance Update will be held on Tuesday, February 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. during American International Toy Fair. The annual seminar is an opportunity for members of the toy industry to hear the latest news and developments related to toy safety laws and other recent legislative and regulatory activities, trends, and emerging issues. Expanding on the format of recent years, this year’s three-hour session will include presentations from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The in-depth seminar will provide detailed information on toy safety standards, laws, and compliance requirements in the U.S. and abroad. The seminar is free to TIA members and $149 for non-members.
SMC ENTERTAINMENT SIGNS DEAL FOR THE JUNGLE BOOK SMC Entertainment (SMC), the recently launched entertainment and brand management division of Sun-Mate Corporation, will attend American International Toy Fair in February with its latest property, The Jungle Book. SMC Entertainment acquired all North American television, home entertainment, licensing, and merchandising rights, as well as all promotional rights to the CGI-animated The Jungle Book television series and the one-hour feature from DQ Entertainment International. In addition, the company has also acquired the master toy rights to the property for Australia and New Zealand, and licensing and merchandising rights for South Africa. The Jungle Book is the first CGI-animated series based on the classic stories to be produced in almost 25 years. Global home entertainment partners include NBC Universal for the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan; Sony Pictures Entertainment; and other partners. In Germany, rights for figurines, puzzles, and board games are licensed to Universal Trends GmbH; in the UK, Mookie holds toy rights; and in Israel, Spark Toys has the rights for toys and games. ■
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
NEW NEAT-OH! DISTRIBUTION As part of new deals, Neat-Oh! will expand European distribution of its products, available in a variety of themes, shapes, sizes, and licenses. Sablon Europe will distribute the products to Germany, France, Austria, and the Benelux. Neat-Oh! has also teamed up with HTI for distribution of its products throughout the UK.
THE TOY BOOK • 15
Marketing
Memo
Pumping New
Life and
Results into Email Marketing by Andy Marken, Marken Communications
E
mail has been around since the beginning of the Internet. In fact, it’s been around so long it has become old-fashioned and archaic. That’s because too many people only think of it in terms of the early days of online marketing—mass mailings with HTML coding that are sent out to 5,000-10,000 rented addresses. When email marketing doesn’t work, it’s because people use the old cookie-cutter approach: developing a profile of the ideal target market, creating a tailored list that fits the profile, and sending out emails to the profiled individuals. A blanket email marketing pitch doesn’t work if it isn’t personalized and doesn’t coincide with the recipient’s wants and needs. In today’s overly socialized, overly personalized world, shotgun emails that clog an inbox are a nuisance at best and a turn-off at worst. People want, expect, and demand value and relevance with brands and products. It doesn’t mean email outreaches should be retired. It still remains a powerful, effective, and, yes, inexpensive means of connecting with individuals to strengthen relationships. A well-developed and well-executed email keeps your target audience interested and involved, and gives them reasons to share your messages with friends and family. Email builds brand loyalty and customer ties. Additionally, people receiving the message need to immediately understand why the message is important to them. That means starting it with a relevant, intriguing subject line. Twitter may have a 140-character limitation, but email subject lines should be 50 characters or less.
Subject Guidelines Here are some guidelines that will help your email get attention in the first five seconds: Spend time crafting the subject line. Think long and
16 • THE TOY BOOK
hard about the message and how it resonates with the person receiving it. The subject line should make the person want to save the email, read the news, and take action. Test constantly. You should continually test the subject lines to determine which ones produce the best response. Some messages “feel” good but don’t resonate with the recipient. Personalize. Some advanced email systems can insert the first name of the recipient. To take your effort to a whole new level you can also include personalized brand/product relationship information. Personalizing the subject line can increase the open rate by up to 65 percent. Raise interest and anticipation. When possible, but certainly not with every email, include an action deadline. Limited-time, special offers and deadline reminders can increase action and results. Avoid spam filters. Spammy words and phrases in subject lines (such as FREE!!!, Save $, Lowest Prices, URGENT!, Double Your Sales, etc.) pass right through an inbox to the spam folder. Even if the email makes it to the inbox, those subject lines turn off recipients. Be a journalist. When you read the news, glance through the headlines to determine which are the most important and interesting to you. Newspaper headline writers have spent years summarizing the essence of the article so it is compelling to the reader. Follow the same guidelines. Be concise. Brevity is important, so leave out unnecessary words. Get to the point without a lot of superfluous, polished language. The reader’s time is valuable, so respect it. To produce results, you should adjust your approach. Start by establishing a schedule, a complete plan, long- and short-range goals, etc. It won’t be long before recipients will begin to expect, maybe even look forward to, your email. Then, rigorously follow the schedule.
continued on page 66 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Talking Social Media
Social Media:
No One Leaves a Goo d Movie
PART 8 OF A SERIES
by Andy Marken, Marken Communications
T
he number of individuals watching video content online has risen dramatically in recent years, and younger generations are making mobile content a part of their daily lives. Today’s smartphones and tablets are becoming popular educational, informational, and entertainment tools. The average Internet user watches about 16.8 hours of online video a month, up from last year’s 14.5 hours of video, according to eMarketer. ComScore’s research results are even higher. It recently reported that 178 million Americans watched a record 6.26 billion video sessions in a year. Part of that acceleration is attributed to more people using their mobile devices—smartphones and tablets—for viewing. The web is one of the first places people go to when they’re looking for information on a product, service, problem, review, and more. As a result, videos provide manufacturers and retailers an excellent opportunity for capturing and holding eyeballs on the web.
INFORM, EDUCATE, SELL Adding online video to a company website can allow an organization’s communications and marketing staff to provide an up-close and personal look at products, explain how they work, and help people make the best purchase decision. Research shows that video usage increases sales conversion and reduces returns. Organizations that include informative yet casual videos about their products, services, and capabilities not only get more traffic, but they keep people on their website three times longer, according to researchers. The range of video content that can be included goes well beyond a straight “product feature.” Videos can include how-tos, installation, applications, troubleshooting, and, increasingly, third-party endorsements. In addition to posting videos on an organization’s website, firms can add them to their Facebook page, Google+ account, and a wide range of video posting sites for added traffic. There
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
is a growing list of video placement locations, which allow people to share personal and business videos on specific topics. These video sites are being swamped with content from around the globe. For example, YouTube reports that every minute, 48 hours of videos are uploaded to its website. Video has become such a powerful tool that firms are providing video links on press releases. In addition to improving sales and reducing returns, videos can boost search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Sites and pages with videos rank higher, especially when they aren’t embedded or in pop-up windows. Companies should ensure good SEO copy accompanies the videos to maximize potential viewership.
MINI-SERIES Today, the bulk of video viewed online is snackable—bitesized information or entertainment rather than a complete meal, so to speak. The most popular online video content, watched by 40 percent or more of the U.S. online video audience, are short pieces of five minutes or less. The majority of viewers prefer fast, informational messages. In 2011, the average video session lasted only 5.4 minutes, up very slightly from 2010.
continued on page 66 THE TOY BOOK • 17
Property Profile Licensor: Mind Candy Main Characters: Diavlo, Furi, Poppet, Katsuma, Luvli, Zommer Moshis Come Alive “Moshi has experienced phenomenal growth in the last year. We’ve grown from just over 30 million registered users to well over 50 million! We’ve launched physical products—including toys, books, and trading cards—in the UK, North America, and Australia/New Zealand, and sales have been very strong. Launched in February this year, the Moshi magazine is the best-selling kids’ title in the UK, and has now launched in Australia and North America also. Our debut console game, Moshling Zoo for the Nintendo DS, has seen fantastic sales, reaching No. 1 in the UK. Following our exclusive with Toys “R” Us in 2011, we launched at retail in the U.S. beginning in January. And there’s so much more to come with the launch of Moshi TV, Moshi Monsters Music, and Moshi Live.” —Michael Acton Smith CEO, Mind Candy
Did you know. . .
— Moshi Monsters was originally called Puzzle Monsters due to its underlying educational elements. The name was changed before launch as Moshi sounded more fun.
— The original name for Poppet was Bear, and Luvli was Cherri.
— The most expensive new item in the video game (that’s not a new room for a house) is the Door to Another World, at 499 rox.
— It’s expected that more than 20 million Moshling figurines were sold in the UK by Christmas 2011, and more than 500 million messages have been sent within MoshiMonsters.com. — Some think Moshi is an overnight success, although the site has been live for four years as of 2012.
University Games Are you ready to take on challenges in order to collect the most Moshlings in Moshi Monsters Amazing Dash Game? The journey won’t be easy. The rarest Moshlings are the most difficult to catch, but will bring you the most points. As soon as you catch your Moshlings, add them to your very own Moshling Zoo. The player who collects the most Moshlings points at the end of the game wins.
Disguise Get ready to battle Dr. Strange Glove with Disguise’s Moshi Monsters “Super Moshi” costumes. Costumes include a dress or jumpsuit and a character-inspired headpiece, and are available in children’s sizes 4-6X and 7-8. They will be available at retail next fall.
Spin Master Collect all 48 Moshlings available with the Moshi Monsters 1-Packs and 3-Packs from Spin Master. Every pack comes with a secret code. Try to find one of the 12 rare Moshlings. Also available, the Moshi Monsters Plush Assortment features six Moshi Monsters, from Katsuma to Furi, in plush form. Each Moshi Monster comes with one secret code that unlocks a special item online. Finally, the Moshi Monsters Moshling Plush Series 1 contains six collectible Moshling plush characters. Each includes a clip for attaching to backpacks and a secret code that unlocks a special item online.
Innovation First Mega Brands Create and customize the fantastic world of Moshi Monsters. Add to your Moshi Monsters collection or start it off right with the Moshi Monsters Ooh La Lane by Mega Bloks. Within this 99-piece set are two figures: Katsuma and Giuseppe Gelato, plus a surprise moshling. Kids can make both monsters, build ice cream cones at the Ice Scream Shop, or use the brightly colored pieces to create Gabby’s Café where they can grab a yummy snack. Build it exactly like it’s shown in the Moshi Monsters online game, or design a whole new street in Monstro city.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Innovation First International will expand at retail in the U.S., UK, and Canada markets this spring with the debut of Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters. The bobble-head mini robotic pets and customizable play sets leverage the company’s patented Hexbug Nano vibration technology. The company’s new licensing partnership with Mind Candy will see Monstro City brought to life in the physical world with collectible Moshlings that buzz around, exploring their customizable environment.
THE TOY BOOK • 19
Velkommen ようこそ
Welcome to
환영합니다
Nuremberg Toy Fair
Καλώς ορίσατε V 迎 älkom m en Bienve o d n i v nido m n e e B m Velkom Willkommen Bienve Benvenuto nue Shalom
Welcome to Nuremberg! by Ernst Kick, CEO of Nuremberg Toy Fair
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ark Twain wrote of the Germans, “They are warmhearted, emotional, impulsive, enthusiastic, their tears come at the mildest touch, and it is not hard to move them to laughter.” The rest of the world thinks Germans are orderly, enterprising, and hard-working. For anyone who thinks these qualities don’t fit together, a visit to the 2012 Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair in Nuremberg is recommended. This is precisely where extremes combine— at play. Here you get to know him, the emotional, impulsive German, who works hard and knows a thing or two about orderliness. Indeed, the German is addicted to playing. The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer already knew that “fate shuffles the cards and we play”—even though he didn’t think too much of playing in other respects. It is no coincidence that the international toy industry meets once a year in Germany. Here you not only get to know the Germans and visit Bavaria, which many people often think is the whole of Germany, but there’s so much more. Nuremberg Toy Fair is the focal point for developing the European market, which has ample potential. Europe offers companies great opportunities. No other market is so complex and at the same time so promising for small and medium enterprises. Specialists and individualists are to be found in this vertically and horizontally strongly segmented market. Europe is often thought of as the trailblazer in research and development, as shown by innovative toy manufacturers
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including Lego, Playmobil, the Simba Dickie Group, and Giochi Preziosi. Germany acts as the European business center. As a leading and centrally located European economic power, Germany is the starting point for functioning sales networks and trade structures. Germany is located in the heart of Europe, and is its biggest and most successful international exhibition venue. After all, 75 percent of all worldleading exhibitions are held in Germany. The Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nuremberg has ranked as the world’s leading trade fair for several decades. Whether manufacturer or retailer, Nuremberg is more than just a meeting place for supply and demand. Nuremberg is a pure quality gathering for the market. The efficient fair program saves time and money and helps the toy industry do business. The International Toy Fair, with its power of innovation, rates as the industry’s top show of products, and at the same time as a central knowledge pool for a dynamic but also increasingly difficult business world. The toy industry’s biggest information and ordering event is a must for those wanting to orientate their company to export businesses or importers, and retailers planning a quality-oriented structure for their range. Nuremberg is more than just the hub to Europe. Nuremberg is the link to the global toy world, an idea pool, and the committed promoter of the toy world. Finally, a few more words from Mark Twain. “The man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.” And you’re sure to meet one or two cranks at Nuremberg Toy Fair. Don’t forget, the German is addicted to playing. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 21
Nuremberg Toy Fair: Where the World Shops
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udolph is already champing at the bit each December as Christmas approaches. It’s not easy for Santa to find his way around in today’s toy jungle. Toy retailers have a bigger problem, because they have to find the right products for all their target groups all year round. Retailers are successful if they appeal to their customers with a sophisticated range of products, but a broad assortment alone is not enough. They can only win their customers’ attention by always offering new and unique products. With 70,000 new articles among the one million products on display, Nuremberg Toy Fair is rightly regarded as an international pool for new products. The 80,000 trade visitors from all over the world who travel to Germany for inspiration in February think the same, and hope to inspire their customers, too.
Inter national Toy Fair Nuremberg Focuses on Teens in 2012 This year’s Nuremberg Toy Fair starts a day earlier than last year, running from February 1–6. The new fair date from Wednesday onward offers international visitors more consecutive workdays. The fair, with the tagline Toys4Teens, is
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geared to the high-spending target group of 13 to 16 year olds. Teens of this age may not earn much money of their own, but generously spend their family’s money. In the end, the teens determine when, why, and where mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa reach for their purse. Toys4Teens tackles the consumption and purchasing behavior of adolescents with the aim of giving toy retailers a better understanding of teenagers’ worlds. Only retailers who know their target groups and their preferences can tempt them into their shops. With the aid of many best practice examples, Toys4Teens makes retailers “fit for teens.” Here, retailers can get ideas on how to present their products in a more targeted way and what other measures they can use to reach teens. In addition, Spielwarenmesse eG has commissioned iconkids & youth, a Munich-based market research company that specializes in children and youth research, to help develop a study that examines the consumer behavior of teens, through questionnaires and interviews for teens and retailers. The survey tackled the group’s playing and buying behavior. Retailers described how they approach adolescents
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and the range of products offered to the demographic. Including retailers’ perspectives enables teens’ ideas to be compared with the products offered by the trade, thus showing where there’s need for improvement. Nuremberg Toy Fair’s Toys4Teens section is located at the Mitte (central) entrance area of the Nuremberg exhibition center. Running throughout the show’s duration, the Toys4Teens 300 sq. meter action area also includes exhibitors presenting products on individual theme islands. K n o w l e d g e f o r S u c ce s sf u l S e l l i n g Interested retailers can find more tips on handling the teenager target group at the fair’s Toy Business Forum. To match the Toys4Teens theme, the forum on February 4 is devoted to all things teenager. Visitors will receive all-around knowledge on this theme during 30-minute presentations. The free Toy Business Forum will run from February 2-6 and focuses on a different topic each day. Issues including social media, marketing for toy traders, and international trends are on the agenda. Additionally, the third Global Toy Conference takes place Monday, February 6. At this international conference, experts provide detailed insights into the key theme of “Tomorrow’s Toy Industry—Opportunities and Challenges.” Their various presentations will show the direction of development in the consumer goods industry, and what is necessary for a successful business in the future. Retailers and manufacturers can compile their own individual program from the various conference modules, and work on their own success. N e t w o r k i n g i n N ur e m b e r g Every year, 2,700 exhibitors meet 80,000 visitors from all over the world in Nuremberg. The International Toy Fair is the meeting place for those thirsty for knowledge, and for trend scouts and license creators. The fair has of-
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fered licensors and licensees their own community platform for networking since 2007. The platform, the LicenseCenter, is where experts from international licensing markets get updated on new trends. What really makes the LicenseCenter so attractive is the opportunity to cultivate personal contacts as well as gain new insights. Many exhibitors use LicenseCenter to organize licensing events for retailers. In line with the new start date of Nuremberg Toy Fair on February 1, the LicenseCenter is open a day longer. License creators and holders of licensing rights can present and discover licensing themes in an area of over 200 sq. meters from February 1-4. To make sure everyone at the fair can visit LicenseCenter, it will remain open until 7 p.m., an hour longer than the fair itself. The heart of the LicenseCenter— the International Trend Selection—is highly recommended. In this area, national and international media partners present the coming year’s three top themes in their respective national markets and open up a broader view beyond national boundaries. E x p e ri e n c e a M i l l i o n T o y s a t C l o se R a n g e Nuremberg Toy Fair presents an impressive range of products—more than one million toys from more than 60 countries. These include many toys buyers cannot find anywhere else, because 727 of the exhibitors are not present at any other fair. The total list of innovations, knowledge, and services the International Toy Fair offers its visitors can be seen at www.toyfair.de. If you would like to experience Nuremberg Toy Fair in person, contact your personal fair representative. The U.S. representative, Kallman Associates, is available to assist with all visitor needs in Nuremberg, from hotel rooms and show entry tickets, to directions to and from the show and recommendations for the best local restaurants. Just contact Kallmann Associates at: Tel: +1 (201) 652-7070, Fax: +1 (201) 652-3898; jerry@kallmanexpo.com. ■
Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nuremberg: February 1–6, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. (www.toyfair.de) LicenseCenter: February 1–4, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Toy Business Forum: February 2–6, (www.toyfair.de/toybusinessforum) Global Toy Conference: February 6, (www.globaltoyconference.com)
THE TOY BOOK • 23
Reinventing the Wheels The May Cheong Group Celebrates 45 Years with Die-Cast, R/C Innovations from Maisto and Bburago by Bryan Joiner
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ou’ll find the May Cheong Group where the rubber meets the road. Founded in 1967 in Hong Kong as the May Cheong Plastic Toy Factory, the company has expanded into more than 100 countries with its Maisto and Bburago brands of die-cast and R/C cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Every country comes with a set of customs, every market an invisible map. For the May Cheong Group, having people pound the pavement from Perth to Panama is what keeps the Maisto and Bburago engines purring. It’s with this extensive network of partners that the May Cheong Group rolls into Nuremberg Toy Fair promoting a new product line that pops the company out of its die-cast and R/C boxes, on its 45th anniversary. A new year brings new creations to the categories: cars as flat as credit cards, squeeze- and pedal-powered roadsters. The May Cheong Group will ring in 2012 with new lines roaring to life. The toy car business is changing, says Rick Berman, director of international licensing, marketing, and design for Maisto International. Mattel’s Hot Wheels MSRP went over $1 for the first time ever, prompting shifts in shelf
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space allocation at retailers. The crux of the die-cast business has always been the 1:64 scale, and wage increases at Chinese factories have trickled down to the consumer. “Prices are going to keep going up,” says Berman. “There’s just no way to avoid it. The movement in these categories is an economic one. You can put different features into a product and get better value for it when you add electronics, lights, and sounds. We have to seek out points of difference from the competition and make sure, price point-wise, we’re there and different enough to get retailers interested.” All of this is to say that the May Cheong Group is literally reinventing its wheels. Small additions to traditionally popular (and still hot) items can lead to more power at retail and higher returns at point of sale. The MaistoTech group of inventors works to bring innovation to the die-cast and R/C categories. The Squeeze ’n Go line—for kids who can “barely stand,” Berman jokes—uses a controller that moves a car forward, backward, and into spins when squeezed, using infrared technology. The Flat-Out Racers aren’t just paper thin; they’re papered over with customizable graphics to
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make them look like real cars, not cartoon versions of them. Pedal Jammers are pedal-activated and zoom ahead until they hit something. The new products add fire- (and pedal-) power to Maisto and Bburago’s already robust lines. Bburago’s Collezione Star Line brings the world’s finest sport vehicles to collectible form in several scales. The Bentley Continental Supersport Convertible ISR, of which only 100 actual units will be made, comes to the 1:18 scale line. The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, Jaguar XKR-S, and Lotus Evora S IPS roll into the 1:24 line, while the Formula One teams of McLaren and Red Bull come to 1:32 scale. Additionally, Bburago and Ferrari have new 1:43 scale items, including a Race & Play Wheelie set that unfolds to become a race track and pit stop, and a Carry Back Track Pack that unzips to become a race track and service area. All of these are in addition to Maisto’s Fresh Metal Play Places play sets, including a Deluxe Shuttle Launch set for NASA fans. Maisto and Bburago are bringing the entire product line to their adjacent booths in Nuremberg. Europe represents more than half of Maisto/Bburago’s market, and Nuremberg
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is where they do a good deal of their selling. During Nuremberg Toy Fair, Maisto and Bburago will be serving Europe and beyond, including buyers from South America— where Maisto and Bburago are huge—as well as Russia, India, and China. China is the May Cheong Group’s home base, and is the market with the most potential room for growth. Russia, India, Brazil, and Argentina are all complicated markets that May Cheong negotiates for a significant ground presence. The process is repeated on a smaller scale in Eastern Europe; Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey are all markets in which the May Cheong Group has gained a small but fundamental foothold through its network of diplomats. Berman sees the company in a strong position heading into 2012. As the die-cast- and R/C-buying economy stagnates, the business will keep moving. “I think what’s going to happen is that complications and factory issues in China will cause fewer manufacturers to be doing what we do. I think retailers will rely on people that they already know to develop their vehicle programs. We’re nimble enough to where we can move toward what the retailers are looking for and yet come up with innovative and different products so they can’t avoid us,” he says. “We’ve taken hobby-type products and made them for mass. That’s our niche.” Maisto was the first manufacturer to introduce a 1:18 scale in Asia. With its new innovations, there are many more firsts on the horizon toward which it has been heading for 45 years, a Pedal Jammer that never stops. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 25
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012 T
Sakar Has Nerf, Monster High, Hello Kitty, and More
he Nerf brand is moving into new territory with Nerf-branded night goggles, helmet cams, and other audio, visual, and technology merchandise from Sakar International. The new products will be created under license from Hasbro, Inc. The lineup will evoke the look and feel of the Nerf brand, and will blast onto store shelves in the U.S. and Canada in November. Highlights of the line include night vision goggles for see-in-the-dark fun, a digital cam that can be mounted on either a helmet or bike, a pocket DVR with a preview screen, and 2.1 and 5.1 MP digital cameras that are packaged with social networking software. The line will also include a 2GB PC/Mac-compatible flash drive shaped like a mini-Nerf blaster, a 2GB digital MP3 player, walkie-talkies with a range of up to 1,000 feet, and a multi-function flashlight. Under license from Mattel will come a range of “monster chic” youth electronics for Monster High. The branded products include light-up message boards, room doorbell answering machines and intercoms, and gaming, computer, and cell phone accessories. Additionally, Sakar manufactures Gummy Bears-branded youth electronics as part of a deal with Street Players, and branded electronics based on Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, as part of a deal with Marvel Entertainment. Nerf digital camera New Hello Kitty microphones and karaoke systems debut as Sakar expands its Hello Kitty collection. The items include the Hello Kitty Wireless Microphone, the Hello Kitty Microphone & Stand with iPod Input, Hello Kitty Portable CDG Karaoke, Hello Kitty Disco Party CDG Karaoke, and the Hello Kitty Super Karaoke System with Screen and Camera. The products are part of a bigger lineup of new Hello Kitty merchandise that ranges from Apple iPad and laptop/tablet cases to a dorm-sized fridge and microwave. Additionally, the company is releasing Disney AppClix, a 7.1 digital camera with easy photo transfer. The camera connects directly to the Apple iPad via the tablet’s proprietary 30-pin connector. Developed under license with Disney Computer Products, the new camera allows kids to take their own pictures and then connect for instant photo downloading, customizing, and sharing when it’s their turn with the family iPad. The Disney AppClix camera requires no cables, card readers, or connection kits to transfer images from camera to computer. Simply plug the camera into the iPad like a charger, and click “Download Photos” on the Disney Pix software, which is included with the product. Disney AppClix
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Hall 12.0, Stand B-07
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Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
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Playtime with PlayWow Toys’ Activity Sets
layWow Toys is a new company focused on infant and toddler products. Its Musical Activity Mirror and Pat Mat, for ages 3 months and up, is a two-in-one activity mirror that grows with the child. When the toy is flat, it is a play mat for tummy time. Each time baby pats the mat, three water pals swim up and around. As baby learns to sit up, inflate the back easel for sitting play. The product features a mirror, a peek-a-boo door, car flaps, jingle balls, and a music chip in the flower garden that plays three tunes. With the Bathtub Play Set, for ages 3 years and up, kids can have Leo the Lion, Edgar the Elephant, and Petey the Penguin play on the slide, sit on the tree, or splash in the pool. The play set features a peek-a-boo shell flap and suction cups that hold the play set tub to the wall. PlayWow Toys’ Activity Chair, for ages 3 and up, features a jingle bell ball on the armrest, a three-page flipbook, and three peek-a-boo characters with shape pockets. The Elephant Ball Pit, for ages 3 and up, is a soft place for children to play either indoors or outside. The ball pit includes 20 soft, colorful play balls to toss around. It also includes two inflatable rings that can be tossed onto the elephant’s trunk. Two children can play at a time. Hall 2, Stand A-09
Musical Activity Mirror and Pat Mat
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Safari Sculpts Wildlife
afari is adding new figures to its collection of products, safe for children ages 3 and up. Kids can get up close to the typically solitary black bear with Safari Ltd.’s jumbo-sized sculpt, Wildlife Wonders Black Bear. The figure stands five inches high and measures eight inches long. The Wild Safari Wildlife Sable Antelope stands independent of its herd in the oversized sculpt. The figure is based on the Sable Antelope from Africa, is hand-painted, and measures 4.5 inches in length and 4.25 inches in height. Each mini figure in the company’s Toobs Butterflies line ranges from one to three inches, and is hand-painted. Packaged in a reusable acetate “Toob,” the figures include a Red Glider, Green Swallowtail, Orange Barred Sulphur, White Angled Sulphur, Evenus Regalis, Anaea Clytemnestra, and Papilio Garleppi. All Safari figures are phthalateand lead-free.
Wildlife Wonders Black Bear
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Eurographics Makes Waves
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urographics brings a full slate of poster prints and jigsaw puzzles to Nuremberg Toy Fair. More than half of the company’s puzzles are devoted to science and education, including its Illustrated Periodic Table of the Elements, Human Body, and Solar System puzzles. The company has teamed up with Clearwater Marine Aquarium for exclusive puzzle and poster licenses for Dolphin Tale. Two new art collections are on display: Canadian Pacific Railways and Nathan Greene’s art. Foyer Hall 10.0-01
Hall 5, Stands A-30, B-31
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Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
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Globe TroToys Rolls Out New Deglingos
imply Deglingos, from Globe Trotoys, are the newest addition to the Deglingos French plush line. They are younger versions of BigBos the Wolf, Nonos the Dog, Jambonos the Pig, Bogos the Monkey, Croakos the Frog, and Gromos the Bear. The line is distributed exclusively by Geared for Imagination in the U.S., QHouse Kids in Canada, and Pour le Petit in Mexico.
Croakos the Frog
Hall 2, Stand A-02
Mega Bloks Has New Products for Preschool, Kids, and Collectors
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ext fall, Mega Bloks, a divison of Mega Brands, will premiere new products for its Power Rangers Super Samurai collection, including new modes Super Samurai, Super Mega, and Shogun. The Super Samurai Hero Packs assortment allows fans to build, display, and play. Super Samurai Pocket Racers are buildable fantasy vehicles featuring launchers and hero busts, and are also available for The Amazing Spider-Man. Other products include the Zord assortment, which includes a figure and weapon; the Battle assortment, which includes a buildable mini-Megazord, Nighlok villain, cityscape play set, and two battle plates; the Showdown assortment of buildable fantasy vehicles and figures with working launchers; and the MegaZord assortment. The Samurai Headquarters Battle is a play set that includes stunts, and features a suspended rope for swinging action, working launchers, and battle plates. The Motor Vehicles assortment joins Pocket Racers in Mega Bloks’ The Amazing SpiderMan lineup. Motor Vehicles are buildable rides for battle action between Spider-Man and the Lizard. The Techbot assortment includes poseable robot transporters. The Techbots—Spider-Man, Stealth Spider-Man, and the Lizard—come with special themed parts and launchers. Also new for The Amazing Spider-Man are the Oscorp TowerBattle, including a buildable tower top, SWAT copter, and more; the Oscorp Bite-Room, a buildable lab; the Bridge Showdown play set, in which kids can recreate the battle at Manhattan Bridge; and the Lizard’s buildable Sewer Headquarters Ambush play set. Mega Bloks is expanding its Need for Speed line with build and customize assortments and a collector Porsche GT3 RS, as well as its Halo line with characters, vehicles, pods, and armor. For preschoolers, Mega Bloks is expanding its First Builders line with a new collection of products. Products include the Big Building Bag, ABC Spell, 123 Count, Funny Animals, Whacky Wheels, the Deluxe Building Bag, Lil’ Vehicles, Steerme Vehicles, Build ’n Go Walker, the Big Block Wagon, Play ’n Go Table, TubTown, Family Home, Safari, and an assortment of Tiny ’n Tuff products. The Mega Bloks Lil’ Princesses are a line of princesses and their pony friends. The characters include Princess Dewdrop & Mist, Princess Starlight & Twinkle, Princess Ivy & Chestnut, Princess Blossom & Rose, and Princess Sunray & Glimmer. The Flower Crown Carriage is the personal coach of Princess Blossom. The Enchanted Castle is a home away from home for the Lil’ Princesses. Also available is the Twinkle Castle. Hall 4, Stand C-81, D-80
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Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
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Draco the Dragon Flies into Nuremberg for Zoobies
traight from the Land of Zoobia comes Uriel the Unicorn, a comfy pillow and soft coral fleece blanket all in one, suited for road trips or just cuddling in bed. Draco the Dragon has a toothy grin and sparkling wings to whisk kids away to mystical realms, and is also great for the car or couch. Designed with a child’s creativity in mind, Duffel Dogs can become a child’s best friend and travel companion. Their soft, plush body is also a duffel bag with a blanket zipped inside, complete with straps for carrying. This makes it fun and easy for kids to pack and carry all sorts of little belongings in their bag as they head out on their newest adventure.
Draco the Dragon
Hall 2, Stand B-04
Happy bvba Introduces Happy Cube XL
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appy bvba presents its Happy Cube XL, a 3-D puzzle game suitable for families and classrooms. The Happy Cube XL features six genius puzzles, and includes six extra large Happy Cubes and a booklet featuring 101 challenges in three levels. Play as the explorer who makes cubes with one color and puts them back into their frames, the builder who makes 3-D simple constructions one way with multi-colors, or the architect who constructs multicolored masterpiece combinations in several directions. Hall 4, Stand F-51
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Pax 56 Adds to Yoshiritsu’s Line of Construction Kits
ax 56, by Yoshiritsu Co., Ltd., is compatible with the company’s LaQ, a toy block invented and manufactured in Japan. An ideal starter kit for children ages 3 and up, the kit includes 56 pieces with two types of large rectangle- and hexagon-shaped blocks in red, blue, yellow, and green. The Pax parts snap together simply by inserting the side of the parts into the grooves. The kit includes an instruction book showing step-by-step illustrations to make interchangeable models, including a train, horse, car, flower, snail, windmill, helicopter, and bird, from just the two types of blocks. Hall 6, Stand B-17-2
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Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
Maisto and Bburago Race into Nuremberg
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aisto and Bburago race into Nuremberg with a huge selection of new products. For Bburago, the Bentley Continental Supersport Convertible ISR—a replica of the most powerful Bentley ever made, and one of which 100 actual units will be made—comes to the 1:18 scale Collezione Diamond line. The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento and the Jaguar SKR-S come to Bburago’s 1:24 Collezione Star line. Also in the line is the 1:24 scale Lotus Evora S IPS, adding a replica of the car with the linear power of a supercharged V6 and an automatic six-speed gearbox. The Bburago 1:43 Mega Dealer Showroom features four levels and several action features including an elevator, rotating car wash rollers, and a pair of repair robots. Two 1:43 scale die-cast cars are included. Bburago and Ferrari also offer new items. The 1:43 Ferrari Race & Play Wheelie is a selfpackaged play set. It unzips to become a race track and pit stop. A 1:43 scale Ferrari die-cast vehicle and four accessories are included. The 1:43 Ferrari Kids Carry Back Track Pack unzips to become a race track and service area. A die-cast Ferrari F10 and accessories are included, and the front panel replicates an authentic Ferrari F10 steering wheel. Bburago’s 1:32 Wrist Racers let users charge up the formula car with the controller, then go racing. The infrared controller has a realistic steering wheel with full function forward, reverse, left, and right control. The 1:32 Collezione Formula from Bburago brings the top two teams in Formula One—Red Bull and McLaren—to die-cast. From Maisto, there is plenty of action with the Fresh Metal Play Places line. The Road Race and Off Road track set feature vehicles have die-cast metal bodies with plastic parts, and two are 1:43 Ferrari Race & Play included. The Deluxe Truck Stop includes a big rig truck, and the Deluxe Shuttle Launch inWheelie cludes a large shuttle craft, die-cast truck, buildings, and antenna. The Deluxe Emergency City includes two die-cast emergency vehicles along with a fire station and police headquarters. All Fresh Metal Play Places sets include a 17-inch by 24-inch play mat. The Cycle Shop Play Set features ramps, storage, and operating details, including a motorcycle lift and display stand. The set also features a simulated computer station, graphic cut-outs, and a die-cast motorcycle. The Downtown Play Set includes tunnel, ramp, and elevator features; a simulated computer station; a storage unit; custom graphic cut-outs; and one die-cast vehicle. Maisto’s ultra-thin Flat Out Racers—Wacky Flats have a 3mm thin body, fast-rolling wheels, and customizable overlays to change their appearance. To use the new Pedal Jammers, press the pedal to activate lights, engine sounds, and shaking. With a third press of the pedal, the car zooms away and stops when it hits an obstacle. The product requires four AA batteries (not included). The Marvel Avengers line of three-inch Maisto vehicles features Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow. The vehicles have a die-cast body or chassis with plastic parts. Maisto’s ARM-ered Attack manually converts from a handheld weapon to a full-function R/C vehicle that fires multiple discs in each configuration. The Squeeze and Go remote-control car is made of soft plastic, features an infrared controller with chunky styling, and requires four AAA batteries. Maisto’s Express Lane is a 1:14 scale full-function, radio-control car, made with a lightweight polycarbonate body. It requires six AA batteries and one 9V battery. Maisto’s Glow Riders include an LED torch (with battery included) to make the three-inch cars light up. Die-cast vehicles have a metal body with plastic parts. Flat Out Racers—Wacky Flats
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Hall 7, Stands B-50, B-58
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Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
Spin Master’s Got an App for That
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ppMates, for kids 4 and older, first launched in the U.S. last year and is making its way to Germany. The new toy line is the result of a collaboration between Spin Master, Disney, Apple, Pixar, and Disney Mobile, and allows toys to come to life digitally when used with an Apple iPad. After downloading the free Appmates Cars app from the iTunes App Store, users place an AppMates character on the screen, and the screen will transform into a virtual play mat. Characters include Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Finn McMissile, Holley Shiftwell, Francesco Bernoulli, and Shu Todoroki. Bakugan Battle Brawlers are the next generation for Bakugan battlers. Mechtogan is the first auto transforming Bakugan action figure from Mechtanium Surge, the fourth season of Bakugan. The Bakugan Dragonoid Destroyer is the latest, biggest, and baddest Bakugan monster. The Dragonoid Destroyer has multi-massive transformations, and can stand, spin, and shoot projectiles with its firing cannon. Every Bakugan from Spin Master now contains real die-cast metal. Redakai, based on the new animated series, is the follow-up to Bakugan and features Blast3D technology. Redakai trading cards contain 3-D and animation effects, and new game technologies automatically track progress and allow players to see the damaging effects of their attacks. Challenge friends, defeat enemies, and conquer the Kairu. The Redakai Power Pack, Starter Pack, and Championship Tin are available. New Zoobles will premiere globally next year. The Easter Egg (for Germany only) is themed and available in soft pastel colors. In the Bunny and Bird singles packs, each product contains Dazzle-Doo a unique egg-shaped container with a hot spot that allows the Zooble to spring to life. Dazzle-Doo is what you get when you combine a super-sized Zooble with 18 accessories. Dazzle-Doo blinks her eyes and wiggles her nose. Decorate the Zooble with stickers, then add barrettes, hair extensions, and clip-on fur. Kids can switch accessories anytime they want, and store the ones not in use in the storage compartment. Also new, the Pop Art series features a unique look and style. Each Pop Art Zooble comes with designer graphics for a standout look and a special Happitat Display Dome. From Air Hogs comes the Vectron Wave, a hand-sized UFO that can sense objects below it and then automatically adjust its height accordingly to hover above them. With the sensor, the Vectron Wave does not need a remote control and can be guided by a wave of your hand or any other object. For additional play, users can toss the Wave back and forth with friends. Air Hogs is also introducing the Jet Set, an R/C plane for beginners, and Wind Flyers, quick-charge planes that can soar for as long as 90 seconds. Brand new globally, Tech Deck’s foam Trick Tape provides more grip for fingers. The Tony Hawk Big Ramps are fashioned after the biggest ramps ever made, but scaled to size for Tech Deck users. Owners can get bigger air, pull bigger tricks, and collect them all for a skate park. Each ramp is inspired by skate parks built by the Tony Hawk Foundation, and come decorated with real street art. The Triple Threat Ramp is a combo for three ways to play. Users start out small with the Mini Ramp then flip it over to hit the Kicker and Stair Set for big air and technical grinds. Lastly, fold it up and get vertical on the Banked Wall Ride. The ramp stores away easily and sets up quickly. Redakai
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Hall 12.0, Stand D-10
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
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Blow Super Miracle Bubbles with Imperial Toy
mperial Toy debuts new licensed and proprietary products at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair. Imperial’s Super Miracle Bubbles Premium Plus line features the Super Miracle Bubbles Bubble Turbine, which allows users to perform a variety of spectacular bubble tricks, including In and Out Bubbles, Bend a Bubble, Bubble Go Round, Bagel Bubbles, Cluster Bubbles, and Bubble Snakes. Other new Super Miracle Bubbles products include Lunar Light Up Bubble Blaster, Starlight Orbs, and the Dip & Twirl Bubble Pinwheel. Imperial Toy brings innovation to its Super Miracle Bubbles with its 3-D Optrix Technology. Just put on the patented Optrix Glasses and see designs, colors, and other 3-D effects inside bubbles. Imperial introduces the Glow Fusion Bubble Solution to its Super Miracle Bubbles brand for glowing bubble play outside at night, along with the Hi-Beam Sabre and Hi-Beam Illuminator BubHello Kitty Bubble Bellie ble Blaster. Imperial’s new line of magical Disney Super Miracle Bubbles products include characters from Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Toy Story, Cars, Minnie Mouse, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Major retailers will carry the product line including the Minnie Mouse and Disney Princess Bubble Tea Party Sets; the Mickey Mouse and Disney Fairies 3-D Bubble Sets; Mickey Mouse, Disney Princess, and Cars Bubble Bellies; and much more. Imperial’s 2012 licensed Super Miracle Bubbles line has a new Go Bubbles assortment, featuring Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, Disney Princess Carriage, and Hit Entertainment’s Thomas the Tank Engine. Each Go Bubbles item stands more than 18 inches high, produces a continuous stream of bubble fun when pushed, and includes a full bottle of Super Miracle Bubbles Premium Plus bubble solution. Imperial’s Hello Kitty bubbles and bubble toys will include Hello Kitty Bubble Bellies, Friends Forever Stick Bubbles, Hello Kitty Bubble Pendants, and Hello Kitty Mini Bubble Sticks. The Little Tikes Garden Grow and Outdoor Play lines include the Garden Leaf & Lawn Bubble Blower, which blows bubbles with a squeeze of the trigger; the Cozy Coupe Go Bubbles, a kid-powered ride with Super Miracle Bubbles; and the Little Tikes Bubble Camera, powered by Super Miracle Bubbles for young photographers. Imperial’s Kaos brand innovates water balloon play with the use of high-performance launchers and accessories. Kaos Cyclops and Nemesis are one-handed water balloon launchers designed to launch water balloons up to 150 feet with a flick of the wrist. They have large scoop tops for quick reloads and come with 25 biodegradable Kaos water balloons. Made from durable cloth and featuring stretchable rubber handles, the Kaos Catapult is a giant slingshot that launches water balloons up to 150 feet. Other new items in the Kaos product line are the Pump ’n Tie Station, which includes a carry handle and 250 biodegradable Kaos water balloons; the Tie-Not, a tool that makes tying and filling water balloons easy; and Kaos Team Tubes, which are color-coded Kaos refills, available in packs of 50, 175, and 500 biodegradable Kaos water balloons. Oppo Rings are collectible rings for girls to express personal style. With Me Bands, girls can embrace their personality with more than 50 different personalized expressions. Googly is a brand of micro-needled stretchable, squishable, lightup animals and festive figures that fit in the palm of a hand. New additions include Easter, Halloween, and Animals Year Round in multiple styles and a variety of colors. Life Like is a collectible product line of stretchy and life-like Stretchables. New for 2012, the Life-Like Dinosaurs assortment features a Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, Parasaurolophlus, Styracosaurus, Amargasaurus, and Tuojiangosaurus. The new Life-Like Creatures assortment includes realistic replicas of squishy frogs, reptiles, and insects. Me Bands
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Hall 5, Stand D-32
THE TOY BOOK • 37
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012 Slap Rockets
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Geospace International
eospace International’s jump and pump rockets will be exhibited for the first time at Nuremberg Toy Fair by its distributor, HCM Kinzel GmbH. All Geospace rockets include technology that allows them to soar incredibly high. The category includes waterproof beach and pool toys, and this year Geospace introduces Slap Rockets, launched with the palm of one’s hand. Hall 10.0, Stand I-09
Neat-Oh! Launches New Branding and Development Strategy
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nown for its flagship ZipBin brand, Neat-Oh! is announcing a new branding and product development strategy with the launch of the new Neat-Oh! ZipBin Dinosaur line, Neat-Oh! ZipBin Full Throttle line, and Neat-Oh! ZipBin Farmland line. Neat-Oh! is giving the consumer the ability to decorate a room with the themed line of Dinosaurs, Full Throttle, and Farmland storage cases, totes, toy boxes, play mats, tins, and more. Lego Star Wars ZipBin Large Millennium Falcon Messenger Bag New products from the Neat-Oh! ZipBin Dinosaur line include Dinosaur Explorer Day Tote Playset, Dinosaur Fold Up Playmat, and Dinosaur Collector Tin Playset. New products from the Neat-Oh! ZipBin Farmland Line include Farmland Bring Along Backpack, Farmland Fold Up Playmat, and Farmland Collector Tin Playset. New from the Neat-Oh! ZipBin Full Throttle line is the Space Bring Along Backpack. Lego Star Wars Minifigures have found a home with the Lego Star Wars ZipBin Small Millennium Falcon Minifigure Case and the Lego Star Wars ZipBin Large Millennium Falcon Messenger Bag, both shaped like the iconic spacecraft. Each item features detailed artwork, and a play mat on the inside and outside of the case and the bag. Kids can race through space and dodge the pursuing Tie Fighters, while keeping figurines neatly tucked away in their own pocket. The minifigure case and the messenger bag wipe clean with a damp cloth. The masters of Spinjitzu have leveled up. The new Lego Ninjago Neat-Oh! Battle Arena features new artwork for 2012. This battle arena doubles as both a storage case for the Ninjago masters to hide in, as well as a supreme battle arena. There are pull-out storage areas to protect Ninjago figures, spinners, weapons, and cards. The battle arena has an easy-to-clean, wipeable surface. Lego bricks are not included. Young fashionistas can create their own fashion week with the Barbie Neat-Oh! Fashion Show, Dressing Room & Runway Case. The Barbie ZipBin Blizzard Bag has a soft, white faux fur exterior with a durable interior and pink satin shoulder strap. Also new from Neat-Oh! is the Barbie ZipBin Winter Bag, featuring a Barbie pink and white faux fur exterior. Both items unzip to reveal a scenic ski slope play area. Neat-Oh! is also introducing a line of lunch boxes and backpacks. All items are made of sturdy 600 denier polyester and are insulated to keep food cold for seven hours when used as directed. The Go Sport Basketball Backpack features a drop-down hoop, net ball return, and three-inch basketball for basketball play. Go Sport Basketball Backpack
38 • THE TOY BOOK
Hall 4, Stand E-89
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
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Blast Away with Funrise’s Bubble Cannon
attle boredom with the Gazillion Bubble Cannon, from Funrise. The interactive bubble machine lets you crank out bubbles of all sizes—even bubbles inside of bubbles. Gazillion Bubble Solution allows you to color the bubbles. The product includes the Bubble Cannon, a dip tray, two bubble wands, and Gazillion green and blue solution. The freewheeling National Geographic Kids Wild Rides Adventure Vehicle folds into an open-air jeep and trailer. Its canopy converts into a trailer with fold-out wheels and a trailer hitch, and the telescoping arm extends with a net to rescue any animal that needs help. The front of the Adventure Vehicle features a working winch that retracts at the push of a button on the hood. The Adventure Vehicle includes a removable play compass, a child figure, and two wild animals. The Tonka Gear Jammer allows kids to shift into gear with up to four shifting sounds, and keep busy on the road with a seven-button action panel. Hear the sounds of an engine starting, air brakes being engaged, a CB radio, and a diesel horn. The Jammer also features working bleachers. Hall 12.2, Stand P-21
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Model Power Is Back at Nuremberg
or 42 years, Model Power has exhibited at Nuremberg International Toy Fair, making the company one of the longeststanding American manufacturers at the show. The company is showcasing its Lighted Built-Up Building Little Red School House, available in HO (1:87), N (1:160), and O (1:48) scales. All of the fully assembled buildings are lighted and come with two hand-painted figures. The Mantua 345 Series Locomotive with DCC and Sound is a 26-6-2 articulated steam locomotive with tender. The train features high-quality DCC and sound, a die-cast chassis, wheel inserts, a brass bell, a MC-94 can-motor with flywheel and 12-wheel drive, replaceable brass bearings, wire handrails, front and rear lighting, and knuckle couplers with metal springs. The locomotive is available in the Great Northern, Western Mantua 345 Series Locomotive Maryland, Norfolk & Western, Unlettered, and Southern Pacific liveries. Other trains with DCC and sound include 4-6-2 Metal Pacific with tender (340 & 349 series), 2-6-6-2 T Articulated Tank Logger (351 & 353 series), and 060 Tank Loco (393 series). The new Osprey (CV-22) is the only die-cast aircraft replica offered in the Die-Cast Collectible Postage Stamp Aircraft line of 150 products. Model Power’s replica is produced in 1:150 scale and features tilting wings, operating propellers, pad printing, a new radar-equipped front nose, and an embossed display stand. The model is produced under license from Boeing Management Company. Also at the Model Power booth is the company’s European factory, Garnet/Model Power Europe, and Ski Industrial, which offers original equipment manufacturer (OEM) production and consulting.
40 • THE TOY BOOK
Hall 4A, Stand B-228
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
SmartLab Explores Squishy Science
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o you know the coldest spot on Earth? Owners of SmartLab’s new Science Lab kit can find the answers to this question and more. The kit, comprising three science labs in one deluxe box, includes a weather-tracking station, a mad science lab with glowing powder, and a glow-in-the-dark robot, plus eight activity cards and a booklet. For more science fun, the company is releasing the Squishy Science from Head to Toe kit. With this kit, little scientists can explore the insides of the human body and brain by using forceps, a tweezer, and a scalpel. Glowing parts include the skull, bones, nerves, and eyeballs. The Amazing Squishy T-Rex is an anatomically correct model featuring five squishy parts: a tongue, two connected stomachs, intestines, lungs, and a heart. Each organ is removable. Fans of science and music can build their own speaker dock for an MP3 player. The You-Build-It Speaker Dock features a 3mm headphone jack, pre-printed paper housing, and a circuit board. Hall 12.0, Stand B-08-3
Uncle Milton Shines
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ncle Milton Industries brings innovation and imagination together in its line of proprietary and licensed products for 2012. New products include Fireworks Light Show in My Room, Star Wars Science Darth Maul Lightsaber Star Wars Science Darth Maul Lightsaber Room Light, and Moon in My Room Light Room. The Fireworks Light Show comes complete with real sound effects. The Star Wars Darth Maul Lightsaber room light illuminates a bedroom with the villain’s signature double lightsaber. Hall 6, Stand B-36, C-39
42 • THE TOY BOOK
GreenLight Toys
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reenLight Toys introduces Motobuildz, 3-D foam paper model kits, at Nuremberg Toy Fair. Motobuildz are do-ityourself toys designed for beginners. The kit includes sheets of pop-out pieces so no paint or glue is required, and each kit includes a pullback motor for post-construction action. The assembled cars are available in muscle car models including Corvettes, Camaros, and Mustangs, and feature solid plastic wheels and a miniature display box. GreenLight Hollywood puts the spotlight on vehicles from Animal House, The Fast and the Furious, and Men in Black. Hot Pursuit will introduce an assortment of law enforcement vehicles from highway patrols to military police from across the globe. GreenLight Muscle puts real cars in authentic scale of the real deal, and includes shop tools or extra wheels for customization. Motor World showcases cars from around the world in bright colors, and Road Racers pairs speed and style with racing paint schemes. Hall 7, Stand B-69a
Motobuildz 2011 Chevy Corvette
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Cloud B’s Twilight Plush Line Brings Stars to Bedtime
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loud B highlights its Twilight collection at Nuremburg Toy Fair. Twilight Turtle is a plush toy that transforms any room into a starry night sky to help comfort children to sleep. From within its plastic shell, Twilight Turtle projects a constellation of stars onto a bedroom ceiling and walls in three soothing color options. Its shell illuminates to help ease children’s fear of the dark. Twilight Turtle includes eight real constellations, including The Big Dipper embedded in the star pattern. Parents can sit with their children and identify these major constellations using the Twilight Turtle illustrated Twilight Turtle Star Guide. The item, for children ages 3 and up, is now available in three different colors: classic mocha, blue, and purple. Twilight Ladybug also projects a starry night sky. For children ages 3 and up, the Ladybug plush is available in three different colors: classic red, pink, and green. Hall 2, Stand D-08
Fashion Angels Rocks with New Hair Coloring and Bracelet Kits
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he Color Hair Rox Chox Kit, by Fashion Angels, includes eight colors of chalk and chalk holders so kids’ hands don’t get messy. Simply wet hair and streak colors on. The colors will wash out with the next shampoo. The Feather Fashion Accessory Kit features brightly colored feathers, suede cording, beads to make feather earrings and necklaces, and one feather hair extension. The Braidzilla Bracelet Braiding Kit allows kids to make 12 of their own colorful braided bracelets, while the Wrist Rapper Bracelet Machine makes it easy to create endless combinations of friendship bracelets to collect and share with friends. Simply choose color combinations from the 10 available colors, and follow the DVD instructions to create tightly wound cord bracelets.
Climb to the Top with Summit Toy
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ummit Toy is focusing on its Backyard Safari Outfitters line, which includes a Cargo Vest for ages 5 and up. The Cargo Vest is rugged and tough enough for all outdoor adventures. Plenty of cargo pockets means lots of space to load up gear for the great outdoors. Six D-Rings and two shoulder epaulets let kids clip and hang more essential gear. A large pocket stores binoculars, and a clear-view chest pocket holds PopUp Field Guides. Hall 4, Stand A-43
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Hall 12.2, Stands P-17 (HTI) and P-26 (IMC)
THE TOY BOOK • 43
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
B
Boikido Gets Loud and Wild with Wooden Construction Sets
oikido’s Wooden Animal Construction Set allows kids to build their favorite Boikido animals or their own creations by mixing the pieces together. The set encourages problem solving and creativity, and helps kids to develop fine motor skills and manual dexterity. The colorful Wooden Bongo Drum Trio allows kids to drum the night away. This toy includes two drumsticks, and helps develop hand-eye coordination. The Wooden Dinner Set is a companion to the Boikido Kitchenette or any other cooking set. It includes a table, two plates, two cups, two forks, two knives, and a teapot. Play “Fix-it” with the Wooden 40-Piece Construction Toolbox, which also rolls around like a vehicle. The kit includes easy storage for all its pieces: 11 geometric shapes, four wheels, 12 screws, 10 nuts, a screwdriver, and a wrench. Thirty colorful wooden blocks make up the Wooden Marble Game. The Eco-Friendly Wooden Hammer Game Snail and Eco-Friendly Wooden Construction 100-Piece Set are made from wood from FSC-monitored sources, painted with water-based paints, packaged in recycled materials, and printed with soybean ink. All items meet European and U.S. safety standards for toys. Hall 1, Stand A-12
Wooden 40-Piece Construction Toolbox
YooHoo! Aurora Hops to It with New Product Lines
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urora World, Inc. is showing its spring collection of 90 spring and Easter-themed plush toys and gifts. New products include the Powder Puff Bunny, which has long, floppy ears and a shiny, “blingy” pink bow. The line includes a shimmering clip-on key chain, wristlet, pet carrier, and stand-alone plush. The Dreamy Eyes Funny Bunny plush is available in 10-inch and 14-inch sizes. YooHoo & Friends is debuting three new YooHoos Springtime WannaBes with themed accessories, including a butterfly, a flower headband, and a chick mask to match themed sounds. The Bright Bunny Ears line showcases YooHoo & Friends, whose ears are made of reflective “bling” material. Three mermaid YooHoos, each with its own shiny, reflective tail, round out the line. Powder Puff Bunny
44 • THE TOY BOOK
Hall 12.2, Stand P-22
Peaceable Kingdom Stickers
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eaceable Kingdom is bringing its stickers and sticker toys to Nuremberg Toy Fair via its distributor Carletto GmbH. Peaceable Kingdom children’s stickers include scratch-and-sniff, glitter, and glow-in-the-dark designs. Its Quick Sticker Kits are easy-toassemble craft toys that children decorate with stickers. Reusable Sticker Totes are imaginative play toys with movable stickers on a fold-out background.
Hall 1, Stand C-03
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
High IntenCity Is Charming
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harm It!, from High IntenCity, is designed for girls ages 5-14 as an interchangeable, customizable, and collectible line of accessories. Girls can express different emotions with various Charm It! charms for occasions from birthdays to just because.
Hall 1, Stand C-29
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John N. Hansen Co.
he Hoberman Sphere, from John N. Hansen Co., is the original geometric expanding/contracting ball. Made of linked plastic struts, pull on any of the sphere’s hubs and watch as it expands from 9.5 inches to 30 inches. Kids want to touch it, adults want to examine it, and everyone wants to play with it. Three sizes are available and come in various colors, including several glow-inthe-dark models. Hall 12.0, Stand E-10
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
Aeromax Plays Pretend Firefighter
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ids can dress up and play pretend firefighters with Aeromax’s Fire Power toy. For kids ages 5 and up, this super soaker fire hose rests comfortably on a child’s back as a backpack, and weighs just two pounds when loaded with water. Kids hold the nozzle with two hands and pump the stream of water toward their target. Each backpack can hold up to 60 pumps of water, and each pump can shoot more than 30 feet. Fire Power has two settings: single stream or spray.
Calego’s Dollhouse
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alego 3D’s Imagination Dollhouse requires no tools to assemble. The dollhouse is child-safe and parentfriendly, folding flat for quick and convenient storage. The dollhouse is available in traditional and modern décor.
Hall 12.0, Stand C-05-02
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Hall 6, Stand C-20
K’nex Unveils Monster Product Lineup
’nex presents several products at Nuremberg Toy Fair, including three toys from its Kid K’nex line. The Kid K’nex Monster Buddies/Silly Monster Building Set features 23 parts and building ideas for five models. The Kid K’nex Undersea Friends Building Set contains a colorful, chunky Kid K’nex rod, connectors, and blocks to simultaneously build two giant fish, a new scuba diver, and swimmer figures. It contains more than 47 parts with building ideas for 10 models. The Kid K’nex Farmyard Friends Building Set includes materials to build a barn, a farmer, two animals, and other country-themed accessories. All Kid K’nex products come in a portable box with a handle for travel and storage, and are designed for kids ages 3-5. K’nex Mario Kart Wii Building Sets will launch across Europe this year. The Mario/Yoshi/Luigi and Standard Kart Building Sets feature all the standard karts from Mario Kart Wii; have pull-back, motorized action; and include a banana, mushroom, or star collectible item. The Mario and Luigi Starting Line Building Set includes the characters in their Sprinter Karts, and features battery-powered action. The connectable track system allows it to work with all other Mario Kart Wii building sets, including the Mario and Bowser Ice Race Set and the Mario and Yoshi vs. Stone Bowser Building Set. All Mario Kart Wii products are for kids ages 6 and up. Under the K’nex Classics brand, K’nex Classics K’nexosaurus Rex Building Set lets kids build their own K’nexosaurus Rex with classic K’nex pieces, and features a battery-powered motor. The K’nex Classics Transport Chopper Building Set is composed of more than 300 classic K’nex parts and can be combined with the K’nex Classics 4 Wheel Drive Truck Building Set. All sets are for children ages 7 and up.
46 • THE TOY BOOK
Hall 5, Stands B-54 and C-55
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Alex Goes to Town with New Products
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lex, exhibiting in the U.S. International Pavilion, introduces Maxville, a wooden activity cube with a turning base that allows kids to reach all sides. The cube features a curvy maze, racing rollers, spinning gears, a peek-aboo mirror, and spin-and-match pictures. Tots Art Start offers six works of art that children can create. Toddlers will be able to scribble, stick, and collage with two preprinted paper frames, three crayons, and giraffe and tree cutouts. Additionally, there are two crack-and-peel collage boards with doilies, tissue, fringe, and crĂŞpe papers. The 3D Cityscape is a puzzle and play set in one. Build tall skyscrapers with this giant city floor puzzle, featuring three interchangeable 3-D buildings. With All Duct Out, girls can tear, stick, and wear duct tape fashion items, including belts, jewelry, headbands, glasses, a purse, and more with eight colors of duct tape and templates that make it easy. Kits include eight rolls of duct tape, three templates, pre-cut fabric, four earring hooks, four jump rings, a brooch pin, two belt rings, two plastic chains, a hole punch, a stencil, two stretchy loops, nonstick paper, and easy-to-follow instructions.
3D Cityscape
Maxville
Hall 12.0, Stand D-11-1
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
THE TOY BOOK • 47
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
Dragon-i Toys Introduces Talking Friends Toys
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ragon-i Toys, makers of the Chatimals animated toy line, has recently acquired the global license for Talking Friends app-associated toys. Dragon-i will launch Talking Tom and Talking Ben globally in late April. Talking Tom and Talking Ben have talk-back functionality in the same recognizable voices of the well-known characters. Additionally, there are sensors spread over the body of each toy to allow for playback of the identical sounds that appear in the free apps. Dragon-i will also feature a range of 12-inch and 10-inch Talking Tom and Talking Ben beanies in basic plush and press-and-talk functionality versions. The first wave of the Dragon-i Toys Talking Friends line rounds out with an entry-level price point key ring of Talking Tom and Talking Ben with and without the sounds from the app. Talking Tom and Talking Ben apps can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store or through the Android Marketplace.
Hall 6, Stand B-36
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Manhattan Toy Gets Crafty, and Sparkles with New Lines
anhattan Toy has a new lineup of products. The Tickety-Tock Clock makes telling time easy, and features adjustable clock hands that tick and click as they move. It also includes a chalkboard, fold-out easel stand, and an easy-to-grab handle, for ages 3 and up. It’s Time for Bed PJ Tots is a bedtime story featuring 10 pages of colorful pictures, targeted at kids ages 18 months and up. For the slightly younger crowd, Baby Stella Sweet Sounds Doll can talk, and makes a pacifier-sucking noise when the pacifier is attached, a giggling sound when its foot is squeezed, and says “mama” when its hand is squeezed. The doll comes with a pink ruffled onesie with Velcro-like closures in back, a magnetic pacifier, and two replaceable AA batteries. It’s designed for ages 1 and up. The Groovy Girls Sparkletastic Jewelry Set lets kids design their own shimmering jewelry, and includes three plastic bracelets, three plastic pendants, six tubes of sparkly glitter, three colored Tickety-Tock Clock cords, eight different gem styles in a plastic spin wheel dispenser, a felt work mat, and an instruction sheet. Each pendant and bracelet has a sticky texture once the protective sheath is pulled off, making it easy to adhere glitter and jewels. The set is for ages 3 and up. The Groovy Girls Posh Paintastic Bracelet & Ring set lets users create their own personalized jewelry in just a few paint strokes. For ages 6 and up, the kit includes five ceramic beads, two stretchy cords, colored plastic beads, and more. Also from the Groovy Girls line, Craftalicious Cake Creations lets kids ages 3 and up make a cake to play with. The kit includes six plastic cake-shaped dispensers, six pots of colored molding clay, and other accessories to make craft cakes. Flip the top of the cake inside the cake for easy storage. New plush products include the Snugglees Little Mouse, the Cozies Sky Bunny, the Folksy Foresters Fox, Dinoz Rez, Duskeroos Owl, Flying Squirrel, and Bat. Also available are the Lucky Ladybug Flyer soar-and-spin kit, the Critter Catcher, the Jungle Safari Stack-Up, and the Around-the-Yard Push Mower.
48 • THE TOY BOOK
Hall 3, Stand D-40
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
I
Mayfair Expands Its Games Portfolio
n Rocket Jockey, it’s 150 years in the future and humans live throughout the solar system. To supply far-flung colonies, they rely on the Rocket Jockeys for timely cargo arrivals. In the game, for ages 10 and up, players act as the jockeys by competing with one another to see who can complete the fanciest maneuvers, transport the most important cargo, and visit the most planets. Two to four players can play the game. In the game Giza, for three to four players ages 10 and up, the Pharaoh is worried because his tomb is behind schedule. He fears it will not be done in time for his funeral, so he offers great rewards to the faction that contributes the most work on his pyramid. Each player takes on the role of the leader of a faction vying for Pharoah’s favor. The smartest, most organized, and most diligent player wins the game. In the game White Water, also for three to four players ages 10 and up, each player directs the actions of four courageous rafters. Players control the crew within a raft, but may also use energy cards to help one raft or the other. Dice represent the effects of hazards encountered, and plans can be spoiled by another raft pushing a player in an unplanned direction. The Steam Map Expansion No. 1 is the first of Mayfair’s expansions to its Steam board game. The product includes three tracks in one pack: a map of the Mid-Atlantic United States, maps of Belgium and Luxembourg, and the Brussels Metro. Hall 10.0, Stand E-08
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The Orb Factory Gets Crafty
he Orb Factory flies into Nuremberg Toy Fair with Linklets, rainbow beads that twist and turn to make original art pieces. Kids can use patterns to create their own designs. Linklets help with hand-eye coordination, concentration, and focus. StoryCraft Cinderella is a large, colorful picture book depicting the fairy tale. Match colors and shapes to decorate the pages with more than 1,000 sticky foam and jewel pieces. The Sticky Mosaics line is expanding with the Ballerina Beauty Box. With the kit, kids can transform the included pink jewelry box into a special piece of room décor. Crafters simply follow the numbered legend and add more than 550 sparkling tiles and jewel pieces to create ballerina mosaics. The box has three separate compartments with a mirror. The Sticky Mosaics Wild Horses kit includes three oversized templates that children decorate by following the numbered legend. The templates aim to embody the free spirit and overall beauty of wild horses. In addition to the three templates, the kit includes three plastic hangers and stands, as well as more than 3,000 sticky foam and jewel pieces. Hall 4, Stand F-34
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
THE TOY BOOK • 49
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012 BRB Internacional Shows New Products for Kambu, Canimals
Kidz Delight Introduces New Learning Devices
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Canimals plush
MP3 with Docking Station
ambu, winner of the Kids’ Jury Award for best preschool series at MIP Jr., is a little mail dog that wants to be friends with everyone. Presented by BRB Internacional, Kambu products on display include plush toys and related gifts. Canimals are characters shaped like tin cans. The property has Tomy as its master toy licensee in Europe. Tomy is producing and distributing toys including plush, figurines, electronics, and arts and crafts for the UK, Germany, France, Austria, Benelux, and Switzerland; and capsule toys for all of Europe.
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idz Delight’s My First Tablet has almost 30 touch-sensitive icons in a sleek design, with discovery mode and quiz mode, which teach about animals, colors, numbers, shapes, instruments, and first letters. The Tablet Alphabet has 32 touchsensitive icons with five game modes to learn about letters, first words, and spelling. With the MP3 with Docking Station, listen to 24 pieces of music split into eight musical styles. Inserting the MP3 player into the docking station will amplify the sound and enable the shuffle function. Hall 12.0, Stand F-22
Rubie’s Showcases Costumes for the “Year of the Superhero”
ubie’s is showcasing its portfolio of licensed children’s costumes at Nuremberg Toy Fair. The company’s 2012 portfolio celebrates “the year of the superhero,” highlighted by new Spider-Man and The Avengers costumes for children. Marvel’s The Avengers releases in April, and The Amazing Spider-Man debuts in July. Rubie’s will release new Batman (The Dark Knight Rises) costumes ahead of the new movie. In addition, Rubie’s will showcase its Star Wars and Clone Wars costume collections ahead of the re-release of The Phantom Menace in 3-D, set to premiere in February. Targeted to boys, a range of Power Rangers costumes features all the outfits from the new TV series Power Rangers Samurai. Costumes will come in two price points for a variety of budgets. Rubie’s is expanding its Disney range, including new classic princesses with large character print at entry-level prices. This summer, Disney will release Brave, starring the feisty and courageous Merida. At Nuremberg Toy Fair, Rubie’s presents its collection of Merida dresses and accessories. Other Disney costumes include Toy Story and Cars characters. A range of My Little Pony items will be aimed at girls ages 3-6. Costumes will include characters Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, each featuring dresses with My Little Pony motifs and colorful hair extensions, also available separately. A makeup set with stencil will complete the collection. Lastly, Rubie’s introduces its Monster High costumes, inspired by the property’s characters, including Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf, and Frankie Stein. Hall 12.0, Stand I-23
50 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
The Voice Reaching Both Trade and Consumers
CONTACT: JONATHAN SAMET OR LAURIE SCHACHT ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP 307 7TH AVENUE, SUITE 1601 NEW YORK, NY 10001 TEL: 212-575-4510 FAX: 212-575-4521 WWW.ADVENTUREPUB.COM
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
Pretty Ugly Expands Its International Offerings of Uglydoll Products
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retty Ugly, LLC brings several lines of 2012 international releases to Nuremberg. New Uglydoll plush, available in three sizes, include characters Heu Googeuy, Ikoy Yoki, Kram Scrammy, and more. Schylling Uglydoll Friction Motor Tin Cars include six Uglycars in the Uglydoll Super Race Series, featuring Ice-Bat, Babo, Jeero, Ox, Cinko, and Wedeghead. The tin racers are approximately five inches long, and are recommended for ages 3 and up. Other new products include Uglybag Drawstring Totes, small Lucky Uckys figurines, Uglydoll Rocket Ride Wind-Up Tin Toys, and Schylling Uglydoll Umbrellas.
Diamant Toys Brings New Activities Products to Nuremberg
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iamant Toys, parent company of Amav Enterprises, introduces a new collection of Amav pre-cut wood kits. Kids can build the Pirate Ship, Extreme 4 x 4, or a Knights Castle kit that includes pre-cut wooden pieces and all accessories necessary to complete their designs. Kits are recommended for ages 7 and up. Amav is expanding its line of horse and animal painting activities with Mythical Horses. This activity brings two horses of legend, the winged-horse Pegasus and the unicorn, straight out of mythology to today’s kids. Horse enthusiasts can paint and design their own animal sculpture. Illuminated electronic drawings can be created on Amav’s new double-sided 5 in 1 Hi-Lite Art Easel. This art easel features a light-up drawing surface that automatically rotates through seven different color patterns, including a flashing one, so drawings can be displayed in a variety of colors. The sturdy easel also includes a chalk board, a magnetic board, and an art drawing board with a pull-down, tearoff paper roll.
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Hall 12.0, Stand C-05-4
Put the Pieces Together with Wentworth Wooden Puzzles
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entworth Wooden Puzzles, presenting at the Nuremberg Toy Fair for its third year, brings a wide range of image categories from fine art to transport. The company will launch new products for 2012, including a commemorative Diamond Jubilee puzzle and a London-themed puzzle range for summer. Each puzzle is laser-cut from a 3mm wooden board derived from sustainably managed forests, and includes Wentworth’s “whimsy” shapes cut in the traditional Victorian jigsaw style. Each puzzle comes packaged in a stylish but sturdy box made from recycled material. A cotton bag inside the box protects larger-sized puzzles. Foyer Hall 10, Stand 10
Hall 12.0, Stand A-10
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Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
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Brookite Soars with New Kites
rookite was formed more than 100 years ago on the wings of England’s obsession with flight, and it remains based in a converted corn mill in Devon, supplying kites and toys to outlets around the world. New products for Nuremberg Toy Fair include a Pirate Boat kite, made from spinnaker nylon with fiberglass struts and suitable for children ages 6 and up. Also new, the Dolphin single-line kite is designed for novice fliers, ages 4 and up. Finally, the Hunter, a dual-line sport kite, is ideal for learning the art of sport kite flying, and is designed for ages 10 and up. Hall 12.0, Stand A-04-4
Hunter kite
AMIJI Twins Connect Kids Across the World
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he AMIJI Twins are friendship dolls. Each doll is handmade and has a twin just like it in another part of the world. With each purchase of a pair of AMIJI Twins, the company sends one to the buyer and one to a student in another part of the world. Using their secret code, kids with AMIJI Twins can find where their twin lives and hear from other kids they share the world with on AMIJIworld.com. Hall 1, Stand F-43
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Say Bon Appétit with Lansay’s Mini Delicious Line
ids can create their own mini-treats with Lansay’s Mini Delicious line for ages 6 and up. As a no-mixing, no-baking activity, just take a slice of bread and use the workstation’s included accessories to cut and decorate. The line includes the Super Mini Delicious Workstation, the Mini Delicious Workstation, the Bakery Workstation, and the Presentation Set. The Super Mini Delicious Workstation lets kids create and decorate a variety of mini-delights treats, and serve them on a mini-tray or in mini-wrappings. The workstation includes three drawers and six transparent tubes for storing accessories, three cookie cutters, a cake slice, a spatula, cake tongs, three trays, three bowls, mini-wrappings, two baker’s writing tubes, more than 140 grams of sugar decorations, and an instruction booklet. The Presentation Set contains a multitude of miniwrappings and decorations. The set includes 18 mini-boxes of different sizes, a pastry mini-box, three colored sets to cover presentation trays, 10 boxes to present creations like a professional, a sheet of stickers, and a booklet with ideas. Hall 12.0, Stand D-08
Super Mini Delicious Workstation
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012
Dig for Eco-Friendly Treasures with Green Toys
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Pink Dump Truck
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reen Toys comes to Nuremberg with a slate of new products. The Green Toys Sand Kit, available in pink and blue, allows kids to build a castle and dig for buried treasures in eco-friendly style. Green Toys Mini Fastbacks are palm-sized cars made in the U.S. from 100-percent recycled plastic milk containers. The red, blue, green, and yellow twodoor coupes have a classic sloping roofline, racing stripes, and no metal axles. With no BPA, phthalates, PVC, or external coatings, the set of four is packaged in recycled and recyclable materials printed in soy ink. The Green Toys Pink Dump Truck allows children to stay pretty in pink while getting down and dirty. The truck is ready to haul sand, rocks, dolls, and diamonds with ease. Hall 12, Stand C-16-3
Take a Spin with TOSY Robotics
OSY Robotics JS Company introduces two new products, the DiscoRobo and TOSY Toop. DiscoRobo is a unique humanoid robot toy that can feel beats and dance to music. The TOSY Toop are collectible nonstop battling tops with a light effect and many ways to play. Because of their motorized mechanism, the tops can spin nonstop for up to four hours with AAA batteries. A special edition of Toop can spin for 24 hours and has been recognized by the Guinness World Organization as the world’s longest-running mechanical spinning top. Players are in total control of the game, thanks to the foldable Gravity Controller that controls the movement of the tops from the top, bottom, or side.
Hall 5, Stand B-76
Campfire Kids Brings the Outdoors Inside
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ids can enjoy the “camping” experience in the comfort of their own home with Campfire Kids’ Indoor Camping Gear. The indoor camping gear features a cool-to-the-touch campfire with glowing embers, a lantern with nighttime nature sounds, a fish fry set, camping tents, and a wood-chopping set. The toys are recommended for children ages 3 and up. Parent company Insect Lore offers a range of nature-related toys and kits that educate children about the world around them. Their items include live ladybug and ant habitats, bug houses, nets, and other nature discovery toys.
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Hall 5, Stand D-29
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From Salzburg toYou
The Stadlbauer Group—home to Carrera, Baufix, and other global brands— started as a small wholesale business in Austria, but soon flourished into an international firm.
by Elizabeth A. Reid
lmost 60 years ago, the Stadlbauer Group, parent company of Carrera, got its start, initially formed as a wholesale business in Salzburg, Austria. In 1953, Hermann Stadlbauer founded the business, and years later his son, Dr. Dieter Stadlbauer, took over the company, expanding into Germany and Switzerland. Since then, the company has steadily expanded internationally, establishing a Hong Kong office, then rolling out to Eastern Europe Today, the international group boasts a portfolio of brands in leisure, entertainment, and lifestyle—from wooden products to watches—with a specialty in toys. “The consumer, with all of his desires and needs,” describes the company’s website, “constitutes the focus of our endeavor. Around this concept revolves all our efforts and our identity. Around this central notion we have established our main business philosophy, our policies, and strategies.” In addition to offices in Austria, Germany, and Hong Kong, the group operates locations in the U.S., Hungary, Poland, and Switzerland, and distributes around the world. The company’s leading markets include the U.S., Europe, and German-speaking territories, says Andreas Stadlbauer, general manager of the group, but it plans to make significant expansions into China, India, and beyond. To choose which territories to conquer next, the company does some research. “We investigate different market situations and adapt product and marketing strategies accordingly,” says Stadlbauer, “for example, which licenses or motorsport themes are popular in different countries.” The group’s core brand, Carrera, is hottest in the U.S. Appealing to males of all ages, Carrera stays popular in the States by integrating the latest technologies, authentic detailing, and direct references to a variety of racing series. The work seems worth it; Carrera sells more than one million racing sets and 2.7 million cars every year. “The U.S. market is big for Carrera especially, as U.S. consumers are car enthusiasts,” says Stadlbauer. “The target group of Carrera starts at 6-7 years old and goes to 99 or older. Carrera is one of the few products in the toy industry where children, fathers, and grandfathers can play together— and every one of them has the same chance to win the race.” Carrera’s products include its Carrera GO!!! series in a 1:43
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scale, Carrera Evolution, and Carrera Digital systems. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the company launched Carrera R/C, a line of “ready to run” on-road and off-road vehicles. Popular products in this line include Racing Machines, equipped with 2.4GHz technology and front and brake lights; the lap counter set, an accessory consisting of a starting line, lap marker, and finishing line; and anything licensed, including brands such as Volkswagen, Hummer, and Jeep. Picking top licenses is one of the main steps Stadlbauer takes in developing its products. Also taken into consideration are play value, quality, and innovation. In addition to Carrera, Stadlbauer Group produces two other car and racing brands. Pull & Speed is a pull-back car brand that will premiere new car models this year. Last year, the brand debuted SpongeBob SquarePants racing products. Strax are racing tracks for preschoolers; the brand premiered Bussi-Bärbranded sets and products, based on the European activity magazine. Stadlbauer also produces eco-friendly wooden products. The Lorenz brand of wooden toys includes pull-alongs and beads for jewelry creations. Baufix is an eco-friendly line of toy construction sets, and last year the brand introduced felt shapes to its products. Stadlbauer also handles sales for Plan Toys products in Germany and Austria. The line of environmentally friendly wooden toys is painted with natural and nontoxic colors. The company is also responsible for the Pustefix a line of bubble toys, the mechanical Pipi-Max (a dog that can drink, walk, bark, and “make pipi”), and markets Nintendo products in Austria, Switzerland, and Eastern Europe. Many of these brands will be showcased at Nuremberg Toy Fair this year, and although they may differ in category, target audience, and features, Stadlbauer Group is dedicated to satisfying all owners with each product created. “We are a very product-focused company,” says Stadlbauer. “An important point is that we always have in mind the needs of the consumer and the trends of the market.” ■
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Oh Boy! Craft Kits Get Creative by Melissa Tinklepaugh
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he arts and crafts category has crafts manufacturers. Retailer long captured the interests of Karen Barwick, owner of tween girls with make-your-own Boomerang Toys in Manhattan jewelry and accessory kits. With this and Staten Island, N.Y., has tried success comes the challenge of producdifferent boy-targeted arts and ing new items with fresh takes for the crafts, but those products aren’t category and keeping up with tween as popular in her shops as she fashion trends. would like them to be. “I can’t Alex, among other companies mansay that there are many that we ufacturing products in the category, has consistently reorder,” she says. turned to unconventional materials as The store’s exception is a line of the basis of its new fashion kits. Alex is “how-to-draw” books from Klutz introducing five kits this year that use that are themed with DC Comics duct tape to make accessories, including and Star Wars characters, which 3D Create ’n Color Wooden Kit Pirate Ship, from RoseArt All Duct Out to make belts, jewelry, Barwick says sell well. headbands, glasses, and a purse; Duct Tape Bangles; and a RoseArt is trying to capture boys’ attention by adding new Duct Tape Tote. The company has developed its own duct tape themed products to its 3D Create ’n Color and Color Blanks in eight bright colors and bold patterns, formulated and safety- lines. RoseArt’s 3D Create ’n Color corrugate-based kits consist tested for use by kids. The kits come with everything needed for of coloring activities that kids can assemble into a large-scale a project, including pre-cut fabric, templates, stencils, and dinosaur, unicorn, firehouse, or dollhouse. The line’s smallduct tape. scale wooden kits include domestic and wild animals and a Alex is also intro- nautical-themed line. Color Blanks are uncolored figurines ducing Juice Tab Jew- that kids can customize and decorate. These are available in elry for making bracelets more than 25 designs, including seasonal blanks for spring, out of juice container Halloween, and holiday. In these lines, RoseArt includes items tabs in 12 different col- targeted toward boys, including 3D Create ’n Color Spiderors and various punch- Man, dinosaurs, and pirate ship; and Color Blanks vehicle out shapes, including products. hearts, stars, and peace “Boys are interested in arts as well, just different types of signs. The kit includes projects, especially those with ‘building’ as part of the play patenough tabs to create tern—building paper airplanes, painting model cars, or creatfour bracelets. “Alex en- ing your own life-size dinosaur,” says Tom Prichard, president courages kids to collect of stationery and activities for Mega Brands, the parent comand upcycle their own pany of RoseArt. Juice Tab Jewelry, from Alex The Orb Factory is targeting boys with its Curiosity Kits’ tabs from juice cartons Cardboard Adventures line, which includes knight and gladito add to their chains,” says CEO Nurit Amdur. ator costumes. Boys open the product, fold the contents, and While activity companies vie for girls and tweens to buy their products, some companies are trying to capture a new snap the pieces together, creating a helmet, sword, shield, and body armor for dress-up. They also decorate the blank cardaudience: boys. Boys are a mostly untapped demographic for arts and board costumes with included stickers and markers.
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After seeing a gap for boys’ products in the arts and crafts category, The Orb Factory released its Sticky Mosaics Curse of the Treasure Chest product last year, based on its popular jewelry boxes. The chest includes stickers and a secret compartment inside. It’s simpler than the jewelry boxes for girls, a quality that the company found appeals more to boys, says Stephanie Carver, communications director at The Orb Factory. “With our Sticky Mosaics line, we have always had gender-neutral and some boy items. Now we’re coming out with more boy items.” The Orb Factory has updated some previously released Sticky Mosaics kits, which are mosaics-by-number craft sets, to make them more modern, edgier, and boy-oriented, by including holographic images, for example. These items illustrate a trend toward simple, no-mess, functional arts and crafts. Sticky Mosaics products have held spots on Amazon’s arts and crafts best-sellers list, and Carver attributes the line’s popularity to its simplicity. The kits don’t require messy glue or extra supplies sold separately. “Kids can open it, and there’s not a long list of instructions. There’s not all this stuff that the parents have to get ready. Kids can do it themselves, and it’s very clear what it is,” says Carver. Consumers spent slightly less money on arts and crafts/activities products in 2011 than in 2010, according to The NPD Group. Sales declined 2.7 percent in the category from September 2010—September 2011, with 2.73 billion in sales in 2011 over $2.8 billion in 2010. Boomerang Toys’ Barwick, however, says activities sales have increased in her stores, going from average-selling to a top-selling department. She says this might be because in the current economy, parents like the two-for- Sticky Mosaics Happily one value that craft kits have. With Ever After Jewelry Box, from The Orb Factory arts and crafts kits, kids get a handson activity that becomes something with which they can play, or something they can use. Alex’s Color a Bag has caught the eyes of consumers in Boomerang Toys, says Barwick. The line includes 16 different bags, totes, and wristlets that each come with six brightly colored permanent markers to color the outlined patterns on the item. “This collection has become hugely popular with schoolaged kids because they can customize and color a bag big enough for school books and express themselves creatively,”
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
“The Starry Night” and “The Tree of Life” paintings, from Kidzaw’s Master Kitz.
says Amdur. As an added value, the Alex Plan Your Design Online feature lets kids click and color an image of their bag before taking permanent colors to the real thing. The company is expanding the line this year with Color a Chic Tote, Color a Chic Purse, and Color a Funky Fashion Memo Board. The Orb Factory offers decorate-it-yourself room décor items, including Sticky Mosaics Jewelry Boxes and a Sticky Mosaics Charming Chandelier. “People want something that you can use afterward,” says Carver. Kids can make something that serves a purpose beyond hanging on the fridge for a few weeks. “Money is always tight, and people want to get the best bang for their buck, so this seems to be the way to do it.” Barwick has seen Sticky Mosaics take off in her shops, as well as Kidzaw’s Master Kitz, a newer product line to hit retail, providing kids with stencils and paint materials to create their own version of a famous painting, including Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” “I think Master Kitz is something totally brand new, and no one has ever done it before,” says Barwick. “The creative category has a lot of companies, and they all sort of have similar things. Nail stuff sells well for us, but every company has nail stuff. Both Sticky Mosaics and Master Kitz are different from what anyone else has, and I think that’s a good thing.” When money is tight, it pays to be different. Companies are rethinking do-it-yourself jewelry kits, using unconventional materials or adding a functional quality to keep the attention of arts and crafts’ traditional audience, while targeting boys for a wider reach. Thinking outside the box—or craft kit—to produce innovative products is becoming a key quality for getting restocked and selling well. ■
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Activities Kids ages 10 and up can create cute creatures with corrugated cardboard strips that come in a range of rainbow hues. With Klutz’s Twirly Q’s by Anne Akers Johnson, kids can bend strips into coils, press them into the custom shaping forms to create round bellies and full dimensions, and assemble the pieces with a specially formulated tacky glue. Bring the character to life by adding eyes, paper curls, and flourishes. Creatures include a sweet mouse, a spunky purple penguin, and a plump bunny.
The Bridge Direct expands its decorate-wash-redo line of Inkoos activity plush with Blingoos. For ages 4 and up, the plush comes with glitter glue, gems, and washable markers. After turning their Blingoo into a work of art, kids can toss the plush into the wash and decorate again. Blingoos are available in four styles, all with shiny embroidery and white space for maximum doodling.
Amav is expanding its line of 3D Animal Sculpture Painting. Just like Horse Painting inspired horse enthusiasts to design their own horses with the kit, children can choose from turtles, cats, dogs, snails, fish, dinosaurs, and more. Sets come with bright acrylic paints, a brush, and an animal sculpture.
Kids can choose one of Sqwishland, LLC’s DIY SqwishLand animal figures, which include a parrot, frog, penguin, and pig, and then paint their own SqwishLander. Each paint-it-yourself kit includes a five-inch unpainted SqwishLand character, six acrylic paints, a brush, an artist’s guide, and detailed instructions. An included code provides access to the online gallery, where kids can register and post their own soft ’n squishy design. The online community at SqwishLand.com votes on a favorite DIY design each month.
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Activities Color, cut, shrink, customize, and build an entire 3-D town, with BSW Toy’s Shrinky Town. The kit is like a coloring book that kids can transform into their own 3-D worlds. Kids can choose from three styles: downtown, zoo, and farm; and each set comes with Shrinky Dinks shrinkable plastic sheets that shrink to one-third their original size when baked. Kits include seven Shrinky Dinks Sheets, tracing sheets with instructions, landscapes, a playmat, a town backdrop, colored pencils, and a display box.
With the new Feather Fashions kit from Faber-Castell’s Creativity for Kids line, girls ages 7 and up can design their own trendy accessories. From hair extensions to headbands, they can add feathery fun to their outfits. This complete set includes hair clips, ponytail holders, headbands, 40-plus feathers, rhinestones, and other craft items to make 12 or more accessories.
RoseArt’s 3D Create ’n Color line provides coloring projects that kids can assemble in 3-D. Kids can decorate and build large-scale items from a dinosaur or unicorn to a firehouse, dollhouse, or Spider-Man. RoseArt also offers a smaller-scale wooden series, which includes domestic and wild animals as well as a nautical-themed line.
Using Glow Crazy’s Distance Doodler, kids can doodle from more than 10 feet away on reusable wall clings that can be cut into any shape. The included Dual-Action Magic Lightwand has a thin beam for distance doodling and a wide beam for silhouettes and stencils.
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With Crayola’s Model Magic Presto Dots Wiggle Bones kits, kids can create a colorful creature with bumpy 3-D textures. Choose the Dragonfly or Chameleon kit, connect the skeleton, and begin covering with Model Magic. The pop dot tool selects tear-shaped dots from the Model Magic, using the “press ’n pop” technique. Pop the dots on top of one another to create original 3-D creatures that air-dry overnight and won’t crumble. Each pack includes five packs of Model Magic, one body form (skeleton), and a pop dot tool.
With Wooky Entertainment’s Style Me Up! Sketchbook Series, girls can design and create their own fashions. The sketchbooks include two ready-todress girls, several patterns to choose from, stencils, punch-out coloring sheets, ribbons, sequins, gems, and more. Wooky also offers a Style Me Up! Travel and Fun Sketchbook for girls on the go. The sketchbook includes inspiration illustrations, stencils, two pages of stickers, and more.
Create and display neon-like signs with Skyrocket Toys’ Meon, which uses electroluminescent wire. Meon templates feature TV and movie characters from Star Wars, Disney•Pixar’s Cars, Disney Princess, and Disney Fairies. Kids ages 5 and up can also create their masterpieces with their own image templates. Meon products include the Meon Interactive Animation Studio, Meon Picture Maker, Meon Mini Picture Maker, and Meon Booster Packs that include additional wire and licensed picture templates.
With International Playthings’ new Whirl ’n Wear Headbands, children ages 5 and up can sticker and decorate headbands for their own personalized hair accessory. The large decorations clip on, making it easy for young girls to change their headbands. The Spin ’n Style kit includes one styling machine, one sticker cartridge, eight stickers, three headbands, six endcaps, 10 decorations, and 10 clips. Accessory packs (sold separately) include more decorations, stickers, and headbands.
For more activities, turn to page S6.
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THE TOY BOOK • 65
Marketing Memo, by Andy Marken continued from page 16 Messaging Guidelines Here are additional guidelines for the message body: Add links. Send emails that include Facebook, Twitter, and other social media links. This enables you to engage with key partners or customers, and also enables them to be idea leaders within their networks. Also include hyperlinks to your website to drive traffic. The more links you can provide that are informative, the more clicks. Be permission-based. While there is a temptation to send emails to everyone in your database, you should resist. Make certain they have opted in to receive information on the subject. Most likely, you don’t have a warm place in your heart for spam and they don’t either. Include an easy optin/opt-out feature with each email message to grow your subscriber base and retain a favorable image, even with-
Talking Social Media, by Andy Marken continued from page 17
YOUR BEST CAMERA While they understand the power and reach of videos, marketing and communications departments have been slow to implement them in their programs. Reasons include: it’s too time consuming, it’s too expensive, it’s too difficult— did I mention it’s too expensive? But that’s not entirely true. Some videos are created by professional video production crews, but the ideas come from the company’s marketing and communications teams. It is nice to have cool camera and post-production tools, but it isn’t the hardware or software that make good videos. It’s the people. Even if you don’t have expensive gear, you have a camera—your smartphone. Most smartphones have four- to six-megapixel camera lenses. My smartphone has an added 16GB SD card, which can store roughly three hours of HD video. Shoot enough raw footage and eventually you’ll have three to five minutes of good video. Once you have raw video, the real creative—and pretty simple—work takes place. If you’re a Macintosh user, you have a very good piece of video production software: iMovie. If you’re a Windows PC user, there’s Corel, Cyberlink,
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those who are no longer interested in the subject. Not all email readers are equal. Pictures and images look intriguing on your screen, but what about on the recipient’s? There are many different email providers and even more receiving devices your message can appear on; results might vary. Err on the side of caution by keeping your message text heavy and your emails will remain readable. Email is most effective if you think of it like an old-fashioned billboard. Keep in mind that the first words determine whether or not the recipient sees your message as an intrusion of his or her inbox or something of interest. Take a fresh look at email and see how it fits into your overall digital marketing or communications activities. It can be a powerful tool. Valuable content delivered at the right time and on the right format will not only help you keep customers engaged, it will cost-effectively help you extend the depth and breadth of your reach. ■ See bio below.
Adobe, Arcsoft, Avid, Pinnacle, muvee, and more. There’s no need for multiple tracks, special effects, or transitions; all the wow factor gets in the way of the message. Interesting, informational, and short videos—even with minor mistakes—are more believable than polished ads. The mentioned software help explain products and visually assist customers in buying and using your products. The digital environment is changing rapidly, so there are no “best practice” social media models to follow. The key point is to add videos on a regular basis. Ask your customers or followers what types of videos they’d like to see. Keep them visual and add human interest. Then, monitor feedback on the videos and give credit to individuals for their input and ideas. Most companies would love to create videos that go viral, drawing hundreds of thousands of eyeballs. Get started now! ■ Andy Marken is a marketing and communications consultant with more than 30 years of experience. In addition to consulting with and being a spokesman for major clients, he also speaks on industry subjects, including management, marketing, and consumer relations. He can be reached at andy@markencom.com.
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
T HE D EFINITIVE I NFORMATION S OURCE
FOR THE
T OY
AND
G IF T M ERCHANT
NEWS INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS
TO
DISTRIBUTE ELC PRODUCTS
International Playthings, LLC (IPL) has partnered with Early Learning Centre (ELC) to distribute ELC’s line of infant and preschool products to the U.S. and Canada. International Playthings will debut 22 products at the American International Toy Fair in New York City.
ON THE COVER: WITH ARTTERRO’S ART DOLLS KIT, KIDS CAN CRAFT, DESIGN, AND DRESS FOUR DOLLS. ARTTERRO’S KITS ARE ASSEMBLED IN THE U.S. WITH NATURAL AND RECYCLED MATERIALS. FOR MORE FROM ARTTERRO, TURN TO PAGE S6.
ASTRA REVEALS 2012 SHOW THEME, SPEAKERS
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has announced that the theme of its 2012 Marketplace & Academy will be “Get more from your store: Build your business at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy.” The event will take place in Baltimore, Md. from June 10-13. ASTRA has also announced the headlining speakers. Consumer anthropologists Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender will open the event as keynote speakers. The two are nationally recognized experts in generational diversity, marketing and promotions, and everything retail. As part of market research, they posed as every kind of customer in stores, and at ASTRA they will share their results, which they say can help independent retailers better serve their customers. “Employee morale maven” Barbara Glanz will give the closing keynote speech at the event. Glanz works with retailers who want to improve morale, retention, and service in their stores. She also works with people who want to rediscover joy in their work and lives. Her closing speech will aim to show retailers how to create an enthusiasm epidemic in their stores, and how improving employee spirit and morale can grow the bottom line. For more information on the speakers and the trade show, visit www.astratoy.org.
HOSUNG’S ECO-BRANDS BREAK AWAY
FROM
COMPANY
Greenpoint Brands, LLC, maker of miYim and MyNatural eco-plush toys and infant accessories, is going solo and breaking away from its parent company, Hosung NY. Greenpoint Brands was co-founded by Serah Chae, the daughter of John Chae, CEO of Hosung. John’s other daughter, Jean, founded SimplyFido, LLC, an organic pet toy company that is also leaving Hosung. Both Greenpoint Brands and SimplyFido are seeking investors to help fund future growth. Greenpoint Brands plans to expand into home furnishings, infant feeding supplies, and other baby essentials. Hosung NY will continue its multinational operations as a manufacturer of traditional and electronic plush.
C.R. GIBSON DEBUTS EMILY GREEN PRODUCTS
C.R. Gibson has obtained the Emily Green license, a brand known for its colorful products that aim to spark kids’ creativity. The expanded collection by C.R. Gibson debuted in January, and includes new imagination memory card sets, flash card sets, and four Emily Green imagination wooden puzzles. Other products include mats; melamine plates, bowls, and tumblers; utensils; imagination books; and doodle sticks. The deal was brokered by Emily Green’s licensing representation, Firefly Brand Management. OneCoast/National Division One will represent the Emily Green line nationally. ●
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S3
ECO-DISTRIBUTION USA
SIGNS DEAL
FOR
ECO PRODUCTS
UK-BASED
Eco-Distribution USA, a distributor of eco-friendly baby and family products, has been named the official U.S. distributor for BecoThings, a UK-based company that manufactures BecoPotty and BecoStep. Eco-Distribution USA adds BecoThings to the growing line of eco-friendly family products it distributes to U.S. retailers, including the Australian-based cloth diaper company Itti Bitti. For more information, visit www.ecodistributionusa.com.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
ASTRA’S INSIGHTS
Leveling the Playing Field Four Key Steps Toward a Sustainable Business Model for Brick-and-Mortar Toy Stores
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by Kathleen McHugh, president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) uring the 2010 holiday season, there was an increase in Internet sales fueled by toy buyers with smartphones who ordered online rather than buying from neighborhood retailers. Experts predicted an increase in this pattern for the 2011 holiday season. Essentially, buyers use their neighborhood store as a showroom for seeking out innovative products, but spend their dollars elsewhere.
E-FAIRNESS ISSUES One big reason that toy shoppers turn to the Internet is because of the state and local sales tax advantage enjoyed by online retailers—a tax Internet retailers are not required to collect if the online seller does not have a physical presence in the state. Consumers are required to pay the sales tax personally if the online retailer does not collect, but few are aware of this obligation and even fewer actually pay it. The result? An online purchase can be up to 10 percent less expensive than an in-store purchase before any other price differentials come into play. Said another way, ASTRA believes the law favors one class of merchants (online retailers) over another (brick-and-mortar stores). Another challenge for brick-and-mortar stores is the increased competition on price and assortment from online retailers. This is not an unfair competition, of course, but it does raise issues for the specialty toy industry. The question is whether manufacturers hope to maintain a strong brand image and a thriving network of brick-and-mortar stores, in which customers can see, touch, and interact with higher-end products, and that also feature knowledgeable staff to sell the products.
STEPS TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL FOR RETAILERS
ASTRA is taking these steps to encourage fair competition and a sustainable business model for retailers: 1. Clearly summarizing the issues. ASTRA has laid out this issue in an easy-to-access white paper it commissioned from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance—complete with statistics, implications, and recommendations. The document is available in the “Downloads” section of the
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
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“Member Resources” section at www.astratoy.org.
2.
Supporting the elimination of the advantage enjoyed by Internet retailers. ASTRA has met with legislators in Washington, DC to provide information about how the current sales tax policy gives big online retailers an advantage, and how that advantage is threatening “Main Street” businesses and the jobs they create. 3. Taking the message to consumers. ASTRA promotes sales in locally owned stores by introducing toy buyers to specialty retailers through its “Best Toys for Kids” awards and Neighborhood Toy Store Day. These signature programs are supported by national media campaigns, which deliver two key messages: (1) specialty toys are high-quality and offer great play value, and (2) shopping locally is easier and keeps dollars circulating in the community. 4. Providing tools for manufacturers to support brick-andmortar stores. ASTRA has made arrangements for member manufacturers to get specially priced tools for use in monitoring online retailers’ pricing and presentation of their brand. Manufacturers can also find tips for promoting sales at brick-and-mortar stores, including store-only couponing, store finders on their websites, and sample “minimum advertised pricing” policies. The specialty toy industry can only thrive if specialty brands maintain their integrity, the business model for brick-and-mortar stores is realistic, and everyone plays the game fairly. Although sometimes it’s necessary for ASTRA to work quietly behind the scenes to be effective on this issue, we are always working to strengthen the specialty toy industry, particularly independent toy retailers who add so much to their communities. In the coming months, watch for more updates on Internet sales and e-fairness in this magazine, on our website at www.astratoy.org, and at the 2012 Marketplace & Academy in Baltimore, Md. in June. ●
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Activities
Becoming a knight is a snap with Curiosity Kits’ Cardboard Adventures Knight, by THE ORB FACTORY. The kit includes armor and a helmet, along with a shield and sword, all made of heavy, durable cardboard. Kids ages 4 and up can fold and bend their cardboard to create a knight costume. The kit snaps together without need for scissors or glue. Then, decorate the costume with the included stickers.
Grow a galactic space terrarium with Outer Space Adventure, by DUNECRAFT. This collection of alien invader plants sprout antennae, turn into rocket ships, and move when spoken to or touched. Create a unique spacescape with the included glow-in-the-dark asteroids, colored decals, and plant stakes. Kids can also add a lunar lagoon with Space Sand and watch water turn into Mercury. All the space specimens in this celestial set are quick to sprout and fast to grow. The Outer Space Adventure garden is safe for ages 3 and up.
With GLOB’s Paint Kits, little artists can create paintings that look and smell good. The all-natural botanical paints are made from fruits, vegetables, flowers, and spices. These nontoxic paints smell just like their color names: lemon verbena, pomegranate, and basil green. Just add water and the pigments become paint ready for collages, painting, wood stain, play dough, holiday-themed crafts, science projects, and more. Designed for kids from preschool through grade school, the kit includes six color packets, six compostable jars with lids, and two bamboo brushes.
Kids ages 7 and up can create their own one-of-a-kind creepycrawly friend with ARTTERRO’s new Wool Felt Bug Kit. Ribbon and beads make wings, eyes, and antennae. The kit includes U.S.made copper wire and glass marbles, and 100-percent wool felt from Nepal.
PEACEABLE KINGDOM’s Color Me Stickers can be colored using any marker or pencil. The set contains 10 color-it-yourself stickers, available in five styles: dinosaur, unicorn, monster car, fairy, and animal.
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SHAINS’ recycled and recyclable letters, numbers, and icons allow girls to customize their own accessories. With BFF Kits (pictured left), best friends can share secrets and messages on their accessories. The kits come with two matching bracelets and 100 letters, numbers, and icons. The Choker/Wrap Bracelet adjusts up to 15 inches around the neck, or wraps twice around the wrist as a double bracelet. Choker/wrap bracelets are available in black, strawberry, lake, glow in the dark, and ice. Kits come with 45 letters and icons. Headband Kits include a headband, available in black, grass, or violet, with 45 letters and icons.
Kids can tear, stick, and wear duct tape to create their own fashions with ALEX’s All Duct Out kit. With eight colors of duct tape, they can make belts, jewelry, headbands, glasses, a purse, and more. Targeted to kids ages 7 and up, the kit includes eight rolls of duct tape, three templates, precut fabric, four earring hooks, four jump rings, a brooch pin, two belt rings, two plastic chains, a hole punch, a stencil, two stretchy loops, nonstick paper, and easy instructions.
Little artists can keep clean while being crafty with Craft Aprons from STEPHEN JOSEPH GIFTS. Made of lightweight screenprinted polyester, the aprons include monster, butterfly, ladybug, and owl designs. The aprons include three artists’ pockets on the front and fasten easily in the back.
Children can learn about master artists by making their own versions of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Claude Monet’s “Water Lillies,” Gustav Klimt’s “The Tree of Life,” and Paul Klee’s “Flower Myth.” KIDZAW Master Kitz include easy-to-understand learning materials to teach children the story behind each painting and why it has a special place in art history. The kit also includes simple tools that guide young artists to create their own masterpiece.
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The Activity Desk Collection, from Levels of Discovery, provides stations for kids to create their own masterpieces. The Artist Activity Desk Set has a functional desktop with a color wheel design and compartments to hold crayons, markers, pencils, and paint brushes. The seat also includes a color wheel design and a bookrack for storing coloring books, papers, and more. The collection also includes a Race Track Activity Desk Set as well as a Princess Activity Desk Set that coordinates with the “Always a Princess” Collection.
For more activities, turn to page 62.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Naughty... Or Nice? Green Toys at the Tipping Point
I
With a market that outsells generic toys 1.5:1, going green can help the environment—and your bottom line. Here’s how to do it right.
by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, executive director/CEO, Healthy Child Healthy World n 2008, after lead-tainted toys were recalled in waves, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), requiring that toys and infant products be tested before they are sold. The CPSIA also strictly limited lead, banned six phthalates in toys, created the first comprehensive publicly accessible consumer complaint database, and gave the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) new resources to protect the public. This year, after almost three years of debate, the CPSC has created new rules to meet the mandates of the CPSIA, has dropped lead limits to some of the lowest in the world, and now requires third-party safety testing prior to market release. And that’s just the start. With increasing consumer concern and a growing body of evidence linking common chemicals to health impacts, many states are picking up where the CPSIA leaves off to ensure that products marketed for children are safe. Washington’s Children’s Safe Products Act, Maine’s Kids’ Safe Products Act and BPA reporting requirements, and California’s Green Chemistry Initiative are examples of this shift that has perked up manufacturers. Clearly, these new regulations will require manufacturers to develop
safer toys, but something else should compel companies to take it even further: consumer demand and an expanding green market. Green toys currently represent a fraction of the almost $22 billion toy industry, but the growing number of parents who look for toys that are safe for both children and the environment have created an enormous market. As reported in an article published earlier this year in Inc. magazine, green toys are outperforming generic toy sales by 150 percent at retail, per figures from The NPD Group. Green Toys, Inc., a producer of toys made entirely out of recycled materials and entirely in the United States, has seen an 80 percent growth in sales each year since it began in a California garage in 2007, the article stated. Mammoth retailers like Walmart and Target are stocking their store shelves with more toys made from natural or recycled materials, which is also helping propel green toy sales. What should toy manufacturers consider when developing or adapting products? After 20 years of listening to parents’ concerns regarding both environmental and health impacts of products, Healthy Child Healthy World offers this quick “naughty” and “nice” list for consideration.
Naughty
• PVC • heavy metals (lead, cadmium, etc.) • questionable chemicals (e.g., bisphenol-A) • imported • disposable
Nice
• recycled plastic • solid wood • nontoxic ingredients • local • durable Parents would rather be safe than sorry. Get ahead of the game by creating the next great green toy. ●
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Eco-Friendly Toys
“Green” is a label that can mean many things. It can mean organic. It can mean locally sourced. It can mean nontoxic labels. It can mean recycled or recyclable packaging. It can mean making products from sustainable materials. This is not a weakness of the “green” movement, but a strength. By refining what it means to be “green,” manufacturers and consumers are trying to find a balance between being Earth-friendly and offering affordable products. It’s not hard to imagine a day where all aspects of being “green” are weighted against one another, and a universally recognized standard of “green”-ness is reached. Until then, consumers have one option: put their green where their hearts are. The products in this section run the gamut of “green” methods and play patterns. There’s something for everyone looking to save the environment. These are the first steps on a long road to a sustainable future. —Bryan Joiner HAPE’s signature line, made of eco-friendly bamboo, includes Super Moose. Play it as a game or challenge yourself to place this moose’s antlers back on. Bright waterbased colors enhance the grain of this bamboo.
OWI, INC.’s Eco-Biker is your own personal wind turbine. Clip to a bike’s handlebars or anywhere with a breeze, and watch as the fan powers an LED light. The stronger the wind, the faster the Eco-Biker pedals and the brighter the LED shines. The eco-biker consists of 45 pieces, with some assembly required.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Two smiling Pure Nature animals look after baby as she drifts to sleep with Mobile Little Friends, from HABA. The figures of Lisa Long-ears and Bob Burrow rotate to the tune of “Au Clair De La Lune,” and can be detached and reattached using strong clothcovered magnets. The Mobile Little Friends are made using organic cotton and washable Oeko-Tex Standard 100 polyester filling.
The Edible Finger Paint Set, from WEE CAN TOO, was created with babies in mind, and is made with baby-safe ingredients that are organic, vegan, and contain no sugar or preservatives. Safe enough to eat, the Edible Finger Paint Set comes in five colors: purple/blue with real blueberries, red/pink with real beets, orange and yellow with real pumpkin, and green with real spinach.
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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
The Life on Earth Tot Tower, from EEBOO, helps build motor skills while promoting language and concept development. As with all of eeBoo’s Tot Towers, the Life on Earth version is made from 90-percent recycled gray board, is printed with soy-based ink, and contains no film lamination. Tot Towers are appropriate for ages 2 and up.
PLAN TOYS brings fun to kids in the form of PlanActivity sets, including the Spaghetti Set, which includes spaghetti, one slice of garlic bread, two slices of mushrooms and onions, and three slices of tomato. All of Plan Toys’ products are made with clean, natural rubberwood from rubber trees that are no longer producing latex, and are assembled and packaged using recyclable and recycled materials.
It’s lights, camera, and action with PURE PLAY KIDS’ Wooden Camera Toy. This wooden camera has a viewfinder, a rotating lens, a button, and a setting dial to play with on a backyard safari. It is made from sustainable wood with a nontoxic finish and was designed in-house by Pure Play Kids.
Kidzsack is a line of eco-friendly backpacks made using 100-percent eco-friendly fabric that can be colored using the eight included washable markers. The backpacks can be washed and recolored. The fronts are screenprinted with the original artwork of founder Tina Hill, and come in SeaLife, Castle, and Jungle designs.
ZUBELS hasn’t just introduced nine new cheerleaders to its line; now there are Organic Hand Knit Football Players as well. These sports buddies come in eight different colors, which may even remind you of your favorite team. Zubels products contain eco-friendly low-impact dyes, have minimal packaging to reduce environmental waste, and are hand-knit, using 100-percent organic cotton.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Kickin’ Putt, from BEGINAGAIN, combines the fun of soccer, kickball, flying discs, and golf. The set includes two kickin’ golf balls and a flying scoring disc. Players toss the scoring disc to set the hole, and take turns kicking the balls toward it. The player who takes the fewest kicks to hit the disc wins. The disc is made in the U.S. from wheat starch plastic, and the golf balls are made from natural rubber.
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The environmentally friendly Hammer Snail Game, from BOIKIDO, is made of wood from Forest Stewardship Councilmonitored sources, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a box made of recycled materials, and printed with soybean ink. The Snail Game can help a child learn fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, colors, and numbers.
Kids can pretend to pick up their schoolmates with the School Bus from GREEN TOYS. The bus is yellow with chunky, black wheels and yellow rims, and has an open rooftop for transporting whatever supplies little scholars see fit. Made in the U.S. from 100percent recycled plastic milk containers, which saves energy and reduces greenhouse emissions, the bus contains no metal axles. All Green Toys products are designed, manufactured, and assembled in California, and contain no BPA, phthalates, or PVC. The products are packaged using 100-percent recycled materials.
Made from all-natural wood and watercolor-based paints, the Giant Noah’s Ark, from MAXIM ENTERPRISE, contains two of each animal (22 in total), Noah, and his wife. The ark is constructed entirely of bamboo, is packaged in recyclable materials, and is part of Maxim Enterprise’s new EverEarth line of products. The ark is for ages 3 and up.
Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet are joined by Mickey and Minnie Mouse in the Disney collection of organic plush from MIYIM. The plush are made from certified organic cotton and colored with nontoxic, low eco-impact dyes in muted colors that contain no heavy metals. The manufacturing process reduces waste by using less heat, energy, and water. Each toy contains a chime to entertain and soothe.
BEKA’S flexible Play Platform is a take on a modular dollhouse, and is made from regionally grown and harvested maple wood in Minnesota. All paints and oils conform to U.S. Consumer Product Safety guidelines.
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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Getting a Read on Children’s Publishing NEW
AND
UPCOMING BOOKS
Kali’s Song, published by SCHWARTZ AND WADE BOOKS, an imprint of Random House, tells the story of a boy who lived thousands of years ago. The boy, Kali, must learn to hunt like the rest of the men in his tribe, but when he plucks the string on his bow instead of shooting an arrow, he makes music all night long. The picture book, by author and illustrator Jeanette Winter, teaches about the power of music and art over violence, and celebrates imagination and differences.
KIDS
In Baby Loves Spring, by Karen Katz and published by SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING, it’s springtime and Baby is taking a walk. What does Baby see, and who’s that tweeting in the tree? It’s baby robins! Babies and other youngsters can lift the large, sturdy flaps to reveal baby robins, colorful butterflies, and many other things that are found during spring.
Penelope Parker collects all types of penguins—short, tall, young, and old. The penguins are from all over the Southern Hemisphere, including some that live near the equator. But, will the penguins’ antics become too much for her handle? In The Penguin Lady, by Carole A. Cole and illustrated by Sherry Rogers, children count and then compare and contrast the different penguin species while learning geography. The SYLVAN DELL PUBLISHING book features a “For Creative Minds” educational section for an enhanced learning experience.
Author and artist Salina Yoon combines a rotating kaleidoscope lens with vibrant illustrations to create a unique visual experience. Every diecut page in Kaleidoscope, published by LB KIDS/LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, reveals new scenes, including playing in a rainy puddle and smelling a yummy, freshly baked pie. Rhymes accompany each scene. The book encourages readers to see the world in a different way.
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In the same style of KLUTZ’s Star Wars: Millennium Falcon, the company releases Star Wars: Darth Vader, A 3-D Reconstruction Log, featuring never-before-seen cross-sections of Darth Vader’s suit and the man behind the mask, all with detailed descriptions. In the book, the galaxy’s most famous villain is dissected layer by layer, revealing the innovative technology that keeps him alive, and as deadly as ever.
Last year, 20-yearold Trevor Bayne became the youngest person ever to win the Daytona 500. Young NASCAR fans can read about his inspiring story in Driven by Faith: The Trevor Bayne Story, published by ZONDERKIDZ. In the book, Bayne candidly shares his faith-driven racing career with NASCAR enthusiast and MotorSports journalist Godwin Kelly. Bayne tells the tale about how a child attached to his toy cars grew up and went on to win three World Karting Association (WKA) national and world championships, plus the Daytona 500.
SILVER DOLPHIN BOOKS, a division of Baker and Taylor Publishing Group, is adding to its Sounds of the Past pop-up book series with Wild West. In the book, sights and sounds bring the Old West to life. Kids can look into the camps of Native Americans, and see pioneers journey across the rugged terrain. In addition to meeting the settlers of the West, kids can learn more about life during this time with detailed notes that describe featured items. The book includes five pop-ups with sounds, and is written by Clint Twist and illustrated by Nelson Evergreen.
Puppies and cats are the usual choices for pets, but in Dinosaur Pet, a book-and-cd set performed by Neil Sedaka and illustrated by Tim Bowers, the boy’s choice is prehistoric. In the story, which is a fresh take on Sedaka’s hit song “Calendar Girl, ” a little egg hatches a child-sized dino with a friendly smile. Every month the dinosaur gets bigger, wider, longer, and taller, but the boy still loves him. The set features rhyming lyrics by Sedaka’s son, Marc, and colorful illustrations. The book is published by IMAGINE PUBLISHING, an imprint of Charlesbridge.
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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
WHAT’S NEW Beatles fans young and old can enjoy the iconic band with the Yellow Submarine model kits from POLAR LIGHTS, a company recently acquired by Round 2, LLC. Brokered by Live Nation Merchandise, the Beatles’ North American licensing agent, the Glue ’n Go kits of the main characters from the film are simple to construct, leaving only the task of cementing the parts together. Parts come painted in vibrant hues, and each member’s iconic instrument is included. Collectors can choose from two head options: the Blue Meanies or Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Also to be released is the MPC Yellow Submarine model kit of the trusty transportation. The submergible model can sail along at its own speed. Developed for children ages 4 and older, INSTITUTE OF HEARTMATH’s Wild Ride to the Heart board game helps kids learn, express, and understand 19 of the most commonly experienced emotions. Players spin the wheel or roll the dice to advance around a colorful board, following the path to reach the heart at the center. The game incorporates an emotion-regulation tool called Go to the Heart, which is adapted from HeartMath’s HeartSmarts and Early HeartSmarts education and home programs.
CONSTRUCTIVE EATING makes the everyday consumption of food fun with its unique utensil sets. The Construction Line set comes with the Front Loader Spoon, Bull Dozer Pusher, and Fork Lift Fork, in signature black and yellow construction colors, plus the Construction Plate with grooves for each utensil. New to the Construction Line is the 11- by 17-inch Construction Worksite Placemat. The Garden Fairy Line includes the Garden Shovel Spoon, Garden Rake Fork, Garden Hoe Pusher, and the Garden Plate in pink with green leaves and garden fairies. The utensils in the lines are textured, with easy-to-grip handles and detailing, allowing little hands to hold on tight. Utensils are dishwasher safe and BPA-, lead-, phthalate-, and PVC-free.
SMART/TANGOES USA is bringing European toy SmartMax to the U.S. market. The magnetic set encourages children as young as 3 to discover the world of construction. Through an illustrated guide, SmartMax teaches the principles of magnetism and the fundamentals of architecture. The large-scale construction set uses the strongest and most rare Earth magnets available for magnetic toys, and also includes large warm and cool color-coded bars that attract and repel.
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International Toy News
Celebrating Growth
The China Toy & Juvenile Products Association (TJPA), formerly known as the China Toy Association, staged the 10th China Toy Expo at the New International Expo Center in Shanghai, October 12-14. This year, the trade show was combined for the first time with two other fairs. by Scarlett Wisotzki, editor in chief of Das Spielzeug, Germany’s ITMA member magazine
S
ince its inaugural event, the China Toy Expo has grown tenfold, with the most recent fair further contributing to its expansion. In a move to capitalize on synergies and to present a wider range of products, the international three-day event was flanked by the China Kids Expo and the China Licensing Show. More than 3,000 booths were accommodated in an area of 61,500 square meters, up from 2,100 booths and 43,500 square meters in 2010. Around 850 exhibitors from 20 countries displayed their toys and hobby articles, baby products, and licensing themes. More than 78 percent of the Chinese exhibitors represented more than 20 geographical regions, which are all known for specific product groups. The TJPA posted a rapid rise in bookings for group pavilions, which brought together groups of Chinese companies from the same regions. This gave trade buyers the opportunity to forge contacts not only with the leading manufacturers of each region but also with smaller companies. Foreign brands were mostly represented by local distribution partners or agents. The baby segment took up an entire hall, as did the China Licensing Show, which was organized by TJPA in cooperation with the LIMA China office. Four hundred licensing themes from more than 10 countries were presented at this event. Top international licensors such as Disney, Hasbro, and Mattel also made appearances at the show. This additional event triggered a 77 percent rise in exhibitors in this segment. In comparison with last year, the number of pre-registered trade buyers climbed 39 percent to 25,906. Visitors to Shanghai came from 102 nations and regions to view the products at all three events. Ranking among the highlights of the event, the 2011 TJPA Annual Dinner took place at the Shanghai International Convention Center at the Oriental Riverside Hotel. The dinner not only marked the 10th anniversary of the trade fair, but also the organizer’s 25th anniversary. The 1,000 or so guests included prominent personalities from the industry such as Ernst Kick (International Toy Fair Nuremberg), Carter Keithley (Toy Industry Association), Alan Hassenfeld (Hasbro), and Christian Ewert (ICTI Care Foundation). ■
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International Toy News
Update: The Japanese Toy Market
The Japanese toy industry was expected to be flat at the end of 2011. Despite the tough economy, the industry is performing well. by Atsuko Tatsumi, publisher, Weekly Toy News, Japan’s ITMA member magazine
M
ore than eight months have passed since Japan was struck by an earthquake and tsunami of unprecedented strength, with a high toll of casualties, and the country has not yet returned to normal. The Japanese economy is experiencing an average drop of 7-8 percent. People are very cautious about spending their money outside of necessary purchases. Even in such tough market conditions, the toy industry is not faring so badly; just before the holiday season, it was announced that almost the same sales results as in 2010 were expected for 2011.
Effects of the Thailand Floods
2012 due to the flood, and this would have affected toy sales of popular items manufactured there, such as the Tomica and Plarail play set lines (model cars and trains), which represent an important share of the boys’ toy segment. Leading into the holiday season, the Japanese toy market appeared to be quite flat. Only the Bandai action figures based on anime characters were emerging as a big success, showing great promise for holiday sales.
Results in 2010
In 2010, the toy market in Japan reached a value of 669.9 billion Yen, with an increase of 3.5 percent over the One cause of worry is the flooding in Thailand. In fact, previous year. This figure includes the leading toy categories two major Japanese toy companies, Takara Tomy and (games, card games, jigsaw puzzles, high-tech toys, boys’ Bandai, both have huge production facilities in Thailand. It toys, boys’ character toys, girls’ toys, soft toys, seasonal was feared that Tomy’s factory would not be operative until toys, infant, and preschool toys), but excludes video games. During the past four years, the Japanese toy Ishinomaki City of Miyagi Prefecture after the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan market has grown steadily. Since fall 2008, in March when the financial crisis started having heavy effects, and especially after the Lehman Brothers crash, all industries in Japan entered a difficult phase. The toy industry, people say, must be special since it is still doing well depsite the recession.
Product Trends In 2010, the most successful categories were boys’ character toys, boys’ toys, and card games. Boys’ character toys, after growing 29.5 percent in 2009, were up 5.8 percent last year, thanks to hit characters like Kamen Rider 000 and Metal Fight Beyblade. The most significant growth, 12 percent compared with 2009, was
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registered by boys’ toys, with Tomica and Plarail by Tomy as best-selling lines. Trading card games have become a very important category, thanks in particular to the contribution of characters such as Battle Spirits and Vin Guard. In the girls’ toy segment, the most active lines were linked to hit animation characters, Super Doll Rika-Chan and HeartCatch PreCure!. The well-known Tamagotchi brand registered an 8.2 percent growth. Building sets were strong in 2010, thanks to the efforts of Lego, Mega Bloks, and Nanoblock. Reaching adult consumers too, jigsaw puzzles and the character brand One Piece contributed to widening the market size. Summer 2010 was very hot, and sales were high for toy fireworks, and water toys also increased. ■
Japan Toy Market Sales (in billions of Yen) Category
2009
2010
Change
38.12
12%
Boysʼ Character Toys
54.75
57.92
Card Games and Trading Cards
79.01
82.21
Boysʼ Toys Games
Girlsʼ Toys Hobby
34.04 12.21 37.91
115.07
12.29 38.64
8.9%
Seasonal Toys
50.73
53.05
Tech Toys
16.40 5.97
17.01 6.46
Variety Goods
79.58
81.71
Total Toy Industry
647.38
669.89
Other
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
10.61
1.9%
15.69
139.67
Soft Toys
.6%
-0.2%
136.68 14.41
4%
114.89
Infant/Preschool Jigsaw Puzzles
5.8%
12.25
2.2% 4.6% 3.7% 8.2% 2.7%
15.4% 3.5%
Source: Japan Toy Association
THE TOY BOOK • 85
How to Boost the Value of Your Vertical Business
B
by Mike Handelsman, group general manager, BizBuySell.com and BizQuest.com
anks, potential investors, and creditors look heavily into a company’s financial statements to determine its value, but past financials aren’t the whole story. Here are some additional factors to consider as you seek to maximize your company’s value.
Proven Potential for Increased Profitability
ize and touch up the physical facilities of your business, ensuring a professional impression to customers, employees, and, one day, potential buyers as soon as they walk in the door.
Focus on Physical Assets for Debt Financing Unfortunately, many banks are still hesitant to lend money for business purchases. As a result, buyers of businesses with tangible assets—for example, capital equipment or owned real estate—have greater success securing purchase loans. Although intangible assets, including intellectual property, knowledge, and relationships, are important, they often don’t show up on a financial statement. Highlight tangible assets, which can be used as collateral to secure lending from banks.
The most important aspect of making a business attractive to a potential buyer is building confidence that the business can make a profit. Of course, step one is to produce documentation that shows steady, reliable revenue and cash flow, but other steps can help paint the same picture. For instance, highlighting and proving the key advantages of your industry, such as the sector outperforming the economy or examples of recession resistance, will demonstrate that your business carries less risk. Another key way to highlight value is to create a plan that will drive future growth. If you continue to operate the business, that plan will help you think strategically and advance the business. If you plan to sell, know that owners who offer a clear, focused plan for growth have an easier time generating buyer interest and closing the deal. Your plan might detail strategies such as acquiring competitors, expanding to a complementary product or service, or implementing operational efficiencies.
It is more important than ever that you finance at least part of your business sale. Banks are currently very reluctant to lend without some level of seller financing included in the transaction. It’s also rare to find a buyer who can purchase a business without some form of financial help. The economy is still tough and buyers have limited access to U.S. Small Business Association-backed commercial loans. Offering seller financing has the additional positive impact of showing that you have confidence in the future of your business, and that you will help the new owner succeed.
Be Organized
Highlight the Positive
Organization will help run a business more efficiently, and potential buyers will find operations easier to understand. It is critical to have the books in order, proving credibility and instantly making your business more attractive to buyers. Prepare tax returns and financial statements (ideally two to three years worth) as well as other important documents in a binder with tabs and an index. It will provide potential buyers with easy access to the information they’ll need to make a buying decision. Also, ensure that your client and vendor contracts, employment agreements, and other documents are written in a way that can be easily transferred to a new owner. Additionally, it’s wise to create a manual that outlines how the business operates, including workflow, decision-making processes, and key relationships. Finally, don’t forget to organ-
Finally, when you meet with potential buyers, concentrate on the strong points of your business. You know the business better than anyone else and there are bound to be some areas where your business excels. For example, perhaps your business is established within its trade sector, or maybe your customer base is diverse, providing security against any one customer having too much leverage. Highlighting what makes your business special will make you stand out to buyers and illustrate why your business is a good investment. ■
86 • THE TOY BOOK
Offer Seller Financing
Mike Handelsman is group general manager for BizBuySell.com and BizQuest.com, two business-for-sale marketplaces with business valuation tools that draw from the largest databases of sales comparables for recently sold small businesses.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
Industry Marketplace
BUSINESS DIRECTORIES
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88
• THE TOY BOOK
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 are Len Soyka and Murray Bass. Our only vocation has been in the Toy Industry. We are dedicated toy professionals. Our geographical areas of sales coverage and accounts include: • NEW ENGLAND…Connecticut North to Maine and Upstate N.Y. Accounts… CVS Drug, BJ’s Whle. Club, 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.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012
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The Toy Book Volume 27, Number 6
THE TOY BOOK (ISSN-0885-3991) is published bi-monthly by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® Editorial and advertising offices are located at 307 Seventh Ave., Room 1601, New York, NY 10001,
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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.
Advertiser Index Adventure Publishing Group.........................................................51 ALEX ............................................................................................63 Carrera ...........................................................................................41 Dragon-i Toys................................................................................29 Douglas Cuddle .............................................................................69 Eastcolight .....................................................................................27 Forum Publishing ..........................................................................88 ITMA.............................................................................................83 Jada Toys .......................................................................................33 Kids Wish Network .......................................................................87 Laser Pegs ...........................................................................2, 3, 6, 7 Maisto......................................................................................91, 92 NPD ...............................................................................................57 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet....................................................................88 Playtime Sales & Marketing .........................................................88
Sakar International ........................................................................31 Sandstorm Productions..................................................................53 Sesame Workshop .........................................................................81 Seven Towns/Rubiks .....................................................................47 Skechers.........................................................................................55 Soma International ........................................................................45 Spielwarenmesse/Kallman Associates ............................................1 Sun-Mate Corporation...................................................................35 Toy Industry Association...............................................................59 Transmonde Marketing Group LTD..............................................88 Ugly Doll.......................................................................................68 University Games..........................................................................13 Verdes Innovations ........................................................................39 Women in Toys..............................................................................71 Yomega............................................................................................4
THE AD INDEX IS PUBLISHED AS A COURTESY. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO BE ACCURATE, LATE ADDITIONS AND CHANGES IN LAYOUT MAY RESULT IN ERRORS OR OMISSIONS.
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THE TOY BOOK •
89
Flashback: December/January 1992 3.
2.
1. 1. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turcostumes sold well once again. 2.
4.
tle Nintendo debuts the Four-Player Adapter for Game Boy, allowing multiple people to play at once. 3. John Madden plays John Madden Football on the Super NES. 4. NEC releases TurboGrafix CD, a compact disc system that also plays video games. 5. Select Creations offers Grand Slam Baseball Board Game.
5.
90 • THE TOY BOOK
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012