Toys n Playthings

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8 ry 201 Janua No.4 7 Vol. 3

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MARSHALL’S BUB BBLE BL LO OWI WIN’ FIRE FIGHTIN’ TRUCK Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,121 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017

All fired up for 2018! www.mvsports.com

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Move in before your competitors do.

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CONTENTS 18 ry 20 Janua No.4 7 Vol. 3

TEAM TnP Group Editor Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

P35

P18

Acting Editor Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

Regular 7

Leader – with Mirella Anstey

8

News – the latest toy industry headlines

11

Coffee break with Rosa Seegelken, Regional Business Development Manager Iberia for Funko

12

Movie news – big screen update

13

Media News – the multimedia rundown

14

Media Charts – the latest kids’ TV viewing figures and toy TV advertising spend

16

Retail News – the latest from across the retail landscape

26

What’s New – new products that you need to get your hands on

30

Toy Talk – retailers let us know what is selling well

194

Spotlight on…Golden Bear – Princess Blossom Bush Baby World

201

Licensing News – the latest on licensed products

210

Step Back in Time – a slice of toy history from the industry’s longest running magazine

211

Don’t Miss – unmissable products for all buyers and retailers

Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design and Production Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

At the heart of retail A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,125 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016

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Helping everyone sell more

Our jumini range of beautiful wooden toys has grown enormously since last year and we are now excited to launch the Mr Men Little Miss collection.

Mr Men is a classic brand, loved by generations. The basic shapes and bright colours epitomised by the characters will now feature in Z `hk`^hnl l^e^\mbhg h_ My First Mr Men & Little Miss phh]^g toys, including a fabulous Mr Tickle Bead Maze and a stunning Mr Men Little Miss Shape Sorter!

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Tel: 01908 969 969

jumini.net

12/07/2017 11:30

CONTENTS

P219

Features 18 ry 20 Janua No.4 7 Vol. 3

TEAM TnP Group Editor Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

35

London Toy Fair 2018 – we preview the UK’s premier toy industry event – plan your show diary now with our in-depth exhibitor guide

195

Character licensing – we focus on the hottest licensed character for 2018

202

Ride ons – the latest innovations in this popular category

Special Nuremberg Toy Fair Flip Section Flip Cover Special! Turn over your copy of TnP for our in-depth guide to Nuremberg Toy Fair 2018, Europe’s biggest toy trade event Leader – with Mirella Anstey Cover Story – Mattel reveals all about its Childhood of Wonder campaign and the toys innovation encompassing this ethos

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Sponsored feature: Range in Focus – Toy States highlights its latest hot line-up Nuremberg Preview – Our deep-dive into the best of the Spielwarenmesse 2018

Acting Editor Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design and Production Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

Special Report

P190

18

Retail Interview – Jarrold’s of Norwich buyer Selina Clarke talks toys

24

Why colour matters – leading branding and colour experts talk up the merits of great colours

32

The Line King – we catch up with Martin Grossman and get to grips with his career highlights – the story so far!

34

Cover story – MV Sports’ Sales and Marketing Director Phil Ratcliffe talks about new lines and extensive licensed products portfolio

190

TnP Ambassadors – we share our tiny toy testers’ verdicts from 2017

206

Look back at 2017 – TnP MD Malcolm Naish looks back at the past year in toy trading

Columnists 15

Retail Opinion – is big always better for a toy shop, asks John Ryan

22

The Independent and Secret Supplier – value and volume reign supreme for both sides of the fence here

28

Media Whisperer – Clive Crouch talks about diversity and influence

29

Media Analysis – The Generation Media team talk family films

P235

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

P18

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

At the heart of retail A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,123 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015

toysnplaythings.co.uk 4

toysnplaythings.co.uk Helping everyone sell more

Featuring: TOMY, Jumbo Games, Bladez Toyz, Lottie Dolls, H Grossman, Lucky Voice, Re:Creation, Amerang e ... & many more

LEADER

W

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,121 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2017

PUBLISHING

At the heart of retail Also published by Lema Publishing

licensing T O D A Y

W O R L D W I D E

magazine

elcome to 2018 and welcome to our bumper Toy Fair issue!

London Toy Fair is such an important show for all of us in the UK toy industry — it very much signals the beginning of the season — rather like the Glorious 12th!

The show heralds the start of the year and of course the start of selecting and buying!

Let’s not forget that for most of us, if not all of us, it is the first time we are seeing the new product. Even more so, considering the products have just been signed during the buying trip to HK just a week or two earlier.

Which in itself is a great testament to the intuition and agility.

Having attended numerous previews and in putting together this magazine, the team and I have been hugely impressed by the amount of new product that is being showcased.

There is a real variety of product from a broad range of suppliers from all sorts of sizes and sectors of the industry. There have been some real ‘wow’ moments in previews and I think the only thing that I am yet to see is a toy with a pyroclastic flow exploding from it — but I’m sure the guys at Character can get their thinking caps on and come up with a slow rising foam version in time for the next previews. I’ll mention it to Jerry Healy next time I see him!

This issue features previews to the London Toy Fair and Nuremberg Spielewarenmesse, and of course we have our supplement covering the Spring Fair too, so it truly is an indispensable guide for all serious toy buyers to all the shows this season.

Our in-depth preview of London begins on page 35 and is jam-packed with the vital information you need to make the best buying decisions.

Equally, our Nuremberg preview kicks off with a superb feature on

“

Mirella Anstey

VTech

Mattel, revealing their key product plans for 2018 — and I think it is gearing up to be a great year for this legendary toy company. The Nuremberg preview is a special flip section, so just turn this magazine over to have a good old read and catch up with some exhibitors including Toy State and their hot licensed toys and awardwinning RC and lights and sounds ranges too.

Closer to home we bring you our Spring Fair supplement which covers some great cross-category exhibitors who can really ad diversity Flair to your business. A great example is Juratoys, who we sat down with just last week to catch up on their plans for customers and products and their objective to help grow your business — and theirs too, of course!

We also had an exclusive chat with Selina Clarke, buyer at Jarrold, about their extensive toy range and commitment to the toy industry.

Their attitude and business is really important to the toy industry and it is great that a department store really feels at the heart of the trade.

Lastly, huge news just as we went to press wwas the eleventh hour payment plan agreed between Toys R Us and the PPF. The decision means pensions are protected due to payments totalling £9.8m over three years. But the store closures and 800 jobs axing will still go ahead. Is it enough to save the ailing store on these shores. Only time will tell, but watch this space as it is a fastdeveloping story.

The team and I have been hugely impressed by the amount of new product

TableWare INTERNATIONAL

If you would like to subscribe to any of our other market leading titles please call Robert Thomas on 01442 289930 or email your request to robert@ lemapublishing.co.uk It’s January and that means heading to Olympia for Toy Fair

”

Character Options

NEWS

Rena Nathanson, Top Banana at Bananagrams, Inc: What do the closures and job losses at TRU mean for the industry?

Toys R Us saved The UK arm of Toys R Us has been saved by a last-minute payment plan with the Pension Protection Fund.

The PPF had demanded a £9m cash injection to protect the pensions of the toy retailer’s workers in order for the company to receive its vote for to proceed with restructuring plans.

But a compromise deal saw the PPF lend its weight to voting, which saw 98 per cent of creditors greenlight the company voluntary arrangement.

Despite asking for £9m, which is around the same amount, it would normally pump into its pensions

scheme over the next three years, the PPF will instead receive only £2.2m up front and £1.6m in October 2018. Toys R Us will follow that up with further payments totalling £6m in 2019 and 2020.

With the compromise in place, the upshot is that Toys R Us can now proceed with its CVA, narrowly avoiding slipping into administration.

It will continue to trade into the new year and save three-quarters of its stores and more than 2,000 jobs.

The retailer will still go ahead with shutting down 26 stores and axing around 800 jobs from spring.

It is a sad situation. No job losses are good, but to hear about this massive cut just before the holidays is even more troubling. I feel the industry will scramble to get through the next few weeks and the chips will fall where they may in the new year. My heart goes out to all the affected TRU employees. The retail industry – from mass to brick and mortar – is suffering, and this blow directly to our sector will be felt widely.

What do they mean to your company?

Unfortunately, Bananagrams was directly affected in the US by the declaration by TRU of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This just puts Bananagrams on the long list of those affected, along with many, many other manufacturers, sadly with little or no recourse for compensation.

What is next for TRU - is this the beginning of the end?

Unfortunately, I feel this is the beginning of the end. The flags have been going up for some time now so this is not a surprise, either here in the UK or in the US. TRU will need to rethink their approach to the retail market and come up with some revolutionary concepts to rebuild and regain public, consumer and manufacturer confidence.

Character posts positive end of year results

Hama Beads big with the Beckhams

Character Group has reported a 6.6 per cent increase in its underlying operating profit for the year ended 31 August 2017, bringing profit in real terms £13.6m.

Although revenue dipped by 4.7 per cent to £115.3m over the 12-month period, the company says the performance was “in line with current market expectations,” and is confident its portfolio will continue to deliver in 2018.

The company points to the “cash generative nature” of its business model, which has seen net cash more than double to £11.5m, compared with £6.9m in the same period in 2016.

Singer turned fashion designer Victoria Beckham shared a social snap of her and daughter Harper enjoying some Hama Bead fun, complete with the caption “After school activities with mummy”.

David Allan, Sales and Marketing Director of DKL, which distributed the brand in the UK, told TnP: “We are delighted to see the Beckhams enjoying quality creative time together using Hama Beads, a brand that is known and trusted by generations of families. Into 2018, consumer awareness of Hama Beads will be further increased with an Easter

Esdevium rebrands to Asmodee UK Esdevium Games is rebranding under the name Asmodee UK from 1 January 2018.

Having been part of the Asmodee Group since 2010, the move will bring Esdevium’s branding in line with its parent and sister companies across the world.

Esdevium MD Steve Buckmaster says: “The Esdevium name has a long and proud history, so it is with some sadness that we say goodbye to the dragon logo, but this is an exciting next step for the company.”

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Wilton Bradley has The X Factor Wilton Bradley is bringing the magic of The X Factor to homes across the UK over the next three years with a new range of licensed karaoke microphones, machines, headphones and speakers.

The deal was signed with FremantleMedia to manufacture and supply the range, building on the success of Bradley’s award-winning range of Mi-Mic microphone speakers. Simon Hampton, Head of Sales & Marketing at Wilton Bradley said: “Mi-Mic is about to sell out and has performed well beyond our expectations. In fact, the whole karaoke microphone category has really taken off this year. So, the timing for this deal with The X Factor is perfect and I can’t imagine a better partnership in this category.”

Breyer welcomes Rick Rekedal Model horse brand has named Former DreamWorks Rick Rekedal as Executive Vice President of Brand and Business Development as the company plans to grow its retail, licensing and consumer-driven business. He joins Breyer with a vision to develop it into a broad lifestyle franchise, through expanded product categories, content development initiatives, licensing and retail partnerships.

“I fell in love with Breyer when we worked together on Spirit, and haven’t stopped thinking about them since,” said Rick, who spent more than 20 years at DreamWorks Animation. “There is huge potential for Breyer to expand as a multi-category lifestyle brand, and to create original content across areas like publishing and new media.”

Disney acquires 21st Century Fox 21st Century Fox has been acquired by The Walt Disney Company for $52.4bn in stock.

Disney has also taken on around $13.7bn in Fox debt, bringing the total price to approximately $66.1bn for corporation, its film and TV studios, cable and international TV divisions.

Prior to the acquisition, Fox will divest itself of the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, spinning them off as a newly listed company to its shareholders. The takeover brings a number of globally successful entertainment brands such as The Simpsons, Avatar, and Marvel properties X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool, under one roof.

In a statement, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger said: “We’re honoured and grateful that Rupert Murdoch has

entrusted us with the future of businesses he has spent a lifetime building, and we’re excited about this extraordinary opportunity to significantly increase our portfolio of well-loved franchises and branded content to greatly enhance our growing direct-toconsumer offerings.”

The buyout will also give Disney a greater share of the leading TV channels and streaming platforms, including FX Networks, National Geographic Partners, Fox Sports Regional Networks, Fox Networks Group International, Star India and Fox’s interests in Hulu, Sky plc in the UK, Tata Sky and Endemol Shine Group.

Bob Iger, who was set to depart The Walt Disney Company in July 2019 after a number of contract extensions, has also confirmed he will stay on until at least 2021.

Trends UK to distribute Bullyland in UK New deal will see company bringing the popular, collectable German figures to UK and Ireland in a deal effective from 1 January 2018.

The German manufacturer is best known for its ranges of popular figurines, with a special focus on licensed products.

Lindsay Hardy, Marketing Director at Trends UK, added: “We are delighted to be working with Bullyland and are very much looking forward to introducing this delightful line to our range in the coming weeks and months. Bring on 2018!”

9

NEWS

West Design strengthens team

BTHA gives the Gift of Play to Parliament The British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) held its first Parliamentary reception in the House of Commons recently under its Giving the Gift of Play campaign. The event, attended by TnP founder Malcolm Naish, was a celebration of Britain’s exciting and innovative toy manufacturing sector and the various aspects of the BTHA’s work on play that its members and the industry work on all year round.

Giving the Gift of Play was a cross-party event sponsored by Andrea Leadsom MP and all 35 attending MPs had the opportunity to select a children’s charity within their constituency to receive a selection of toys for Christmas, donated

courtesy of the BTHA and its members.

Deputy Leader Michael Ellis MP and the BTHA’s local constituency MP Neil Coyle spoke at the event which celebrated the diversity of work of the industry. Both MPs praised the vitality of the industry and the positive work of the association and its members.

Kerri Atherton, Public Affairs Manager at the British Toy & Hobby Association said: “It was a fantastic and very unique occasion for the toy industry to celebrate the importance of play with MPs, Lords, and civil servants. Thank you to all those who joined us in this celebration.”

Maps Toys distributes Circuit Scribe The company is bringing the expanded range of unique Circuit Scribe STEM kits from Electroninks to the UK market.

The Circuit Scribe kits allow users to turn ordinary paper into power-conducting creations, and continue a theme of creative STEM products that MAPS Toys has cultivated over the past decade. In 2018 a new make-your-own drone kit will further enhance this range that both educates and stretches the imagination of children and adults alike.

Whincroft, the parent company of West Design and docrafts, has welcomed two new members to its team. Amy Gilbert joins as Marketing Editorial Manager and Stephen Bugh as Category Product Manager.

Amy joins from Hobbycraft, where she managed the UK’s number one craft blog and commissioned projects. Stephen has been involved in the art, craft and stationery markets for over 12 years, working for Findel Education and Office Depot at an International level. “

Danilo names new MD Laurence Prince, owner and chairman of leading licensed calendar company Danilo Promotions, has announced the appointment of his son Daniel Prince to the position of MD from 1 January 2018.

Daniel joined Danilo in 2001 and has since launched the company’s first sound card ranges and www.personalise.com, where consumers can customise their own card.

Daniel said: “We’re looking forward to 2018 – when we celebrate our 40th trading year – by adding new licenses to Danilo from Roald Dahl, World Of Walliams, Jurassic World, Gruffalo, L.O.L and Peter Rabbit, which we’re all incredibly excited about.”

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

Re:creation welcomes Zara Sherriff The former Toys R Us buyer joins the marketing team as Assistant Brand Manager. Zara will support Re:creation’s marketing efforts across the company’s broad brand portfolio, which includes Razor outdoor, LEGO Lights, Feisty Pets, Bright Light Pillow and more.

Jonathan Kirkley, Re:creation Sales and Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Zara on board. We have recently added a raft of new brands to our line-up and Zara will be instrumental in helping us to bring these to market in the coming months.”

Playmobil UK Commercial Director dies The death of Uffe Kloster, Commercial Director for Playmobil and Lechuza has been announced by the company.

Silke Heinrich, Member of Executive Board, and Executive Vice President Europe, Axel Schmitz paid tribute in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by his sudden death. Since joining the company in September 2013, Uffe worked with great commitment for our company and helped to grow the business for our two brands with tireless effort and expertise. We will sadly miss his great experience, profound advice and winning personality.”

Cartamundi CEO passes away The card and game company mourns Chris Van Doorslaer, who died suddenly on Saturday 16 December. He was CEO for 20 years, first taking up the position in 1997.

Chairman of the Board, Jean-Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, said: “The shareholders, the board of directors, the executive management and the entire workforce are deeply saddened and extend their sincere condolences to his family, relatives and friends.”

A steering committee has been assembled by Jean-Louis and Managing Director Frederic de Somer to lead the company in the interim.

JANUARY 2018

COFFEE BREAK Rosa Seegelken, Regional Business Development Manager Iberia for Funko lifts the lid on what is on the horizon in 2018 Tell us a little about what is new for the final quarter of 2017 and what we can look forward to in 2018?

In the final quarter of 2017 we successfully launched a host of new products relating to all latest releases. New launch ranges, amongst many, included Thor Ragnarok, Justice League and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, League of Legends, Overwatch, Stranger Things and Rick and Morty.

The Funko portfolio of over 650 licences will continue to grow throughout 2018 across all product categories. In 2017 we launched around 53 new items per week, this huge product development programme will continue in 2018 with new Mystery Minis, Pint Size Heroes, Pop Vinyl figures and Plush along with additions to our unique Loungefly and homewares gifting ranges.

You are licensing heroes – tell us about some of the best performing for 2017 and what the ones to watch are in 2018?

Our most popular licenses are led Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, Game of Thrones, Five Nights and DC Comics, we are also enjoying very strong demand for Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, Rick & Morty and Dragonball Z. And in terms of growth and progress – what are some of your retail wins?

2017 is going to be a bumper initial trading year for Funko across Europe. With an extensive portfolio of 6000+ items we have strong partners across all categories from toy specialists, grocers, gaming, entertainment and on line retailers.

And when it comes to products, what have been your top-selling for 2017?

For 2017 our most popular character has been Baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy 2, other successes include Harry Potter, Porg, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen from Games of Thrones, Shenron Dragon from Dragonball Z, Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad and the characters from Five Nights at Freddy.

And lastly, you’ve seen a lot of retailers in previews lately – which of your ranges and products have received a fantastic retail response?

Trade response to our 2018 line has been terrific. We look forward to reviewing successful sales across all new launch licenses including Black Panther, Infinity Wars, Han Solo, Deadpool, Jurassic World and English Premier League ranges.

11

MEDIA

NEWS

Masha comes to Tiny Pop Ink Global’s first season of Masha and the Bear hit UK screens in the run-up to Christmas on pre-school channel Tiny Pop. The eagerly awaited season debuted on Monday, 11 December and aired weekdays at 7am and 5pm. Over the weekends, the hit 3D family show from Animaccord aired three times a day at 7am, 11.30am and 17.30pm.

Tiny Pop is the latest broadcaster to join Netflix, Cartoonito and Boomerang in showing Masha and the Bear in the UK.

Corporate takeover

Toxic takeover for Zimpli Zimpli Kids worked with Egmont Publishing to bring Toxic magazine readers a slime-tastic issue last month.

The company’s best-selling Slime Play is the cover mount freebie for this month’s issue of the popular boy’s magazine. Readers not only get an exciting magazine, they can also make their very own 100 per cent safe slime.

Kids can simply add the slime powder to water and watch it

transform into a gooey, oozy bowl of slime. And when the fun is done, they can simply dilute with more water and safely drain away.

Zimpli Kids has also slimed the Toxic website, taking over the MPU, Leaderboard and site skin for a whole month.

Sony taps app store

Funko has acquired award-winning UK-based animation production company Evil Corp, which will now operate as Funko Animation Studios.

Founded in 2006, Evil Corp is a design and animation studio that has been producing short animated product videos with Funko since 2014. Following the purchase, the animation house will now operate as Funko Animation Studios, with Evil Corp founders Guy Thomson and Seth Watkins staying on as General Managers.

Previous collaborations between Funko and Evil Corp include a partnership with Marvel Animation to create Marvel Funko shorts.

The first collaboration, ‘Spellbound’, debuted in November 2016, featuring the characters of Iron Man, Spider-Man and Loki and has reached more than 1.1 million views to date, with subsequent Marvel Funko shorts garnering well over 5 million views. The second season of Marvel Funko shorts have already premiered, with five additional shorts launching in 2018.

Little fans of Pop, Tiny Pop and Pop Max can now enjoy the channels’ content on the go with the launch of a new mobile app. Pop Fun is a new, free, dedicated kids’ app, which brings together shows, games, galleries and competitions from Sony Pictures Television Networks’ three networks.

Pop Fun will feature a range of popular shows on demand, including Power Rangers Dino Super Charge, LEGO Nexo Knights, Zak Storm, PJ Masks, Rabbids Invasion, Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small and Alvinnn!!!

And the Chipmunks.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

MEDIA

4000

CHARTS

3500 3000 2500

Slippery slope

2000 1500

W

1000 500 0

All Children Nov 16 vs Nov 17 Nov-16

Nov-17

7000 6000 5000 4000

elcome to the Media Report for November, the third month of the autumn. We are reporting viewing levels for Girls 4-9 years, Boys 4-9 years and Housewives with Children.

The viewing levels for the girls show some dramatic drops in viewing for the major kids’ channels, such as Channel 5, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and many others. We have never seen these types of drops in the autumn period before. This is a clear indication now this group has found other ways of entertaining themselves, although I don’t feel this is entertainment — more of a lifestyle change.

This group is getting involved with making decisions concerning what’s important to them, expanding their social groups all via the internet.

Overall viewing is down by 20 per cent.

Looking at the data for the boys we see a similar picture. Again there are some major reductions in viewing from some of the important Kids Channels. We see that Nickelodeon is down by 26.55 NOW A per cent, Nicktoons by 45 per THIS IS CHANGE cent, the list goes on.

TOTAL THE KIDS’ Our feelings are that this N WITHI T. is now a total change within E MARK ANT the kids’ market. They want involvement and they want THEY WEMENT V to interact with their social INVOL HEY WANT groups — unfortunately T AND ERACT television does not offer this TO INT opportunity. The big selling point of television in days gone by was sound, movement and colour. The Internet offers this and much more, and we are seeing a general migration from one medium to another. I cannot see how the TV stations will ever get these audiences back again. Overall the market is down by 25 per cent.

The viewing levels for Housewives with Children are down by 10 per cent. Most of the stations are down for this sector. Nicktoons shows a small increase and Tiny Pop is up, but apart from that all the others are down. The overall market is down by 10 per cent.

The reported expenditure for the top 10 spenders is down by 10 per cent compared to November 2016, with the overall market down by 8.3 per cent.

At this period of the year the top 10 spenders tend to remain the same.

In the next issue we will continue to look at these target markets.

“

3000 2000 1000 0

Boys 4-9 TVRs Nov 16 vs Nov 17 Nov-16

Nov-17

7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0

Girls 4-9 TVRs Nov 16 vs Nov 17 Nov-16

Nov-17

Nov 2016 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Nov 2017 Toy Company TV Expenditure

Company Name

TV Expenditure

Company Name

TV Expenditure

Jakks Pacific Lego Uk Ltd Drumond Park Ltd Playmobil Uk Ltd Character Options Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd John Adams Leisure Ltd Spin Master Toys Ltd Hasbro (Uk) Ltd Mattel Uk Ltd

794,622 660,196 883,677 894,171 1,022,501 1,160,163 1,894,180 2,123,214 2,172,405 2,317,942

Vtech Electronics Ltd Zapf Creations Uk Drumond Park Ltd Flair Leisure Prod Ltd Mattel Uk Ltd Playmobil Uk Ltd Character Options Ltd John Adams Leisure Ltd Spin Master Toys Ltd Hasbro (Uk) Ltd

650,839 701,420 842,188 923,682 789,335 1,120,187 1,192,235 1,604,208 2,301,088 2,356,786

For more information on viewing levels please contact Mike Penfold. mike@globalmedia.me.uk Tel: 01494 763178.

All graphs and information supplied by Global Media Services

1

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MOVIE

NEWS

A Star Wars origins story, a follow up to 2015’s record breaking Jurassic World, and a re-telling of The Grinch from the team behind Minions? This year is shaping up to be a blockbuster 12 months for family films. Here’s just a snapshot of the biggest kids’ movies headed to the silver screen in 2018

Movie calendar 2018

Early Man 26 January Aardman Animations / StudioCanal Peter Rabbit 16 March Sony Pictures Animation Avengers: Infinity War 27 April Walt Disney/ Marvel Studios Sherlock Gnomes 11 May MGM / Paramount Animation Solo: A Star Wars Story 25 May Walt Disney/Lucasfilms Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 8 June Universal Incredibles 2 13 July Disney-Pixar Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation 27 July Columbia Pictures Ant-Man and the Wasp 3 August Walt Disney / Marvel Studios Barbie 8 August Sony Pictures Entertainment How the Grinch Stole Christmas 9 November Illumination Entertainment/ Universal Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 16 November Warner Bros.

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 30 November Walt Disney Animation Studios Aquaman 21 December Warner Bros. / DC Comics

JANUARY 2018

Eddie plays Early Man

Force at the box office Star Wars: The Last Jedi – the follow-up to the biggest film of all time at the UK box office – has opened with blockbuster takings of £27.5m for the four-day weekend.

Opening in more than 700 sites as the widest cinema release of all time, the four-day takings make it the biggest opening of the year – and the third biggest opening weekend of all time.

The UK was the largest international market for the latest in Disney’s space saga.

Saturday’s figures alone came in at £7.6M, meaning Disney has the top three all-time Saturday box office figures alongside Star Wars: The Force Awakens and this year’s Beauty and the Beast.

The film, which has opened to global praise from critics, has taken over $450m worldwide and opened in the US to an estimated $220m, making it the second biggest opening of all time in the States, only behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Eddie Redmayne takes a break from playing an animal-mad wizard in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, to voice a Stone Age man in Aardman Animation’s upcoming movie Early Man. He’s joined by the talents of Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, and Timothy Spall.

This is the latest creation from the Wallace & Gromit stable, as Nick Park takes a step back in time with Stone Age man Dug, who comes up against some Bronze Age rivals.

The film is due for UK release on 26 January 2018.

Fallen Kingdom trailer launches An extended trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has been released by Universal Pictures.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom the sequel to 2015’s $1.66bn blockbuster Jurassic World, which became the fourth highest-grossing movie of all time. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in UK cinemas: 7 June 2018.

14

RETAIL

OPINION

Size matters Big warehousestyle stores have had their day and those still operating from them like Toys R Us are finding the going very tough, says John Ryan

S

ometime in December news broke that Toys Clearly, something is being done right. And maybe the R Us was looking to close 25 per cent of its success of Game of Thrones, that seems to have been stores in the UK. This followed the US parent running forever on the box, has created something of a company’s decision to go into Chapter 11, the American halo effect for Games Workshop. But what is striking is the fiscal alternative to declaring bankruptcy, which gives company’s focus, through its stores, on what is really a single organisations protection from their creditors while they item proposition, albeit with thousands of small variations. seek to sort themselves out.

The same might be said of American Girl Place in the US, This is a not a pretty picture, whichever side of the any model shop you might care to shake a tube of UHU Atlantic you are on and a visit to a Toys R Us this side of at, or perhaps one of those magic shops where you can the pond confirms why this is happening. These are not pick up tricks that look good when demonstrated in-store, winsome places and do seem to belong to another era, but which never quite work back home. For the most part one when we were happy to drive to the nearest edgehowever, small(er) really does appear to be better-looking, of-town retail park and to wander around massive stores if not beautiful, and if you can identify which of the several where the only criterion was that there should be a lot of strands work in your store, then you may be on the road to stuff under one roof. fashioning a shop that is rather more than In a way, the surprising thing just another high street fixture. is that this sort of retail is still And in so doing you will also have around: long, long aisles where become that retail Holy Grail: a But what do the you can have almost anything you destination. When this point is reached, troubles of a very large want. Isn’t that what the internet’s the world comes to you, rather than the player in the toy retail all about? Couple this with the other way round. fact that your sofa is probably But back to Toys R Us. Is this a case sector mean more generally an environment rather more of a mighty player brought low another conducive to opening your wallet example of corporate toy world hubris or than walking the aisles of Toys R is it rather more an instance of a retailer Us and perhaps little more needs whose time has come, been and gone to be said on the matter. with changing consumer tastes leaving it high and dry? It is But what do the troubles of a very large player in the toy perhaps worth noting that Toys R Us’ UK arm achieved sales retail sector mean more generally? Given the predations of £418m in its latest financial accounts, but in spite of this its as they are seen by many of the etail side of toy selling, performance has been generally loss-making for some years it might actually be a case of as one door shuts, – giving it away is not the name of the game(s). another one closes. Except that things There is an argument at this point that are rarely that straightforward. ill-advised property deals may be a lot The reality is that there are relatively to do with Toys R Us’ difficulties, and few toy shops out there (even if rapacious landlords making excessive you do think that demands have proved a you seem to have heavy burden. This may dozens of rivals) also be true, but Games and a tottering giant Workshop also rents represents a real properties and still manages opportunity, for some. to turn a penny.

The trick is to know what you’re good at and not Here’s the rub: you can fit a lot try to be all things to all people. of Games Workshop’s products into a modest space and For an example of what’s possible, look no still have room left over for the in-store demonstrators to further than Games Workshop. This is the outfit that play games with would-be customers. Not so in Toys R Us brings its devotees Warhammer with Battleforce where every available square metre looks like a warehouse Kharadron, Sons of Sanguinius and Battleforce instead of a shop. The fact of the matter is that not only is Genestealer, among many others. And for those small, in terms of store numbers, more attractive, but small who are just a little behind the curve, Games products with a high average selling price are also where Workshop, the overlord of all of this, the money is. The tricky bit is selling small things in big announced last month that its profits had spaces and that’s a nut that Toys R Us may find too nearly trebled in the first half. hard to crack.

“

”

John Ryan is Stores Editor at Retail Week. He has worked for the magazine for more than a decade covering store design, visual merchandising and what makes things sell in-store. In a previous life he was a buyer.

DECEMBER 2017

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RETAIL

NEWS

Disney Princess takes over UK independents

Bladez unwraps festive Fenwicks partnership Displays and demo zones brought toys to life at Fenwicks and Bentalls department stores over Christmas, with shoppers arriving at Bentalls Kingston met by an advent calendar themed Christmas window showcasing the best of the Bladez Toyz product range for autumn 2017.

Crowds were also entertained at the Christmas Shopping Events in association with The Telegraph, followed by late-night Gala Shopping events to further drive sales in the run up to the big day.

Billion Pound Boxing Day Boxing Day online sales are predicted to surpass the £1 billion mark for the first time, with figures from IMRG showing that online retail spend on Boxing Day will rise 7.9 per cent to £1.03 billion, compared with last year’s record of £954 million.

IMRG also predicted that 40 per cent of spend would be through mobile transactions.

Despite the forecast, IMRG’s Black Friday online sales figures will still outstrip Boxing Day. In 2017, its online spend reached £1.39 billion — an 11.7 per cent increase on Black Friday in 2016.

“Perhaps, as with Black Friday, we’re seeing Boxing Day spend become more online-focused,” says IMRG Managing Director Justin Opie.

16

Hasbro’s Disney Princess range rolled out across 245 independent retailers to mark the launch of the toy company’s new Disney Princess Shimmer Dolls range on 1 December. They were the first retailers to market the new doll range, complete with new watercolour dresses.

Paul Reader, Product Selection Manager at Toymaster, said: “We’re delighted that Hasbro has chosen the independent toy stores as a platform to launch these prestigious new dolls before the new year.”

Mothercare reports UK sales growth

Festive footfall More than half of Brits chose in-store rather than online shopping, according to a survey by mobile network giffgaff.

The survey of more than 2000 respondents revealed that 51.9% of all participants planned to do their Christmas shopping in-store. In contrast, a meagre 9.5% said the same for mobile shopping.

A total of 24.5% of the survey’s participants revealed they spend up to £700 on buying Christmas presents, with 44% saying their most expensive purchases are made exclusively in-store.

The nursery and pre-school retailer has seen UK like-forlikes grow 2.5 per cent in its first-half results for the 2017-18 financial year. Online sales also saw a positive turn, up 5.3 per cent for the 28-week period ending 7 October.

The retailer has continued its store turnaround plans, closing 10 underperforming stores and opening one new location.

Renovations have also been completed in 97 Mothercare stores to modernise and bring them in-line with the ‘club’ format, meaning 75 per cent of the retail estate is now complete.

Mark Newton-Jones, Chief Executive, said: “We are growing our digital capability, with 42% of our trade now taken online.”

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First Museum Shop Sunday Force for a monster high street success The initiative saw cultural shops across the nation reporting a tremendous spike in online engagement, visitors and sale.

Occurring as an alternative to Christmas shopping between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, sales increased both in-store and online across participating venues, with the Imperial War Museums up 145% in online sales from last year.

Hosted by the Association for Cultural Enterprises, 120 participating museums took part with many offering discounts, demonstrations and interactive events to coincide with internal displays.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to encourage consumers far and wide to further discover the UK’s cultural shops and their fabulous product ranges,” said the ACE’s Jill Fenwick.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi drove merchandise sales in-store, with demand outstripping last year’s film Rogue One. There was a 192 per cent increase in sales of Star Wars’ products in Q4 compared with the same period last year.

Vend’s data, taken from over 100 independent retail stores, revealed that retailers prepared for the rush with an 86 per cent increase in products stocked compared with the same period last year.

Vaughan Rowsell, Founder of Vend, said it was “great to see our high street stores getting an added bump in sales just before Christmas”.

Big spend for Small Business Saturday The Entertainer to expand in Malta The Entertainer has announced a joint venture with leading Malta-based corporation Alf. Mizzi & Sons Ltd. The UK’s largest independent toy retailer will take a share of Alf Mizzi’s toy division, all distribution brands managed by John G Cassar Ltd and five retail outlets operated by subsidiary company Leisure Stores Ltd. The Entertainer’s Founder and MD Gary Grant said: “Forming partnerships with renowned toy retailers internationally forms a core part of our international expansion strategy and will help us meet our ambitious international growth targets.”

JANUARY 2018

This retail campaign saw estimated spending at indie UK retailers top £748 million – a 4 per cent jump from 2016.

The figures come from an American Express survey conducted in the 48 hours following the fifth annual shopping event on Saturday 2 December, where shoppers are encouraged to support their local small businesses. The event was big news on social media, with more than 115,000 tweets about the event seeing it trend at number one in the UK.

OnBuy gets on the box The UK online marketplace, which bills itself as the UK alternative to Amazon, has launched a major TV campaign that is set to make the brand a household name. Following a deal with ITV for primetime slots over Christmas and New Year, there is further TV advertising planned with ITV and Sky during 2018.

Cas Paton, Managing Director of OnBuy, said: “It’s a very exciting time for OnBuy and we see this as the springboard for even bigger things in 2018.”

OnBuy launched in November 2016 and now has more than 2m product lines.

Poundworld CEO steps down Gerry Gray has stepped down as Poundland’s CEO after less than two years in the role, citing personal reasons for the resignation. He became boss in March 2016, when he replaced the value retailer’s founder Chris Edwards.

Reports suggest Executive Chairman Steve Johnson will take over as interim Chief Executive until a suitable replacement is found. He said Gerry had made “a great contribution” to the retailer during his tenure, overseeing “significant progress.”

17

RETAIL JARROLD

100 year toy store Norfolk’s Jarrold department store really is something special in a modern age of retail, managing to combine centuries of proud heritage with innovative methods. TnP spoke to Buyer Selina Clarke to find out more about buying, working closely with suppliers and the importance of toys to the Norwich landmark Jarrold is a department store with a fine history - so how important have toys been traditionally to the business, and would you say that’s evolved over the years?

I’m not sure exactly when Jarrold introduced a toy department, but we have an image from the 1910s of Father Christmas arriving in a horse drawn sleigh so we assume we had one then.

We also have an advert from 1934 promoting the store’s Grand Toy Fair, so the possibility is that there has been a toy department for more than 100 years!

I think the importance of having

a stand-alone store section selling toys and games is just as vital as it would have been a century ago. If a child comes in with their pocket money or visits Father Christmas that memory will stay with them forever and their loyalty to the shop, even if it is just once a year, will also stay as those memories evoke memories of them being children. We have had parents bring their children in to see our Father Christmas as they were brought in by their parents so it creates a tradition – and as a family-run store it is important to us to offer something for all the family.

Did you know…

“

The possibility is that there has been a toy department at Jarrold for more than 100 years

”

What’s your personal story - how did you come to work as a buyer, both at Jarrold and within the toy sector?

I’ve been with the company for 15 years, starting as a Sales Assistant on menswear.

Over the years I worked my way up and started as an assistant on the buying side 12 years ago. At that point I was working for two Buyers and was involved with purchasing for menswear,

Jarrold’s history goes back centuries to when it was established as the main shop of a family-run group in 1770. Today the department store is a famous landmark in the heart of Norwich.

18

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fashion accessories, childrenswear, luggage and Christmas. I became the buyer for art and craft a decade ago, and that department is situated on the third floor of the store adjacent to toys. After some in-store changes I was handed the job of Buyer for Toys and Baby Gifting in 2014 and haven’t looked back since. In total I’ve worked in 13 different Jarrold departments!

My current job involves buying for toys as well as art and craft materials, haberdashery, children’s craft, baby gifting and Christmas cards, and from January I will be taking on a mentorship role for the new buyer of our stationery areas.

What does your job involve and what do you particularly love about it?

The job is very varied and doesn’t just end with selecting product.

Once I’ve decided what we are bringing into the store we then decided where it’s going and what needs to be moved. I also plan all the events in store for the school holidays and weekends, and this involves working with suppliers for demonstrations or play stock, coming up with new competition ideas and marketing and social media planning. I’m also heavily involved in the Father Christmas arrival and Grotto plans which culminate in some very fun meetings!

We have an in-depth EPOS system so all orders are meticulously broken down so we are able to extract all types of information, and this is something I do before handing over the information to the admin team.

One of our strengths as an independent store is the closeness between the buyers and the shop floor, so I am also constantly training the teams or letting them know about new or upcoming lines.

What I love about this job is how every day is different and every week there is a new launch and new product to play with!

Tell us about the importance of web-based retail to Jarrold, and regarding toys in particular.

Our website is massively important to not just toys but

JANUARY 2018

the whole store in general. A few years ago we realised that ecommerce was going to be a big factor in retail so we invested heavily in our online offering.

At this point 95 per cent of our toys on the shop floor are also listed online and online toy sales equate to 20 per cent of total toy sales – as opposed to web sales accounting for 4% of total sales for the store as a whole.

Our website is a great storefront for the shop and we see daily the effect of consumers checking the website before they come in to store. With the growth of our online competitors it is important that we invest in our online areas and as Buyer it’s up to me to manage the stocks for all of our channels.

a collection of Sylvanian Families and the new ranges make me quite jealous as there is more to the buildings now. Growing up with a brother we both used to play with LEGO and Fabuland and Matchbox cars – that ended up with dolls on them!

What toy trade events are important for you as a buyer, and are there any showroom previews you never miss?

Living in Norfolk all shows and previews involve a lot of travel! I never miss Toy Fair and the Independent Toy and Gift Show and also attend Spring and Autumn Fair and Top Drawer – for quirkier lines for all my areas.

I’ve been to more previews this year, including LEGO, Mattel, Hasbro, MGA and Spin Master, which are all vital ranges for us.

And on top I visit other stores for

Surpr is star! e

Growing up what were you favourite toys as a child?

I was very lucky to have one of the three-storey Sindy Townhouses, which no one was allowed to touch once it was set up!

I eventually sold it all to buy roller skates but ended up searching eBay and rebought it all Schleich’s Sloth Figurine again a few A surprise hit at Jarrold this years ago! year — everybody wants one!

I also had

19

RETAIL JARROLD

“

As a family-run store it is important to us to offer something for all the family

”

inspiration and ideas as well as using social media.

In terms of toy product ranges or areas, are there any particular ones that you feel particularly fit the Jarrold retail profile or sell particularly well for you?

As a traditional department store we have tried to focus on the areas that fit our brand. We have a large pre-school selection with a strong focus on wooden and bath toys, and we’ve extended our games wall over the last four years to 12 metres. For me, games are an important part of growing up and family time so we have a range to suit all ages and themes.

Trend-spotting Dinosaurs and mermaids are Selina's top trends for 2018

20

Plush is also a cornerstone of the department and we have a bear for every price point from an eight pound Keel Toys plush toy to a 500 pound Steiff bear, and that is key to us. This is an area that high street toy shops seem to keep tight so it’s important for us to have a large range to reflect our customers’ needs.

Do you have any perennial toy bestsellers and are there are any products that have surprised you with how well they’ve sold in the past year?

We continually have strong sales with Steiff, both on the limited edition side and children’s ranges and this year has been an exceptional year with the addition of their Soft and Cuddly range. We never have enough Top Trumps, no matter how much we increase our orders, which always surprise me, and crystal growing kits have also been in high demand.

The biggest surprise of this year has been the Schleich sloth – everyone seems to love a sloth!

Are there any particular toy suppliers or manufacturers that you particularly love working with? Do you also work with any local suppliers?

The most local supplier for us is Orchard Toys as they are based in Wymondham which is just a 30 minute drive from the city. We organised ‘play days’ with them and often borrow their giant snakes and ladders! We also work closely with Learning Resources who are based in Kings Lynn.

Over the past year we’ve worked closely with: Lego, Playmobil, Epoch, Learning Resources and Mattel on in-store displays, play days, competitions and character visits. We also work closely with Steiff and have had two very successful afterhours events this year.

Personally I always like working with Asmodee UK as it’s fun to learn new games!

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27/11/2017 16:48

THE INDEPENDENT

OPINION

Size doesn’t matter The Independent counts his blessings – small and large – and moves on from his Christmas success

I

am sitting in my office this evening with the door closed, and a small glass of whisky on my desk as I write this.

It is a few days after Christmas, I have just shut up shop on another extremely busy day.

It is a mad time of year, and as I reflect on 2017 it brings me right back to a situation I will never forget when I was a schoolboy.

Our principal in school was a man who demanded respect. He

would only have to walk into a room and everyone would immediately stop talking, turn and face the proper direction and make sure their shoe laces were tied, shirt was tucked-in,

Best sellers

“

Online retailers are telling people that they can purchase goods as late as they want and they will still receive them in good time and that makes me mad

”

VOLUME 1) LOL Surprise Lil Sisters – MGA 2) Hot Wheels Cars – Mattel 3) LOL Surprise Game – Spinmaster VALUE 1) LOL Big Surprise – MGA 2) LOL Fizz Factory – MFA 3) Paw Patrol Sea Patroller – Spinmaster

and

tie was up high and straight as an arrow. This man could single out one boy from more than 1,000 and make an example of him to scare the rest of us.

I was a good pupil (after a few years of doing nothing but messing around) and so much so that our principal took notice of this. I had no idea this was the case so when I was in 3rd Form and a prefect popped into our chemistry class announcing to the teacher that I had to visit the principal`s office at 2pm, he put a fear in me about what I had done (or been caught doing) that warranted such a punishment from the principal. I checked the time and it was only just after 10am, and I can assure you those four hours were some of the slowest of my life.

When I entered his office he almost laughed, showing me that he knew I would be panicking about the reason for the visit,

THE SECRET SUPPLIER

CHEERS! The Secret Supplier agrees that low-risk, high-margin lines are the bread and butter of good toy business

22

Many suppliers are nursing uninsured debts from troubled toy retailer, Toys R Us. But the is experiencing have not been brought on by this year’s retail difficulties but, in all probability, have been caused by greed and mismanagement by the US parent going back many years.

In addition,

“

Some 50-60% of toy sales are made up of these low risk high – margin products so they can be a significant part of the independents core turnover

“

I

t is quite right that The Independent has a few minutes to reflect on his year and to enjoy his welldeserved glass of whisky.

In fact, it's a good time for the whole industry to reflect on the year 2017, which for many of us has been the toughest and most challenging year for a long time.

suppliers and retailers have had to cope with significantly higher retail prices caused by the sterling devaluation against the US dollar. There is no doubt that higher prices combined with reduced consumer confidence caused by the economic and political Brexit mess, have resulted in significantly reduced consumer demand. On top of this, economic growth forecasts

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before he put all my fears to rest and told me I would be getting a prize for my performance on prize day.

Anyway, this is exactly what it feels like to be a toy retailer in today's shopping environment. I see how technology and online retailers are telling people that they can purchase goods as late as they want and they will still receive them in good time, and that makes me mad. People are constantly told they have plenty of time on their hands so they seemed bewildered when they strolled into my store on 21st December, made their way up to the till and asked for not one, but two Luvabella Dolls — I mean, really? I took great pride in telling him that we had sold out (as had the rest of the industry) weeks before Christmas, and that there was no way his little girls would be unwrapping these little beauties on Christmas Day and he would have to find something else. I will not go into the

have been worryingly low.

However, the good news is that these problems have been shared by all retailers so optimism is the key word when we look forward, with great confidence, to the coming year.

The Independent highlights a very interesting and vital point regarding the importance of carrying a wide range of safe, high-margin brands and products.

Although significantly lower in profile than typical Dream Toy winners, it is these lower profile products that can prove to be the profitable foundation for any Independent toy retailer.

JANUARY 2018

discussion I had with this guy, but it took a while for him to realise that he was just a little bit late. So much for Christmas cheer!

In approaching the Christmas period I also started to take much more notice of the day-to-day sales that made up (and always make) a huge portion of my business. I feel like everyone gets too uptight about the big hero lines and this can force us to take our eye off the ball for the high volume lines that I, as a high street retailer, specialise in. I am extremely appreciative of productssuch as Slime, Ty Beanies, Hot Wheels Cars and LOLs and

“

I feel like everyone gets too uptight about the big hero lines

”

“

The bulk of the toys purchased were the familiar brands that consumers felt comfortable with

”

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a day working in an independent retailer’s toy store, a practice I can recommend to all suppliers who want to experience life on the 'front line'. Although, sensibly, my retail friend decided that I was not qualified to operate his sophisticated computer till, I did pay special attention to what was being purchased. I had expected the Dream Toy Selection to represent the bulk of transactions and, although some did feature in consumers' purchases, the bulk of the toys purchased were the familiar brands that consumers felt comfortable with in terms of brand name,

need to remind myself to spend as much of my money on these items as possible, as it's these products that provide me with profit to cover the losses of having to decimate my retail prices on the big box items.

In the same way, I am an organised type and people laugh at me for “not enjoying the moment” because I am constantly preparing for the future I simply laugh at them for not using the moment to prepare for what is coming. I can assure you I am sitting here now enjoying this moment, and quietly satisfied as everyone else has pulled what little is left of their hair out over Christmas, while I look forward to the Toy Fairs and numerous toys that I need to get my hands on — at the right margin of course.

play value and price point.

While the Independent features his own slightly more up-to-date brands the fact is that some 50-60% of toy sales are made up of these low-risk, high-margin products so they can be a significant part of the independent's core turnover and do a lot to justify that glass of Christmas cheer!

Best wishes for an optimistic New Year!

23

FEATURE

COLOUR BRANDING

Why colour matters According to recent research, a signature colour in a company logo can increase brand recognition by 80 per cent. We discover why choosing the right palette is key

R

ecent research has revealed that a signature colour can increase brand recognition by 80 per cent, so that even without seeing the logo, most people could recognise a Starbucks’ drink by its characteristic green straw, Colour has for example.

In the survey of 2,648 the unique ability consumers, conducted by to communicate a Reboot, consumers were feeling shown different colours and immediately asked to name the brand they represented.

The results revealed that 91 per cent of consumers were able to name at least one brand just by the colour alone.

When shown a selection of five made-up company logos, 78 per cent could recall the primary colour of the logo, compared with only 43 per cent who were able to remember the name.

When shown the colour of the Starbucks logo, some 80 per cent of consumers correctly identified the brand, while 84 per cent correctly named the McDonald’s brand when presented with the brand colours. Facebook, Ikea, Google and

“

COLOUR BY NUMBERS 34 The percentage of top global brands that use the colour red in their logo 80 The percentage of consumers surveyed who recognised Starbucks from the colour alone 91 The percentage of consumers surveyed who recognised at least one brand from colour alone 67 The percentage of consumers surveyed who correctly identified the Ikea brand from the colour alone Subway were among other brands whose logo hues had a high rate of consumer recognition.

Colour has the unique ability to communicate a feeling immediately, say Reboot, whether that feeling is passion for red, serenity for green, or festivity when combining the two.

It is not difficult therefore to see why it is so important to choose the right colours when it comes to creating your brand.

According to Leatrice Eiseman, colour expert, author, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, colours are remembered more easily than words or shapes.

In her book, The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition: Expert Color Information for Professional Results, Lee says: “The elegant Tiffany brand font is very effective style-wise, but people will remember most frequently the iconic Tiffany blue.

UPS displays a sturdy signature imprint, yet it is the brown background that is most identified with the brand.

“Colour is the most important factor in the design of a brand

logo, playing an essential role in shaping the consumer’s impression of the brand. Often referred to as colour ownership, it is an extremely valuable asset in increasing brand recognition by approximately 80 per cent.”

She adds: “The brand’s mission, vision, intentions, and identity are all expressed by colour. It becomes a vital part of the brand’s personality.

When colour, used singly or in combination, is consistently attached to a specific product line, service, or brand, recognition is gained and significantly retained. The imprint of the brand becomes more familiar, and memorability increases. Across all platforms, colour in logos, symbols and ideograms inform us instantly and our brain is rapidly processing those visual images.”

The most popular branding colours to be used in a logo, according to Reboot’s analysis of the top 100 global brands, are black (34%), blue (30%), red (30%), yellow (9%), green (7%), grey/silver (6%), orange (55) and brown (2%).

That’s not to say that businesses can never stray from conventionality.

For example, Ikea’s surprising contrast of blue and yellow makes the brand extremely memorable.

In fact, in the survey, 67 per cent of consumers surveyed could recognise the Swedish furniture retailer from a depiction of the iconic colours alone.

1. IKEA 2. Starbucks 3. McDonalds 4. Tiffany & Co 5. Cadbury 6. Harrods 7. Facebook 8. Subway 9. BP 10. Google

24

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Vampirina is the girly but ghoulish Disney pre-school property joining the Just Play portfolio. Bat-tastic Talking Vee & Friends is the 30cm doll dressed in a spooktastic web-detailed dress with a matching necklace just like the character in the show. The feature doll has pop-up and light-up wings, and sound effects, which will bring playtime to life. The Battastic Talking Vee Doll also comes with a Wolfie figure.

PMS INTERNATIONAL 01268 505 050 www.pmsinternational.com Last year, PMS International’s exclusive Elves Behavin’ Badly range was a big hit with customers and consumers.

With unique branding and eye-catching packaging, this cost-effective Elf line was a best-seller with PMS trade customers.

The 2018 range comprises all the popular and core lines including its Elfie and Elvie dolls. There are plenty of new bespoke accessories and products in the new range to help Elfie and Elvie go about their mischief making and to enable even more exciting scenes to be created in the lead-up to Christmas.

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Fact!

Just Play’s range also has much more to discover across figures, plush, role-play and dress up, including the Glowtastic Friends fivepiece, Hauntley’s Mobile vehicle, Rock ‘n’ Ghoul Mic, the Spooktastic Spookylele, and the Bootiful Dress Up Set.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

NEW Smart learning FISHER-PRICE 01628 500 000 www.mattel.com Fisher-Price Infant expands its popular Laugh & Learn range in 2018 with cute new additions and refreshed favourites. The toys feature Smart Stages technology and learning content, including three levels of play that best fits baby’s age and stage, helping to nurture their inherent nature.

New to the range is the Learn with Puppy Walker, supporting little ones as they take their first steps, while introducing them to the alphabet, colours and counting.

Also new for 2018 is the interactive Puppy’s Check-up Kit, which offers up a healthy dose of learning and role play as children learn different parts of the body to help them feel

more confident at their next visit to the doctor.

Refreshed popular items include the Sweet Manners Tea Set, developing skills with shapes, colours and numbers.

While the adorable Puppy and Puppy Sis make the perfect first best friend for baby as they respond to touch, and the refreshed My Smart Purse develops fine motor skills as children explore the play accessories.

60 years of speed TOY STATE 020 8440 5060 www.toystate.com

Simple spraying REVELL

0845 459 0747 www.revell.de/en Spray painting has never been simpler with the Orbis Airbrush Power Studio. Re-designed for 2018 and now even easier to use, Orbis features a quick plug-in system where colour cartridges can be inserted, used and then exchanged for other colours without the necessary clean-up associated with conventional spray systems.

There are skin-safe colours for applying tattoo art and permanent colours for use on paper or textiles for t-shirt painting, plus stencils that allow colour to be applied to a myriad of surfaces — imagination is the only limit!

The set includes: Orbis compressor with power supply, six colour cartridges (paper type), cartridge holder with air hose, three laser-cut stencils, stencils, and storage tray.

JANUARY 2018

For 60 years, Nikko has gone beyond the limits to thrill children worldwide with its high-quality, innovative vehicles.

Nikko began as a pioneer in the radio-controlled space and built a reputation for vehicles that last, go fast, and race past the competition.

In 2014, Toy State, acquired Nikko and brought its expertise in producing lights and sounds and RC toys to the iconic brand. Nikko will launch into full throttle in 2018, with exciting additions to its robust line of RC toys and new imaginings of classic vehicles that fans love.

Get ready for off-road adventures with the special edition 60th Anniversary Turbo Panther buggy. With its turbo boost feature, the Turbo Panther can tackle any terrain with deep treads, full suspension, splash-proof and dust-proof body.

Its frequency hopping feature allows kids to race with up to 40 players on the trail. They’ll be delighted with the Turbo Panther’s awesome design and cool features. Its solid build and high-performance power allow them to play with this vehicle for years, and then share it with another kid, because Nikko fun lasts generations. The adventures simply never end with Nikko.

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MEDIA

OPINION

Changing influence While TV shows are heavily regulated, online providers are not restrained in the same way. Clive Crouch investigates

A

t the time of writing I am in the midst of my annual preparation for the seasonal games of Scrabble by undertaking my own vocabulary research. At around this time The Oxford Dictionary compiles a list of new words that make it into the next edition of their word bible.

Essex born and bred, and living in the Republic of Brentwood, I have experienced pre and post-TOWIE vocabulary, most of which I frequently fail to connect with. ‘Bro hug’, ‘side-boob’, and ‘cray cray’ to name just a few. A lot of this is facilitated and delivered by mobile.

Back to dictionary definitions – Collins Influencers can English Dictionary says diversity is: “the state or do what television quality of being different can’t, and of course or varied”. Programmethis is a big selling makers are always keen to push boundaries, putting point diversity into the creative planning process. The Creative Diversity Network was launched in 2015, comprising seven practitioners from the BBC, C4, C5, ITV and Sky. In May 2017, ITV also appointed its own Creative Diversity Manager to strengthen the team of programme-makers to meet inclusivity guidelines.

This ensures that the broadcasters meet their licensed conditions.

In Children’s entertainment, linear viewing among children aged 10-15 is in decline. The BBC has pledged an extra £34m for children’s content over the next three years, with the objective being to commission shows specifically for those aged 10-15 years old. In today’s digital market the BBC is better positioned to reach this age group by hosting shows on iPlayer, and at some time migrating them to its online digital channel BBC3.

To programme content successfully, and to reach its target audience, the BBC has to diversify creatively and in its delivery.

For instance, The Muppet Show and Dr Who both originally launched as kids’ shows in a weekend slot

“

”

at 5pm, and the writers changed suits as the programmes moved to peak time viewing. At this point we turn to the world of the influencers, who operate in a market where their output is neither regulated or licensed. In a short time, influencers have captured the high ground, producing content with children showcasing toys and games to a formatted storyline demo to sell the toy.

These very popular ‘kidfluencers’ can do what television can’t, and of course this is a big selling point. The format is proving extremely successful.

The route to reach these young viewers by the influencers is via established digital channels, YouTube, Facebook, and Snapchat to name but three.

Broadcasting has never really opened its channels to the complicated world of advertorial and product placement.

Advertiser Supplier Funded Programming found a way to work with both The Programme Sponsorship code and The Cap code to create two children’s programmes that benefitted from placement and funding by Britvic and Morrisons products.

A Broadcast code was eventually approved for UK Television in February 2011. Even then it seemed overprotective; viewers were pre-warned that the programme would contain ‘product placement’ by means of a Red Triangle on screen.

Given that we are where we are, I must return to that one major point of difference regarding the influencers, who are not policed by an Independent Code with a governing Regulator. In today’s digital world, the combined effectiveness and reach of social media make today’s smartphones more than just the screen-based media device of old.

The debates are already happening here around children and mobile usage. The average age of a child now receiving their first smartphone is reported to be age 10 – the debate is likely to move towards limiting children’s exposure to smartphones. Maybe the world’s most prolific user of propaganda Tweets that come and go without question or analysis could take the lead.

Clive Crouch www.clivecrouch.com, info@clivecrouch.com, mobile: 07831 670453 1

toysnplaythings.co.uk

MEDIA

Family film fortunes

ANALYSIS

I

likes of Hasbro, VTech, Mattel, Golden t is no secret that over the past few years, family films Bear and Flair gracing the big screen have begun to dominate the box office top 10 lists. and benefiting from the great family Disney is well on its way to recreating all animations and children’s films on offer. as live-action, and Pixar’s journey to top their previous As we reach the end of the year, it hits such as Finding Nemo and Cars continues and we will is time to look forward to 2018. With big soon see the release of Coco — claimed by some critics as releases planned for the year ahead, next Pixar’s best work. This trend is by no way slowing down summer is going to be key in the family film with January-November 2017 boasting numerous family genre. Big titles are being released early on in the film releases, including Beauty & The Beast, which is sitting year, such as Peter Rabbit on 16 March, as well as at the top spot with £72.4m in actual box office takings, Sherlock Gnomes and Madagascar surpassing its predictions of £30m.

4 in May. However, these don’t compare to the Other films include Despicable Me 3 with summer line up which includes the likes of Hotel £47.2m, Sing delivering £29.2m, the second With Transylvania 3 on 27 July, Barbie on 10 August, instalment of Paddington taking £31.4m, and The cinema there is and finally, one of the biggest films of next year, Boss Baby securing £29.1m. All films have been the opportunity Incredibles 2 on 13 July. But it doesn’t stop there. seen to sit in the top 10 list at some point during The AW period is promised to pack more box office 2017 (see below for Jan-Nov rankings). to target hits: not only will we see Wreck It Ralph’s sequel This top 10 list excludes other family film consumers in, released in November, but also the long awaited releases including The LEGO Ninjago movie, which more often than Fantastic Beasts sequel also in the same month. delivered £9.4m up until the end of November To top off the year, a stellar English cast will grace 2017 at the box office. Although it came in shorter not, retail our screens in December in the long awaited Mary than previous LEGO movies, such as The LEGO locations Poppins Returns. So far, with The Jungle Book and Movie, it was still a strong performance for a Beauty & The Beast to name but a few, the live film with a much smaller release, promotion and action remakes created by Walt Disney Pictures have smashed all younger target audience. their box office estimations.

With 33 per cent of Kids 7-12 claiming to visit the cinema once While the TV viewing market is under pressure following every three months, and 18 per cent of women with children under children’s (4-15) audience declines of 15 per cent YTD (Jan-Nov 10 visiting at least once across the same period, it is no surprise ’17), it is still the most cost-effective channel to reach a mass that cinema is a destination for many toys and games advertisers. audience across a short period of time. However, it is important In October 2017 alone, there were numerous campaigns from the for advertisers and marketers alike to explore other avenues to reach children and their parents. With cinema there is the opportunity to target consumers in, more often than not, retail locations, as well as during a time in their day when their attention is mainly focused on the screen.

We know this is not always the case, but this channel still dominates attention and provides advertisers with an uncluttered marketplace to feature their products.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you split your media investment by channel please contact us on the details below.

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”

Toy companies are tapping into a golden age for family movies at the box office, and 2018 looks set to be even bigger, says Alex TaylorSmith

(January – November 2017. Source: DCM Nov 2017)

Generation Media is the UK and Ireland’s largest independent media buyer of toys and games advertising. Visit generationmedia.co.uk or call 0207 307 7900 to learn more.

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RETAIL

OPINION

Toy talk Retailers are important to us here at TnP. We love chatting to them each month to get industry insights into what is selling well and we ask some key questions...

TnP loves to hear your views. This month we chat with retailers around the country to see what’s selling well and what their outlook on 2018 is...

JUDE INNES, J&G Innes, St Andrews

RICHARD HARDING

Jude is the director of J&G Innes of St Andrews, Fife, a family business since 1879.

Puff’s Toy shop, Wymondham Puff’s is a family-run business based in the heart of this Norfolk town.

What was your best-selling Christmas toy either by value or volume?

So far, our bestselling Christmas toys this year are the new large TY Paw Patrol, Hexbug Nano Space and Playmobil Dragons — but with lots of good toys there really hasn’t been a clear winner.

What was your stand-out toy — either personal favourite or most profitable — of 2017?

Lottie Dolls. They continue to bring new costumes and designs to a fantastic dolls’ range.

What will you be looking for at Toy Fair, Spring Fair or Nuremberg?

New wooden lines to replace John Crane (I need a quality shape sorter) and hopefully someone picking up the B range.

KAI LAM Dorchester Toymaster, Dorchester This Dorset shop has been going for at least 15 years and they have another shop in Weymouth.

What was your bestselling Christmas toy either by value or volume?

It’s mainly LEGO to be honest, I’d say probably the City stuff as that’s always been a firm favourite.

Depesche Top Model stuff has been very popular with girls who are seven but think they’re 17, especially the unicorn-themed items, and TY is definitely a strong brand.

What was your stand-out toy — either personal favourite or most profitable — of 2017?

Personally I would say Hatchimals, they’ve been

What was your bestselling Christmas toy either by value or volume?

We’ve done really well with Catan, the board game from Esdevium Games. We’ve sold a lot of those, and Bananagrams is still very popular.

What was your stand out toy — either personal favourite or most profitable — of 2017?

It’s still jigsaws, from Gibsons Games and House of Puzzles.

And for us Crail Harbour is the bestseller, it’s a local one Gibsons do.

What will you be looking for at Toy Fair, Spring Fair or Nuremberg?

Products, ranges, licences, brands. I go to Spring Fair and will just be looking for new things although in the traditional games and toys vein, and particularly games that are good for playing on your own.

very strong for the shop. What started as electronic toys has grown into their own brand. I do like LEGO too because I’m a collector but don’t want to say that again!

What will you be looking for at Toy Fair, Spring Fair or Nuremberg?

We’re looking for the new trends from Hatchimals and Shopkins, which has gone from strength to strength. Also LEGO, and Sylvanian Families, which has been very popular this year too.

We had some new toys, Glimmies, and they’ve released a boys’ version Exogini, with alien scenes, and I’m looking forward to seeing those. It seems to be very robotic, technological toys coming through.

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FOCUS

Picture credit: Andrew Cawley, D.C. Thomson

H. GROSSMAN LTD

The line king Martin Grossman has earned himself the reputation for being the man with an eye for a winning massmarket toy line. We caught up with him to learn more about how to spot a winner and what to look out for from H. Grossman in 2018

M

artin Grossman has been welcoming customers to his stand at Toy Fair for over 35 years. Known in the trade as a man with an eye for a line, retailers view with interest his predictions for the coming year.

H. Grossman Ltd has been around for over 70 years, starting as a fancy goods company in Glasgow and growing to be the biggest toy company in Scotland, renowned for its ability to pick products with true massmarket appeal.

Over the years, Managing Director Martin has picked up awards galore, including those

“

The children choose to buy, because the things we sell are fun, or messy, or a bit naughty

”

awarded by the Toy Retailers Association and the British Toy and Hobby Association for his products. In 1999, Alien Eggs – aliens encased in slime, which were in turn encased in a plastic egg – were all over the media and selling fast, and he was that year awarded Craze of the year. The pocket money prices of Alien Eggs meant the children — not the parents — led the purchase, and this has very often been the driving force behind Grossman’s most successful lines.

“The children choose to buy, because the things we sell are fun, or messy, or a bit naughty,” he says.

“They are affordable and fun.”

To date Alien Eggs in their 80 various incarnations have sold over 17 million units. They won Craze of the Year again in 2004, but Martin disputes the word craze for this line.

“A craze is a time limited item,”

Fact!

There will be a whopping 60 slime and putty products on the H.Grossman stand (E49) at this year’s Toy Fair, including unicorn, colourchange, and toilet noise putty!

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17 million The total number of Alien Eggs sold

he says. “It lasts a season or a year. Alien Eggs has lasted nearly 20 years and still sells phenomenally well; it’s no craze.”

In 2001 it was Pogo sticks that won the awards and the sight of Martin pogoing on the lunchtime news prompted an irate call from his wife Eli to his PR, Julie Pittilla to “Get him off that thing before he has a heart attack!”

In 2005 Martin tied the trade in knots with Skoobies, the fashion string craze, and two years later it was another outdoor product, the Flashing Storm Scooter, that won the best Outdoor Toy. Then in 2014 it was Loom Bands. They were everywhere and H. Grossman was driving the craze forwards with record attempts, social media mayhem, and wall-to-wall publicity.

In addition to these high profile winners, there have been many pocket money lines that continue to sell well, including the ever popular Fizz Pods and the new Grow Eggs, which grow either an alien, a dinosaur or a unicorn over a seven day period. In outdoor, the £9.99 Nebulus Scooter and the multi award winning My First Scooter continue to sell consistently well year after year.

JANUARY 2018

“

It’s getting the right product at the right time that is the key

”

Last year was all about fidget spinners and H.Grossman was all over that craze, too. Knowing that the main component was the bearings, Martin had stocked up early, sensing the furore to come. He also had his usual sixth-sense premonition about slime and putty, and was quick to pick up on the incoming outbreak of popularity for all things Unicorn-themed. Subsequently, his tubs of Unicorn Poo have now sold just under 500,000 units.

So, how does he pick the best sellers from the myriad of products available?

“Getting the right product is obvious,” he says. “But it’s getting the right product at the right time that is the key.”

And it’s not just getting in on a craze that leads to continued success. Getting out of that product at the right time and always having an eye for the next thing, he says, are just as important. But don’t go asking for any further insight into how Martin continues to spot the winners: “If I told you that, I’d have to kill you,” he jokes.

This year will see hundreds of new additions to H.Grossman’s

pocket money ranges at Toy Fair, with many kept at last year’s prices.

There will be over 60 types of slime and putty alone, including volcano putty, frog spawn slime, slime that changes colour, glittery unicorn gel, multi-coloured twist slime, glitter and chameleon putty, fairies, princesses, mermaids and unicorns and, of course, that guaranteed best seller — toilet noise putty!

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COVER FEATURE MV SPORTS

Riding high!

TnP catches up with Phil Ratcliffe, Sales and Marketing Director of MV Sports about the fresh and new products in his range — as well as the longevity of the company and its superb evergreen licenses How has MV Sports continued to grow in a tougher trading environment?

We have achieved growth through a combination of newness, dependable product and working with our customers to share common objectives. We have the right product, innovation and licenses, while offering complete category cover with reliable, quality products.

What is your hero product for 2018?

There is a lot to choose from in 2018 but the reaction to the P.J Masks range has been very strong — especially for our new 6V Catboy Car — while the excitement surrounding the L.O.L Surprise toy line has translated to strong orders in the wheeled toy category.

Why are your We are products and brands constantly so resilient?

The likes of refreshing our Kickmaster and ranges with Hedstrom are new designs established brands and innovative in their respective new products categories and have proven themselves over many years.

Newer brands such as Stunted have become resilient as a result of up-front investment in consumer awareness, combined with a strong product architecture.

We also have the majority of the top performing character licensed brands and therefore both MV’s and our customers’ risks are dissipated. We can offer mixed containers made up of the strongest properties with low MOQs. Notwithstanding all of that, we are constantly refreshing our ranges with new designs and innovative new products.

What has the retailer/buyer reaction been like for your new lines during previews?

It has been very positive and in the past couple of weeks we have added another four properties to our roster which will be unveiled at Toy Fair — all of which will strengthen an already compelling offer.

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34

Tell us about your licensed lines for 2018.

We have added several new movie ranges, not least Avengers: Infinity War, Transformers 5, Incredibles 2 and Jurassic World. However, we have also strengthened the offer with hot toy licenses like L.O.L Surprise, Hatchimals, Super Wings and Jo Jo Siwa.

And what about your own brand lines? You always bring innovation and newness to the wheeled category, so what’s been your approach for 2018?

We have given more focus to our own brand line up

with key introductions in our Wired, Stunted and Electrick ranges. For example, we have introduced several new models to Stunted which brings hitherto highspec models down to an entry level price point. In Electrick we have revamped our electric scooter and hoverboard ranges to hit lower price points.

How will you be supporting retailers to help them sell more in 2018?

We will be offering exclusive models, promotional support, best-selling container mixes and our biggest stocked-in domestic range for many years.

Finally, give us a tease for Toy Fair - what can retailers not miss out on seeing?

We have 12 new licensed launches, several refreshes, newness in every range and innovation to boot! Retailers who may have already seen a preview will also see things for the first time at the show.

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All the fun of the Toy Fair!

It’s that time of year again and we’ll all soon be heading off to Olympia for Toy Fair. TnP catches up with some key exhibitors to find out what they’re looking forward to...

T

he Toy Fair at London’s Olympia is the best place to see just what toy companies have to offer – and there won’t be a spare seat in the house. The British Toy and Hobby Association announced that the floor space was sold out more than four months before the show’s opening day of January 23 2018.

There will be more than 270 companies showing their wares at the UK’s largest dedicated toy, game and hobby trade show held at Olympia Grand and West Halls, London.

“It is an exciting time for toy innovation,” said Majen Immink, Director of Fairs and Special Events. “With Toy Fair selling out this early, it shows that there is huge demand in the toy industry at the moment. I am looking forward to seeing the products set to be launched in January.”

While more than 100 exhibiting companies at Toy Fair are returning exhibitors, there are plenty of new faces too. Max Mindpower’s Nikki Collins introduces the company: “Max Mindpower is a start-up from Ireland, which aims to produce a

What: Toy Fair 2018 Where: Olympia, Kensington When: 23-25 January 2018

toy with an emphasis on health and wellbeing, making things like meditation accessible and fun. Our first product is a teddy bear that plays guided meditations and comes to life in a book series. We have plenty of ideas for additional products as well.”

Nikki is hoping their presence at Toy Fair will raise brand awareness and allow them to hopefully meet retailers and generate potential leads for the business.

While Max Mindpower is a new visitor to the show, more than 100 exhibitors are returning. So what makes Toy Fair such an unmissable event?

Bruder Area sales manager Florian Loh says it has a number of attractions: “It is the attractive triple combination between strengthening existing partnerships, the opportunity to personally get in touch, plus sit down with key decision-makers of local heavyweight key accounts and, hence, the chance to establish new customers.”

A moment with Majen…

“We are very pleased to welcome back so many returning exhibitors to Toy Fair, as well as to see a number of new faces.

For companies of all sizes, the show is a fantastic opportunity to launch new products and meet with all corners of the industry.

We would encourage every company, whether brand new or a show veteran, to contact the team at any stage of the process for assistance and to take advantage of the many PR opportunities in order to maximise their presence at the show.”

Majen Immink, Director of Fairs and Special Events, BTHA

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There’s a new toy showcase... for Toy Fair 2018 entitled Toy Fair Heroes, which highlights exceptional toys across all categories. Only toys that are innovative, exciting and break the mould will be considered. The top 25 toys at the show will be selected by toy experts and the BTHA, and will make up the new Toy Fair Heroes. The winners in each category will be announced on the opening morning of the show. The showcase will take centre stage at the front of the press office.

Returning exhibitors Smart Toys and games is returning for a fourth year. “Each year it becomes an even more important fixture in our strategic planning,” says Karen Clarke, Brand Director at Smart Toys and Games. “It’s the most important toy trade show for us in the UK and is a time the whole industry comes together.”

Eduk8 Worldwide is back for its fifth year at the show: “This is our main showcase to capture international and UK buyer’s interest and it’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with suppliers to see the trends set to enliven this growing market,” says MD Christine Lawson.

TKC Sales is a veteran exhibitor: “This will be our 21st year exhibiting at London Toy Fair,” says Director Matt Woodruffe. “We hope to meet everyone and anyone who can help

“

us meet our retail objectives, while demonstrating our Toy Fair has expanding range of outdoor toys from brands Eolo, become Wham-o and Stomp Rocket.” increasingly Galt Toys, meanwhile, has important for us been exhibiting at London as a way to open Toy Fair since the show began. “There is nothing new accounts in the UK to compete with Alex Minchin, A.B.Gee it – the show is simply the most vital business hub for the UK toy industry and we love being part of it,” says managing Director John McDonnell.

For Winning Moves Head of UK Sales, Kay Thompson, Toy Fair “is a great opportunity to meet so many customers in a short space of time. We believe that seeing quality products in the flesh always helps to make decisions easier.”

”

Rapid

fire

It’s clear that toy Fair is an important part of the year for hundreds of suppliers, and A.B.Gee of Ripley is no exception. “Over the past couple of years Toy Fair has become increasingly important for us as a way to open new accounts – we have opened several hundred active new accounts during this time.” says Marketing Manager Alex Minchin.

For Big Potato’s Tris Hyatt Williams, Toy Fair is like coming home: “We’re from London so we really look forward to putting on a good show at Olympia every year. This time we’re back with our Board Game Menagerie but with a few new visual twists and loads more games.”

Toy Fair is hugely important for Juratoys. “Toy Fair is a huge opportunity to start the year off with a bang and to show off the new lines we have developed,” says Sales and Marketing Manager Michelle Probert.

Letting prospective buyers get hands-on with the products is a key benefit of Toy Fair. “While

round

Top Toy Fair exhibitors tell us why the show is important to them

“Products and people that can genuinely deliver!”

Steve Washbourne, Jumbo Games

36

“The Vivid Toy Group has something for everyone — whether it’s arts and crafts and stationery products from our Crayola division, the leading children’s, family and adult games from Drumond Park, or the hottest toys and licenses from Vivid.”

Reg Sookee, Vivid

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buyers may have seen the products before in previews, Toy Fair enables them to not only see the toys but also see wider reactions to them from press and other attendees,” explains Jonathan Kirkley, Sales & Marketing Director, Re:creation.

Revell GmbH’s Jamie Mabbs also likes the fact that “Toy Fair is a great opportunity to hear what our customers have to say.”

Padgett’s Alex Kenyon sums it up nicely: “All the main players from the Toy Trade are at the Toy Fair – why wouldn’t you show?”

Showcase stands So the stands are booked, the products are ready – what do suppliers really hope to get out of their three days at the show?

“Bandai is introducing many new brands and product lines, so it is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our ranges in all their glory and in many cases, retailers and media partners alike will see final product for the very first time,” says Marketing Manager Tess Parsons-Broome.

Jumbo Games Sales Director Steve Washbourne aims to push the company’s standing in the industry.

“We hope to further establish ourselves as the number-one

“Great staff with lots of smiles and happy faces, a fresh new stand design and lots of amazing products… with a few freebies thrown in!”

Michelle Probert, Juratoys UK

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Rapid

“

Visitors to the stand will take away an appreciation of how big 2017 is set to be for Mookie, with no less than 19 TV brands showcased at Toy Fair

Damian Hall, Mookie

fire

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adult puzzle and accessory manufacturer in the UK. All of our products within the category are enjoying double-digit growth and as such we can offer real opportunities for the retailer.”

Eduk8 Worldwide, meanwhile, will be using the show to establish its products in a new area: “Having worked in the industry but in the education arena for so many years, our toys have, until recently, only been available for children to play with, in the education sectors and schools.

It’s exciting to be able to share our products with retail now at Toy Fair. We are looking forward to talking with retailers, especially about our STEM and STEAM ranges and our exciting new Eduk8 n Playrange too,” explains MD Christine Lawson.

Schleich, meanwhile, uses the event to start the new year: “Toy Fair is the perfect way to kick off the year; the show gives us the opportunity to showcase all of our great new products and gives our customers the chance to see the quality that Schleich is renowned for,” says Paul Dearlove, Trade Marketing Manager.

Finally, Big Potato’s Tris HyattWilliams sums up what’s best about Toy Fair: “It’s the best place to meet all the buyers, bump in to new ones and find half a ham and pickle sandwich for £12.50!”

You might want to pop to the company’s stand too – to see the amazing bearded potato lady and the extraordinary two-headed potato boy — unmissable!

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Top Toy Fair exhibitors tell us why the show is important to them

“Our biggest raft of new brands ever, innovative, exciting Razor rides and one of the most exciting launches we have ever had that will quite literally bring ‘magic’ to the stand!”

Jonathan Kirkley, Re:creation

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No1 and Still growing...

VTech are No1 in the infant and toddler catergory for 2017!

H Head over to Gallery 500 to see over 100 NEW items for 2018! o * Y2D NOV NPD D 2017 2 017

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1 Two Kids GH54 6 Suits - The Playing Cards Revolution* H20 8th Wonder G110 A B Gee of Ripley B40 A Girl for All Time GH11 Aardvark Swift Recruitment GH10 Accentuate Games G65 Ah-Harr!* H20 Alpha Toys Gallery 632 Alphabet Pie GH59 Amerang Gallery 215 Animagic* B70 Aqua Dragons* E79 Arithmanix* H20 Arckit GH2 The Articulate Gallery GH57 Asmodee UK E109 Asobi Gallery 124 Astronauts* H20 AugmentifyIt GH30 Aurora World D35 Authentic* C50 Backpacker* H20 Bandai UK Gallery 600 Battat E90 Battlefront Miniatures D98 Bertoy G46 Bestway* E89 Big Potato Games H46 Bigjigs Toys H39 Bildy GH46 BinaryBots Gallery 635 Bladez Toyz Gallery 123 Bladez Toyz Pitstop Café Gallery 545 Blue Orange* E35 Brainstorm E79 Brainwright* E35 Breyer* E66 Brixies GH79 BTHA Exhibiting Members LoungeGallery 205 Bureau Veritas CPS UK Ltd GH36 Carson Dellosa* Gallery 149 Cartamundi UK H1 Casdon E30 Chameleon Kidz GH51 Chaoan Hengsheng Industrial Co Ltd B65 Character Options E119 Cheatwell Games F20 Chemtrac GH1 Clarendon Games F115 Clementoni Gallery 140 Click Distribution UK Gallery 120 Click Europe Ltd Gallery 640 Cobi Toys G101 Coiledspring Games E35 Craftbox* G10 Crafty Kids* E50 Crayola* B70 Creative Double Star GH18 D’arpeje Gallery 190

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David Westnedge F44 Depesche UK H50 DGL Group G135 Djeco F90 DKL Marketing E66 Doron* E90 Dracco F100 Dress Up America Ltd G40 Drumond Park B70 EasyRead Time Teacher GH5 Educational Advantage Gallery 149 Eduk8 Worldwide F1 Edushape* E90 The Elf on The Shelf GH16 Engino.net Gallery 144 Epoch-Making Toys B130 Esdevium Games E109 Eurofins Consumer Product Testing Services GH23 FabLab* G10 Fandn International Ltd GH39 Fashion Angels* E66 Fiesta Crafts D2 Fima Stationery Co Turkey G119 Flair Leisure Products E39 Flexistix* B50 Folkmanis Puppets H36 Forever Collectibles GH13 Frenzi* H20 Funko E130 Funrise G90 Fuzzikins* G10 Galileo* C50 Galt Toys E9 Games Workshop Gallery 198 Gamewright* E35 Geomag Gallery 501 GeoSmart* F36 Getretro.co.uk GH62 Getta 1 Games* Gallery 185 Gibsons E40 Ginger Fox* B115 Global Industry BV F25 Global Opportunities B80 Globber* C50 Globe Runner* H20 GOGOPO* F46 goki* Gallery 420 & 315 Goldbrick Games* F44 Golden Bear Products E69 Goobands* F46 Granna* E35 Great British Sewing Bee*E89 Great Gizmos G20 Great Pretenders International B75 Green Bean Collection B99 Green Board Game Company E15 Green Elephant TradingGH42 H Grossman E49 Guangdong Bana Toys Co. G115 Halilit E90 Hama* E66

Hang Wing Plastic Industry GH6 Hasbro UK Gallery Suites Headu Gallery 648 Heimess* Gallery 420 & 315 HEO F101 Hippychick Gallery 102 History Heroes*Gallery 420 & 315 Holibob Bear GH8 Holztiger* Gallery 420 & 315 Hornby Hobbies B20 Hornit Gallery 122 House of Marbles F40 Huada Toy Co Ltd G125 Hurrican* F44 Iello* E35 IMC Toys E129 Indigo Jamm H40 Information Desk E70 Insect Lore G30 Interplay G10 Interstar* E90 Intertek G66 Iplush* F25 Jazwares B100 Jetson Electric Gallery 155 John Adams Leisure G100 John Crane E20 JSF Tech* E89 Jumbo Games E46 Jumini GH26 Juratoys B121 JWS Europe B96 K’Nex Gallery 510 K-Play International Gallery 420 & 315 Kapla Gallery 143 Kathe Kruse* B50 Keak Japan Co.Ltd GH34 Keak Rungrueang GH33 Keel Toys B60 Keycraft Global F46 Kidicraft H30 Kidkraft F50 Kids@Play Gallery 180 KidsOut Gallery 152 Theo Klein B25 Kooshi GH68 Le Toy Van E10 Learning Resources D36 Legler OHG small foot company F110 Lexibook B18 Lilliputiens*Gallery 420 & 315 Little Boffins GH9 Living Nature* F46 Lori* E90 Lottie Dolls F16 Lucky Voice Gallery 145 Lunii Gallery 312 Magformers UK Gallery 540 Magnoidz* F46 Make Time To Play Lounge B149 Mapominoes Europe* H20 Marbel B50

Mardles - Augmented Reality for Kids!

Gallery 108 Marvin’s Magic H65 Max Mindpower GH29 Melissa & Doug D11 & D20 Mi Mic* E89 Micro Scooters B45 Mightymast Leisure Gallery 174 MightySmall* Gallery 420 & 315 Milly&Flynn B115 Modiano* F44 Mojo Nation GH48 Monster Smash Up* E89 Mookie Toys E149 MTW Toys Gallery 105 Muro GH28 MV Sports & Leisure B30 My Fairy Garden* G10 My Living World* G10 My Mermaid Lagoon* G10 Nella The Princess Knight* B70 Ningbo Jianbei Smardo International Trading Co. Ltd B82 The NPD Group Gallery 146 OjO Gallery 316 Orchard Toys B12 Original Shrinkles* F46 OTL Technologies GH70 Out of the Box* F44 Oxford Diecast Gallery 195 Ozbozz E49 Padgett Bros A to Z E16 PAGL GH3 Papo UK Gallery 128 Paul Lamond Games E50 Petron Gallery 308 Piatnik* F44 Playmags Toys Ltd G40 PlayMais* E66 PlayMeal* Gallery 420 & 315 Playmobil (UK) Gallery 210 Playpress Toys GH69 Playroom Entertainment*F44 Plum Products C50 Plus-Plus* E66 Polydron Ltd Gallery 149 PolyM* B50 Popular Playthings* Gallery 149 Posh Paws International B90 Press Office & Toy Fair’s Hero Toys Gallery 158 Progressive Pre-School Magazine GH31 Pursuit NHA GH32 Push It Games GH24 Quadrilla* B50 Rainbow Designs E120 Rainbow Eco Products GH49 Ravensburger E140 Re:Creation E125 Red Robin Toys G25 Revell Gallery 110 Rosa & Bo* E90

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SCOO P!

Return ing to Londo With o n Toy ur big gest to Fair 2018 y laun ch yet !

Visit us at Gallery 500

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Roylco* Gallery 149 Sambro Gallery 400 Savvy Games GH4 Scentco Scented Stationery* E66 Schleich Gallery 100 Schmidt Spiele* E35 Scratch Traditional Toys* E66 Seek’o blocks* F25 Shangtou Chenghai Hanye Toys Factory F42 Shantou Chenghai Kunyang Trade Co. Ltd GH21 Shantou City Bld Toys Industrial Co. Ltd GH73 Shantou MZ Model Co LtdH44 Shantou Pengrui Electronic Technology Co. Ltd H42 Shantou Shengying Plastic Toys Co. Ltd B78 Simba Smoby Toys E135 Simbrix - Connect & Wow GH45 Sinco Creations Gallery 162 SJD Games Gallery 175 Ski Run* H20 Skip Hop UK F66 Smart F36 SmartGames* F36 SmartLab* E66 SmartMax* F36 SnapDragon Monitoring Gallery 505

Snazaroo B150 Snuggles* E89 Spin Master Toys UK E131 Spiral Game GH71 Splendiferous MarketingGH72 Star-Images B22 Stems GH50 Stepping Stones Marketing GH15 StikBots* E79 Subbuteo* E50 Sure Treasure International B98 Tactic Games D109 Taf Toys* E90 Tai Xing Yuan Trading Co. Ltd B85 Taizhou Florish Leisure Co. Ltd GH78 Tarema G25 Tasma Products B56 Teddybots GH67 Terra* E90 TFTV Demo Zone Gallery 157 TFTV SilverstreamGallery 153 Thames and Kosmos F15 The Curious Dragons Gallery 310 The Happy Puzzle Company Gallery 148 The Irish Fairy Door Company Gallery 630 The MiniMaster Sports Com-

pany GH58 The Sales Partnership E21 The Three Magicians E35 The Toy Project GH20 Think Distribution Gallery 147 Think Fun* E35 Thought Machine Gallery 200 Timbela & Co Gallery 320 Titan Merchandise C42 TKC Sales E99 Tobar Gallery 305 Tomy Gallery 520 Toy Retailers Association Gallery 150 Toy Trust Coffee Lounge Gallery 160 Toy World GH37 Toymaster Members Lounge London Room ToyNews E2 Toyriffic* E89 Toys And Me* B70 Toys n Playthings E1 Toyzers World Gallery 645 Trido GH44 TrueDough* E90 Tuban Gallery 650 Turner Media Innovations Lounge Gallery 130 TUV Rheinland Gallery 218 TY UK Gallery 119 Ugears Mechanical Models

GH41 UL VS Ltd B49 University Games F10 Unogiochi* F25 Vivid Toy Group B70 VTech ElectronicsGallery 500 West Design Products LtdC45 Where is Moldova?/ About Time Gallery 165 Who Knows Where?* H20 Wicked Vision E100 Wild Card Games H20 Wild Science Gallery 185 Wilton Bradley E89 Wind Designs H52 Winning Moves E115 Wisdom* Gallery 149 Worry Eaters* E35 WOW Toys* G15 Wrebbit3D* E35 Xiamen Chituo Imp & Exp Co. Ltd GH65 Xootz* E89 Yo Yo Factory* E89 Yong Sheng Jia Plastic Chemical (Shantou) Co. Ltd G120 Yong Tai Plastic Toy Co. Ltd B95 Yoto* GH72 Zimpli Kids B35 * Supplementary Brands

STEAMing ahead EDUK8 WORLDWIDE www.eduk8worldwide.com

: Stand F1

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Eduk8 Worldwide has been a major supplier to UK (and international) education sector for more than 16 years. All its toys have been developed to encourage learning through play, with careful research and design, to meet the current needs of that sector.

It has also been developing STEM and STEAM toys for a number of years but only aimed at the education sectors and schools.

In 2017 the company began to offer these products to retail.

Eduk8 is launchings its Eduk8 n Play range, including lots of new and exclusive ranges for 2018.

Launching – quite literally – will be the Cargo Ship, which is a great addition to the company’s ever-popular quality wooden range, along with some great traditional games that offer all-year-round family fun, a comprehensive new craft range and Chalk & Chuckles tabletop games.

Also look out for Bounce n Catch and Fuzzee Ball, which is great fun, flexible and won’t roll away, Traffic Control Signs – three large handheld signs for indoor and outdoor role play – and the Trace and Learn Magnetic writing and drawing board.Eduk8 will also add two new designs to the successful Playmats range and launch First 100 High Frequency words, a new product exclusively designed by Eduk8 Worldwide for Tangles.

These, along with many other toys in the range, are ideal for the gift and toy sectors.

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h s Bu y love b a B GOLDEN BEAR 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com

: Stand Stand E69

FACT The award-winning My First JCB range

Building on the strength of its hugely successful intellectual property launched in AW17, Golden Bear’s Bush Baby World collection will be expanding further in 2018.

The introduction of the Blossom Meadow Bush Babies will see funky patterns, sparkly detailing and softer-than-ever fabrics.

Easter will see the arrival of a new Royal in Bush Baby World – Princess Blossom comes with a glittery flower pod, comb and magical sceptre. She has beautiful long hair and a cool flower crown as well as a cute glittery tummy.

The hero line for AW18 is the magnificent Shimmer Palace. Home to Princess Melina, this playset will measure 80cm in height and plays several Bush Baby World songs. With a multitude of features

and an exclusive Bush Baby will also be showcased at the fair, with its Shimmie, the Shimmer popular Big Wheelers taking centre stage in Palace is the perfect place the vehicles category, offering both indoor for a royal party! and outdoor play value.

Build-A-Bot is an innovative range of customisable robot pets joining the company’s watch it move! There are also three portfolio in 2018, heralding its first Build-A-Bug characters to collect move into the STEM – chose from a Scatter Ant, Buzzy arena. Build-ABee or Ladybug.

Bot enables kids The In the Night Garden from five years collection is getting a whole new to build and refresh for 2018. Focusing on personalise their the very young core audience own colourful and its unique bedtime slot, the robots; each pack plush range has been refreshed contains all the with appealing pieces needed larger eyes, to click and super-soft fabrics create a Bunny, with comfort and Fox or Dino. cuddles at their heart.

Also included is Sleepytime Igglepiggle a full sheet has soothing lullabies and of stickers to soft glowing cheeks, perfect to personalise the pet and help reassure and relax little a build certificate” to ones at bedtime. The new record the creation Playtime Activity Playset is date. Use the food packed full of interactive trigger included to features and is home to all activate the pet and the iconic characters from the show.

Exciting new additions to the Mr Tumble Something Special range include Nursery Rhymes There will be six Blossom Bush Baby with Mr Tumble who plays all the characters to collect, along with two favourite nursery rhymes when his Scented Blossom characters – Lili and hand is pressed. The new vehicle Rosi. They both have brightly coloured in the collection is the Mr Tumble long hair, which can be brushed with Domino Train; load the feeder with the included cute flower hair brushes, dominoes and as the train moves and their tummies feature funky flower along watch as the dominoes drop designs that give a unique smell when in line, ready to be knocked down. held close.

Scented Blossom

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y r a c S ES R A JAZW 272 598 0 m 020 3 zwares.co a j . w ww

Jazwares is unveiling a new movie property, extensions to its hottest brands and exciting new distribution lines at London Toy Fair.

Expect to see refresh for the hugely successful online game Roblox, including all-new characters, vehicles and playsets, and a comprehensive offering for the girl gamers, all supported by heavyweight marketing.

Roblox is the largest social platform for play that allows kids to imagine, create, and play together in immersive 3D worlds. More than 22 million usergenerated online games have been produced on the Roblox platform with more than 64 million players visiting Roblox every month to create adventures, play games, roleplay, and learn with friends in a family-friendly environment.

Roblox is accessible on all modern smartphones, tablets, desktops, Xbox One, Oculus Rift, and other popular VR platforms. Roblox – Powering Imagination. Jazwares will also be revealing an exciting range of toys for new brand Hotel Transylvania, including collectables, plush and fashion dolls

! f f stu Stand: B100

launching in summer 2018 to tie in with the theatrical release of Hotel Transylvania 3.

On top of this Jazwares will be introducing new characters from the Christmas 2017 favourite brand – Fingerlings – to excite the evergrowing fan base.

Also new for 2018 will be a range of Helix outdoor products, which are set to be a major hit for spring, coupled with a robust TV marketing campaign. Visitors will also get to see all-new product ranges for pre-school properties Bob the Train, Farmees and Bottle Squad.

The Jazwares Hotel Transyvania toy-line, based on new and classic characters from the beloved franchise, will hit shelves in the summer of 2018 leading up to the release of Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3. The range will consist of blind collectables,

Did you know...

Jazwares’ portfolio includes: Roblox, Minecraft, Peppa Pig, PAW Patrol, Nerf and Chuggington.

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figures, plush, playsets and role play products One of the top Christmas toys for 2017 – WoWWee’s Fingerlings – will see further expansion in 2018 to include new animals and fun playsets as well as a refresh to the hugely successful monkey. Founded in 1988, WowWee is a leading designer, developer, marketer and distributor of innovative hi-tech consumer robotic and consumer entertainment products. The introduction of WowWee’s Robosapien robot in 2004 revolutionised the way people interact with robotic companions. One of the most popular entertainment robots in the world, with global sales of more than six million units, the Robosapien robot was the first commercially available biomorphic robot – a fusion of technology and personality. MiP, released in 2014, continues to be one of the world’s most popular consumer robots and the winner of more than 10 major Tech and Toy awards, including the Toy Industry Association’s TOTY award for Innovative Toy of the Year in 2015.

Distributed in the UK by Jazwares, and featuring authentic character likeness, Metalfigs by Jada are die-cast figures that are sure to be a standout in any collection.

Each posed Nano figure is made of 100% die-cast metal and stands about 1.65in tall. Each has premium metallic paints to achieve a high quality appearance and durability.

The new Nano MetalFigs line launches with characters from DC, Harry Potter, Marvel and WWE, and each brand will have 20-plus figures to collect from launch. But that’s just the beginning, as many more of the most collectable superhero and pop-culture brands will be coming to the line. The Nano figures will be sold in single, five, and 10 packs with the five and 10 packs containing exclusive figures.

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Learning is fun

Did you know : d dedicated collectors Sta5n0 For of Nanoblocks micro-sized B

Marbel

building blocks there’s a new sorting storage box and collection cases to keep those creations all in one place.

0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk

Marbel, an exclusive UK and Irelandbased distributor, presents its latest range of fun and innovative toys from brands such Hape, Bullyland, Relevant Play, Nanoblock and Pink Poppy.

Hape produces toys from the highestquality sustainable materials and has a range of exciting new products ideal for any little one’s toy box. As the perfect platform for STEM learning, Hape extends its range of Quadrilla marble runs, which are jam-packed with drops, twists,

high-speed shoots and turns. Hape also ventures into new avenues of outdoor toys with a fun collection of periscopes, telescopes and detective sets.

Nanoblock and its micro-sized building blocks create amazingly detailed and realistic three-dimensional models and presents plenty of new editions to its Mini Collection series of some foodie favourites including pizza and ice-cream.

Bullyland offers an extensive range of hand-painted collectable models and

figurines, bringing children’s favourite cartoons to life. New for 2018 Bullyland’s Fantasy World introduces a number of amazing characters and fantastical beasts including Unicorns, Dragons and many more.

Relevant Play and its Mad Mattr range is expanding. Press it, mould it, knead it, squeeze it and sculpt it. Pink Poppy offers a range of beautifully dazzling hair accessories and jewellery, and this year makes no exception.

Hama’s TV debut DKL Marketing www.dkltoys.co.uk 01604 678780

Stand: E66

DKL Marketing enters 2018 expanding the distribution and marketing of established heritage xbrands and the acquisition of new product ranges.

With almost 60 years since its creation, Hama Beads has exceeded 2017 growth plans and sees 35 new products introduced for 2018. Brand new to the Hama protfolio are Complete Sets, which feature storage box, beads, pegboard and accessories. Extensions to the 3D range will also be at Toy Fair, including new 3D Dogs and 3D Planes kits.

The Breyer brand experienced unprecedented growth in

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2017 and will be expanding its Classic Horse & Rider collection and Arts & Crafts range. In addition to traditional play themes, a Paint Your Own Unicorn and Emoji Decoration Horse will be unveiled during the show.

Continuing the trend in STEM toys, the SmartLab range remains a firm favourite in providing ‘edutainment’ to children aged eight-plus.

DKL also expands its offering with Bloco, Plus Plus Scratch, Escabbo, and the hugely popular Scentco.

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Another great g g game from

www.drumondpark.com See this and more at Toy Fair

Stand B70

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i g Ma

& S E M THA OS KOSM m 000 os.co 0 212 sandkosm 8 5 1 0 e .tham www

Returning to London Toy Fair for the seventh year in 2018, Thames & Kosmos is excited to unveil the new range of fun, interactive educational and STEM toys and games, which will be released throughout SS18.

The Globes range includes two new educational globe. The Day and Night Globe, which is not only a true representation of Earth by day, but is also a fantastic lit star and constellation map of the sky at night. The Kids First Globe, is a great learning tool showing

Stand : F15

animals, landmarks and cultural objects around the world.

Drop It is a tense strategy game where players have to choose shapes and drop them in the Drop Zone. If the shape doesn’t break any rules based on where it lands, the players earn points.

Continuing to tap into the exit room trend, Thames & Kosmos is launching four new editions of the hugely popular Exit: The Game series. The Sunken Treasure, The Orient Express, The Museum and The Sinister Mansion all add to the range from Spring ‘18 where players must use their team spirit to solve puzzles, collect objects and earn their freedom bit by bit.

Enter the world of magic and

sorcery with the all-new Magic Hat. Complete with a rabbit puppet as well as more than 40 other magic props, kids as young as six years old can learn and perform 35 magic tricks. The manual teaches most of the tricks in three easy steps accompanied by colour illustrations, first clearly explaining which magic props are needed, then how the trick is prepared, and finally how it is performed.

Ooze Labs are fun and simple science experiments in big chunky plastic test tubes that kids will love! Each Ooze Lab tube contains a simple science experiment to create a safe material that is both fun to play with and chemically interesting.

Driving into Toy Fair BRUDER 01491 412415 (The Sales Partnership) www.bruder.de

Stand :

Bruder’s famous vehicles return to Toy Fair with three very useful models for any emergencies, construction work and shipping that the junior vehicle manager needs to work on.

The Arocs fire engine crane truck is a very important emergency service vehicle that every larger fire station can rely on. Thanks to its fully functional reel with integrated overload protection, children will have no trouble recreating construction site scenarios at a scale of 1:16. Four extending and adjustable outriggers guarantee stability while junior crane operators will also find identical functionalities in the cab, which is fully glazed and features a sliding door. The cab of the Mercedes-Benz Arocs is sure to impress impresses with its detailed fire service resemblance and already features light and sound.

Repairs and maintenance on roads, pavements and in parks are carried out using the MB Sprinter municipal. The vehicle comes with worker and accessories, has a tilting loading platform and opening side gates. Plug-in ramps have been

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enclosed to transport small vehicles. The construction worker includes wheelbarrow, tools, signs and traffic cones and the Sprinter features a Light and Sound Module to increase its visibility. In addition to three different siren sounds, children can also hear the sound of the vehicle’s engine.

Finally, for shipping, Bruder introduces the Scania R-Series UPS logistics truck. The go-to truck for shipping service provider UPS, this version has three axles, an interchangeable container unit and a mobile forklift. The container body of the tractor vehicle can be broken down to individual parts and features swing doors at the rear.

An additional, outstanding option is the interchangeable unit that can be automatically released from the vehicle by pulling it out and extending the outriggers to jack up the container and enable the truck to move away from the unit.

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See this and more at Toy Fair Stand B70

Collec them t All!

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e h t t Ge r o t c a F X Wilton Bradley

Stand : E89

01626 835400 www.wiltonbradley.com

Taking the stage at London Toy Fair this year, Wilton Bradley is delighted to announce its very own X Factor!

Wilton Bradley has been awarded a fantastic new deal with FremantleMedia to manufacture and supply a range of karaoke microphones, machines, headphones and speakers under license for The X Factor in the UK. Building on the success of its awardwinning range of Mi-Mic microphone speakers, the agreement will see Wilton Bradley deliver an innovative range of music products under The X Factor brand over the next three years.

For 2018, the offering will include two

"Mi-Mic is about to sell out and has performed well beyond our expectations. In fact the whole karaoke microphone category has really taken off this year. So, the timing for this deal with The X Factor is perfect and I can’t imagine a better partnership."

Simon Hampton, Head of Sales & Marketing, Wilton Bradley

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lines: The X Factor XF1 and XF2. The XF1 a microphone speaker which has Bluetooth connectivity and enhances any singing performance. This costeffective star maker has a high spec including an echo function, speaker stand, play/pause, skip forward and back and will run for up to three hours without a charge. Enough to get any party started.

The XF1 is branded in the black and red X Factor logo and has flashing LED lights on the base. The X Factor XF2 is a sophisticated microphone speaker that includes voice-changing modes, echo function and a micro SD/USB Charging/ USB Port. The X Factor logo wraps around the speaker box on the front of the microphone, turning this into a fabulous portable karaoke machine. The existing Mi-Mic microphones will have new functionality and will continue to build on the success of 2017.

Another Wilton Bradley showstopper for 2017 was the remote control range – Monster Smash Ups. 2018 sees even more ‘smashability’ for yet another best seller from the company. The existing range of three character remote control trucks is joined by a fourth character ‘Black Widow’. The trucks have even more impact as the body of the truck now fully explodes when they hit each other or an obstacle!

The driver also gets ejected from the car – creating endless fun for three- to six-year-olds. There is plenty of play value in rebuilding the trucks back together, customising them with the included stickers and building your own track with the flags and cones.

Other line extensions include a ‘Battle Pack’, which comes with two trucks, four interchangeable characters and chassis. The rebuilding and smashing up

Continued on next page

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The wiggliest, waggliest, super cute pup, new from Animagic for AW18

Bespoke T V and digita l campaign for AW18

See this and more at Toy Fair Stand B70

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“

Caroline High, Senior Licensing Manager Hardlines, FremantleMedia, said:

has proved to be very popular with Mi-Mic is the perfect product for The X Factor, it’s parenting bloggers. Testimonials and videos posted online from influential innovative, musical and very entertaining. Now bloggers have really boosted this families will be able to sing-along with the show in range. As has winning a top prize the comfort of their own living rooms. in the Made For Mums Awards and being featured in the national press.

There will be even more activity in 2018 with an even bigger mass media Electric Ride-On category and this campaign. has been one of its fastest-growing With more than 1.6 million categories in 2017. New for Toy Facebook fans and the likes of Fair, Wilton Bradley introduces a for commuting Radio 2’s Chris Evans extolling the Police Car, and a Range Rover to the and inner city virtues of YoYoFactory, this classic collection, with a number of exclusive travelling, since craze is proving even more popular. licensed products to be unveiled at it is capable of Wilton Bradley has joined forces with the show. traversing up YoYoFactory as the exclusive UK Staying with the outdoor theme, to 12km on distributor for its expert line of Yowheeled toys are fast becoming a only one Yos. major category for the company, with two-hour From the beginner using the the Xootz range of kids wheeled toys, charge.

TenTric range, right up to the high which grew by a massive 200 per With a max speed grade aluminium DV888 Yo-Yo or the cent in 2017. of 25 km/h you can tackle a 10km F.A.S.T 20 to master the classics, The Viper pedal go kart is available commute in less than half an hour Wilton Bradley can supply the right in a striking matte black colouring while having way more fun than you product. For a masterclass in Yo-Yo with a venom green Xootz logo, would crammed onto the tube or expertise visit the stand during Toy making it one of the most striking sat in traffic. It has all the features Fair and meet a real champion, world pedal karts around. It really feels like you would expect from a top-ofYo-Yo champion Gentry Stein. The you are driving due to the addition the-line electric scooter, including YoYoFactory team will be on hand at of a gear stick and free wheel digital control screen and rear brakes, London Toy Fair ramping up media movement. thick durable tyres, front and rear awareness of the brand and making The Xootz Retro Racer is a pedal lights and an LED strip light. It even a world record attempt, teaching go kart of old school cool with its folds away so you can easily carry it new tricks and demonstrating jawunique design, which resembles around the office or take it on dropping Yo-Yo skills. a classic racer. Despite its the train.

Skills of another kind are retro look, the easy-access While Wilton Bradley encouraged by the GBSB range of pedals and durable rubber excel at the outdoors, its Sewing Machines inspired by the wheels allow it to reach long-standing and very Great British Sewing Bee television speeds that are anything but successful partnership programme, loved by everyone from old-fashioned. with Bestway has made bloggers to broadcasters (this was The JSF Urban Sprinter it the UK market leader another Chris Evans favourite) – with Electric Scooter is perfect in inflatables. A wide a full range of accessories kits which range of top licensed include everything products from Star needed to create the Wars to Disney will be perfect item. on show in January.

The company YoYoFactory has has also had great success with the more than 1.6 million

”

Fact!

Facebook fans and even Radio 2’s Chris Evans is a fan.

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THE EXCLUSIVE UK & ROI DISTRIBUTOR FROM 2018 REINVENTING FUN THROUGH EDUCATION TV ADVERTISING IN 2018

See this and more at Toy Fair Stand B70

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r o e t a Cre riment e p ex s m a d hn A Jo

1 41436 o.uk 01480 hnadams.c o .j www

With a brand-new stand, John Adams is continuing to build on its hugely successful heritage within its creative play craft range, with more than 20 new and refreshed product lines.

Face painting just got easier with Face Art. Just choose a stamp design, paint it and apply for perfect results every time! It’s super-easy for parents to apply on their child, for friends to do together or for a child to do by themselves.

Fashionistas will love Hair Wear as they can make fabulous fashion hair accessories to wear and share; either in their own hair or as colourful jewellery and pretty bag decorations.

Kids can also discover a whole glitter universe with the new Glitterizz range.

Personalise pictures with five themed sets to add sparkle, while keeping mess to a minimum using a special tray and funnel.

The hugely successful Blopensrange is extended with mini pen sets at pocket money prices and a super cute Puppies and Kittens themed set.

Pre-schoolers can bring little imaginations to life with the Playstuff Dough Play Worlds. This unique range of dough kits all come with fold out double play area packaging, which is wipe

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Stand: G100

clean and has a beautifully illustrated play scene on it.

Little ones can build and play with Fun Bricks, a new range of building blocks for children aged one and up. Available in 35, 50 and 100 assorted pieces.

John Adams continues to lead the way in the action science category. Rainbow Science allows kids to create magically colourful and rainbowed themed projects.

Code and Connect teaches first steps in coding, circuit building, problem solving, planning and sequencing, with the help of Volty, the fun codable robot. Or explore life on the red planet with the Mission to Mars set.

Building on the huge global success of the ‘Soggy Doggy’ Game, Soggy Doggy’s Friends are squishy and hilarious interactive pups with their own personalities.

New games include Mr Pop – pick a card and race to quickly build Mr Pop’s face matching the card, before he springs up and sends all his pieces flying.

Hamster Race is the hilarious and adrenalin-fuelled action game. Line up your hamsters on the starting grid, roll the dice and you’re off!

eZee Beads... has added four new lines across key price points, including Emergency Vehicles, Trucks, Jewellery and a Blossom Tree set. Due to popular demand there’s also a new refill and accessory pack.

Or test your nerves with Tumbling Monkeys, just pull out the sticks from the tree but don’t let the monkeys fall!

Fans of the world’s most perplexing puzzle can take on a new challenge with the Rubik’s 4x4 Cube. Rubik’s Battle is a quickthinking, fast-action card game.

Can you be the fastest to spot unique colour matches? Rubik’s Flip is the new head-to-head strategy game.

Fast and fun games include Pointz. Prove that you have the best eyes and the fastest fingers with Grabolo, and then see it, say it and slam with Slam IT! In Sneak Peek only a quick mind and speedy hands can help you!

Trivia fans will love the 5 Gold Rings family board game - based upon the new TV show hosted by Phillip Schofield.

Then last but not least, get ready to grab your glitter ball as John Adams will be launching the official Strictly Come Dancing board game!. With cheeky challenges and Strictly trivia, there’s something for all the family to enjoy.

All key new launches will benefit from TV advertising and a full PR plan.

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CELEBRATING

INNOVATIVE RANGE OF TOYS ON SHELF JULY 2018 Bandai UK Ltd

IMMERSIVE 360 ° BRAND CAMPAIGN INCLUDING TV, DIGITAL & PRESS ACTIVITY 25TH ANNIVERSARY ACTIVITY FROM SABAN

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Character Options will be filling the aisles with cool collectables in 2018, while for boys’ action there’s a power-packed line up to look forward to.

The trend for 2018 is sure to be all things squishy and for the brand to invest in, then look no further than Character Options’ Soft N’ Slo Squishies. Soft rising and ultra-collectable, Soft ‘n’ Slo Squishies come in a variety of themes and sizes and produce a fun collectable that’s different every time. Already a hit in the US, Soft ‘n’ Slo lets kids squish, squeeze and watch them slowly rise every time, and with hundreds to collect there’s no doubt the Soft ‘n’ Slo collectable craze is not only on, it’s rising!

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What’s more.....

The Rare Soft ‘n’ Slo characters with unique paint patterns and holographic stickers will add to the weight of Character Options' marketing to ensure success for retail partners.

From the world of Little Live Pets comes the new Lil’ Precious Pups. The launch range includes four adorable interactive pups who scamper around, play with their ball and eat from their bowl. Watch them fall asleep or pat them until they sing their own little song! A Lil’ Cutie Pups pet carrier will also be available complete with exclusive Royal Pup Ruby. Now owners can take their

retail and will no doubt result in strong sales. Then later in the year, Cuddles and Snuggles the most loveable Little Live Pets of them all will be joined by new addition Koko My Loving Puppy!

As one of the greatest video game franchises in the world, Character is delighted to be unveiling its debut Pokémon master toy line from summer 2018. With an exciting all-new toy line-up and

Did you know?

Koko behaves just like a real-life pup with a wagging tail and special licks for his owner when he’s happy! sweet pups with them wherever they go! Series 2 of the much-loved Surprise Chick and Lil’ Hedgehog lines will also make their way onto shelves with a whole host of new pets to discover, collect and enjoy.

The reintroduction of butterflies to the range will also be welcomed by

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regular waves of new product being launched to the marketplace the range ensures retailers always have something new on shelf. Overall the new range will introduce 70% more product across Figures, Plush and Role Play categories. The toy range aims to translate the constant innovation and excitement seen in the Pokemon brand into its beautiful range of toys.

Figures continue to be central to the Pokémon toy range but for the first time ever each Pokémon

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Stretch Armstrong will continue to have a strong hold on the action figure market with two new launches in the pipeline for spring

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figurine will be to scale with small Pokémon only available in 2.5” size and larger legendary figures only at the 12” scale. There will be four size categories in total each staying true to character scale 2”, 3”, 4.5” and 12”. Also unique to the new range is the level of figure articulation available - with 3” and 4.5” figures featuring a unique DAPS (Dynamic Action Posing System) allowing figures to hold different battle poses and the 4.5” and 12” figures with special range of motion Feature Articulation demonstrating launching, gripping and rolling actions.

Plush has always been an essential purchase for fans with a range that offers pocket money Clippies, soft Poké Balls, and plush characters right through to a Pikachu feature plush and super 18” life size supersoft and cuddly Pikachu plush. From there a choice of fun role play items will allow kids to act out the Pokémon gameplay for themselves whether it’s launching Pikachu and friends from a Toss ‘n’ Pop Poké Ball or wearing their Poké Balls with pride (complete with 2” figurine) on the belt of their Clip ‘n’ Go Poké Ball Set! The action-packed Laser X brand will continue into 2018 with blasters that fire longer

With a range of 35 metres, the Battling Tower features 8 different game play functions and 2 in-battle play functions including a ‘repeater’ blast and point multiplier for the ultimate battle challenge

and stronger than ever before.

The Laser X Double Pack was the sell-out Dream Toy of 2017 and will be added to with the Laser X Long Range Blaster which fires infra-red beams from an impressive 100 metres away! This awesome weapon has a super-fast reload function that allows for 25 rapid fire infra-red blasts. Also new from Laser X and ideal for solo or headto-head play, is the Laser X Battling Tower.. All items in the range are compatible with each other and can be played both indoors and out!

In the boys’ collectables aisle, and no doubt to the horror of mum, kids will find themselves immersed in Keplopolis and discover it’s cool to be No.2! Embracing the trend of all thing poop, Poopeez are the collectable characters that come with more than a little toilet

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trouble. Series 1’s 36 characters include Skid Mark, Potty Pooper and Turdle and are rolled out in 2-pack Toilet Roll dispensers which must be carefully unraveled to discover the figures inside.

Stretch Armstrong will continue to have a strong hold on the action figure market with two new launches in the pipeline for spring. Another villain will be revealed with the launch of the

Creative Play Kits are available with different themes and colorways such as Caticorn and Dragasaur, but with the ability to reshape and remould at will, the themes are mere suggestions and the possibilities are limitless!

transparent villain, Stretch X-Ray! The classic stretchy play pattern paired with his visible skeleton and guts will horrify and entertain kids all at once! Also joining the range is the miniature 8-inch Vac-Man; this new version of the classic villain may be mini but still packs a powerful punch when he mutates into a rigid monster!

In creative play, kids will be welcomed to the fascinating world of the ORB Molecules, the world’s first and only creation compound!

This atom and electron inspired compound pushes the envelope and lets your imagination run with the wacky world of DNA. Each kit contains thousands of pieces that gel together in a colourful creative substance

Itop is...

Simple to play but will take practice to master! that never dries out and will hold the shape it’s melded into until the maker is ready to recreate!

2017 saw Character successfully enter the family games scene with sell-out successes in the hit Five Nights at Freddy’s jumpscare game and Pokémon Guess (Kanto Region). 2018 is all set to introduce some exciting and innovative new titles to the already successful line-up.

Starting off with iTop – a fidget spin-to-win masterpiece game to challenge yourself or

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your friends. The pocket-sized spinning top counts the number of revolutions and keeps track of high scores. With 3 main play modes including – Top Score, 99 Spin Challenge and a Compass mode. The clever i-Top also comes with unlockable play modes – spin the secret combination to see special secret animations.

Based on the hugely popular Johnny the Skull game, Catching Stars is a magical addition to Character’s games line up. The whimsical Fairy moon projects a pretty star show onto the ceiling and children must use the light-up wand to catch as many stars as they can in the given time. What’s more, the projector also doubles as soothing nightlight with lullaby function. Carrying on the magical theme comes the exciting Wizard Battle game. Armed with special magic wands, the first wizard to correctly complete the selected magic spell wins the battle.

These new games will feature alongside the already successful Games range including FlipSlide, a new, Kanto region version of Pokémon Guess and of course Five Nights at Freddy’s.

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Happy birthday Mickey!

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POSH PAWS 01268 567317 www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Posh Paws is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the most famous Disney star of all, Mickey Mouse, with a raft of new Disney merchandise including blockbuster movie collections and sparkly-eyed Squads of favourite characters.

November 2018 marks the special anniversary and with it will come celebrations across the globe targeting both children and families alike. In its own celebration, Posh Paws will be launching truly original Mickey and Minnie plush lines. Musthaves will include the retro 10in gift box of both Mickey and Minnie – instantly recognisable in their most original style these gifts will be treasured.

Alternatively, 7" collectables will be available together with gifts sets of Mickey as seen in many of his classic roles, such as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and

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Bellboy Detective.

The Posh Paws Winnie the Pooh offering is a major focus for the firm in 2018, and to ensure its success, TV advertising is planned to be included in the marketing support PR programme from its A very special addition launch in spring. The My to the range will be the Teddy Bear Pooh will monochrome Steamboat be a must-have for all Willy, as Mickey was first ages and includes Pooh seen, before films were in his classic red jumper, produced in glorious Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.

Technicolor!

Available as 7in, 10in and XL sizes. Also available as part of the Winnie Pooh collection are Winnie the Pooh Vintage, Winnie the Pooh Dangles and Winnie the Pooh Cuties. A collection of 10in hand puppets will provide the perfect way for even more interactive and imaginary play!

Toy Fair will also be the place to see Posh Paws’ wide-eyed, cute and super-collectable Disney Collection. These glittery plush toys feature fan favourites from both Disney’s back catalogue and most recent films. Released in “squads” of six, each character has super-large, sparkly eyes.

Squad A’s characters launch in January and will

Did you know…

include Cinderella, Marie from the Aristocats, Minnie Mouse, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Hot on their heels in Squad B will be Bambi, Snow White, Mickey Mouse, Simba from The Lion King, Patch from 101 Dalmatians and Eeyore.

The fresh, new and stylised look and feel offers kids, teens and adults alike an utterly adorable plush that is priced as a collectable.

In July 2018, the Incredibles 2 movie will hit the big screen and with it a truly incredible soft toy line-up from Posh Paws, which includes a CDU of 7in pick-me-up plush of all five family members, and a super soft 10in plush range each of which comes in their own packaging.

With the premiere of Jurassic World 2 in July 2018, as official plush partner, Posh Paws is also readying itself for a colossal launch of Jurassic World soft toys, which include 8in, 10in, 14in and XL versions of the most recognisable dinosaurs from the film.

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Peter perfect!

Rainbow Designs www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk 01329 227300

Rainbow Designs, The Home of Classic Characters, is set to unveil a host of exciting new products across a number of their prolific toy and nursery brands at Toy Fair this year.

The eagerly awaited Peter Rabbit Movie, starring James Corden as the voice of Peter Rabbit, is set to hit the cinema screen on 23 March. In line with the movie release, the Home of Classic Characters is launching a fun new Peter Rabbit Movie range. The collection includes plush toys styled on characters from the new film as well as a feature plush Talking Peter Rabbit with phrases that include “More radishes and carrots please!’ and ‘Has anyone seen Mr McGregor?” The new collection will be available from February and will join Rainbow’s Peter Rabbit TV range of feature plush toys.

Following hot on the heels of

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New this spring!

Rainbow Designs has brought to life Disney’s much loved and iconic characters in a new collection of high-quality baby developmental toys that will be launched this spring.

the successful Classic Winniethe-Pooh ‘Hundred Acre Wood’ Collection released last autumn, Rainbow is excited to unveil Disney Baby. This colourful range of characterled developmental toys features Disney’s most iconic characters; Minnie Mouse, Tigger, Dumbo, Winnie-thePooh and Mickey Mouse. The collection of baby soft toys, created from multiple fabrics and textures features a variety of activities to encourage early developmental skills and promote sensory play.

In addition to the exciting developmental collection, Rainbow Designs will also bring to market, the Disney Floppy collection. This beautiful and stylish array of large and small super soft plush toys, comforters and

ring rattles featuring Disney favourites; Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore really does offer the ultimate in cuddles.

The blockbuster Paddington 2 has taken the box office by storm and the popularity of Paddington across all ages continues to soar! The funpacked Paddington Movie range includes two feature plush toys; the fun-loving Dancing Paddington and Cycling Paddington, as well as My Name is Paddington and Talking Paddington toys.

The Home of Classic Characters will also have on display a number of exciting new additions to the everpopular Peppa Pig for Baby collection including a new dual pack of Peppa and George attachable Activity Toys with multiple textures and features.

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Animal magic SCHLEICH 01279 870000 www.schleich-s.co.uk Schleich will showcase a world of imagination from exotic new Wild Life figurines and familiar Farm World animals to all-new Horse Club characters, evergreen Dinosaurs and Eldrador Creatures. Standing guard over all of this will be the Giant Lion POS atop an impressive 6m gondola – a fixture which retailers can implement in their own stores.

Schleich’s Horse Club brand is going from strength to strength and 2018 will see major developments for the franchise. Central to the new range will be Sofia, Hannah, Sarah and Lisa – the new Horse Club girls who make their debut in June. These exciting new rider

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with the most detailed and figures are fully moveable and realistic toys. Scampering into can ride, sit and grip, for realistic the range is the adorable new play. Girls will then be racing to Yorkshire Terrier and French add the stunning new Caravan Bulldog, while the Texas For Secret Club Meetings to their The Dinosaur range Longhorn, the Hereford Cow toy box. Creating stories at the has fearsome new and Calf, the Brownish Cow Caravan will be delightful with a reptiles such as the and the Black Bull are also living room, balcony, removable Oviraptor, Triceratops to be discovered. Box sets roof, and plenty of accessories and Tawa. 2018 will will include the Miniature Pig for endless fun. be a significant year Mother and Piglets set, the All eyes will also be on the new for all things dinosaur Pony Mare and Foal playset, Large Horse Stable with House and so the newly and the Rabbit Hutch and & Stable. With six stunning refreshed Dinosaur Chicken Coop – all launching rooms and a balcony to explore, Set with Cave will in the first quarter. plus stables, human figurines also make its mark For autumn, the Large and animals, this mighty set in autumn with Farm House will be unveiled. will be top of all wish lists come exclusive dinosaurs This hero playset has endless September. Added to this is the and multiple new accessories and features a Riding Café where the Horse functions. farm family and exclusive Club girls can catch up while animals for extra play value. their horses graze outside.

Add to this the Adventure Another key franchise is the Tree House and retailers will be spoilt for exciting Eldrador Creatures range. Under choice when it comes to top-of-the-range this refreshed boys’ franchise farm-themed lines. will be four key collections: Lava, Thrilling new arrivals to the Wild Life Ice, Water and Stone worlds will range will make their debut too. The Ranger each have three figurines at and Indian Rhinoceros Starter Set, the three different price points Panda Enclosure set, and the Trap with to collect, such as Stone Ranger all launch in Q1 with multiple play Monster, Ice Dragon functions and boxed set value for consumer and Hellhound. appeal. Retailers will also have first sight Farm World of the 4x4 Vehicle with Winch playset due will continue to to launch in September. This vehicle also offer the best in comes with 10 accessories, and a monkey. imaginative play

One for the boys

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All the fun of the Flair!

GP FLAIR/JUST PLAY 0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk

GP Flair is yet again ready for a stand-out year with a whole host of exciting launches and new range developments across all key categories!

The recently launched Pikmi Pops collectable range will be on display for all to see; this sweet scented mini plushies range packaged inside iconic lollipop vessels is the super exciting new Moose property which appeals to girls in so many ways.

Ahead of the March release, retailers can preview the refreshed Single Pack, Surprise Pack and Jumbo

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plush assortment, as well as the upcoming Season 3. Launching in autumn, Season 3 will have all new scents, characters, and a unique feature for girls to show off their Pikmi Pops style!

Season 9 of the number 1 girls’ collectable, Shopkins, launches this spring with the wildest theme yet and visitors to Toy Fair can see the range in all its glory on Flair’s stand.

In autumn, the Shopkins megabrand will transform itself once again with a brand new theme to surprise and excite fans. Visit Flair’s stand at Toy Fair for a sneak preview – the question is, can you keep a secret?

Another new addition to the girls’ portfolio is the collectable Kekilou range. Inspired by fashion, Kekilou is all about collectable mini bags which magically transform into mini dolls with a secret make up compartment hidden inside.

The K Cutie Mini Bags are the entry point to the range with a cute doll and cool makeup hidden inside.

For twice as much Kekilou fun there is the Double Mini Bag, each of which comes with an exclusive mini doll. The K-Vanity Mini Playsets contain a vanity case, makeup, mirror and mini bag.

What’s more, when your mini

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Did you know…

One not to be missed at Toy Fair is the Glimberg playset which creates a theatrical Northern Lights effect when kids blow on it!

doll is placed inside the case, the light up mirror is magically activated! With a growing collection of Kekilou dolls, girls will simply have to have the Party Bag Playset. The Party Bag opens up to reveal a stunning beauty salon and interactive party area and it even comes with an exclusive Mini Bag/Doll.

The exciting Glimmies Aquaria is yet another collection that visitors need to experience at Toy Fair.

Brand new in March, Glimmies Aquaria takes girls’ favourite star fairies and adds a touch of underwater magic! In autumn, the Glimmies are then moving from underwater to a breath-taking new ice world with the launch of Glimmies

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Polaris. With this new magical polar theme will come an exciting new play pattern where girls have to blow on their Glimmies to activate the lightup feature! The Single Pack, Twin Pack and Triple Pack will come with new snow-globe shaped packaging, and three new playsets will also be revealed!

Not to be missed at Toy Fair is the launch of the new series of Exogini.

The Exoginis are the collectable alien figures with a special electronic light up feature!

Ahead of the Alien Shake season landing in autumn, retailers can take the chance to preview everything on offer. When you shake Alien Shake figures, the new shake sensor light up function is activated and the more you shake, the greater the light intensity. What’s more, when the Exoginis reach their maximum power, they will magically change colour! With this new feature also comes extra playability; Alien Shake battles will be the talk of the playground as kids compete to see whose Exogini can

Turtle-y cool!

One of the most loved boys’ brands in Flair’s portfolio is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and this month sees the launch of Totally Turtles. Whether it’s the new Totally Turtles Squad figures or the Build n Battle Role Play weapons, this range is the ultimate collection for Turtles fans.

stay lit the longest! Super new Alien Shake playsets will also be unveiled at the show.

The hit collectable property, Grossery Gang, is back this spring with a Bug army invasion to contend with! Whether it’s two flushed grosseries inside a toilet, the 4-pack & Launcher, or the 10-Pack & Crossbow, boys are going to love collecting this new wave of 150 characters.

Kids can also meet Fungus Fries, Putrid Pizza and Dodgey Donut as the new Wave of Action Figures set to release in February.

From autumn, the Grossery Gang will be calling upon allies from throughout the ages in a brand new Time Wars theme!

Flair is renowned for its creative play portfolio and in autumn, the company will be breaking new ground in the category.

With Skeletown, kids can design and mould a collection of spooky cute 3D characters, from Gelly to Skelly, and bring their world to life with a range

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of playsets and accessories. There are five Skelly families to collect and complete across a range of four skus.

The Creator Pack CDU will be perfect for impulse buys with everything to make two baby skellies in each pack, whilst the Skelly Family Pack offers great value with everything to make four skellies. Kids can also start building their own Skeletown with the Night Scene Pack, perfect to create your own spooky night scene and the Town Pack that comes with loads of fun houses and accessories to build and grow your Skeletown!

Added to all of the above, the Just Play division will unveil an array of pre-school launches and exciting new properties at Toy Fair.

Puppy Dog Pals is an exciting new series that premieres on Disney Junior in January 2018 and Just Play is getting set to launch the toy line for fans of Bingo, Rolly and the rest of the crew. The super cuddly Bean Plush assortment has four collectable pals to meet whilst the Puppy Love Medium Plush assortment offers even more cuddles with 30cm characters. Pet & Talk Pals excitedly move their heads and say phrases from the show when their backs are pressed; whilst the Adventure Pals roll over and talk to you, and they’ll

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also jump with excitement when the ball is put in front of them.

Figures are also a key offering. The Travel Pets sets include a collectable figure and a carrier to store them whilst kids can play with all their favourite characters in the jumbo Deluxe Friends Set which also comes with fun accessories. From there, fans can discover Figures on the Go which come with a 7.5cm posable figure, a vehicle, and a special launcher pad to set the speed! Light Up Pals on a Mission will be at the centre of all adventures with special light up figures which feature a kid-powered spinning amplifier.

Alternatively, the Surprise Action Figures walk and talk with over 10 sounds and phrases from the show. The hero Doghouse Playset completes the range with lots of exciting kid-powered features, posable figures and a vehicle too.

Series 2 of the TV show, launches in March and come July, kids are going to be desperate to get their hands on Just Play’s new collection. All new Hero vs.

Villain sets will allow kids to re-enact the action packed battles from the new series whilst refreshed blind bags will also give fans new characters to collect.

PJ Robot is the newest member of the team and the toy version will roll along

just like in the show featuring light, sound and bendable arms. The exciting new TV special ‘Super Moon Adventure’ airs in July and in October, Just Play will launch the Super Moon collection. The new Super Moon Figure assortment will have the PJ masks heroes with light up jetpacks and the Space Rovers will include a figure, a vehicle and a bonus accessory. With the Super Moon Rocket Spaceship playset, the HQ magically transforms into a spaceship with pop-out wings, light, sound and lots of epic features!

Another Disney preschool property joining the mix is Vampirina! The fully articulated 15cm Vee Doll looks just like the show character and wears her signature outfit. An alternative doll is Bat-tastic Talking Vee & Friends – featuring pop-up and light-up wings, this 30cm doll can be put into flying mode to hear fun sounds.

Glowtastic Friends is the 5-piece set including the Ghoul Glow Chamber.

Watch Vampirina light up when placed inside the spooky chamber. The chamber also activates an eery glow with the monster figures included in the 10 piece Fangtastic Friends set. Vehicle play is also possible with the Hauntley’s Mobile vehicle featuring lights, sounds, music and accessories, and it also transforms into a moonlit movie theatre.

Role play and dress up toys are not to be missed either with a light and sound Rock ‘n’ Ghoul Mic, the Spooktastic Spookylele, and the Bootiful Dress Up Set. Finally, fans can cuddle up to their favourite Vampirina fans with the assortment of Bean Plush.

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Football fun BIG POTATO 07472 824 526 www.bigpotato.co.uk

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Big Potato is well known for creating quick-to-play, easyto-learn party games such as Obama Llama and triple award-winning whodunnit game The Chameleon.

But did you know that they also sell a range of third-party games?

The independent board game company from London has a line-up that includes Klask, Foooty, Game of Phones and Randomise.

Klask is a wooden tabletop football game, designed by Danish Carpenter Mikkel Bertelsen. It’s a fast-paced, two-player game that’s a blend of football and air hockey. The aim of the game is to hit the ball into your competitor’s goal.

Sounds simple? Here’s the catch — the whole game is operated by magnets. Each player has a goal scorer, which they control by moving a magnet under the table. Lose control of your player and you lose a point. You’ve also got to avoid the white magnetic markers. Get too close and they’ll stick to you. Attract two of them and you lose a point.

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Finally, when you score a goal don’t forget to shout ‘Klask!’

Foooty is an innovative Dutch toy that was invented by Jean-Pierre Raes. Foooty is a clever flat-pack toy that can be hooked together to make durable 3D shapes.

Working with his own development agency Apollo 11, Jean-Pierre created Foooty and launched it on Kickstarter in 2016. The flexible panels allow you to build a football, frisbee, rugby ball, star, rocket and even a giraffe. It’s easy to assemble and even easier to deconstruct. Plus it’s the perfect size and weight to fit into your pocket or bag when you go on holiday.

Game of Phones is another Kickstarter sensation that was created by Luke Stern and

Sam Wander, two design students from New York City. They wanted to create a game that incorporated the physical world with the digital world, and that’s where the idea sparked for Games of Phones – a tabletop card game where players use their smartphones to compete against one another. During a round, one player turns over a card that has a phone-related challenge on it. Examples include “Take an unflattering photo of yourself” or “Text a random number — first reply from a human wins”.

Randomise is a family-friendly party game that was created

by Hazel Reynolds and her game company Gamely, based in Brighton. It’s a ridiculously silly card game that involves two teams drawing, acting and describing bizarre characters to one another. One player from each team will draw cards to create a random identity. It could be a Beautiful Chicken Skydiving or a Romantic Badger Hula-Hooping.

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Asmo

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593 .com ames 0 593 0142 sdeviumg .e www

Esdevium will return to Toy Fair in 2018 with a new name and a new look – now known as Asmodee UK, rebranding to match its parent and sister companies around the world. What hasn’t changed is the extensive range of games, collectables and toys, with a host of exciting new products being launched at the show.

A major new addition that will be given pride of place at the show is Bananagrams.

This world-renowned word game is moving to the Asmodee UK portfolio from April 2018 and is set to hit new heights as it joins a fantastic range of family games under the Asmodee umbrella including favourites such as Dobble, Rory’s Story Cubes and Cortex Challenge.

Bananagrams will be at the front and centre of the Asmodee stand, offering opportunities to try out the hit letterplacing game. Visitors will also be able to check out other games in the Bananagrams range – Bananagrams Party and My First Bananagrams – as well as an exciting, brand new game from the Bananagrams team, Cobra Paw. The continuing success of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) will be celebrated in style with the release of

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Fact!

There will be a big presence from Pandemic as Asmodee kicks off the Year of the Cure, a year-round celebration of the smash-hit board game of global medical catastrophe.

Don’t be alarmed by the staff in full Haz-Mat kit, there to highlight the incredible range of the Pandemic family of games!

the new Sun & Moon – Ultra Prism expansion. This set of more than 150 cards is the first to spotlight the recently released Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon video games, and introduces a new mechanic while featuring amazing Pokémon such as Dusk Mane Necrozma and Dawn Wings Necrozma.

As in 2017, Asmodee will once again be sponsoring the Toy Fair foyer with huge graphics and decorations themed around the Pokémon TCG, celebrating a hugely successful period for the game, which shows no signs of slowing down in 2018.

Another big reveal will be the launch of the ground-breaking new puzzle game,

Arokah. Hailed as “a new mathematical phenomenon” by the University of Cambridge’s Prof. Imre Leader, Arokah is the ultimate multi-puzzle challenge, and is set to be a brain-teasing hit with all ages.

To introduce this exciting new release, Asmodee has enlisted the help of celebrity super-fan Kara Tointon. The former EastEnders actress and former Strictly Come Dancing winner will be on hand on press day to show how addictive and engaging the game is, answer questions, pose for photos or simply to play a few games of Arokah with attendees.

PLAY DIFFERENT......

Discover over 150 new products for 2018 Come and visit us at The London Toy Fair Stand B121

32 High Park Road • Kew Gardens • Richmond • TW9 4BH • United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 8878 2133 | janod.com - kaloo.com - alexbrands.com

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CASDON 01253 608248 www.casdon.co.uk Casdon is planning more international expansion for 2018, ensuring its role-play toys have multi-lingual packaging.

Casdon combines pretend play with internationally renowned household names to bring replica appliances and role-play accessories to the play room.

2018 will see a refresh across all packaging; with bright colours, bold designs and numerous languages now being added.

Whether children are Little Helpers, Little Cooks or even Little Shoppers, there’s something in the Casdon collection for retailers across multiple territories.

Among all that’s new and building on the success of the partnership with Dyson, January

Stand: E30 Fact: Each vacuum really works and will pick up small bits of paper from the floor, storing them in a removable drawer that is quick and simple to empty.

2018 will see the Dyson Cord-free Vacuum added to the collection. This cordless vacuum is a direct replica of the lifesize Dyson and has been specifically designed to be true to life, right down to the last detail. The model features working suction, realistic sounds and twist and turn action just like the real thing. The spinning beads will mesmerise children, and will be an instantly recognisable favourite at home.

A further addition to the Little Helpers collection is a fresh shape for the Hetty

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and Henry Vacuums. These robust multi-purpose vacuums have everything little ones need to help with day-to-day chores. Each vacuum really works and will pick up small bits of paper from the floor, storing them in a removable drawer that is quick and simple to empty. Supplied with a T-shaped nozzle, the accessories pack away neatly at the back of the vacuum.

Finally, kids can help mum and dad have that garden looking ship shape with the Flymo Turbo Lite Lawnmower; another exciting replica from Casdon Toys. The Flymo features a foldable handle for easy storage and a mechanical click when the mower is on the move. It also features the iconic Orange base.

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Vivid’s Nella the Princess Knight launch range hit stores this month, and includes role play, plush, dolls, and figures, centering around Nella as a Princess and a Knight, and, of course, Trinket, her unicorn BFF. Role Play presents unique opportunities for a pre-school girls' property. The Transforming Rose Shield joins the range this autumn/ winter, alongside the Heart Pendant & Tiara and Sparkle Sword.

Garrett and Clod will be added to the Adventure Collection and the first playset launches; Trinket’s Sparkle Stable, with an extendable catwalk for the exclusive Trinket to pose on. Style Me Trinket has a real mane and tail to brush, and she comes with a hoof polish bottle which changes the colour of her hooves with water.

Transforming Princess Knight Nella is the hero TV line for Christmas. Watch Nella transform from Princess to Knight with a magical musical sparkle, and press her tiara for phrases and songs. 4-in-a Box Puzzles and Race to Polka Dot Mountain Game complete the

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range for 2018. The brand will be supported with four TV creatives across the year, and backed up by a comprehensive marketing plan.

Series 3 of the Disney Emoji Are fan-favourite collectables range will loadable sticker dispenser see neon and double characters ooshed! These contains 100 kiss-cut stickers. sided Emojis added squishy mini figures double Choose from Disney’s Frozen, to the collection. up as pencil toppers.

Disney Princesses, and My New items include Collect all the favourite Little Pony. #MiniClouds, #Secret Now you can have your heroes and villains.

Box, #TheCloud, Bestie in a Bag! The Best Licenses include Marvel, #KeyboardPack, Furry Friends (BFFs) are furry DC Comics, WWE, Pixar and three seasonal fashionistas who love to hang and Disney Princess.

New themed packs; out with their number one licences launching in 2018 #TheScarePack, bestie… you! There are 54 BFFs included Transformers and #TheIcePack, and to collect including furries Disney Junior. #TheAdventCalender. (flocked), exotics (metallic or Stickits combines translucent), fluffy tails and the popularity ultra-exotics (glitter). The of stickers with urban styled range includes Mystery Packs, collectable characters. Each reBFF Squad Packs, Deluxe Packs and the Bestie Doll. BFF will be launched with an extensive marketing campaign including webisodes, TV and digital. Übals are cute, micro motorised critters, watch them scurry around! There are 24 different Übals to collect. Available as Blind Bags, Mama and Babies Set and Giant Mama. Übals will be TV supported with TV and digital.

Push, pop and see what you’ve got. Each Pop A Lotz Surprise Pop contains secret bagged items including a cute scented 2” plush, collector stickers, foodie plush and pom poms. Just pop for surprises.

Ooshies...

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Squishamals are the first super soft and squishy scented plush. Lots of cute characters to collect. Squish them up and watch them return to their normal shape.

Animagic will see all new branding and the introduction of two exciting TV lines in AW18.

Waggles My Wigglin’, Walkin’ Pup, is a cute sausage dog, who barks, has a wiggly bottom and wagging tail. He’s bound to become your new best friend; and Woofles My Playful Puppy, with its amazing lifelike movement. Woofles responds to its very own bone accessory, give it a squeak and watch it react excitedly. The Surprizamals are adorable mini-plush characters hidden inside their own ‘surprizaball’. Series 4 and 5 will be launched across 2018. Surprizamals Mum and Babies, each Surprizamals mum comes with three mystery Surprizamals babies.

Phlat Ball which had another fantastic year with 500,000 units sold in 2017.

Super Wubble continues to be central to Vivid’s outdoor offering.

Water Wubble, are refillable water balloons for hours of splashing good fun! Wubble Fulla Marbles and Wubble Fulla Slime, filled with slime or colourful marbles. Super Wubble & Water Wubble will be TV advertised throughout the

Recoil brings the first-person shooter format to life!

Combining advanced weaponry and first-person shooter-inspired gameplay, Recoil’s GPS-enabled technology creates a revolutionary type of play, allowing up to 16 players to turn any outdoor space into a live battle ready arena. Set up your Wi-Fi Game Hub to create a 500ft diameter battlefield; download the free Recoil app to experience a digital battlefield, 3D positional audio and set-up various game modes; and finally, grab a friend with your two RK-45 Spitfire Pistols and get going!

spring/summer season.

After the successful launch of the Sky Viper Drones in 2017 the range will be expanded with the Streaming Drone with GPS it's builtin GPS improves stability for ultimate flight control, double the distance of the standard streaming drone, flight assist pro, return to home, geo-fencing, flight tracking and auto orientation.

Also available in the range are the Stunt Drone; stream and record your flight in HD with the Streaming Drone or even don the FPV headset and experience drone flying from first-person view with the Streaming Drone w/FPV. Sky Viper will be supported by a full marketing campaign throughout autumn/winter18.

Choose from Batman and Jurassic World.

Experience the world of your favourite YouTube unboxer sensation

Tiana and her Toys AndMe channel!

Build your own unboxing world, collecting a range of micro toys, fashion accessories and lifestyle products. Pop to unbox with the Mega Pop Box, simply give it a squeeze and watch it ‘pop’ open with a shower of confetti and discover two micro-collectables, stickers and more inside! Take centre stage with Tiana’s Unboxing Studio where you can recreate those famous videos, unboxing loads of cool toys and accessories with the Tiana mini doll, two Pop Boxes and a readymade YouTube studio. Or head out into the world with the Pop n Shop Car Playset and shop ‘till you pop!

Includes Car playset, Tiana mini doll, 2x Pop Boxes & collectable stickers.

The Totally Tiana Doll is an 8-inch scale doll ready for you to style and accessorise. The Toys AndMe range will be supported with a digital-led campaign, featuring Tiana herself; plus a range of activity across multiple platforms.

Pre-School colouring fun can be mess free with Crayola Color Wonder. Color Wonder markers are developed by Crayola scientists.

From superheroes to princesses, kids can colour in their favourite character’s mess-free.

Building on the 2017 success of Color Wonder, which showed triple digit growth, new licenses have been added to the portfolio including Nella the Princess Knight, Rusty Rivets and Disney’s new hit TV show, Vampirina. These join the top

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selling PJ Masks, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig and My Little Pony Color Wonders.

Also adding to Vivid's exciting array of Crayola licensed product for 2018 are new Travel Packs. Each travel pack includes themed colouring pages and Crayola crayons all packaged in a compact plastic case making them perfect for on the go.

Set to be the next playground stationery trend, the Crayola Silly Scents range has new scents across Crayons and Markers as well as Twistables Pencils, Stinky Markers, Broad line Markers and Silly Scents Paint. All Crayola Markers and Paint, Silly Scents Markers and Paint is washable, meaning easy cleaning up for Mum and still silly scented fun for kids! Moreover, Crayola Silly Scents has more colours and more scent-sational scents that any other scented stationery – including some crazy stinky scents such as, garlic, mud and cheese!

Kids can make everything into a scented sticker with the Silly Scents Sticker Maker. The Silly Scents range will benefit from a full marketing campaign during the SS18 season and throughout the coming year.

Leading on from the crazy crayon melting craze, Crayola is launching the Ultimelt Pen. The Ultimelt Pen is the

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safe and easy way for kids to get involved in creating crayon melting art. Simply unwrap your Crayola crayons using the included Wrapper Ripper and then break them up before inserting into the end of the pen. The Melter can be used just like a pen but one that draws with melted wax! Even better – the wax dries in seconds and isn’t hot to touch making it safe and easy to use for children.

The Ultimelt Pen will have an extensive marketing campaign that includes TV and digital.

Also new for AW18 is the cute and collectable Washimals Pets. With 12 different adorable Washimals Pets to collect across the Washimals Pets packs and Washimals Pets Scrubbie Tub Playset. Washimals Pets are the pets that you can colour and wash and colour again and again! Washimals Pets Pack comes with two pets, three Washimals Marker Pens and a Washimals Scrubbie brush. The Washimals Pets Scrub Tub Playset comes with four Washimals Pets, six

Washimals Markers and a Scrubbie Tub with a functioning shower! The Washimals Pets range will be fully supported with a 360 Marketing campaign including TV, digital and in store activity.

Vivid’s Drumond Park division comes into 2018 with new launches to supplement its extensive range of child, family and adult targeted games. Within Pre-School games, new launches Foxy Pants & Wally the Washer provide fun and action oriented play. Within Adult & Family games, alongside a range of old favourites comes the head spinning, word spotting game, Word Bandit.

Featuring a working one-armed bandit machine, Word Bandit challenges players to find words relating to the letters they spin across a number of fiendish challenges. As ever the Drumond Park portfolio is supported by heavyweight TV across all key games.

Smackerz....

Smackerz is the ultimate smack-tastic craze! With a flick of the wrist you’re on your way. Practise your tricks and challenge your friends to see who the best Smackerz champion is!

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New town planning EPOCH making toys 08435 574062 www.sylvanianfamilies.net

Stand: B130

Epoch making toys will be revealing its biggest Sylvanian Families product launch in 30 years.

The launch will be introducing a new Town, comprising 25 product lines, which launches in UK retailers from March 2018.

Connectability – a key USP for collectors of this heritage brand – is a prominent feature throughout the new Town range.

Each building can easily slot into one another, creating an immersive world for fans to play in.

The new Town allows fans to set up and play with an alternative setting to the usual rural Sylvanian Village. An exciting urban destination for the characters to visit on

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a special ‘day out’, the Sylvanian Families Town is where the ‘older sisters’ characters work – doing their dream jobs.

A standout product in the new Town is the Ride Along Tram, comprising 17 pieces including a tram stop, tickets and maps, and a hat for the driver to wear. The tram can be rolled along the floor, allowing fans to use it to let their character figures explore the new town on wheels!

Epoch plans to wow visitors with a brand-new stand at this year’s Toy Fair, comprising a life-size Sylvanian Families Grand Department Store – the largest product in the new Town range. Visitors will be able to step into the Grand Department Store to see brand new toys from the Town

on display, together with existing lines in the collectable range.

Throughout the fair, Freya Chocolate Rabbit and Ralph Walnut Squirrel mascot figures will be making appearances to show retailers the potential value of live events.

EPOCH making toys will also showcase its arts and craft brand, Aquabeads featuring a mix of core and licensed lines. Six new products will be on show including the Glamorous Jewels Designer Set (Complete), Sylvanian Families Character Set and Zoo Life Set (Theme Refill).

On the licensing front, there will be new Aquabeads playsets featuring Disney’s Elena of Avalor and Tsum Tsum on display.

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VTech 01235 555 545 www.vtech.co.uk With continued growth and development in 2017, VTech Baby has secured its No1 Infant and Toddler postition for another year*. VTech hope for this trend to continue into 2018 with more than 60 new items to the VTech Baby brand alone.

Snooze & Soothe Elephant Birth+ The Snooze & Soothe Elephant by VTech is an adorable and cuddly little friend to comfort baby when it’s time to go to sleep. The elephant has a variety of soft fabrics which provide comforting tactile stimulation.

Cuddling the elephant and pressing the elephant’s light up button triggers responses, including two gentle singalong songs, 30 calming melodies, relaxing nature sounds and loving phrases designed to soothe your little one, whilst promoting sensory and auditory development.

Squeeze the elephant’s glowing light up button to pause or play the current response.

The electronic module is removable, allowing the elephant to be hand washed.

Seaside Spinning Top - 6 Months + Press and discover ocean animals, colours and numbers with the Seaside Spinning Top! The chunky blue press down plunger spins the ocean animals around

while the sea bed lights up helping your little one discover cause and effect relationships.

The press buttons introduce the crab, two angel fish and three star fish to baby, calling out their colours and encourage counting teaching numbers one, two and three. The music button plays three happy sing-along songs and 10 jolly melodies. Fun phrases and sounds encourage discovery and exploration.

English speaking voice promotes recognition and helps to accelerate learning.

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The Sales Partnership Distributors Ltd Chiltern House 45 Station Road Henley-on-Thames Oxon RG9 1AT Tel: 01491 412415 Fax: 01491 412915 Contact Name - James Triptree sales@thesalespartnership.com

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VTech Baby Pull & Pop Aeroplane6-36 months Fasten your seat belt. We’re ready for an adventure. 3-2-1, away we go! Take off into learning with the VTech Pull & Pop Aeroplane. Press the chunky, light up cockpit window button to pop the beads and trigger fun phrases and sound effects.

3 chunky learning buttons teach things you see in the sky.

Turn the propeller for fun mechanical sounds. Pull or push the aeroplane to trigger the motion sensor to hear interactive sound effects and watch the balls pop around! Teaches objects, weather concepts and numbers. Includes four sing-along songs and 15 melodies. Encourages language development and motor skills.

My 1st Football Friend 12-36 months Meet your little football star’s very 1st football friend, the My 1st Football Friend by VTech. With encouraging and fun phrases, this little football is great company for your little one as they grow. The soft light up face button plays three sing-along songs, 15 melodies and rewarding responses when pressed.

With a built-in motion sensor that triggers even more great responses when your little dribbler dribbles the

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ball. All while developing your little one’s motor skills through imitative play and supporting their early language skills.

This toy features a removable electronic module, so the football can be hand washed.

VTech Baby Touch & Teach Tablet 12-36 months Your little one will have a tablet of their very own with the Touch & Teach Tablet by VTech. When they tap the 25 pretend light up app buttons to explore, discover and learn early skills including numbers, shapes, animals, colours, letters and much more. Little ones can also take virtual pictures, make pretend phone calls and check the time!

Features three modes of play: Explore, Music and Learn. Light up glowing home button and swiping along the buttons triggers fun light patterns. Includes 3 sing along songs and 20 melodies. this funpacked toy will keep little ones engrossed for hours.

Toot-Toot Splash Pirate Ship-1-5 years I’m a pesky pirate ship. Let’s sail with my pirate crew. Sail into the learning zone with the Toot-Toot Splash Pirate Ship

by VTech. This cute pirate ship will entertain your child with the light-up face button that triggers fun music, realistic sound effects, pirate phrases and sing-along songs.

Float the pirate ship around the bath or push around on its wheels when playing on dry land! Push the ship along for more fun reactions. Includes four sing-along songs and 10 lively melodies. Encourages motor skills, role-play fun, language development and imaginative play. Teaches singing, pretend play and sounds. *YTD-Nov NPD 2017

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g n i p a Le ! d a e ah LEAPFROG 01895 202 840 www.leapfrog.co.uk

LeapFrog, the leader in innovative developmental solutions for children, will be returning to London Toy Fair this year to showcase its biggest toy launch yet.

A staggering 29 new products will be shown at the event including four new role-play products to sit alongside the popular Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart in the LeapFrog Role Play Range. A brand new LeapStart with an exciting innovation will also be unveiled. In addition, LeapFrog will be entering a whole new category, aiming to grow it by adding in best-in-class curriculum through engaging electronic content.

The LeapFrog Rainbow Lights Ladybird for ages six months-plus is an imaginative way to learn colours, letters and more. Children can press Ladybird’s antenna and watch a brilliant light show as colours spin and flash to the sounds and music. When the colours change, imaginations run wild as Ladybird pretends to be a variety of things including a red fire engine, the blue ocean or a yellow spaceship.

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The abc button triggers a catchy letter song that teaches letter names and sounds.

Babies six months plus Can get to work mixing colours with the LeapFrog Popping Colour Mixer Truck.

Drop one of the colourful balls into the adorable construction truck and the mixer will light-up to match the colour of the ball. Add another ball and press the lever to watch the balls tumble around and “mix” together to change the colour of the mixer and learn

how new colours are created.

Buttons on the side of the truck teach colours, shapes and numbers.

Children two years plus will be able to make learning the alphabet exciting with Tad’s Fridge Phonics.

This interactive toy introduces children to the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make, helps build vocabulary and exercises fine motor skills. Place one of the 26 musical letter tiles into the letter slot and press down for three modes of play that reinforce letter names, phonics and word skills.

Did you know?

Toddlers 18 months + can read about Dino’s day while learning the alphabet in the Dino’s Delightful Day Book.

Letters and words are woven into the story in alphabetical order with phonetic sounds to introduce abc’s to little ones through a charming tale. Flip through the 16 interactive pages to hear the story read aloud, or enjoy musical play by jamming to a melody with fun sounds.

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New and Exclusive Wooden from A.B.Gee of Ripley.

More than a toy!

Creative play

Eco-friendly

FSC Accredited

See us at Toyfair Stand B40 Large Range

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A .B.Gee of Ripley Ltd, Asher Lane Business Park, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3SW. Tel: 01773 570444 www.abgee.co.uk Email: sales@abgee.co.uk

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Pop! stars

Funko Europe 0203 376 3223 www.funko.com

Funko Europe is attending London Toy Fair for the first time this year, and is exhibiting a vast array of products, including their iconic and sought-after Pop! Vinyl figures, as well as other collectables, homewares, and plush.

They’ll also be showcasing their Loungefly bags and accessories range.

Bringing along some of the hottest licenses from their 200-property-strong collection, Funko will be showing Pop! Vinyl from licenses such as Star Wars, Marvel, and Harry Potter. Fans of TV, film, sports, gaming, and anime will see plenty of products on display including Rick and Morty, Lord of the Rings, Dragonball Z, Overwatch, and One Piece.

You’ll also get an early sneak peek at some of the upcoming ranges for 2018 – including Premier League football (featuring players Eden Hazard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, from teams such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea), and the newly announced James Bond range. Funko will also be revealing new products throughout the event – including its new Hero World range of figures – so keep your eyes peeled for some fantastic announcements.

You’ll also get to see some of Funko’s other distinctive toy lines – mini figures (Mystery Minis and the moreish Pint Size Heroes), as well as Dorbz, Action Figures, Rock Candy, and more. There’s plenty to choose from, with a broad range of styles and sizes on display, enough to appeal to pop culture collectors of all ages.

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There will also be plush on display, including licenses such as Star Wars, Rick & Morty, Marvel, and Harry Potter – appealing to all lovers of cuddly collectables. The newest range – Star Wars: The Last Jedi – features plush including everyone’s favourite from the new movie – Porgs – as well as a host of others such as droid BB-9E and a Praetorian Guard.

For more functional pop culture products, then look no further than Funko’s homewares collection. It spans across licenses such as Marvel, Star Wars, and DC, with plenty of exciting new lines to come. Browse products such as egg cups, mugs, teapots, spatulas, bottle stoppers, and pizza cutters – enough homewares to fill an entire kitchen.

A recent acquisition that speaks to the heart of Funko’s pop culture ethos is Loungefly’s range of bags, purses, and accessories. Featuring bold, eye-catching products that will appeal to pop culture fans looking to make a statement, the Funko team will have a large selection of these on display from licenses including Disney, Marvel and Star Wars.

Fact:

Anyone who has been swept into Porg-mania since watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi will absolutely love Funko’s talking Porg Cookie Jar, with sound effects to boot.

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Heavyweight TV & Marketing campaign for 2018

New plush property NPD Nov 2017

Fantastic new product launches throughout the year

T A Y T AR P E H T COME AND JOIN

D L R O W Y BUSH BAB Telephone: +44 (0)1952 608308 All enquiries:customerservices@goldenbeartoys.co.uk www.goldenbeartoys.com

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Did you know?

Bandai will also display exciting new launches such as Sea Monkeys, Miraculous, Tamagotchi, Pomsies, Flower Princess, BBF and UBU.

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Bandai’s 2018 portfolio includes a milestone anniversary, digital to physical toys, squishy collectables, and two huge movie licenses.

Kids simply can’t get enough of Bandai’s new Smooshy Mushy range, which is why retailers simply have to preview the upcoming launches. Series 2 of the scented and squishy collectables will take on the delicious Do-dat Donuts theme with eight new characters and their besties for girls to meet. Following that, the amazing Smooshy Mushy Yolo Froyo, with a whole new colour-change element will add to the delight and fascination of the range. With a sneak peak of the autumn/ winter Giant Smooshy Mushy as well as other new exciting products, viewers won’t be able to resist squishing!

From the creators of Smooshy Mushy arises a new breed of creatures called Smashy Mashy.

The collectable range will appeal to lovers of all things gross while also giving boys the chance to get in on the slow-rise squishy foam action. Smashy Mashy Pets come in yucky, slime reveal canisters with exciting blind surprises packed inside.

Big Hero 6 The Series launches in February and at Toy Fair, Bandai will unveil its new TV toy range. Fans will be able to collect all the characters from the TV series from The Micro Chibi Figure Assortment of blind boxes or opt for the 12.5cm action figures with nine points of articulation for dynamic poseability. Everyone’s favourite Baymax character has turned squishy with the Squish to Fit Baymax line which will see kids everywhere squishing Baymax into Wasabi’s vehicle and two different suits.

Mini Max is a brand new character with nine points of articulation and in-built phrases from the show. Alternatively, Armour-Up Baymax 2.0 is the iconic toy from the original movie range now with two new weapons and 20 assorted pieces.

Finally, the Flying and Flame Baymax will provide even more hours of entertainment with its automatic wings, rocket fists, motion sensor sounds and phrases, and awesome flame blasts from its feet.

Wreck it Ralph 2 hits the cinemas in November 2018 and Bandai’s film-specific toy range offers a digital and connected play experience for fans to discover. With the collectable 8cm Power Pac Figures, kids can download the Pacman app and see their character come to life within the game. Or if they opt for the Figure Assortment they can collect key characters while also customising their own avatar with

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COME AND SEE OUR FANTASTIC NEW RANGES AT THE GALLERY SUITE, 1ST FLOOR

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the mix and match pieces included. Fans will also be racing to get to grips with the iconic Slaughter Race Vehicle Also and Wreck Me Ralph who throws a tantrum when you annoy him and responds to you with more than 10 phrases. Talking Vanellope is yet another feature character that fans will love; this 26cm doll has rooted hair and ten to 15 of the character’s sassy comments from the movie!

The popularity of Bandai’s Power Rangers range knows no bounds and the collection is reaching new heights as the brand celebrates its 25th anniversary and the Super Ninja Steel line launches. All new 12.5cm and 30cm Action Heroes will make their debut and the new Special Opps Ninja Stars have fascinating new material features such as glow-in-the-dark and Velcro.

The role play experience will be

enhanced even more by the Ninja Super Steel Blaster; this revving ninja spinner has rapid fire dart shooting action and epic battle sounds! Added to all this excitement is the Morphin’ Blasters, the Lion Fire Morpher, and the Ninja Lion Fire Blade. Megazords have not been forgotten either. The Blaze Megazord is fire-themed with a roulette style chest launcher while the Simian Sniper Guard has an intruder alert, countdown sounds, motion sensors and launches five projectiles.

Following the recent launch of the Zak Storm toy range and app, Bandai will preview exciting new in-app developments in tandem with its autumn/winter product offering.

Collectible Coins will take on a Deco style with glow-in-the dark and translucent features, and new action figures will make their debut, including variations of Zak in keeping with the show. Exciting vehicles and playsets will also be revealed. he Golden Bones & Hydro Bike set, which flips into

STEM Making the perfect STEM offering, the National Geographic range combines a trusted and well-known brand with fun and exciting experiments, expert learning guides and fascinating subjects.

Wildlife Wow brings toys and technology together with an innovative Virtual Reality mode that lets kids explore an animal’s habitat and use X-ray vision to peer inside each animal.

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action just like on TV screens, and the Blazz Island Playset matches the in-show realm to a tee with a rolling boulder, collapsing bridge and more. For the pretend play aisle, retailers should check out the Deluxe Calabrass sword featuring light-up eyes, a moving jaw with voice, and sound effects.

Another new launch, which must be seen to be believed is Hyper Cluster; the line of precision-engineered, highperformance yo-yos that can be customised to match the user’s style and performance needs.

Interchangeable skateboardstyle skins can be combined for kids to show off their style and personality while they yo-yo, and yo-yos can also be customised with highperformance ballbearings to adjust spin, stamina or looping abilities.

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CLEMENTONI 020 3206 1101 www.clementoni.com

Clementoni is showcasing a host of new products for 2018 at the London Toy Fair, putting a strong focus on the Infant market with Baby Clementoni as well as the education and development category with exciting new scientific launches.

New for Baby Clementoni is the Fun Vehicles stacker – a set of four vehicles that can be explored and stacked to help with development – and the ABC Lion, a cute little lion cub that makes a sweet playmate to help learn letters, numbers and more through buttons on the lion’s mane.

Pull Along Pony not only helps children to learn but will play songs and sound effects when pulled along – and the super colourful ‘Activity Train’ is designed to speed youngest children off to a world of fun!

Also in the line-up is the Interactive Activity Dog, which is sure to be a hit with its peek-aboo game play, user recognition and interactive buttons for learning. The brilliant Basket Activity Centre is a two-in-one game with fun basketball hoop and activity centre, and is packed with lights, sounds and songs to add to the fun!

The science category has always been strong for Clementoni, with Robotic and Crystal creation kits being top sellers throughout 2017. Adding to the range for 2018 is the amazing RoboMaker – an innovative laboratory to bring intelligent

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robots to life and open up a whole new world of educational robotics. With more than 250 interchangeable components, children will be able to build five robots of increasing complexity that can be programmed manually or via the free downloadable app.

The infrared sensors allow the robots to identify objects around them and the touch sensor recognises when the robot has been picked up. For younger children, Clementoni is launching the awesome ‘Mind Designer’ – an innovative intelligent robot that guides children through the process of learning mathematics, arithmetic and geometry.

This incredible robot can be programmed manually or by voice recognition and, using an exclusive app, children can experiment with coding and play interactive games. Mind Designer is sure to be a ‘must have’ item in 2018.

The Mechanical Laboratory range is a great line of modular construction system with varying levels of difficulty offering strong play value. The new Rescue Vehicles and

Roadster and Dragster Kits for 2018 include hundreds of components to create dynamic models for hours of fun and are great products for encouraging quality family time.

Adding to the creative laboratory kits will be the Big Beauty Lab – a fantastic kit to create bath foam, fizzy bombs, lip balm and more – the Scientific Lab, which allows children to perform more than 150 experiments, and the crazy Slime Lab to help children discover secrets of chemistry ‘Mad Scientist’ style!

The licensed range from Clementoni continues to be a strong foundation of the business and new launches for children are tied into popular licenses Ben 10 and the 2018 cinematic release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

For both licenses, Clementoni are excited to announce their exclusive partnership for Puzzles and Science kits.

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Go starry-eyed FUNRISE 01908 555 640 www.funrise.com Visit Funrise at Toy Fair to see an incredible range of new brands including a new girls’ collectible brand, fun new ways to play with bubbles, and new construction vehicles from Tonka.

New to the Funrise portfolio is Starry Eyed Surprise; a super-cute, plush blind box collectable series from another galaxy. Each plush pet is packaged in a unique spaceship that kids can unwrap, revealing one of the Starry Eyed Surprise collectable plush pets along with some other fun surprises inside.

Kids can collect 28 different Starry Eyed Surprise plush pets that range from common, rare or ultrarare to increase collectability.

Gazillion has led the charge in creating premium bubble products for more than a decade. With an extensive array of premium bubble solution, bubble toys and bubble machines, Gazillion has something for every young bubble fan.

New bubble-tastic products releasing this year include the Gazillion Bubble Pong., which delivers fun and excitement as players bounce ping pong balls into their opponent’s side to score points

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Did you know…

To drive excitement for the Starry Eyed Surprise brand, Funrise will be releasing new animated webisodes on the Starry Eyed Surprise YouTube channel prior to the product launch in autumn 18.

and blast them with Gazillion premium bubbles. When the Bubble Pong game is over, turn on bubble machine mode for a nonstop bubble party.

Also new is Gazillion Crazy Wands. From bunny teeth to vampire fangs, these photobooth style Crazy Wands are a must have.

For Tonka, there will be lots of new styles of the collectable Tonka Tinys vehicles along with further playsets to broaden the range. The Tonka Tinys world will expand even further with the new Tonka

Tinys Carrying Case Playset which is not only a great place for kids to store their Tinys garages but also opens to a construction site playset to keep kids entertained on the go.

Also new for autumn 2018 is a new range of construction themed light & sound vehicles including a dump truck, cement mixer, front loader and excavator. Each vehicle has dynamic sounds that change depending on how kids interact with the vehicles.

The Tonka line is rounded out by an assortment of lights and sounds vehicles within the Minis and Mighty Motorized segments with all new sounds and decoration, as well as the brand’s iconic range of Steel vehicles, which is expanding and of course has Tonka's lifetime guarantee.

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JURATOYS 020 8878 2133 www.juratoys.co.uk

Juratoys UK has a clear business strategy for 2018, which will be driven by an experienced and passionate team, and the London Toy Fair 2018 will be a great opportunity to show the toy industry what it has been working towards in 2017.

There is a new stand design this year with more than 150 new products to showcase. Jura sees this as the year it will really shine and show retailers that it has the ability to add value to their business and provide support by offering various deals, offers, POS and marketing tools. Jura aims to gain new customers via the show and to build momentum with its existing customer base.

Juratoys’ production team works hard all year round to come up with new, fresh and innovative ideas to set the brand apart from the rest. The company sees Toy Fair as a huge opportunity to start the year off with a bang and to show off the new lines it has developed.

Janod is the leading wooden toy brand in France and is fast becoming the most talked-about wooden toy brand in the UK. Juratoys has developed its marketing strategy for Janod and has a consistent message to retailers and their consumers. The ‘Play Different’ slogan encapsulates how it feels about play. Whether it’s putting together two parts of a puzzle, building a tower with a few cubes, screwing, unscrewing, following a path with their fingers or pushing the right key of a xylophone, ‘playing’ requires a lot of effort from the child. Because every child is different, Janod creates clever toys that meet their every need in order to help them develop their skills.

Kaloo is a French story made of passion, love and dreams.

Kaloo offers little ones a soft and enchanting world that would meet their needs in terms of learning.

The range consists of many plush animals, doudou puppets, traditional bears and now a very popular ‘my first dolls’ range called Tendresse.

Tendresse launched in 2017 and was so popular that Juratoys has expanded the range and will be showcasing this at Toy Fair.

And finally, Alex Brands family of brands is comprised of some of the most iconic, recognisable and award-winning toys in the industry today. With a commitment to helping children become more active and develop their imagination and creativity, through the development of new products and expansions on products children know and love. Alex has introduced some fantastic new products this year, with an injection of fresh ideas and gorgeous colours.

Did you know?

Both the Commercial Director and Marketing Manager will be on hand on the Juratoys stand to add extra support throughout the show. They’d love to receive any feedback or ideas from their customers to help push the business forward – and they will also have some freebies to give away!

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Great Gizmos has lots of new products launching at Toy Fair 2018, with exciting additions to 4M and Barney and Buddy, and the introduction of new brands Avenir, Nebulous Stars and Glitza. There is also a fantastic range of plush backpacks, ride-ons and more.

2018 is another brilliant year for 4M. The popular Craft and Science categories are evolving with new innovative introductions. The entire range is specifically designed to combine the elements of STREAM, encouraging learning while having fun.

Kidzrobotics is a new range from 4M and combines advanced robotics with creative play. 2018 will see the launch of four fab robots; Fridge Robot, Spider Robot, Crazy Robot and Motorised Robot Hand.

Mould and Paint Flamingo is set to fly off the shelves, joining the Mould and Paint Unicorn, which has been so popular throughout 2017.

Kids can make their own flamingo

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Did you know? characters and decorate them.

KidzMaker is a new hands-on craft range from 4M featuring 11 titles so far. Origami Flower Lights add an artistic and vibrant touch to string lights and teach the skill of origami.

The Glow in the Dark Dream Catcher is a fantastic kit full of everything needed to create a fab dream catcher to hang in the bedroom. Collect flowers and leaves from the back garden and press them with the flower press to make beautiful outfits for fairies with the Pressed Flower Fairy kit.

The popular Kidz Labs range has some new additions; Hologram Science teaches how holograms can project impressive three-dimensional images. Discover how science can help you in the wild with the fantastic Survival Science kit. The kit includes everything

Great Gizmos is launching new brand Avenir in 2018, specialising in fun arts and crafts for children aged three to seven. The range features different crafty kits in various themes: Scratch, Canvas Pop Art, Pop Up Dynamic Origami and My Tissue Work of Art. Each product encourages children to sit and create beautiful masterpieces.

needed for survival in the wilderness. Dig out the magnetic stones and conduct experiments with Magnet Mining and learn all about magnetism. The Metal Detector Robot is one of a kind and helps to hunt out hidden treasures using its remote control function. It can also be detached and used as a hand held device.

The popular Barney and Buddy Bath Stickers range is expanding with new smaller hang cell net packs in various designs; Unicorn Fantasy, Under the Sea and Up in Space. There is also a new Jar of Bath Stickers containing alphabet and numbers. The Wooden Build and Play Box Set will have kids playing with the multicolour building blocks and shaped pieces for hours.

Nebulous Stars is a quirky brand combining beautiful illustrations with positive values, and is based around four fabulous characters and their cute pets. The range features a number of crafty and creative kits for kids to get stuck into. The Creative Sketch Books offer an impressive number of activities.

Glitza is a simple and effective way to add glittery detail to just about anything. Quick and safe to use, the glitter tattoos can be applied to your arms, hands, books, clothes or any fashion accessories for a long-lasting effect that looks fabulous!

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Brands galore!

A.B.GEE OF RIPLEY 01773 570444 www.abgee.co.uk

Stand: B40

2018 is already shaping up to be a positive and productive year for A.B.Gee, which will be introducing Tooky Toy’s fantastic range of wooden products to the UK market.

Tooky Toy has been making a range of high-quality durable wooden toys for more than 15 years, all items produced are designed to encourage a child’s imagination through creative play.

As well as being eco-friendly, they meet – and in most cases – exceed the strictest international standards, plus they are FSC accredited.

The Tooky Toy range includes colourful, eye-catching designs across Infant, Push & Pull, Educational, Puzzles, Music, Furniture, Scene and Outdoor toys.

Examples will be on display on the A.B.Gee Toyfair stand (B40) at the show.

A.B.Gee will be representing many of the big names, in some cases exclusively. So it may be Toy Fair visitors’ only chance to view (to name but a few) the new lines from

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Mattel, MGA Entertainment (including Little Tikes and Zapf), Science 4 You, Make it Real, Dolu and Trefl puzzles.

A.B.Gee is also working closely with Hasbro, and will have the latest spring/ summer lines on display.

The stand will also have dedicated display areas packed with great value toys and games for early years, boys, girls, role play, wooden, craft, pocket money, puzzles, games, outdoor, remote control, quad-copters and diecast.

Among the highlights will be a new and exciting company called Tell Tails – these wearable Animal Tails were first seen and well

received on the BBC Dragons’ Den. Become a fantastic Fox, Crazy Cat or even Clever Crocodile!

And its not all about new toys and games – A.B.Gee will have favourite names including PlayDoh, Star Wars, My Little Pony, Barbie, Disney Princess, Baby Annabel, WWE, Marvel Avengers, Peppa Pig, Fisher-Price, Little Tikes, Thomas & Friends, Num Noms, Nerf, Hot Wheels, remote control, wooden and more.

Did you know?

This year Science 4 You, the awardwinning scientific educational company, will again be on hand, with a large dedicated stand linked to the main A.B.Gee area.

Science 4 you has a superb range of fun, STEM educational toys and games designed in partnership with the University of Oxford and Discovery Channel. Learn about DNA, science, fossils, chemistry or even how to build a Jurassic Volcano.

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Tomy is playing to win at London Toy Fair with its growing portfolio of global licenses and heritage brands.

Tomy will expand popular collections including toddler toys from Tomy Toomies, arts and crafts from Aquadoodle, super soft friends from Molang, unstoppable pre-school vehicles from John Deere, and detailed models with huge heritage from Britains. The toy giant will also use the show as a platform to launch a number of new ranges.

Following an extensive rebrand, successful national retailer playdates with Smyths Toys Superstores, and product launches in 2017, Tomy Toomies bath and toy range shows no signs of slowing down in 2018. Tomy Toomies will follow on the success of hero products Hide & Squeak Eggs and Foam Cone Factory with new collection character-led products to drive growth in both categories.

Each toy features quirky characters and hidden surprises, specially designed to celebrate the sheer joy

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of play while encouraging shared playtime between kids and parents.

Aquadoodle continues as market leader in the mechanical design propert with new creativity options for pre-schoolers in the pipeline.

The range is set to be amplified with a strategic communications plan combining TV, merchandising, partnerships and digital advertising.

In the vehicles arena, Britains Farm Toys is releasing five exciting new 1:32 in scale models from popular manufacturers including JCB, Land Rover, NC, New Holland and Kan – and by popular demand Britains is bringing drivers back to the range. The brand is also set to build huge excitement by unveiling two new licenses, Keenan and Valtra, which are set to be reintroduced to its popular collection this year. Johnny Tractor from the John Deere collection will remain a farming hero for preschoolers with friendly characters for children aged 18 months plus.

Hero items include Build-a-Johnny Tractor and Learn and Pop Johnny Tractor. Older children will enjoy a new collection of epic Monster Treads pre-school vehicles.

As a top five manufacturer in the children’s games category, Tomy Games is a major player in the markey. Tomy’s Pop Up Pirate still remains one of the Top 10 best-selling children’s games, 30 years after its creation

Did you know?

Tomy’s Pop Up Pirate still remains one of the Top 10 best-selling children’s games, 30 years after its creation while must-have Greedy Granny continues to be a hit for children of all ages. Tomy will present a number of new additions at Toy Fair Lamaze will also expand its popular line of premium gifting toys with exciting new developmentalled products, guaranteed to have The Right Toy at the Right TimM. Looking to licences, Molang from Millimages will grow its collection with the addition of a basic core figure assortment, playsets and even more cuddly plush and super soft characters. Each product reflects a scene from the popular TV show and allows fans to relive episodes while encouraging collectability between friends.

Tomy will also expand its collection for smash-hit CBeebies show Kazoops from Cheeky Little Media and Centa IP Agency. The range will grow with the first line of vehicle and assortment of figures featuring favourite characters including Mont and Jimmy Jones as well as several imaginary friends. Hero Jimmy Jones has also been transformed into a 12inch feature plush.

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ZIMPLI KIDS 08454 591 818 www.zimplikids.com Zimpli Kids' viral phenomena Gelli Baff and Slime Baff have received more than three billion views on YouTube from independent vloggers worldwide. This figure is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down but instead escalating at an extraordinary rate – averaging at 5.8 million new views everyday and 68 new views per second.

The YouTube exposure has allowed Zimpli Kids to build brand awareness worldwide, with YouTubers from the UK, North & South America, Australia, Europe and Asia sharing the products on their channels, creating demand for the range throughout the world with great sell-through results at retail.

Due to the outstanding success of these infamous products, the range has been extended to accommodate brand new DC and Looney Tunes Licensed products. The fantastic Slime Baff turns bath time into an exhilarating adventure and it just had a revolution. The amazing new DC range has a slime as dark as the Dark Knight himself – Zimpli Kids ventured into Gotham and returned with the gooey black, Batman slime – perfect for any little anti-hero.

Slime Baff gets loopy with a new licensed Looney Tunes range too – the powder that turns your bath into the gooey slime has just got more

energetic and animated, literally. Hop into the thick and oozy orange Slime Baff, which is orange like Bugs Bunny’s favourite food. Also included in this fantastic range is Superman Blue Slime Baff, Wonder Woman Glittery Pink Gelli Baff and Tweetie Pie Yellow Gelli Baff.

The perfect way to take advantage of the rising slime trend is the new Play Tray, which includes some of Zimpli Kids’ bestselling lines. It includes the notorious Slime of course, accompanied by Gelli play (creating four litres of Slime or goo) and even the new SnoBall Play, which creates more than 15 realistic snowballs right before your eyes. These products have and will always continue to be 100% safe, non-irritant and stain free.

At the Toy Fair the Play Tray will be half price, giving retailers a 70 per cent margin.

Did you know?

The Zimpli Kids stand will have many innovative products for people to experience – they are even giving you the chance to get messy and win! Visit the stand to take park in the Slime and Gelli Baff ‘Dig n Win’ for a chance to win order discounts, free stock and more.

The unique texture of Gelli Baff has inspired a lot of new products. The new Gelli Worlds are two very handson play adventures that allow for an exciting play opportunity. Combining Gelli with a mythical fantasy world filled with faeries and frolicking unicorns – it is fit for any fairytale and fable enthusiast. Zimpli also has a prehistoric Dino World inhabited by fierce dinosaurs, which is fantastically Jurassic – explore the ooze and let kids delve into their imagination as they evolve their playtime. Each set includes an inflatable tray, five Gelli Baff Sachets and an eight-piece plastic toy set!

The new Gelli Spa is super for sleepovers and is the ultimate spa experience at home – this plush pampering is perfect for tweens looking for something extra special. They can treat their feet by submerging them into the wonderfully relaxing Gelli, and add essential oil for a calming scent.

Equipped with their very own mini pedicure set, they can complete their relaxation session with a pedi.

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Did you know?

Visitors to the Sinco Creations stand will have the opportunity to win an exclusive competition prize.

Visitors can simply drop their business card into the prize draw pot, and four lucky winners will win an exclusive studio tour at Aardman in Bristol.

The winners will be able to meet the talented production team and participate in a model-making session with an Aardman model maker. What’s more, the winning four will have the opportunity to gain special access and a look behind the scenes of the filming of the much-anticipated Shaun the Sheep Movie 2.

Sinco enjoyed a hugely successful 2017, kicking the year off by partnering with Disney to launch a range of high-quality seasonal plush. The first ranges, which were launched in July, include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Winniethe-Pooh, available in a medium size, measuring approx. 18in, and a large size, measuring approx. 25in.

Each toy is themed with a festive hat for a Christmas feel, and is soft to touch, making them ideal for playtime. The sales for this range have been very strong, and the positive reception from retailers and consumers has paved the way to showcase next year’s range.

Sinco will be presenting its new Disney sentimental plush range, which will consist of small, medium and large Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse plush in special outfits. In addition to this, visitors should look out for the new special

edition Mickey Mouse, which has been created to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the iconic character.

In November 2017, Sinco announced that it has been appointed official master toy licensee of Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time. The new range is due for soft launch in autumn/ winter 2018 with two plush ranges in various sizes, together with an advent calendar. This will be followed in 2019 with a full rollout, which will see the full range of innovative and creative products hit shelves in time for the worldwide theatrical release of Shaun the Sheep Movie 2 in April that same year.

The first of the Sinco Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time products will be high-quality plush products available in small, medium and large sizes. In addition to these, the company will also be offering

the Shaun the Sheep advent calendar, which comes complete with 12 figurines to collect and various surprises. The relaunch of Shaun and Timmy will see Sinco bring originality and creative product ranges all at competitive price points. Product ranges will also include plastic figurine sets, plush, games and puzzles, arts and crafts, tableware and RC vehicles.

Since the launch of Sinco Creations in 2016 the company has gone from strength to strength.

Through its strong strategic marketing plan and the partners the company is already working with, Sinco is being presented with new and exciting opportunities which the company believes will see it develop into an even stronger player in the toy industry.

Sinco Creations will be opening its new showroom in Knowsley at the beginning of 2018.

Interested parties can call or email to make an appointment to visit the showroom and view the new ranges for 2018 and 2019.

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Sambro returns to London Toy Fair with significant launches that will further cement its position as one of the major players in the toy and licensing industry.

The licensed product specialist, which recently expanded the company with a Southern office, has a longstanding partnership with Nickelodeon, winning Licensee of the Year twice.

Strengthening this relationship further, Sambro will launch its extensive new Nickelodeon Slime range, set to be one of the hottest properties of 2018. The deal grants Sambro Master Toy rights globally, excluding North America, and will see the licensee introduce a huge array of Nickelodeon Slime products from SS 2018.

2017 saw demand for Slime reach

fever pitch and 2018 is set to be the year of Nickelodeon Slime. Nickelodeon has been synonymous with slime since the network’s launch in the UK back in 1982 and Slime is the ultimate symbol of freespirited mess and the physical embodiment of Nickelodeon’s unconventional spirit.

Sambro’s range will embody this spirit, allowing kids to get creative with Nickelodeon Slime in their own homes.

The hero product from

Fact: The popularity of JoJo Siwa continues to soar, as does JoJo’s dog Bow Bow who is becoming just as popular as her famous owner and has joined the range to extend Sambro’s Jo Jo collection even further.

The JoJo Siwa Styling head is another new addition and lets fans recreate the unique hair styles synonymous with JoJo.

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Sambro’s Nickelodeon Slime range is undoubtedly the Nickelodeon Slime Hyper Blaster – the ultimate sliming tool! Prepare for everyone to be slimed as the pump-action blaster projects the infamous green liquid up to seven metres!

Each Hyper Blaster comes with 10 packs of instant slime that comes in two colours so kids are always ready to slime into action. The Nickelodeon Slime Hyper Blaster Accessory pack will allow kids to pimp up their blaster with a cool holster for rapid reload – nobody will escape the slime.

As with all of Sambro’s products, the Nickelodeon Slime range will also allow children to get creative with a Make your Own range as well as tubs of cool Slime at impulse prices including Glow in the Dark and Glitter slime.

Hatchimals Glittering Garden is the newest hatch batch straight out of Hatchtopia and Sambro’s collection of arts and crafts products as well as bags will extend the play possibilities and the all-important collectability factor.

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MV SPORTS 0121 748 8000 www.mvsports.co.uk

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Set to be their biggest Toy Fair yet, for 2018 MV will be presenting 12 fresh licences, multiple new ranges in its own brand and 10 refreshes across licensed and own brand, along with an exciting array of innovative product “We have 12 new licensed launches, launches, with footseveral refreshes, newness in every to-floor and batteryoperated ride-ons across range and innovation to boot! all ranges.

Retailers who may have already With its new PJ Masks seen a preview will also see things collection MV is already for the first time at the show.” taking the licenced Phil Ratcliffe, Sales and Marketing wheeled market by Director, MV Sports storm and is ready for action with a colourful Catboy Car. multi-character core My First 6v electric scooter range and a super-cool is perfect for pre-schoolers 6v batterywith an easy push-button operated accelerator and free-wheeling scooter modes and MV’s ride-ons and trikes have been updated with better specification models across their licensed and own brand ranges.

The new Sound FX sound and light combo units attach to any bike and scooter and offer iconic sounds and phrases from key character licences such as Thomas, Peppa and PJ Masks.

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When TnP Ambassadors featured the MV Sports PJ Masks Tri Scooter it went down very well with both three-year-old Edison and his grandma Carmela who said: “The instructions were straightforward and it took me no time at all to assemble.

The hardest thing was keeping his hands off it while I was putting it together. I made sure he had a matching helmet – which he adores and wore the whole time I was screwing the various parts together.

I’m very happy with it. I think it’s simple, well-designed and really vibrant, very eye catching – put it this way, he sticks out like a sore thumb when in the park!”

Paw Patrol is on a roll with MV’s award-winning range of wheeled toys, including authentic

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SAFETY, QUALITY AND RELIABILITY Safety and quality are fundamental concerns for all consumers – but particularly for parents, who buy toys and other products related to children. At Bureau Veritas, our services are designed to assist toy manufacturers, importers, and distributors in minimising the risk of liability, costly product returns and brand-damaging recalls.

To hear how we can be of service to your company why not gives us a call on t: 01925 854 360 or visit us at the London Toy Fair 2018, Stand GH36.

• PRODUCT TESTING • SAFETY ASSESSMENTS • TECHNICAL & REGULATORY CONSULTANCY • SEMINARS • INSPECTIONS & AUDITS • CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS • SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

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moulded ride-ons, scooters, skates and bikes. New to the range for 2018 is Marshall’s Fightin’ Fire truck which is packed full of features including a bubble machine hose, forward and reverse gears and flashing lights, perfect for any little fan who will be fired up and ready to save the day like Marshall.

Also rolling in to the Paw Patrol range this year are multi-character tri-scooter, trike, inline scooter, 2-in-1 scooter, tri-inline skates, and toddler skates.

In addition to its evergreen pre-school ranges such as Thomas and Peppa, MV has several new licences, including Rusty Rivets, Nella the Princess Knight and Super Wings. Each range features a selection of bikes, scooters, skates and helmets which are uniquely differentiated with bold designs and characters.

In the evergreen girls’ arena,

Disney Princess and My Little Pony continue to be strong and both properties have been strengthened with the addition of innovated products, such as MV’s 3-in1 Scootin’ Suitcases, 2-in-1 scooter and 3-in-1 light rider scooters, all adding to the scooter ranges and offering a point of difference in the market.

The company has exciting new girls ranges to add to the mix including the everso popular LOL Surprise, YouTube sensation JoJo Siwa and the savvy Miraculous, with

bespoke designs in scooter, bikes and skates, which are on-trend and themed. And MV has been busy in own brand as well with a gorgeous new range of tepees under its new Wigwam brand, which offers a variety of material, designs,

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shapes and sizes, which will all be showcased at Toy Fair.

MV’s own-brand ranges, Wired, Grow and Go and E-moto have all had a refresh with colours and modern designs and you can race past the competition with its new range of Electrick scooters with edgy designs and tradeup features And that’s not all, the company’s boys’ licences are stronger than ever, with the classics of Batman, Avengers and Star Wars joined for 2018 by Ben 10 – look out for the Omnitrix Scooter in Q1 – Justice League, Avengers Infinity Wars and Jurassic Park, each featuring a range of super-cool bikes, skateboards and scooters.

Phil Ratcliffe, Sales and Marketing Director, MV Sports says: “We have the majority of the top-performing character licensed brands and therefore both MV’s and our customers’ risk is dissipated. We can offer mixed containers made up of the strongest properties with low MOQs."

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get a jump on

WHAT’S NEW! Book your appointment to see our new product offerings in toys, gear and toddler essentials.

LONDON TOY FAIR | F66 | January 23 – 25 SPIELWARENMESSE | Hall 2, C-06 | January 31 – February 4 SPRING FAIR | Hall 5, 5L37 | February 4 – 8

WWW.SKIPHOP.COM

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CONTACT OUR UK OFFICE TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT AT THE SHOW. Email: ukoffice@skiphop.com | Tel: 01582 434250

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It’s all about the pocket money in 2018 for HGL. The company that cornered the market in fidget spinners last year is introducing hundreds of new lines for 2018.

This year if it’s not covered in slime or putty it just isn’t worth having! HGL is building on the success of its slime range by introducing everything from the magical to the metallic. Want some glitter in your slime? Opt for Unicorn poo. Like a putty with a purpose? Go for Thinking Putty or any one of the myriad of ranges on offer. All available at pocket money prices.

Alien Eggs took the toy world by storm in 1999, winning numerous awards including the coveted Toy Craze of the Year. The popularity of this range has never waned, and it has now gone on to sell more than 30 million units worldwide

and the sales show no sign of slowing down. Last year saw the introduction of the awardwinning Grow Alien egg and this year there will be additions to this range with new products added in all sizes starting at 99p upwards. Ten new eggs with a unique design, completely designed in-house, will add to this success story.

Simply immerse the Egg in water and wait for another little alien to hit the planet. Another pocket-money-priced winner that will introduce yet another new generation of children to the Alien Egg concept is the Alien Light up eggs. An egg the size of a duck egg, filled with glowing slime – the perfect combination.

There are also eight new Alien eggs, part of the original concept and helping to keep this range selling well.

Dinosaurs and fossils have always been a winner with kids

and this year HGL introduces the Fossil Egg – just chip away until you reveal the magical fossil within. A great way for kids to have fun and learn about the past. Designed to retail at under a pound, these fossil eggs are affordable and collectable.

The Ozbozz brand sees a new version of the Light Up Trike, perfect for pre-schoolers.

Emojis and Ghostbusters are the licensed products on offer and they join the best selling Light Burst and Unicorn scooters.

Unicorns have been all the rage this year and Grossmans has a full range of Unicorn products including the incredibly cute 60cm Unicorn Soft Toy. Something for older kids is the new Torq Edge Scooter, designed for those with better scooter skills. Available in two colours the Torq Edge will add even more on-trend scooting style to the range.

Fact: Glowing lights are everywhere, including on the new Glow boots with light-up soles – kids can be truly light on their feet!

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22 New SKUs to be launched on 1st March!

Supported by extensive TV, digital, and PR campaign!

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Got it maid TOBAR 01603 397 105 www.tobar.co.uk

Stand: Gallery 305

Tobar is excited to announce some fantastic new products showcasing at the 2018 Toy Fair. With mermaids set to be a key trend for 2018, visitors will be able to view the latest exciting products at Tobar’s stand, all from the comfort of dry land.

Get ready to enter the sticky world of slime too, as there will be some great gunk for those who love their gooey fun.

Meanwhile, Tobar’s putty will let kids get hands-on by stretching and moulding into different styles like a true artist.

Mermaids are a key trend that Tobar will be showcasing, so that visitors will be able to view the latest exciting products at Tobar’s stand, from the comfort of dry land.

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Did you know...

UV Reactive Smart Putty changes colour when exposed to ultra-violet light.

The Magical Crystal Growing Mermaid is an ideal gift for all mermaid lovers. Add the crystal solution to the base and in minutes the crystals will grow to make waves for the elegant mermaid to sit on.

Available in four colours, the Fizzing Mermaid is perfect for water-based fun.

Simply place the fizzy bomb in water and watch it bubble and dissolve into a magical aquatic creature.

The Mermaid Pencil and Eraser is a lively addition to any stationery set and comes in four different designs: purple mermaid, blonde mermaid, seahorse or clam shell.

Looking for a bit of bathtime fun? The fabulously fun Mermaid Bath Squirter is perfect for a bit of amusement while the kids splish and splash. Use the hand-held mermaid to suck up water and squirt away.

Fancy getting sticky? Tobar’s Neon Slime is a colourful favourite. Fun for all ages and available in six different colours, you can create all sorts of mischief and hijinks with these pots of delight.

Splat ‘n’ Mix Slime lets you enter the kaleidoscopic world of brightly-coloured goo, providing hours of joy for kids and adults alike. Stay entertained with four assorted colours.

The new Smart Putty Mini Mix is a musthave. Mould, stretch and bounce this putty that comes in a variety of different styles, including Glow in the Dark, Dazzle, Glitter and Normal.

Watch out also for UV Reactive Smart Putty – it will mesmerise as the substance changes colour when exposed to ultraviolet light. Bounce it, mould it, stretch it or watch it melt. The putty comes in four dazzling colour combinations: green/ red, light blue/dark blue, pearl/purple and yellow/red.

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New

Glamorous Designer Set

All-in-one sets perfect for beginners!

Additional New sets to have even more fun!

Š Disney

New license sets!

New Products Available for Spring 2018!

Come visit our stand B130 at London Toy Fair to see more exciting new products! Š EPOCH

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Make and create WEST DESIGN 01303 297888 www.westdesignproducts.co.uk

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All kids love to get creative, but it’s time to make it more than just a bit of fun.

West Design Products is the European distributor of Creativity for Kids, which develop and produce creative kits for children of all ages – and over 40% are award-winning products.

Creativity for Kids products are built on the belief that creativity is the catalyst for innovation and invention. It helps develop problem solving and critical thinking skills, and creates a building block to successfully cope with and adapt to challenges, changes and opportunities.

The range of kits spans across many different educational topics. For those that are desperate to don a lab coat, the Invent kits are ideal for ages eight and over; there’s everything in them to encourage children to expand their minds and get innovative with the materials in front of them. Kids with a competitive edge can get stuck into the ‘Invent the greatest board game’ kit, or if they prefer playing with shapes and dynamics, both the ‘Invent terrific

toys’ and ‘Invent fantastic flying machines’ kits are great. When it’s much too hard to limit yourself to simply one possibility, keep options open with the ‘Inventor’s studio’, which contains more than 120 components.

Trendy terrariums aren’t just for adults; green-fingered fans will delight in creating their own world with the Grow n Glow terrarium.

Not only can they build their own habitat in a mason-style jar, but by adding some clever stickers and a bit of glow-in-the dark magic, it will also light up at night like it’s full of fireflies!

Kids who love to get more hands-on will enjoy getting to grips with the ‘string art starlight’ kit, creating a fully-functional star light with string and LED lights, which can also glow in the dark.

Prefer to keep it clean? Tackle the ‘corner creature bookmarks’ kit, which offers creativity with simple paper folding to create fun and fierce bookmarks to keep their place in a favourite book. Why not go on an adventure with the ‘hot air balloon lantern’ kit? Create a

decorative hot air balloon that they can hang up in their room and even use for play!

The LED light included gives off a soft glow for a cool bit of lighting too.

Or let younger kids draw freely without risking ruining the furniture with felt tips and crayons with the ‘sequin drawing’ kit – perfect for kids aged six and over.

Budding fashionistas had better beware, however, they may end up overflowing their jewellery boxes with exciting new jewellery making opportunities. If they can’t get enough of amusing faces, the ‘emoji bracelets’ kit is perfect for creating up to five of the trendiest friendship bracelets around for themselves and their friends.

Those that want to get hands-on with creating the very elements of their jewellery will be thrilled by the ‘colour your mood crystal jewellery’ kit, which allows you to grow your very own crystals that can then be painted and turned into necklaces, rings, pins and earrings, creating eight pieces of jewellery all out of one box.

But if their imagination is endless, the Craft Planet range has everything they need to explore the ideas inside their head, with creative essentials at pocket money prices. Road-tested by kids, and approved by mums and teachers alike.

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Exploring fun SKIP HOP 01582 434250 www.skiphop.com

Fact!

The Discovery Window on the Explore & More Baby’s View 3-Stage Activity Centre lets baby see their feet while they play to learn cause and effect.

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Skip Hop will be showcasing industry award-winning products and new innovations that support babies through their developmental milestones.

Highlights include the new awardwinning Explore & More Collection, which is designed to step baby through different developmental milestones by encouraging dexterity and multisensory play. The Explore & More Jumpscape Fold-Away Jumper takes this playtime musthave to the next level – its innovative Cloud Bounce Counter tracks baby’s jumps and rewards them with lights, music and applause at 100-jump milestones. Then, when playtime is over, just fold it flat for fuss-free storage and transport. The Explore & More Travel Mobile includes movement and sounds to soothe and entertain baby while on-thego. With the ability to easily and securely attach to car seat carriers, strollers, and travel cribs, it can go anywhere.

The Explore & More Follow Bee Crawl Toy is designed to help baby reach those all-important milestones, and supports three main stages of interactive play with colourful lights, energetic tunes and sweet buzzing sounds.

From pre-crawling through to advance, this new addition to the ‘Explore & More’ collection, spurs on baby’s motor skills, sensory development and prompts exploration.

Well known for its baby activity gyms, Skip Hop’s Amazing Arc Activity Gym is set to be another winner. Bursting with animal friends – including a hooting owl, a musical hedgehog and a dancing fox – it can be used for everything from tummy time and newborn exploration through to a seated activity centre for toddlers. New for 2018 is the adorable Unicorn Activity Gym. This plush Unicorn mat leaps through the Rainbow Toy

Arch bringing developmental fun for baby. Plus the purple colourway also matches the new Unicorn Bandana Buddy. This addition to the Bandana Buddies range is perfect for multi-sensory play at home or on the go Little hands will stay active for hours as baby explores rattles, crinkles, textures, patterns and sounds. A soft toy and cute companion, this colourful character’s soft bandana teether detaches so mum and dad can wear it around their wrist for quick access.

The stylish Explore & More Baby’s View 3-Stage Activity Centre will grow with little ones from the age of four months. Designed by a paediatrician, this activity centre supports a ‘whole body’ approach to play and learning and features a 360-degree turning seat. The Discovery Window lets baby see their feet while they play to learn cause and effect. As baby grows, the activity centre converts, becoming a clean, sturdy table for colouring, messy play and more.

Sleeping and soothing aids including the new Moonlight & Melodies Hug Me Projection Soother. For sleep-time soothing on the go, Skip Hop’s stylish, portable owl companion, the Stroll & Go Portable Baby Soother, gives parents the freedom to take baby out and create a soothing sleep environment for baby, no matter the location.

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It’s been a successful 2017 for University Games – once again significant growth within the board games sector and fantastic performance from brand favourite 5 Second Rule, which has gone from strength to strength with the support of the mini game and also the introduction of 5 Second Rule Jr. Now the team at University Games is firmly setting its sights on a bigger and better 2018 with new releases and re-imaginations of brand favourites.

Quick-thinking, fast-paced Smart Ass is the brand’s number one focus for the year – a top seller for many years, with more than 2.5 million copies sold worldwide. It’s making a grand entrance with a complete rebrand, new questions and four different versions including the original board game, the original card game as well as two special edition card games – 90s Nostalgia and Geek Chic.

New for 2018 and destined to have families up and active, Ultra Dash is already a huge hit across the pond, making it into the 2018 TOTY finals. With three different game modes including solo play, head to head and team vs team, players design their course using the different coloured targets. When the colour flashes on the wand, they have to race to the matching coloured target against the clock and connect it – then it’s off to the next target.

Quickest to complete the course wins. Taking it to the next level, families have been showing their skills Stateside by throwing in outfit changes at the different coloured targets! It’s fast, active fun – perfect for getting the family up and moving together!

Get ready to do the Jitterbug! Jitterbug can’t keep his legs on and this fun game for ages three-plus is absolutely awesome – the Jitterbug wildly jumps around while players try to attach legs to him. The first player to attach all their legs to the Jitterbug and press his hat wins the game.

Back with a revised format including all-new branding and gameplay, which replicates the game, TV favourite Pointless will also be a key focus for 2018. Track points with the app, which

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2017 has been a fantastic year for the business and we’ve seen some great results from new and existing brands across our retail partners. We’re taking the energy and success generated and planning a momentous 2017 Adrian Whyles, MD of University Games

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includes realistic sound effects. There’s also a complete set of new questions. Finally, to aid the winner’s celebrations, players are playing for a Pointless Trophy, and the jackpot.

An exciting and completely new market for University Games for 2018, 3D Pixel Puzzles will also be a key brand focus. There will be eight different puzzles to create with differing levels of difficulty including spilled wine, coffee, a cheeseburger, cupcake, shark, sushi and astronaut. They all follow a quirky retro theme and take puzzling to a whole new dimension.

The last new addition to the portfolio of games is Fishing for Words. The aim of the game is easy – catch the biggest word. Roll the dice, make the longest word you can and score points as you go. Each game player takes a turn to make a new word off the current word already down using any spare dice. The player with the highest score after five rounds wins.

2018 will continue in the footsteps of 2017 with strategic marketing campaigns to support both new and existing brands including TV advertising for 5 Second Rule, Googly Eyes, Staccups, Ultra Dash, Smart Ass and JitterBug. This will also be matched with a heavyweight PR campaign, which will include influencer outreach for unboxing videos as well as targeting traditional media. All games will be supported with social media growth driver campaigns to ensure retailers are supported from every angle.

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Smart Toys & Games is the creator of three striking toy brands; SmartGames, SmartMax, and GeoSmart. The company is looking forward to making a return to London Toy Fair this January, as it showcases new and exciting products across all three brands.

Toy Fair 2018 marks the arrival of lots of new lines from SmartGames. As the worldwide leader in multi-level logic games, the awardwinning games have multi-level challenges from the very easy to the very challenging.

2018’s offering will certainly not disappoint as the collection will continue to grow with new compact games, as well as expanding the IQ games collection, and the new addition to the popular fairy-tale range ‘Sleeping Beauty’.

Another game not to be missed is Squirrels Go Nuts!, where the aim is to help the squirrels hide their acorns by sliding the pieces around the gameboard so that all

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“ This will be our fourth year exhibiting at Toy Fair and each year it becomes an even-more important fixture in our strategic planning, providing the perfect kickstart to the year.

We look forward to showcasing our new lines to the industry and engaging with longstanding retailers we work with, as well as meeting potential new ones Karen Clarke, Brand Director

the squirrels' acorns are dropped into the holes and safely stored for winter!

Promising endless educational fun, this sliding puzzle comes complete with 60 nutty multi-level challenges varying from easy to advanced, all of which will test the players’ skills.

Retailers can also look forward to seeing what’s new from SmartMax, the awardwinning pre-school magnetic construction system which allows children aged one year-plus the chance to explore the fascinating world of magnetism in a fun and safe way. 2017 has seen the popularity of SmartMax continue to grow with the new ‘My First’ range, which has been a real bestseller. At Toy Fair this year, the brand will be introducing a SmartMax range with LED lights, as well as expanding the ‘My First’ collection.

Children from as young as 12 months can safely discover the magic of magnetism with the new ‘My First’ Farm Animals set, which features four extralarge farm animals, which

are soft to touch, easy to grab and connect using the signature magnetic bars. Little ones can ‘mix and match’ the farm animals to create weird and wonderful combinations; and this set also includes a chicken and rooster, which can be easily clicked onto the balls so they wobble! Best of all, like all SmartMax products, all parts are 100% compatible with all other sets!

Finally, for GeoSmart, the magnetic construction sets that enable children from five years plus to build different structures using an exciting selection of magnetic geoshapes, Toy Fair 2018 welcomes the arrival of Flip Bot. This ingenious new toy will allow children (and adults) to create their own remote controlled ‘Flip Bot’; a super cool robot car which, once constructed, little ones can enjoy driving it and watching it flip! For those not familiar with GeoSmart, it really has proved to be an ideal STEM magnetic construction set, featuring bright colours, strong magnetic geoshape pieces and a patented double-safety system. Since every piece is compatible with each other, this has become a hugely popular collectable range.

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Having recorded their biggest year of growth across all of their Adult Puzzle & Accessories Brands, Jumbo Games will be exhibiting a number of exciting new products from both its adult and children’s ranges at this year’s London Toy Fair 2018.

Jumbo will be releasing more than 65 new adult puzzles in spring/summer. Available now are Wasgij Original 28: Dropping the Weight!, Destiny 18: Fast Food Frenzy! And Mystery 14: Hound of the Wasgijville! 1,000-piece puzzles. Jumbo will release the second instalments to its Wasgij Retro collection in April – Wasgij Original Retro 2: Happy Holidays, Destiny Retro 2: The Proposal and Mystery Retro 2: Stop the Clock.

See these and the June Wasgij Original 28 and Christmas 14 1,000-piece puzzles at the show.

Jumbo’s Falcon de luxe range will see the addition of 24 puzzles to its rapidly growing brand. A total of 13 puzzles will be launching in January and then a further 11 in April, all covering

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the traditional Falcon themes of Nostalgia, Scenery, Cottages, Animals and Transport, across varying piece counts from 200XL to 1,500 pieces and multiples in a box. Highlights for one in April. These new January release include releases include The Park Flora’s Flower Shoppe, 500XL, Winter Games Amazing Airshow and 1,000-piece, Garden Jumbo will be expanding its Clacton-on-Sea in the Centre 1,000-piece, educational arts and crafts 1,000-piece formats, as the Lock 1,000 and range in January with the well as the multi-pack 2,000-piece and Friday launch of four new Dessineo Driving in the Dales the 13th 1,000-piece ‘Learn to Paint’ items.

2x500-piece box set puzzles. and Grandad’s Garage Jumbo Games 500-piece puzzle. continues to retain On display at the the number one show will be Jumbo’s extensive spot in the UK with Premium Collection covering its Portapuzzle themes of cities, animals, scenery, and Puzzle & Roll sightseeing, fantasy and many more puzzle accessories. across various piece counts and Jumbo has left Jumbo will be showcasing no jigsaw piece 28 new releases that unturned with are available for its range of January. The puzzle high-quality manufacturer will also jigsaw puzzle be showcasing new accessories – jigsaw puzzles from its Puzzle Mates. hugely entertaining and Included in highly detailed comical the range is Jan van Haasteren collection, the numberwith six new additions in one selling January and Portapuzzle brand, which is a collection of robust puzzle boards and storage cases that allow puzzlers to build, sort, store and carry their unfinished jigsaw puzzles – ideal for keeping the house tidy and

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to not lose any pieces. Jumbo also produces a range of Puzzle & Roll mats, which are equally as popular and take up less space when storing puzzles, but they require a solid, flat surface to puzzle on.

Book an appointment to speak about Jumbo’s launch plans for the highly anticipated launch of the brand new Moon and Me preschool programme that is gathering momentum at the moment.

The Peter Rabbit license is the new addition to both Jumbo’s adult and children’s puzzle portfolio with a range of puzzles for both the classic Beatrix Potter books and the upcoming film. Available now, ahead of the highly anticipated Peter Rabbit movie in March, Jumbo will be releasing a 4in1 puzzle set

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and a Giant Floor Puzzle aimed at children. Then in time for Easter, Jumbo will also be launching a 4 Shaped Puzzles box set and Giant Floor Puzzle for children. A 500- and 1,000-piece puzzle for adult puzzlers will be available in June and can be seen at the show.

Jumbo Games is also launching a range of new and refreshed Disney Princess puzzles to its children’s licensed portfolio that will bring freshness to the range, keep it in line with the new Disney style guides and focusing on their most popular formats.

In addition, Jumbo will

launch a Disney baby range for both Mickey and Minnie ‘My First Puzzles’ that are specifically targeted at children ages two-plus.

Jumbo’s Disney Guess the Film Game has been a massive hit already and this is expected to grow throughout 2018. The game features an array of popular and recognisable Disney films from the classics through to the modern-day animations – so everyone can get involved. There are 100 Disney and Pixar movie cards for players to try to guess what movie they are from.

For January, Jumbo will be introducing 20 new toys in its high-quality range of wooden Goula products. The toys will focus on various play categories for toddlers and preschool children, including puzzles, ability and balancing toys, sensory and educational games and more. New highlights include the Puzzle Bear Family House, PullAlong Bunny’s Train and Pull A-Long Dog, and Wooden Construction Pack that features 40 chunky and childfriendly pieces.

Jumbo are releasing nine new Goula First Games, that provide children with fun and educational learning play patterns, including 3 Little Pigs and Antarctica – that are great for the family to play along with.

Since launching the Dessineo Learn to Draw, Jumbo has received extremely positive responses from consumers and scooped several awards last year – from the Right Start Awards, Loved by Parents (Two Platinum Awards) and Made for Mums and Practical Pre-School (Overall Gold Winner).

With categories covering Best Simulative Toy, Best Activity Toy, Best Arts & Crafts and Best Education & Learning Toy, the Dessineo Learn to Draw has also received the ‘recommended’ status from Fundamentally Children and is now featured in the renowned Good Toy Guide.

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Introducing Botley The Coding Robot, the hands-on, 100 per cent screen free coding activity set.

Complementing the multiple award-winning Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set, this advanced coding set is complete with 77-pieces and will have young learners coding in minutes.

Presented in a contemporary square box with ‘sneak peek’ flap and window, it’s easy to merchandise and eye-catching on the shelf.

Use the remote programmer to enter commands and then press transmit to see Botley in action.

Coding mats and accessories can be used to create unique mazes and challenges. Attach robot arms to Botley for interactive play.

Advanced features include if/then logic, object detection, looping and black line following. Bright eyed Botley provides friendly audio responses and helps young learners to develop critical thinking skills and spatial awareness. The activity set makes coding easy to get started

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with but is challenging enough to grow with their coding skills.

Children squish, squash and sculpt their way to creative play with new additions to Learning Resources’ best-selling Playfoam range. The supersquishy, sculpting material is child friendly, won’t dry out and doesn’t stick to clothes or carpet perfect for indoor creative play.

New Playfoam Pals feature 12 collectable pods that open to reveal a unique animal character encased in Playfoam. Heads and bodies can be mixed and matched for endless character combinations; look out for the ultra-rare golden pal. Playfoam makes the perfect material to sculpt props such as nests and beds for animal friends and a handy collection sheet illustrates

Did you know?

In a new, illuminated twist on the original collection, 2018 will see the introduction of Glow-in-theDark Playfoam.

Choose from six glow-in-the-dark colours then turn off the lights and watch creations glow! Available in a blister pack of eight or four.

the home countries of each animal, helping children to keep on track of what Playfoam Pals they need to complete their set.

Available in a POP display of 12 pods or a pack of two.

Sculpting has never been easier with new Playfoam Squashformer. Each themed set includes two silicone shape moulds and four shapes of mini Playfoam. Themes include: Robots, Fantasy, Dinosaurs and Under the Sea. Simply squash the Playfoam into one of the flexible, non-stick silicone moulds, then press to pop and play with the shaped piece. Mini Playfoam comes in assorted colours and can be moulded, played with, squashed

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down and re-designed all over again.

Look, listen and learn with new ‘talking’ additions to the award-winning GeoSafari Jr. range from Learning Resources.

Featuring the voices of wildlife warrior Bindi Irwin, and former NASA employee Emily Dawn Calandrelli; the range brings learning to life for young scientists.

The only talking microscope available for pre-schoolers, the GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope features audio from Bindi Irwin, 5x magnification and two comfy eye pieces for an easy, focus-free viewing experience. A collection of 20 prepared slides each feature three photoquality images of animals, plants, insects and more! Set the microscope to ‘fact’ mode to learn more about the items on the slide or switch to ‘quiz’ mode to test scientific knowledge, perfect for independent learning. Audio is available in four different languages and lasts for up to 60 minutes. All slides store easily inside the microscope for easy clean-up and storage.

Explore the wonders of the solar system from the comfort of home with the GeoSafari Jr. Talking Telescope.

Choose between ‘fact’ mode or ‘quiz’ mode to learn about outer space as audio from Emily Dawn Calandrelli guides you through 24 fascinating images of planets, stars and space. Easy to operate, simply look through the two-eye goggle piece and turn the dial to switch between images. Audio lasts for 45-60 minutes and is available in four different languages. The telescope features a tripod with soft rubber feet for easy assembly and sturdy viewing.

Power up creativity with new additions to the popular Design & Drill Construction range. Colourful bolts and realistic tools bring learning

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to life and support colour recognition, counting and fine motor skills. The See-Through Creative Workshop is a new and improved version of the bestselling activity sets. Using a kidfriendly drill, hand screwdriver or combination wrench, busy builders can drill colourful bolts directly into a see-through base, easily following the pattern card below or creating their own, custom designs. Clear the way for creativity!

Combine imaginative play with construction fun as little builders get busy with their very own My First Workbench.

Featuring a child-friendly hammer, electric bolt driver, 60 colourful bolts, and 60 nails, My First Workbench offers hours of unplugged learning fun for children aged three and above. Children can hammer and drill directly into the bench to follow designs in the activity guide or make up their own creations. Once designs are complete, everything fits neatly back inside the storage drawer. Available in brown or grey.

Possibilities are powered by imaginations with new Gears! Gears! Gears! Sets. A fun and affordable introduction to the award-winning range, Cycle Gears and Rover Gears contain all of the pieces needed to build one of three illustrated vehicle designs. Suitable for ages four and above; fun, bright colours and easy-to-assemble pieces make these handson construction sets a whole new building experience. Designs are set in motion with turning gears and spinning wheels, perfect for building engineering, critical thinking and motor skills. Completely interchangeable, each set in the range features optional building ideas while also fostering creative, open-ended play.

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Crafts and crystals MOOKIE TOYS 01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk 2017 was been an exciting year for Mookie Toys, launching a whole host of new brands into the market across several categories.

Mookie’s strategy over the past few years has been to establish itself as a yearround company, and 2017 was the year that saw the company cement itself firmly within arts and crafts and RC categories.

For 2018, Mookie will continue to expand its product portfolio with a range of new and exciting brands as well as development of existing lines. All of Mookie’s new ranges will be heavily supported with a varied marketing strategy including; TV campaigns, digital marketing, PR activities and in store display.

For 2018, Mookie is looking to build on its Arts & Crafts success by launching Aqua Crystals and Tybo, as well as investing in its existing brand Plush Craft and Spray Art.

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Mookie will also be showing Scented Pillow Pets and Plush Craft with a variety of new characters, Spray Art, TurboSpoke, SmarTrike and Ecoiffier, together with, Swingball’s brand new imagery for 2018 set to provide a more aspirational aspect to the Swingball brand.

Tybo is a mess free tie-dye experience that children can use with great results every time. The Tybo Tidy Tie-Dye Design Studio comes with a patented easy-to-use magic mixing orb, which uses a one-way valve system. This system allows the dye into the orb while stopping it from escaping back out. The Design Studio and Mixing Orb Pack both include an instruction leaflet, providing design ideas and how-

tos of possible creations. Tybo will have a heavy media presence in 2018 including more than 1,200 TVRs and a range of social media activities comprising various seasonal and gift ideas based YouTube campaigns.

The range includes: Tybo Tidy Tie-Dye Design Studio, Tybo Tidy Tie-Dye Mixing Orb, and Tybo Tidy Tie-Dye Refill Set. Current play patterns show that children love to create their own keepsakes and jewellery.

The new product for AW 2018 – Aqua Crystals – allows children to create and make jewellery, accessories and gifts by adding water to the magical crystals provided. The Aqua Crystals Creation Station comes with moulds to create sparkly rings, hair accessories, dream charms, necklace pendants, pen tops, key rings and fridge magnets. The range includes; Aqua Crystals Creation Station, Unicorn Dream Charms Refill Pack, Crazy Creature Pendants and Festival Chic Hair Accessories. Mookie has plans for a strong marketing campaign to support this brand with more than 1,000 TVRs as well as an active social media strategy.

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Mookie has been the official UK partner for Silverlit, offering innovative, revolutionary and high-quality remote control drones, helicopters, cars and robots. New for 2018 will be the launch of the fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled Bumper Drone, which sees players race through the air, able to hit objects and other drones without any damage. With a protection ring design and materials able to withstand bumps and bounces, Bumper Drone also has a water-resistant body, three-speed control and builtin pressure sensors for precise auto hovering. Bumper Drone lets kids play on their own or with an opponent, bringing another aspect to drone flying.

Mookie Toys will be showcasing Silverlit at London Toy Fair with a focus on new and unconventional remote control robots.

Mookie will also be launching and showcasing Laser M.A.D, a laser gaming experience with unlimited players, perfect for groups of friends, families or even individually. Each pack comes complete with blasters and receivers, along with various add-ons, which act as a booster increasing the blasting range, as well as altering the sound of the blaster.

Laser M.A.D blasters include two modes: battle ops and training ops. Battle ops allows for multiple players utilising various boosters and accessories, the aim is to shoot your enemy's M.A.D target to win. Training ops allows the player to set targets up to a fixed object and practise blasting each target. The voice coaching guide helps each player to battle with tips and tricks, making for a more realistic laser game. Mookie is promoting Laser M.A.D with a TV campaign accompanied by digital marketing and PR activities.

Also look out for Mookie’s Outdoor Toys, including TP Toys and the new addition to the range, Spiro Spin. Spiro Spin is an evolved seesaw, incorporating bouncing and spinning into the traditional playground activity. The 360-degree bounce and spin action with a stable base enables children to go up and down and around and around for as long as they want.

For 2018 TP Toys has simplified its Roundwood swing sets, offering retail-ready options as well as its usual bespoke services. Mookie has reformed

its TP Toys marketing strategy for 2018 – while TV still plays an important part, its approach will be to explore new avenues including partnerships and a combination of traditional and digital marketing, directly targeting the majority market.

Mookie will also be showcasing its wheeled lines, including the introduction of Scootiebug, which is designed to be a child’s first introduction to scooters, after they move on from their Scuttlebug and Scramblebug. ScootieBug is the perfect first three-wheel scooter for growing toddlers to help develop their balance and steering skills. With leanto-steer technology and a fold-down handlebar, the ScootieBug is a portable, practical and easy-to-store scooter for families. Visit the Mookie stand to see their next new steps in the ride-on category.

After the success of Dream Lites, a night light that projects a starry sky onto ceilings and walls, Mookie is launching Lumiluvs, the night light that magically lights-up with a kiss. With multiple characters to collect, each Lumiluv comes complete with sleepy noises and a 10-minute auto shut-off to ensure they light up again and again. Along with the various characters Mookie is also launching the Lumiluvs Starlite Cottage with unique unicorn Lumiluv, allowing children to put their Lumiluv into the cottage, which acts as a projector, shining colourful glowing stars onto the ceilings and walls after the turn of a magical key. Mookie will be supporting Lumiluvs throughout 2018 with a TV campaign, online activities and traditional marketing.

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Count with Peppa

Peppa’s Interactive Playmat

Blister Assortments

Build-A-Slither Blind Bags

Recon Spy Watch

Visit us on stand

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TTrends UK (National Accounts)

Wind Designs (Independents)

w www.trendsuk.co.uk

www.wind-designs.com

For media enquiries:

Tel: +44 (0)1295 768078 Tel: +44 (0)1353 724140 Ane Olesen: T EEmail: salesadmin@trendsuk.co.uk Email: sales@wind-designs.com ane@wirepr.eu P Peppa Pig © Astley Baker Davies Ltd/Entertainment One UK Ltd 2003. Copyright ©2017 Discovery Communications, LLC. ©2017, Lowtech Studios, LLC. All rights reserved. SCIENCE MAD if the Registered Trade Mark of Trends UK Limited. ©

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Busy year ahead PLAYMOBIL 01268 548111 www.playmobil.co.uk

This year Playmobil will offer retailers more than 300 products, both new and existing, to delight and entertain children throughout the UK and Ireland.

The company is looking forward to revealing new products, new ranges and some really exciting sets children will be enthralled by. All ranges will continue to have a key focus on imaginative and creative play, remaining true to the tradition of Playmobil and encouraging youngsters to get lost in their own world through playtime.

Launching in January is the Aquarium. This range is perfect for children aged four plus and will feature a number of sets including the Aquarium, Aquarium Shop, Penguin Enclosure and Aquarium Enclosure. In addition to this, there will be

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“

2018 will also see Playmobil cement its venture into the world of licensing, with the release of a number of licensed products throughout the year.

All new ranges will be supported with marketing and PR activity, with key product ranges receiving additional TV and print advertising as well as wider consumer PR activity.

We are very much looking forward to the new year and all that it brings for Playmobil so we look forward to seeing everyone in 2018 at The Toy Fair.

Jamie Dickinson, Marketing Manager, Playmobil

”

six animal packs, including Sea Turtle with Babies and Seal with Pups, which float in water, and Octopus with Baby, which change colour when submerged in water.

In February there will be a new addition to the popular Porsche Racing range – the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. With a removable roof, cool internal and external lighting effects and command centre, this product is sure to be a popular seller in 2018.

As excitement builds in anticipation of the next Royal

Wedding, 2018 sees the launch of the Playmobil Wedding range for children aged four upwards. This range features the Bridal Shop, Wedding Limo, Wedding Reception, Wedding Ceremony and Flower Children and Photographer. Youngsters will be able to create their own Royal Wedding at home.

Galloping back to centre stage in 2018 is the new Horse Farm range, available from March. This

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new range will feature nine sets, from Horse Farm to Horse Show, through to Horse Transporter, with a detachable roof, opening rear doors and a fold-out lamp.

This will be complemented by a new free app available at the App Store or Google Play and by four new Horse Professionals packs.

Whether purchased as individual sets or as an entire range, the new Horse Farm range will provide

hours of play for children aged five years plus.

Bringing a touch of sparkle and a sprinkle of fairy dust in April will be the new Fairies range for children aged four and above.

With unicorns, fairies and dragons aplenty, this new range is sure to be a big hit within the magical and mystical toy craze. There are 10 sets within the range, including Magical Fairy Forest with

luminous flower lantern, Enchanted Fairy Ship, which floats on water, and Mystical Fairy Glen with a colour-changing light-up central flower.

In June, the Playmobil Top Agents are back. This range is suitable for children aged six plus and is supported with a new online film and free app.

The range features a variety of vehicles and sets – the SpyTeam Battle Truck comes with figures, a hidden jet plane and shooting mechanism. It also floats on water and can be upgraded with an underwater motor for extra speed.

The Agent P. with Racer set is suitable for land or water and features firing cannons, while Agent T.E.C.’s Robot has a transforming function and stands at approximately 17.5cm tall. Youngsters can make the most of these functions to battle Dr. Drone. In Dr. Drone’s Pickup, there’s a variety of weapons as well as opening doors and a detachable rear section, while Dr. Drone’s Command Base has a double landing pad for both drones.

Next year will also see the expansion of the popular Playmobil 1.2.3 range for children aged 18 months plus. Playmobil will launch a Pirate Ship, which floats on the water and has a cannon that shoots water. Also new to the popular range is the Pirate Island, with a treasure cave and spaces in which to place sea creatures. The Take Along range is growing, with the Take Along Market Stall. There will be further additions to the range, including Tow Truck with Race Car and Girl with Dino Egg. New editions of favourite Playmobil toys will also appear. Towards Easter look forward to new Gift Eggs, including Vet with Foals, Fairies with Magic Cauldron, Vikings with Shield and Oneon-One Basketball. For Christmas, there will be a variety of new Advent Calendars including Santa’s Workshop, Top Agents and Horse Farm.

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The market has gone mad for magical creatures, so stay ahead of the game and stock up on mermaids!

We have putty, lights, bath squirters and more, all featuring a selection of friendly sirens from the sea.

Place your pre-order today tel: 01603 397 105 email: sales@tobar.co.uk www.tobar.co.uk

Or come and find us at London Toy Fair 23-25 January 2018, Gallery 305, Olympia, Kensington, London

A World of Fun!

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Defying gravity with Gravitrax RAVENSBURGER 01869 363 800 www.ravensburger.com

2017 has been a very good year across all categories for Ravensburger, with strong growth of +11% YTD. This company is +17% in games, driven by key TV-advertised games.

In puzzles, Ravensburger remains at number one, and +4% YTD overall.

The company has an 85% share of the 3D puzzle market. It has also been an incredibly strong year for BRIO, with year-on-year growth of +38%. The folk at Ravensburger are looking forward to unveiling an innovative and exciting 2018 range, which they believe is their best yet.

Among the many highlights, the 2018 offering will include a new range of ThinkFun games, an exciting range of 3D Puzzles and the hugely anticipated Gravitrax.

The core Ravensburger range is launching 155 brand new products for spring/summer 2018, across children’s puzzles, adult puzzles, games and craft.

Following significant growth (15 per cent YTD*) Ravensburger is launching

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In the realm of adult puzzles there are 60 new titles, many of which have been developed

by Ravensburger’s Oxfordshire-based team, working alongside British artists, graphic designers and print specialists. This massive UK contribution will now be highlighted on packs. Adult puzzles remain at the heart of the range, and hence the company is delighted with its continued sales growth (+5% 2017*).

three new TVadvertised games – Make ‘n’ Break, Break Free and a Peppa Pig 3D action game. Make ‘n’ Break is already an established favourite, with some really cool and fun additions in the new version.

Break Free is a really fun, brand-new game concept where up to four players simultaneously rush against each other to release themselves from a handcuff, by picking a complex lock mechanism. Ravensburger’s third new TV-advertised game is a Peppa Pig 3D action game, where players have to help George overcome obstacles such as muddy puddles to get back to Peppa. It is a really fun game, full of twists and turns for up to four players, and ideal for young Peppa Pig fans.

Ravensburger will continue to TV advertise and support key games, including family favourites such Buggaloop, Bugs in the Kitchen, Labyrinth, Scotland Yard and Penguin Pile Up.

Following the company’s acquisition of ThinkFun, it is eager to present this award-winning STEM inspired range of games. Expect to see TV advertising during the autumn/winter season for the world-renowned and award-winning Rush Hour – a classic logic game that has sold more than 10 million units since it launched more than 20 years ago, and remains a top-seller.

ThinkFun is the leading developer of logic and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) games. For more than 30 years, ThinkFun Inc. has been dedicated to creating games that spark curiosity, cultivate confidence, and nurture life-long learners. ThinkFun games encourage interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM), while generating excitement for a world of learning through play. Ravensburger will continue to build upon this distinctive style and explore new and innovative product concepts, across multiple categories and for players of all ages.

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VISIT US

TOY FAIR, STAND E66 SPRING FAIR HALL 3 STAND V20

MARKETING & DISTRIBUTING BRANDS

DKL Marketing Ltd, 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton, NN3 6QD, UK www.dkl.co.uk tel. 01604 678780 email. dkl@dkl.co.uk

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On display this Toy Fair, will be a new range of Peppa Pig and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom jigsaw puzzles and games.

Ravensburger is thrilled to include these two much-loved and popular properties in its range. The Peppa Pig range is launching with nine jigsaw puzzles and four games. The Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom range is starting with three magical jigsaw puzzles and two games. Both ranges will see significant additions in autumn/winter this year.

Continuing to perform very well are the Paw Patrol, PJ Masks, The Gruffalo, Thomas & Friends and Disney Princess jigsaw puzzle ranges.

There are three new Paw Patrol jigsaw puzzles launching at Toy Fair, including a 35-piece, Shaped Giant Floor Puzzle, as well as Four Large Shaped Floor Puzzles in one box. Joining the successful and popular PJ Masks range this season is a new Four Large Shaped Floor Puzzles, featuring all the favourite characters from the show. The range of Thomas & Friends jigsaws are complemented by the addition of two new puzzles, while the Disney Princess range continues to impress, with the addition of two new XXL100 puzzles.

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These, as well as 10 other new licensed properties, join Ravensburger’s range of the UK’s most popular and successful children’s puzzles. New character puzzles to look out for this season include Bush Baby World, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Avengers and Avengers Infinity War, Star Wars The Last Jedi and Olaf’s Frozen Adventures. For autumn/ winter, Ravensburger will be launching children’s puzzles for Disney’s Incredibles 2, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, Disney Vampirina, Rusty Rivers, Nella and How to Train your Dragon 3.

The company continues to lead the UK market, with more than triple the market share of its nearest competitor, achieving further growth of 4 per cent during 2017.

In the STEM arena, experience the power of gravity with Gravitrax, a major new launch for autumn/ winter. This fun, interactive sphere and track system helps children discover magnetism, kinetics and gravity while learning how to build an action-packed track!

Building the track is part of the fun and kids can freestyle with their own track design, or use the tasks and

blueprints included to help them to get started in the world of Gravitrax.

Are the Gravity Spheres stopping or flying off before reaching the end target? Time for some problem solving. Rebuild and try something different. The Gravitrax track system can be extended indefinitely with extra track packs and add-ons. It is suitable for single or multi players aged eight years and up.

Ravensburger has enjoyed fantastic reactions to the awardwinning Sneaker and the VW Campervan and continues this innovation with two British-themed products for autumn/winter. Joining the range later this year are an impressive Buckingham Palace and a Union Flag Sneaker 3D Puzzle.

Ravensurger will continue to support this important category with a weighty TV-advertising campaign, and full digital and marketing support – it will also continue to innovate and expand the range.

Ravensburger relies on, and appreciates the support of retailers and wants to assist its customers as much as possible. Its POS solutions and retailer events are proven to create interest and boost sales across all categories. These solutions are available at no extra charge to retailers, so do discuss the opportunities with the sales representatives at Toy Fair.

With the inclusion of ThinkFun, new puzzle licenses, the introduction of Gravitrax and brand new innovative family and children’s games, Ravensburger expects to grow its existing categories and emerge in new ones. It also has new innovative technology in the BRIO range and some fantastic play sets that will ensure another strong year of growth. *Figures correct at time of going to press

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Model behaviour REVELL 0845 459 0747 www.revell.de/en

Stand :

Revell returns to London Toy Fair showcasing exciting new ranges within toy, radio control and hobby at Gallery stand 110. The Revell plastic model kit range is structured into five different skill levels from pre-school to enthusiast and features traditional model kits and leading toy licenses including Cars, Star War, and new for 2018 – Super Wings.

The Revell Control brand is firmly established across all age groups with radio controlled drones, helicopters, vehicles and boats.

The award-winning Revell Junior Kit range continues to expand with additions to the leading

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For all Junior Kit models, parts are simply connected by large plastic screws and a child-friendly screwdriver that also features a special cutout to avoid accidental overtightening. Once completed, each model kit transforms into a durable, fully functioning toy that can be played with, disassembled and re-assembled again.

Disney-Pixar children’s license Cars, plus key characters from preschool TV show Super Wings. These easy-toassemble construction toys for ages four-plus bring favourite characters to life with the option to change character expressions with eye and mouth inserts, some even featuring light and sounds! The standard Junior Kit range of vehicles grows further, now with included vehicle-specific figures that feature multiple points of articulation for added play value – characters from doctors to race car drivers to firemen and police officers are covered. For all Junior Kit models, parts are simply connected by large plastic screws and a child-friendly screwdriver that also features a special cutout to avoid accidental overtightening.

Once completed, each model kit transforms into a durable, fully functioning toy that can be played with, disassembled and reassembled.

Fans of all ages and abilities can create a piece of their own Star Wars universe with a range of fully authentic vehicles featured in Episode VIII – The Last Jedi and Solo – A Star Wars Story movies.

For children aged six and above, the Revell Build & Play Star War range of construction toys are supplied precoloured and are easy to assemble – simply clicking together with no glue, paint or tools required. Each authentic kit features the added value of a light and movie-sampled sound module that is cleverly disguised as a part of the toy and is

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manufactured from harder plastics to withstand the knocks and bumps associated with play. For established modellers, there is a wide choice of classic kits from the wider Star Wars universe to choose from. Requiring glue and paint to complete, you can recreate highly detailed replicas of favourite Star Wars vehicles.

Renowned for its quality, heritage and great value for money, the Revell plastic model kits brand continues to offer an amazing variety of new releases for modellers and newcomers to the hobby alike, plus glues, paints and other accessories to complete them. Featuring informative, colour-coordinated packaging and colour manuals, the standard Revell model kit range includes the newly tooled 1:32 F/A-18E Super Hornet, 1:72, Patrol Torpedo Boat PT-109, 1:16 Porsche 356 and classic 1:24 Landrover Series III, to name but a few. The new Easy-Click range of detailed pre-coloured kits that assemble without glue for ages 10+ will expand to include the 1:24 2017 Ford GT with more new releases to follow throughout 2018 and the new Revell Technik range for more experienced modellers combines classic Revell kit releases in car,

plane and boat, and state-of-theart electronics with working lights, rotating propellers and radar for unparalleled levels of realism.

Drones dominate the skies with a wide range of Virtual Reality, Selfie and Racing drones from Revell Control to suit all ages. Virtual Reality also features within vehicles – it’s like you’re sitting in the driving seat.

X-treme is the cool new RC car brand for children aged eight and above. Featuring top speeds of up to 25 km/h, working LED lights and complete with dust and splash-proof electronics, these vehicles are built to bash. The Revell Control Junior range of cars and trucks for ages three-plus feature plug-in modules with vehicle accessories and figures, plus simple-to-use brightly coloured controllers. These sturdy vehicles

also feature working lights and vehicle-inspired sound clips/tunes for maximum play fun making them the perfect introduction to the world of Radio Control. In preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the super-stable and easy to fly ‘The Ball’ infrared-controlled copter helps young football fans take flight.

With Revell Control, the vehicles fly, drive hard, spin, flip and transform, so there’s no shortage of choice, with something to suit every taste.

The Orbis airbrush spray system gets the 2.0 treatment for 2018. Now more streamlined and including a separate tray for cartridge and stencil storage, Orbis makes airbrushing so easy for ages six and up. Simply plug in colour cartridges and spray, either freehand or using the included stencils. There are colours that are skin-safe and colours for textiles, plus a wide selection of pre-cut stencils to choose from, so there is no limit to what can be achieved

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SPIN MASTER 01628 535000 www.spinmaster.com

Having set the bar at new heights in 2017, Spin Master is ready to continue its trend of disruptive innovation through 2018.

Following a year that saw the expansion of Hatchimals into a globally recognised licensed property, and where Hatchimals CollEGGtibles successfully cracked the massively growing collectables market, smashing its targets – Spin Master is now flushed for more success.

A new boys collectable range is set to throw the competition down the pan as Spin Master

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warns the toy industry to brace itself for Flush Force – launching this January. Capturing all the things that boys like most – think gross, disgusting, potty humour – Flush Force has it all.

Flush Force Number 2 packs simply cannot fail to appeal to boys who want to gross out their mums. And with a host of follow-on product to expand the range, retailers will already have a whiff of how strong this range promises to be.

Staying with collectables, Hatchimals Colleggtibles enter 2018 with a muchanticipated new Season 2 line-up with more than 100 to collect.

The Egg colour changes from purple to pink for this season, and there are great

new friends to meet and collect including a Golden Hatchimal!

With only a limited number in the UK. Another new addition to the Hatchimals toy line is Hatchimals Fabula Forrest.

Known affectionately as Hatch Batch Three, Spin Master now introduces the show-stopping Puffatoos and Tigrettes. These new patterned plush, with striking metallic detailing and sounds to match, need a child’s touch to hatch before they can be raised from baby to toddler to kid. These magical friends come with brand new music and games.

Staying with the Robotics category, Spin Master has a new addition to the Zoomer spring line with Zoomer Zupps Pretty Ponies, which have beautiful soft manes and tails.

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Fiesta Crafts - ToysNPlaythings - Toy Fair edition - RHS - 15 Dec 2017

ÂŽ Fiesta Crafts Ltd - 121 Brooker Road, Waltham Abbey. EN9 1JH

www.fiestacrafts.co.uk

stickabouts

New

Large play scenes Available as Pirate Ship & Magical Island

Gluefree & washable

Lots of character pieces

Brilliant for the bath

Playboard for storage & travel

Tel: 020 8804 0563 - sales@fiestacrafts.co.uk See us at the shows:

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The more you play with them the happier they’ll be, and they’ll let you know with their sweet pony sounds. They also play games and each pony has its own unique trick – kids will want to collect them all. Zoomer Zupps Pretty Ponies will be supported with TV advertising this spring.

Arts and Crafts will see some new spring introductions with Kinetic Sand Gems and Metallics in a reusable 4oz Multipack – the multipack contains pastel blue, pink and purple shimmering sand.

The new Beach Day Fun set is also new for spring, and is the perfect Kinetic Sand starter set.

The kit comes complete with 12oz of Kinetic Sand and nine tools and moulds.

Kinetic Rock also gets a 2018 spring introduction with the Kinetic Rock Loader. Use alongside other Kinetic Rock kits, the new 3 in 1 Loader allows kids to scoop, drill and crush their Kinetic Rock. Both Kinetic Sand and Kinetic Rock will be supported by TV this spring.

Spin Master launches the JoJo Siwa Bow Maker, which gives girls the opportunity to make their very own versions of the decorative hair bows made popular by the massively followed YouTube sensation JoJo Siwa. Spin Master’s marketing efforts will continue to focus on social media content and sharing to drive support for the product.

There’s more in store this spring as PAW Patrol keeps its fans up to speed with a new range of toys based on the latest TV ‘Mission PAW’ theme.

Spring products will include the TV-promoted Mission PAW Mission Cruiser, a new moveable mission command centre, plus the Mission

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PAW Pup Pad, a new interactive pup pad with Mission PAW content to take kids on their very own new rescue missions!

PAW remains consistently as the number one pre-school property and was Number 1 Toy Property in the month of September (NPD EPoS September 2017) promising strong retail opportunities throughout 2018.

Flying into the new year, Air Hogs introduces the Sonic Rocket allowing kids to launch into orbit. The Sonic Rocket can be powered to blast-off up to 60 metres high. Set to be a big hit in parks this spring, The Sonic Rocket has a real countdown and rocket sounds, and can launch up to 50 flights with a single charge, offering fantastic play value when out and about in wide open spaces.

The Sonic Rocket will be promoted though a range of social and digital channels.

Moving onto Meccano, Spin Master is introducing the all-new motorised five and 10 model sets. The five-model Roaster features a new pull-back motor and the awesome 10-model Truck features a self-contained motor. There are also new themed assortments in race and construction themes – all packs in the range feature single build elements and

are perfect for an easier build and post build play. Spin Master has enjoyed some fantastic opportunities to engage directly with children and get them engaged in hands-on playing with Meccano over the past year. 2018 will see more of this activity being placed behind the brand.

And finally, Tech Deck is back.

Spin Master will be supporting the original finger boards extensively through an exciting digital spring campaign around the brand, which features authentically decorated miniskateboard kits and accessories, including the great value Tech Deck Container Ramp Set, plus other park-building kits.

Tech Deck allows kids to build and customise their favourite boards, and then let their fingers do the skating as they flip and spin around the mini ramps and rails. Tech Deck offers kids the chance to hone their skateboarding skills without the need for knee or elbow pads.

Working at grass roots level, Spin Master plans to introduce the fun and excitement of finger boarding to a brand-new audience of boys this spring.

With a host of new and exciting autumn products now well into development, visitors to Toy Fair should not miss the chance to see not only these spring highlights, but also Spin Master’s Christmas blockbusters.

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At Keel Toys, the designers have been keenly focused on developing key ranges of winning products and developing them further, so they will be continued to be loved, hugged and collected during 2018.

Animotsu, its number-one selling collection, grew in sales by over 200% in 2017. To boost the sales further Dinosaurs and Ballerinas will be added to the range in the Animotsu trademark vibrant colours. The 15cm collection will see the introduction of seven new designs including Seahorse, Rainbow Rabbit and Seal. Together with the new Sea Life there is now an Animotsu for everyone to love.

We Love to Hug! Hugg’ems are eight wonderfully-coloured animal characters with long arms, weighted paws and swirling tails that can be hung from your arm or neck and just love to be hugged. Once you have hugged them all, hang them on to a favourite

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chair or decorate a shelf. Available in two sizes, they are merchandised in a cardboard floor stand, which is free with 84pcs of stock.

Unicorns continue to be the must-have toy. Keel Toys offers a fabulous range, including new luxury laying unicorns in pink and white and in sizes 35cm, 50cm and 70cm, along with Glitter Gems Unicorns in vibrant pinks, purples and rainbow colours. Alternatively, there is Pugsley, Keel Toys’ favourite Pug dressed in a Unicorn Onesie – what could be cuter?

Central to Keel Toys’ winter 2018 range are three themed Christmas collections; Pugsley, Pipp the Bear, and Animotsu – the top-selling sparkleeyed toys. Pugsley features the adorable Pug in onesies in both laying and sitting poses and will include, for the first time, sound chips with Christmas-themed songs. New Christmas assortments include the stripy legged collection of Elf, Santa, Snowman and Reindeer with beans in their bottoms,

ideal for sitting on the shelf or mantelpiece. For winter-themed promotions, Keel Toys offers from stock a fabulous selection, including Penguin, Reindeer and Snowman in super soft fabrics with great value and a huggable quality.

The fair will also showcase Keel Toys Retail Solutions – a fantastic and simple way to display key soft toy collections, including both FSDU and MDF permanent display units. These units have proven to boost sales where they have been strategically placed for maximum impact.

Did you know?

Keel Toys’ Bespoke Service offers you the opportunity to create your own unique toys — they will be delighted to guide and manage your project from design to delivery.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

Design it, Build it, Ride it.

Now you can build in the real world and virtual world then ride in VR with the new K’NECTED app. It’s Thrill Rides like you’ve never seen them before.

TV support for K’NECTED line is over 1300 boys 7 – 12 TVRS. SALES HOTLINE 01189 253270 KNEX.CO.UK Come see us at London Toy Fair Gallery 510

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SU R E M R

O F G A M 5 195

uk 38 rs.co.

0800 orme f g a .m www

Magformers UK will unveil an exciting new sister brand at London Toy Fair to sit alongside its award-winning and categoryleading magnetic construction sets.

Clicformers is non-magnetic but offers similar creative construction play options to children as Magformers, with four different ways to build 3D models – by hooking, stacking, folding or clicking pieces together.

Developed in Belgium and at Magformers’ R&D headquarters in South Korea, Clicformers pieces can rotate 180 degrees when connected, are very durable, promote the fundamental values of playing with building blocks and encourage role play.

The Clicformers 2018 range will include Mini Construction, Mini Space and Mini Transport sets containing 30 pieces and stickers.

Also, there’s a 34-piece Speed Wheel Set that makes 10 different vehicles plus special themed Construction and Rescue sets.

Among several new Magformers-brand products launched at London Toy Fair will be the Rally Kart set.

The set includes six magnetic Magformers shapes, four wheels, plus a rally driver character.

Children can make a series of different recommended rally cars – or use their imagination to create their own style of racers.

Stand: Gallery 540

Magformers Rally Kart Sets are available in blue/green and purple/ yellow/orange colours, with male and female drivers.

New compact Clicformers has and open ‘bubble’ been two years in packaging lets development and, like children see what’s inside before buying. Magformers, is a super-creative, highly It’s a fantastic versatile toy. It gives Magformers introductory set for us a new product car-mad children, range to sit alongside as all pieces are Magformers and offer compatible with all retailers an other sets. outstanding magnetic Magformers construction toy and a will also unveil its innovative Sky Track brilliant ‘click-andAccessory Set – a connect’ construction mono-rail system toy from the same complete with a supplier. motorised shuttle model – which Magformers UK Ltd MD, uses Magformers David Kelly magnetic pieces as

“

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its base. The pack is sold separately to Magformers pieces and makes a fabulous addition to any child’s existing Magformers collection or can be combined with other sets and packs.

Among new standard Magformers sets, which perfectly showcase the simplicity and versatility of the award-winning magnetic construction toy, is the Creator 60 set – a 60-piece set including play mats, which children can follow to build incredible 3D models.

Magformers will also be presenting exciting new POS displays for its My First lines – Magformers sets suitable for children aged from just 18 months.

With bright crayon or cool pastel-coloured pieces, these sets include beautifully illustrated Story Books and Shape and Colour Matching Books to teach younger children about the properties of simple shapes such as squares and triangles.

Cute cartoon characters including a giraffe, koala, rabbit and a puppy feature in wonderful hardback books to lead little ones through their first steps with Magformers, sorting shapes, matching colours and eventually progressing to 3D model-making.

The new POS stands use the characters and brighter colours to enable retailers to create a clearly defined Magformers presence in their baby and pre-school departments.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Toys for every kind of role play fun!

NEW

for 2018!

NEW

packaging for 2018!

See us at: UK Toy Fair: Tues 23rd Jan - Thurs 25th Jan (Stand E30) Nurnberg Toy Fair: Weds 31st Jan - Sun 4th Feb (Hall 12, Stand C-04) Hong Kong Toy Fair: Mon 8th Jan - Thurs 11th Jan (Booth 1A-F32) New York Toy Fair: 17th Feb - 20th Feb (Booth 6070)

Inventors of Fun & Play!

Casdon Ltd., Cornford Road, Blackpool, Lancs FY4 4QW Tel: +44 (0)1253 766411 Fax: +44 (0)1253 691486 Email: toys@casdon.co.uk www.casdon.com

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DID YOU KNOW...

: Stand GH36

In safe hands BUREAU VERITAS 01925 854 360 www.bureauveritas.co.uk/cps

Safety and quality are fundamental concerns for consumers, particularly for parents, who buy toys and other products related to children. However, the toys and juvenile products landscape is changing, and changing fast.

At Bureau Veritas, their services are designed to assist manufacturers, retailers, and importers in minimising the risk of late shipment, liability, costly product returns, and recalls. At the same time as improving the product Safety, Quality and Reliability for the consumer.

With UK technical consultants sitting on major committees in the UK and European Union they liaise with their colleagues in America and other global regions, helping to shape the future standards they test and assess against. Partnering with Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services provides you with access to the latest regulatory developments at the earliest opportunity so that you can be ahead of the game. As you are aware, Directives, Regulations and safety standards are constantly changing and being revised and amended. At the Toy Fair 2018, Bureau

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Veritas have two of their industry specialists who both have in-depth knowledge of the latest market access requirements.

Malcolm Horner Technical Consultant.

Malcolm has over 40 years of experience in the toy and consumer product testing business and has hands-on experience of working in testing laboratories as well as managing a laboratory. Malcolm sits on the BSI Toy Safety Committee and also on some of the European CEN Working Groups for toys.

Simon Stokes Technical Consultant Simon has 23 years’ experience in the toy and juvenile products testing business and has hands-on experience of working in testing laboratories as well as managing a laboratory.

Simon is a member of several BSI committees responsible for juvenile products safety standards.

Both Malcolm and Simon are able to provide the fundamental support allowing you to demonstrate the products you sell, complying with dynamic international industry & regulatory requirements.

Based out of their laboratory in Warrington, Cheshire. Bureau Veritas offer a full range of safety, quality assurance, benchmark and compliance testing services for a wide variety of consumer products,

As well as product testing, Bureau Veritas also offers a suite of solutions from policy and specification development, to training and supplier/product risk assessments, as well as supporting services such as inspection, audit and certification.

Product Testing ■ Physical, Analytical, Flammability ■ Technical & Regulatory Consultancy Chemical Management Solutions ■ Safety Assessments ■ Inspections & Audits ■ Seminars Supply Chain ■ Management Solutions If you would like to speak to someone about any of the services offered by Bureau Veritas or to book on a seminar, you can contact them directly on 01925 854 360 or email: bvsales@ uk.bureauveritas.com

including toys. With in-house testing capabilities covering chromium VI, azo dyes, nickel, cadmium, lead, phthalates and allergenic disperse dyes. Above all else, Bureau Veritas like to hear about your success stories, how your products are developing and how your business is changing within the toy market. So if you are passing by stand number GH36, why not drop by and say hello and talk about the interesting things that you have been involved in.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

On A.B.gee’s stand at London Toy Fair, Stand B40.

A varied range of toys that include Pre-school, Desk and Easels, Kitchens, Big wheeled toys that include sit ‘n’ rides, trikes, tractors, pedal cars and NEW for 2018 an electric 6V tractor plus 6V single and 12V two seater electric 4x4 .

Container orders delivered direct from Turkey by mixed containers with NO MOQ’s per item.

For those customers not requiring Container quantities A.B.Gee handle U.K. Distribution where a selection of Dolu’s products will be available

Contact Ria and Steve Richardson sales@sjr-associates.co.uk • Tel: 07850 779797 www.dolu.com.tr

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Pop in and see us

30 magic years MARVIN’S MAGIC www.marvinsmagic.com 01582 849000

LE TOY VAN 020 8979 2036 www.letoyvan.com

Sta nd H65 :

“

New products for Entering its 30th year, Marvin’s Magic has led 2018 are a guarded the way to become the recognised brand secret, so you’ll just leader for all things magic. It prides itself have to visit Marvin’s on being the pioneer of in-store theatre Magic at London Toy and retailtainment, with a reputation for Fair stand H65 to see being arguably the premier demonstration what the teams have up company, combining captivating their sleeves demonstrations with remarkable sales. Its USP and secret is ESP — Entertaining Sales Presentations which can be experienced in high profile stores worldwide.

Marvin’s Magic launched its first internationally renowned magic department within Hamleys, Regent Street, London, and nearly 30 years later, has ensured that the amazing magic tradition has flourished.

Constant innovation and cleverly combining the rich heritage of magic with cutting edge technology has produced award-winning ranges including the i-Magic range – smart magic for smart devices. Compelling video instructions are also now included in its best-selling sets, which show how to present and perform the various tricks. They have proved a success in both the domestic and international markets, being perfect for youngsters and hobbyists preferring visual explanations.

Marvin’s Magic has always been one to nurture talent and has helped encourage literally millions of young magicians. Their past in-store demonstrators reads like a Who’s Who of magicians and celebrities, one of which is TV Presenter Stephen Mulhern who came up through the ranks at Marvin’s Magic and is now regularly on our screens hosting four prime time series. Together they have created a really fun and innovative collection, Stephen Mulhern’s Unbelievable Jokes and Pranks, which will be launched at Toy Fair.

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Stand : E10

This year, Le Toy Van has some truly amazing new-to-market items across all of its best-selling ranges, and great new assets to support the launch and sell through Q1 to Q4.

The Honeybake Popcorn Machine is one of the team's favourite new items and they are proud to launch it at Toy Fair. Bring the cinema, theatre and shows sensation of popcorn to your home. This unique and compact vintage wooden popcorn machine features a pop handle – hold it down, release, and watch them pop!

Complete with five felt play popcorns to collect from the drawer and a colourful popcorn pot to serve them. Packaging features show tickets and sweet/salty popcorn tickets to cut out for extended play value. Naturally guilt-free, this wooden popcorn machine set is perfect for little ones to work on their fine motor skills as well as practise their speech and social interaction skills.

Exclusive to the Honeybake Collection. From age three-plus.

To celebrate this new product, Le Toy Van will be offering some tasty hot and fresh popcorn to our lovely customers when pre-ordering the new Honeybake popcorn machine at the show.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

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Take it to the Max MAX MINDPOWER +353 872 234097 www.max-mindpower.com

Meet Max Mindpower – a unique plush bear who plays four guided meditations for children to follow, and breathes along too. Max aims to impart the skill of awareness to children, in the most accessible ways possible; storytelling, rhyme and fun.

Max makes meditation easy and engaging for children to learn, with meditation programmes that can be accessed with a simple squeeze of one of his paws. Carefully designed with children in mind, Max also shows children how to take his teachings and apply them to everyday life.

The bear combines some of the most effective tools taken from cognitive behavioural therapy, neuro-linguistics, positive psychology and self-compassion, which are integrated into the stories in his complementary book series in an engaging and entertaining way.

Available in two versions, Max comes with three 16cm hardcover books, an ideal size for little hands. Max Junior is for children under six, and is approximately 10in when sitting.

His additional book series, also 16cm and hard cover, deals with only primary emotions and simple problems. Max Senior is slightly larger in size, at approximately 12in sitting. Designed for the over six age group, Max’s hardcover 16cm book series features 30 primary and secondary emotions.

Stand : GH29

Max Mindpower’s display packaging is open, leaving him exposed and touchable, and features an added piece that keeps the three introductory books completely safe from damage. At 12in high, and 10in wide and deep, he is extremely compact.

As a new brand, Max Mindpower is working to establish itself through marketing both online and in magazines. On social media Max has quite a substantial following, which enjoys regular updates. Max has featured in multiple Christmas selections in magazines, and the brand will continue to expand on this exposure with the launch of its first video advert for January 2018. Max Mindpower will also be attending multiple consumer expos throughout 2018 to raise brand awareness both in the UK, and into the US from March.

Max is the first toy of his kind, and many more toys are in the pipeline for this range with the aim of enhancing the life of the user, and introducing them to skills that will last a lifetime.

It’s wonderful!

8TH WONDER 01942 829811 www.8thwonder.co.uk

Stand : G110

8th Wonder specialise in the design and manufacture of distinctive innovative plush and wooden toys for a global market. We are committed and passionate in regards to creating high quality products and offering unmatched value for our customers.

8th Wonder believes that quality and innovative design goes hand in hand and with more than 20 years of experience in the toy industry it is constantly pushing the boundaries of design.

Over the past 20 years the majority of 8th Wonder’s work has been producing customer own label products but now the company is using its expertise and knowledge on its own ranges.

My Pet Vet which is a range of interactive Plush toys, and is all about caring for your poorly pets. In December 2017 8th Wonder launched a TV advertisement for Max the Dog with its 2 in 1 Vet set and carry case. Max has been hugely

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successful! For 2018 there are additions to the range including Bailey the puppy.

The launch of Diva & Diva Dogs is also hugely exciting and will push 8th Wonder further into the hearts and minds of the consumer! 8th Wonder has recognised the huge growth in the Beauty industry for both adults and children and is launching a deluxe manicure and pedicure station with accessories and a deluxe dressing table/ dress up station.

Diva Dogs is also an extension of the range which include interactive dogs with dress up and grooming.

Additional to the interactive plush and wooden ranges which are being launched at London Toy Fair are a new and exciting generic and seasonal range of plush.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

®

Think Fast Talk First To Win! ©2018 University Games Corporation, San Francisco, CA 94110.

All Rights reserved.

Smart Ass is a registered trademark of University Games.

Who ’s The Smart Ass Among Your Friends And Family?

Find Out With This Outrageous, Fast-Paced Party Game.

Visit us at London Toyfair, Grand Hall, Stand F10 For more information please contact us: T 03334 050120 E info@ugames.uk.com www.university-games.co.uk

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? d e fl f ES M a A BHEATWELL G

Stand: F20

C 92 524098

ll.com 023 atwe e h .c www

Stick and play

Sta nd D2 :

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563 www.fiestacrafts.co.uk

Baffled joins the Cheatwell collection after previously being part of the Spears back catalogue.

An extremely clever memory game – players have 60 seconds to memorise the board before the pieces are covered up. As the game progresses the covered pieces swap and change positions around the board. Cleverly designed so that adults and children have an equal chance of winning the game, Baffled helps to develop both vital memory and concentration skills.

For ages eight-plus.

Polar Panic is the newest title in Cheatwells ‘round tin games’ series. Last year Silly Safari, Lift Off and Caveman exceeded all expectations so the hunt has been on this year for an equally impressive game to join the collection. Polar Panic is a fast, frantic fishing game where everyone plays at the same time to try and spot matching fish.

Turn over an Eskimo and all the cards go back face down, but turn over a polar bear and it might be game over.

Another clever design from Cheatwell that allows players to decide how to finish the game – either stop when the polar bear found or pick him up and take a forfeit.

For fans of the squeeze popper range there are four new characters – the pink unicorn, sloth, owl and – maintaining a Cheatwell tradition of not being afraid to go where others would not – the poo popper! There’s the same air-powered fun of the rest of the range – simply pop a soft foam ball into the character, squeeze and watch the ball fly up to 20ft. Safe for indoors or outdoors with no expensive batteries required.

Cheatwell continues to offer a mixed case option for qualifying independent retailers on some lines. This helps smaller stores that are keen to try out a wider selection of their games.

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Now you can stick it to long, arduous journeys with the new Stickabouts Games – a series of mini, travel-sized games. Pocket money friendly and perfect for all journeys, children will be entertained and engaged as they play these miniature versions of traditional board games anywhere they want.

Whether it’s entertaining one child with Solitaire, two children with either Four in a Row, Draughts, or Tic Tac Toe, or even up to six children with Chinese Chequers, it should put paid to cries of “Are we there yet?” from the back seat.

Made from the popular Stickabouts material – glue-free stickers that are washable and reusable – the game pieces stick to the board, making lost pieces a thing of the past.

There are also two new large Stickabouts scenes on the scene that are brilliant for bathtime play. In Pirate Ship or Magical Island designs, these new Stickabouts come with a big scene piece and matching character and item pieces.

Pieces even stick to each other and are superb for creative play in the bath or bedroom – or on any smooth surface, even the car window.

Fiesta Crafts’ new Sort, Lace & Build includes 36 chunky wooden blocks that are easy to hold and perfectly sized for little hands. Children will adore sorting these blocks, building towers and lacing them together. It is an amazing way to improve on fine motor skills and hand-to-eye co-ordination.

Also launching is the Stack & Play – a toy that combines wooden stacking rings with colourful flowershaped fabric pieces, allowing children to get creative with stacking and sorting.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

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Squeak piggy, squeak!

Stand :

Galler y 510

Stand : E115

WINNING MOVES 0207 262 9696 www.winningmoves.co.uk The original Pass the Pigs game has just got bigger and wilder; pass them like you’ve never passed them before! These two porkies have their tails in a twist. One squeaks and one squirts – play them in water or play them anywhere.

Squeak or squirt the pair of porkers, throw them and score points depending on how they land – will you get a Leaning Jowler, a Mixed Combo or will you be ‘Pigging Out’ or ‘Makin’ Bacon’? Only the pigs will tell! First one to score 100 points wins. Play them with the family or in the bath, these pigs are perfect for parties and full of fun.

The Winning Moves story continues with many more hot new Monopoly licences including: Manchester United FC, The Walking Dead TV Series and The Rolling Stones!

Take advantage of Winning Moves’ show offer – 5 per cent off £500 order and 10 per cent off £1,000 order, onedrop delivery. T&Cs apply.

Winning Moves UK Ltd is an independently owned, London-based games company, which owns and/or distributes a range of classic game brands such as Top Trumps, Regional Monopoly, Waddington’s Number One Playing Cards, Lexicon Go! and Pass the Pigs. Winning Moves is also the exclusive licensee in Europe, Middle East, Australia and Africa for limited editions of Hasbro games including Monopoly, Cluedo, Risk, Guess Who and Trivial Pursuit.

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Get K’Nected K’NEX 01189 497000 www.knex.co.uk At Toy Fair 2018, K’Nex will showcase an exciting new range that will bring innovation to the construction aisle by bridging the gap between physical and virtual play. With a strong and diverse product portfolio for toddlers to teens, more children than ever will experience a universe where engineering, art and fun click!

Stand highlinghts include K’Nected, a new digital app from K’Nex, will allow fans to “design it, build it, and ride it” in a whole new way.

Create a K’Nex Thrill Rides set in the real world, then build, ride and share your creations virtually! Use the included VR cardboard viewer to ride in 3D virtual reality, or view all the action on smartphones and tablets without using the viewer. New Thrill Rides kits compatible with K’Nected include the K’Nex Thrill Rides Bionic Blast Roller Coaster, with over 800 parts to create an impressive build featuring an awe inspiring motorized ferris wheel lift and graphic panels.

The KID K’Nex range introduces construction play to children aged 3+, supporting their cognitive development with sets that feature chunky, brightly coloured pieces. New additions to the popular line include the KID K’Nex Zoo Friends Building Set, with 30 building ideas and 55 pieces including fun animal features like eyes and tails.

K’Nex Imagine, the brand’s core range of tubs and building sets, will also be refreshed to offer cool construction kits at all price points for kids aged five plus. Pocket money items will include the new Get Started Assortment, offering the choice of robot, race car or digger for just pocket money prices. Another key addition is the new motorized K’Nex 4WD Demolition Truck Building Set which has 210 parts and can scale almost any surface, perfect for vehicle loving construction fans.

To support new and existing lines throughout 2018, K’Nex will implement a robust 360 degree marketing programme. This will include TV advertising and sponsorships, kids press, strategic partnerships, influencer outreach programmes and digital activity including a K’Nex hub on the Cartoon Network website. K’Nex UK also has a rapidly growing fanbase on kids’ social network PopJam, with 30,000 followers and counting.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

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Getting crafty GALT TOYS 01614 289111 www.galttoys.com

Stand : E9

There are new products across all the Galt ranges for 2018.

The popular Activity Packs are just the thing for birthday parties and all-year-round giving and new products include: Balloon Train, Beady Keyrings, Best Friends Bracelets, Charm Craft and Connecta Straws. Fab Hair is for ages 6 plus and lets children make fashionable hair extensions and add colour with hair chalks.

A brand new range is Crafty Club for ages six plus. Simple sewing and knitting skills are used to make fun animals – choose from Puppy, Frog, Bunny, Owl and Kitten.

In First Years new products include Firstly, Follow Me Ball for six months, a colour-changing motorised ball for baby to follow as it rolls along then stops and changes direction. Then there is Tummytime Ted from 0 months plus, a soft, friendly teddy with his picnic for the all-important tummy time play.

Galt is well-known for its puzzles with a difference.

Town, a new Giant Floor Puzzle for ages three to six years, strengthens this popular range with a 30-piece puzzle

complete with eight templates. The Giant Snakes and Ladders Puzzle for ages three to six years makes an 80 x 80cm game complete with large foam dice and four chunky counters.

Stationery has long been an integral part of Galt and there are five new products including two Chalk Books for ages three plus and an animal Photographic Sticker Book, for ages three plus. Water Magic has established itself as a firm favourite. The no-mess chunky spiral books are ideal for travel and can be used over and over again, and Galt has added Pets and Who’s Hiding, both for ages three plus.

There are two new light products in Fairy Friends: Fairy Picture Lights, and Fairy Night Light, for ages five plus makes a delightful colour changing fairy toadstool night light.

Perfect puzzles GIBSONS GAMES 020 8661 8866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk

Stand: Gibsons is back at Toy Fair with a new stand design featuring a E40 giant Rubik’s Cube and gorgeous artwork from its latest jigsaw puzzles, as well a chance for customers to win fabulous prizes when an order is placed.

As well as a new stand, Gibsons will unveil its latest game, Pixit. Available in February, Pixit urges players to create order out of chaos! First players pile up their Pixit cubes, pick a card, and then twist, turn and tip the cubes into place to recreate the pixelated image shown on the card. This highly addictive, simple-to-learn game can be played alone, in pairs or in groups…there are hours of fun inside one little cube!

Joining Gibsons’ successful licensed range of gift jigsaws this April is the mathematical wonder, Rubik’s Cube. The Rubik’s Cube is more than just a toy – it’s a competitive pursuit and an iconic emblem of the

1980s. Gibsons has taken the iconic cube and turned it into a devilishly difficult, doublesided, 500-piece jigsaw puzzle. Presented in a giant tin version of the much-loved toy, the Rubik’s Cube jigsaw puzzle is not for the faint-hearted! Gibsons has exhibited at Toy Fair almost every year since it first opened in 1954.

“As a British company approaching our centenary year, we feel a real sense of pride when exhibiting in our capital city, especially as we were once based in the West End’s Barrett Street, just a stone’s throw away from London Olympia.”

Kate Gibson, MD, Gibsons

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© P&Co. Ltd./SC 2018

DANCES TO THE CALYPSO BEAT!

See us at Toy Fair, Stand E120 I’m a very rare sort of bear

My name is Paddington

I TALK AND GROWL! E REVERSIBL O S P CALY SHIRT!

The Home of Classic Characters

COMEDY CYCLING ACTION!

See us at Spring Fair Stand 5H21

Call 01329 227300 or visit our website www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

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Mad science TRENDS UK / WIND DESIGNS

01295 76807801353 724140 (Independents) www.trendsuk.co.uk

Stand: H52

Trends UK is looking forward to an exciting 2018 with Peppa Pig Electronic Learning Toys with two new additions.

The range will be supported with TV aimed at key target audiences during the important buying periods and a specific year-long ELA PR programme securing coverage in all types of media.

Count With Peppa will enable kids to have fun with colourful coins and learn about numbers and colours, while Peppa’s Smart Phone has lots of fun number, music activities and a new active learning button that encourages kids to get up and move about for healthy physical development. The highly successful Peppa Pig Interactive Playmat will also continue to be a big focus for 2018.

For 2018, the popular Science Mad brand will be refreshed with vibrant new unisex packaging and a coherent range with three new kits, making its appeal even cooler to today’s kids. Supported by TV commercials, Science Mad aims to encourage young minds to develop their knowledge and interest in science.

The Science Mad range offers real experiments, based on proper chemistry. The new kits enable kids to experiment with slime in various gloriously gloopy states (Science Mad Slime Lab), create fizzy foaming science potions (Science Mad Fizzy Action Lab) and perform amazing luminous, glow-in-the-dark projects (Science Mad After Dark Lab), all available from summer 2018.

Encouraging children to have fun outside and learn from the natural world, Trends UK is launching a range of new Discovery toys for 2018 that explore nature on the go. The Discovery Pocket Scope is a new handheld microscope for outside investigation of specimens in minute detail.

The Discovery Binoculars & Carry Case are light, portable and child friendly, with a 6 x magnification and a built-in compass, perfect for observing wildlife from a distance.

Also launching is a sophisticated new Spy X range from late spring 2018. The super-sleuthing Spy X role-play range simulates high-tech intelligence and surveillance kits for young investigators. Supported by PR and marketing campaigns, the Spy X range includes an exciting selection of strategically priced listening devices, laser alarms, night mission goggles, and communication devices.

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Make it count ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525 www.orchardtoys.com

Stand : B12

Pre-school puzzles and new games are on offer from educational games and jigsaws manufacturer Orchard Toys.

The Look and Find activity puzzle range for ages three plus is a new way to learn from Orchard Toys. Covering key pre-school topics including the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colours, each box contains two jigsaw puzzles to use together for a fun activity – one learning puzzle and one fun animal scene. After piecing together both the puzzles, children can use them together to encourage observational skills and reinforce learning by matching items on both the puzzles.

Money Match Café is a fun roleplay money game, where players race to be the first to serve all of their meals to the correct tables! The uniqueness of this game is that it encourages children to create a café scene using their own teddies, dolls and toys as customers at the 3D tables. For educational play value, children must use their addition skills to add up the coins on the cards to match the total price of a meal. Money Match Café is the perfect educational game for five to eight-year-olds, developing skills in addition, imaginative play and money handling…with lots of added fun!

Dinosaur Lotto is a colourful, dinosaur-themed matching and memory game for children aged three to seven.

NEW!

AVAILABLE APRIL 2018 Experience Rubik’s Cube, the E mathematical wonder and e emblem of the 80s, in jigsaw for form with this devilishly difficult, do double-sided, 500 piece puzzle!

Can you solve the cube?

Tin dimensions – 13x13x13cm Puzzle dimensions – 34x35.8cm

Come and see us!

Toy Fair – Stand E40 Spring Fair – Hall 5, E30-F31 Spielwarenmesse – Hall 12, A-04-4

sales@gibsonsgames.co.uk www.gibsonsgames.co.uk • 020 8661 8866

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The latest in clever train technology to make your train come to life!

Tel: 01869 363800 sales@ravensburger.com

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Get in shape

Stand : E15

GREEN BOARD GAMES 01494 538999 www.greenboardgames.com Following another year of significant growth, GBG are set to hit the ground running in the New Year, showcasing new product offerings at The London Toy Fair, where as always you will be met with friendly, fun enthusiasm by all staff on the stands.

This year’s offerings include the 2016 Young Games Inventor’s new winning game – “Shaperise”!

Twelve-yearold Sebastian Fleming-Smith was delighted to win 2016’s YGI award, only to hit a double whammy when his game invention was considered so good that

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GBG decided to move it to full production and take it to market!

It wouldn’t be a GBG New Year without having a few of new releases of the ever-popular BrainBoxes to shout about; with Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II creating yet another big splash, BrainBox Under the Sea has scope to go swimmingly, along with BrainBox People at Work and Marvin’s Magic, where GBG expects to pull rabbits from their hats! These come hot on the heels of the new BrainBox Roald Dahl, along with two new Spot the Difference games: Wildlife and Holidays.

Adding to the ever-growing GBG catalogue are some great new games from Gigamic’s range, such as Yogi, and their Mini Games; a travel version of Qwirkle, and Mindware’s great Fidget Toy selection.

Finally, why not take a look at the phenomenal nature and wildlife choices found in the GBG Flights of Fancy selection: choose from Bird Calls and posters and Pond Dipping and Animal Tracking kits.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Don’t forget our great new products.

They’re a brilliant catch!

All New for 2018

Stand F20 Toy Fair www.cheatwell.com

For mo more information and a copy of our latest catalogue please contact mark@cheatwell.com or call 02392 524098 l

Spring Fair Hall 5 Stand G34

Toy Fair Gallery Stand 632

For Ireland enquiries please contact: Banaghan & Co. Ltd. · Co. Tipperary Tel. +35367 63800 · Fax +35367 63801 info@banaghans.ie

For UK enquiries please contact: Alpha Toys Ltd. · Phone 0035367 63800 Fax 0035367 63801 · info@alpha-toys.co.uk

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Die hard fans

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ALPHA TOYS LTD/ BANAGHAN & CO. LTD UK: 0035367 63800 ROI: 35367 63800

Stand : Galler y 632

Siku is a top quality German die cast model brand best known for 1:32, 1:50 & 1:87 scale models in Farm, Construction and Trucks.

Other categories include “Siku Control” Tractors, Trucks and Excavators, “Siku World” – A World of Play sets to bring Siku products together in large play area and “Siku Blister” which is pocket money price point, detailed quality models with well-known brands and low prices for everyday sales.

Car licences include Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, Mercedes, VW, Audi, BMW Tractor licences include John Deere, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, Claas Construction licences include Manitou and JCB. SIKU toy models meet the highest quality and safety requirements and give plenty of hours of enjoyment and safe play in the kids’ playroom. To ensure these requirements are met, SIKU toy models are manufactured from die-cast metal and plastic parts. This makes them sturdy and hard-wearing, making realistic play possible of everyday scenes in road traffic, on the building site, with emergency rescue services or in agriculture.

Display stands are available for both Siku Blister lines and Siku Boxed lines.

Model behaviour ARCKIT +353 (86) 703 6316 charlie@arckit.com www.arckit.com

Stand : GH2

Arckit is a multi-award winning architectural model building system that opens up the world of architecture for the first time, teaching anyone to think like an architect and build a structure or city from scratch using their imagination. The free form components click together to create anything from miniature towns through to intricate buildings finished to perfection with realistic graphics.

Invented by Damien Murtagh and produced in Ireland, Arckit launched in 2014 as a professional-level tool to help architects explore designs and communicate ideas to clients. However, the revolutionary system filled another gap in the market and soon took off as a fun way to teach STEM concepts in schools and universities.

The full range includes ArckitPLAY (TinyTown and Cityscape kits), which are for children aged five years plus, Arckit Mini Series & ArckitGO+ for children aged eight plus, and the A-series kits (A90, A180, A360) and Masterplan range for teens and adults who want to take their model building to a more advanced level. The new series of kits, TinyTown, Cityscape and Masterplan, allows younger makers to design and build their dream city using soft pastelcoloured components. These are compatible with each other, so that kids can design everything from a small town centre through to sprawling suburbs and a thriving metropolis. Depending on the product, the models can be displayed in front of a scenic backdrop or brought to life with illustrative details.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

e s i r e p a Sh stian

by Seba

-Smith Fleming

8+

Sebastian Fleming-Smith, aged 11 when he won Young Games Inventor of the Year, says: “I wanted to design a game that involved using your visual memory using shape and colour based patterns which would be simple to understand but fun and challenging to play. I called my game Shaperise: a mix between shapes and memorise.”

see it, it, match win it.

Family

YGI 2016 WINNER

At GBG we were so impressed with Sebastian’s game that we decided to put it into production, and here it is!

2 - 4 Players

NEW FOR 2018!

SHOW CALENDAR Hong Kong Toy Fair 8th – 11th January 2018 Hall 1B Stand A27

Giving & Living Show, Exeter 14th – 17th January 2018 Stand A650

as seen on

TV

Toy Fair, Olympia, London 23rd – 25th January 2018 Grand Hall Stand E15

Nuremberg Toy Fair, Germany 31st January – 4th February 2018 Hall 12 Stand B-03-1

Spring Fair, Birmingham, 4th – 8th February 2018 Hall 5 Stand L65

www.greenboardgames.com 01494 538999 sales@greenboardgames.com

FAX 01494 538646

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First-time visitor

Stand GH25/ : 26

JUMINI 01908 969969 www.jumini.net

Stand : E16

Let the Funtime roll PADGETT BROS 01226 381188 www.padgettatoz.co.uk

The Funtime range of pre-school toys continues to get bigger and better, and another year brings an increase in turnover and another gain in market share. Several of the Funtime items now appear on Amazon’s best-selling Learning & Activity Toys.

The Funtime range gives customers a choice of an excellent quality product for the pre-school market, so if you are looking for great-quality toys that sell year round with fantastic profit margins both on an FOB and Ex-UK basis – look no further. Several new items will be showcasing at Toy Fair, including Spin & Roll Bubble Balls, Funtime Workbench, and Teach Time Alphabet Train.

Found in many of the country’s leading retailers in Funtime packaging as well as customer’s own brand, there are more than 150 items in the range, with plenty to cover a variety of price points. Funtime can be purchased through a UK warehouse in new packaging or from Hong Kong on an FOB basis, either in Funtime artwork or customer-specific packaging.

“Quite simply, the range sells through for the retailer, while achieving an excellent margin. In new eye-catching packaging, the Funtime range is strengthening year on year.”

Jumini is thrilled to be attending Toy Fair for the very first time this year, following a successful brand launch in September 2016. The Jumini range of sensibly priced, beautifully finished wooden toys has grown enormously since launch and the company is excited to be able to share with its licensed Mr Men Little Miss collection.

Mr Men is a classic brand, loved by generations. The basic shapes and bright colours epitomised by the characters feature in a gorgeous selection of My First Mr Men & Little Miss wooden toys, including a fabulous Mr Tickle Bead Maze and a stunning Mr Men Little Miss Shape Sorter, which was selected for The Guardian Christmas Gift Guide last year.

It is also a great honour to announce that Adam Hargreaves will be on the Jumini stand on Tuesday 23 January, producing some signed illustrations for buyers who visit that day. This collection will be available to order at the Toy Fair for immediate delivery. These retro-style toys will strike a chord with parents and grandparents alike – don’t miss out, order at the show!

Alongside the Mr Men collection, there’s a number of additions to the existing Jumini range with some fantastic foldaway toys – a fire station, a police station and a unicorn castle. These make great gift items. Additionally, there are two new larger items – a wooden dolls’ house, which includes a set of furniture and two people, and a wooden multi-storey garage including cars.

Jumini toys have already won several awards, including last year’s Independent Toy Award Best Vehicle for the Racing Car. Jumini is a an approved supplier to Toymaster and the AIS Group.

Alex Kenyon, Sales Director, Padgett Bros

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www.petron.info

Tel: 01296 632573

s ’ o t a t o Big P

Email: martin@petron.info

. . . s t n Prese

3 Breasted Potato

rded lady The Bea

2 Headed Potato

Plus five new games, including Ogre Yoga, 30 -Second Heroes and Mini Missions.

LONDON TOYFAIR. 23 25 JANUARY. STAND H46.

Contact ringmaster Emily Polglase at Emily@bigpotato.co.uk for an exclusive behind the scenes tour.

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A family affair DOLU

Stand : B40

07850-779797 sales@sjr-associates.co.uk Dolu’s range is very varied from building bricks, preschool toys, study desks, easels, trucks, kitchens, playhouses & outdoor range, big wheeled range including sit n rides, trikes, tractors, pedal cars and new for 2018 – electric tractor 6V, single-seater jeeps 6V and a range of 2-seater 12V jeeps.

Dolu has been supplying the UK for the past six years. Steve Richardson, from SJR Associates Ltd, handles all of the business in the UK. Ria Richardson, Steve’s daughter, has recently joined the SJR team and they are both looking forward to 2018.

Dolu is based in Istanbul, Turkey. Over the past six years Dolu has grown at a fast pace – with 70 per cent of the current Dolu range having only been introduced during this time.

Dolu supplies more than 80 countries worldwide, and although it has only been in its current factory for six years, due to an increase of more than 20 per cent in business over the past two years, the company has now outgrown it. Construction has begun on a new 55,000 sq m purpose-built factory and offices, which should be ready in the second half of 2019.

It is also manufacturing for different EU suppliers and retailers and although not available for sale in the UK, it also manufactures licensed Fisher Price products.

Everything is supplied direct to the UK from Turkey by mixed containers, with no MOQs per item – Dolu can even offer a delivered cost in GBP, saving any currency exchange rate risks.

Lead times are 28 days or less, plus a further 18 days for shipping and UK delivery.

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Bringing stickers to life

Stand : Galler y 108

MARDLES 03333 553 925 www.mardleslife.com Mardles is back for its third Toy Fair, debuting the brand new Retail Ready offering.

The amazing Augmented Reality sticker books contain 40 re-usable stickers that come to life and the discovAR range, where children colour in the characters and watch them come to life, are now available in a pre-stocked CDU, ready to unpack and pop straight on the shelf.

Both CDUs hold 24 titles and are available either as mixed or solid cases. POS materials are also available.

With more than half a million units sold in seven countries since their launch in 2016, and the rise of Augmented Reality in consumer awareness, there really isn’t a better time to jump on the STREAM train.

Mardles’s products are a fantastic way for children to have early interaction with technology in a parent-friendly way.

Fantastic fantasy GAMES WORKSHOP 08700 134 411 trade.games-workshop.com

Stand : Galler y 198

The fantasy miniature manufacturer from Nottingham is back in London after a phenomenal year. With a worldwide fan base and a powerful stockist support programme, the company saw major releases and huge growth in profits.

The company focuses on selling its bestselling ranges through retailers to expand its loyal longterm customer base to even more retail partners.

Over the past few years this programme has got better and better. It’s now easier to access starter products, there’s a range guarantee and a whopping expansion into lively community-marketing has had a great impact on its sales numbers. Its past record year seems to be just the beginning, as numbers published before Christmas suggest.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

From:

White background

We are exhibiting at Olympia Toy Fair in January 2018 Stand Details G110. To book an appointment at Olympia or for Trade enquiries Please contact the office on 01942 829811 or visit our website at www.8thwonder.co.uk

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ES

AM ND G

MO A L L m PAU nd.co -lamo .paul 100 w w w 254 0 0207

Look out for the innovative new range of super fun, high energy board games that will be launched by games and puzzles specialist, Paul Lamond, this year.

Previewing at London Toy Fair will be a series of new, fun-packed games, set to entertain the whole family, that will include Reveal, Stupid Deaths and Kersplatt!

Available from February is the hilarious, fast-paced, family board game; Kersplatt! A high energy, tactile but strategic board game that will see players Kersplatting opponents pieces in an attempt to be the first to get two pieces home. Players have to get creative and make their own play pieces with the modelling dough

Sta nd: E50 Following hot on the heels of the successful Jamie Raven Magic Range launched last year and in support of his new UK 2018 Tour, there will be a new Jamie Raven Ultimate Magic Set released later in the year.

provided, then it is all to play for as they race home, Kersplatting their opponent’s creative masterpieces along the way!

Reveal is an exciting, trivia-style board game with a difference, there are no questions only answers! Guess the hidden movie, TV show and song titles to gain medals and win the right to walk the red carpet and be crowned Champion of the Titles! To win medals a player must choose a category, then the first initial of each word in the title is revealed, if the player’s guess is incorrect the next letter in each of the words is revealed. The quicker the title is guessed the more

medals are won!

Another brilliant family board game for 2018 is Stupid Deaths.

The question is just how did these people meet their end? Advance around the board by working out whether the implausible, and sometimes rather amusing, demise is true or false. To win each player must advance round the board without getting caught by death! In addition to these blockbuster, family board games there will also be a fun, travelsize Now That’s What I Call Music Card Game available which will coincide with the release of the NOW That’s What I Call Music 100th edition.

Magic moments RE:CREATION LTD www.recreationltd.co.uk 0118 973 6222

Stand : E125

Following the addition of a raft of hot new brands to the Re:creation portfolio, the company will reveal a wealth of must-have new toys, with news on the marketing campaigns that will keep them on wish lists in 2018.

The power of magic is set to be put firmly into children's hands with the launch of the Of Dragons, Fairies and Wizards range.

The ultimate interactive wands and accessories deliver immersion in a magical world like never before. Children can master a series of spells, have adventures in enchanted lands, meet mythical creatures and even battle foes, all with the help of the magical host fairy or dragon that lives inside their wand.

The power of super high-quality animation and sound track combine to create an experience that is further enhanced with a series of supporting accessories and playsets that interact with the wands.

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Several other brand additions for Re:creation will be revealed at Toy Fair including Swerveball, which will see children pulling off awesome ball tricks like pros thanks to leading item Kickerball – the ultimate trick football enabling players to ‘bend’ the ball like their favourite players.

Splash Out, carrying a massive 25 years of success behind it and achieving a top 15 toy in Spain for summer 2017, also joins the line-up, along with the Be Active range of interactive outdoor games including Hula Bula electronic hoop game.

Razor continues its drive for innovation in ride-ons for 2018 with the launch of the Hovertrax 1.5. With the exclusive EverBalance technology that set the Hovertrax 2.0 apart from the competition, the Hovertrax 1.5 demonstrates the ultimate ride-ability expected.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Toy Fair Gallery Stand 630

For Ireland enquiries please contact: Banaghan & Co. Ltd. 路 Co. Tipperary Tel. +35367 63800 路 Fax +35367 63801 irishfairydoorcompany@banaghans.ie

Spring Fair Hall 5 Stand G34

For UK enquiries please contact: Alpha Toys Ltd. 路 Phone 0035367 63800 Fax 0035367 63801 路 irishfairydoorcompany@alpha-toys.co.uk

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Stand : Galler y 630

The Irish Fairy Tale Company ALPHA TOYS LTD/ BANAGHAN & CO. LTD UK: 0035367 63800 ROI: +35367 63800

Leading the way in product development in the world of Fairies, The Irish Fairy Door Company continues to excite fairy lovers everywhere with its new and innovative products. 2017 saw the introduction of the hugely successful Dust Mixing Kit along with the Tooth Kit which is promising big things for 2018. Building on the success of the now infamous Worry Plaque, the team in Fairy HQ have developed some really intriguing products for 2018 but they're top secret for now! The Irish Fairy Door Company has created a truly massive online community with 280,000 Facebook followers, over 19,000 Instagram followers and over 6,000 Twitter followers all helping of course to drive demand for the magical product range. The Worry Plaque in fact has its own Facebook page with nearly 16,000 followers and hundreds of positive stories from users of the product. The Fairy Door remains a staple part of the product range as how else is a child to invite a fairy to come live in their home or garden? The demand created by The Irish Fairy Door Company by its online activity, along with the type of product available throughout the range, means that the purchase of a Fairy Door is only the beginning of the journey for customers.

Be a sharp shooter PETRON 01296 632574 www.petron.info

Stand : Galler y 308

Attending London Toy Fair for the first time, Petron is excited to be exhibiting its full range of Sureshot and Stealth sucker dart toys.

Designed by British archery experts, Petron’s Sureshot collection offers a consistent and rewarding shooting experience from a sucker dart toy product for both young children and

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“We are very much looking forward to being at London Toy Fair this year showcasing our popular shooting toys.”

Martin Saunders, MD, Petron

adults alike. Whether it be the Sureshot Crossbow or the smaller Sureshot Pistol, their ease of use and sheer accuracy enables users to have fun while testing and improving their gaming skills at the same time, offering the opportunity to develop alternative challenges and competitions.

A key feature of all Petron’s products is safety. Each toy houses a unique loading system, which only allows users to load Petron sucker

darts. No other form of ammunition will release the safety catch. The darts themselves are also designed with safety in mind. The diameter of the sucker is of a size that cannot cause injury, especially to the eye.

Built to last and designed to be used indoors and outdoors all year round, Petron’s products can be used time and time again. With sight and string spares kits available, Sureshot products are created to withstand hundreds of hours of play and thousands of shots.

Aimed at both older children and adults, Petron’s Stealth range offers the same design features and durability as the Sureshot products, but with more power and reach.

Petron – Shoot straighter, shoot further, shoot longer. Never miss again.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

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Plum’s picks for 2018 Fact!

Plum Products 01522 7737136 www.plumplay.co.uk

Stand: C50

Plum is celebrating 30 years in business and its Toy Fair stand will include new POS solutions, a selection of new outdoor products to form the key 2018 collection, and new lines from the extended Globber Scooter range.

Family values have remained at the heart of the Plum brand since its inception and as the family-run business grows, Plum continues to extend its range across all product categories inspiring safe, fun active play, year round.

New products launched in 2017 continue to receive recognition across the industry awards, including scooters from the Globber range, (with whom Plum has an exclusive distribution deal in the UK).

Going into its second year of sales, Globber

by Plum is now one of the leading UK scooter brands and is quickly becoming a household name.

Product convenience, style and enhanced play have been the key focus of the Plum

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After the success of the Plum Discovery range, which launched last year, the team has been working on a new discovery nature play product to develop the range further.

The new Plum Discovery line, due to launch in 2018, encompasses the essence of discovery play. For a first look at the new line, visit Plum’s stand.

NPD team in 2017. Quality and play features have strongly influenced a restyle of the Plum flagship playcentres. Updated and up-spec’d for relaunch in 2018, bold hues and extended play value are included in the restyle.

On display at Toy Fair, the new Plum Glide Nest swing accessory is included on the new flagship playcentres, Wildebeest, Warthog and Bison. The new nest swing will launch as a standalone accessory at the start of the year. The streamline structure is designed to sit alongside standard swing accessories, only taking up one space on the frame, unlike traditional nest swings.

Plum also continues to make selling large toys easy for multinationals and independent stores – all new POS solutions allow retailers to display an extensive product range in a small retail environment.

The full selection of Retail Display Boards, Gift Box solutions and FSDUs will be available on the Plum stand, along with the new 2018 consumer catalogue.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

S R O D A S AMBAS From Flair's Betty Spaghetty to Nikko's RC Barbie Convertible, we take a look back at 2017 with our round-up of some of the best TnP Ambassadors

Game for a laugh!

Jan

2017

Mad about Masks!

Thirteen-year-old Kate from Buckinghamshire played Tomy's exploding game of nerves with her mum and dad Sally and George. Kate tells us how she got on...

Kate and her family played with Tomy’s Greedy Granny — Kate says: “The game involves each player taking it in turns to collect a biscuit from snoozing Granny’s tray before she wakes up.

“This game was very entertaining and genuinely is ‘a game for all the family'. I must admit I wasn’t sure about it at first as I am turning 14 soon, but it is in fact a very entertaining game to play!

“The main parts of it were easy to assemble and it only took about 15 seconds to slot the main pieces together. The instructions were really clear and the activity was enjoyed by both of my parents (who jumped out of their chairs when the Granny exploded!). They both said it reminded them of Buckaroo — although they told me it was scarier.

‘It took about 15 minutes to play with three people but it was very engaging for all players and a good laugh. We thought that it was especially funny when Granny’s teeth fell out and we had to root through the tray of biscuits to find them. We would all recommend this as a fun game for all ages.”

Austin and his brothers have every PAW Patrol toy imaginable — PAW Patroller, Lookout, Air Patroller, vehicles, plush and all the rest too — but when I saw the Pup Pad I just had to buy it!

His older brothers are often playing or watching YouTube on the iPad, and he is a bit small for it (though he does give it a go), so I knew that Ryder’s Pup Pad would make him feel like a big boy and at the same time give him the chance to pretend to be Ryder from his favourite TV show.

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Three-year-old Edison is a huge fan of eOne show PJ Masks, and he's now able to play with the toys! Dad Kevin tells us more

Perfect pup pad play!

19-month-old Austin is a PAW Patrol connoisseur — granddad Antonio can’t help spoiling him with Spin Master’s amazing range —here he tells us about the PAW Patrol Ryder's Pup Pad!

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Honestly, the toy gets a battering, because Austin looks as though butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth but he is quite a little bruiser. So he presses the buttons with the pups’ faces on them like his life depends on it. But he loves the phrases and he laughs his head off when I put the Pup Pad's French phrase setting on!

All in all, a good little toy that I would recommend. It extends the imaginative play and as soon as the show comes on Nick Jr, the pad comes out and little Austin starts pressing and pushing buttons!

For more than a year now Edison has been watching PJ Masks on the Disney Channel, and it's very quickly become one of their favourites. The story of three ordinary kids by day (Connor, Amaya and Greg) who turn into superheroes Catboy, Owlette and Gekko by night once they don their PJs, has captivated them. Like all kids his age, Edison wants to play with the toy based on the show he's watching — and recently they hit retail, so I picked up this brilliant set of PJ Masks figures from Just Play/Flair.

Where do I start? Well, the boring bit is the value is insanely good. I bought Edison the five-pack of collectable figures as he's really into that sort of character-based play. The five figures are the heroes Catboy, Owlet and Gekko, as well as two villains, Romeo and Luna Girl. I only paid £14.99 (a great price for the quality, brand, number of figures).

I expected to pay more, so was pleasantly surprised.

Edison has used them for pre-school show and tells (he tries to shoehorn them into every theme — for Reptiles he brought in Gekko, for Birds, Owlette, and for Pets, Catboy. He even takes them to bed.

A great purchase of a great toy sold by Smyths and made by Flair!

Hopefully eOne will make some new episodes as I can recite them by heart!

Next on the list are the vehicles…

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Driving forward

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Beau and Rafferty got their lucky hands on the Bruder JCB 5CX, mum Louise tells us how they got on

b

My two sons aged four and six were very excited to open and explore the Bruder JCB 5CX toy. They love playing with vehicles and the more realistic looking the better!

This JCB does not disappoint — it is packed with features and looks great.

It is very realistic and has excellent attention to detail.

The boys were

May 2017

Go, go Power Rangers

Five-year-old Latimer loves Bandai’s Red Ranger from the movie. He says: “My brothers and I are mad about Power Rangers and because I was Pupil of the Week at school my mummy bought me Red Ranger. It’s a new one from the movie — and if I am really good at half term my dad has said I can have the Red Ranger Sword. I am going to be extra good now.”

JANUARY 2018

particularly impressed with the driver’s swivel seat (that allowed them to sit small figures in), the four-wheel steering and especially the additional steering extension, which allowed them to steer the JCB through the sunroof opening.

The boys liked that the JCB did not look 'babyish' and was a more grownup looking model. This is the first and only Bruder toy we own, however after our experience with this brand it will not be our last.

Spag doll Daisy loves playing with her big brothers — but when they are out of the picture, it’s all about Flair’s Betty Spaghetty! Mum Heather gives us the lowdown Daisy isn’t exactly a tomboy — but having two older brothers means they do spend a lot of time running around whacking each other. So, when her brothers are at school she likes nothing better than to have her hair plaited, and play with her dolls!

As any mum of a two-year-old knows, there is a lot of competition vying for her attention, but a toy that is really captivating her right now is Betty Spaghetty. I decided to buy the Deluxe Mix and Match Pack and bought it from Smyths toys. The Betty Spaghetty was a great price at £15 and they sent it to me with free delivery as I ended up spending more than £20.

Daisy loves Betty Spaghetty for the following reasons: firstly, it’s bright and vibrant — this is a really fun toy, perfect for my little one!

Secondly, Daisy reckons she’s a style icon (to be fair she is very

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decisive when it comes to how she and her dolls look) so the fact you can simply pop and swap the outfits and change the whole look of the doll is really great.

When her cousins come over, they bring their Betty Spaghetty dolls too — so they all have a wardrobe swap!

A really great toy, and super quality. And to repeat — cannot fault the price!

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Dad Simon loves his wheels, so it’s no surprise his little girl Beau does too! She was very taken with Toy State’s Nikko RC Barbie Convertible Beau is a Barbie kinda gal and I’m a dad who just loves motors. So you can imagine my delight when TnP asked me — erm, sorry Beau — to test Toy State’s Nikko RC Barbie Convertible.

This is a sweet little product that satisfied my boyish need for speed and Beau’s delight in anything Barbie. Mind you, she’s not averse to a bit of motoring action herself so once she got over the excitement of this being a Barbie car, she loved that it was an RC toy with real oomph.

You can fit two dolls into the car at once, but

Totally PAW-some!

Au g

MV Sports are market leaders when it comes 201 to licensed ride-ons and 7 wheeled toys. This PAW Patrol Scootin Suitcase is flying off the shelves and is exchanging on eBay for big money.

Six-year-old Alfie was lucky enough to have Uncle Joshie come to the rescue — see how they got on with it I wanted to buy Alfie something a little more grown up. I instantly knew MV Sports’ Scootin Suitcase would fit the bill perfectly It’s a sturdy piece of kit – I know this from experience, as when Alfie left it for a moment against the wall, I gave it a good go! But it's not only well-made, it’s clever too. It folds down and away, so doesn't take up loads of room in the car or on the porch, and he can also put all his toys in the case and carry it around on his scooter – it's more grown up, but cool and means his parents don’t have to carry armfuls of his things.

So, not only does my nephew think I’m PAWsome, but my sister thinks I am a caring kind of brother too. Good one MV Sports!

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given that Beau has many, this took time. It did give her ample opportunity to practise driving and reversing the car with the steering wheel hand controller supplied. From a parent’s point of view, I enjoyed taking Barbie and her pals for a spin! What surprised me most was the size of the car, it’s quite substantial. You get value for money, which I appreciated. The only thing — you need batteries for the car and steering wheel. That small point aside, Beau loved it and I did too!

Future flyer George loves anything techy and took to Revell’s Quadcopter Spot VR like a pro.

George's uncle Paul finds out more…

Even for technophobes Revell's Spot VR is a cinch. Everything is clearly labelled, and it took us a few minutes to download the free app. The big draw is the firstperson view, which lets you see what the quadcopter’s very good video camera sees by strapping a smartphone to your face with the included goggles. George, seven years old, took to flying it like a natural, and had a great time taking videos of us from up on high. Built to last, even in the wind the drone stayed steady, and there are multiple speed options Back at home, we had a great time going through the footage we’d captured. It's a startling amount of high-tech fun in one package, and incredible value.

I can see George having countless hours’ fun with the Quadcopter Spot VR.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

Blast off!

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My friends all wanted a go — boys and girls were all playing with them which made it a lot more fun!"

Herbie adds: “I want to have a Laser X party with all my friends — maybe we can have one at Halloween.

"I want more of these so my school can all play together."

Screecher feature Latimer and his brother Edison are mad fans of Alpha’s Screatures Wild. They, and their Uncle Rob, tell us why These are really brilliant little gifts for the boys. I didn’t spend that much on them but they play with them a lot.

It’s sort of a race game-cum-battling game but with a twist.

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Brother and sister Poppy and Herbie love playing fast and furious games together. But they really hit the jackpot when mum Claire surprised them with Character Options’ Laser X after school I knew they would really love the Laser X — they like to play rough and tumble and are competitive.

We visited the local playing fields with some of their friends and it was a smash hit! For something as technological as this, with two of everything in the pack coming in at less than 50 quid, it represents brilliant value.

Poppy says: “I've got really good aim and I was really good at hitting everyone — I got Herbie 10 times!

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The characters transform and they pop up really fast and unexpectedly, which adds a touch of drama to the proceedings!

All up, I think the toy is clever, fun and well-made and great value. It must have only cost half a penny a day the amount they have played with it so far — always good!

Latimer says: "Me and my brother Ed tried these toys out and at first I thought it was just a car, but it’s not! We battle against each other to pick up these discs without cars and when the car picks it up it transforms into a monster or animal — mine is a dragon and Ed’s is a bear. It’s cool and I've told my friends to get their mums to buy them too, so that we can have massive battles!”

High flyers Sister and brother Jess and Liam love gadgets – but they weren’t prepared for how much they would enjoy Toy State’s Nikko Air DRL Race Vision 220 FPV Pro drone. Their Uncle Joe tells TnP why the kids think they’re “the coolest thing ever” I have a confession — I bought these drones as a treat for my niece and nephew, but I can’t deny it was also as a treat for myself. Coming in at around £300 for the pair, this is on the higher end of what I'd pay for a toy, but I wanted to get them something special. I’m happy to report they were not disappointed, and Liam called it “the best thing he’s ever had".

And when you tot up everything that comes in the box, the value is there. Toy State have thought of everything. This is a complete package for getting airborne, and unpacking all the flashy bits makes this a show-stopping pressie. As well as the drone, there are goggles, the screen, and even all batteries, which was a big relief.

Once we were unpacked, all charged up and ready to go, it was time for lift off, and after just a few minutes they were able to whizz around with precision and play their own game of cat and mouse. This is when they began uttering “woah” and “cool” in half-whispers, words I heard all afternoon. The kids have had drones in the past, but the inclusion of the FPV goggles makes for an entirely different experience. “The headset makes it look like you are really flying,” said Liam.

Jess had a similar reaction, and she spent a lot of her time lining up shots from way up high. “I’m going to use these for my art project,” she said. “This is like the views you see on Planet Earth.” Agreed — although unfortunately there are fewer herds of buffalo on the great plains of Bedfordshire.

Like most kids their age they’re usually glued to an iPad, so it was great to see similar technology put to use in a way that got them out of the house and trying something completely new.

A big bonus for me was the fact they even got along the whole time they were flying, something I think Toy State should put as a feature on the box — worth the price of admission alone!

After their maiden flight, we popped back to the house for a recharge, and then it was back to the park for a race. Now, they were no professionals, but we set a course up, slaloming in-between the trees in the park. The prize for winning was racing me.

I got thrashed. But it’s the taking part that counts, and we had a brilliant time.

With Christmas just around the corner, this is a toy I would recommend to any parents who want want to get their kids outdoors.

4

Spotlight on GOLDEN BEAR Following a successful launch in AW17, Bush Baby World is currently the number one new plush property*. Golden Bear is building on this launch with a whole host of new introductions across 2018, including Princess Blossom, which launches at Easter.

Princess Blossom has ears that can waggle and eyes that can wiggle

Accessories include a glittery golden posd, comb and magical flower wand

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Made from super soft fabrics perfect for cuddles Contact Golden Bear 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com *(NPD Nov 17)

d can Glittery golden po ream e D be attached to th ets in ys Tree and other pla d range orl the Bush Baby W y value for additional pla

Best Tv launch on Nick Jr

DESIGN IT AND COMBINE IT!

Rusty Rivets™ & © Spin Master Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

Toys launching july 2018

Season 2 coming soon!

FEATURE

CHARACTER LICENSING

Bursting with character!

The world of licensing has always proved to be the perfect partner for the ever-evolving toy industry, but which brands are set to top the tree in the months to come? Sarah Welsh spoke to those in the know to see how 2018 is shaping up…

D

epending on when a particular character or brand enters a child’s life, they can hold their attention for a lifetime — and so Children the world of licensing will relate to always slot perfectly into the characters innovative toy industry. that are The fact that children latch onto certain characters, aspirational films, books and TV series – those that from a very young age they can means that the potential in the partnership between identify with licensing and toys is nothing and want to short of endless — something emulate the that’s highlighted year on skills, powers year at Toy Fair.

Profitable pull Why do certain characters and brands speak to children on a number of levels from a pre-school age?

“Children relate to characters that are

“

and qualities

Johanne Broadfield, Cartoon Network

”

aspirational,” says Johanne Broadfield, VP of Cartoon Network Enterprises EMEA, “those that they can identify with and want to emulate the skills, powers and qualities of. That’s what inspires them and fires up their imaginations.”

“Brands such as Peppa offer relatable characters with storylines that young children can relate to and learn from, and again offer fantastic licensing potential,” adds Vicky Hill, Licensing Director, Bulldog Licensing.

And what about the pull of children’s book characters?

Stephanie Grigg, Licensing & Design Director at the Roald Dahl Literary Estate says they can hold a special place in their heart forever.

“The average age that a Roald Dahl book becomes a part of a child’s life is around age five, possibly younger, with titles such as The Enormous Crocodile,” Stephanie explains.

“The Roald Dahl library of stories can then be read by a child right up until the age of 11, or even 12. This is a long period in the grand scheme of childhood.”

Katie Ball, Retail Partnership Manager for BBC Worldwide, adds: “Brand awareness for CBeebies was 98% in the last year and that means that 70% of pre-schoolers will have watched the channel in the last week. That’s a stat that’s unparalleled on linear TV and six times that of our nearest network.”

Past performers, new names For renowned agency Bulldog Licensing, having a great range of

characters on its books is part of the secret to its success.

“We’re lucky to work with a number of fantastic character licenses coming from a range of backgrounds,” says Licensing Director Vicky Hill.

“Content creators are incredibly inventive with the way they bring brands to life and enable consumers to interact with them.

Plus brand owners are now ensuring that brand is available at every touch point — commercial TV, streaming platforms or YouTube shorts.

“This year we are launching the first licensed ranges for Match Attax, the largest collectable trading card for kids, with fantastic evergreen appeal, and another exciting addition to the portfolio is Dinosaur Roar!”

BBC Worldwide’s Katie Ball says: “Something Special has been great for us, and our master toy partner Golden Bear will be adding the Mr Tumble Domino Train set and Nursery Rhymes with Mr Tumble plush to their range. We’ll also be looking to announce further details of two new pre-school properties this year.”

Johanne adds: "There will be the second wave of toys for Ben 10 in spring, exclusive softlines launches on The Powerpuff Girls, some very cool collaborations on Adventure Time, and plenty more."

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THE MULTI BAFTA AWARD-WINNING

· 2017 Children’s BAFTA Winner for Pre-school Animation! · 2017 BAFTA Award for We Love Animals App · Series 3 has been greenlit · Over 100,000 fans on Facebook · New category launches in 2018 HEY DUGGEE™ and character logos™ & © Studio AKA Ltd 2014. Licensed by BBC Worldwide Ltd. BBC logo ™ & © BBC 1996.

FEATURE

CHARACTER LICENSING

Vamp it up!

GP Flair

0208 643 0320 www.flairplc.co.uk

Pump up the action!

Joining the Just Play portfolio in spring is the exciting and innovative new Disney pre-school property, Vampirina! The girly but ghoulish new range brings the world of Transylvania to life with a line-up of dolls, figures, plush, role play and dress up. Look out for the fully articulated Vampirina Ghoul Girl Dolldressed in signature fashions from the show, the Glowtastic Friends figures, which light up when placed inside the Ghoul Glow Chamber, and the Hauntley’s Mobile vehicle which transforms into a moonlit movie theatre.

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products 020 3580 2000 www.nick.co.uk This year, demand for Slime will reach fever pitch. Nickelodeon has been synonymous with slime since the UK’s number one commercial kids network introduced the green semi-viscous substance to kids in 1982. Slime is the ultimate symbol of freespirited mess and the physical embodiment of Nickelodeon’s unconventional spirit.

The UK’s second annual Slimefest held in October 2017 and hosted by Nickelodeon’s very own Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely, ensured kids were treated to plenty of slime, music and mayhem.

The three-day event featured chart-topping acts during the half term. Now kids can surprise, celebrate and create in their own homes with a range of green gooey products, which will appeal to their sense of madcap adventure, courtesy of Sambro from April 2018.

The hero product is the Nickelodeon Slime Blaster. The pumpaction-style device is capable of projecting the infamous green liquid up to seven metres. Coming with 10 packs of instant slime in two colours, every kid will be fully prepared and tooled up for every subslime adventure.

Also available is a Hyper Blaster Accessory Pack, the ultimate way for kids to pimp up their Slime Blaster, which contains a holster for rapid reload as well as a further 10 packs of instant slime, ensuring that the action won’t stop. Additional Instant Slime Refills are available in packs of 10.

Nickelodeon and Sambro appreciate that some kids may want to be more creative with slime so a ‘Make your own’ range is also available. Comprising slime powder and slime activator, kids can mix, shake and make a choice of green, pink and blue slime.

Alternatively, kids can create with Glow in the Dark, Glitter and Noisy tubs of slime, which are all equally funny and surprising.

2018 is the year of the Slime, with a range of retail activations, public events and key moments including the Kids’ Choice Awards and a UK honorary sliming. These all tie in with Slime’s playful, funny, surprising, smart and unpredictable nature, ensuring that this will be one of the most talked-about ranges of kids’ products aimed at the three-plus market.

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FOR LICENSING OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE CONTACT US ON: EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA:

Jason Rice Director of Brand Licensing Email: jason.rice@sega.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 208 996 4568

Mh[r KZrÛ^e] Senior Licensing Manager >fZbe3 mh[r'kZrÛ^e]9l^`Z'\h'nd Tel: +44 (0) 208 996 4494

Kay Ferneyhough Retail & Trade Marketing Manager Email: kay.ferneyhough@sega.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 208 996 4407 ©SEGA

FEATURE

CHARACTER LICENSING

Super Sonic SEGA Europe

020 8996 4407 www.sega.co.uk With more than 25 years blazing a trail across multi-platform games, TV animation, consumer products, comics and live events, Sonic the Hedgehog today has earned the right to lay claim to being the world’s most iconic video game character of all time.

November 2016 saw the LEGO Dimensions Sonic level pack launch, featuring a re-imagined Green Hill Zone constructed with LEGO bricks. This was followed up in August 2017 with the wildly successful Sonic Mania and, most recently, the hugely popular 3D adventure, Sonic Forces.

SEGA’s portfolio also contains household names such as Total War, Bayonetta and Shenmue and legendary consoles, SEGA Mega Drive and SEGA Dreamcast. With such a diverse pool of content to draw inspiration from, it is no surprise that SEGA has partnered with some of the most notable and successful licensees over the years, including Tomy master toy partner for Sonic the Hedgehog and industry stalwarts including Rubber Road and Insert Coin.

SEGA’s goal of developing a global e-commerce platform kicked off last year in the US with the launch of a dedicated online store available across the Americas. 2018 will see a dedicated store for EMEA available throughout the region.

Sonic the Hedgehog isn’t just a leading video game, it’s a

TV stars BBC Worldwide 0207 612 3000 www.bbcworldwide.com With more than 55 years of history as the world’s longest-running sci-fi television show, Doctor Who is a global franchise, watched in more than 239 countries and with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide.

BBC Worldwide has nearly 70 long-standing, global licensees working on Doctor Who including Character Options, Penguin Random House, Winning Moves, Eaglemoss, Kokomo and Brand Alliance to name but a handful, and the licensing team have also seen renewed interest in the brand from new partners across new categories, and in new retailers in new territories.

Go Jetters, meanwhile, is a globe-trotting adventure packed with comedy, thrilling action and awesome sights. The pre-school animation from BBC Worldwide follows Xuli, Kyan, Lars and Foz, four plucky international heroes, who travel the world with their friend and mentor Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.

Key licensees for the brand include Fisher-Price for toys, alongside publishing from Penguin, magazines from Immediate Media and puzzles and games from Ravensburger. Aykroyd

198

global entertainment brand with a string of hits including the popular TV CG series Sonic Boom. Season 1 is currently airing on Netflix and Season 2 is now rolling out worldwide.

Plans are also in full swing for a global movie release. The film, from Paramount pictures, features The Fast and the Furious producer, Neal Moritz, and Deadpool director, Tim Miller. It promises to be a wild ride for fans of all ages.

Sonic is also a hit on mobile, and the latest release, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, quickly topped the mobile sales charts.

In less than two weeks, it hit two million downloads and still counting. Under the banner ‘SEGA Forever’, SEGA released its incredible back catalogue of retro titles from its classic consoles, all now playable on a mobile device.

and TDP have lines in nightwear, underwear and swimwear and Blue Sky Designs in art and stationery and activity products.

Another pre-school hit is Hey Duggee, the BAFTA and International Emmy Award-winning series from Studio AKA and the BBC. In the UK, the brand has signed multiple license partnerships including Golden Bear, which has extended its agreement with BBC Worldwide to make toys for the Hey Duggee brand.

The third series of Hey Duggee will be on CBeebies in 2018.

One of the BBC’s best-loved pre-school programmes is Something Special.

Using a sign language called Makaton, Justin and Mr Tumble help pre-school children learn how to communicate and develop language skills in a fun and exciting way.

Among the new products for 2018 are the Mr Tumble Domino Train and Nursery Rhymes With Mr Tumble features five well-known nursery rhymes and little ones will have hours of fun as they sing along with their favourite character. Both products are from Golden Bear.

Following the recent culmination of the 2017 Strictly Come Dancing series, BBC Worldwide has announced new partnership with John Adams to produce and distribute the first-ever official Strictly Come Dancing board game. Final artwork for the board game is expected to preview in London at Toy Fair 2018 and the product will be available at retail in July 2018.

Other new toy launches include the Mr Tumble Learning Pad Press from Trends UK Ltd.

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Toys and Playthings Template.indd 1

06/12/2017 10:13:36

FEATURE

CHARACTER LICENSING

So much character Character Options 0161 633 9800 www.character-online.com Character’s Peppa Pig toy range has had another great year; the launch of the classic collection has been a huge success, revitalising the Peppa brand within a very competitive market and will continue to be the focus. The Peppa vehicles and primary character figures are a great value offering, while collectable plush and, more recently, the Peppa Pig Mash’ems have driven volume. Peppa Pig has undoubtedly become a true evergreen license.

The core focus for the range in 2017 was plush, and research has backed this up with the target age being 12 months plus, even younger than we expected.

The sales of the 8-inch talking plush have been incredible and is one of Character's best volume pre-school lines again in 2017. The range was expanded to include Clip-on plush which are very suitable for pushchairs, floor gyms, car seats and other more parent oriented areas. In addition, the delightful and super cute Tiddlytubbies joined the range this summer, and have had a fantastic reception from parents and they really are making a splash with Supersoft giggling and even a crawling version; they add to the collectability and have driven incremental sales.

It’s toon time Turner Cartoon Network 0207 693 1000 www.cartoonnetwork.com Turner’s Cartoon Network is heading into 2018 with significant momentum behind its colourful line-up of kids’ entertainment brands.

The fresh take on Ben 10 sees the relatable, adventure-loving Ben Tennyson return in his original and favourite form, as a 10-year-old boy who transforms into aliens. The merchandise rollout is well underway, spearheaded by a strong range of toys from master global toy partner, Playmates. Flair is distributing the range in the UK with Giochi Preziosi handling Europe, and a second wave of toys is set to hit shelves in spring 2018.

In 2018 Cartoon Network will also continue to offer Ben 10 fans exciting ways to engage with the brand, such as the augmented reality 'Hero Experience' which toured across key European markets.

The original ambassadors of girl power The Powerpuff Girls soared back onto TV screens across the globe in April 2016 and awareness has been boosted through a raft of recent free-to-air broadcast launches over the past year. Targeting girls aged four to 12, with strong appeal to millennial women, the EMEA merchandise rollout is picking up speed with fashion at its core.

Adventure Time has high-profile partnerships including LEGO, Minecraft, Dr. Martens, McDonald’s and Desigual successfully taking the brand to even greater heights.

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Seaside special Silvergate Media 020 7151 0081 www.silvergatemedia.com Octonauts, which is owned and developed solely by Silvergate Media, follows a courageous team of underthe-sea adventurers who explore new worlds, rescue sea creatures and protect the ocean. In the UK the show is integral to CBeebies content platforms, both on linear broadcast and iPlayer, and is also available on-demand via the Sky Kids app. The show’s fifth season will launch in autumn 2018 and bring another 26 episodes to air.

Anchoring the Octonauts’ merchandise programme is master toy partner Fisher Price, which will introduce a fantastic new colour-change range and new vehicles for 2018. Immediate Media’s standalone monthly magazine is a top four pre-school title for boys, while Igloo Books launched a new range of activity and story titles last year.

Silvergate Media will continue to offer fans ways to engage with Octonauts, such as its long-standing partnership with Sea Life centres, which runs for two more years.

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LICENSING

NEWS

Lindsey joins Team Bulldog

Strictly business

Well-known industry figure Lindsey Chester will soon join Bulldog Licensing as its new Retail Licensing Manager.

Lindsey has a wealth of experience as a licensing executive and is respected throughout the sector. Her career has included stints at Entertainment Rights, CPLG, and 11 years at Fox. “I’m really excited about taking this role,” said Lindsey. “There is a fantastic range of brands in the Bulldog portfolio and I’m looking forward to developing our presence across the market and fostering strong and enduring relationships with retail partners and licensees.”

John Adams is getting its dancing shoes on in a new deal with BBC Worldwide to create the first Strictly Come Dancing board game.

John Adams will produce, manufacture and distribute the official Strictly Come Dancing board game under the partnership. Final artwork for the board game is expected to preview in London at Toy Fair 2018 and the product will be available at retail in July 2018.

TCG takes Miffy on board Toys and games company TCG is expanding its line-up of licensed brands with Miffy, the classic property loved by generations of children and families around the world.

Miffy is also the star of her own hit series, Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small, airing daily on Nick Jr. The popular brand, managed by Big Tent Entertainment and owned by Mercis Media bv, features the charming bunny that was created in 1955 by Dick Bruna. TCG’s Miffy games and puzzles for pre-schoolers will hop into retail beginning spring 2018.

Peter Rabbit hops on board with Jumbo Jumbo Games has inked a deal with Silvergate Media, the global licensing agent for Peter Rabbit Classic on behalf of Penguin Ventures, Penguin Random House UK’s licensing arm.

The agreement will see the addition of Beatrix Potter’s much-loved Peter Rabbit licence to Jumbo’s portfolio of high-quality children’s and adult puzzles.

The manufacturer will be releasing four new classic Peter Rabbit puzzles for children and adults in time for Easter 2018.

Oddbods signs master toy partner Star Wars range lands Disney has a wide portfolio of products to support the December release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

For fans of technology, littleBits is offering a Droid Inventor Kit, while the First Order BB-9E droid is available as an app-enabled droid. Fans of BB-8 can also test their building skills with the LEGO BB-8 kit.

Lenovo offers a smartphone-powered Jedi Challenges experience, while Wow! Stuff’s Jedi Training Remote allows would-be Jedi to top up their skills.

Hasbro, meanwhile, gives players the chance to go to either the light side or the dark side with the Choose Your Path Lightsaber.

JANUARY 2018

One Animation, creator of the hit animated series, Oddbods, has partnered with Kids Station Toys and Bentex Group as master toy and apparel licensees, respectively, in North America.

Kids Station will create a range of interactive electronic toys including small collectables, blind bags, playsets and plush accessories.

The first of these Oddbods licensed products will begin launching in autumn 2018.

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FEATURE RIDE ONS

Ride on time!

It’s not just adults who get an adrenaline rush from owning something smart and nippy with wheels! TnP found out how this expanding area of the toy business looks set to fare in 2018

A

toy category that promotes balance, coordination and independence The majority from a very young age, of children own beautifully made products some form of ridethat encourage children to on toy and there is get active and where design a product for each development goes hand stage of in hand with the highest safety levels - is it any childhood wonder that ride-on toys Phil Ratcliffe, MV Sports are as beloved by children of all ages as their parents?

While ride-ons have long been popular in more traditional forms, technological advancements have not only future-proofed this sector of the industry but also ensures it is continually evolving and expanding.

“The majority of children own some form of ride-on toy and there is a product for each stage of childhood — from a ride-on car for toddlers to a first bike, and then a stunt scooter or hoverboard for teens,” says Phil Ratcliffe, Sales & Marketing Director of MV Sports. “The traditional area of ride-ons has always been popular,

“

MV Sports 202

Mookie

but in recent years we have seen specialist scooters and bikes come through to expand the category.

Electronic products such as battery operated ride-ons, electric scooters and hoverboards have made a real impact on the market.”

Safety first Safety is always important, and never more so than with this category, says Christina Aikman, Marketing Executive for Mookie: “Safety is usually the most important aspect of a toy like a ride-on for parents, that offer a slightly higher aspect of risk.”

“Ride-ons are the perfect toys for getting kids active, while also fostering a sense of independence,” says Phil. “And children from as young as 18 months old can tackle a foot to floor ride or a basic triscooter.”

Meanwhile, Mookie’s Bug range allows young children to move in any direction, also encouraging them to learn pushing and steering skills.

Licensed to thrill “Quite simply licenses are very important

and we know that wheeled toys facilitate role play activity where children can act out and recreate adventures from their favourite TV shows or films,” Phil reveals. “Classic licenses such as Peppa Pig, Thomas & Friends and Batman are perennial favourites and in recent seasons we have seen success with new breakthrough licenses such as Paw Patrol, Trolls and P.J Masks.”

Christina adds: “Mookie had a lot of success from their partnership with Disney over the last few years with the Disney Cars, Disney Princess, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse designs in particular.”

What’s new?

“Due to the success of the ScrambleBug and ScuttleBug this market leading range was an obvious focus for expansion and progression for us. For 2018 the Bug range will expand further with the introduction of ScootieBug, a unique ride-on with three wheels for added stability which is ideal for toddlers aged two years and over. In addition to this we have SmarTrike introducing their revolutionary new fully-foldable trike later this year.”

“Our Stunted brand has been especially successful, tapping into an older market within scooters,” says Phil. “We are looking forward to unveiling our new Electrick range of powered scooters this year.”

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ABEC 5 BEARINGS

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Exciting New Models

DOUBLE CLAMP

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www.mvsports.com

0121 748 8000

FEATURE RIDE ONS

Moving on up!

MV SPORTS 0121 748 8000 www.mvsports.co.uk

MV is rolling in to 2018 with exciting array of innovative new product launches. My first 6v electric scooter is perfect for pre-schoolers with an easy push button accelerator and free-wheeling scooter mode. Our ride-ons and trikes have been updated with bett er specification models across our licensed and own brand ranges.

The new Sound FX sound and light combo units attach to any bike and scooter and offers iconic sounds and phrases from key character licenses such as Thomas, Peppa and PJ Masks.

Taking the wheeled market by storm are PJ Masks and Paw Patrol. Both these sought after ranges include scooters, skates, skateboards and bikes, along with authentic moulded battery operated ride ons, such as the super cool Catboys 6v Cat Car and Marshall’s 6v Fightin Fire Truck.

MV have the hottest new licenses to hit the streets.

Horsing around LITTLE TIKES 0845 0533 333 www.littletikes.co.uk With over 10 variations to choose from, the biggest selling car in the UK remains iconic in the garden (and home) as ever with one on four kids now driving a Cozy Coupe.

The Princess Horse & Carriage is the latest addition to the Cozy Coupe range with the ultimate princess fantasy coming to life. With a beautiful white horse at the front for imaginative play, this Cozy Coupe also comes with reins, which can be used by parent or child.

New for SS18, Little Tikes’ Pack ‘n Go Trike is supereasy for parents to carry, fold away and store. Meanwhile the compact Fold ‘n Go 5-in-1 Trike has a fully adjustable sun shade and reclining seat, so it will easily fit into the boot of a car. The Little Tikes Perfect Fit 4-in-1 Trike grows with children.

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L.O.L Surprise, Jo Jo Siwa and Hatchimals are all on fire right now and demand will be high for their bespoke scooters, bikes and skates.

MV’s action based licenses are stronger than ever; spearheaded by a formidable trio of Batman, Avengers and Star Wars. Joining the line-up for 2018 are Ben 10, Justice League, Avengers Infinity Wars and Jurassic World. Each property will showcase, a range of super cool bikes, skateboards and scooters.

Established ranges such as Wired, Grow and Go and E-moto have all had a refresh with new colours and modern designs. Racing past the competition is our new collection of sporty Electrick scooters with edgy new designs and trade up features.

Making trax RE:CREATION LTD 0118 973 6222 www.recreationltd.co.uk There’s usually something new and innovative from Razor to start the year and this year is no exception.

Toy Fair will see the company reveal the latest ride that will capture drift-fans imaginations for 2018. From the stable that brought the much-talked-about Crazy Cart drifting go-kart, this new ride on the block will be one to make a beeline for at the show.

The exclusive EverBalance technology that makes Hovertrax 2.0 such a smooth and accessible ride is also now set to feature in Hovertrax 1.5. With all the trademark detail that riders have come to expect from Razor, Hovertrax 1.5 offers an entry-point hoverboard in a streamlined, lighter-weight format. With a cruise speed of up to 6mph, the lithium battery-powered Hovertrax 1.5 offers a continuous run time of up to 45 minutes.

The brand that brought electric scooters into the mass market will continue to develop its offering with a refreshed new styling for Power Core electric scooters and impactful new colourways.

Also, look out for more for news on further new electric scooters to come.

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Feeling bullish HIPPYCHICK

www.hippychick.com 01278 434440 The Slex RodeoBull is poised to muscle its way to the top of every child’s wish list with its cool, sleek design and tried-and- tested ‘carver’ style incline technology.

RodeoBull is available from distributor Hippychick and is recommended for ages two to seven.

The RodeoBull features bull-shaped horns for steering, and the best that wheels have to offer – longboard style, the same as those used for skateboards.

The incline technology means kids can steer the RodeoBull both front and back at the same time, enabling them to throw all sorts of cool curves, tight or wide.

Wheeled wonder MARBEL 0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk Dare to be different — pursue a new adventure on and off-road with the versatile four-wheeled wonder, that’s the Trail Rider from Hape. Ideal for little ones to find their feet, this ride-on is suitable for ages 12 months-plus.

The versatility of this ride-on means parents can encourage children to explore mobility on smooth, flat, open spaces, then, as they gain confidence, propose different surfaces, longer distances and outdoor situations.

Offering a pop of vibrant red, make way for this speedy little ride-on, which is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. The Trail Rider comes with easy lean - to - steer, sturdy wheels and build.

JANUARY 2018

Get the speed bug MOOKIE TOYS 01525 722722 www.mookie.co.uk

The Bug ride-on’s have established themselves as a musthave toy for parents and children over the years, with both lines appearing in the top 10 items in ride-ons.

For 2018 the Bug range will expand further with the introduction of the ScootieBug ride-on with three wheels for added stability, which is ideal for toddlers aged two years and over. This funky colourful scooter features soft rubber grips, a height-adjustable handlebar and a nonslip deck. ScootieBug is the perfect first scooter for little ones.

ScuttleBug and ScrambleBug have shown to be very successful TV brands, with sales increasing by 80% when they go on TV. Mookie expects a similar reaction with the campaign launching the new ScootieBug lines. Mookie is also expanding its marketing strategy with the Bug range for 2018, using digital marketing and PR to raise awareness, providing a wider reach to consumers.

ScuttleBug, ScrambleBug and ScootieBug are the perfect first ride-on for growing toddlers to help develop their balance and steering skills. With a patented folding system, they offer a portable, easy-store and practical solution for the modern family.

LOOK BACK 2017 WITH MALCOLM NAISH

That was the ye a a look back at 2 0 TnP’s Founder Malcolm Naish takes a look at some of the events that caught his eye during what was a tough year for the UK toy industry

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Sylvanian Families celebrates its 30th year and Toy Fair is the place to celebrate.

Constantly a top brand with several Toy of the Year trophies under their belt during this period.

Can you believe that Martin Grossman’s favourite toy as a kid was a Dekkertoy Dalek outfit? This undoubtedly proves the longevity of Dr. Who and, of course, Martin – both outstanding survivors of our wonderful industry.

Another anniversary was John Adam’s 50th year. Many great brands such as Rubik, Ideal, Rummikub and much more.

Toy of the Year went to Spin Master’s Hatchimals with Smyths Toys voted overall Toy Retailer of the Year.

Despite being held over a Pizza Express, Toy of the Year remains the only worthwhile toy award to win.

We were all gutted to record the passing of a lovely toyman – Jim Brearley. His passing came far too soon for all those who knew him. We all had some great memories of Jim’s involvement in so many toy trade events including the North vs South annual football match always held at top professional grounds and raising thousands for various toy trade charities.

Tesco announce that they have finalised the purchase of wholesale giant Booker. A mere £3.7bn secures the deal subject to approval from the UK’s Competition Regulator.

Flair is enjoying big sales of its PJ Masks with deliveries selling out as soon as they appear on retailers’ shelves. One of their biggest fans, our Group Editor Mirella, has her three young boys committed to the cause!

The impact of Holly Willoughby’s millions of Instagram followers from her This Morning show gives Spinmaster’s Paw Patrol a big fillip when she shares a video of her two-year-old son excitedly naming his favourite characters.

Character Group’s Kevin Belcher celebrates his 60th birthday in great style at Nuremberg Toy Fair. Toy boy and ace football referee, Kevin will be officiating at the forthcoming 2018 match in Hong Kong this January.

LEGO top the TV spend charts for January with a £1,093,992 spend at rate card. Flair is second with a spend of £909,790 at rate card.

MARCH We interview Miles Penhallow of AIS as a precursor to its April show. Its play-room toy division is gaining members at an encouraging rate with Miles’s 30 years’ toy experience a major contributor.

(Miles, pictured above).

Vivid is bought by London-based private equity investor Privet Capital with big plans to accelerate Vivid’s growth path. The plan includes expansion overseas.

At the same time Vivid’s ex-MD Neil Bandtock announces that he will be joining Epoch as its MD to guide its Sylvanian Families and other brands.

Hypro must be the first toy company to advertise its products at Premier League football clubs. It finalises a four-match advertising campaign that kicks-off in May. Spinmaster announces global turnover for 2016 at $1.155 billion. A fantastic growth from 20 years earlier

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e ar that was...

2 017 N ION INIO OPIN OP NGNE SING R SI EN EN LIC RDNER GARD LIC N GA LVYN KELVY KE

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when it launched its first product with Vivid handling the UK sales.

Flair tops TV spending for February with £1,280,225 at rate card.

Helping the Independents, the Chancellor Philip Hammond announces the capping of Business Rates, limiting them to a £50 per month maximum.

Our licensing guru Kelvyn Gardner highlights the fact that nostalgia sells. Time and time again the toy industry brings back iconic brands for a new audience of kids.

Power Rangers, Paddington Bear, Doctor Who, Transformers, Barbie, My Little Pony, to name but a few that have enjoyed successful re-births.

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both Already azon Am ets Netflix and ger budg have big al, exclusive for originthan our own content C dear BB

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Master p lan

with an equally iconic group that includes Gary Grant, Phil Shayer, Alan Hassenfeld and Peter Brown. Organised by Gary it was a long lunch by all accounts, with many anecdotes shared relating to Richard’s history.

Toymaste r MD Ian Edm regional annual mem unds is a busy man bers’ mee between schedule the sprin tings and to speak g/summe with TnP the May makes the r catalogu Show next about the May Show e launch, importance month. He unmissab took time of building le... from his relations hips, top Ian, you’r licenses e always and wha speaking to your mem t bers

— how are they findi ng trading so far this year?

We’re curre ntly in Ireland for the start of our regio meetings, nal and the gener al feeling is that it’s alright, not a record break but the vast er, majority are more or less doing well. It’s all about expectation s: if you’v set your e targets at plus cent, then that’s proba 20 per realistic, bly not but about what if you’re honest can achie you know you ve, you’re bang chances are on the mark.

Does Easte r give retai lers something to focus on at this time of year?

Absolutely , yes. There ’s a bit of a quiet period up until then, but Easte r is increa becoming singly an occas ion for toy shops . Lots of parents are buyin g toys instea d of chocolate and sweets, and cash gifts Toymaster are quite MD Ian Edmu comm nds now, so there on money and ’s extra Our extra are buyingmembers opportunit y there.

Rather than own mon with their ey. on the day, focus aren’t spen They you have though, to take corporat ding a into consi e deration bud get, March and but investin April as whole. Our a own profi g their members are wise to that, and t your busin driving ess to a target and budg giveaways et or brand floats about for Easter, which on socia assets for the calen l media, use anyway, it all members doesn’t give dar a step up. gives our full pictur you the e.

“

”

How are you helpi ng your members to competitiv trade more ely on the street this high year?

Was that the visited Licen reason you sing Expo year? last Yes, absol utely, our a very worth team had Vegas last while visit to Las year, and returning they will be this year.

We had a lot

It’s the little bits and that pieces make difference. a We’re worki more close ng ly Four milli than ever with distribut on Toymaster cata brand mana ed each logues are gers, year licensors and marketeers to give our for want members, of a bette r phrase, help. So more whether of intere that’s point sting sale mater of ial, stock a great oppo meetings, and it was for consu rtunity to mer directly work more with the right peop le.

Fact!

It was Toymaster’s Ian Edmunds that we interviewed in April ahead of its May show. It distributes between its members four million catalogues and is also getting far more involved in licensing to help its members get a competitive edge when selling licensed products.

So look out for Ian and his team at Las Vegas’s Licensing Expo.

We report that Hasbro’s gaming business has soared 43% globally year on year, led by Toilet Trouble. Its CEO Brian Goldner told us: “I never thought I would actually get to talk about this game on an earnings call.” Of course, its other games such as Pie Face and Monopoly have also helped achieve these increases.

Nic Aldridge is announced as Bandai’s new General Manager, having left Flair to take up the role.

Another industry stalwart, Lolek Holzer passes away. In a career spent in the toy trade Lolek was a major player. His company Toy Works employed more than 400 people in Bideford, Devon, and when kids’ snooker tables were very big, his Pot Black range with Steve Davies was huge.

A toy trade mega icon for many years was Richard Beecham.

He bestrode the UK toy trade for many years with iconic brands such as Sindy, Louis Marx and Combex. Our photo (above right) shows Richard celebrating his 92nd birthday

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JANUARY 2018

17:03

MAY We visit Toymaster’s Harrogate show where fidget spinners are the current craze. It won’t last long of course, but companies such as Martin Grossman are certainly making hay while the sun shines. Let’s hope everyone got out sooner than most did with wrist bands last year!

Dave Martin leaves Funrise to head up Posh Paws following Barry Groves departure at the end of last year. Funrise very quickly brings in James Dixon who has a 20-year-plus history of toy trade involvement at the top level.

VTech announces record earnings of $2.08bn – a 12% increase on the previous year. With its acquisition of LeapFrog this figure is bound to increase even more.

PMS announces its Elves Behaving Badly range. These cute little dolls are set to take the trade by storm.

Hasbro head up the April TV expenditure charts with a £1,231,904 spend at rate card, closely followed by Mattel on £1,177,550.

Just announced that Avatar is returning.

There will be four sequels starting in December 2020.

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LOOK BACK 2016 WITH MALCOLM NAISH

JUNE We interview Bandai’s MD Clive Smith and recently appointed manager Nic Aldridge. So many great products including Power Rangers and ZAG’s Miraculous.

Roger Dyson receives his Lifetime Achievement award from the BTHA at its recent Toy Industry day. After a 40-year stint in the toy trade Roger is taking it a little easier now. His career saw him with many top brands including Palitoy, Ertle and Airfix, including a 21-year tenure with the BTHA and, of course, Toymaster. The Toy Trust has pledged to help victims of the Grenfell Tower fire disaster with a donation of suitable toys.

Two industry personalities pass away — David Pope who spent most of his career as a buyer for top retailers including The Entertainer, Hamleys, Woolworths and Beatties. Another David — David Samuel former MD of Robenau, whose company re-emerged as FEVA and subsequently Spinmaster.

The Wonderwomen film has recorded the highest-ever grossing opening weekend for a movie with a female director with a whopping $100.5 million in the U.S. domestic market.

Who ever said retailers don’t survive in the toy trade? Hopkins Toymaster of Wicklow Town, Co. Wicklow celebrates its 190th year, having started in 1827 overseen by the seventh generation.

JULY We interview the Argos buying manager Paul Kinge. He tips Spinmaster’s Luvabella as the one to watch for Christmas.

Character Group launches SoundMoovz at a fun party held in London’s OXO Tower. Apart from ace groover Joe Kissane, the SoundMoovz dance team put the product through its paces. Hasbro keeps up the pressure with a top TV spend at rate card of £1,123,341.

Smyths opens a new superstore in Hedge End, Hampshire.

B & M Stores announces sales worth £656.3m for its first quarter.

No wonder Asda is considering a £4.4bn takeover, according to the Sunday Times.

It’s always great when toy industry Mums and Dads have kids that excel in sport. Sue and Mike Barratt’s daughter Megan was part of the Great Britain team of four who took part in the European Pony Championships, with the team coming third.

Toy State sponsors the Drone Racing League final aired on Sky Sports with its Nikko brand.

It has have enjoyed its seventh year of recordbreaking growth in 2017.

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AUGUST Garry Lawford is senior buyer at Tesco and we interview him to find out what’s making the supermarket tick. His top Christmas guide includes Guardians of the Galaxy from Hasbro, Num Noms Nail Polish Maker from MGA, PJ Masks from Flair and PAW Patrol Sea Patroller from Spinmaster.

Tesco has doubled is exclusive toy lines for Christmas 2017.

LEGO appoints a new MD — Niels Christiansen replacing the British boss it hired earlier this year, who moves to a special advisory role.

Paul Weston leaves Vivid to start his own consultancy business after 30 years working with Tesco, Toys R Us and Vivid.

The Royal Mail unveils a new stamp featuring some of the most iconic and much-loved British toys that include Sindy, Spirograph, Stickle Bricks, Action Man and Meccano.

Hasbro again tops the July TV spend at rate card with £1,930,830, closely followed by Flair on £1,662,490.

Minions from the Despicable Me franchise became the highest-ever grossing animated movie genre by grossing £2.7. billion for Universal. They overtook Shrek, which stood at £2.68b.

SEPTEMBER London and Whipsnade Zoos run by the Zoological Society are interviewed. Tracie Nesham tells us that Plush is by far their largest category. Hardly surprising that this accounts for 65% of sales. Pocket Money toys are

toysnplaythings.co.uk

also very big for ZSL. It uses Toy Fair as its main chance to source new products.

Toys R Us goes into Chapter 11 in the US with the majority of suppliers pledging support for this stricken toy giant.

Vernon Franklyn enjoyed a party to celebrate 60 years in the toy trade.

At his retirement party, organised by Marcello Rossi, courtesy of Rubies, everyone is pictured with a Vernon mask. The store is bought by Howley’s Toymaster.

Flair tops the August TV spend with a £1,534,725 rate card spend.

Another toy shop in Helensburgh, Scotland, is saved from the scrap heap when Val Reynard stepped in to take it over when the owner decided to close down.

The locals are delighted with Val’s decision as it’s the only toy shop in town.

OCTOBER You can’t say that at TnP we don’t vary the type of toy buyer we interview. This month we featured Lee Shawyer of the gadget and gifting retailer Menkind. You would expect Game of Thrones and Harry Potter to be among their bestselling mainstream items. Also selling well is a giant wall-climbing spider that is radio controlled, and Professor Pengelly’s Putty.

Olympia Toy Fair is sold out as far as stand space is concerned. Manchester-based Sambro has opened premises in High Wycombe to give the company a southern base.

Meccano were for many years based in Binns Road, Liverpool, so it was fitting that Spinmaster created the famous Liver-Bird to front the recently opened Merseyside shopping centre.

University Games acquires Paul Lamond Games.

However, the plan is to run the two companies completely separately.

Keeping it in the family, Steve Richardson of SJR-Associates welcomes his daughter Ria to work with him in growing the business. SJR distribute Trefl and Dolu in the UK. Nice to see The Entertainer extending the life of the old £1 coin until the end of 2017 when most retailers stopped accepting them some months ago. You old softee Gary, but as one of his rivals says, “Every Old Pound Counts”!

NOVEMBER With the biggest audited circulation within the toy industry, Toys ‘n’ Playthings likes to vary its retail interviews and so it was in November when we visited the Natural History Museum to speak with Claire Bevan.

With so many school groups visiting the museum, the average spend per head is around £12. As one would expect, dinosaurs in all their guises are one of the biggest sellers. Toy sales represent almost 40% of its annual sales.

The annual Dream Toys event created

plenty of consumer interest and it was great to see a few new participants including Alpha.

The possibility of a merger between two global superpowers Mattel and Hasbro began to filter through. Some industry experts felt that this time there was a little more meat on the bone of this rumour. Mattel pretty quickly rejected the offer.

One of the nicest and most experienced ladies in the toy industry, Mary Wood, leaves Vivid to join Tomy Europe as its General Manager. Mary will be responsible for Tomy’s sales and marketing teams and will also oversee the central marketing responsible for developing its European brands.

Isaac Larian MGA’s CEO is gunning for counterfeiters particularly of its LOL Surprise product which has been targeted by a number of copycats.

Nice to see the Palitoy factory in Coalville near Leicester granted the green plaque, which is only given to a handful of sites within the county. Installed at the Coalville Business Park where Palitoy once stood, Bob Simpson, MD from 1969 until 1981, attended the ceremony.

DECEMBER Everyone is talking about the sad state of Toys R Us. As we go to press the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) is intending to block the proposed restructuring of Toys R Us due to the £9m shortfall.

It looks likely that unless the money is forthcoming into the fund then the CVA will not be going ahead.

With a compromise deal that would see the deficit wiped out over the next 10 years, the PPF now has to consider this.

With more than 3,000 jobs hanging in the balance, everything is on a knife edge.

Having first announced the news of Toys R Us opening in the UK in 1983, it looks like a sorry end to this retail giant.

Many of its creditors want to continue working with TRU in their new guise.

We interview Simon Joseph of The Works — a retailer with both stores and an online presence.

Growing from a book store business. The Works now include toys, stationery, and arts and crafts as part of the mix, with toys making up around 25% of total sales.

Traditional games and wooden toys are big sellers and it has done well this year with its fidget spinners.

Slime has also been a big success for the stores.

Toy Fair and Spring Fair as well as the Hong Kong Toys & Gifts Fair are its main shows.

TNP

LOOKS BACK

Step back in time A rather personal look back through time beginning with January 1987, 1997, 2007 and 2012 by TnP Founder and MD Malcolm Naish

January 2013 January 2013 Volume 32 Number 4

• Mattel was advertising Barbie Dreamhouse and we showed her off wearing a fab pink glitter dress.

• This month sees the 60th anniversary of Toy Fair. It would be interesting to publish the list of exhibitors from 1953 and from 2018 to see how many of those 1953 companies have stood the test of time.

• Much older than the BTHA Toy Fair is Paul Caspari, who celebrated his 90th year back in 2013. God knows what his thoughts on ladies being invited to join the Fence Club would have been!

© 2012 STUNTED .

STUNTED is a registered trademark of MV Sports & Leisure Ltd. All rights reserved.

TM

• We were running a page written by Wendy Munt. I loved her advice to buyers: “Talk less, listen more and keep your cool.” I wonder how many of the current crop of buyers cam manage that?

• To be fair Wendy does give some great advice. Her “Knowledge is power – Prepare and research thoroughly” is well worth heeding.

January 2008 • Barbie Mariposa was on our front cover for Toy Fair.

• There is some trade talk concerning the possibility of Toymaster and Youngsters joining forces. Toymaster will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in May and I for one do not believe they will ever become one buying group.

• While talking about anniversaries, Power Rangers celebrates its 15th year.

• In our toy trade salary review for 2007, Cavendish Maine’s Amanda Holder tells us the average salary for sales rep. is between £23,950 to £28,000. For key account managers this rose to an average of £29,750 plus 10% of salary in bonuses.

January 1998 • Really Rad Barbie takes our Toy Fair front cover. With a new face, new shape and new attitude she’s ready to conquer the world.

• Alan Baxter’s Jolly Giant group is forced to call in the receivers after RSB withdraws its cash and overdraft facility, so not a great start to the New Year.

• The Leisuretime brand is acquired by United Overseas.

• John Harper takes over as MD of Hedstrom’s European business. Hedstrom is a major manufacturer of outdoor play equipment.

• Daisy & Tom opens its second store in Manchester’s Deansgate.

• The BTHA’s Roll of Honour recognises two toy trade pioneers. Lesley Smith, Co-founder of Matchbox Toys, and Ole Kirk Christiansen, Founder of LEGO. Ole Kirk ran his own joinery business back in 1932 and to supplement this business he made by hand a few wooden toys. In 1934 he named the company LEGO — LEg GOdt —which means Play Well.

• The rest as we all know is history.

January 1988 • Sylvanian Families won the Toy of the Year award.

• Supporting the independent retailer as ever, I highlight that certain toy companies advertising on television are including retail prices at below cost, which I assume is the price being offered by some of the majors. As one retailer told me: “I can’t even buy this item at the advertised price, let alone make any money on it.”

• Upper Thames Wholesalers resigns from Toymaster, effectively reducing its membership by 25%. A main concern was the situation with regard to warehousing that appeared to favour the smaller retailer as larger members had their own warehousing on-site.

210 1

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Test a publisher’s statement of circulation. In today’s business climate you can’t afford not to.

Our ABC Certificate provides accurate, independently verified circulation figures, giving you confidence in your advertising investment.

If you want to reach 5,121* total average net circulation, then call Ryan Horwood on 01442 289945 or email ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk *. Circulation figure relates to period from 1st July 2016 to 30th June 2017

For more information visit www.abc.org.uk or email info@abc.org.uk

DON’T MISS… We bring to the fore a selection of the hottest and newest products that will help you sell more. Buyers and retailers, get in touch with your sales contact now!

Product: Super Wings Deluxe Transforming Vehicle – Jett Company: Alpha Animation & Toys Tel: 01293 804599

Product: Spiro Spin Company: Mookie Toys Tel: 01525 722722 Web: www.mookie.co.uk

Product: Staccups Company: University Games Tel: 03334 050120 Web: www.university-games.co.uk

JANUARY 2018

Product: Detective Dog Company: Chicco Tel: 020 8953 6627 Web: www.chicco.co.uk

Product: Marshall’s 6v Fightin’ Fire Truck Company: MV Sports Tel: 0121 748 8000

Product: Talk And Sing Nella Company: Vivid Tel: 01483 449944 Web: www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk

Product: MARVEL Mighty Muggs Black Panther Company: Hasbro Tel: 020 8569 1234 Web: www.hasbro.com/en-gb/

Product: Aquarium Company: Playmobil Tel: 01268 548111 Web: www.playmobil.co.uk

Product: Kidi Super Star Move Company: VTech Tel: 01235 546838 web: www.vtech.co.uk

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Helping everyone sell more Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,121

1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017

8 ry 201 Janua No. 4 7 Vol. 3

Š 2018 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CONTENTS P16

18 ry 20 Janua No.4 7 Vol. 3

TEAM TnP Group Editor Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

P6

4

Leader – with Mirella Anstey

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Cover story – Mattel shares an extended look at its brands for 2018. From innovative new Barbie lines and 50th anniversary celebrations for Hot Wheels, to global brand campaigns that will be bringing some of the best loved toy brands to life, TnP found out what to watch from this toy giant in the coming 12 months

10

Range in Focus – Toy State brings innovation by the bucketload to its ranges, and this year is no different.

Discover the latest and greatest launches for 2018 – from airborne Nikko Air drones to the latest licensed lines

16

Nuremberg Toy Fair 2018 – It’s here! The world’s biggest toy fair is just around the corner and anyone who is anyone in the toy industry makes it their business to be there.

We know how important this annual trip to Nuremberg is and so TnP has gathered information from key suppliers to give you a comprehensive show guide. Now you can do your planning well in advance!

Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design and Production Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

1 Churchgates, The Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2UB Telephone: 01442 289930

At the heart of retail

P10

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,0101 July 2016 to 30 June 2017

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Helping everyone sell more

Š 2018 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

LEADER Mirella Anstey

A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Independently audited ABC circulation of 5,125 1 July 2016 to 30 June 201harris

PUBLISHING

At the heart of retail Also published by Lema Publishing

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If you would like to subscribe to any of our other market leading titles please call Robert Thomas on 01442 289930 or email your request to robert@ lemapublishing.co.uk

JANUARY 2018

Our Nuremberg preview starts on page 16

Y

“

815 of which exhibit solely at es, it is Why is the Nuremberg event. But for showtime.

And just Spielwarenmesse such a vital buyers the numbers relating to products are motivation enough when you show? Well, for me it is to book a ticket to the city for think the seemingly simple – there is nowhere the show. The show features one endless run of shows else in the world that you million products – 100,000 of might be over – no which are new products - I know, – the biggie smacks can see the breadth of impressive! you in the face. I am brands and the array of The permanent toy hall, 12.2, of course referring product all under one roof really is a sight to behold – full to the wonderful of top quality brands, sleek (and mammoth) and shiny showrooms packed Spielwarenmesse. with innovative creations. And Unquestionably the naturally it is always busy – when you have largest toy fair in the world the Nuremberg Toy the crème de la crème in one hall, it is to be Fair is essential visiting for anyone serious about expected, after all. And we would urge you to buying toys – major, grocer or independent. take a good look at this special flip and plan Once again, Team TnP has created its signature your show. Head up to our friends at Toy State flip cover so you can focus easily on the – learn more about their wonderful range in Spielwarenmesse and all the essential information the coming pages – and of course once you are from the finest toy companies exhibiting there there, head in to Mattel’s showroom – you’ll need and keep it entirely separate from what you will be a good hour or more! seeing at the London show.

But with so many halls, showcasing a great Why is Spielwarenmesse such a vital show? Well, variety of product types and price points – the for me it is simple – there is nowhere else in the Spielwarenmesse truly offers something for world where you can see the breadth of brands everyone. and the array of product all under one roof. Is it The show has a relaxed and convivial feeling easy? Is it heck?! The halls are large and they are numerous in number. But the truth remains - where about it and there are lots of opportunities to mix with the trade – many of who can be found else can one pay a visit to a toy giant like Hasbro in O’Shea’s or Finnegan’s Wake pubs – not that or Mattel and then pop down to visit a niche we cast aspersions on our dear friends in this marble specialist? You see my point. business! Flip this magazine over and catch up In short, the Spielwarenmesse features more than 2,850 exhibitors from more than 60 countries, with the brightest and best of the London Toy Fair!

”

4

Š 2018 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

COVER FEATURE MATTEL

The wonder of childhood Your Subsidiary Name

Mattel brings excitement and innovation to the toy industry in 2018 with bold brand campaigns, content and product. Learn more in our extended cover story...

6

© 2018 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

© 2018 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. © 2018 HIT Entertainment Limited.

“

Fisher-Price continues to build brand affinity with mum with its Let Kids Be Kids brand campaign

B

arbie continues to evolve, empowering kids to try on every facet of who they can become, from a princess to a president, bringing this to life as only Barbie can. Barbie builds on the You Can Be Anything brand message celebrating how Barbie inspires the limitless potential in every child.

In 2018, Barbie will lead with a brand campaign to empower girls through sharing inspiring stories, showcasing inspiring women, and helping girls to believe that if they can see it, they can be it.

Barbie will play with purpose, showcasing varied and exciting careers throughout the product line, including the new You Can Be A Chef range featuring the Barbie Bakery Chef playset!

All new diverse looks and ontrend styles for 2018 will extend the already varied world of Barbie Fashionistas. Further ethnic and body diversity will be introduced in the key segments of Dreamtopia and Careers. Exciting SS18 feature dolls bring to life the magic of

8

70 years of Scrabble Family favourite Scrabble, which now offers extended play features with Scrabble Deluxe and Junior editions, is gearing up for the amazing 70th Anniversary celebrations in 2018!

A bumper year will kick off this amazing milestone, with a digitally-led marketing campaign, partnerships and PR activations.

”

Barbie Dreamtopia with the Barbie Dreamtopia Flying Wings Fairy Doll and the Barbie Dreamtopia Brush ‘n Sparkle Princess.

Fisher-Price, a leader in early childhood development, continues to build brand affinity with mum with its Let Kids Be Kids brand campaign.

The campaign celebrates kids, what makes them unique and how parents can best nurture that inherent nature by just letting kids be kids. It also demonstrates how Fisher-Price offers different approaches to learning for all personalities, with toys to benefit children’s development.

Innovative new product offerings include the BabyGear 2-in-1 Sit-to-Stand Activity Centre, entertaining little ones with fun activities. Continuing to be a key focus to the category are the Roarin’ Rainforest Jumperoo and Rainforest Curve Bouncer, providing baby with a safe environment to relax and play.

For the Newborn range, the Rainforest Deluxe Gym responds to baby’s movement with music, lights and nature sounds, while the Kick & Play Piano Gym enhances hand eye coordination and stimulates visual senses.

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The popular Infant Laugh & Learn range introduces new toys, with a refresh on fun favourites that all include the Smart Stages technology and learning content, which grows and expands with three levels of play that best fit baby’s age and stage. The interactive Puppy’s Check-up Kit offers up a healthy dose of learning and role-play, while the popular Sweet Manners Tea Set continues to develop skills with shapes, numbers and colours Also in the range is the Learn with Puppy Walker, supporting little ones as they take their first steps.

New to the Pre-school Think & Learn category, the Seek & Spell Penguin helps pre-schoolers discover all about the alphabet, phonics, and spelling.

Fisher-Price also has an exciting portfolio of character brands, with new launches including the Imaginext Jurassic World range. Shimmer & Shine introduces the Rainbow segment with new rainbow dolls, while Blaze and the Monster Machines launches the new Tune up Tires with Tow Truck Blaze segments. Bing continues to teach children about the world around them with Bathtime Bing, while for Octonauts is the Peso Medical Kit, and Go Jetters introduces the Jetpad & Mini Vroomster.

In 2018, Thomas will be introducing kids to the bigger world around them through the wonder and awe of trains, providing a trusted friend for adventure and discovery.

There will be changes to the episodic series with new characters and adventures, plus the exciting release of the new Big World,

Big Adventures! film. Fun new products will continue to bring the brand to life with exciting additions including the cute My First Thomas & Friends Railway Pals Track Pack, to expand existing playsets Destination Discovery, Mountain Adventure and Rescue Tower. Meanwhile the TrackMaster Twisting Tornado Set takes children on a whirling adventure with motorised action.

Also in the range, the Minis Boost ‘n Blast Stunt Set and Adventures Robot Rescue join the different segments and Thomas & Friends Wood relaunches with new look engines.

Hot Wheels gears up for an epic 50th anniversary year in 2018 with a new brand campaign, Challenge Accepted, celebrating how Hot Wheels ignites and nurtures the challenger spirit that lives within every kid. A series of exciting and dynamic activations will celebrate this iconic anniversary. Hot Wheels will also create a dialogue with mums to communicate the value of Hot Wheels play, which combines competition, experimentation and creativity to provide thrilling vehicle challenges that develop the skills and confidence kids need to take on the world.

Hot Wheels will ignite the challenger spirit with expansion of the Track Builder range with Stunt Boxes, the ideal kit to start any kid’s Track Builder Hot Wheels collection and a re-launch of Hot Wheels City with animal themes, motorised and colour-changing elements to extend imaginative play for younger fans.

All new track sets allow fans to connect with existing sets to increase thrilling track adventures. Hot Wheels will also launch special edition Zamac Flames and Black and Gold 50th Anniversary cars with a gold chaser car available to find.

Enchantimals, an adorable animalthemed girl’s property which launched in summer 2017, creates a fantastical place nestled in nature and celebrates caring and compassion towards all living things.

In 2018 it introduces new character and product launches including a Hedgehog, Parrot and Cheetah, themed playsets and vehicles, along with all new content.

Family favourite Scrabble which now offers extended play features with Scrabble Deluxe and Junior editions is gearing up for the amazing 70th Anniversary celebrations in 2018! A bumper year will kick off this amazing milestone, with a digitally-led marketing campaign, partnerships and PR activations.

The Mattel games portfolio includes fun games for kids and adults, 2018 sees expansion to the classic card game UNO bringing kids exciting licensed editions with new themes, extended features including Pop Culture to ultimate party game Pictionary, new Escape Rooms Box game requiring players to crack codes and unlock hidden clues and interactive point scoring games.

Mattel also offers a dynamic portfolio of partner brands with new excitement in 2018 from Disney Pixar’s Cars 3, DC’S Aquaman, DC’s Batman, Jurassic World, WWE and DC Superhero Girls.

Fact!

Hot Wheels celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2018 with a new brand campaign Challenge Accepted, to support the brands latest product launches.

JANUARY 2018

9

RANGE IN FOCUS TOY STATE

The state of play Toy State’s continued efforts to pack innovation into every new product sees 2018 shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in the company’s history. From the hottest licenses like Barbie and Marvel, to the company’s signature, feature-rich lights & sounds vehicles, retailers can be sure to find exactly what their customers are after. TnP took an exclusive closer look at the latest from Toy State’s brands, including Nikko RC, Nikko Air, and Road Rippers, plus a host of licensed offerings – from Cat to Spider-Man.

High profile Nikko Air is set to soar to new heights this year, with innovative new takes on the drone phenomenon providing fun and excitement for pilots of all ages and abilities.

Air Elite 115 Race Set Ages: 8+ Available: Now! The lowdown: Customise and build your own course and race your friends through the sky with this Air Elite 115 Race Set! Packed with variable flight modes from beginner to advanced, multiple speed settings, Auto Fly Technology and 16 onetouch stunts.

Stunt 75

Ages: 8+ Available: A utumn 2018 The lowdow n: Stunt 75 race drone d elivers extre me stunt perform ance for pilots who li ke thrilling fa stpaced racing experiences .

10

ower™ r h T e m a l F r Two Time

Ages: 3+ 18 Spring 20 n burn dow Available: our turn to y 's It r : e n w o Tim The lowdyo! Choose from the Twto rised

a h mo the highw , each wit r™ e k a ted illumih S e and simula s and Bon d n u o s es. ts and their engin drive, ligh m o fr g in s es ri nated flam

Driving licenses With some of the biggest kids’ licenses on the planet, from Hot Wheels to Barbie, Toy State is giving fans new ways to explore their favourite stories and worlds.

Barbie™ SUV

R/C

Ages: 6+ Available: A utumn 2018 The lowdow n: Barbie is about to ro ll up in style !

The Barbie SUV R/C ha s a wheel-ope rated RC remote so y ou can mak e those sharp turns and g et Barbie to w here she ne eds to go along with workin g headlights.

Spider-Man Monocycle™ Ages: 6+ Available: Autumn 2018 The lowdown: You control SpiderMan as he heads into action driving his monocycle. Featuring lights, sounds and perfect balance for an all new RC experience!

JANUARY 2018

11

RANGE IN FOCUS TOY STATE

Street Vortex™

Ages: 3+ n 2018 Available: Autum sports car n This motorised The lowdown: ith from tomorrow w is pulled straight a d an e otorised driv lights, sounds, m n. tio ra aximum accele pop-up fan for m

Road to fun

Carrying momentum from its 20th anniversary year in 2017, Road Rippers speeds in 2018 with ultra cool vehicles packed full of features. With multiple play functions, lights and sounds, and all the best licensed and custom body styles, it’s sure to keep playtime rolling.

Maximum Boost™

Ages: 3+ Available: Spring 2018 The lowdown: Custom vehicle s with dramatic rocket boost features. Kids can pop a wheel ie and trigger the exciting rocket launch action when motorised forward drive is activated. Pu sh buttons for lights, realistic sou nds and great music.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

Rush & Rescue® with Trailer Ages: 3+ n 2018 Available: Autum u can help out on The lowdown: Yo the water. This the streets and on hicle is towing a push-powered ve d features lights an rescue boat and ue sc re make the relaistic sounds to entic. th au look and sound

Rush & Re scue® with Traile r

Ages: 3+ Available: Autumn 2 018 The lowdo wn: You c an help out on the streets an d on the water. This push-pow ered vehicle is to wing a res cue boat and fe atures ligh ts and realistic so unds to m ake the rescue look and s ound authentic.

s™ Real Work uad Rescue Sq Fire Truck

Ages: 3+ 18 Autumn 20 Available: otorised wn: This m The lowdo rised cludes moto fire truck in and and sounds the drive, lights d dder. Exten a working la h lig tosition the ladder to p r the annon’ ove up ‘water c ssory to flame acce illuminated ‘put it out’.

13

RANGE IN FOCUS TOY STATE

rsary 60th Annive er™ Turbo Panth Ages: 8+ pring 2018 Available: S for off-road : Get ready n w th o d w lo e Th al edition 60 ith the speci w s y g re g tu u n b ve ad er. This Turbo Panth Anniversary power and is ce n a perform h ig h rs e liv ith its deep de any terrain w le ck mes ta to y d rea ension and co sp su ll fu d n tire treads a retro style. in an iconic

Omni X™

Ages: 8+ Available: Autum n 2018 The lowdown: Get

ready for the extreme perfor mance and side ways sliding action an d 360 spinning with Omni X. D rive, spin and dr ift your way to the finish line with this powerful vehicl e.

Taking control Very few brands last 60 years and even fewer are synonymous with creative innovation and leadership throughout their entire history. This year Nikko celebrates 60 years of quality and endurance to keep up with whatever kids can dish out, with action packed RC vehicles that can tackle all terrains, from land and water to snow!

VaporizR™ 3 Ages: 8+ Available: Spring 2018 The lowdown: Tackle any terrain no matter the weather with the VaporizR 3!This fullfunction vehicle can go on land, water and in the snow.

Become the envy of the offroad with this amphibious RC vehicle.

1:16 Audi DTM Ages: 8+ Available: Spring 2018 The lowdown: Awesome racing car offering a perfect combination of performance and speed with real race livery.

toysnplaythings.co.uk toysnplaythings toys

Mini Machine™

Play

set Ages: 3+ Available: Spri ng 2018 The lowdown: Little builders ca n enjoy big fun w ith the Mini Mac hines Playset. With tw o machines and 12 play accessories , pre-schoolers can lift, roll, push an d pull in this wo nderful worksite. Perfe ct for both pro je ct play and imaginary fun.

Built to last Little builders will love digging into the latest construction vehicles from Toy State in partnership with leading construction brand Cat — finished in its signature yellow colourway.

Ultra Sand Set

™

Construction Zone-Fold Out Worksite™ Ages: 3+ Available: August 2018 The lowdown: The 16” kid powered Fold Out Dump Truck Playset is the ultimate Cat machine! With more than 15 play pieces, this mighty machine opens up to become a sprawling worksite that gives little builders a lot of work to do. Have fun all day with ramps, containers, a crane, three Mini Machines, and more.

Ages: 3+ Available: Spri ng 2018 The lowdown: The ultimate 2-in-1 sand dum p truck.

With Cat Tough Tracks Ultra Sand Set, kids can rake, shovel, dig and dump in either dump tru ck or sand dozer mode. W hether it's beach or sandb ox, the Ultra Sand Set is read y for action!

PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

Toying with trade show success With show stats this good it’s no wonder there will be a stampede to Nuremberg come the end of January for anyone and everyone who wants to talk toys. TnP finds out what all the buzz is about at the city’s international toy fair…

T

he Northern Bavarian city of Nuremberg offers up centuries of history, stunning medieval architecture and coffee that’s as strong and dark as its beer.

But it’s also where, early every year, toy markets from across the globe meet at the city’s exhibition centre, in an event widely considered to be the most important in the toy industry calendar.

From 31 January to 4 February, 2018, Nuremberg will welcome 2,850 exhibitors from more than 60 countries, showcasing an amazing one million products – 100,000 of them completely brand new.

The toy fair will throw its doors open to 73,000 visitors who have travelled from more than 120 countries to attend – and for good reason when you consider that 820 of the show’s exhibitors don’t go to any other trade event. No wonder Nuremberg is a networker’s dream and crucial for anyone in the toy business.

But what do some toy industry experts say about this beautifully curated and much-loved international event?

Essentials What: Nuremberg International Toy Fair When: Wednesday, 31 January to Sunday, 4 February 2018 Where: Nuremberg Exhibition Centre, Nuremberg Visit: www.spielwarenmesse.de

Peter Lockey, Founder and Owner of The Puppet Company, says 2018 will be the company’s 14th visit to Nuremberg, with staff eager to return each year.

“We started in the ‘New at Show’ section on a 2x2m stand, but for 2018 we have booked 47 square metres,” Peter reveals to TnP. “The show is the place to be if you want to show your products to a worldwide audience. We have opened accounts from around the world due to our continued presence at this show. puppets — we pick up a lot of bespoke “The mix of visitors at Nuremberg is work as well.” truly international and we always have Wendy Hill, Brand Activation Director at least two bilingual interpreters on the at Mattel, adds: “Quite simply, as Europe’s stand and having been at the show for largest toy fair, it is extremely important many years we already for us to be at have an existing Nuremberg. customer base, but “There’s always an exciting It’s a key I would be very opportunity ambience at the show surprised if we came to showcase and, given its international back with less than our brands to a 100 new reputation, Nuremberg retailers. business “This year does have a wider leads — we have a reach than some of the and not fantastic just for range of other trade shows” our own products Anthony Grimaud, that we’ll be Vice President Global showcasing and we’re Sales, HTI Group looking forward to some great customer meetings throughout.”

Anthony Grimaud, Vice President of Global Sales for the HTI Group, says that Nuremberg acts as a platform for toy brands and businesses to develop globally.

“Attending Nuremberg is a must for HTI. After showing there for more than a decade it made strategic sense for us to invest in a permanent stand. This now serves as a location for HTI to finalise programmes with our existing customers as well as demonstrating our commitment to the international market and clientele.

“There’s always an exciting ambience at the show and, given its international reputation, Nuremberg does have a wider reach than some of the other trade shows.

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© 2018 Alpha All rights reserved.

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PREVIEW

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Top Show Tips It gives HTI the chance to meet with customers outside of the UK, which is a key objective for our business.

“We run our stand on appointments only, but while a majority of our visitors are existing customers, we generally always make new contacts at the show as well.”

“Make sure you get dropped at the right entrance of the hall – or it’s a long walk! Also bring layers to cope with the cold outside and the heat inside.”

Wendy Hill, Brand Activation Director, Mattel

Plenty to shout about “Nuremberg is an event where we showcase new and “If you get time visit the Toy Museum, which innovative designs for has a wonderful collection of vintage toys. the year ahead,” says Puppet Company’s The city puts on concerts at many of the Peter Lockey. churches and do not miss the huge firework “We show samples display at the exhibition centre on the of proposed new Saturday night.” ranges to gauge Peter Lockey, Owner and Founder, The Puppet feedback from our Company buyers and this gives us a means of “Plan your visit as the fair is huge, and measuring what the arrange your appointments in advance with demand and reactions the people you really want to meet.” to them will be.

Céline Lustig, International Marketing Manager, “Overall we’re Toy State looking forward to meeting with a lot of our customers, and excited to showcase our new and refreshed lines “The show is a joyful from our key categories,” HTI’s celebration of all that Anthony adds.

“With the Jurassic World 2 is good in this industry, movie appearing in cinemas which we are so pleased to from June 2018, there will no be a part of,” Peter Lockey, doubt be an increase in the already popular dinosaur Founder and Owner, trend, while slime and putty The Puppet Company will also be a top hit for the New Year.

“Another key trend is the continuously strong vehicles category that constantly dominates the industry."

Coffee Break With…

Céline Lustig, International Marketing Manager, Toy State

Why is Nuremberg so important for business?

We have exhibited at the show for more than 20 years, first with the Nikko brand and since 2014 as Toy State. It is a special event where all the international toy market players meet and make business.

Does Nuremberg feel more international than other shows?

Absolutely and because of its location we see a much wider variety of retailers visiting our show stand. We make a number of new contacts each year, not only with retailers and distributors, but also potential new licensing partners.

What are you hoping to achieve at the 2018 show?

This is a special year for us as the brand Nikko is celebrating its 60th anniversary and we are delighted to introduce a special 60th anniversary edition Turbo Panther buggy with an iconic retro style.

We also have a strong new line with a sound mix of innovative RC and LS cars as well as new racing drones supported by strong licenses such as Hotwheels, Barbie, Disney, Cat and DRL. Exciting new toys we are set to introduce this year include a Spiderman Monocycle, new Barbie SUV and a fire truck with unique play features. All good reasons to visit us at Toy Fair!

Toy State 16

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PLAY DIFFERENT......

Discover over 150 new products for 2018 Come and visit us at The Nuremberg Toy Fair Stand C13-D10

32 High Park Road • Kew Gardens • Richmond • TW9 4BH • United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 8878 2133 | janod.com - kaloo.com - alexbrands.com

PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

Time for take-off ALPHA ANIMATION & TOYS 01293 804599

Hall 1 2.0 Stand H04-5

If innovation and excitement get your juices pumping, Alpha Animation & Toys’ Nuremberg stand is the place for you. Visitors will be given the opportunity to view Alpha’s full product offering across girls, boys, pre-school and RC. Super Wings, the popular pre-school TV show, continues to go from strength to strength. It continues to evolve into 2018 with some fantastic new products for autumn. At over 14in tall, Jett’s Super Robot Suit transforms from a free-wheeling vehicle to a free-standing figure that can conquer even the toughest problems. With lights, sounds, and a Transforming Jett Vehicle included, this item will be a hit with any Super Wings fan. Jett’s Take Off Tower is also new to the range, offering on-the-go play as a portable 2-in-1 airport playset. Last but not least is Robot Ready Jett, who will be a pre-schooler’s best buddy, offering interaction, lights and sounds.

Screechers Wild will bring exhilaration and newness to the boy’s aisle. Launching in spring, the brand development steps up a level for autumn with deluxe battle Screechers and the ultimate Flip ‘n

It’s in the bag FUNKO EUROPE 020 3376 3223 www.funko.com Funko Europe is attending Nuremberg again this year, its first year exhibiting as Funko after the acquisition of the Underground Toys business in early 2017. The company will come armed with a host of brand-new products to share with visitors, including toys and collectibles, homewares, and plush, as well as the latest range of bags and accessories — Loungefly.

You’ll get an early look at the latest Pop! Vinyl products to hit the shelves, and will get to browse some of the other exciting lines — including Pint Size Heroes, Mystery Mini, Dorbz, Rock Candy, and Action Figures. Licenses on display include Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Black Panther, and Rick and Morty.

Lovers of all things pop culture are bound to

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Morph Playset.

With more to come for 2019, Screechers Wild will be supported with 60 x 2-minute digital shorts, TV, sponsorship and digital partnerships in 2018 – you won’t be able to miss it.

Another highlight is Miximals. Encouraging kids to imagine, create, and share, the Miximals collectable range will expand with new characters, mobile mix-up vehicles, and playsets allowing kids to create their very own Miximals world.

RC is at the heart of what Alpha does, and Terra-Sect by Drone Force highlights the company’s ability to bring cutting-edge toys to a category. Completely unstoppable, Terra-Sect rolls, flips and crawls in any direction.

In 2018, Alpha will launch new products, strong content, licensing partnerships, creative brand initiatives and integrated marketing campaigns throughout the year.

Hall 1 2.0 Stand C-18-1

find something to love at the Funko stand, with a wide range of styles and sizes to suit all collectors.

Funko’s homewares collection is perfect for those in need of functional but quirky products, and with licenses such as Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney present, as well as products such as egg cups, mugs, spatulas, and bottle stoppers, cooking has never been so much fun.

Fans of Star Wars: The Last Jedi will love the Porg Cookie Jar, complete with sound effects.

Those looking for something more cute and cuddly are bound to love the plush on display. Licenses include Star Wars, DC, Harry Potter, and Marvel. Funko’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi feature plush range includes Porg’s, BB-9E, Praetorian Guards, and more, and comes in a range of sizes and shapes.

Loungefly is Funko’s most recent acquisition; it fits right in with the company’s pop culture ethos, and features bold, eye-catching pop culture themed micro-backpacks, purses and handbags. Featuring licenses such as Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney, these are a must-see.

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PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

Green is good!

GREEN BOARD GAMES www.greenboardgames.com T: 01494 538 999

Hall 12.0 Stand B-031

2017 has been another amazing year for Green Board Games and China has been a particularly bright spot with sales tripling! In addition there has been considerable growth in Greece, Romania, Turkey, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ireland.

As we enter 2018 GBG is in talks with new European markets, but still anticipates further growth from Portugal, Greece, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia and there is much excitement about the new game Shaperise — a game born from the company’s annual Young Games Inventor Competition, and it is anticipated that retail reception will be warm both in the UK and internationally too.

Imagine this!

TOY STATE 020 8440 5060 www.toystate.com

Hall 1 2.2 Stand P03

Kick off 2018 by celebrating Nikko’s 60th anniversary! This brand has been the premier fan choice for radio-controlled vehicles and will update its line starting with a special off-road edition of Turbo Panther. Tackle any terrain with this retro buggy’s deep tire treads and full suspension. Or take a 360 spin with the new vehicle, Omni X™, which delivers sideways sliding action so you can drive, spin and drift right past your racing rivals. Conquer land, snow and water and become the envy of the off-road with the amphibious VaporizR™ 3!

Fly into action with the Nikko™ Air Race Vision 220 Pro 2.0, which delivers an ultimate immersive FPV experience in real time. Stunt on the competition with a thrilling fast-paced experience using the Stunt 75 or race with the Mini FPV Racer.

Let’s head back to the ground with vehicles from the world’s hottest licenses! Set the track on fire with the new Hot Wheels™

22

Flame-Thrower-Two Timer or paint the streets a hot pink with the Barbie SUV R/C. You can also protect your city with the Spider-Man Monocycle R/C, controlling the action as he revs to life with awesome lights.

Following the huge success of the Cat Pre-School lines, 2018 will thrill little builders with big fun. New additions include the Mini Machines™ Playset, which comes with two machines and 12 play accessories. Toy State will also launch the Ultra Sand Set™, which is perfect for play at the beach or sandbox. Have fun all day with the Construction Zone-Fold Out Worksite™ and its 15 play pieces.

Toy State’s enduring house brand, Road Rippers, has elevated the experience of lights and sound vehicles. Pop a wheelie with the Maximum Boost and trigger the exciting rocket launch action when motorised forward drive is activated.

Or blast into the future with the Street Vortex, a motorised sports car straight from tomorrow with lights, sounds, motorised drive and a pop-up fan for maximum acceleration. The Real Works Rescue Squad Fire Truck includes motorised drive, lights, sounds and a working ladder.

Made In Italy, with Italian Style, Great Play Value and Quality Officially back in 2018

ÂŽ

www.quercetti.com Visit us in Nuremberg at SPIELWARENMESSE 2018 - Hall 5, Stand C-58 Contact Alison Prountzos email: alison.prountzos@btinternet.com tel: 01732 822090

PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

New year, new ideas JURATOYS 020 8878 2133 www.juratoys.co.uk

Juratoys’ production team works hard all year round to come up with new, fresh and innovative ideas to set it apart from the rest.

Janod is the leading wooden toy brand in France and is fast becoming the most talked-about wooden toy brand in the UK. The ‘Play Different’ slogan encapsulates how it feels about play. Whether it’s putting together two parts of a puzzle, building a tower with a few cubes, screwing, unscrewing, following a path with their fingers or pushing the right key of a xylophone, ‘playing’ requires a lot of effort from the child.

Because every child is different, Janod creates clever toys that meet their every need in order to help them develop their skills.

Kaloo is a French story made of passion, love and dreams. Kaloo offers

SAFETY FIRST KD UK

01727 827194 www.kdplanet.com/uk

little ones a soft and enchanting world that will meet their needs in terms of learning. For more than 19 years the Kaloo brand has been specialising in soft toys and bedding accessories.

The range consists of many plush animals, doudou puppets, traditional bears and now a very popular ‘my first dolls’ range called ‘Tendresse’, which has been expanded.

And finally, Alex Brands family of brands comprises some of the most iconic, recognisable and awardwinning toys in the industry today, with a commitment to helping children become more active and develop their imagination and creativity, through the development of new products and expansions on products children know and love. Alex has introduced some fantastic new products this year, with an injection of fresh ideas and colours.

care and attention — ideal for animal lovers. Secondly, building on its expertise in delivering innovative gaming experiences, KD Games will be introducing three new exciting fun family games.

Each game will offer a unique and fun experience for the whole family.

Hall 12.0 Stand F20-G 18

KD UK will be exhibiting a number of new and exciting products across multiple categories at Nuremburg 2018 this February.

Child safety will remain the key focus for the worldleading range of children’s safe technology products.

With the current collection of Kurio products being such a success and a favourite with children and parents, 2018 will introduce parents to new intuitive software. This technology will allow parents to have full control of their new Kurio tablets and allow them to monitor their child’s digital behaviour in real time.

The current award-winning Kurio Genius 'parental control' software now filters more than 32 billion websites versus the previous 18 billion. In addition, KD Interactive will be launching three new innovative 'adult technology' devices within its Kurio range that will offer a fun, educational and rewarding experience. The Kurio brand continues to grow and be loved by children and trusted by parents.

The exciting KD UK Preschool range, Infinifun, which was created to help aid a child’s special moment of discovery, self-awareness and reward, will be expanding. The range will offer unique fun toys that help to deliver more bonding time, more sensory stimulation and more magical moments across bath time, bed time, role play and creative fun play.

KD UK will also be launching a new range of products across its KD Girls and KD Games ranges. The first being a new collectable range of cute and adorable animals that need love,

24

Hall 1 2.0 Stand C13-D 03-D1 0

Justin Clasby, Marketing Manager at KD UK, says: “2018 will be a big year for the KD group. In a busy marketplace, KD will continue to create amazing and innovative products that stands out and deliver inspirational play experiences. We will continue to develop products that children love, which also offers a profitable business for our retail partners.”

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NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

No limits MATTEL

Hall 1 2.

Stand 2 P15

01628 500000 www.mattel.com

PUPPET LOVE PUPPET COMPANY, THE 01462 446040 www.thepuppetcompany.com

Mattel brings excitement and innovation with bold The Mattel games portfolio brand campaigns, includes games for all the content and product. family plus favourite Scrabble, Barbie will which celebrates its 70th continue to celebrate Anniversary. the ‘You Can Be Anything’ campaign showing how Barbie inspires the limitless potential in every girl. Barbie will empower girls through sharing inspiring stories and will live its purpose through new product ranges.

Fisher-Price continues to build brand affinity with mums with its ‘Let Kids Be Kids’ campaign. The campaign celebrates kids, what makes them unique and how parents can best nurture their nature also demonstrating how Fisher-Price offers different approaches to learning.

Thomas will be introducing kids to the world around them through the wonder and awe of trains. With changes to the episodic series plus the exciting release of the Big World, Big Adventures! film. New products will bring the brand to life.

Hot Wheels celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new brand campaign ‘Challenge Accepted’. Plus creating a dialogue with mums to communicate the value of Hot Wheels play and how it helps to develop skills and confidence.

Enchantimals will be expanding its range with new character and product plus all-new content.

Mattel also offers a portfolio of partner brands including; Disney Pixar’s Cars 3, DC’S Aquaman, DC’s Batman, Jurassic World, WWE, DC Superhero Girls, Imaginext, Shimmer & Shine, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Bing, Octonauts and Go Jetters.

Did you know?

Hall 5 Stand G60

The Puppet Company is showing more than 40 new puppets for 2018, including a new collection of animal glove puppets.

These new puppets are made with a different material to our normal classic ranges such as Long Sleeves and CarPets, which enables the company to offer them at a very competitive cost price.

They are not designed to replace current ranges but to give a really good glove puppet with a retail margin of x2.4 and a lower RRP! There are 27 in the collection at the moment with more designs to follow. The range name for these super new puppets is Puppet Buddies.

Also in development are large Dinosaur Head hand puppets, which will be in a range of different colours and will make an excellent addition to the existing Large Creatures collection.

Also look out for a Unicorn in the Carpet collection and a fantastic Sloth being added to both CarPet and Full Bodied ranges.

Finally, the Puppet Company will be showcasing four fabulous new Sockette puppets, which will make a welcome addition.

‘Wilberry’ the Puppet Company’s soft toy collection, continues to grow, with more than 60 new styles being added for 2018, including a Llama, Sloth and Unicorn.

The Puppet Company

Spring Fair: Hall 5 - 5G60 Nuremburg: Hall 1 - F09 New York Toy Fair: Level 1 - 6138

We are a UK based Design & Wholesale company supplying over 1000 h high igh quality puppets of all shapes and sizes! Have a Puppet - Have fun!

www.thepuppetcompany.com Tel: +44 (0) 1462 446040 TNP - The Puppet Company - Advert Template - New.indd 38

12/19/2017 5:00:14 PM

PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

Pegs make pixels QUERCETTI

Hall 4 Stand F95

Hall 5 Stand C-58

07789 316417 alison.prountzos@btinternet.com Ever since its foundation 66 years ago, award-winning Quercetti has always meant high-quality, made-in-Italy pegs.

Children are introduced to pegs when they are 18 months old, thanks to Pixel Baby, an attractive and stimulating mosaic game.

As children grow, boys and girls start developing different tastes — Pixel Evo and Pixel Evo Girl are the answer, with smaller pegs.

For grown-up kids, Pixel Photo allows you to recreate selfies and pictures using pegs, while Pixel Art gives you the opportunity to recreate a variety of world-famous paintings and images.

It’s not all about pegs — marble track fun for under two’s comes from Migoga Junior, while older children will enjoy Migoga Elevator, where marble track fun is mixed with the creative challenge of building up a personalised track.

The new Cuboga, meanwhile, is a marble run based around an unusual cube-based design.

Creature collections SCHLEICH 01279 870000 www.schleich-s.co.uk Schleich will showcase its many play worlds and new additions at Nuremburg Toy Fair.

Schleich’s Farm World range is the go-to brand for parents when it comes to farm-themed play. Single figurines will continue to be a key offering and from January, children can add an array of new breeds to their collections. Plus new boxed sets will be the source of endless new adventures. A thrilling new arrival is the Wild Life lines — new figurines and playsets will enhance the collection as kids can enact jungle adventures and get up close to an amazing array of exotic animals.

Schleich’s Horse Club brand is going from strength to strength and with the upcoming introduction of new characters, girls can look forward to a whole new Horse Club world. Central to the new range will be four Horse Club characters with their own respective playsets. New breeds will also become available in January along with a new CDU of assorted foals — ideal for pocket-money buys in-store.

The Dinosaur range will also expand, with fearsome new reptiles to collect.

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Going swimmingly TOBAR 01603 397 105 www.tobar.co.uk

Tobar is excited to announce some fantastic new products showcasing at the 2018 Spielwarenmesse.

With mermaids set to be a key trend for 2018, visitors will be able to view the latest exciting products at Tobar’s stand, all from the comfort of dry land.

Get ready to enter the sticky world of slime too, as there will be some great gunk for those who love their gooey fun. Meanwhile, Tobar’s putty will let kids get hands-on by stretching and moulding into different styles like a true artist.

Mermaids are a key trend that Tobar will be showcasing, so that visitors will be able to view the latest exciting products at Tobar’s stand, all from the comfort of dry land.

The Magical Crystal Growing Mermaid is an ideal gift for all mermaid lovers. Add the crystal solution to the base and in minutes the crystals will grow to make waves for the elegant mermaid to sit on.

Available in four colours, the Fizzing Mermaid is perfect for water-based fun. Simply place the fizzy bomb in water and watch it bubble and dissolve into a magical aquatic creature.

The Mermaid Pencil and Eraser is a lively addition to any stationery set and comes in four different designs: purple mermaid, blonde mermaid, seahorse or clam shell.

The new Smart Putty Mini Mix is a musthave. Mould, stretch and bounce this putty that comes in a variety of different styles, including Glow in the Dark, Dazzle, Glitter and Normal.

Watch out also for UV Reactive Smart Putty — it will mesmerise as the substance changes colour when exposed to ultra-violet light. Bounce it, mould it, stretch it or watch it melt. The putty comes in four dazzling colour combinations: green/red, light blue/dark blue, pearl/purple and yellow/red.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Introducing

We have putty, lights, bath squirters and more, all featuring a selection of friendly sirens from the sea.

Place your pre-order today tel: 01603 397 105 email: sales@tobar.co.uk www.tobar.co.uk or come and find us at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair, Hall 4, Stand F95

PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR Hall 4 Stand B28

Create and play!

WEST DESIGN 01303 297888 www.westdesignproducts.co.uk West Design Products is the European distributor of Creativity for Kids, which develops and produces innovative and creative kits for children of all ages — and more than 40% are awardwinning products.

Creativity for Kids products are built on the belief that creativity is the catalyst for innovation and invention. It helps develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and creates a building block to successfully cope with and adapt to challenges, changes and opportunities.

Unique and fun, the range of kits spans many different educational topics. For those that are desperate to don a lab coat, the Invent kits are ideal for ages eight and over; you’ll find everything in them to encourage children to expand their minds and get innovative with the materials in front of them. Kids with a competitive edge can get stuck into the ‘Invent the greatest board game’ kit, or if they prefer playing with shapes and dynamics, both the ‘Invent terrific toys’ and ‘Invent fantastic flying machines’ kits are great.

Trendy terrariums aren’t just for adults; greenfingered fans will delight in creating their own world with the Grow n Glow terrarium. Not only

can they build their own habitat in a mason-style jar, but by adding some clever stickers, it will also light up at night like it’s full of fireflies with a bit of glow-in-the dark magic!

Kids who love to get more hands-on will enjoy getting to grips with the ‘string art starlight’ kit, creating a fully-functional star light with string and LED lights, that can also glow in the dark.

Prefer to keep it clean? Tackle the ‘corner creature bookmarks’ kit, which offers creativity with simple paper-folding to create fun and fierce bookmarks to keep their place in their favourite book.

Budding fashionistas had better beware, however; they may end up overflowing their jewellery boxes with exciting new jewellery-making opportunities. If they can’t get enough of amusing faces, the ‘emoji bracelets’ kit is perfect for creating up to five of the trendiest friendship bracelets around for themselves and for their friends.

CLIMB ABOARD THE CARGO SHIP EDUK8 WORLDWIDE 01661 831080 www.eduk8worldwide.com There will be lots of new and exclusive ranges for 2018 under Hall 1 2 the exciting new brand Eduk8 n Play.

Stand .0 C 01Launching — quite literally — will be the Cargo Ship, which 02 is a great addition to the company’s ever-popular quality wooden range, along with some great traditional games that offer all-year-round family fun, a comprehensive new craft range and Chalk & Chuckles tabletop games.

Also look out for Bounce n Catch and Fuzzee Ball, which is great fun, flexible and won’t roll away, Traffic Control Signs — three large handheld signs for indoor and outdoor role play — and the Trace and Learn Magnetic writing and drawing board.

Eduk8 will also add two new designs to the successful Playmats range and launch First 100 High Frequency words, a new product exclusively designed by Eduk8 Worldwide for Tangles.

Product ranges on offer include a comprehensive wooden range, science, pocket money toys and gifts, award-winning traditional outdoor games, playmats, Tangles, craft range and board and travel games.

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toysnplaythings.co.uk

PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

Classic designs Patriotic puzzle GIBSONS 020 8661 8866 www.gibsonsgames.co.uk

Hall 1 2 Stand A044

Gibsons is back at Spielwarenmesse for the second consecutive year. The company will showcase some of its newest jigsaw puzzles, which include a breathtakingly patriotic scene painted by Steve Crisp, some cheeky kittens causing mischief in a sweet shop by Steve Read, and two jigsaws that celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the RAF. Gibsons will also present its popular Iconic Brands Collection, the range of quirky jigsaw puzzles that are packaged in largerthan-life tins of the much-loved brands. The Vintage Kellogg’s, Love Hearts and Pringles jigsaws are just some of the gift puzzles that will be included for all to see.

“We can’t wait to get back to the Nuremberg show for the second time in a row and catch up with our customers who are based worldwide.

"Spielwarenmesse is a lovely show, there is a real sense of camaraderie among exhibitors and everyone is so friendly.

We’ve got lots of new puzzle designs to show, which we are sure will go down a treat," says Amanda Chaplin, Head of Marketing and International Sales.

JANUARY 2018

RAINBOW DESIGNS 01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Hall 1 Stand E22

Rainbow Designs, The Home of Classic Characters, has launched a host of stunning new toy and nursery collections.

The beautifully styled Classic Winnie-the-Pooh Signature Hundred Acre Wood collection very successfully made its debut in stores this autumn.

The new collection celebrates the heritage of Winniethe-Pooh and his friends in an array of beautiful nursery plush essentials including Ring Rattles, Comfort Blankets and Character Plush toys.

The much-loved classic white bunny Miffy appears in a new Classic Miffy Collection, which presents the adored icon and popular preschool character in a style that portrays simplicity and innocence.

The Home of Classic Characters will also have on display a number of exciting new additions to the ever-popular Peppa Pig for Baby collection including a new dual pack of Peppa and George attachable Activity Toys with multiple textures and features.

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PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

Hall 1 2.2 Stand P-09

Mellow yellow

EDUCATION WITH INNOVATION NEW for 2018

Giant Illumi Board

TTS is a leading manufacturer and supplier of educational resources for kindergartens and primary schools in the UK and across the world

• Award winning resources • Loved by children around the world • Helping you grow your business

Come and see us at

Nürnberg Toy Fair

HTI

01253 775544 www.htigroup.co.uk HTI, the toy company behind licensed toys such as Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, is excited to announce the launch of a new range of JCB toys to add to its 18-year strong licensing partnership with the heritage brand.

Since taking the license for JCB in 1999, HTI has continued to release high-quality replica toys of the real machines to the five to 10 age market, and the new launches for 2018 to be previewed at Nuremberg are no exception.

JCB Small Light and Sound models are free-wheeling toys on the smaller scale of around 6in. The range includes a Wheel Loader and Excavator, which are true replicas of the iconic construction vehicles, plus a Helicopter and Site Master Pick-Up. With light and sound options, the packs will be available as single units or 2, 3 and 4 packs.

The Wheel Loader has a functioning bucket, free-wheeling wheels and engine and operating sounds.

The Helicopter has manual rotating blades, with helicopter engine and chopper noises as well as working lights. Children can have fun with the Excavator with its moveable arm and bucket allowing them to dig while playing with the rotating cab, and the Site Master has light and sound functions including engine and operating sounds.

The Light and Sound range is a great complement to the successful Light & Sound Heavy Load Transporter, which launched in AW15, as the vehicles cleverly fit into the holding ramps for added play value.

A smashing time WILTON BRADLEY 01626 835400 www.wiltonbradley.com

Wilton Bradley will be showing the latest line extensions to its awardwinning Monster Smash Up range of remote control vehicles. Offering double packs, vehicles will have an exploding chassis to add to the mayhem when they crash. An exciting new ramp pack and a brand new vehicle and driver add to the fun.

In addition, there are exciting new developments for 2018 in the Mi-Mic Bluetooth microphone line, with innovative add-ons and exciting mass media marketing campaigns, which are guaranteed to add sales in the coming year.

Highlights will include a new rotating LED Disco ball karaoke machine. Look out for developments in the Toyrific lines, along with Yo-Yo Factory and other top licensed product developments.

31st January through to 4th February 2018 Hall 12, Stand A-04-1 Tel: +44 1623 887068 Email: distributor@tts-group.co.uk

www.tts-distributor.co.uk TTS is proud to be part of

Hall 7 Stand A26

plc

32 5048-NURNBERG EDITORIAL & ADVERT-13/11/17.indd 17/11/2017 1 16:55

Dark side

Hall 7 Stand B59

GAMES WORKSHOP 01159004801 trade-games-workshop.com The British Warhammer manufacturer celebrates a comeback with amazing results.

Games Workshop’s past financial year 2016/17 saw sales grow by 34% to over Ð 180 million. Figures published early December indicate this year might see greater success. Dark Imperium, a core product for the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, hit the market with great success during summer.

And Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire has opened up new ways in which fans can interact with its product.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

create visibility ITMA Presidents: Lena Hedö Lek & Babyrevyn, Sweden e-mail: lena@lekobaby.se Telephone: +46 70 590 77 33 Reyne Rice Toy Trends, USA e-mail: reyne@reynerice.com Telephone: +1 631 335 5917

Belgium: Kids Universe China: Toys & Hobby Finland: Lelukauppias Germany: das spielzeug Japan: Weekly Toy News Netherlands: Speelgoed en Hobby Norway: Baby, Hobby & Leketøy Poland: Świat Zabawek Spain: Juguetes B2B Sweden: Lek & Babyrevyn United Kingdom: Toys ‘n’ Playthings USA: The Toy Book

Create Visibility in the Leading Toy Trade Magazines!

www.toymagazines.org

PREVIEW

NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

No tears before bedtime

Smashing surprises

FIESTA CRAFTS

ZURU

020 8804 0563 www.fiestacrafts.co.uk

Hall 7 Stand B59

01604 401 719 sales@geemac.biz

The Good Night Chart makes bedtime hassle a thing of the past. By using the 20 easy-to-follow activity pieces, such as ‘put my pyjamas on’, parents can create a daily bedtime routine.

When they achieve the activity, they simply turn the piece over before bedtime or when they wake up and reveal a happy star. It even contains four blank activity pieces and a dry-wipe pen so parents can customise their routines, and decide their own rewards. This colourful chart helps children settle into good habits. Every day the child achieves the activities they can turn over a smiley sun.

New toys for the youngest babies and toddlers include the Stack and Play, which has wooden stacking rings with the addition of colourful felt fabric flower pieces, and the new Spiral Toys and Play Blankies, a comfort to babies. Both have interactive elements, such as textured tags and squeaking stars, and both can be tied to a cot/buggy for enjoyment on-the-go.

There are also new Stickabouts sets, new Stickabouts games, pre-school toys, new Magnetic Activities and licensed Roald Dahl hand and finger puppets on show too.

Outdoor explorers MARBEL 0845 6000 286 www.marbel.co.uk

Hall 3A Stand E7-G2 6

From brands such Hape, Bullyland, Relevant Play, Nanoblock and Pink Poppy here are just a few highlights of what Marbel, an exclusive UK and Ireland-based distributor, has to offer this new year.

Hape ventures into new avenues of outdoor toys — explore the outdoors with this fun collection of periscopes, telescopes and detective sets, along with new sand toys that make more than just sand castles.

Bullyland welcomes children’s favourite cartoons and movies that everyone will recognise, including the Incredibles, Vampirina and Frozen characters.

Relevant Play and the Mad Mattr range of the super soft modelling compound is ever expanding. Mad Mattr now transforms into Quantum Pods — all the fun of Mad Mattr but in your own personal potable pod. New for 2018 is the Tool Box & Tool Set.

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Hall 1 2 Stand H04-5

Smashers is a new collectible IP, which ZURU will be showcasing at Nuremberg. Each character is housed inside an iconic red Smashball. Kids can only discover which ones they’ve collected by smashing the Smashball open, thanks to a unique and on-trend surprise opening mechanic created by Zuru.

Once unboxed, children can throw, collect and trade Smashers.

Series 1 is based on the world’s most popular sports going into 2018, a year that will play host to a number of global sporting events including the Football World Cup in June.

Aimed at both pocket money and birthday money budgets, SKUs include the Smashers one pack, three pack, eight pack, and bigger items including the Collectors Tin and Smashers Team Bus that transforms into a football field to shoot Smashers.

Zuru’s Bunch O Balloons, the award-winning best-selling toy of 2017, creates more than 100 water-filled balloons in 60 seconds with a patented and ground-breaking design. In just three years, Bunch O Balloons has gone from being one of the most widely crowd-funded products on Kickstarter to launching globally in many different territories where it now has a global presence among the top-selling outdoor items in the world, with more than four billion water balloons popped to date.

Aim high PETRON 01296 632574 www.petron.info Returning to Nuremburg Toy Fair for the 14th consecutive year, Petron is thrilled to be exhibiting its full range of Sureshot and Stealth sucker dart toys.

Designed by British archery experts, Petron’s Sureshot collection offers a consistent and rewarding Hall 1 2 shooting experience from a sucker dart toy product Stand for both young children and adults alike.

Whether it be the Sureshot Crossbow or the A04-3 Sureshot Pistol, their ease of use and sheer accuracy enables users to have fun while testing and improving their gaming skills.

Built to last and designed to be used indoors and outdoors all year round, Petron’s products can be used time and time again.

Aimed at older children and adults, Petron’s Stealth range offers the same design features and durability as the Sureshot products, but with more power and reach.

Petron – Shoot straighter, shoot further, shoot longer.

Never miss again.

toysnplaythings.co.uk

Supporting your industry for 28 years Month: January 2018 Issue: 3

Volume: 29

Toys at Spring Fair

2018

PLAY DIFFERENT......

Discover over 150 new products for 2018 Come and visit us at Spring Fair

Stand 5G64

32 High Park Road • Kew Gardens • Richmond • TW9 4BH • United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 8878 2133 | janod.com - kaloo.com - alexbrands.com

Contents 5 Leader – with Mirella Anstey 6 News – the latest Spring Fair headlines 8 Cover Story - we catch up withJuratoys Marketing Manager, Michelle Probert to find out more about the company's brands and new Spring Fair launches 10 Retail Interview – with COO of Robert Dyas, Rachel Brain 12 Spring Fair Preview – we bring you a rundown on what to expect from the show and shine a spotlight on some of the exciting exhibitors and their products

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Toys at Spring Fair

Halloween 2018 Advert.pdf

1

21/12/2017

5:26 pm

One spooky night…

Two fabulous stories…

Over 500 new products Exciting new packaging Complete retail solutions

Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair

Spring Fair

Harrogate International Centre 14th – 17th January 2018

IN THE WHOLE OF

HALL H!

PREMIER DECORATIONS LIMITED www.premierdec.com • Tel: 020-8624 5555 e-mail: sales@premierdec.com

NEC Birmingham 4th – 8th February 2018

Hall

5 Stand K110/L111

Leader

D

iversity is the key to retail success we are always being advised by analysts and experts. So, where better to find this assortment of products that at Spring Fair?!

Toy companies rub shoulders with gifting suppliers and greetings and gift wrap publishers — all under one roof. If you think it sounds unmissable then you’d be right and this worthwhile, vibrant and exciting show is certainly worth time off the shop floor or away from the desk.

Many retailers enjoy the fact that multicategory ranges can be selected at the show – and there is such a lot of slightlydifferent as well as the mainstream staples that can help make your business a really enticing retail experience. And the show organisers and suppliers are working together to create even more beneficial opportunities for retailers. One such way is the new Spring Fair Voucher — this initiative will benefit retailers on the hunt for new suppliers. Retailers will be able to get £100 off an order of £500 or more when they open an account with a new supplier at the show. The voucher can be used with up to 10 participating exhibitors at Spring Fair 2018 — offering a potential saving of £1,000. That’s a fabulous and very inventive way to give more to the visitors to the show — and certainly something worth not just keeping mind but maximising.

Another great element of the show is the new interactive feature area at the 2018 show. The Atelier will allow visitors to fully immerse themselves in visuallymerchandised rooms, which have been designed to showcase current consumer trends and predict what will be hot right up until 2020.

Rob Sapwell, Head of Sales (Gifts, Home & The Summerhouse), Spring Fair, Ascential Events, says: “We wanted to make it easier for time-poor buyers to get a snapshot of trends that will come to the fore over the next two years, as well as helping them quickly identify the next hottest products.”

Well, let’s not waste any more precious time, let’s get on and find out more about some of the excellent suppliers exhibiting at the show and we look forward to seeing you all at the NEC!

magazine

Toys at Spring Fair

Mirella Anstey

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14

Toys at Spring Fair

NEWS Esdevium rebrands to Asmodee UK Esdevium Games has rebranding under the name Asmodee United Kingdom from 1 January 2018, bringing branding in line with its parent and sister companies across the world.

“We are thrilled to be switching to the Asmodee name,” said Esdevium MD Steve Buckmaster. “The Esdevium name has a long and proud history, so it is with some sadness that we say goodbye to the dragon logo, but this is an exciting next step for the company.”

Double win for Playmobil Playmobil has had double award success at the Creative Play Awards and the Dad’s Choice Awards, with the Pharaoh’s Pyramid set and Squad Car with Lights and Sound both bag bagging an award.

Jamie Dickinson, Marketi Marketing Manager from Playmobil, said: “These awards are particularly awa desire to produce products exciting as it is our de creativity in children.” that develop creativi

A force for high street sales A major increase in sales related to Star Wars merchandise was seen on the high street in the lead up to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. A survey of 100 independent retail stores by Vend showed demand outstripped last year’s film Rogue One by some margin, with a 192 per cent increase in sales for products related to Star Wars in the past three months compared to the same period in 2016.

Wilton Bradley has The X Factor Wilton Bradle Bradley is bringing the magic of The X Factor across the UK with a new range of to homes acr licensed electricals, including karaoke microphones, elec machines, headphones and speakers. he The three-year deal was signed with three-y FremantleMedia FremantleMed to manufacture and supply the range, building on o the success of Wilton Bradley’s award-winning range of Mi-Mic microphone speakers.

Simon Hampton, Head Hea of Sales & Marketing at Wilton timing for this deal with The X Factor Bradley said: “The timi is perfect and I can’t iimagine a better partnership in this category.”

6

Funko acquires Evil Corp Funko has acquired awardwinning UKbased animation production company Evil Corp, which will now operate as Funko Animation Studios.

Brian Mariotti, CEO of Funko, said: “Since 2014 we have produced the majority of our animated product videos with this innovative and fantastically creative studio and we are excited to move this function in house.”

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Toys at Spring Fair

Tradition with a twist

Michelle Probert, Marketing Manager of Juratoys, highlights some of the company’s top selling products as well as some exciting brandbuilding plans — and of course lots of new product!

Juratoys takes a focused approach to marketing within the business. We feel it’s important to have regular exposure within trade magazines, communicate with customers via social media and to have a presence at the all key trade shows.

How has Juratoys thrived in an arguably tough market?

2017 was a big one for Juratoys in the UK — tell us about some of you biggest achievements of the past year.

We’ve had an unbelievable 2017 and are very proud of our whole team for achieving the results. We set out at the start of the year with some really clear objectives and goals and we have achieved everything we set out to do. Our sales team have worked incredibly hard to build relationships with existing customers and to also pick up plenty of new accounts along the way.

Our results this year have been achieved through consistency, developing our relationships with key accounts, constant sales analysis and looking for new opportunities and ways to increase our customer base. We did not increase prices this year, which was well received by customers. We offer a wide range of products, which appeals to lots of different sectors and we constantly develop our products to ensure we have plenty of newness phased throughout the year.

What makes Juratoys’ products unique?

We have three main brands which sit under Juratoys: Janod, Kaloo and Alex Brands. Janod is the number one wooden toy brand in France and is fast becoming the wooden toy brand to watch for 2018! We have over 110 new products within Janod for next year. The wooden toys are designed by our product development team in France and encapsulate the essence of traditional wooden toys with a modern twist.

Kaloo is our range of plush toys, suitable from birth. Agina, we have a French design team and the products are soft to touch, machine washable and are displayed in premium gift boxes. We have plenty of new products for Kaloo for 2018, which we are extremely excited to showcase at Spring Fair.

Come and visit us at Spring Fair!

“We have 150 new products to showcase and are really excited to share the new ranges and to hear the feedback. We have terrific and enticing offers, discounts, retailing solutions and some freebies to give away too! Our friendly motivated staff will be on hand to talk to customers and to help with orders.”

Finally, we have Alex brands.

Alex is a huge brand in the US and incorporates craft toys, bath toys and much more! We have a range called Back Yard Safari, which is great for little explorers who love the great outdoors.

How do you appeal to buyers?

Because our collection is so diverse, there is something for everyone! We can offer retailers the option of high-end wooden and plush to more competitive ranges and even pocket money purchases or impulse buys. Our Bath range is very popular and this is an area within Alex that we will focus on for 2018.

“Janod is the number

one wooden toy brand in France and is fast becoming the wooden toy brand to watch for 2018!”

You’re well known for traditional play with a modern twist — how is this achieved?

Our designers work year round to develop new products. The team are all

magazine

suitable from birth and are displayed in a pretty box. We have developed the range even further for 2018 with new sizes and colours available.

What has been your biggest sales success story of the past year?

Opening 160 new accounts for 2017 was key to our success this year. Trade shows were key to this success as well as the exposure in trade magazines.

And finally, what message would you like to leave with the trade from Juratoys in 2018?

We want to thank everyone for the support this year. We are so lucky to have amazing customers who are loyal and we are to them also. We are really excited about 2018 and cannot wait to show our customers — existing and new — the freshest products we have to offer.

What are your goals for 2018?

Our goals for 2018 are to open even more new accounts across the UK, develop our existing customer base and to build even more momentum around Juratoys.

We will achieve this goal as long as we stay focused and continue to do all the right things and stay positive. We are lucky to have a great team who work hard, are motivated and build enduring relationships in their territories.

What hero products are you most looking forward to launching in 2018?

We have a new range of baby products for 2018 within Janod called Baby Pop. The range is beautiful — a bunny, fox and bear in bright and pastel colours.

The range combines sturdiness and nice beech wood quality with a soft and high quality elastomer plastic. Come and see for yourselves!

How important are independent retailers to your business?

Independent retails are massively important for us at Juratoys. We delivered some great numbers in 2017 and this is mainly due to the new independent accounts we have opened throughout the year. parents and have children of all ages.

They hold regular product meetings which we travel to France to attend and take a look at the product development and give our feedback from a UK perspective.

You launched some incredible products in 2017 — give us some of the highlights.

The Janod Sound Wooden Camera and Phone were such a huge success for 2017 and completely sold out. The combination of bright colours, wood and sound element were very popular along with the very competitive price. The consumers loved this product.

Our Kaloo Tendress Dolls collection was also a big hit for 2017. These dolls are

Why are Juratoys products perfectly suited to independents and their customers?

We are always looking at our business from the independent retailer’s point of view. We ask our customers on a regular basis: “Is there anything we can do to help your business?” We understand that everyone is different and customers have different needs.

Most retailers are open with us and give us some great ideas on offers to run, discount options, POS and social media support. We are always happy to look at new ideas to move the businesses — theirs and ours — in the right direction.

How will you be helping retailers to sell more in 2018?

We work very closely with our retailers to ensure we are offering a wide range of solutions to meet every size of business, whether its discount offers, social media support, competitions, POS, display stands, we try to help our customers sell more and to advise where possible.

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Toys at Spring Fair

Past and presents Best known for their home, garden and DIY offering, Robert Dyas have a surprisingly wide range of Gifts, with a focus on the innovative and quirky With a philosophy of running their businesses as shopkeepers, not just shops, the leading high street hardware retailer is branching into gifts, with toys becoming a key component of its offering.

We take a closer look with the retailer’s COO, Rachel Brain

Rachel, what was your career journey to become COO at Robert Dyas?

I’ve worked in fashion and luxury across bricks and mortar and ecommerce. Having worked for owner Theo Paphitis at La Senza, I couldn’t wait to have the opportunity to work for him again. He’s a modernist with incredible vision – a true inspiration to work for.

How many shops are your team buying for?

We have 94 stores spread across the South of England and ecommerce.

How many in the buying team?

There are nine senior buyers. Richard Redman buys Seasonal, Andrew Georgious buys DIY and Danny Squire buys Home Office.

How important are Gifts for your retail offering?

Gifts are an ever-growing successful part of the business to the point that we are now a destination for classic, quirky and inspiring gifts.

Christmas at Robert Dyas Jodie Harris, Head Elf and Senior Christmas Gifts Buyer at Robert Dyas said: “Our research shows that many children love playing tricks on adults at Christmas time. Practical jokes can bring the home to laughter when executed at a family gathering.”

10

94 The number of Robert Dyas stores, ranging from 1,250 to 9,000 square feet

The Robert Dyas story so far...

What have been your bestsellers in Gifts over the past year?

Remote controlled toys and drones, memory mazes, and unicorn novelty lighting to name just a few.

What trends do you predict will be big over the next year?

Smart technology and retro-style items.

Is there such a thing as a typical Robert Dyas customer?

No, we sell everything to everyone!

What’s the average spend?

The average spend across both in-store and online is £16.

Where do you and the other buyers source products?

We visit international nal trade shows which coverr specialist areas. Shows such as Spring/ Autumn Fair, Harrogate, ogate, Ambiente, Chicago o Housewares, NED. We buy domestically in the main.

Robert Dyas, the original founder of the company, emigrated from County Meath, Ireland, with just a £5 inheritance to his name and opened up his first ironmongery store in 1872. In the following century, the company’s stores expanded, stretching throughout London and the South East. In 2012, successful businessman and star of BBC TV’s Dragons Den, Theo Paphitis, bought the company.

Robert Dyas today offers an extensive range of household products, including gifts, outdoor and garden, and even Christmas trees!

What makes your job so special?

I am privileged to work with incredibly passionate ate and loyal colleagues both in stores and at Head Office and no o two days are the same.

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Toy World Page Bestway 2018 240x315.pdf

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20/12/2017

10:43

Toys at Spring Fair

Leap into Spring Toys fit into so many different categories, from gifts to licensing, and the beauty of Spring Fair is that retailers and suppliers don’t end up being pigeonholed in to one category. It makes Spring Fair a must-attend event. TnP takes a closer look…

What: Spring Fair 2018 When: 4-8 February 2018 Where: NEC, Birmingham

T

housands of exhibitors, retailers, buyers and manufacturers will be heading to the NEC for the annual Spring Fair this February.

The show runs from February 4-8 and is a major trade show for gift, home and toys, with more than 60,000 visitors likely to attend over the five days.

The show celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, having been officially opened by the Queen back in 1976.

Across 15 halls of the NEC, Spring Fair brings exhibitors and visitors together through 14 carefully show sectors, providing the ideal opportunity to make a connection. Spring Fair puts the newest and most exciting products within reach.

designs for the year ahead. We show samples of proposed new ranges to gauge feedback from Show plan our buyers. It gives us a We spoke to a means of measuring what number of exhibitors the demand and reactions to find out what they will be. It also gives us the hope to achieve at perfect opportunity to this year’s Spring Fair. Peter Lockey, The Puppet showcase our new brand of Peter Lockey, Wilberry soft toys, which Company Director, The Puppet includes the addition of Company, told us: “This is the show more than 80 new styles for 2018.” where we showcase new and innovative Customer feedback is also a highlight for Sarah Dayus, Sales and Brand Manager at Great NEW! Spring Fair Voucher Gizmos: “We will The new Spring Fair Voucher initiative will benefit be launching all retailers on the hunt for new suppliers. Retailers of our exciting will be able to get £100 off an order of £500 new products and or more when they open an account with a new brands, as well as supplier at the show. The voucher can be used our old favourites!

It is great to with up to 10 participating exhibitors at Spring hear customer Fair 2018 — offering a potential saving of £1,000. feedback on our newness too. We

“This is the show where we showcase new and innovative designs for the year ahead”

always hope to open new and interesting accounts at Spring Fair.”

Introducing new lines is always exciting for the exhibitors. Kate Skitt, Marketing Manager at Pretend to Bee, says: “This year will see the launch of our new character headbands – our initial collection will include cute and colourful animals and we know that the quality and price point will appeal to

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Fair our existing customers as well as opening up new retail channels.

We will also be introducing an exciting addition to our Natural History Museum range of dinosaur costumes which will now be available from six months onwards.”

Wilton Bradley, meanwhile, is launching two licenses: VW, and a rnage of X Factor karaoke microphones. “We are hugely excited about both ranges,” says Simon Hampton, Head of Sales and Marketing.

New interactive feature business and its a good way to showcase the full breadth of our ranges.”

The diverse attendance is an attraction for the Puppet Company: “Our extensive range of high-quality puppets sell strongly in many different retail situations including gift shops, tourist attractions, zoos, garden centres and toy shops. The Spring Fair is perfect for us to meet the gift buyers for all these sectors.” says Peter Lockey.

Must-attend show With so many visitors through its doors, Spring Fair is a great way to expose your products to a wide range of buyers, as Charlotte Cox, Marketing Executive, Amscan, explains: “Being such a diverse show means there is a greater variety of visitors from different markets and allows us to introduce Amscan to many new potential customers.

The timing is ideal for when retailers are looking to make important buying decisions for the upcoming months. The show also allows for direct interaction with all retail and wholesale channels.”

Sarah Dayus from Great Gizmos agrees: “We love attending Spring Fair because it gives us a chance to meet buyers from other markets such as gift, furniture, etc. The show is also highly attended by independent retailers and we really like supplying these shops. It’s a good order writing show and another chance for us to show off our new products and ranges.”

Pretend to Bee also gets plenty of new business from Spring Fair: “It’s consistently a successful show for us,” says Marketing Manager Kate Skitt.

“We have a great location in a busy hall and it’s a brilliant way to meet with contacts old and new. We always write a lot of

Look out for a new interactive feature area at the 2018 show. The Atelier will allow visitors to fully immerse themselves in visuallymerchandised rooms, which have been designed to showcase current consumer trends and predict what will be hot right up until 2020.

Rob Sapwell, Head of Sales, Gifts, Home & The Summerhouse, Spring Fair, says: “We wanted to make it easier for time-poor buyers to get a snapshot of trends that will come to the fore over the next two years, as well as helping them quickly identify the next hottest products.”

“Being such a diverse show means there is a greater variety of visitors from different markets and allows us to introduce Amscan to many new potential customers.”

Charlotte Cox, Marketing Executive, Amscan Simon Hampton at Wilton Bradley agrees, and has identified another benefit of the show: “Our summer 2018 ranges can also be presented alongside our new winter 2018 ranges, so this enables us to present far more than at a normal show,” he says.

What’s on show?

Finally, we asked exhibitors to sum up their offering in three words! Vibrant, inspiring, collaborative, says Amscan’s Charlotte Cox. Costumes, Dress Up, Accessories will be on offer from Pretend to Bee, while Peter Lockey at The Puppet Company says: Fun filled puppets! And finally expect summer, outdoor and fun from Wilton Bradley.

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Toys at Spring Fair Playmobil 01268 548111 www.playmobil.co.uk

Hall 5 Stand M15

Delectable collectables For the first time Playmobil will be appearing at Spring Fair to showcase a range of new toys.

The focus at the show will be its popular collectable sets.

These smaller play sets prove ever-popular with youngsters and have a great, low price point as well making them attractive as small gifts and to retailers.

Visitors to the show will be able to take a look at this year’s Playmobil collectable ranges, including items from the Figures, Special Plus and Playmo Friends ranges — plus the extremely popular Carry Cases.

Special Plus this year will see the introduction of a range of new characters, including Firefighter with Tree and Sky Knight with Jet.

Enesco 01228 404022 www.enesco.co.uk

Hall 4 Stand H100

A roaring success Following the roaring success of its unicorn range, Baby Gund is proud to present a new pre-historic collection for the season.

The Dinosaur Collection from America’s oldest and most prestigious soft toy company is sure to be a hit with family members both old and young. With softer premium fabrics and quality boa materials, items in the Dinosaur Collection are complemented by luxe details including faux suede appliqué and heavy embroidery. Presented in bright and vivid colours that are totally on-trend, such as fire engine red, cool greys and hunter greens, items within the Dinosaur Collection are

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These toys are perfect for children aged four upwards.

In February, Series 13 Figures will be launched, for children aged five and above.

The foil bags contain loose pieces of Playmobil figures to collect and assemble, and feature a Sushi Chef, a delivery man and a fairy, plus many more. In August, Series 14 will be released.

2018 will welcome new Playmo-Friends to collect, suitable for youngsters aged four and above. Including Dragon Knight, Forest Elf and Zookeeper with Baby Gorilla, these toys are perfect gifts to add to any Playmobil collection.

For children on the go, Playmobil Carry Cases are the perfect gift. There will be 10 of the popular cases including the new Fairy Boat Carry Case and Space Exploration Carry Case.

easily accessible and with a good price point too. As well as a range of fun and friendly plush dinosaurs within the collection, Baby Gund has also revealed the launch of room decoration formats, including wall décor and a jumbo T-rex.

Completing the new line-up is Chomper Animated Dino — a 33cm-tall plush soft toy that brings the past to present day through his life-like animated qualities. A Stegosaurus dinosaur, the plush is presented standing on his hind legs. His main body is a dark green shade, with his underbelly and cascading scales down his back in a complementing dark blue. The Chomper Animated Dino’s features are perfectly captured through the use of black beads for his eyes, white teeth and red nostrils. Full of character, the Chomper Animated Dino is further brought to life through the clever use of animatronics. Simply pat his back to hear him roar, of which there are two variations, and watch his upper body and mouth move too — frightfully good fun!

Chomper Animated Dino is suitable for children aged three years and over, comes with a book hang tag and the fabric is washable.

Chomper Animated Dino along with other items in the Dinosaur Collection are available to buy from Baby Gund.

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TnPs Ad - Spring Fair 2018_OL.pdf

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08/12/2017

10:35

Toys at Spring Fair Posh Paws

Perfect plush

01268 567317 www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk

There’s a big year ahead for Posh Paws with a raft of new properties and perfect plush for gifting.

The Posh Paws Winnie the Pooh offering is a major focus for the firm in 2018 and to ensure its success, TV advertising is planned to be included in the marketing support PR programme from its launch in spring.

The My Teddy Bear Pooh range will be a must-have for all ages and includes Pooh in his classic red jumper, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger. Available as 7in, 10in and XL sizes. Also available as part of the Winnie Pooh collection is Winnie the Pooh Vintage, Winnie the Pooh Dangles and Winnie the Pooh Cuties, all of which are beautiful designed, adorably cuddly and perfect gifts for all.

Spring Fair will also be the place to see Posh Paws’ exciting, wide-eyed, cute and super collectable Disney Collection.

These glittery plush toys feature fan favourites from both Disney’s back

Premier Decorations 0208 624 5555 www.premierdec.com

Hall 5 Stand E80-F81

catalogue and most recent films. Released in squads of six, each character is adorable, with super large, glittery eyes that instantly attracts attention. Squad A’s characters launch in January and will include Cinderella, Marie from the Aristocats, Minnie Mouse, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. POS stands are available and are perfect to fill and refresh with new characters as they are continually released throughout the year.

Kids will love building their #DisneySquad in 2018.

Posh Paws has also developed a fun and funky plush line for cool new property Hamsta World. This humorous and quirky licence follows colourful critters such as Cotton Kelly and Larry Macchiato who have already become stars of social media. The range of adorable, expressive plush features the eight core Hamsta characters including Cotton Kelly, Mila Sunrise and Cheesy Jake to name but a few.

Also new for Posh Paws for 2018 and for all to see at Spring Fair will be an inspiring collection from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, an all-new collection for Shopkins and an introduction to Sherlock Gnomes, Gummy Bear and Grumpy Cat, and of course a range perfect for gifting to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday.

Did you know...

POS stands for Disney Collection are available and are perfect to fill and refresh with new characters as they are continually released throughout the year. Kids will love building their #DisneySquad in 2018.

Hall 5 Stand K110-L111

Frightfully good Halloween is now a huge celebration in the UK, and the Premier Halloween Collection at Spring Fair will ensure that retailers are ahead of the game in 2018, with products to appeal to consumers across the board.

Featuring a fresh, updated brand image with eye-catching retail packaging to provide impactful merchandising solutions, the Premier Halloween Collection includes fun, family-friendly products, as well as those to add a little shock and horror.

With more than 500 quality new products, the 2018 catalogue introduces eight themed collections, taking the hard work out of putting together an eye-catching in-store display. Retailers can replicate an entire theme or pick and choose to create a collection that they know will appeal to their own audience.

Alternatively, for those new to the Halloween market, or for those simply looking for inspiration, Premier has a

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suggested starter range to cover a variety of ages and tastes.

Not to be missed for next year is Premier’s fabulous new range of decorative lighting. Already an expert in this area for Christmas and Outdoor Living, Premier’s Halloween lighting offers a huge range of batteryoperated and low-voltage lights in colours and styles to appeal to all. Also, Premier’s Halloween make-up range is already a bestseller, but is now stepping up to the next level with new packaging including photographs of finished looks to inspire consumers.

The range has everything the retailer could possibly wish to offer from fake blood and fangs to full makeup kits. See the Premier team at Spring Fair or visit the showrooms in Wrexham, North Wales, or Ruislip.

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VISIT US

TOY FAIR, STAND E66 SPRING FAIR HALL 3 STAND V20

MARKETING & DISTRIBUTING BRANDS

DKL Marketing Ltd, 11 Deer Park Road, Northampton, NN3 6QD, UK www.dkl.co.uk tel. 01604 678780 email. dkl@dkl.co.uk

Toys at Spring Fair Pretend to Bee 0115 921 5690 www.pretendtobee.com

Hall 5 Stand K100

Let’s pretend The annual Spring Fair is one of the busiest for Pretend to Bee, which returns to the NEC in 2018 with brand new lines. The Natural History Museum Dinosaur range has been hugely successful for the company and this year the collection will be extended to include smaller sizes for babies from six months onwards.

Made of the same high-quality material and attention to detail, the T-Rex and Triceratops onesie-style costumes are not only great for dress-up occasions but they also keep baby cosy and warm.

New for 2018 is the cute headband collection, which allows children to accessorise any outfit and be whoever they want to be. Made from soft fabrics and comfortable bands, they feature various characters including squirrel, badger, fox and frog. Look out for lots of other fun designs coming up in late 2018,

with sea creatures and pets all making an appearance.

Quality and attention to detail are themes that run throughout the whole of Pretend to Bee’s collection, making them popular with retailers who look for a diverse selection of lines. Pretend to Bee’s role-play costume range has an unparalleled number of different outfits including People Who Help Us, which includes firefighter and paramedic, multicultural costumes, history costumes, occupations costumes and more.

The breadth of each range means that retailers can stock dress-up lines for every occasion throughout the year including educational days at school, World Book Day, nativity, Halloween and more. Of course, the costumes also allow children to explore a world of imaginative play and the Pretend to Bee ranges encourages them to explore the world around them.

In addition to its own collections, Pretend to Bee also has several licensed ranges including the ever-popular Thunderbirds are Go! Range which, due to new programming and the recent 50th anniversary celebrations, shows no sign of waning. The range includes costumes of favourite characters Alan Tracy, Scott Tracy and Virgil and feature unique detailing and a sound chip that plays the iconic ‘5…4…3…2…1’ countdown sequence.

Fact!

Pretend to Bee will be releasing lots of other fun designs in late 2018, including sea creatures and pets.

Scents-ational stationery

DKL Marketing 01604 678780 www.dkl.co.uk

Hall 3-3A Stand V20

DKL Marketing is returning to Spring Fair to showcase its quality ranges, with products to suit all stores.

Highlights include Scentco Scented Stationery, offering a large range of licensed and generic lines of pencils, pens, notepads and more. Each colourful product features a delicious scent guaranteed to last a minimum of two years.

Keep an eye out for Scratch Lifestyle Toys, known for their charismatic and fun designs. New 2018 products include new Puzzles in Circular Boxes, Fun wooden letters for sticking on a wall, and other delightful products not to be missed.

DKL’s fastest growing brand Plus-Plus Construction is a unique concept of Building Bricks to make fantastic 3D and 2D designs. Highlights include the 100-piece tubes, offering great all year-round value. Hama Beads offer the largest range of sets and accessories in both generic and licensed.

This Easter will see a major TV advertising Campaign for Hama beads as part of a nationwide campaign.

New ranges to DKL this year includes Bloco, the softer side of construction. Children can make fully-posable animals, dinosaurs, monsters and more. Also new to 2018 is Escabbo bath toys with delightful designs. Be sure to keep an eye out for the new Breyer and PlayMais products, which will also be available at the show.

Did you know...

DKL Marketing supports retailers through in-store programmes and dedicated marketing campaigns.

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magazine

My Magical Sound & Lights Unicorn

Light up wings Pet my back for Magical sparkling sounds

Gift G iving… a ll wrap ped up

International Spring Fair NEC,Birmingham 4th—8th February 2018 Hall 4

4H81

4H91

4H80-J81

4H90-J91

4H100

Enesco Limited, Head Office & Customer Services, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 0EN. Tel: 01228 404022 email: trade@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services: Tel: +44 1228 404066 email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk © GUND 2018. © 2018 Enesco Ltd.

en7942-lema-spring-fair-gund-ad-jan-18.indd 1

21/12/2017 09:14

Toys at Spring Fair Great Gizmos 01293 543221 www.ggtrade.co.uk

Hall 5 Stand F30 -G31

Think pink with flamingos Great Gizmos has lots of new products showcasing at Spring Fair 2018, with exciting additions to 4M and Barney and Buddy, and the introduction of new brands Avenir, Nebulous Stars and Glitza. There is also a fantastic range of nursery toys and gifts, super cute plush backpacks, ride-ons and much more.

4M’s Mould and Paint Flamingo is set to fly off the shelves. Kids can make their own flamingo characters and decorate them using the paints and string included.

Great Gizmos is launching new brand Avenir in 2018, specialising in fun arts and crafts for children aged three to seven. The range features different crafty kits in various different themes; Scratch, Canvas Pop Art, Pop Up Origami and My Tissue Work of Art. Each product encourages children to create beautiful masterpieces.

Nebulous Stars is a quirky brand combining beautiful illustrations with positive values, and is based around four fabulous characters and their cute pets. The range features a number of crafty and creative kits for kids to get stuck into. The Creative Sketch Books offer an impressive number of activities with beautiful images, including pencils, stencils, stickers, and textures.

Glitza is a simple and effective way to add glittery detail to just about anything. Quick and safe to use, the glitter tattoos can be applied to arms, hands, books, clothes or any fashion accessories for a long-lasting effect that looks fabulous. The sleek product range features a number of different designs for younger and older children, from Fairy and Butterfly to Crazy Geometry, and much more.

Fact!

The popular Kidz Labs Range has some new additions including Hologram Science, which teaches how holograms can project impressive 3D images. Kids can also discover how science can help them in the wild with the fantastic Survival Science kit.

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Funko Europe 020 3376 3223 www.funko.com

Hall 6 Stand N05

Licensed to thrill

Funko Europe is bringing along a broad range of exciting new products to Spring Fair, including its Pop! Vinyl figures, and other collectables, homewares, and plush. The company will also be showcasing its Loungefly range – a collection of licensed bags, purses, and accessories – an absolute must-see for all Spring Fair attendees.

Anyone looking for fun ways to fill their kitchen with quirky items should look no further than Funko’s homewares range. The company will be exhibiting a vast array of both practical and eye-catching homeware, including mugs, teapots, storage tins and pizza cutters, spanning across licenses such as Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. Anyone who loves the Porgs from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, will love the Porg Cookie Jar, complete with sound effects.

Loungefly is Funko’s most recent portfolio addition, and it reflects the brand’s pop culture centric ethos perfectly. Featuring eye-catching statement pieces from licenses such as Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars, this collection features micro-backpacks, purses, handbags, accessories, and much more. An absolute must for any fashion-conscious Spring Fair visitors.

Visitors will also get the chance to see a large selection of their distinctive Pop! Vinyl figures from some of the hottest licenses, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Marvel. Fans of TV, film, gaming, and sports have plenty of products to browse, including lines from Overwatch, Lord of the Rings, and Rick and Morty.

Star Wars: Plush fans will also love Funko’s brand new S The Last Jedi feature plush range. The plush are available include Porgs, in a multitude of sizes, and in Guards, droid Praetorian Guards more. Some BB-9E and mo with sound even come w effects featured in fea the movie. mov

Toys at Spring Fair Sinco Creations 0161 737 7464 Sales@Sincocreations.com

Plush pals

Hall 5 Stand L55

At Spring Fair, Sinco will be presenting its new Disney sentimental plush range, which will consist of three sizes of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in special outfits. Visitors should look out for the new special edition Mickey Mouse, which has been created to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the iconic character.

Sinco recently announced that it has been appointed the official master toy licensee of Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time. The range is due for soft launch in AW 2018 with two plush ranges and an advent calendar. This will be followed in 2019 with a full range of innovative and creative products that will hit shelves in time for the worldwide theatrical release of Shaun the Sheep Movie 2 in April that same year.

Product ranges will also include plastic figurine sets, plush, games and puzzles, arts and crafts, tableware and RC vehicles.

Visitors at Spring Fair will also have the opportunity to win an exclusive competition prize. Four lucky winners will win an exclusive studio tour at Aardman in Bristol.

What’s more, the winning four will have the opportunity to gain special access and get a look behind the scenes of the filming of the muchanticipated Shaun the Sheep Movie 2.

Orange Tree Toys 01242 244500 www.orangetreetoys.com

Hall 5 Stand E22-F23

Keeping tradition alive Orange Tree Toys is a family-run business, which is passionate about recreating those wonderful, classic wooden toys that are remembered so well from their own childhood.

Bright and colourful by design, the range offers a great mix of both fun and educational traditional wooden toys. Orange Tree Toys is also proud to include great licenses such as Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh and Paddington Bear, which combined with the Orange Tree branded products create a wonderful and unique product range.

Brand new for 2018, there is also an array of new products added to the much-loved Peter Rabbit Collection, including beautiful 3D puzzles of both Peter Rabbit and Jemima PuddleDuck, a selection of development toys, and pocket money toys, which also sees Jeremy Fisher joining the range.

Following on from the continued success of the Crocodile Alphabet Puzzle, there is a new range based entirely around the colourful Croc. The range is painted in the same bright colours, and includes new toy products, including a variety of development toys, a stacking pull-along and puzzles.

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dressing ’s n re d il h c g in Provid d accessories n a s e m tu s o c up l role play. for educationa

High quali ty selectio n of desig for 6 mon ns ths to 11 ye ars includin authentic g period cos tumes, character and anima l costume s.

No minimu ms.

air F g n Spri ll 5 Ha K100 d n Sta

Go to www.pretendtobee.com to register for more details.

Tel: 0115 921 5690. Email: support@pretendtobee.com

Toys at Spring Fair Amscan

Wilton Bradley 01626 835400 www.wiltonbradley.com

Hall 5 Stand K10-L11, L10

Get the X Factor!

Welcome on stage the X Factor XF1 and XF2. The XF1 is a microphone speaker, which has Bluetooth connectivity, and is cost-effective with a high spec including an echo function, speaker stand, play/pause, skip forward and back, runs for up to three hours without a charge.

The XF1 is branded in the black and red X Factor logo and has flashing LED lights on the base.

The X Factor XF2 is a sophisticated microphone speaker that includes voice changing modes, echo function and a micro SD/USB Charging/ USB Port. The X Factor logo wraps around the speaker box on the front, turning this into a fabulous portable karaoke machine.

The existing Mi-Mic microphones will have new functionality and will continue to build on the success of 2017.

Monster Smash Ups, the award-winning remote control range, will be joined by a fourth character, Black Widow. The trucks have even more impact as the body of the truck now fully explodes when they hit each other or an obstacle! Other line extensions include a Battle Pack, which comes with two trucks, four interchangeable characters and chassis. There will be even more activity in 2018 with an even bigger mass media campaign.

Wilton Bradley joined forces with YoYoFactory to act as its exclusive UK distributor for its expert line of Yo-Yos. From the beginner using the TenTrick range, right up to the highgrade aluminium DV888 Yo-Yo or the F.A.S.T 201 to master the classics, Wilton Bradley can supply the right product.

The GBSB range of Sewing Machines were inspired by the Great British Sewing Bee TV show, and are loved by everyone from bloggers to broadcasters (this was a Chris Evans favourite). There’s also lso a full range of accessories kits with everything needed to create the perfect item. The two sewing machines are competitively petitively priced.

The company has also had ad great success with the electric ridedeon category. This year it introduces a Police Car, and a Range Rover, with exclusive licensed products to be added this year.

The Viper pedal go kart, the vintage Xootz Retro Racer and the JSF Urban Sprinter Electric Scooter ooter will all be at the show with new additions to the range.

Wilton Bradley excels at outdoor products, and its very successful partnership with Bestway has made it the UK market leader in inflatables. A wide range of top licensed products from Star Wars to Disney will be on show.

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01908 288500 www.amscan.co.uk

Hall 5 Stand J110-K119

Party people Party product suppliers Amscan International will be showcasing a variety of its latest ranges for 2018 across the costume, partyware and balloon categories.

Amscan has expanded its fancy dress offering to include wonderful new additions such as adorable baby styles and licensed Disney Baby character outfits. These cute all-in-one outfits make a fantastic gift for little ones.

Also new to Amscan’s dress-up collection are licensed The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Elmer the Elephant styles. These styles are perfect for Book Week in addition to other new generic styles including story book character and historical themes.

Amscan has expanded its Halloween dress-up collection for 2018 to feature some delightfully frightful new designs available for tots to adults. Little ones will love the new Cute Ghost, Pumpkin, Monster and Spider outfit for one to two, two to three, and three to four years. For older children there is a fantastic choice of on-trend styles from new Day of the Dead-themed costumes, ever-popular zombies and even an inflatable pumpkin costume!

As part of its licensed partyware collection, Amscan is excited to launch new Disney, Marvel and Star Wars party accessories. The ranges feature a great mix of co-ordinating decorations and fun party favours including much-loved characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Spider-Man and classic Star Wars. There is also an exciting new range of licensed character piñatas to complement existing party ensembles.

Don’t miss Amscan’s new collection of Unicorn balloons, which make fabulous gift or party decorations. The range features an impressive Unicorn AirWalker balloon standing at 116cm high. New SuperShape balloons include Pastel Unicorn and Magical Unicorn. To complement the balloons a new coordinating partyware ensemble is available for 2018 featuring tableware, decorations, party favours and accessories.

There will also be the opportunity to discover Amscan’s exciting new collection of decorator latex balloons on the stand by popular global brand Sempertex. The opportunities for creating stunning balloon displays are endless with this extensive range of colours and patterns. The range includes more than 600 items providing a comprehensive offering for balloon decorators.

The Amscan stand will feature a selection of new items from its latest ranges from its collection of more than 12,000 items available for the UK market.

The full ranges will be available to view in its new 2018 Everyday Party, Balloon and Costume Books.

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Toys at Spring Fair Hall 5 Stand H59

What a wizard game!

Hall 5 Stand F40-G41

Smart choice

Winning Moves

Tobar

0207 262 9696 www.winningmoves.co.uk

01603 397 105 www.tobar.co.uk

The Crazy Cube Game meets the magical world of Harry Potter. Race to match five favourite witches or wizards to win the game and score a point. Players can score extra points if their Top Trumps character card matches their row.

First one to five points wins. This exciting game of skill snaps closed and fits neatly in a bag, so that it can be taken and played anywhere.

With great buyer feedback and TV support, Harry Potter Top Trumps Match is fun for all ages. Check out the full range of licensed Top Trumps Match games including: Star Wars, Super Mario, Shopkins, Emotis, DC Comics, Disney Princess and Marvel Avengers.

Lexicon-GO! is one ‘L’ of a super-fast word game that is playable in a small space when travelling and can entertain all ages.

Tobar is excited to announce some fantastic new products showcasing at the 2018 Spring Fair.

With mermaids set to be a key trend for 2018, visitors will be able to view the latest exciting products at Tobar’s stand, all from the comfort of dry land.

The Magical Crystal Growing Mermaid is an ideal gift for all mermaid lovers. Add the crystal solution to the base and in minutes the crystals will grow to make waves for the elegant mermaid to sit on.

Available in four colours, the Fizzing Mermaid is perfect for water-based fun. Simply place the fizzy bomb in water and watch it bubble and dissolve into this magical aquatic creature.

Fancy getting sticky? Neon Slime is a colourful favourite. Fun for all ages and available in six different colours, kids can create all sorts of mischief with these pots of delight.

The new Smart Putty Mini Mix is a must have. Mould, stretch and bounce this putty that comes in a variety of different styles, including Glow in the Dark, Dazzle, Glitter and Normal. It’s a delight for the senses!

Hall 5 Stand K64

Mammoth haul Jumbo Games 01707 289289 www.jumbo.eu Having recorded its biggest year of growth across all of its Adult Puzzle & Accessories Brands, Jumbo is returning to Spring Fair to continue driving the double-digit success of 2017 and will be showcasing a large number of exciting products from both its adult and children’s ranges.

Spring Fair is the perfect opportunity to check out Jumbo’s growing range of high-quality and beautifully decorated wooden toys, puzzles and games from its Goula range. With 20 brand new products launching, there are more than 170 wooden products to choose from, including Puzzles, Construction and Ability Toys, My First Games and Educational Material, all of which will be available to check out at the show.

Jumbo will also be launching six new puzzles for spring/summer from its puzzle brand Wasgij. All that and plenty more!

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Hall 5 Stand L41

A cracking line-up Sambro 0845 8739380 www.sambro.co.uk Sambro’s Spring Fair offering signals the start of a year filled with even more licensed products from the renowned toy manufacturer.

Sambro is launching its brand new Nickelodeon SLIME range, set to be one of the hottest properties of the year. The deal grants Sambro Master Toy rights globally, excluding North America, and will see the licensee introduce a huge array of Nickelodeon Slime products from SS 2018. The hero product from Sambro’s Nickelodeon Slime range is undoubtedly the Nickelodeon Slime Hyper Blaster – the ultimate sliming tool! Prepare for everyone to be slimed as the pump-action blaster projects the infamous green liquid up to seven metres. A sub-slime adventure!

Sambro is also adding to its Jo Jo Siwa range with the Jo Jo Siwa Styling Head as well as Jo Jo Siwa Bow Bow products — the Nickelodeon superstar’s equally famous dog. Hatchimals Glittering Garden is the newest batch straight out of Hatchtopia, and Sambro’s collection of arts and crafts products and bags will extend the play possibilities and the allimportant collectability factor.

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Toys at Spring Fair Hall 5 Stand G64

French design Juratoys 020 8878 2133 www.juratoys.co.uk Janod is the leading wooden toy brand in France and is fast becoming the most talked-about wooden toy brand in the UK. Whether it’s putting together two parts of a puzzle, building a tower with a few cubes, tightening or unscrewing, following a path with their fingers or pushing the right key of a xylophone, playing requires a lot of effort from the child. Because every child is different, Janod creates clever toys that meet their every need in order to help them develop their skills: Kaloo offers little ones a soft and enchanting world that would meet their needs in terms of learning. For more than 19 years the Kaloo brand has been specialising in soft toys and bedding accessories. Kaloo is now present in nearly 40 countries. The range consists of many plush animals, doudou puppets, traditional bears and now a very popular my first dolls’range called Tendresse. Tendresse launched in 2017 and was so popular that Juratoys has expanded the range for 2018.

The Alex Brands family of brands has introduced some fantastic new products this year, with an injection of fresh ideas and colours.

Hall 5 Stand G60

Puppet love The Puppet Company 01462 446040 www.thepuppetcompany.com The Puppet Company is showing more than 40 new puppets for 2018, including a new collection of animal glove puppets. These new puppets are made with a different material to the company’s normal classic ranges such as Long Sleeves and CarPets, which enables the company to offer them at a very competitive cost price.

They are not designed to replace current ranges but to give a really good glove puppet with a retail margin of x2.4 and a lower RRP! There are 27 in the collection, with more designs to follow. The range name for these super new puppets is Puppet Buddies.

Also in development are large Dinosaur Head hand puppets, which will be in a range of different colours and will make an excellent addition to the existing Large Creatures collection.

Also look out for a Unicorn in the Carpet collection and a fantastic Sloth being added to both CarPet and Full Bodied ranges.

Finally, the Puppet Company will be showcasing four fabulous new Sockette puppets, which will make a welcome addition.

Wilberry, the Puppet Company’s soft toy collection, continues to grow, with more than 60 new styles being added for 2018

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Hall 5 Stand E40-F41

Hugs galore Keel Toys www.keeltoys.com 01233 506363 Meet the characters from Animotsu, Keel Toys’ numberone selling collection, which grew in sales by over 200 per cent in 2017. To boost sales in 2018, Dinosaurs and Ballerinas have been added to the range in the Animotsu trademark vibrant colours. The 15cm Collection will see the introduction of seven new designs, including Seahorse, Seal and even a Rainbow Rabbit.

Hugg ’ems comprise eight wonderfully coloured animal characters with long arms, weighted paws and swirling tails that can be hung from your arm or neck and that just love to be hugged. Unicorns continue to be a must-have.

Keel Toys’ offering includes new luxury lying unicorns in pink and white and in sizes 35cm, 50cm and 70cm, along with Glitter Gems Unicorns in vibrant pinks, purples and rainbow colours. Or perhaps you’d prefer Pugsley, our favourite Pug who is dressed in a Unicorn Onesie.

Central to Keel Toys’ winter 2018 range are three themed Christmas collections; Pugsley, Pipp the Bear and Animotsu.

The fair will also showcase Keel Toys Retail Solutions, a fantastic, simple way to display key soft toy collections, including both FSDU and MDF permanent display units.

Spring Fair Hall 5 Stand G34

Toy Fair Gallery Stand 632

For Ireland enquiries please contact: Banaghan & Co. Ltd. 路 Co. Tipperary Tel. +35367 63800 路 Fax +35367 63801 info@banaghans.ie

For UK enquiries please contact: Alpha Toys Ltd. 路 Phone 0035367 63800 Fax 0035367 63801 路 info@alpha-toys.co.uk

Toys at Spring Fair Siku

Versatile vehicles

0035367 63800 info@alpha-toys.co.uk

Hall 5 Stand G34

Siku is a top-quality German die cast model brand best known for 1:32, 1:50 & 1:87 scale models in Farm, Construction and Trucks.

Other categories include ‘Siku Control’ Tractors, Trucks and Excavators, ‘Siku World’ – A World of Play sets to bring Siku products together in a large play area, and ‘Siku Blister’, detailed quality models with well-known brands and low prices for everyday sales.

Car licenses include Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, Mercedes, VW, Audi, BMW Tractor licenses include John Deere, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, Claas Construction licenses include Manitou and JCB. Siku toy models meet the highest quality and safety requirements and give plenty of hours of enjoyment and safe play in the kids’ playroom. To ensure these requirements are met, Siku toy models are manufactured from diecast metal and plastic parts. This makes them sturdy and hard-wearing, making realistic play possible with everyday scenes in road traffic, on the building site, with emergency rescue services, or in agriculture.

Display stands are available for both Siku Blister lines and Siku Boxed lines.

The Irish Fairy Door Co 0035367 6380 irishfairydoorcompany@alpha-toys.co.uk

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Hall 5 Stand G34

Hall 10-12 Stand D04-E05

National elf service PMS International

Fairy tale

01268 50 50 50 www.pmsinternational.com

Leading the way in product development in the world of fairies, The Irish Fairy Door Company continues to excite fairy lovers everywhere with its new and innovative products. 2017 saw the introduction of the hugely successful Dust Mixing Kit, along with the Tooth Kit, which is promising big things for 2018.

Building on the success of the now famous Worry Plaque, the team in Fairy HQ have developed some really intriguing products for 2018 but they’re top secret for now!

The Irish Fairy Door Company has created a huge online community with 280,000 Facebook followers, more than 19,000 Instagram followers and more than 6,000 Twitter followers.

The Worry Plaque even has its own Facebook page with nearly 16,000 followers and hundreds of positive stories from users of the product. The Fairy Door remains a staple part of the product range — how else is a child to invite a fairy to their home or garden?

PMS International will be showcasing their exciting new additions to the best-selling Elves Behavin’ Badly range, giving trade customers plenty of time to plan their lines and place their orders before the busy pre-Christmas Countdown.

Last year, PMS International’s exclusive Elves Behavin’ Badly range proved a huge hit with customers and consumers. .

With unique branding and eye-catching packaging, this cost-effective Elf line was a best-seller with our trade customers. Sales in 2017 exceeded all expectations and we had to reorder many popular lines over and over again to keep up with demand.

Our 2018 range comprises all our popular and core lines including our Elfie and Elvie dolls. But there are many new innovative and bespoke accessories and products in our new range to help Elfie and Elvie go about their mischief making and to enable even more exciting scenes to be created.

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Come and visit us at Spring Fairr Hall 5 Stand F30/G31

Contact us for further information call: 01293 543221 or email: orders@greatgizmos.co.uk co.uk

Toy Fair Gallery Stand 630

For Ireland enquiries please contact: Banaghan & Co. Ltd. 路 Co. Tipperary Tel. +35367 63800 路 Fax +35367 63801 irishfairydoorcompany@banaghans.ie

Spring Fair Hall 5 Stand G34

For UK enquiries please contact: Alpha Toys Ltd. 路 Phone 0035367 63800 Fax 0035367 63801 路 irishfairydoorcompany@alpha-toys.co.uk

The Puppet Company & Wilberry Toys

Spring Fair Wilberry: Hall 5 - 5L40 The Puppet Company: Hall 5 - 5G60

We are a UK based Design & Wholesale company supplying over 1000 high quality puppets and soft toys!

www.thepuppetcompany.com www.wilberrytoys.com Tel: +44 (0) 1462 446040 TNP - The Puppet Company - Advert Template - New.indd 39

12/19/2017 4:56:29 PM