Vol. 31, No. 1
February 2015
Toy Fair 2015
Clockwise from top left: Y Rocker Go-Kart, from Yvolution; Worry Eaters Flint, from The Haywire Group; Star Wars Hailfire Droid, from Lego; Maximum Miles, from Tomy; Dohdles!, from Thames & Kosmos; Bloom Pops Flower Design Studio, from University Games; Bamboo Box Set Tool Kit, from Diggin; Color Me Up! Charmazing Hearts Collection, from Wooky Entertainment
State of the Toy Industry: 2015 by Sean McGowan
T
his is my 29th Toy Fair, and I’m happy to say this industry remains as intriguing as it was back in 1986 when I started analyzing it. 2014 had all the zigs and zags that have kept things interesting. At the midpoint of last year, many forecasts called for an increase in industry sales of about 3 to 4 percent, but I had a hard time finding many companies that were bullish enough to support that kind of growth for the whole industry. By October, optimism seemed a bit more justified, with consumer confidence rising, unemployment falling, and gas prices dropping money into consumers’ wallets. Looking back, however, I think the industry experienced a tougher time than the earlier forecasts had called for.
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