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We in the United States are well served when we have inside information on other toy markets. I am therefore delighted to report that Yann Fresnel, a top French executive in the Toy & Baby industry, has agreed to write about his home toy market “France” with a complete overview of the 2021 year. Mr. Fresnel bases his comments upon data from NPD, the French Toy Federation, … [Read more...] about France 2021 – Toy Market Results and Analysis by Yann Fresnel

Based upon our surveys and my conversations with numerous toy industry leaders and factoring out inflation, I would estimate the toy industry as being up low single digits for 2021. NPD reports the toy industry as being up 13% in 2021. It’s the toy industry’s second double-digit increase in a row. The industry has not seen this kind of growth since the 80s. But I … [Read more...] about Toy Industry Up 13%. What’s Inflation Got to Do with It?

Funny brunette child artist with a ponytail, painted face, in a colored white t-shirt, is posing standing isolated on white and showing her colored palms and tongue. Art studio. Drawing process. Close-up shot.“About 6 in 10 Americans took on a new hobby over the past year.” Lendingtree, Matt Schulz Early in my career, I worked for Western Publishing Company, which at … [Read more...] about Hobbies Are Making a Comeback

Click here to listen to this episode Richard and Chris talk with Sarah Baskin, Vice President of Marketing Communications for Far Out Toys. She talks about the evolution of this “new type of toy company,” their major investment in content and music, and has great tips fo companies looking to implement a content strategy in the current marketplace. Her insights and advice are … [Read more...] about Making Music, Making Toys: Sarah Baskin of Far Out Toys

For decades, the US toy industry has enjoyed an annual migration. A migration that took us from Dallas in October to Hong Kong in January and to New York in February. The rest of the world’s toy industries have experienced a similar trade show travel pattern involving national shows and the Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg. However, the last two years have shifted and possibly … [Read more...] about Los Angeles Is Becoming the Center of the Toy Universe

Painting of Mary Childs by Joseph Whiting Stock, 1846. The Strong, Rochester New York. I usually write blogs because I’m interested in a subject. Perhaps it’s a new collection that came into The Strong museum, such as when we preserved the Skylanders collection or a new group of materials arrived from the estate of Ralph Baer. Or sometimes it’s a subject that piques my … [Read more...] about Randomly Generated Artifact: 106.387

The British, who have defeated every invasion since 1066, are refusing to lose the battle with Covid. Coronavirus is shutting down trade shows worldwide, but the Brits are carrying on. The British Toy Fair 2022 will, as planned, take place from January 25 through January 27, 2022. The British have decided to live with the coronavirus. They will work around it rather than … [Read more...] about Keep Calm and Carry On: Britain Holds a Toy Fair

Two major children’s works are entering the public domain in 2022. “Winnie the Pooh” by A.A. Milne and “Bambi, a Life in the Woods by Felix Salten. This means that The Walt Disney Company no longer has an exclusive on these properties. But those who do create new stories, books, video games, or animated features will need to be careful. Here is how Jennifer Jenkins, … [Read more...] about Pooh Unbound: “Winnie the Pooh” and “Bambi” Enter the Public Domain

The proliferation of streaming services and unwavering interest in nostalgia are fueling a new crop of programming focused on the toy industry. The last two months of 2021 alone saw new toy-influenced shows from HBO Max, the History Channel, and Amazon Prime. BEANIE MANIA – HBO Max The Beanie Baby craze of the 1990s has inspired many writers, including Zac Bissonnette, … [Read more...] about Toy TV: Nostalgia Streaming Everywhere

A mailbox full of mail against a blue and puffy white cloud sky I received a number of responses about my article, “Crap: Toy Fair is Cancelled.” One that spoke to me, and that I wanted to share with you came from Kurt Isensee. Kurt Isensee is not only a Copywriter, having worked at Wizards of the Coast (a division of Hasbro), but also an avid toy collector and industry … [Read more...] about A Reader’s Response to “Crap: Toy Fair is Cancelled”