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The Toy Insider Announces Sweet Suite @ Home 2021
While everyone is still staying home and staying safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this year, the Toy Insider will host its second-ever virtual Sweet Suite @ Home event on July 14. Sweet Suite, known as the biggest night of play, is a legendary industry party that connects toy and game companies of all sizes — from the biggest in the world to emerging superstars — with press, media personalities, and influencers. Read more...
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COBI CEO Issues Apology for Controversial Construction Toys; Pulls Sets from Sale
COBI Toys owner and CEO Robert Podles has issued a statement after a controversy began last Friday following the debut of new additions to the Polish toymaker’s long-running Historical Collection. The new products presented leaders and vehicles from WWII-era Germany in building sets designed for kids ages 6 and up and collectors. Read more…
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Hasbro Restructures Business Into Three Segments
As the toy, game, and family entertainment businesses continue to evolve and morph into one another, Hasbro is joining its competitors — including Mattel and Spin Master — in re-segmenting its business that more accurately represents what the company does. Hasbro is now divided into three new financial reporting segments: Consumer Products, Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming, and Entertainment. Read more…
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Mattel’s Spirit Untamed Line Gallops Into Retail
As first revealed at Toy Fair New York last year, Mattel picked up the license for DreamWorks Animation’s Spirit franchise ahead of this summer’s Spirit Untamed. The new collection launched this week and includes dolls, horses, and playsets, along with Spirit Untamed-inspired versions of Mattel Games, including UNO, Stackin’ Apples, and more. Read more…
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Sign up to Play Gamer Influencers in Roblox’s L.O.L. Surprise! Official Party
L.O.L. Surprise! is heading to Roblox next month with the L.O.L. Surprise! Official Party game. The game will take place in the “First Doll World of Roblox” with digital versions of the popular L.O.L. Surprise! dolls from MGA Entertainment. Players can interact with the doll characters as they explore the L.O.L. Surprise! OMG House, unlocking rewards along the way, including outfits and accessories. Read more...
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SDCC 2021 Is Canceled, Smaller In-person Event Planned for November
For the second year in a row, there will not be a Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC). The organizers announced via an online statement that, due to a continuing concern for public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fan convention will not take place in person as scheduled for this July. Read more...
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Jakks Pacific Is Back in the Battle Royale with Apex Legends Series 3 Action Figures
Following the successful debut of its first two waves last fall, Jakks Pacific is jumping back into the Battle Royale with its third wave of 6-inch action figures inspired by Electronic Arts’ Apex Legends. Each figure features premium detail and 25 points of articulation for maximum poseability. Read more…
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Tonies Expands Library with the Sleepy Time Collection
Tonies — the original screen-free audio entertainment system for kids — is expanding its library with the addition of a new Sleepy Time collection for spring. Sleepy Time Tonies includes a trio of Tonie figures that interact with the Toniebox audio player. The curated collection is designed to support naptime and bedtime routines through soothing sounds, music, and stories. Read more…
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Far Out Toys’ Glo-Up Girls Bring the TikTok Sensation to the Doll Aisle
Inspired by the massively viral world of makeover content that dominates social platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok — where #GlowUp already boasts more than 20 million views — the Glo-Up Girls are a new line of fashion dolls that are currently in production and headed for retail. Read more…
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Talking Games with Spin Master’s Nick Metzler on the “Power Kid Podcast”
In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Nick Metzler, incubation and new business specialist at Spin Master. Metzler has designed and marketed dozens of award-winning games, including Squashed, Marvel’s Wakanda Forever and Hail Hydra, Harry Potter Hedbanz, Battle of the Sexes, and many more.
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TOMY, TinkerTini Seek Inventors to Create New Products for The First Years, JJ Cole, and Boon
TinkerTini — a full-service inventor relations agency that specializes in launching, scaling, and managing open innovation initiatives to get new toys from concept to market — is assisting TOMY in its search for inventors with an interest in juvenile products. This includes industrial designers, engineers, toy designers, or “clever people that can prototype.” Read more…
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Pedal Into Spring with Toynk’s Big Wheel Tricycles
The Original Big Wheel never goes out of style. Digital retailer Toynk released nine Big Wheel trikes in two different sizes for a special Big Wheel 50th anniversary collection: the Original Big Wheel and Big Wheel Junior. These tricycles feature the iconic large front wheel, two extra-wide rear tires, two pedals, a handlebar, and low-rider seating. Read more…
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Talkin’ Toys: Regal Logistics’ James Moynihan Outlines How the Company Is Helping Toymakers in a New Era
Regal Logistics offers toymakers of all sizes that are looking to build out a solid supply chain “from port to sale.” The Toy Book caught up with Regal President James Moynihan for an update on how the company is continuing to help its clients navigate an increasingly complex industry during the pandemic. Read more…
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Talkin’ Toys: Super Impulse’s Alan Dorfman Says Big Things Are in Store for Mini-toys
The Toy Book caught up with Alan Dorfman, president of Super Impulse, about the big world of mini-toys. Super Impulse will expand several lines this year, introducing more giant things in tiny packages. Read more…
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Accelerating Change: COVID-19 Pushes
Mattel, Funko, and Others to Pivot and Prevail
The Toy Book looks back at how a challenging year inspired changes in speed-to-market, e-commerce, distribution, and more with insight from Mattel’s Richard Dickson and Ynon Kreiz, Funko’s Brian Mariotti, and others. Read more…
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NRF Expects U.S. Retail Sales to Rise Amid Vaccine Rollout
The National Retail Federation (NRF) released its annual forecast with an optimistic outlook that retail sales in the U.S. will grow to more than $4.33 trillion this year. As more individuals get vaccinated against COVID-19, the NRF believes that sales will spike between 6.5% and 8.2% as the economy continues to reopen. Read more…
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Spin Master Q4, Full-year Earnings Reflect a Crossroads of Emerging and Aging Brands
The Toronto-based toy and entertainment company reported that gross sales declined 7.1% in the fourth quarter to $511.8 million versus $550.7 million during the same period last year. For the full-year, gross sales fell to $1.62 billion, a 4% decline from $1.69 billion in 2019. Read more…
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Adventure Media and Events Promotes James Zahn to Deputy Editor of The Toy Book
Adventure Media and Events LLC, publisher of the Toy Book, the Toy Report, the Toy Insider, and the Pop Insider, named James Zahn as deputy editor of the Toy Book effective immediately. The announcement was made by Laurie Schacht, CEO. Zahn previously served as senior editor of the Toy Book, a position he held since January 2019. Read more…
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Jennifer Pang Tapped to Lead ViacomCBS Consumer Products in Greater China
In her new role, Pang will be based in Hong Kong and will lead ViacomCBS’s overall licensing business in all markets across Greater China for all ViacomCBS franchises, including properties from Nickelodeon, Nick. Jr., MTV, Paramount Network, and Comedy Central. She joins the company from Hasbro Consumer Products where she served as head of category licensing for North Asia, managing licensing programs for eOne and Hasbro brands. Read more…
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Toy Industry Mourns the Loss of WowWee’s Art Janis
WowWee issued a statement regarding the sudden passing of Art Janis, executive vice president of sales. “We have so many loving memories of how Art helped build and touch all our lives, including the succession of WowWee itself with the large fingerprint he left both generationally on our family and everyone within our organization.” Read more…
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