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Goliath Acquires Endless Games
Goliath is expanding its global portfolio with the acquisition of Endless Games. During the transition, Endless will continue to operate out of its New Jersey office this fall, with plans to be fully integrated into Goliath's distribution network by the end of the first quarter of 2022. Read more...
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The NPD Group to Be Acquired by Hellman & Friedman
Hellman & Friedman (H&F) — a global private equity firm — has made a binding offer and entered into an exclusive agreement to acquire The NPD Group, a leading market data provider that covers several consumer products sectors, including the toy industry, games, and video games. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year. Read more...
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Fill Those Empty Shelves! The Toy Book’s Get List Connects Retailers and Manufacturers with In-Stock, Fast-Ship Toys and Games!
In an effort to connect retailers to manufacturers to keep shelves stocked — especially amid trade show cancellations — the Toy Book introduces The Get List, a curated list of in-stock products that retailers can get fast from U.S. warehouses. Browse the list early and often to see the latest products added throughout the holiday selling season. Read more…
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Fisher-Price Reinvents a Classic with
the Special Edition Chatter Telephone
for Adults
The Special Edition Chatter Telephone is a real, working speakerphone that connects to a mobile device using Bluetooth wireless technology. Big kids can make and receive calls through an icon of childhood, all using their existing phone plan. Read more...
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Mattel Blasts off to Infinity and Beyond
with Licensing Deal for Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear
Created by Pixar Animation Studios, Lightyear is the origin story of Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear — the character, not the toy. Under the new deal — an extension of Mattel and Disney's existing Pixar collaboration — Mattel is developing Lightyear-inspired action figures, playsets, role-play items, vehicles, novelty items, value figures, and a range of items in the preschool, games, and plush categories. Read more…
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Spin Master Makes Waves with Mermaid High Fashion Dolls Launch
Spin Master is launching its Mermaid High Fashion Dolls collection this week, along with an animated and a vlog-style YouTube series. Searra, Finly, Oceanna, and Mari are mermaids who flip their tails into legs during the day to navigate the unchartered waters of high school (on land) while keeping their mermaid secret from their new human friends. Read more…
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Jakks Pacific Adds to Its ReDo Skateboard Line
Jakks Pacific is heading back to the skatepark. The company announced new additions to its line of ReDo Skateboards, featuring updated graphics just in time for the holidays. Available in several different styles, the line includes boards for every level of skateboarder, from beginner to expert. Read more...
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MGA Entertainment Launches L.O.L. Surprise Trading Card Game
Fans of MGAE’s L.O.L. Surprise! will be able to buy, sell, and trade cards online as nonfungible tokens (NFTs). L.O.L. Surprise! Dance Off! launches with 400 trading cards featuring new and familiar L.O.L. Surprise! characters, accessories, and surprises. Read more…
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An Inventor’s Journey: Blinger Creator Angie Cella Appears on the 'Power Kid Podcast'
In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Blinger creator Angie Cella to the show. Listen here...
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Disguise Secures EMEA Licensing Rights for Disney Costumes
After making Disney costumes for over three decades in the U.S., Disguise — the Halloween costume division of Jakks Pacific — inked a new, multiyear licensing deal to distribute a range of costumes inspired by The Walt Disney Co. portfolio of brands in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The new line will debut at retail next spring. Read more…
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Spielwarenmesse Integrates the Spieleerfindermesse into Its Nuremberg Event
Let the games begin! Spielwarenmesse is bringing its successful Internationale Spieleerfindermesse — Game Inventors Convention from Haar to Nuremberg in 2022. This change in location promises to keep the Game Inventors’ Fair attuned to its international games community and to increase the fair’s appeal to the roleplaying games sector. Read more…
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Carrera Revell of Americas Introduces Slot Car Set that Works with Major Construction Brands
Carrera GO!!! Build ‘N Race Slot Car Race Track Sets include a 1:43-scale electric slot car race track and two customizable vehicles — a red truck and a blue race car. Since the sets are compatible with all major building bricks brands — such as LEGO and Mega Construx — kids can mix and match their sets for new creations. Read more…
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NECA Delivers a Universal Monsters Makeover for TMNT
As part of its ongoing 31 Nights of Fright product reveals, NECA unveiled plans for a line of Universal Monsters x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) crossover action figures that will officially launch next year. Read more…
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Sakar International, Sega Partner for Sonic the Hedgehog Wheeled Goods
The “Blue Blur” is spinning into the wheeled goods category thanks to a partnership between Sakar International and Sega. As part of Sonic the Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary, the new deal will bring the iconic character to hoverboards, scooters, four-wheel ride-ons, and both manual and electric skateboards and scooters. Read more...
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The 2021 Hess Cargo Plane and Jet Joins the Hess Toy Truck Fleet
The Hess Corp. unwrapped its 2021 Hess Toy Truck. Occasionally, the company’s annual holiday toy isn’t a truck at all (such as space shuttle, RV, race car, oil tanker), and this is one of those years: The 2021 Hess Cargo Plane and Jet brings aviation into the mix. Read more…
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Will Microsoft’s Decision to ‘Sunset’ Localized LinkedIn Platform in China Impact the Toy Industry?
Last week, Microsoft revealed plans to “sunset” its localized version of the LinkedIn platform in China. The move comes amid increased pressure to comply with China’s strict censorship laws, the same regulations that have driven other international social networks out of the country. Read more…
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Eagle Force Is Back for Its 40th Anniversary
Eagle Force, originally offered as golden, 3-inch die-cast commandos by Mego, is returning to battle. The line created and designed by Bill Baron and Paul Kirchner in the early 1980s is being reinvented by Fresh Monkey Fiction as a collection of 4-inch, highly articulated action figures. Read more…
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Abacus Brands Debuts MasterChef Junior Virtual Reality Cooking Kit
The MasterChef Junior Virtual Reality Kit is a VR cooking experience that features tips and tricks from former favorite contestants of the competition series and teaches kids about food science. Each page of the included workbook incorporates augmented reality and transports kids to the kitchen that’s used on the show. Read more…
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Talkin' Toys: Elenco Inspires Kids to Learn by Doing
Known for its hands-on, interactive toys, Elenco has been fostering a love of STEM in kids for generations, and this year, the company is celebrating two anniversaries! The Toy Book chatted with Linda Kramer, vice president of marketing at Elenco, about the evolution of the company and what’s in store this year. Read more...
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ASTRA'S Insights: What Specialty Retailers Can Expect in Q4
Sue Warfield, president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) stops by to share details on what independent toy stores can look forward to this holiday season as they navigate a unique climate driven by global supply chain issues and increased consumer demand. Read more...
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Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
Erin Gagne, logistics coordinator, Grand Prix International Inc. (GPI) shares some insight on the carbon footprint that delivery of toys and games is leaving behind, and how the industry can start to reverse the trend. Read more...
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CAMP Heads to New Jersey in Former Toys “R” Us Location
The gates to CAMP’s newest store opened on Tuesday at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. The new store features a treehouse alongside a vintage pickup truck with a miniature basketball court in its bed, lifelike foliage and greenery, a craft and activity area, and a curated selection of toys, games, books, and apparel. Read more…
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Amazon Has Already Sold 1 Million Toys This Holiday Season
The season began on Oct. 4 with Amazon’s launch of various holiday shopping guides, including the 2021 Toys We Love List. Of the one million toys sold, some of the best-sellers so far have been the Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House Play Set, MGA Entertainments’ L.O.L. Surprise! OMG Sports Cheer Competitive Cheerleading Fashion Doll, and LEGO Classic Medium Creative Brick Box – 484 Pieces. Read more…
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The LEGO Group, Target Partner for Exclusive Range of LEGO Lifestyle Products
The full lineup of licensed merchandise will feature nearly 300 LEGO-inspired items across categories such as toys, apparel, pet products, home goods, and more. Target plans to launch the new collection this fall. Read more…
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September Retail Sales Spiked as Halloween Spending Kicks In
The spooky season is upon us, and as September ushered in the full-blown days of pumpkin spice, cash registers were ringing up some big numbers. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), consumer concerns regarding the continued spread of the COVID-19 delta variant turned attention back to physical merchandise as families cooled on experiences and services such as travel, dining, or entertainment. Read more…
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Spin Master Launches Spin Master Ventures to Expand in Key Market Areas
Spin Master Ventures (SMV) is designed to further the company’s efforts to accelerate growth in each of the company’s three creative centers. SMV will focus on expanding Spin Master’s toys, entertainment, and digital games through strategic minority investments. Read more…
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Herschend Entertainment Studios Hires Sarah Maizes; New Chuggington Toys Debut
Maizes will work to create a new development and production slate as the company seeks to identify and develop new franchises for TV, film, publishing, and more. She will work alongside and report to Julie Phillips, vice president of development and production. Read more…
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Former Disney Exec Seth A. Davis Named President at Stern Pinball
Davis assumes the role previously held by founder Gary Stern. He joins the company from The Walt Disney Co., where he most recently served on the Disney Streaming executive team responsible for the launch of Disney+ and ESPN+. Read more…
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