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It's New Year's Eve and The Toy Book is celebrating! To close the book on what’s been a year filled with challenges and change, we’re doing our first-ever roundup of the top 25 most-read stories of the year at toybook.com. While some are no surprise, a few stand out as real head-scratchers among the news that made headlines in the #toyindustry and beyond!
2020: what a year! Following a fairly average first quarter capped by an exciting toy fair season that hinted at a strong lineup for the holidays, the toy industry found itself facing the uncharted waters of doing business in a pandemic. By April, some toymakers were predicting catastrophic losses o...
It's been an interesting year but one constant has been Phil Albritton checking in on Tuesdays with fresh conversations with some of the biggest names and rising stars in the toy, game, and family entertainment industries. In lieu of a new episode this week, the Toy Book is taking a look back at the top 10 episodes of the ‘Power Kid Podcast’ this year, as chosen by you, the listeners. Check out the top 10 most-streamed episodes of 2020!
#weknowplay
While 2020 was a year filled with uncertainty, one constant has been the “Power Kid Podcast.” Every Tuesday, host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design delivers fresh conversations with some of the biggest names and rising stars in the toy, game, and family entertainment industries. In lieu of a ne...
Amazon.com delivered more than 1.5 billion toys, home products, beauty and personal care products, and electronics to families around the world this holiday season.
#weknowplay
Amazon is celebrating a record-breaking holiday season in which the e-commerce giant delivered more than 1.5 billion toys, home products, beauty and personal care products, and electronics to families around the world. Amazon’s continued growth into entertainment and tech helped to power holiday e...
Hasbro just issued a new update to a pair of classic Play-Doh sets. Officially, these are in stores on Jan 1, but you just may find them in the wild right now.
A pair of classic Play-Doh playsets from the 1970s are getting a modern upgrade for 2021. Officially slated for release at mass retailers beginning Jan. 1, the latest editions of Hasbro‘s Play-Doh Drill ‘N Fill Dentist and Play-Doh Crazy Cuts Stylist both hit Walmart a little bit early. For more...
🤖🖭 Soundwave Superior: An iconic Decepticon has joined the Super7 Super Cyborg lineup under license from Hasbro —> #weknowplay
Super7‘s collaboration with Hasbro continues to bring iconic characters from the Transformers into new forms. Following last year’s release of both Optimus Prime and Megatron in Super7’s Super Cyborg collection, the Decepticon Soundwave joins the lineup as an 11-inch action figure with seven p...
In the latest episode of the Power Kid Podcast, host Phil Albritton talks tonies with Drew Vernon. #weknowplay
In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Drew Vernon, marketing director at tonies USA. For the last new episode of the podcast for 2020, Albritton shines the spotlight on one of the year’s biggest hits with families: Tonies, a sy...
Shoppers are expected to turn out in record numbers today...
A record number of U.S. consumers plan to shop tomorrow on what’s known as “Super Saturday” within the retail industry. According to new data released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, more than 150 million shoppers will be hunting for last-minute gifts ...
Following another successful holiday season for the iconic Hess Toy Truck, the Hess Corp. inked a deal with KidStuff Public Relations to represent the long-running brand for 2021. The Hess Toy Truck has been a holiday tradition since 1964 when Leon Hess first launched the annual series as an afforda...
Congratulations to Adrienne Appell — newly promoted to SVP Marketing Communications at The Toy Association!
#weknowplay
The Toy Association has promoted Adrienne Appell to senior vice president of marketing communications. In her new role, effective Jan. 1, Appell will be responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of the Association’s communications strategies, active digital footprint, key mess...
Walmart's My Life As line continues a mission of inclusion...
#weknowplay
Walmart’s 18-inch private label doll brand is expanding to foster even more inclusion heading into the new year. Today, the retailer introduced its My Life As Autism Advocate doll, “a perfect companion for the kids who want to help others learn how to be kind, patient, and supportive of everyone...
Breaking News: Big changes at Spin Master Global to kick off a new week of toy news! #weknowplay
Spin Master Corp. is positioning itself for a new era of growth by focusing on three distinct “creative centers” for the company: Toys, Entertainment, and Digital Games. The company hired Max Rangel to serve as its global president beginning next month and will step into the role of global presi...
Breaking News on the licensing and trade show fronts!
The trade show landscape for 2021 continues to be reshaped. Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group revealed new dates and an all-new event format for its flagship shows Licensing Expo and Brand Licensing Europe. Traditionally held in June, Licensing Expo will now take place as an in-person show a...
The Toy Association is continuing the fight against fake goods!
#weknowplay
It’s been said before, and whether you call them bootlegs, knockoffs, or any other name, counterfeit toys are big business, and they continue infiltrating major online marketplaces. In a year where digital shopping has been skyrocketing thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Toy Association issued a...
Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment are sharing a story of how some of Amazon's policies are working against the small businesses they claim to be supporting.
by Jason Lautenschleger, owner and co-founder, Barry & Jason Games & Entertainment On Small Business Saturday (Nov. 28), we were feeling particularly small. Like many start-ups, Barry & Jason uses the Amazon marketplace to reach new customers. Amazon’s incredible distribution capabilities and low ...
Genius Brands International continues making moves. The company behind Kartoon Channel! and Rainbow Rangers promoted Michael Jaffa to chief operating officer from his previous role as general counsel and senior vice president of business affairs. Jaffa will retain his legal responsibilities while ta...
Cross your fingers that we'll be seeing a lot of toy industry friends in Minneapolis next summer!
ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy 2021 is moving back a bit. Originally scheduled for June 6-9, the annual event will now take place from August 5-8, 2021 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. According to ASTRA, the decision was made “after many conversations with stakeholders and ASTRA members” ...
Hasbro’s My Little Pony brand has gotten a variety of cross-over collectibles this year, including ponies inspired by Transformers, Ghostbusters, and even Dungeons & Dragons. Now, Hasbro has mixed this iconic toy horse brand with some of its other classic toys. The result? Some retro-style ponies ...
Dynacraft is rolling out new rides inspired by Harry Potter and Looney Tunes. #weknowplay
Dynacraft inked a new deal with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to create new rides inspired by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Looney Tunes. The partnership includes a Harry Potter bicycle that features the iconic Gryffindor House color scheme and stripes. “With the exciting new Harry Pott...
32% of U.S. consumers bought toys over the holiday weekend, but how does that compare to the past five years? We take a look at the Toy Book — #weknowplay!
Whether you call it “Thanksgiving,” “Black Friday,” or “Cyber” weekend, the annual five-day Thursday-Monday shopping event is evolving this year. Despite the continued COVID-19 pandemic, shoppers still turned out at physical retailers, albeit in smaller numbers as a seismic shift to onli...
The holiday sales numbers are starting to emerge, and the top toys on Amazon might be a little surprising to some. Full story at the Toy Book — #weknowplay!
The race toward Christmas is on, and with more consumers turning to digital retailers than ever before, a clearer picture of what’s hot is beginning to emerge. Amazon revealed that 2020 has already delivered the biggest sales numbers of any holiday shopping season in the company’s history. Toys ...
11/30/2020
For the first time ever, the Toy Book presents a special Toy of the Year Awards Special Edition! Check out all of this year's nominees and a look back to "the year 2000." Read it here: https://toybook.com/toty2021/
After more than a decade of flat or declining sales, chess sets are suddenly an in-demand item this holiday season, thanks to a fictional chess prodigy named Beth Harmon. On Oct. 23, Netflix released the original limited series The Queen’s Gambit, which is based on a novel of the same name and fol...
The Boglins emerged from their slumber just ahead of Halloween and now the legendary crew of creeps from the 1980s are ready to make a mess out of Thanksgiving. In the third episode of Boglins Are Back, it’s “A Boglins Thanksgiving” as Tim Clarke continues to be taunted by the toys he co-creat...
Longtime Discovery Inc. exec Catherine Frymark is joining Mattel next month — #weknowplay
Mattel Inc. continues to make moves within its executive ranks with another new hire joining the El Segundo-based company behind Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, and the Masters of the Universe. Next month, Catherine Frymark will step into the role of executive vice president, corporate communicati...
A group of colorful TV canines will soon adorn toys from a company that’s not known for licensed fare. Melissa & Doug inked a deal for an exclusive licensing partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products to produce co-branded toy lines based on a pair of Nickelodeon hits: PAW Patrol and Blue’s Cl...
ReadySetz is back with a fresh batch of collapsable playsets for kids and collectors alike!
The makers of the award-winning ReadySetz playsets and dioramas have dropped the curtain on their next batch of highly-detailed play and display environments. ReadySetz debuted in 2017 with its first collapsable, recyclable, Urban Playset in a move that was designed to help parents manage the massiv...
We're kicking off the new week with a bang - exclusive commentary from Harold Chizick and Andy Heyward about Genius Brands International's acquisition of ChizComm and ChizComm Beacon Media. Congratulations to all involved!
Seven years ago, following successful runs heading marketing and communications for Spin Master (twice) and MEGA Brands, Harold Chizick made the decision to take his knowledge of marketing toy and entertainment brands and set up shop on his own. On April 12, 2013, Chizick and his wife Jennifer opene...
🦥🦙🦩 ZURU Toys Expands its Pets Alive Brand with Three New Dancing Characters for the Holidays. #weknowplay
Following the international success of Boppi The Booty Shakin’ Llama last year, ZURU expands its Pets Alive brand for the holiday season. A trio of colorful dancing animals are bopping, shaking, and strutting into toy departments everywhere. Kids ages 3 and up can bust a move with Fifi the Flossin...
This Saturday is ASTRA: American Specialty Toy Retailing Association's annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day. Thousands of independent toy stores are officially kicking off the home stretch to the holidays! More at The Toy Book — #weknowplay!
This Saturday, independent toy stores across the country will officially kick off the holiday shopping season during the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (ASTRA) Neighborhood Toy Store Day. It’s no secret that this year is a little bit different, but thousands of independent retail...
Just in: an exclusive news drop from KessCo! The company known for its work in the outdoor space is getting into puzzles with a new brand called de.bored — #weknowplay!
Kess is getting into a new category that is also one of this year’s hottest toy trends: puzzles. On Monday, Nov. 16, the third-generation toy and game company will officially launch de.bored, a vibrant new line of puzzles designed to “help adults de-stress and solve boredom through colorful, str...
Are you subscribed to The Toy Report? It's our weekly toy industry newsletter that hits inboxes every Thursday morning. If you're not signed up, check out what you missed this week and be sure to subscribe! #weknowplay https://bit.ly/ToyReport11122020
November 12, 2020 The Toy Insider Shares Top Tips for Holiday Toy Shopping During the Pandemic Consumer shopping habits have changed dramatically this year thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
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Star Wars: The Mandalorian — The Child aka Baby Yoda Plush Toy Preview (Hasbro)
Following Hasbro's announcement of a full range of toys featuring The Child (Baby Yoda) from Star Wars: The Mandalorian, we've got an early preview of their talking plush to share. Full Details: https://toybook.com/hasbro-reveals-baby-yoda-figures-plush/
#WeKnowPlay
Hasbro's Haslab Transformers Unicron Robot Mode Video
The team at Hasbro shared with us this new video showing their massive TRANSFORMERS: War for Cybertron Unicron figure in-action.
Known as The Lord of Chaos, The Planet Eater, and The Chaos Bringer, Unicron will only go into production if the campaign is backed by a minimum of 8,000 orders before 11:59 p.m. EST on Aug. 31.
If produced, this will be the largest Transformers figure ever created.
#WeKnowPlay #MoreThanMeetsTheEye
Toy Report Podcast: 4th of July Weekend Special!
It's a special Fourth of July Weekend spectacular edition of The Toy Report! In this episode, Toy Book Senior Editor James Zahn (The Rock Father) shares a few of the week's top toy stories, including American Girl's new Bowling Alley, The Pop Insider's plans for San Diego Comic-Con #SDCC, plus news from Hasbro Gaming, Learning Express Toys, Super7 x Peanuts, GameStop, Nickelodeon, Basic Fun Toys x My Little Pony, Atari x Six Flags, and more!
#WeKnowPlay #Podcast #Toys
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LEGO Braille Bricks
The LEGO Foundation and LEGO Group are working on a new way to help blind and visually impaired kids learn through play — LEGO Braille Bricks.
The Leading Trade Magazine Serving the Toy Industry — Since 1984
Since 1984, the Toy Book has been the leading trade magazine serving the toy and game industry. The Toy Book is the authority on news, trends, new products, and happenings within the toy industry, maintaining close relationships with retailers, manufacturers, industry analysts, and market research groups to keep our finger on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s next.
We cover toys, games, licensing, video games, kids and family entertainment, business trends, and much more.
With the largest reach in the industry, the Toy Book is a must-read for anyone in the business of toys or kids’ entertainment.
#WeKnowPlay
The Toy Book is published by Adventure Media and Events LLC, the company that brings you the Toy Insider, the Pop Insider, and the legendary Sweet Suite Event.
Additionally, each Thursday, the Toy Book brings you the Toy Report — a free weekly newsletter that collects all the biggest stories of the week. And that’s not all — the Toy Report is now a podcast, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, an Amazon Alexa Skill (under Adventure Media & Events) and more.
Santa claus as a toy...just looking for information and opinions, and to see if this image can be used in a better way.
Toy photography made to look real... :)
For all your toy logo or branding needs please continue to support your small local businesses who are feeling the pressure to be considered for small and large projects from larger established
angencies at the time of tariff disagreements. We want to be continuing supplying great design solutions and still pay for for survival , Thank you
Hi Toy Boook Community, Looking for assistance, guidance, introductions for the stage I'm now at.
I'm the Creative Thinker for the Car Spotto brand, the classic car game played since the 60's.
I'm now looking to find Car Spotto a new owner, someone that has the expertise and passion to take it to the next level in the licensing / merchandising / publishing realm.
I've spent the last few years developing the characters and brand, prototype products (plush, books, laces, gift boxes) and a fan base, but have now decided to take a new career direction. I did manage to secure a publishing agreement in the UK, but decided against it, as it was very one-sided in the agreement and, whilst I would have loved to make the deal, commercially it didn't make sense.
Any guidance on the best way to try and sell the brand to someone willing to give it a shot, would be most appreciated.