NEWS
ALEX BRANDS ACQUIRES SHRINKY DINKS
ASTRA’S NEIGHBORHOOD TOY STORE DAY SUPPORTS INCREASED SALES FOR RETAILERS
Shrinky Dinks will be part of the Alex Brands family of toys, which includes Alex Toys, Poof, Slinky, Scientific Explorer, and more. Invented in 1973, Shrinky Dinks consist of large, flexible sheets, which, when heated in an oven, shrink to small hard plates without changing their color or shape. Alex Brands historically licensed the Shrinky Dinks brand for use in the Alex Toys product line. It also joins Alex Brands’ growing collection of Made in the U.S. products, including Poof foam balls and Slinky products.
MASTERPIECES, SMART PLAY SIGN ON FOR ANIMAL PLANET AND SHARK WEEK MERCHANDISE
MasterPieces Puzzle Company has signed a deal with Discovery Consumer Products to produce Animal Planet and Shark Week puzzles and craft sets. It will also create Animal Planet-branded dinosaur and safari products, as well as Shark Week-branded 3D puzzles with a paint component and buildable craft kits made of wood. Smart Play will develop children’s educational toys offering different ways to discover the world of animals. The line includes 3-D flashcards and puzzles, puzzle cubes, alphabet floor puzzles, a lighted click-and-see toy projector, and an electronic learning pad. The new items will be available next year.
LINCOLN LOGS PRODUCTION RETURNS
TO THE
U.S.
Next year’s entire line of Lincoln Logs, part of the K’NEX family of brands, will be manufactured in the U.S. by Pride Manufacturing in Burnham, Maine. Following industry trends, Lincoln Logs production was moved overseas during the mid-20th century. K’NEX, which licenses the brand from Hasbro, has been manufacturing Lincoln Logs since 1999. Pride Manufacturing, the world’s leading supplier of wooden golf tees and related golf accessories, met K’NEX’s requirements for a wood manufacturing facility that could match the precision and detail required for Lincoln Logs. New sets will include the Horseshoe Hill Station, the Country Meadow Cottage, the Oak Creek Lodge, the 100th Anniversary Tin, the Collector’s Edition Village, and more. All sets come with a storage container for clean-up, are intended for kids ages 3 and up, and will be available next fall.
ON THE COVER: THE ORIGINAL SUPER SPIROGRAPH IS BACK AND BETTER THAN THE CLASSIC INTERCHANGEABLE SPIRO-TRACKS LET KIDS CREATE THEIR OWN UNIQUE PATTERN SHAPES, TAKING THEIR DESIGNS TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. FOR MORE FROM KAHOOTZ TOYS, TURN TO PAGE S11.
EVER.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
S4
According to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), nearly two-thirds of ASTRA stores participating in Neighborhood Toy Store Day on Saturday, November 8, reported an increase in their yearover-year same store sales. An estimated 25 percent posted growth of 20 percent or more. ASTRA retailers reached out to several hundred media outlets around the country and across multiple platforms, including print, radio, broadcast, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Of the ASTRA retailers who reached out to the media in their markets, 82 percent reported that they were successful in using the event to secure local media and blogger coverage. ASTRA supports participation of its retailer members in Neighborhood Toy Store Day by offering free planning guides, templates for media outreach, Best Toys for Kids award program flyers, and more.
SPIELWARENMESSE EG TAKES TOY MANUFACTURERS TO ASIA WITH WORLD OF TOYS PROGRAM
Twenty-six toy manufacturers from 12 countries are using Spielwarenmesse eG’s World of Toys program, which supports exhibitors wanting to develop business relationships in the Asian market, to exhibit at the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair 2015. The companies to exhibit in the World of Toys pavilion include Banbao Europe BV and SES Nederland BV from the Netherlands; Bruder Spielwaren GmbH + Co. KG, Dusyma, fischerwerke GmbH & Co. KG, Haba–Habermaass GmbH, Mertens GmbH, Spielwarenmesse eG, and SPM Schäfer Promotion Marketing from Germany; Ebulobo, Jouets Ecoiffier, Vulli S.A.S, and Petitcollin & Vilac from France; Furkan ITH. IHR. ve SIN. MAM. PAZ. LTD. STI., Perre Group Co., Ucar Oyuncak San. Tic. Ltd. Sti., and Pilsan Plastik from Turkey; Green Rubber Toys from Australia; Guidecraft and Kettler International Inc. from the U.S.; James Galt & Co. Ltd from the U.K.; Lilliputiens from Belgium; Micro Mobility Systems AG from Switzerland; Science4you SA from Portugal; and Taf Toys from Israel.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015