Toy Fair was teeny tiny
This year, everything seems itty bitty. Prices have dropped, toys are smaller, tech is tinier. I even noticed some companies downsized on booth space. But, what I did also notice at Toy Fair was that foot traffic, elevator talk and excitement of this year’s selections was way BIG.
I think consumers will find this year’s stock to be filled with fun, yet after combing the fair and visiting hundreds of exhibitors, there are a few toys that stood out with a difference from the rest.
- Toy Story 3 Mr. Potato Head — How fun is it to scare him and then watch his face fall off?
- MOOV — Kids can build and ride their own bike with the help of mom or dad.
- Worx Toys — Model/construction toys that teach kids how things work. Genius.
- Buddy Long Legs — Stilts for kids? The first thing that comes to mind is safety but I can’t wait to try these out.
- Cate & Levi — Original, one-of-a-kind puppets handmade in Canada from reclaimed wool. Functional and artistic.
- Mattel Dance Star Mickey — Adorable and timely with the rising popularity of dance television shows and Wii dance games.
- Hasbro’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Millennium Falcon flying R/C — A nice tribute for the 30th Anniversary of the movie.
- Clementine Art — Soy crayons and natural glue in simple, clean packaging. A continuation to the "green" movement in the toy industry.
- Wow Wee’s Paper Jamz — Sleek instruments made of paper, laminated and with embedded circuitry. Thin yet with plenty of volume (and volume control).
While we plan to test thousands of toys this year, I’ll be posting tidbits of research from our files. Toy Tips is best known for our independent toy testing, reviews and toy report cards but what I’ll share here are my musings not found on our website. So, check back often.
