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In the wake of the tragic events in Texas in Uvalde and the media storm that it has provoked, I’ve been struggling emotionally and philosophically. And, as generally happens in the wake of these unspeakable horrors, I get calls from media people asking what impact toys and video games had in creating the monster that murdered children and teachers. I generally ask people to … [Read more...] about Chris Byrne, “The Toy Guy,” Talks About Guns

We are very pleased to announce that the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY will be providing us with an image and reflections on a different artifact from their vast collection each month. “The $25,000 Pyramid Game” 122.794 In June 2021, The Strong announced the launch of the National Archives of Game Show History. As part of that initiative to preserve … [Read more...] about The Strong National Museum Object of the Month – “The $25,000 Pyramid Game”

Last week, the City of New York removed its last public payphone. It was the long overdue but sad end of an era that began in 1889 when a guy named William Gray needed access to a payphone, only to discover that it had not yet been invented. His creation  went on to be a 20th-century communications mainstay. Those of a certain age, particularly salespeople, recall when knowing … [Read more...] about Saying Goodbye to the Pay Phone – A Salesperson’s Best Friend

I am always impressed by the passion of new toy entrepreneurs who desperately want to make their products in the United States. When you try to explain to them that their product simply cannot be made cheaply enough to be competitive they can become adamant and even angry. So what is a person or company to do when the very center of their ethos is “Made in America”. I found an … [Read more...] about Do You Want to Make It in the USA? Focus on Beauty and High Quality

Have you heard about a game called “Really Bad Chess”? I hadn’t either until I read a fascinating Slate article entitled “Who Says Games Need to Be Fair?”. The piece, by Chris Suellentrop, describes how “game designer and conceptual artist”, Zach Gage, created a video game that randomly assigns Queens (yes plural), Castles, Bishops, etc. In other words, you don’t get the … [Read more...] about “Really Bad Chess” and Games that Aren’t Fair

Turning on the Kettle, Foxy Belle, flickr, January 29, 2022, Courtesy of Creative Commons Attribution. The Strong recently acquired a few anthropomorphized fashion dolls. A dog with a human-like body and an extensive wardrobe is really something to behold. As much as I admired these dolls, I could not help but to ask why did these show-up in the toy aisle and were they … [Read more...] about Pampered Pooches: Anthropomorphized Dolls

Birth Rate Up – Biggest Increase Since 2014 The U.S. birthrate increased in 2021. It was purported to be the biggest increase in seven years. However, it is nothing to get excited about. The increase was very small, only 1%. It only made news because it did not decrease. That’s what it has been doing since 2014, by an average of 2% per year. Bear these figures in mind … [Read more...] about Disruption Report #55: Birth Rate Up, Domestic Freight Rates Peaking, and Hong Kong Maintains Its Quarantine Policy

Julia Stone is the Director of Communications at MIR, a leader in marketing through schools. She has worked in brand marketing in schools for 9 years and knows the impact this method can have on toy brands that take the time to align with education. She also hosts monthly webinars that teach companies everything they need to know about marketing toys through schools and … [Read more...] about Marketing Through Schools; my interview with Julia Stone

Sandy Lepire is Chief Executive Office and Principal for Sunshine Sales, Inc. and President of Western Toy and Hobby Representatives Association, the promoters for Toy Fest. As such, we wanted to hear from her about the big changes at Toy Fest and what we can expect to see February 27 through March 3, 2023 when the show takes place. As CEO of Sunshine Sales, Sandy is … [Read more...] about 2023 Toy Fest – Come Play!!!

The stock market is undergoing its longest losing streak since 2001, twenty-one years ago. Tech stocks (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) have led the rout. But how have the toy stocks done? The Toy Intelligencer Composite Toy Stock Index tracks toy and toy-related stocks on a year-to-year basis. The composite consists of toy stocks and toy interrelated stocks. … [Read more...] about It’s a Bear Market for Toy Industry Stocks – The TTI Composite Toy Stock Index Down 9%