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Summer Toys Bring The Fun! Here it is summer of 2022. COVID-19 isn’t done with us yet, but people are a little more courageous about travel, thanks to vaccines and continued attention to being careful. However, prices for airfares, gas, and hotels are way up, so we’re predicting that vacations are going to be a bit shorter and perhaps a bit closer to home. That means that … [Read more...] about The Toy Guy Gives Us His Insights on Summer’s Hot Toys

As appealing as Matchbox toy cars may be on their own, this 1981 service center play set creates an environment for further imaginative play with vehicles. The side of the box suggests, “Lift the elevator to the upper level. Check your car’s performance on the dynamometer.” Or “Hear 7 real car sounds at the push of a button.” Or “Operate the lift, side the racks, open the … [Read more...] about Strong National Museum of Play Artifact of the Month: Matchbox Electronic Sounds of Service Repair Center, 121.2901

For the last decade, those of us in the world of toys have watched social networks become increasingly essential as a conduit to end users and gatekeepers. The rise of Facebook and Instagram, in particular, has seemed unstoppable….until now. Gen Z, specifically those 18 to 29, is turning its back on social networks. Pew Research has conducted a survey entitled, “Percentage … [Read more...] about Gen Z Is Turning Its Back On Social Networks – Why It Matters to the Toy Industry

The current economy is like one of those maze puzzles. Knowing which path leads to a successful outcome or a dead end is almost impossible. A knotted supply chain, a threat of recession, continuing inflation, a geo-political fracture between the U.S. and China, a war in Ukraine, continuing Covid worries, and a challenging political climate makes for a puzzle no one can quite … [Read more...] about Walmart and Target Struggle to Solve the 2022 Economic Maze

In 1978, Playskool introduced a small toy robot with soft-touch input buttons and interchangeable cards. Running on a single 9-volt battery, Alphie the Electronic Robot stood 10 ½-inches tall x 9-inches tall and weighed a scant 1.45 lbs, making him easily portable for the intended audience of 3-8-year-olds. To conserve battery life, the toy shut off automatically when not in … [Read more...] about Straight out of the space age: Alphie the Electronic Robot from Playskool

King Bee Limited was launched in 2012 to develop Mainland China and the Asian toy markets for branded toys, and consumer products. The company specializes in manufacturing, distribution, and importation. King Bee Limited is a division of Wong Hau Plastic Works and Trading Company Limited which has been engaged in OEM, ODM, and OBM manufacturing for sixty-six years. … [Read more...] about King Bee Toys Tells Us About the Most Popular Toys In China

I have been thinking some more about an article I published last week entitled, “North America’s Ports Are the World’s Most Inefficient.” In that post, I provided data showing that the U.S. ports of Savannah, Long Beach, and Los Angeles are rated the most inefficient of the world’s 370 ports. They are ranked as Savannah #367, Long Beach #369, and Los Angeles #370.   Just to … [Read more...] about Are Dysfunctional U.S. Ports a Way to Limit Imports?

Jun CAI (Patrick) is the Global Marketing Manager of Hape. He leads the company’s marketing operation, including communications, research and analysis, public relation, and international marketing. Before his role at Hape, Jun’s career path is reflected in his exploration of the Hobby and Toy sector from upstream to downstream. Along the way, he has been fortunate to have found … [Read more...] about Cat-Aholics, Tail Therapy and an Opportunity for the Toy Industry

At first glance, the above piece of art looks like a Marvel or DC comic book panel. It’s not; it’s a piece of Greek sculpture dating back roughly 2,500 years. I saw it, and several other colorized Greek statues at a beautiful exhibition called Chroma at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you have an opportunity, catch it before it closes in March. It will change your entire … [Read more...] about Nope, It’s Not a Marvel Comic. It’s Ancient Greek Sculpture in Color at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Sound-A-Round Talking Puzzle combined puzzle building and storytelling for kids ages 3 to 7. Released in 1968 by Whitman, it is representative of “talking” toys that were popular at the time. Kids first built a simple puzzle included (literally) inside the record. Then, by inserting the Magic Tone Arm into a hole in the center of the board, they could move the tone arm … [Read more...] about Put the Needle on the Record! The Sound-A-Round Talking Puzzle from Whitman