ToyNews Issue 117 May 2011

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INSIDE…

TOYMASTER SPECIALWhat to expect from thismonth’s indie get-together.

Issue 117 May 2011

MINOR MIRACLESWhat’s going to be big forlittle ones this year.

WARNER STORMINGWhy WBCP feels it has itsstrongest toy line-up yet.

MONSTER SMASHHow Moshi will help Vivid todouble digit growth in 2011.

The toy industry’s highest circulation trade title

Exclusive media partner

WHATEVER INDUSTRY I’ve worked in overthe years, the independent retail sector hasalways been respected and revered.

Back in my video games days, indie retailtrade body NASCR did a sterling job ofrepresenting the interests of specialist computerretailers, while in the PC trade, Brigantia fightstheir corner.

However much major chains and grocerssuch as Toys R Us, Argos, Tesco and Asda arecourted by the toy industry, suppliers also knowthey ignore the independent sector at theirperil. Which is why the annual Toymaster Showis always so well attended and supported.Operations director Ian Edmunds explained tome this month that the reason why it sells out

earlier each year, is that suppliers are so keen tobook up extra stand space.

It’s admirable that Toymaster remainssteadfastly committed to the Majestic, too. Afterlast year’s 11th hour switch to the HarrogateInternational Centre, the group felt that a lot ofthe networking opportunities for members hadbeen lost in the larger venue. One of the majorbenefits of being involved with a group such asToymaster is being able to pick the brains ofothers who may be in similar situations, askadvice and pick up tips. The show is one of thefew opportunities they get to do this.

This year will be my first visit – the promdress is ready – and I hope to meet a goodnumber of our readers there.Samantha [email protected]

COMMENTSTRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Suppliers ignore theindie sector at their

peril - it’s why Toymasteris so well supported.

18 News

20 Warner’s 2011 toy line-up

LICENSING

FEATURES23 Ian Edmunds interview

24 What indies mean to us

27 Toymaster show guide

41 Vivid’s strong growth

45 Pre-school

65 Action Vehicles

71 Large dolls

77 News

78 Counter Insurgent

78 Price Check

79 Retail Charts

80 New Products

81 Hero Product

RETAIL

REGULARS4 News

6 Exclusive NPD analysis

8 Media Tracker

10 TV ratings

12 Appointments

14 Campaign of the Month

Contents

Emily BriggsSales [email protected]

Lewis TylerStaff [email protected]

Dan [email protected]

Jon [email protected]

Stuart [email protected]

Suzanne PowlesProduction [email protected]

Katie RobertsDeputy [email protected]

Samantha [email protected]

Intent Media is a member of thePeriodical Publishers Associations

Editorial: 01992 535646Advertising: 01992 535647

■ ToyNews circulation is 15.9% higherthan its closest competitor.

■ ToyNews requested or paid forcirculation is 23.4% higher than itsclosest competitor.

■ ToyNews has 100% named circulationand 0% duplication.

AUDITED CIRCULATION:Average Net Circulation: 6,043July 1st 2009 to June 30th 2010.

www.toynews-online.biz

MEGA BLOKS has kicked off amajor marketing drive supporting itscore pre-school range – which willinclude its first ever TV campaign –on the back of its record growth inthe category.

Using the strapline Time to Build,the 60-second interactive TV adsrun for a year across Cartoonito andwill challenge pre-schoolers to buildthemed items such as animals,buildings and vehicles with the firm’siconic large blocks, as well as drivingthem to a dedicated microsite.

“Our core pre-school range hasalways been our number one priorityand this is no different for 2011,”Peter Fuller, UK marketing managerat Mega Bloks explained to ToyNews.“Our Time to Build campaign is all

about connecting with both childrenand parents in a really exciting way.The TV advert is a fun andfantastically engaging appointment toview and supporting it with adedicated microsite combinedwith PR, online, social, printand trade activity is vitallyimportant to createadditional buy in andsupport of parents.

“Time to Build is theculmination of manymonths of hard work andis the result of the directionthe company is going.”

Mega Bloks growth in thepre-school sector in 2010 was up 64per cent and Fuller believes that2011 will be another strong year.

“Mega Bloks is a good place to beat the moment,” he commented.“With new products and a very

exciting marketing plan, we arealways striving for more success,more growth and greater awarenessto take the Mega Bloks brand tonew heights.”Mega Brands: 01844 350033

4 NEWS

by Katie Roberts

and Samantha Loveday

A LARGE number of cancelledorders due to last December’s snowis being partly blamed for the cashflow problems which led toCorinthian calling in theadministrators last month.

Trading since that time had beentough, said the firm, although theboard continued working withlenders with the objective ofmaximising the company’s value andkeeping it as a going concern. Itvigorously explored all availablestrategic options includingrefinancing the company’sborrowings, alongside an injection offunds from shareholders and a sale ofall or part of the business.

Until very recently, the board washopeful that it would be successful inthis aim.

However, given the extent of thechallenges facing the company itwasn’t possible to reach an

agreement with its lenders and othercreditors and therefore the boardconcluded that it was necessary tofile for administration.

The agreement for the In MyPocket Brand was terminatedfollowing the news and brand ownerMEG has since signed a deal withFlair to take over the UK andIreland distribution.

Joe Morrison, CEO of MEG,commented: “We are delighted to be

working with Flair, a company with aproven track record in this sector.

“Corinthian Marketing did a greatjob for us and put the brand on themap in the region and we feel thatFlair is now the right partner to helpus to build on that success.”

Meanwhile, the remaining brandsand product lines – principallyconsisting of Microstars, Prostars,Sunggle Pets, Slingers and Color MeMine – are available for sale.

The administrators have retaineda core staff to assist them in theirefforts to sell the company’sremaining business and assets on agoing concern basis.For further information,please contact Gareth Roberts([email protected])or David Taylor([email protected])of RSM Tenon Recovery on0118 953 0374.

Corinthian calls in administrators

FULLER: “Mega Bloks is agood place to be”

Ambitious firm lines up TV ad blitz for core range after it sees growth of 64 per cent in the category in 2010...

In My Pocket distribution moves to Flair ● RSM Tenon Recovery looking to sell remaining brands...

Mega Bloks Builds in pre-school

MAY 2011

by Katie Roberts

TOYMASTER’S MAY show inHarrogate has been given the thumbsup by the toy industry.

The exhibition, which takes placefrom May 17th to 19th at theMajestic Hotel in the town, has beenaffirmed as a key date in the toycalendar by many of this year’sexhibitors.

Vivid chairman, Nick Austin toldToyNews: “It is a great place fordoing business with members ofToymaster. We always come awaywith a good level of new orders forthe forthcoming Christmas season.”

Peter Burcham, national salesmanager, Hasbro, agreed: “Weconsider it the biggest and mostprepared independent trade show inthe UK. The independent sector isincredibly important to us.”

The trade also applauded theindependent retail trade, saying itwas a core part of their business.

Clive Wooster, European MD,Learning Curve explained: “Theindependent sector represents asignificant portion of our sales in UK.”

Most suppliers also expect thesector to continue to grow, despite acurrent difficult trading environmentfor many.

Dominic Geddes, Mattel’s salesdirector, commented: “Theindependent retail sector is a keyarea of focus for us. It has showngreat resilience over the last fewyears. We have seen significantgrowth within this sector and this isa trend we expect to continue.

“We are continually looking toimprove our processes to benefit theindie retail sector.”

Jacqueline Taylor-Foo, salesdirector, Spin Master, said the sectorwas one that “we doubled last yearand are expecting anything from 30-50 per cent growth again this year.”

Our full Toymaster coverage includesan interview with operations director,Ian Edmunds and commentary from thetrade, as well as a comprehensivepreview of the show. Turn to page 23for the lowdown.

Suppliers hail independent retail as integral to business ● Sector is growing customer base for most firms...

DON’T FORGET you can now get all thelatest toy trade news delivered straightto your iPhone with our freeapplication.

Hundreds ofindustry execshave alreadydownloaded theapp – sponsoredby Littlest PetShop – from iTunes.

They now receive up to the minutenews – such as the Tomy/RC2acquisition going through, Corinthianfalling into administration and detailsof Hasbro and Mattel’s Q1 results, allreported first by us in the last month.

Make sure you’re not missing out byheading to the iTunes App Store anddownloading it now.

Have you downloadedthe ToyNews App?

Industry backs Toymaster

www.toynews-online.biz 5NEWS

by Katie Roberts

MATTEL AND its Hot Wheelsbrand could find itself in the recordbooks later this month as it attemptsa major stunt at the famous Indy 500at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

A driver from the Team HotWheels crew will be aiming to breakthe current world record distancejump of 302-feet in a four-wheelvehicle on May 29th. Dubbed HotWheels: Fearless at the 500, thedriver will speed down a near vertical90ft ramp, suspended on a ten storyhigh, 100ft modelling of a bedroomdoor, before soaring across the infieldof the Indianapolis speedway.

The stunt is aiming to bring to lifethe Hot Wheels V-Drop track set. Itis just part of a major campaignwhich Mattel has put together forthe brand, which also encompasses apartnership with the British RacingDrivers Club at Silverstone, plus TV,social and digital media and PR.

“This epic stunt is just one of anumber of ways that we are bringingthe brand to life, engaging fans witha jaw dropping moment in a way thatonly Hot Wheels can,” commentedJonathan Kirkley, boys marketingmanager at Mattel.Mattel: 01628 500000

Hot Wheels stunt to light up Indy 500

(FROM LEFT) GEDDES: “We have seen significant growth within this sector”; TAYLOR-FOO: “The sector doubled for us last year”; AUSTIN:“Toymaster is a great place for doing business”; BURCHAM: “It is the most prepared independent trade show in the UK”

Toy campaigns run on our channels

experience an average sales uplift of 17%.

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MAY 2011

TOY SALES in February continuedto grow, up seven per cent in valuefor the month – a slightly slowerrate than for January (up eight percent). The final week of Februarydrove most of the month’s growthwith sales up 25 per cent on lastyear, helped by the half-term holidaythat week. Prices continued to growwith the average selling price now£5.70. Both building sets and plushsectors continue to drive themarket, but overall seven out of the11 super categories are showinggrowth year to date.

The second largest super category(behind infant and pre-school) sofar in 2011 is arts and crafts, withsales up 14 per cent on 2010. Thefastest growing areas are clay anddough, with Play-Doh now thenumber two property within thecategory, behind the perennialfavourite Crayola. The brand hashad a strong start to the year, withsales up 16 per cent and the numberone item being Super Tips 12 Pack.

Hello Kitty is the top licencewithin the category, with Flair’sHello Kitty Cool Cardz the seventhbest selling item year to date.

Overall, in February there werealso a number of newly launchedbrands making strong in-roads intothe toy market. The top selling newproperty was Lego’s Ninjago, withthe combination of spinners andplay-sets proving popular.

Disney Princess Rapunzel has alsoseen sales rise in the last monthwith the release of the Tangled film.

The Disney Featuring Rapunzel dollwas the number five top selleracross total toys in February.

A range of new play-set themeddolls have also been selling wellthroughout February, with Vivid’sMoshi Monsters Moshlings, SpinMaster’s Zoobles and CharacterOptions’ Squinkies all featuring inthe top selling new properties yearto date list.

“New properties are the life bloodof the toy industry, keeping themarket energetic and dynamic,” saidJez Fraser-Hook, director of NPDGroup’s toy business, UK. “Thereare a number of new girls propertiesthat look like they could impactpurchasing this year, while the newfilms out later this year look set toreinvigorate popular boys propertiessuch as Cars and Transformers.”

New brands benefit fromhalf-term holiday boost

New properties are the life blood ofthe industry, keeping the market

dynamic. There are new girls properties thatlook like they could impact purchasing thisyear, while new films this year lookset to reinvigorate boys properties.

Top 5 propertiesFebruary 20111. TOY STORY2. STAR WARS3. LEGO CITY4. ZHUZHU PETS5. BEN 10

Best ItemProgression February 2011

Moshi MonstersMoshling Figures (VividImaginations)The Moshling Figures sped upthe charts from position 457 inJanuary to 29 in February…

Best propertyprogressionFebruary 2011

ZOOBLESThe Spin Master collectablerange moved up from 118 to 40in February…

6 NPD RESEARCH

UK toy sales(value, year to date)

2010 2011 7%Source: NPD

Feb 10: £5.52 Feb 11: £5.70

Sales Average Price

PropertiesRetail Sales Trends

UK FEBRUARY 2011 (£ SALES - VALUE) UK FEBRUARY 2011 (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 MINIFIGURES LEGO

2 SPINNER WAVE 1 LEGO

3 KIDIZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA VTECH

4 BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10CM ASSORTMENT BANDAI

5 ZHUZHU HAMSTER PACKS ASSORTMENT CHARACTER

6 STAR WARS 2011 TROOPER BATTLEPACK LEGO

7 BEYBLADES BATTLE TOP ASSORTMENT HASBRO

8 BAKUGAN STARTER PACK SPIN MASTER

9 DISNEY FEATURING RAPUNZEL MATTEL

10 BAKUGAN TRAP ASSORTMENT SPIN MASTER

UK YEAR TO DATE (UNIT SALES - VOLUME)

1 MATCH ATTAX 2010/2011 PACKETS TOPPS

2 MINIFIGURES LEGO

3 HOT WHEELS BASIC CAR ASSORTMENT MATTEL

4 MATCH ATTAX STARTER PACK TOPPS

5 MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TRADING CARD GAME TOPPS


7 PLAY-DOH SINGLE TUB ASSORTMENT HASBRO

8 HALO WARS HERO ASSORTMENT MEGA BRANDS

9 CARS CHARACTER ASSORTMENT MATTEL

10 BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK SPIN MASTER

NPD Eurotoys is the Number 1information provider forMarket Research to the Toy Industry in Europe

Contact: NPD Eurotoys UK, Rosemount House, Rosemount AvenueWest Byfleet, Surrey, KT14 6LB. _ 01 932 355 580

UK YEAR TO DATE (£ SALES - VALUE)

1 MINIFIGURES LEGO




5 MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TRADING CARD GAME TOPPS






1 MINIFIGURES LEGO


3 STAR WARS 2011 TROOPER BATTLEPACK LEGO


5 DISNEY FEATURING RAPUNZEL MATTEL

6 KIDIZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA VTECH

7 BEYBLADES BATTLE TOP ASSORTMENT HASBRO

8 BAKUGAN STARTER PACK SPIN MASTER

9 NERF BARRICADE MREV-10 HASBRO

10 ZHUZHU HAMSTER PACKS ASSORTMENT CHARACTER

NOTES: All participating NPD retail data suppliers provide weekly data via EPOS systems. NPD figures are not projected to represent non-participating retailers but provide 100 percent of the sales from participating stores. EPoS sample includes the following retailers: Amazon, Argos, Asda, Boots, ELC, Firebox, Freemans, Grattan, Hamleys, HMV, HalfordsLittlewoods, Mailorderexpress, Modelzone, Mothercare, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct, Tesco, Toymaster, The Entertainer and WHSmith. The approximate coverage is of 60%

www.toynews-online.biz 7NPD RESEARCH

Retail Sales Trends

8 STATS

MARKET VALUE YEAR TO DATE (FEBRUARY)

SOURCE: NPD

MAY 2011

WHAT CAN you buy these days foraround £700m? Well quite a lot isthe obvious answer. RupertMurdoch bought his daughter’sindependent TV productioncompany, Shine Group for thatfigure. Shine was responsible forhit shows such as MasterChef andAshes to Ashes. We know whatthese two top shows (and thereare many more within the group)look like, but it’s difficult to havethe same vision of what that kindof money looks like.

Okay, let’s try harder. In August2007 Disney paid New Horizon$700m for Club Penguin – avirtual world for children. Anidentical figure, but a completelydifferent currency. News Corpbought physical broadcastmaterial entertainment;Disney bought virtual playand imagination.

Disney acquired a greatbusiness and has arguably takenthe lead in the children’s virtualworld sector.

There are now 52 virtual worldsaimed at children under the ageof seven. The development andarrival of these sites has enabledkids to fulfil their play values in avery different way. Theopportunity to play, learn andstretch the imagination of theseyoung minds now has a newapplication for their creativity.They also have developedtheir own currency in Moshisand Puffins.

Barbie Girls reached threemillion users within 60 days oflaunch and Moshi Monstersboasts 28 million subscribersthree years after launch and isnow in 150 countries. That is anamazing achievement. Therevenue models are sound, theplay values are high and childsafety and protection are top of

the list with the providers ofvirtual worlds. This is to ensurethat parents are givenreassurance when subscribingtheir children to a virtual worldsite. Despite its size in terms ofvolume of sites and the hugevolume of users, this wholesector is almost invisible within achildren’s market, without aphysical representationcommensurate with its sizeand value.

Meanwhile, 12 months intoanother market, anotherquestion. What can you buy forjust £28m? The answer to thatquestion really does lie behindthe screen. Recently PeterMcHugh in The Guardian devoteda page to that question, the£28m purchase of GMTV, afterITV bought out Disney. A report inBroadcast (by Stephen Price)headlined ‘BBC has ITV forBreakfast’, triggered a wave ofeditorial comment. It stated thatBBC Breakfast averaged 1.6million/36 per cent across the6am to 9.25am timeslot, whileITV1’s breakfast slot gathered867,000/19 per cent.

GMTV Kid’s shows previouslyoccupied the Top Ten BARBChildren’s programmes with atleast three or four entries in mostweeks of the year. This table isnow totally dominated by theBBC, with Peppa Pig and Disneyoccasionally making anappearance, a situation McHughsadly lamented.

Maybe the next move inchildren’s programmes will bemade in an entirely new currencymade up of Moshis and Puffins?

Media tracker

TOP LICENSED TOYS YTD FEB 2011 (RANKED BY VALUE)


2 MINIFIGURES LEGO



5 MOSHI MONSTERS MASH UP TCG TOPPS

6 BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN 10 CM ASSORTMENT BANDAI




10 BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACK SPIN MASTER

SOURCE:NPD

2010 2011

By Clive Crouch

BehindTHE SCREEN

[email protected] 670453

£93.7M

£87.3M

£100M

£66.6M

£33.3M

£0M

www.toynews-online.biz 9STATS

UK BOX OFFICE RETURNS (WEEKEND APRIL 1ST 2011)

SOURCE: IMDB.COM

AVERAGE SELLING BY SUPERCATEGORY (FULL YEAR 2010)

SOURCE: NPD EPOS PANEL, FULL YEAR 2010

TV insight from former GMTV veteran, Clive Crouch; toy market value;top licensed toys and comparative market data on all manner ofentertainment products….

MAY 2011

TOP 10 GAMES (WEEK ENDING APRIL 9TH 2011)

1 ZUMBA FITNESS 505 GAMES

2 CRYSIS 2 EA

3 LEGO STAR WARS III: THE CLONE WARS LUCASARTS

4 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 12: THE MASTERS EA

5 SHIFT 2: UNLEASHED EA

6 HOMEFRONT THQ

7 WWE ALL STARS THQ

8 POKÉMON BLACK VERSION NINTENDO

9 POKÉMON WHITE VERSION NINTENDO

10 DYNASTY WARRIORS TECMO KOEI EUROPE

SOURCE: GFK CHART TRACK

Commentary: While theaverage selling price acrossthe toys market is £6.68, thisvaries massively by supercategory with youth electronicsthe highest priced category,driven by such big sellingitems as Vtech KidizoomCamera and Video Recorderand Vivid Imaginations’ DeluxeBuzz Lightyear. The lowestpriced category is all othertoys, which is impacted by thenumber of collectables in thecategory such as GoGo’s CrazyBones as well as collectabletrading cards and stickers.

1 HOP UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

2 SOURCE CODE STUDIO CANAL

3 LIMITLESS RELATIVITY MEDIA

4 SUCKER PUNCH WARNER BROS PICTURES

5 THE EAGLE UNIVERSAL PICTURES

6 A TURTLE’S TALE: SAMMY’S ADVENTURES OPTIMUM RELEASING

7 RANGO NICKELODEON MOVIES

8 UNKNOWN WARNER BROS PICTURES

9 ANUVAHOOD REVOLVER ENTERTAINMENT

10 THE LINCOLN LAWYER LIONSGATE

MAY 2011

The top-performing children’s TV shows on terrestrial and multi-channel....

Top programmes10 AIRTIME STATISTICS

1 CBBC THE SLAMMER 2.20 14 189 4

2 CBBC TRACY BEAKER RETURNS 2.20 14 187 25

3 CBBC THE SPARTICLE MYSTERY 2.20 9 183 4

4 CBBC THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER 2.20 13 183 48

5 CBBC DANI’S HOUSE 2.10 11 181 1

6 CBBC COP SCHOOL 2.10 10 179 4

7 CITV/ITV HORRID HENRY 2.00 17 172 4

8 CBBC THE SCOOBY DOO SHOW 2.00 15 167 22

9 CBBC DEADLY ART 1.90 14 161 20

10 CBEEBIES GRANDPA IN MY POCKET 1.80 10 156 36

CHANNEL TITLE/DESCRIPTION TVR % OOOs AIRINGS

SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES MARCH 11

1 DIS CH. SUITE LIFE ON DECK: BREAK UP IN PARIS 3.70 15 313 3

2 CBBC COP SCHOOL 2.50 11 215 8

3 CBBC TRACY BEAKER’S THE MOVIE OF ME 2.50 16 211 1

4 CBBC THE SPARTICLE MYSTERY 2.30 9 194 13

5 CBBC TRACY BEAKER RETURNS 2.20 13 184 84

6 CBBC SCHOOL OF SILENCE 2.20 11 184 8

7 CBBC NEWSROUND SPECIAL 2.10 9 174 1

8 CBBC THE SCOOBY DOO SHOW 2.10 14 174 46

9 CBBC TRADE YOUR WAY TO THE USA 2.00 11 166 10

10 CBEEBIES GARTH AND BEV 1.90 9 162 2


SHOWS ACROSS ALL TIMES YTD MARCH 11


2 CITV/ITV HANNAH MONTANA 1.80 10 152 4

3 CITV/ITV SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 1.40 12 120 4

4 ITV1/BFAST HORRID HENRY 1.10 9 94 4

5 CITV/ITV BEYBLADE METAL FUSION 1.00 11 89 6

6 CITV BFAST POKÉMON: DIAMOND & PEARL 0.90 6 80 20

7 DIS CH. GOOD LUCK CHARLIE 0.90 5 79 65

8 ITV1/BFAST HANNAH MONTANA 0.90 5 78 4

9 ITV1/BFAST SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 0.90 8 75 4

10 CITV HANNAH MONTANA 0.90 5 74 4


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) MARCH 11

SOURCE: INFOSYS/BARB. NOTE: THESE CHARTS ARE BASED ON AVERAGE PERFORMANCE

1 DIS CH. SUITE LIFE ON DECK: BREAK UP IN PARIS 3.70 15 313 3

2 CITV/ITV HANNAH MONTANA 1.70 11 140 12

3 CITV/ITV SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 1.40 12 123 11

4 DIS CH. SUITE LIFE ON DECK: LOST AT SEA 1.50 9 123 2


6 ITV1/BFAST HANNAH MONTANA 1.00 6 83 12

7 DIS CH. GOOD LUCK CHARLIE 0.90 4 76 193

8 CITV HORRID HENRY 0.90 6 74 387

9 DISC CH. SHAKE IT UP 0.90 5 74 139

10 CITV BFAST POKÉMON: DIAMOND & PEARL 0.90 6 72 32


COMMERCIAL MULTICHANNEL SHOWS (ALL TIMES) YTD MARCH 11

Keith Elmer has announced he willleave John Crane this monthfollowing four years of service.

As sales director, Elmer’s role hasincluded assisting with the sale of thebusiness to new owners in 2007,supporting with the roles leftfollowing Anthony King’s retirementand managing the company’sindependent internet account base.

Elmer wishes to take theopportunity to wish customers andstaff continued success in the future.He does not currently have anotherrole lined up.

John Crane will soon be in aposition to announce the name of anew account handler, who will spenda little time with Elmer before hisdeparture in May.

Simon Field arrives at TurnerMedia Innovations in the newlycreated position of account directorof ad sales, strategy and planning forthe EMEA territory.

In his new role, Field will report toTurner Media VP Simon Cox, whoheads up the EMEA team.

Last year the pan-EMEA divisionwas created to aid advertisers

requiring multi-regional campaignsand is expanding to meet theincreasing demand for such projects.

Field comes from The WaltDisney Company in Australia,where he was advertising sales andpromotions director, buildingDisney’s media sales business bothon-air and online.

Prior to his time at Disney, Fieldwas associate director of sponsorshipand promotions at TurnerBroadcasting’s Asia Pacific office inHong Kong. He relocated to HongKong from Turner’s UK ad salesdivision, after rising through theranks in the UK team. He began hiscareer in advertising at ITV.

On his appointment, he said: “Asthe only kids’ broadcaster to have anin-house advertising and consultancyteam, Turner Media Innovationsoccupies a unique place in the medialandscape, providing a wealth ofopportunities for clients. The pan-EMEA approach is a great exampleof this, and I look forward tocontinuing to grow revenue streamsacross the region.”

Simon Cox said: “He has forged a

very successful career in kids’ media,and his working knowledge of adiverse range of markets makes himan invaluable asset to the team.”

Toys R Us has hired NeilFriedman to oversee the company’sStateside activity.

The US retail giant describes theformer Mattel man as a “highlyrespected industry executive” and an“industry icon”.

Friedman will report to chairmanand CEO, Gerry Storch, and hisjobs include the handling of allmerchandising, marketing, storeoperations, merchandisepresentation, global sourcing andproduct development, as well asmerchandise planning and allocationfor the company’s 866 stores andonline business in the United States.

Speaking about his appointment,Friedman said: “Toys R Us is one ofthe most beloved retail brands in theworld, and I am excited by thisopportunity to build on its uniquestrengths. I can’t wait to get startedwith the Toys R Us team.”

Added Storch said: “We could notbe more pleased that Neil is joining

our leadership team. Neil hasextensive knowledge of, and hasmade significant contributions to, thetoy and juvenile product businessesthroughout his career.”

Alex Ratchford joins MGA asgeneral sales manager and NicoleJones as marketing co-ordinator.

With over 20 years industryexperience, including many years ina variety of roles with theSuperjouet, Berchet and Smobygroup, Ratchford joins following afive-year stint at Worlds Apart asgeneral sales manager.

Jones joins MGA having previouslyworked for Yamaha Music Europeand Volkswagen Racing. In her newrole, she will be responsible forsupporting the marketing team withthe key brands under the MGA andZapf Creation portfolios.

Ratchford commented: “MGA hasa fantastic brands and productportfolio and I am very excited to bejoining the team.”

Jones added: “MGA is a fast pacedorganisation with creative marketingplans and I can’t wait to hit theground running.”

FROM LEFT: Alex Ratchford,Simon Field, Nicole Jones andKeith Elmer.

12 APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY MOVESTurner Media adds to its new EMEA advertising team, Toys R Us hires a new president to handle its Stateside operations, MGAEntertainment picks up two new recruits and an industry veteran bids farewell to John Crane...

MAY 2011

FISHER-PRICE will broaden its Thomas &Friends campaign this autumn, introducing newadvertising techniques across a variety of media.

With decades of experience and expertise inpre-school play, Fisher-Price has a full presenceacross Trackmaster and Take-n-Play collections,as well as more additions to its own Thomas &Friends line-up.

A major marketing campaign targeting bothmums and pre-school children will go full steamahead as the festive season approaches, with fourTV drivers for the Take-n-Play, Trackmaster andPre-school collections running from Septemberthrough to December.

A full-year partnership with Thomas & FriendsMagazine will ensure presence in every issue withprominent display ads, advertorials, pagesponsorships and production competitions.

Over 250,000 collectors’ posters will bedistributed via the magazine, as well as at leadingevents and retail.

Extensive online support, including a Thomasmicro-site, will continue to show consumers theextensive Fisher-Price range while also drivinghome the collectability factor.

The campaign will also receive significant PRsupport throughout the autumn, as well as anextensive activation programme at retail.

A versatile new rangeFisher-Price's pre-school line-up will bereinforced by new additions specially designedfor the youngest Thomas fans.

Suitable for 18 months and up, the DiscoverJunction collection includes push-along enginesand play-sets at a variety of price points.

The key play-set is Thomas at TidmouthSheds, which features sounds and characterphrases as well as chunky Harold and FatController figures.

The Trackmaster version of the TidmouthSheds play-set brings to life one of the mostpopular locations for fans. Featuring train bays tostore Trackmaster engines, a motorised Thomas

engine and a motorise turntable, which ispowered by the character's wheels, it includes acomplete track layout.

Also new for pre-school, Follow Me Thomasenables youngsters to guide the way for Thomasusing a light guided lantern. It has interactivephrases and sound effects, and when any of thethree buttons on the lantern are pressed,Thomas will do one of three programmed moves:a figure of eight, circles and zig zags.

Take-n-Play continues to expand itscollectability with new engines joining the small,medium and large assortments for autumn. Thesecond half of the year also benefits from afurther two new play-sets, the Engine Wash andDiesel Works – both tying in to the release of theDay of the Diesels DVD from Hit Entertainment.For take along play, both sets easily fold up andcome with a carry handle for Thomas & Friendsadventures on the move.

Everyone’s favourite tank engine is set for more sales-success thisyear, with Fisher-Price planning to push Thomas further than ever.We get the inside track on the Thomas & Friends campaign...

Thomas & FriendsFisher-Price

14 CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH

A major marketingcampaign targeting

both mums and pre-schoolchildren will go full steamahead as the festiveseason approaches.

The big picturesHow Warner Bros Consumer Products is planning to transform some of thisyear’s hottest movies into must-have toy properties...

The UK’s only dedicated monthly licensing coverage

News • Media • Opinion

MAY 2011

LIMA’S ESSENTIALSCOURSE TAKES SHAPETrade body LIMA UK is set to hold itspopular Licensing Essentials Courseand Spring Fling on May 12th. Beingheld at the Hotel Verta in Battersea,London, the event is aimed atnewcomers to the industry, with theall-day course focusing on both thebasics, as well as giving delegatesexclusive insights into the latesttrends and best practice. Confirmedspeakers include Bettina Koecklerfrom Chorion, Helen Webster fromBlueprint and Kids Industries’ GaryPope among others. The traditionalSpring Fling networking event willtake place in the evening.LIMA UK: 01908 802863

DOCTOR WHO MONSTERSPARTWORK LAUNCHESBBC Magazines is to launch DoctorWho: Monster Invasion, a newfortnightly partwork, in May. Partone will contain a magazinefeaturing an episode guide, an A-Zof monsters, an alien slamdownfold-out poster, two packs ofcollectable cards and the firstsection of a three-part giant poster.www.bbcmagazines.com

WBCP INKS NEW DCPUBLISHING DEALWarner Bros Consumer Products isnow the sole licensor for DCEntertainment’s publishing business.The deal will see WBCP licencestorybooks, novelisations, chapterbooks, readers, colouring, activityand sticker books, how-to-drawbooks and educational books. DCwill continue to handle worldwidesubsidiary rights for its bestsellingcomic books and graphic novels.WBCP: 020 7 984 6100

DISNEYMEDIA+ UNVEILEDThe Walt Disney Company hasrevealed a new fully integrated adsales and promotions operation inthe UK and Ireland. Disneymedia+has been structured to providemarketing partners with a singlepoint of contact for multi-platform,multi-property and multi-targetpromotional and advertisingopportunities across the company.Disney: 020 8222 1000

JOHN LEWIS LAUNCHESANGELINA LINEHit Entertainment and Mattel haveteamed up with John Lewis for thelaunch of the new AngelinaBallerina toy line, complementingthe CGI programming. Master toypartner Mattel has created figures,play-sets, dolls and plush. Shopperswill also be treated to in-storeappearances from the character.Hit Entertainment: 020 7554 2566

IN BRIEF

18

TURNER MEDIA Innovations hasteamed with Spin Master to launch apan-European advertising campaignfor the firm’s new Bakugan BattleBrawlers toy range.

The seven-figure campaign isrunning in the UK, France, Germany,the Netherlands, Russia, Hungary,Romania, Turkey and the Nordics. Itwill be focused on the BakuganBattle Gear line.

It is the biggest multi-territorycampaign devised by TMI since itsEMEA division was founded. It isalso the first synchronised multi-territory campaign by Spin Masteracross Europe.

The campaign will broadcast onCartoon Network and Boomerang,and will include a 40-second TV spotdriving viewers to a specially createdwebsite in each territory.

“We’ve worked on a number ofgreat campaigns with Spin Master inthe past, and this deal is a natural

extension of a fantastic partnership,”commented Simon Cox, VP of TMI.“Pan-European campaigns are a greatway to achieve scale in a streamlinedway, particularly at a time whencampaign budgets have to workharder than ever.”

James Martin, VP of internationalmarketing at Spin Master, added:“TMI have been great partners with

us in growing Bakugan in everymarket we’ve entered. We’ve hadamazing success so far and thiscampaign is just another innovativeway to drive further growth.”

The accompanying online activitywill include games and challenges,designed to showcase a selection ofBakugan products.www.turnermediainnovations.com

WORLD WRESTLINGEntertainment has formallyrebranded as WWE as part of a newbusiness model for future growth.

The firm will actively pursueacquisitions of entertainment contentcompanies and the outsourcing of itscore competencies – TV and filmproduction, live event productionand licensing. WWE will also focuson developing new TV projectsincluding scripted, non-scripted andanimated programmes, as well as thelaunch of a new WWE network inthe next 12 to 18 months.

“The new business model of thecompany better reflects what WWE isall about, being a global entertainmentcompany,” said Vince McMahon,chairman and CEO. “The future ofWWE will be the addition of new

entertainment content opportunitiesbeyond the ring.”

Meanwhile, toy partner Mattel isplanning a number of new additionsto its core WWE range of actionfigures, rings and belts. Inthe FlexForce line-up, theWWE FlexForce ColossalCrash Down Arena featuresan elevated 18-inchsuperstructure, while theWWE Rumblers collectionwelcomes the newTransforming Rumble Rig,which changes from a bigrig into an entire WWEarena with accessories.

Key WWE toy productwill be supported by TV adcampaigns throughout theyear, with a special focus

around important sales periods, suchas school holidays and the UK livetours which ran in April and willreturn in November.WWE: 020 7349 1740

TMI debuts pan-Euro SpinMaster ad campaignSeven-figure marketing drive to push Bakugan Battle Brawlers toy line ● Campaign isbiggest multi-territory push devised by firm since EMEA division was founded...

by Samantha Loveday

WWE gets a rebrand, as Mattel boosts toy line

LICENSINGNEWS

MAY 2011

www.licensing.biz 19

4KIDS ENT FILES FORCHAPTER 114Kids Entertainment has filed forbankruptcy protection underChapter 11. The filing in the USBankruptcy Court for the SouthernDistrict of New York also covers allof the domestic wholly-owned 4Kidssubsidiaries. However, the Londonoffice is not part of the bankruptcyfiling. The filing automatically staysthe lawsuit filed by the licensors ofthe Yu-Gi-Oh property, Asatsu-DKand TV Tokyo, which was madeagainst 4Kids on March 24th.4Kids: 020 7297 5992

TITAN LAUNCHES HOTWHEELS MAGAZINETitan Publishing is partnering withMattel on four Totally Hot Wheelsmagazines. The titles will includefeatures, an all-new Battle Force 5comic strip story and sneak peeksat the new Team Hot Wheelswebsite. There are also fourcompetitions to enter, including thechance to win a once in a lifetimetrip to see the Indy 500 in the US.www.titanmagazines.com

HIT ADDS PUBLISHING TOMIKE THE KNIGHTSimon & Schuster has sealed a five-year deal with Hit Entertainment tohandle the publishing category fornew property, Mike the Knight. Thefirm will produce books in allcategories, apart from annuals. Thedeal marks the first time that Hithas worked with Simon & Schuster.Simon & Schuster: 020 7316 1900

JUMBO GRABS RAA RAAJumbo is extending its pre-schoolportfolio, signing a games andpuzzles licence with ChapmanEntertainment for Raa Raa the NoisyLion. All products will be pricedfrom £5.99, with the firm looking todevelop the line throughout 2012.The new property joins Peppa Pig,Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom,Fireman Sam and Guess with Jess inJumbo’s stable.Jumbo: 01707 289289

IN BRIEF

Vivid puts weight behind Everything’s Rosie

NEXT MONTH’S LicensingInternational expo in Las Vegas isnow boasting close to 400 exhibitors,meaning it’s going to be one of thelargest yet for organiser Advanstar.

International participation in theevent is also shaping up to bestronger than ever, according to theshow’s director Liz Crawford.

“We are experiencing tremendousgrowth from last year’s event,” shetold ToyNews.

“The show floor looks like the‘who’s who’ of brands, with close to400 exhibitors from all categoriesincluding toy companies. Hasbro,Mattel, Cepia (ZhuZhu Pets) and

Ugly Doll are just a few of the toybrands and manufacturers on theshowfloor. We are also seeing a largeincrease in international exhibitors.”

Crawford continued: “Pavilionsfrom China, Japan, Spain, Thailand,Korea and others are showing a vastarray of unique brands.”

Licensing International runs fromJune 14th to 16th at the MandalayBay, Las Vegas. ToyNews’ sisterpublication, Licensing.biz, will berunning a full preview of the eventonline during May. For furtherinformation on the show, head towww.licensingexpo.com

UK trade readies for Vegas trip

VIVID IS shooting for a top threeposition in the girls licensed pre-school brands sector by the end of2011 with Everything’s Rosie.

The firm is planning a full productrange to complement the hit V&SEntertainment show.

TV lines will include Twooter,Ring O’Rosie and Sweet DreamRosie and Raggles, while Rockn’Rosie games, Playtime Friend softtoys and My Best Friend Rosiefeature plush will also be available.

Vivid is planning to support theline with a fully integrated TVcampaign from August, targetinghousewives with children, supportedby PR with a focus on the ‘MummyBloggers’ network. It will also beworking closely with V&S to drive

events and promotions in-storeleading into October half-termthrough to Christmas. Retailreaction, says marketing and licensing

director Emma Weber, has been“fantastic” and there are listingsacross the board.

“We know that there is already agrowing fan base out there as theshow has been on air for 15 months,”Weber told ToyNews. “Requests frommums have been flowing throughV&S, asking when the toys will belaunching, so there is a level of pentup demand which stands Everything’sRosie ahead of other new showslaunching later this year.

“We’d hope to achieve a top threeposition in girls licensed pre-schoolbrands [by the end of 2011]. We arealready planning to broaden therange and product offering for s/s 12into outdoor toys, arts and crafts.”Vivid: 01483 449944

by Samantha Loveday

LICENSINGNEWS

Licensing International in June looking likely to be the largest yet, says Advanstar...

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OTHER LICENSORS could beforgiven for feeling a touch envious ofWarner Bros Consumer Products’portfolio over the next 12 to 18months. Not only does it have theevergreens Scooby-Doo and HarryPotter, it will also introduce GreenLantern – which has the potential tobecome another major franchise – asequel to the super cute Happy Feet, alive experience for the Batman brandand a re-imagining of the 1980’s TVclassic, ThunderCats.

All of these properties are also likelyto have a major impact on the toysector, with WBCP confident it has itsstrongest ever line-up of licensees.And, when you factor in that the firmis not only working with suchrespected master toy licensees asMattel, Tomy, Vivid, Bandai andCharacter Options, but alsocompanies such as Lego, VTech,Sambro, Inspiration Works and MVSports, it certainly seems that Warnerhas hit a sweet spot.

First stop is the launch of GreenLantern, which hits cinemas in June.The DC hero film starring RyanReynolds is being treated as a newfranchise for Warner. Its master toypartner is Mattel, which will roll outaction figures, play-sets, vehicles andother transforming items. It will besupported by micro scooters andskateboards from MV Sports anddress up sets from Rubie’s.

“Up until about two years ago onlycore DC fans would have known whothe Green Lantern was,” Paul Bufton,general manager for WBCP UK

explains to ToyNews. “But then thecharacter was featured quite heavilyin Batman: Brave and the Bold, soyounger viewers are also now familiarwith him. The theatrical launch andsupporting licensing programme is anambitious project to say the leastbecause there are so many charactersin it, of all shapes and sizes. Plus, it’sin 3D, it’s set in space and we alsohave to be sure to satisfy its originalcore audience.”

Animation is due to follow thetheatrical release next year, a formulawhich worked really well for WBCPon Batman, which saw Brave and theBold picking up the younger fans whoweren’t quite old enough to buy intoThe Dark Knight, but who werecaught up in the noise around theBatman brand. Back to this summerthough, and the final part of Harry

Potter and the Deathly Hallows is all setto be one of the key talking points.

“Last year we had such aphenomenal result and we’d put so

much effort into managing theproperty,” continues Bufton. “Wereally went all out because we feltthat there was no reason why HarryPotter should not succeed as a toyproposition at retail in the UK.

“We struck gold with Tomy. We hada shared vision and spent a long timedeliberating over what the line shouldbe. It’s clear there are very differentaudiences within the property andthat’s why it’s so successful.”

The success of Tomy’s MonsterBook of Monsters also showed theaudience was willing to buy into theHarry Potter ‘universe’. “This madeus change the way we looked at thetoys; the range now is much morerole play focused, catering for themore grown up audience. Likewise,Lego has achieved amazing resultsdelivering a range that caters for

young children and older fans alike.Harry Potter has been both a numberone best selling video game and toyline for Lego, this created a huge buzzand generated significant sales for thebroader range and has also lead tocross licensing success in apparel.”

Meanwhile, Bandai has also beenworking closely with WBCP todevelop the ThunderCats line. And, ifthe early reaction at Toy Fair isanything to go by, it’s not going todisappoint. “The response so far toThunderCats has been incredible,”Bufton says. “Everyone you present itto is just so excited. It’s going todeliver as a TV show on its broadcastplatform and it’s just going to beabsolutely massive. Bandai, again, arejust an absolute pleasure to workwith; they are completely committedto the property.”

Bufton is also confident that theVivid-distributed Thinkway toy rangefor Happy Feet 2 is going to be one ofthe most wanted properties forautumn/winter – “the first ever tapdancing plush is really quitestaggering” – while Charactercontinues to invest heavily in Scooby-Doo – “Character has been ourlicensee for more than ten years onScooby and they’re saying that 2011is going to be their biggest year ever.”

A statement likely to bring out thegreen-eyed monster in anyone.

Warner storming2011 is looking likely to be another strong year for Warner Bros Consumer Products in the toy category. SamanthaLoveday finds out why it believes it has one of its strongest ever line-ups of toy licensees to date...

20 LICENSING WARNER’S TOY PLANS

The response so far to ThunderCats hasbeen incredible. Everyone you present it

to is just so excited. It’s going to deliver as aTV show on its broadcast platform and it’sjust going to be absolutely massive.

Paul Bufton, General Manager, WBCP

MAY 2011

BUFTON: High hopes for 2011 line-up

© 2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

CONTACT HASBRO FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE PLAY-DOH RANGE.

TELEPHONE 020 8569 1234

www.toynews-online.biz 23SPECIAL

Master plannersBack at its ‘spiritual’ home of the Majestic, this month’s Toymaster show has been sold out since early February,underlining its importance to the industry. Samantha Loveday talks to operations director Ian Edmunds to find out more...

“THE MAIN aim this year is not tohave a repeat of 2010’s last minutenerves, shall we say,” Toymaster’soperations director, Ian Edmundsexplains to ToyNews ahead of thebuying group’s annual three-day showin Harrogate.

A fire at the Majestic Hotel lastyear, less than two weeks before theshow was due to be held, meantToymaster had to shift venues to theHarrogate International Centre. But,while both its members and theindustry were elated that the showwent ahead at all, the buying groupfelt that some of the more ‘Toymaster’elements were lost.

This year, all public areas of theMajestic are open once again andToymaster returns to what itaffectionately calls its ‘spiritual’ home.

“It’s a very different animal runningthe show in a conference centre, asopposed to running it in a hotel,”explains Edmunds. “I think supplierswould have been happy if we’d stayedin the conference centre, but as far aswe’re concerned, we lost a lot of the

‘Toymaster’ bits that we wanted to getacross. Things like membersnetworking, talking and sharingexperiences. At the end of the day, ifwe were going to run a show in aconference hall, Toymaster wouldn’trun it. That’s not what we do; it’s notToymaster, if that makes any sense.”

However, Edmunds confirms thatthe show’s future lies with theMajestic – indeed, it’s booked up torun there until 2020.

All exhibition space for this yearwas sold out back in early Februaryand a good proportion of suppliers onthe showfloor will have some kind ofdeal on offer for visitors.

“For members this is a very, veryimportant show,” states Edmunds.

“This is not a Toy Fair. Toy Fair is a ‘looking at’ show. This is very muchan ordering show.”

The networking element, too, is avital component. “One of the bestthings about being in the group issharing experiences with likemindedpeople. Finding out from other peoplewhat they’ve done in the last year,what worked, what didn’t andgenerally picking up on things.”

For non-Toymaster members, too,the event is becoming an importantfixture in the calendar. “We think it’sa good showcase for what we do, sowhy not let other independents comeand look around. They’re welcome tocome and find out more about thegroup, or just to look around, there’sno pressure. We get around 150 of ouraccounts and probably another 100independent non-members.”

Levels of business in theindependent sector are stillconsiderablyabovewhatthey

were in 2008. After the collapse ofWoolworths in 2009, the sector had afantastic year, although Edmundsadmits that 2010 wasn’t so good. It’snot all doom and gloom though, withtrading in the first two months of2011 actually being better thanexpected.

“In truth, we thought the first twoor three months [of the year] would bedown, but for most of our members thefirst two months have been alright,because the suppliers have comethrough with some good product.”

Edmunds is under no illusions,however, that 2011 is going to be atricky year, although come Novemberhopefully lost trade will be put backon. But what’s his ultimate aim forthis year?

“I’d like to think that in a year’stime, we’ve still got all our members,they come out of Christmas with lessstock than they came out of it lastyear and we’ve achieved our mission

statement, which is very simply tohelp our members trade more

profitably. That’s all it is.”

This is a very,very important

show for our members.It’s an ordering show.

Ian Edmunds, Toymaster

MAY 2011

24 SPECIAL

A SELECTION of suppliers took some time out from show preparation to talkto us about the importance of the independent retail sector.

Also in discussion were the reasons for attending the show, how firmssupport the indies, how the retail landscape for toys is changing and whethergrocers and online retailers are posing a threat.

Indies rockWith the annual Toymaster event upon us, Katie Roberts spoke to some of the exhibitors about the role independentretail plays in their business. This is followed with a comprehensive guide to what will be on show this year…

“We consider Toymasterthe biggest and mostprepared independenttrade show in the UK. Theindependent sector is

incredibly important to us and itmakes an important contribution toHasbro’s business.

“Our Orders Direct team will alsobe using this as an opportunity to bethere opening accounts, presentingproducts, talking throughpromotions, facilitating main seasonorders and taking top-up orders.

“We have a comprehensivebusiness plan and support packagethat is bespoke to the independentchannel, delivering what they need.”

Peter Burcham, national salesmanager, Hasbro

“We exhibit at Toymasterbecause it is a great placefor doing business withmembers. We alwayscome away with a good

level of new orders for theforthcoming Christmas season frommembers in the UK and Ireland.

‘The independent retail sector isgrowing again in the post-Wooliesera. Toymaster is a very strong topten customer for Vivid.

“Vivid supports the independentretailers with good promotions, goodservice, catalogue support andensuring members get a fair share ofhot products like Moshi Monsters.

“The growth in toy offerings atgrocers and online is affectingindependents, but Toymaster offersgreat customer service and range,which is why they are still growingdespite the current challengingmarket conditions.”

Nick Austin, chairman, Vivid

“Independent retail is vitalto our business. This is theone sector that distributesour full portfolio ofproducts and is a

showcase for our consumers. “The independent sector is key to

the success of many brands. Inparticular since the Woolworthsdownfall, they provide a High Streetpresence, which could have beenlost and makes toys a destinationwithin many city centres.

“We support independent retailersthrough tailored promotions, in-storetheatre, regular purchasingopportunities and support through afield-based sales team.“

Tim Ives, general salesmanager, Tomy

“For us, it [Toymaster] isone of the must-do eventsof the calendar year. Theindependent sector is ofhuge importance to

Esdevium. Independent retail formsthe bedrock of our business.

“Independent retail is a growingsector for our company. What we canoffer the toy trade has expandeddramatically in recent years. Five orsix years ago we were seen as aspecialist distributor, but now we feelwe have lots to offer the toy trade.

“We look to support independentsand look after them as best we can.We try to provide a great service andthis includes next day delivery; faststock turnaround; a low minimumorder; knowledgeable and friendlystaff and weekly new release sheets.”

Steve Buckmaster, salesdirector, Esdevium Games

“We are new suppliers toToymaster and wanted toshowcase our ranges –we have a really excitingportfolio with lots of new

ranges for 2011, all of which areideally suited to Toymaster retailers.

“The sector is hugely important; 80per cent of our business is fromindependents. We have fantasticrelationships with our existingretailers and are keen to meet newfaces at the show. We really focus onindependents and are constantlylooking at ways to further supportour retailers.”

Thierry Bourret, director, Asobi

“We have been regularsupporters of theToymaster show for manyyears now. Theindependent sector

represents a significant portion of ourUK sales. Our independent salesgrew by over ten per cent in 2010.

“We have a dedicated salesmanager and a nationwide salesteam that service the sector. We runindie-only promotions, sectorexclusives and ensure the servicethey receive from us is excellent. Thisstrategy is probably not unconnectedwith the growth shown last year.

“The question of how we viewgrocers and online vs theindependent sector is always abalancing act. We value the major’svolumes but need the coverage andrange breadth that the independentsector gives us as well. As we’vegrown both sectors alongside eachother in the past five years I can onlytrust we’ve got the balancesomething like right.”

Clive Wooster,European managing director,

Learning Curve “Toymaster gives us anopportunity to meet withcustomers from the northof England. It’s the onlytrade show we do north of

Birmingham. It’s a good chance tocatch up with othersupplier/competitors in order to get afeel how the year’s progressing forthe industry.

“Allowing all independentsin, notjust Toymaster members, gives us anopportunity to invite customers whowe would have to otherwise visit.

“The independent retail sector isvital for providing depth.Independent retailers tend to stocklots of different products within ourrange rather than just one or twolines. They also are moreadventurous in their selections andwilling to take a chance.

“To support the sector, we findgiving a free sample of a new lineworks particularly well. We also offerdemo days.”

Roger Martin, MD,Coiledspring Games

“The independent retailsector is a key area offocus for us. We arecommitted to continuing todevelop and improve the

way we look after all our retailers. “The sector has shown great

resilience over the last few years. Wehave seen significant growth withinthis sector and this is a trend weexpect to continue.

“The retail environment is alwayschallenging but the independentretailer definitely has a place in themix. The High Street is a part ofBritish culture and Toymaster retailersare perfectly placed to maximise thispredilection by providing consumerswith a shopping experience that theywouldn’t get within the grocers.

“We are continually looking towork smarter and improve ourprocesses to benefit the independentretail sector. This includes investing inan additional salaried-salesman tohelp maximise and deliver growthopportunities, plus the launch of anew monthly newsletter that willkeep the independents up-to-dateon new product launches, marketingcampaigns and our extensive TVadvertising programme.”

Dominic Geddes, sales director,Mattel

“Toymaster is a reallyimportant show for both usand the members and agreat chance to updateeveryone after Toy Fair. The

independents are a valuable sectorto Spin Master, usually the most loyalof retailers with a passion for productand willing to give most things a go.

“We doubled our independentretail business last year and areexpecting anything from 30-50 percent growth again this year.

“We offer strong promotions toindependents during key periods(London Toy Fair for spring deals andMay show for autumn deals) whichgives them both margin and variousoptions for competing in the market.“

Jacqueline Taylor-Foo, salesdirector, Spin Master

MAY 2011

Tradecustomers can

now order online atwww.lc2b2b.com©Ludorum plc 2011

Your range boxed up!

Sales Hotline 01869 363800 | [email protected]

Visit us at the

ToymasterSHOW


MAY 2011

MATTEL, 01628 500000Mattel’s stand in the French restaurantarea of the Majestic will see the firmunveil several launches, marketingcommunication plans and retaileropportunities.

Fashion doll Barbie will pushboundaries bringing new innovation andtechnology to its extensive range withdevelopments for hair and beauty play.Barbie Hairtastic Printables allow girls toprint their own hair extensions.

The new Barbie Family segment isalso growing with pet-based water-playitems including Barbie Doggie Park,building on the success of last year’sPuppy Swim School. BarbieEntertainment will also release PrincessCharm School this autumn which will bebrought to life with transformation dolls,play-sets and accessories.

Hot Wheels continues to tap intoboys’ play patterns with new productlines and marketing initiatives. Stand-out products include the Hot WheelsWall Tracks, which introduces a new wayto play Hot Wheels – by building stuntinstallations on bedroom walls. New HotWheels Rev Ups will speed off in anydirection, even upside down.

The new series of animated TV showHot Wheels: Battle Force 5 will berepresented by a range of die-cast carsand over-sized battle-ready vehicles.

Fisher-Price launches new productdriven by multi-faceted brand campaignsincluding the evolvement of Fisher-Price’s high-impact milestone campaign.

Autumn will also see the introductionof a raft of character licences, which addto the brand’s substantial core portfolio.Fresh from a launch on Cbeebies, theocean adventures of Octonauts will bebrought to life by a new collection ofplay-sets, figures and vehicles. Keyproduct the Octopod Play-set, comeswith two Octonaut figures and seacreatures to rescue.

US Toy Of The Year Sing-a-Ma-Jigs willsee new additions to the range. The newSing-a-Ma-Jigs Duets sing, chatter andharmonise with their friends.

Mattel will also capitalise on some ofthe summer movies including Cars 2 andGreen Lantern along with WWE.

Scrabble will also welcome a newedition to its stable plus there’s newsfrom Pictionary and Uno. Other productson show include Monster High, MickeyMouse Clubhouse, Thomas And Friends,Toy Story and Matchbox.

HASBRO, 020 8569 1234Toymaster will see Hasbro showcasingsome of its most innovative productsyet – from new partnerships in the pre-school sector to licensed linessupporting some of this year’s bigmovie releases in the boys portfolio.

With Nerf blasters ranging from the N-Strike Stampede to the new N-StrikeBarricade RV-10 blaster, Hasbro’s Nerf N-Strike line continues to deliver intensepower and performance.

The autumn/winter launch of theVortex range will see Nerf take blasterplay to a new level. Elsewhere in theboys category, the Transformersportfolio continues to grow with theintroduction of its new Mech Tech andCyberverse ranges to coincide withTransformers: Dark of the Moon. TheForce also remains strong with theintroduction of a new lightsaber in theStar Wars range.

Cookie My Playful Pup is the newestdog to join the FurReal Friends family.Featuring voice recognition technology,the pup will respond when spoken to bymoving its head, blinking and barking.Hasbro’s girls category will also see theintroduction of Blythe pet-sitter dolls tothe Littlest Pet Shop range.

Hasbro’s Playskool brand kicks off itspartnership with Sesame Workshop witha line of new toys. One of the highlightsis Count ‘n Crunch Cookie Monster,where kids get to feed cookies while hecounts out loud. The Poppin’ Park rangeis also a highlight of the pre-schoolcategory, including the Pound ‘n’ PopCarnival, the Roll ‘n’ Pop Express and thehero Elefun Busy Ball Popper play-set.

Hasbro continues to expand its gamesportfolio in an effort to bring familiestogether for entertaining nights. As afollow-up to Bop-It, the active, think-faston-your-feet game is back with Bop-It XT,featuring six commands including newShake it. Classics Connect 4: Launchers,Game of Life: Adventures Editions andMonopoly Electronic Banking Editionhave been updated, too.

BANDAI, 01489 790944Power Rangers Samurai will be one ofthe major highlights on Bandai’s standas the latest range of action figures,vehicles and role-play is offered with ashow launch deal. There will also be anopportunity to boost stocks of the coreBen 10 Ultimate Alien lines and to get apreview of the new items for Christmas,including the new Revolution Ultimatrix.

The new Pokémon Black and Whiterange will also be presented, as well as asneak preview of Thundercats.

The girls’ brand portfolio will beheadlined by Harumika with an FSDU

offer, as well as the chance to order thenew fashion sets for the autumn,including the Bridal Collection. Followingthe creative theme, Bandai’s badgemaking machine Badge It will be onshow as it makes a return for 2011. Boththe Noddy and Tinga Tinga Tales pre-school plush and play-set ranges willalso be available.

LEGO, 01753 495000Following the success of Atlantis in 2010,Lego Pharaoh’s Quest is another newindependent play theme for 2011, fusinga mythical Egyptian theme with fantasycreatures, Gods, icons and sets. Therange launches with six sets.

Lego Star Wars has grown into anevergreen brand and is currently thenumber one Star Wars property in theUK. 2011 sees an expansion of theuniverse, introducing novelties designedto support demand from an existingcollector base while recruiting new fansto drive sales and increase collectability.

Following a successful model buildingand sponsorship campaign, 2010 saw astrong performance from Lego Technic.2011 will bring more realistic models, life-like functions and challenging builds.

Kids will be able to re-create theadventures of Lightning McQueen, Sallyand Mater with toys inspired by theDisney-Pixar Cars franchise. Lego Cars 2-themed construction sets will beavailable in both Lego and Lego Duplo,for children ages two to eight.

Ninjago explores a dual-platformconcept consisting of a collectable rangeof duelling Minifigure spinners andcards, followed by the release ofconstructable battle play-sets. There arevarious sets and spinners/cards tocollect. Lego Ninjago will be supportedby a consumer marketing programmethat will capture the imagination of boysaged six and over.

Following the arrival of LegoMinifigures in May 2010, the brandbecame the number one toy in the UKmarket within six weeks of its launch.Each Minifigure comes in a sealedmystery bag, to drive frequency,repurchase and the desire to collectthem all.

Two years since its venture into theboard games arena, Lego UK iscelebrating findings highlighting LegoGames as a new category in itself. Theproducts use the unique Legoexperience to ‘make the game’ and thebrand has seen Lego become the secondlargest manufacturer of children’s gamesin the UK. Players can change the formatof the game, using the Lego pieces andthe build-able dice to create a newchallenge. With realistic vehicles andplay-sets, everyday heroes and a uniquebuilding experience, Lego City has

established itself as a proven evergreenproduct line with six consecutive yearsof double digit growth. The 2011 launchof the new police, space and harbourthemes continue with this winningformula.

The show will also feature Lego DuploBrick Boxes and themed role-play setsincluding My First Zoo and Fire Truck.

SPIN MASTER, 01628 535000Spin Master is attending the Toymastershow again where the full range ofproducts will be exhibited.

Moon Dough enjoyed a strong year in2010 and reached number three in themodelling compound market. Aimed atkids aged two to four years, there are anumber of new play-sets across therange for the autumn which offerinteractive play at differing price points.The lower priced Breakfast and OceanAnimals starter sets and the theme ofshopping in the Supermarket play-set,all come with a crank handled mouldingmachine, lots of hand moulds anddough.

The Zoobles range will be extendedwith the introduction of Mamas &Zooblings and the accompanyingNursery Play-set, Triplets andChatteroos. More characters from threenew Zooble worlds will also beintroduced and will bring the total ofcollectable characters to over 250 inyear one.

Two developments in the Arts & Craftssector are Bizu and Fab Effex. Bizu, the2-in-1 jewellery kit, is suitable for girlsaged six to nine years. The easy tothread beading system enables girls tochange their bracelet over and overagain with ease and then create ananimal character to play with. There arethousands of beading combinations. FabEffex, meanwhile, is magical mouldingmaterial and kids can use the guides andmoulds provided in the kits to createdifferent characters or use themfreestyle to decorate clothes, shoes andsoft furnishings without any mess.

LEARNING CURVE, 01392 281900Learning Curve will unveil its exclusive tothe specialist toy sector, remote controlChuggington product.

Trainee high speed locomotive – Koko– is brought to life with the introductionof a remote control version.

Measuring nine-inches long and five-inches high, RC Koko is almost eighttimes the size of its ChuggingtonInteractive counter part. The chunky,sturdy version includes a handheldremote control pad to manoeuvre Kokoforward and round, which works at adistance of up to 20-feet. Suitable forindoor and outdoor play, Remote ControlKoko can be paired with Remote ControlWilson for double the fun.

Learning Curve will also beshowcasing more than 50 SKUs in itsChuggington Die-cast and Interactivecollections.

Britains will reveal the new FarmBuilding & Accessories Set. Thefarmyard is at the heart of farm play, andthe ideal place to start building afarmyard is with the Farm Building &Accessories Set from the Britains FarmToys range.

The spacious Dual Purpose Building isthe hub of the set and has plenty ofroom to store the important farm tools,vehicles and livestock. The set alsoincludes Farm Gate and Fencing to keepthe Friesian Cattle in, plus additionalFencing pieces to increase the size of theenclosure. Big Square Bales, RoundBales and a Cattle Feeder Set areincluded with the Farming Family, alongwith a One Tonne Seed/Fertilizer bags.

VTECH, 01235 555545New to VTech Baby is the Toot-TootDrivers (12+ months) range, a largeseries of collectable vehicles includingan ambulance, car, truck, police car, vanand fire engine. Each of the six vehiclesfeatures tunes, phrases and vehiclenoises, available for purchaseindividually or in sets. Also in the rangeis the new Toot-Toot Driver Garage,which provides a home and play settingfor the vehicles and features three areaswith LED displays to introduce garagefeatures and magic sensors thatrecognise each vehicle, giving individualinteractive responses. The garage comeswith car wash, petrol station, lift turningdisk and heliport and a Tow Truckelectronic vehicle.

VTech is expanding the Kidizoombrand with the launch of new Kidiproducts. Kidiminiz, for children agedthree and over, is a range of sixinteractive pets which include twobunnies, two kittens and two puppies.Each pet comes in an assortment ofcolours with moving ears and legs. Theyinteract with each other via singing andtalking and have 27 differentcombinations of eyes, nose and mouthsfor fully customisable faces.

VTech is introducing a touch screenpad style learning system suitable forfour to eight year-olds (name to beconfirmed). The kids multi-media

learning handheld in a touch screentablet format combines games, activitiesand an interactive e-reading system. Thegadget not only boasts a state of the artG sensor control to support motion-based games, but also a built-in autopicture rotation, microphone, stylus pen,adaptor jack, SD card slot and USB port.

The touch screen encourages childrento explore various games and featuressuch as art studio, piano, MP3 player,video player and strategy games. What’smore it can be easily expanded withadditional cartridges. The product alsoconnects to the Kidizoom range ofcameras so children can view theirvideos and photos.

VTech, the first to the market withelectronic learning bath toys, will beshowcasing the latest additions to therange as well as some popular classics.

New Splash and Learn Duck forchildren aged six months and overencourages play through phrases,sounds, sing-along songs and music, allof which help to teach baby’s first words.Equipped with a water sensor, the duckreacts accordingly with swimmingphrases when in and out of the water.

Also at the show will be the animatedstoryteller for children, Storio InteractiveE-Reading System, suitable for childrenaged three to seven, which is now alsoavailable in pink. The improved systembrings stories and characters intoanimation in a sleek easy-to-use format.

New MobiGo Portable LearningSystem for children aged four to sevenyears, the latest handheld educationalgaming system, is also now available inpink. With a modern touch-sensitivescreen, MobiGo is interactive,encouraging children to tap, flick, dragand spin.

FLAIR, 020 8643 0320The Sylvanian Families range will beexpanded with the launch of HighfieldsFarm this autumn, a traditionalfarmhouse with thatched roof andwooden beams. Also launching is thenew Carry Cottage, designed to allowgirls to take their Sylvanian Familiesalong wherever they go. The cottageincludes a roof space for storing smallpieces and the house snaps shut to keepeverything secure.

For boys, the new Lazer Stunt Chasers– tipped by CNN Money as one of thehottest launches of 2011 – takes remotecontrol cars to another level with digitallaser guided technology. The stunt carsspeed along and loop the loop fasterthan the laser light.

Also, Geomag introduces a new glowin the dark feature adding a fresh playelement to the magnetic constructiontoy. In addition, and tipped to be the

next playground craze for boys, Morbsare ping pong style balls that whenthrown, rolled or blasted from one of theMorb play-sets, instantly transform intoa big-headed, small-bodied Morbcharacter.

Disney fans will be catered for withactions figures and the Queen Anne’sRevenge Ship from Pirates of theCaribbean 4: On Stranger Tides, plus forpre-schoolers some Jungle Junctionvehicles and play-sets.

Flair Create introduces some new kitsfor both boys and girls. Boys can nowcreate their own edible gummy bugswith Gummi-X, using kitchen cupboardingredients.

Within the feature pens category,Blendypens will expand creativity withnew themed sets such as the Big Starsand Stage Show, which allows kids tocolour, build and create a theatricalsetting. The Sprayza Blasta Garage hasall the mechanics to customise thevehicle cut-outs provided.

In addition, girls can paint anddecorate their own reusable stickerswith Gelarti, create 3D pictures with 3DMagic, or design googly eyed-creatureswith the re-usable Fuzzoodles.

HTI, 01253 778888HTI will be making a major statement atthis year’s Toymaster show, with morespace, bigger brands and better deals.

One offer will comprise a selection oftop selling toys across generic andlicensed ranges, featuring selectedSilver Cross and Mamas & Papas prams,iconic girls brand Hello Kitty with role-play and wheeled toys, the new JCBMulti Construct range, TeamsterzGarages and Track sets, plus PostmanPat, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builderassorted vehicles.

HTI will be showing an extensiveselection of Mega Brands’ constructionranges including Mega Bloks, Halo Wars,Thomas the Tank Engine, Marvel andDragons, plus new brands Need forSpeed, Hello Kitty, Smurfs andChuggington.

HTI’s Iball3 has been voted NumberOne Toy of the Year 2011 by The GadgetShow. From the makers of the world'shardest puzzle, Iball3 is an interactivememory game that you won’t be able toput down and Toymaster members willbe given the chance to try it out.

A new opportunity for HTI sees theintroduction of fashion and designbrands Monster High, Barbie and HotWheels, manufactured by US firmFashion Angels. New introductions alsoinclude Disney 3D Puzzles, Barbie hairplay items and Lego storage for tidyaway play. The Grosvenor and Kokomocollection offers licensed bath items

including Toy Story, Doctor Who, Cars,Peppa Pig and My First JCB, while Tonkalight and sound vehicles from Funriseoffer competitive price points.

The biggest news from HTI is themassive growth in its Hello Kitty range offigures and play-sets, arts and crafts andinfant ranges. The property is now thebiggest category in HTI’s portfolio ofdistribution brands.

TOMY, 020 8722 7300Tomy’s flagship pre-school learningrange, Play to Learn, has expanded, withnewly launched products including theupdated version of a pre-school classic –the Big Auto Loader. The new Big AutoLoader is a large, brightly coloured,construction-themed play-set. Tomy willalso be showcasing Mr Colour Maker, anelectronic colour mixing toy and therecently launched Puzzle Bug and WackyRacers, as well as introducingautumn/winter lines including R/CWhistle n Go Puppy and Happy Hammer.

After its launch in 2010, Tomy willonce again be taking Tomica on the road.As well as new play-sets such as theMetro City Set, there are new vehicles,with two new larger Hyper City Rescuevehicles launched this year - the HyperCity Rescue Helicopter and Hyper CityRescue Hovercraft, both of which featurecontainers to transport the smallerHyper City Rescue vehicles.

For girls, Tomy’s newly acquiredPinypon range is set to launch forautumn/winter. Featuring a full range ofcollectable mini dolls withinterchangeable hairstyles andaccessories, Pinypon also includesflower-themed scented dolls, a car,travel pack, caravan, apartment andmore. The play-sets are chunky withcompetitive price points and will enablegirls to build a whole Pinypon world.

LEAPFROG, 01895 202840Visitors to LeapFrog’s stand willexperience an interactive audio visualtour of the developed line of educationaltoys and games, showcasing thesuccesses of 2010 and some of the newproducts for the upcoming year.

Visitors will be guided through aseries of videos and interactive displays,with products showcased including theLeapster Explorer, Tag and My Pal Scout.

Toymaster visitors will have thechance to see the brand’s teasercampaign for its new learning device,

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LeapPad Explorer, due to launch in thesummer. The future of gaming iscaptured in this one-of-a-kind device,delivering the most powerful gameplayLeapFrog has ever offered. The brandwill be showcasing the new range ofExplorer games and product extensions,including the click-in camera and videoaccessory.

As well as demonstrating the latestselection of learning toys, including theShapes and Sharing Picnic Basket andCount and Scan Shopper, LeapFrog willbe showcasing its new editions to theScout range due to launch later this year.The refreshed version of My Pal Scouthas a whole new set of features.

JUMBO, 01707 289289Jumbo Games will be showcasing itsextensive range of children’s and adultpuzzles, including a first look at the newFalcon range. A series of nostalgicpuzzles have been speciallycommissioned for both children andadults, including a new Teddy Bearspicnic puzzle and The Best of British,depicting iconic British images such asfish and chips and red telephone boxes.

Jumbo will also be showcasing twopuzzles for Christmas as part of thenostalgia range including the ChristmasWishes 2 x 1,000-piece puzzle and TheNight Before Christmas 1,000-piecepuzzle with bright, colourful imageryfrom Tracey Hall.

Jumbo will showcase Smart Games,the brain training range of single playergames offering 15 diverse productsaimed at both sexes and ages two toadult. The Smart Games are available inwood or plastic and cover a range oftopics, difficulty levels and gamemechanics to suit the varied age range.Key titles include Camelot and Day andNight as part of the wooden range and inthe plastic range, games such as AntiVirus and Monsters.

The Wasgij range will also be ondisplay with new products such as theCarry On Wasgij Mystery and WasgijOriginal Family Puzzle. The Carry Onpuzzle extends the licensed offering andfeatures a montage of scenes from thefilms, while the Wasgij Family puzzle is anew concept featuring three differentsized pieces so family members of anyage or experience can puzzle together.

Jumbo will also be showcasingchildren’s licences including Everything’sRosie, as well as Peppa Pig, Ben &Holly’s Little Kingdom, Fireman Sam andHorrid Henry. Jumbo will also display itsrange of games and puzzles for DisneyPrincess, including the TV advertisedelectronic Disney Princess Magic WandGame, as well as Cars puzzles to tie inwith the film release of the sequel.

VIVID, 01483 449944New for Crayola in the autumn will bethree big box TV lines includingBeginnings 4 in 1 Art Desk, DisneyPrincess/Cars 2 Story Studio andCatwalk Creations. Perennial successesDoodle Daisy and Spinaroo coupled withlast year’s top performers DoodlePenguin, Magic Light Brush and GlowDome will also be TV supported.

In two years, Vivid says Animagic hasbecome the fastest growing feature plushbrand in the UK/Ireland. Hero productsfrom last year included Fluffy, Newbornsand Hoppers are joined this year on TV byseveral new launches including Sunny MyPick-Me-Up Puppy, Benji My Best Friendand Cassy Goes Catwalk.

Moshi Monsters will see TV-advertisedautumn additions to the line in the formof Mosh n Chat interactive plush andMoshlings Treehouse Play-set. ActionGames and Collector Sets will also beintroduced. Role-play is a strong categoryfor girls aged three to seven and DarceyBussell’s Magic Ballerina dance and DVDrole-play set will launch in August.

Sell-out dolls of pop sensations JLSwere the surprise hit of last Christmasand this year are joined by new JustinBieber dolls and collectables.

Vivid’s Furrblings will be added inautumn. The critters will be supportedwith TV, PR and social media campaigns.

Happy Feet 2 is released later thisyear, with the toy line hitting shelves inOctober supported by a Warner Brosmarketing campaign. Vivid will supportthe line with TV advertising from Octoberhalf-term. Cars 2 also hits screens thissummer and Vivid will promote a newrange of Klip Kitz with price points from£6.99 to £24.99.

Everything’s Rosie has been a CBeebiesratings success and Vivid is offering arange of pre-school toys, puzzles andgames. Chapman’s Little Charley Bear hasalso launched successfully on CBeebiesand a range of toys, puzzles and gameswill roll out in August.

GOLDEN BEAR, 01952 608308New products being added to the Benand Holly’s Little Kingdom range, includeHolly’s Magic Wand, the Magic Phoneand the Magic Draw.

The My 1st Talking JCB range has anew member to the team, Dan Dozer.Dan is the youngest recruit and has hisown phrases and movements. There arealso new additions to the My 1st JCBrange. Doug Dumptruck is transformedinto a remote control vehicle and the My1st JCB Talkie sees the characters movewith the new Talking Vision technology.

Also on display will be Driver Dan’sStory Train. The range comprises ofvarious plush and plastic products.

MECCANO, 01869 324956First up for Meccano is the new SpaceChaos range, consisting of a variety ofcollectable space vehicles, each withtheir own powers. Children from sevenyears old are invited to build their ownspace ships and take part in a galacticbattle between the baddies, Dark Piratesand the goodies, Silver Force.

Highlight for autumn/winter is theSilver Force Fighter, which builds into twodifferent fighters with lights. Keeping upthe fight for good is the Silver ForceDestroyer with integral missile launcherand light and sound effects. Battlingagainst good is the two model DarkPirates Fighter, complete with soundeffects and the two model Dark PirateCommander with lights and sound.

Another new addition is Turbo, aselection of racing cars, which arepacked in a storage case, part of whichforms the vehicle’s chassis. The six-strong collection offers two smaller kitswhich each build one model and twolarger kits each building two models.Turbo’s RC Pro Car is the hero item in thecollection. The set builds two RC racingvehicles (one at a time) with a fullyfunctional RC handset.

New sets hit Meccano’s Build and Playrange, too. The latest items adopt a new,easier construction mechanism ofclipping screws in addition to traditionalnuts and bolts system. Build and PlayDinos is a new collection under the five+years Build and Play umbrella. It offers aselection of three traditional dinosaursbuilt using flexible parts. Collect them allto build a bonus model.

Other new additions to the rangeinclude the Mini Build and Play PlasticCase. Each of the sets builds twovehicles and comes in its own carry case.There’s also the new Build and PlayBulldozer, Side Car and Buggy sets.

Meccano’s Construction range willalso see the New Motorised Tool Box -previewed at Toy Fair. The kit builds tenvehicles, all of which you’d expect to findon a construction site. The flexibleplastic parts and 6V motor bringmovement and life to the models. Theset comes in a bold yellow toolbox foreasy storage and is suitable for childrenfrom five years.

RAVENSBURGER, 01869 363800Highlights of the company’s children’srange include the refreshed Thomas &Friends jigsaws. Also on show will bejigsaws, games, craft and Puzzleballbased on Disney Cars 2.

Other additions to the Disney rangeare puzzles based on Phineas & Ferband the new Winnie the Pooh movie.Gift-based character Tatty Teddycontinues to be popular and the rangehas been extended to include a four in abox set of puzzles, designed to sitalongside the 200-piece jigsaw.Ravensburger will also introduceproducts based on collectablecharacters My Blue Nose Friends,including a 100-piece puzzle, card gameand memory game, plus continuing topush Dora the Explorer and Doctor Who.

Ravensburger’s adult puzzles offer abroad range of designs and piece counts.Among the new titles for autumn/winterare the third in the Me to You series, arange of illustrations by British artists,international favourites and the LimitedEdition Christmas puzzle.

Puzzleball undergoes a major refreshfor autumn/winter. Ravensburgerscooped another Toy Fair Best New ToyAward this year for its 180-pieceChildren’s World Map Puzzleball and thisitem will be on show alongside newdesigns including Disney Cars 2, Me toYou, and two London designs. The firmwill back Puzzleball with a TV campaign inOctober, November and December.

JOHN ADAMS, 01480 414361John Adams will be showcasing some ofits key products at the show.

From its range of puzzles and games,hero items include Caption It, DoggieDoo, Mr Creepy Magic and The Cube.

Having secured the Rubik’s licence for2011, John Adams will be presenting newproducts under the banner. The Classiccube now features environmentally-friendly packaging and fresh newgraphics which will feature in this year’sTV advertising campaigns.

In addition, this year also sees theintroduction of a two-player game,Rubik’s Race, a fast-paced, head-to-headchallenge and Rubik’s 360, an extensionto the puzzle range. All Rubik’s productswill be supported by approximately2,000 TVRs, plus an integrated PR andmarketing campaign.


The original crying and wetting ClassicTiny Tears will be available withaccessories such as potty, bottle, nappyand hair brush. Meanwhile, thecompany’s craft range will highlight heroproducts such as the Golden Coin Maker,Disney Princess and Disney Pixar Cars 23D Projectors. Following last year’ssuccess with the Disney Princess SnowGlobe Maker, the partnership withDisney continues with the 3D Projectorwhich allows children to project, traceand colour in clothing and decorationsfor the included character models.

Finally the company will be exhibitingkey product from the Action Sciencerange. This includes the Metal Detectorand a 20-in-1 Electronics Lab.

DRUMOND PARK, 01506 855577With eight products in the NPD UK Top50 Games chart for 2010, Drumond Parkcontinues to expand its portfolio.

Dino-Bite is suitable for ages four andover and features a dinosaur underattack by up to six players armed with aset of special tweezers. Players have tosteal the dinosaur’s eggs from out of thenest, while it growls and roars.

Oginov, for ages eight and over, is atumbling pyramids puzzle that provideschallenge after challenge. Its colourfulthree-dimensional globe and pyramidset-up is angled to provide four differentmind and dexterity teasers - to testspatial, colour recognition andmaths/numerical skills as well as visualawareness.

Rapidough has received an updateand is now for age eight and over, withhundreds of new words, covering a hostof easier-to-sculpt everyday objects.

A new twin sister for Articulate is aptlycalled Articulate (Your Life). For age 12plus, it features an electronic timer andsix new of-the-minute lifestylecategories. A new adult game also in thepipeline for the coming year is His andHers for ages 16 and over, which followsthe same picture and recognitionformula as Drumond Park’s board game,Logo. This time it’s a celebration of thedifferences between male and female.

Family board game, Best of British isfor ages 12 and over and the licensedportfolio includes TV show games TheMillion Pound Drop and Eggheads.

Drumond Park has signed upchildren’s TV magician and Britain’s GotMore Talent presenter Stephen Mulhern,to produce the Stephen Mulhern MagicSet for ages eight and over, which is acollection of his cleverest tricks andquite a few new ones. Also in the magicoffering is Box Of Shocks, also for ageeight and over, including a collection ofpranks and tricks.

MV SPORTS, 0121 748 8000MV’s Hedstrom range of outdoor playequipment is the ideal for any garden. Asthe UK’s top range for swings, slides andmulti-plays, the majority of the rangehas modular packaging designed to fiton any retail fixture.

In the Kickmaster range, look out forKickmaster Boot It, the interactive indoorfootball experience designed to improveskill development and knowledge. BootIt has an in-built speaker system givinglive commentary and ManagerCommands and will be supported by aTV campaign.

The Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdomwheeled range includes the MagicalLight and Sound Tri-Scooter featuring amagic wand which activates the scooter,turning on lights and playing music fromthe show. The bespoke Gaston Ladybirdsit and ride is also available.

MV’s Tinga Tinga Tales range aims tobring the property to life, while theThomas & Friends classic range hasbeen refreshed with new CGI graphics.The introduction of several new feature-driven sit and rides including the new 3DEngine Ride-on and the return of theBattery Operated Train & Track Set is setto continue its growth.

Fireman Sam is going from strength tostrength and is led by the FirehoseScooter and Jupiter Ride-on. Bob theBuilder Toolbox Trike comes with aremovable toolbox and six-piece tool set.

The new Ben 10 Ultimate Alien rangewill ensure the property remains one ofthe strongest wheeled toy licencesaround. Star Wars will be lighting up theaisles with the new Lightsaber Scooterwith a light-up stem in the style of aLightsaber. The scooter is accompaniedby a range of new bikes andskateboards. New wheeled toys forDoctor Who and Transformers: Dark ofthe Moon are also planned.

The Moxie Girlz range includes anultra chic 16-inch bike with graphics andstrong colour ways. A skateboard andsafety accessories complete the range.

RAINBOW DESIGNS, 01329 227300The Wibbly Pig Mix and Match card gamefeatures Wibbly in a variety of outfits,

including a spaceman, a dancer and arobot. Also ideal for little hands is theWibbly Pig Wooden Shapes Puzzle.

The Wibbly Pig Backpack features thepig’s soft face and wiggly ears and plushtoys include Wibbly Pig with ComfortBlanket and Wibbly Pig Bean Toys –three soft toys wearing different outfitsincluding a tutu and bow tie.

Also new is The Gruffalo collection ofwooden toys and games. The GruffaloCatcher is a bug and butterfly catcherwith a wooden handle. The GruffaloMagnifier with its practical green neckstrap is ideal for examining creepycrawlies close up. The GruffaloWoodland Creature Cabin is a woodencarry case with a peek-through plexi-glass swing door, while the Plant Press isideal for preserving leaves and petals foruse in craft activities. Other new toysinclude the 28-piece illustratedDominoes and Peg Puzzle.

New to The Very Hungry Caterpillarcollection is a Backpack with expandingcaterpillar face. Wooden toys include theWooden Pull-along, the Wooden PegPuzzle and Wooden Dominoes.Developmental toys include the LargeActivity Caterpillar, the DevelopmentalCaterpillar and the Teether Rattle andsoft toys include the Hand Puppet, BeanToy, Large and Giant Very HungryCaterpillar toys.

New Stripy Horse arrivals include thethree-piece plate, bowl and cupMelamine Set, Wooden Peg Puzzle andthe soft, tactile and colourful ComfortBlanket. Finally, new to the Elmer rangeis the Wooden Pull-along toy and theBackpack featuring PVC ears andcolourful detailing.

MGA ENTERTAINMENT, 0845 0533 333Further expanding on its Lalaloopsylarge doll range, MGA will be unveilingseveral new characters at the show, withover 20 dolls joining the range this year,including Sunny Side Up and Berry Jars‘n’ Jam. New for autumn will be Silly HairLalaloopsy doll with hair that bends toallow the child to curl, twist andstraighten it.

Also arriving this autumn in the MiniLalaloopsy range are two new play-sets,Bea’s School Bus with exclusive doll, anda Mini Lalaloopsy Treehouse featuringtwo exclusive dolls, elevator, bridge,swing slides and two hammocks.

MGA will be introducing several newBratz lines including Bratz PlatinumShimmer dolls and Bratz Masquerade.Bratz On The Mic features an auto-tunemicrophone, with special effects and aspeaker. Also available in the range isthe Bratz On the Mic Tour Bus. Bratz AllGlammed Up will continue into autumn.

The Moxie Girlz line will have severalnew segments added including MoxieGirlz Dazzle Dance dolls, in party dressesand including a light-up tiara with sound.Moxie Girlz Magic Hair Colour StreakStudio dolls are also new and include ahair tool that allows the child to mix haircolours to create a new colour, rainbowstripes or sparkled streaks.

A new Moxie Girlz equestrian rangewill be available later this year, MoxieGirlz Horse Riding Club. The doll isdressed for riding with a walking horsethat has sound effects. Also available isa stable play-set.

Moxie Girlz Ready to Shine includes alip gloss for the girl to use and severaldoll-sized plastic cosmetics andaccessories to use on the doll. Moxie GirlzArt-titude 3D will continue into autumn.

MGA will be offering an early buy dealat the Toymaster Show.

INNOVATION FIRST, 01925 454093Micro-robotic toy brand Hexbug will bepresenting its new 2011 productsalongside its existing range.

The collectible range of micro-roboticcreatures uses the physics of vibrationto propel forward. Each Hexbug typebehaves in a different way.

Star of the collection is the smallHexbug Nano, an ingenious insectdetermined to navigate any complexmaze in its path. The range also includesa selection of Hexbug Nano Habitats,which are customisable, providingNanos with a variety of different mazesand obstacles to negotiate. Theseinclude the Nano Habitat Set, which willbe featured in the Toymasterautumn/winter catalogue and materialsto build a habitat plus two rare Nanomutations.

The Hexbug family includes othercreatures, which each come in a varietyof colours including Hexbug Ant, Crab,Original and Inchworm.

WORLDS APART, 0800 389 8591Worlds Apart’s new Winnie the Poohrange includes the plush Winnie thePooh Talk To Me Friend, which interactswith children, allowing them to sharekey moments throughout the day and

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encouraging them to maintain principalroutines with Pooh. Also in the range isthe Winnie the Pooh Go Glow Light, theergonomically designed Go Glow ClockBedtime Trainer, Three Bin Storage set,Storytime Chair and My First ReadyBed.

Two new Go Glow Pals – Hello Kittyand Me To You – will be on display,joining the Alien Go GlowPal. The 2-in-1plush products can be played with, whilealso gently glowing during the night,giving children comfort and security.

Worlds Apart will also be presenting aCars 2 range including the Cars 2 GoGlow Light and Go Glow Clock BedtimeTrainer, the Cosy Chair, Flip Out Sofa andLightning McQueen Feature Tent.

Another highlight will be a range ofnursery toys for little girls, themed withthe Hello Kitty character. Designed toguide little ones through their first yearand encourage movement from sitting tocrawling and standing to toddling, therange features the Activity Play Gym,Sensory Pop Up Play Den and My FirstPop Up Combo.

The company will also be showing thenew Lego Go Glow Projector featuringLego’s Minifigures. The 3-in-1 productconsists of a rechargeable night light,torch and colour change projector withinterchangeable Minifigure.

MAPS TOYS, 01483 776 006Maps Toys will launch an array of newranges at the Toymaster show. Havingsigned recent distribution deals with USfirms Be Amazing and Marshmallow FunFactory, retailers can see the full UKoffering on the stand.

Be Amazing is dedicated to makingscience fun and the UK products willreflect this mission. A range of differentkits will be introduced, aimed atteaching children new things anddifferent skills. The initial Be Amazingcollection will feature Insta Sno andGreat Geysers plus new Lab in a Bag andBig Jar of Science kits.

The Classic Marshmallow Blaster andthe Bow and Mallow from theMarshmallow Fun Factory are toyshooters which fire fresh marshmallowsup to 40-feet.

In addition, Maps will be showcasingtwo new products for the first time atToymaster. Both products will belaunched as a result of a newcollaboration with American toycompany Aeromax Toys.

The Firepower Super Soaking FireHose with Backpack is a pump actionhose with two settings so wannabefirefighters can shoot water over 30-feet.

The Light Up Alien Invasion FlyingSaucer from Aeromax is a flying toy –just pull the cord and watch the lightsflash as the saucer soars through the air.

THE IN THING, 0845 365 3030With the Gelli Baff Summer Fun packbeing featured in this year’s Toymasterspring/summer catalogue, the newSmelli Gelli Baff comes in fourfragrances – Cola, Candy Floss, Popcornand Bubble Gum and new vibrant packdesigns. With a show offer price of £1.99and a £4.99 retail price, it gives a 52 percent margin. The four-foot, two ringpaddling pool with two packs of GelliBaff retails at £14.99.

The In Thing offers a good selection oftoys based around virtual worldsincluding Moshi Monster and ClubPenguin products. The firm also has ashow offer on both Webkinz and Lil Kinz.Retailing at £3.99, the 15cm Lil Kinzcollection can be ordered at the show atjust 99p per unit – offering a 70 percent+ margin as well as access to theWebkinz World.

The larger 20cm Webkinz have a retailprice of £5.99 and can be ordered at theshow at a discounted price of £2.50.Both are supported by The In Thing’slargest TV and marketing campaign ofthe year, which will run until at least July.The range can also be bought on SOR.

Finally, the Dracco Spin Tops have 12styles to collect, interchangeable partsgive a 50 per cent margin at the showoffer price of £9.95 for a 12cnt CDU.

DKL, 01604 678780DKL is the exclusive UK distributor of thebead manufacturer, Hama Beads, CorolleDolls, Wonderworld wooden toys andmic.o.mic construction toys. DKL is alsolaunching a new range of toys from theVelcro brand.

Hama offers a large range of bead kitsincluding generic and licensed offerings.New products for 2011 include DisneyCars and Winnie the Pooh box sets. Therange of kits also includes themes suchas Ballerina and Pirates, with newadditions to the activity boxes, includingHair Clips, and new gift boxes such asAirport and Pets.

mic.o.mic is a range of coloured absconstruction toys, created using a clipand pin system. Once made, the strong,durable models offer hours of play andthe boats can float on water. New forDKL, the range includes planes, trains,boats, cars, trucks and motorcycles.

There are a number of newWonderworld products set to launch in2011, including a range of children’sfurniture with animal designs along withadditions to the role-play products suchas the Sweeping Brush and Hoover. TheMini Vehicles range also features newitems, including the Mini Helicopter andRacing Car.

Corolle offers a range of dolls forbabies through to pre-teens and comewith an array of fashions andaccessories. For 2011, Corolle hasexpanded its collection with new dollsfor every age range, including new entryprice point dolls.

THE PUPPET COMPANY, 01462 446040The Puppet Company will be launchingover 30 new products including WilberryWood, a collection of wooden Castles intwo sizes, each of which include a set ofwooden play figures. The sets are flatpacked ready for self assembly.

Wilberry Wood Puppet Theatres comein two sizes, one for table top use andthe other floor standing. The CardboardPuppet Theatres are now also in stockand selling strongly.

Also new to the Wilberry Soft Toyrange is a collection of assorted animalsincluding cats, dogs and sheep.

This year the firm is launching anotherDragon to its collection in three colours.Available in red, green and black, thematerial is bright with scales that shine.Each puppet is about the length of yourarm with a moving mouth.

The Puppet Company is alsolaunching a range of Puppies and Kittenswhich are similar in size to the EuropeanWildlife collection. These are full-bodiedpuppets in realistic materials with aunique hand action.

Finally the firm hopes to have samplesof its new marionettes, which have beenin development for over a year. Based onthe Time for Story collection, thepuppets come in a presentation box,with easy to untangle strings.

SEAGER GAMES, 08707 440822In 18 months, Seager Games hasexpanded its range from one boardgame to six games. Don’t Get Mad is thecompany’s latest addition.

It involves two to six players stakingpoints from the cards in their hand onthe outcome of general knowledgequestions or on dice rolls. There are over1,000 questions from 70 wide rangingcategories where most questions offermultiple choices.

Players are also allowed whether tochoose whether to play, to pass (to anopponent) or to make challenges.Whatever the ‘in-player’ decides to do,they always decide on the stakes.

Fiendish Numbers and FiendishLetters were launched at Toy Fair 2010.Each pack features five games rangingfrom beginner level all the way throughto increasingly challenging levels.

Granbob’s Britain and Nature Gamesare to be launched this summer. Theyare matching images games, which eachfeature 48 watercolour pictures of thingsmost British and of animals, birds,flowers, fish and bugs.

GREAT GIZMOS, 01293 543221Great Gizmos’ stand at Toymaster willdisplay a selection of new craft andactivity kits, plus new nursery toys.

The 4M craft and science kits haveseveral collections to choose from, eachwith its own USPs. All aspects ofcreativity can be explored, whether itsarts and crafts, ecological and energysaving projects or scientific experiments.

In addition, Great Gizmos’ latest pre-school collection Tumblekins will be ondisplay in its entirety. New modelling kitswill also be unveiled for the Zoob range.

This year Great Gizmos has someToymaster catalogue lines and is offeringa number of show deals.

BRAINSTORM, 01200 445113This year, Brainstorm launched the neweducational toy brand Eureka, designedto inspire children to learn more abouttheir environment.

Featuring the 2-in-1 Globe – earth byday, space by night – the 22.8cmdaytime globe shows politicalboundaries and natural features, suchas lakes and rivers. A light-sensorautomatically turns on the LEDillumination whenever the roomdarkens, magically transforming it into acaptivating map of stars andconstellations.


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The Eureka Deep Space Planetariumand Projector has two domes and theplanetarium projects rotating star orconstellation patterns onto ceilings andwalls. Rotate 180° and use the projectorto view 24-colour NASA and HubbleTelescope photographs. And at bedtime,Deep Space transforms into a night light.

The Eureka RC Illuminated Moonscrolls through 12 illuminated lunarphases, operated by remote-control. Themoonscape shines moonlight like thereal moon.

Observe the eight rotating planets asthey orbit the full, light up sun of theEureka RC Illuminated Solar System.Operated by remote control, thedetailed, colour planets rotate on threedifferent speeds around the sun.

The Eureka Space Explorer RoomProjector, with 24-colour NASA andHubble Telescope photographs, projectsonto walls. Read information about themoon, planets and space in the enclosededucational booklet. The Eureka NatureProjector Torch has two domes to projectdifferent patterns onto bedroom walls ineither Sea Creatures or Wildlife domes.The Eureka Space Projector Torch has24-colour NASA and Hubble Telescopephotographs.

2011 sees Brainstorm adding morelicences to complement the existingrange of stickers and room decorations,including Toy Story 3 and SpongeBob,plus additions to Hello Kitty.

New to the Fact Finders range is MostDeadly. Featuring 40 of the most deadlyanimals in the world, such as the GreatWhite Shark and Saltwater Crocodile,the wheel gives facts about each animaland top tips on how to avoid them.

Dinosaur Picture Viewer is a newaddition to the Natural History Museumlicence. The pocket sized viewers includethree discs with 24 animal photographs.

INTERPLAY, 01628 488944A new collection of craft kits calledmyStyle, plus a brand extension for theWild Science for Girls range, will be thehighlight of Interplay’s stand.

myStyle is an assortment of creativekits inspired by the interests andhobbies of today’s pre-teen market. Thecollection includes the Deluxe CharmJewellery kit, which enables girls agedeight to 12 to create jewellery and gifts.

Expanding on the Wild Science forGirls collection are cosmetic science kits.The kits encourage girls to createproducts such as body lotions and mists,face masks and moisturisers, whilelearning about the secrets of thecosmetics industry.

Boy lines will also be on the standwith a variety of Wild Science for Boys,Technokits and My Living World sets.

PAUL LAMOND, 020 7254 0100Paul Lamond Games will be showingover 50 new games and puzzles.

Highlights include the Q.I BoardGame, Gruffalo’s Child and a new skilland action game, Meerkat Mayhem. MrMen Puzzles and Card Game, Diary of aWimpy Kid Board Game and Card Gameand Humpty’s Wall Game also feature.

The Scooby-Doo range has beenupdated to include new board and cardgames, while the Glow in the Darkpuzzles have been refreshed.

The Chimp and Zee pre-schooleducational range sees the addition oftwo new games in Dodge the Dino, andWho’s the Princess. Paul Lamond alsolaunches a new pre-school craft rangefeaturing Pretty Ponies, MakeoverFriends and On Safari.

The company will be showing theusual established top sellers such asYes/No Game, Charades for Kids, Don’tSay It, The Gruffalo games and puzzles,The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Who’s in theBag?, Perudo, Chairs and Hot Potato, toname a few.

In addition to the usual extendedcredit deal, Paul Lamond will be offeringa free pack of Yes/No Game for all orderswritten at the show over £500 in value.The firm will also offer a 15 per centdiscount on all orders for the entireChimp and Zee range or a ten per centdiscount for orders of the new lines inthis range.

ESDEVIUM GAMES, 01420 593500For independent customers of Esdevium,a variety of services are issued asstandard. These include next daydelivery throughout the UK; dedicatedpersonal account handler and field rep;weekly release sheets, solicitations andspecial offers; promotional items andPOS materials to support sales.

At this year’s Toymaster Show,Esdevium will be offering deals forindependent customers, including on itshot collectables: the bigger and betterPokémon Black & White Trading CardGame and the new erasers from Japan,Iwako. Other collectable brands includecards and plush for the Club Penguinseries and Moshi Monsters.

Esdevium also specialises in boardgames and can offer a full range ofpopular titles from the likes of Hasbro,Mattel and Drumond Park, as well asoffering more specialist games either inbulk or in single units. Additionally, it isthe exclusive distributor for manymanufacturers in the UK, includingRocket Games.

Esdevium has a demonstration team,available on request, to assist in-storewith sales, at no extra cost.

ZAPF CREATION, 0845 0533 333Zapf will be unveiling several newproducts and brand updates including arefresh on Baby Annabell. The updatewill include new life-like functions aswell as retaining core features, likelaughing, babbling and crying.

Baby Annabell Care For Me will jointhe range. The bath-able doll is madefrom a material that feels like a realbaby’s skin. Baby Annabell dolls aresuitable for children aged three andover. My first Baby Annabell Time-to-Sleep doll will continue into autumn.

This year Baby Born reaches its 20thanniversary and to celebrate ZapfCreation will unveil a special editionBirthday Party doll, which will beavailable later this year, dressed in apink party dress with party accessories.Baby Born Magic Feeding Doll, suitablefor ages three-plus, will be continuinginto autumn.

Interactive Baby Born Clapping Handsdoll will also arrive in the autumn, whileBaby Born Adventure Quad, with remotecontrol, joins the accessories range.

Also being showcased is thewaterproof My Little Baby Born Doll withJet-ski, which includes a doll sporting alife jacket and sun visor, alongside abattery operated jet-ski.

The Chou Chou dolls will have twonew additions to the range this autumn.Chou Chou Magic Pacifier doll, withinteractive electronic features and ChouChou Rock A Bye, which yawns and fallsasleep when rocked.

New to Zapf Creation’s portfolio willbe Dancing Danni which responds tomusic by dancing randomly. A new dollfor pre-schoolers will be introduced; thePatchy Dolly allows children to alter itsfacial expressions, using theinterchangeable mouth and eye pieces.

Also available is ballerina Jolina andthe Annabell Tween Bling dolls.

The Disney Princess range includes29cm soft bodied dolls with fourprincesses to collect – Belle, SnowWhite, Cinderella and Ariel. To coincidewith Tangled, a Rapunzel DisneyPrincess doll has joined the range as aspecial edition soft-bodied doll.

REVELL, 01442 890285Revell will be showcasing an array ofnew Model Kits, including a PremiumTitanic Set and London’s classicRoutemaster Bus.

On the Model Kit front, Revell willbring the iconic red London Bus to itsrange with a new model. The Titanicmodel is equally as striking, with thefamous ship now available in a specialanniversary edition kit to mark 100 yearssince the Titanic sank.

Along with the new model kits, Revellalso has additions to its RC range. Thelatest airborne range includes theCardinal and Aquila Pro remote controlhelicopters and Gilder and Air Hopperplanes. Boasting sleek designs andcutting edge technology, theseimpressive flying machines offer easy tooperate controls suitable for newcomersor experienced pilots.

Revell will also release itsSupermicros helicopters. TheSupermicros are some of the smallestremote-controlled helicopters on themarket, featuring the smallest threechannel Gyro technology. Designed forindoor use, they come in three designs:the Tiger, the Pirate and the Sparky. Eachof the models has electronic gyros to aideffortless flying without any experience.

HABA, 0161 304 9555Haba brings a wealth of new collectionsto Toymaster this year.

Role-play is a major focus and its ToyShop and accessories continue with newadditions. Play foods in all shapes andsizes range from boxes of fish fingers,bowls of cereals, to fruits andvegetables, cakes and bakes. New play-sets include the Grill Set Sizzle Expertwith everything from chicken drumsticksand shish kebabs, to a grill with charcoalpieces and tongs.

The wooden construction toy rangecontinues to grow. The combination ofwheels and clamps with wooden blocksin the shape of Technics tookconstruction play to a new level last yearand now there is an additional opticalelement too. Construction BlocksDiscovering Technics can be built intotowers with rotating discs or vehicleswith imaginative superstructures.

There is also a film drum to helpcreate and watch short animationcartoons.

Also, the range that scooped Haba anindependent Toy Shop UK Award lastyear – baby clutching and rattling toys –welcomes numerous new shapes andcharacters. For example, the ClutchingToy Otti is a caterpillar which comes inits own presentation box, plus some newwooden figures which have colourfulbeech wood parts threaded onto cord,including Dotty Beetle, Speedy Horseand Sheep in a Cloud.

Finally, there are lots of new soft toysfor younger children and Haba’s PureNature collection made from organicallyfarmed cotton. Three new clutchingfigures are being introduced – BobBurrow, Freddie Frog and Lisa Long-ears.There are also two new Pure NatureMusical companions, Benji Bunny andPudgie Puppy.

IMC, 01904 720908IMC is offering a Monster High collectionthat includes pieces such as the SoftSecret Diary, a special pillow with a lot ofuses. Girls can write and save secrets onfabric pages, with washable pens andalso save their things inside, whilelistening to the song from the show.

Also on offer is the Hair Studio, whichallows girls to create braids andhairstyles. The set includes accessoriesand coloured streaks to create the samelooks as the Monster High characters.The Pyjama Party Set includes lots ofaccessories and games, such as a torch,a roulette and more.

IMC Toys has a wide range of productsbased on Mickey Mouse Club House. TheWorkbench allows children to build lotsof different vehicles and some originalfigures from the show.

Minnie is the new Mickey Mouse ClubHouse licence extension for girls. Amongthe exclusive lines, under the category ofrole-play, is the Minnie Kitchen, withoven, fridge, blender and ceramic hob,taps and shelves. Overall, the kitchenhas 17 accessories and three modes:cooking, dining and washing.

Cars 2 will have a licensed range fromIMC Toys including a steering wheel fromLightning McQueen with movementsensor features. If you want to drive fast,pull the steering wheel down, to brake,pull up. Turn the wheel right and left tohear real car sounds. It also includeslights, a horn and more.

Fufris are plush animals that laughand pass wind when their hands aresqueezed. There is a Monkey, a Rabbitand a Pig to choose from.

IMC’s I-motion R/C cars feature newtechnology that makes you feel asthough you are driving a real car.

They turn when you rotate thesteering wheel, along with othermanoeuvres. There are two models tochoose from - red or blue.

Finally, the Pipi Max dog walks, barks,drinks water and cocks its leg to wee. Italso includes a bowl for drinking water.

GROSSMAN, 0141 613 2525The Tardis will be landing at theToymaster show as Grossmanshowcases its Doctor Who portfolio.

The Doctor Who pocket money rangeincludes water wrigglers, high bounceballs, fizz pods, among other items. Theoutdoor range includes sleeping bags,chairs and the hero product, the uniqueTardis with a twist. Other hero productswill be the large Daleks and Cybermen.

There is also a strong emphasis on theexisting licences, which include HelloKitty, Star Wars, Ben 10 Ultimate Alien,Spongebob Squarepants, Dora theExplorer, ZhuZhu Pets and My little Ponyto name a few.

The patented Ozbozz range has beenrevamped to include new My FirstScooters, Cosmic Light Scooters andLightning Strike Scooters.

Grossman’s ad campaign started inApril and is running through the earlysummer featuring Alien Cosmolights,Cosmic Light Scooter, My First Scooter,Dino Magic and Mermaid Magic, acrossthe Cartoon Network, Disney, CiTV, NickJunior, Nick Ireland and Cartoonito.

The Raskullz collection of cyclehelmets for kids has created quite amedia stir, and features styles suitablefor both boys and girls. The rangeincludes Shark, Bug, Mohican, Unicorn,Cat and Rabbit.

Finally, the new Scorpion collection ofoutdoor products will also be on display.The line extends the age range to targetan older age group.

AGENTA MARKETING, 01536 401128Agenta Marketing, through its divisionEarlybird Toys, will be presenting its newrange of Colour Your Own Puzzles,alongside autumn/winter products fromDanish plastic toys company Dantoy.

Colour Your Own Puzzles are made inthe UK at a very competitive cost.

MD Steve Vargerson comments:“These are fantastic and uniqueproducts which we have designedourselves and are having manufacturedby a local company in Leicester. Even thecrayons included in the sets are British-made. We are tremendously excitedabout them, and expect the puzzles tobe extremely popular.”

To ensure there is a price to suit everypocket, the range has been produced intwo sizes – a large set with six puzzlesand a smaller set with three puzzles.Both sets come with a user guide and 12Chublet crayons.

Each set is themed and the rangecomprises at present Pets, FarmAnimals, Safari Animals and Mini-Beasts.All Dantoy products are still moulded inDenmark and are durable.

There are comprehensive ranges ofrole-play products, vehicles, sit andrides, outdoor games, sand and waterplay and sledges. Offers are available toall visitors at the show.

SCHLEICH, 01279 870000Schleich is launching a boys’ and girls’attack that will see the introduction ofnew Historical Heroes, more heroes forthe fantasy Tribe of Arelan and a Bayalawedding theme for the magical World ofElves. In union with these launches,retailers can obtain more informationabout the new ‘Who’s your Hero?’ ShopWindow Decoration Campaign, whichwill take place later on in the year.

There are also many additions toSchleich’s other play worlds, includingnew figures and play-sets in the Wild Lifeand Farm Life collections and a newretailer opportunity with theintroduction of six Scenery Packs.

In addition, to coincide with thesummer movie release of The Smurfs in3D, there will be new figures depictingthe six main characters of the film.Housed in a presentation box, the six-piece collectors’ set will be a must-havefor Smurf fans.

WIND DESIGNS, 0844 257 1180Wind Designs specialises in sourcing,marketing and distributing activeproducts and has 1,000+ SKUs, includinglicensed properties such as Toy Story,Cars and Ben 10.

Established for over 12 years andproviding service via a dedicatedcustomer service team based inCambridgeshire, the firm supplies a widecustomer base including leadingindependent stores, department stores,online retailers and buying groupsthroughout the UK & Ireland.

The range includes flying, throwingand pocket money toys, water pistols,yo-yos, juggling equipment, unicycles,kites and more.

Wind Designs has exclusivedistribution rights for many activeproducts such as Zing Air, Oz West, AirHunterz, Djubi and Eolo Sport. The firm isalso an authorised distributor for Hasbro.

Zing Air now has new additionsincluding the Super Zomp Rocket,Double Shotz and Benda Blaster(shortlisted top five Gadget Show topnew toys).

The Zing ZX Crossfire – a high-techlauncher, which fires soft foam ZartzRocketz and the stick anywhere foamZartz Dartz up to 55ft in the air will beavailable to try out.

Also on display will be the Oz Westimpulse products including the Pop Ballzand Pop Shotz. The new Nerf 2011 SuperSoaker range is in stock and will also beon hand.

WOW TOYS, 020 7471 0980With over 60 products now in its range,Wow is this year launching 11 new toysover three seasons.

The firm will have a new range ofproducts on display at the show andfeaturing in the Toymaster catalogue,which are all linked with promotionsdesigned to support theindependents. These are coupled withpoint of sale material and shop fitopportunities.

The core range covers specific pricepoints targeting impulse, gifting,birthdays and Christmas. The toys are allpart of ranges such as Construction,Fantasy, Emergency, Racing, Holiday andAdventure, Safari, Farm and others.

COILEDSPRING GAMES, 0870 4461515The With jigsaw range brings somethingnew to the puzzle market and will solvethe problem of finding a birthday giftthat’s both fun and educational.

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There are four different lines in therange – Playmobil, John Deere, Me & Sueand Revell Aircraft. Each line has fourdifferent designs containing a varyingnumber of pieces, from 40 to 280,making them suitable for all age ranges.Each jigsaw in the line comes with adifferent toy encouraging children tocollect each one across the range.

Coiledspring Games has joined forceswith the second largest jigsaw supplierin Germany, Schmidt Spiele to bring theunique puzzle to the UK games andpuzzle market. The firm will also offerthe full Schmidt range of jigsaws,including Anne Geddes, Renato Casaroand Joh Naito.

In addition, visitors to the Toymastershow can experience Rory’s Story Cubes,a pocket-sized creative storytelling gameand Forbidden Island – an adventuregame with teamwork at its heart.

UKIC, 0161 828 5070UK Import Corporation was establishedin 1997 as part of the Dickens Group ofcompanies, sourcing and importingplush under its own Cuddles Time Brand.

The firm has worked with a range ofretailers including Littlewoods, Boots,Morrisons and JD Williams.

UKIC is launching new ranges across anumber of categories including outdoortoys, pre-school toys, creative play, role-play, wheeled toys and nursery toys.

TY UK, 01329 829828Following the release of the Ty BeanieBoo range in 2009, Ty is introducing tennew families to the range – all with thewell-known large eyes. Each family isavailable in the three different sizes ofBuddies, Beanies and Keyclips. The newranges include designs such as Rainbowthe Unicorn, Spike the Hedgehog, Zig-Zag the Zebra, Nibbles the Guinea Pigand Nacho the Chihuahua among others.The Beanie Boos are approximately six-inches in size and hit key price points.

Ty has also seen additions to itsportfolio of licensed properties, whichincludes Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty, Ben 10,Teletubbies, Spongebob, Peanuts andAlvin and the Chipmunks. Hello Kittysees new designs being introduced andfor 2011, there is a new larger 15-inchsize, available in three different designs,

as well as Cupcake, Ballerina, Beanieand Pluffie styles.

In addition, Ty will introduce IWAKOBeanie Eraserz. The Japanese puzzleerasers come in 14 designs with morelaunching in the second half of the year.Another new edition is Ty Beanie Ballz,round plush animals which will alwaysland on their feet.

CASDON, 01253 766411Casdon will be showing its newpackaging designs. The firm believesthis investment will help drive retailsales and enable its products to standout on shelf. Casdon is introducing subbrands such as Little Helper, LittleShopper and Little Driver, giving therange a more parent and child friendlyappearance.

The packaging includes informationon the benefits of the products inrespect to their educational properties,visual stimulation, hand-to-eye co-ordination, problem solving andimproving motor skills.

The firm is hoping to encourage newand existing customers to take more ofthe range. Top selling lines include theDyson Replica Vacuums, Henry andHetty Replica Vacuums, Henry and HettyCleaning Trolleys, Hotpoint replicaWashers and Cookers and Pick n MixSweet Shop and Post office Sets.

The most notable new line is analternative Dyson Toy Vacuum, theDyson Ball. This version has suction fromthe foot of the vacuum, while it alsotwists and turns like the real thing.

Another addition is the Electronic Self-Service Checkout till. The productfeatures a light sensor and scanningsound. It also uses various voicecommands and lights. Also included is asimulated credit card and chip &pin/cash payment device and it issupplied with various accessories; apaper receipt roll, play notes and coinsand play food tins and cartons.

GIBSONS GAMES, 020 8661 8866Gibsons is presenting two newChristmas lines, from the Toymastercatalogue; Pass the Pud and theChristmas Limited Edition puzzle.

Gibsons has developed family game,Pass the Pud, a beat-the-burp teamgame for four or more players. With ajingling Christmas pudding, playersnerves are tested as they answerquestions from five categories, passingthe pud back and forth to avoid theburp. Players must think on their feet byanswering quick fire questions and avoidgetting caught with the pudding, collectthe most sixpences and see theopposition get stuffed.

Gibsons’ Limited Edition Christmaspuzzle makes the ideal collectable item.Each year, artist Marcello Corti creates aChristmas scene and the puzzles comewith a serial numbered certificate. Aswith all Gibsons puzzles, the pieces aremade from high quality, thick board.2011 marks the 11th in the series andCorti has created a village scene alivewith festive activity.

Gibsons is also UK distributor forPiatnik Playing Cards. With over 250puzzle images in the range, otherhighlights for 2011 include the Hornbyand Airfix puzzles, as well as theNational Trust Treasures Within puzzledetailing the interior of a stately homeincluding above and below stairs.

PEERS HARDY, 0121 524 1439Peers Hardy has an array of newproducts to showcase. Members will be able to take full advantage of showoffers.

The Maze Racer is an electronic ballbearing game where you can raceagainst others to finish the puzzle.

Chatimals are a range of plushanimals that will repeat back whatyou’ve said in either a high or low-pitched voice at random. Hamsters andMeerkats are available now, with brandnew characters available from Julyincluding a Parrot and Bear.

The Blobimals are new for 2011 andare available in three colours. Create themaddest, craziest monsters you canimagine by stretching the putty andadding the accessories.

The London Zoo Range has beendesigned around the most popularanimals at the zoo and includes Animalsin a Box, which has a soft toy, poster anda free ticket to the zoo and Animal CoinBanks, which act as a moneybox, as wellas featuring movement and sound.

The National Trust range includesvarious Educational Kits. There are manykits in the range including Bug Hunting,Natural Paints and a Flower Pressing Kit.

The Time Trial is a lap-timing gate,compatible with most RC Cars. The setincludes cones and tyres so you can setup a course then race against others.The Time Trial will record your timesdown to the last split second.

The Time Trial Plus will be availablelater in the year and will include an RCCar. Peers Hardy also offers an array ofDesktop Games including DesktopFootball, Pool, Hockey and Table Tennis.

SPEARMARK, 01480 213633Spearmark will be focusing on the Tech 4Kids range of products that uses brandssuch as Beyblade, Toy Story, Bakuganand Ben 10, on a line of novelty lightingproducts for kids. Spearmark distributesTech4Kids products from the Spot Liteand Lite Force ranges, which includeLullaLights, MicroLights and ProjectionLights, as well as the MorphLite – atransforming flashlight that comes witha carabiner clip, ideal for hooking on tobags – and the Grab n Glow, which is a 2-in-1 motion activatednightlight/flashlight. Spearmark will alsobe presenting two of its own lightingproducts in the shape of glitter lampsand LED desk lights.

A wide range of back to schoollunchbags and drinkware will also bepart of the Spearmark line-up, whichfeatures brands from across its portfolioof licences, including Disney Princess,Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Ben 10,Cars 2 and Peppa Pig.

“We are very much looking forward toattending Toymaster 2011 and meetingup with both existing and potentialpartners,” says Martin Withers,commercial director at SpearmarkInternational.

GREEN BOARD GAMES, 01494 538999The official countdown clock has startedat Trafalgar Square for the start of theOlympics and Toymaster members willbe the first to see the finished version ofGreen Board Games’ BrainBox OlympianSports game. Each card represents apast summer or winter OlympicGames. The sportsmen and women whostarred at each Games are featured aswell as facts about equipment used onand off the track.

Other new BrainBox titles showing forthe first time will be BrainBox WorldHistory, an additional 20 cards for theBrainBox World and the new TravelBrainBox.

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As with all BrainBox games, playersget ten seconds to look at a card andthen roll a die to answer a question onthe back of the card.

The Toymaster show will also debutnew games from Mindware, includingthe logic game Chase the Cheese as wellas new additions to the snap rangeincluding Sound Snap and Where in theWorld Snap.

WEST DESIGN PRODUCTS,01303 297888West Design Products is increasing itsrange of art and craft products forchildren, through the acquisition of a UK-based manufacturing company last year.The firm can now offer craft and activitypacks such as a Princess and a Pirate Kit,reward charts and height charts.

The Creativity for Kids brand has kitsavailable in newsagents, departmentstores and independent chains.

West Design Products will be showingall of the above ranges. Brand newproducts on the stand will include 16new Creativity for Kids kits, includingCreativity for Kids Bitty Blossom BobbleDolls for age six and over. With paint,markers and a few Asian styleembellishments, kids can create a trio ofbobble dolls. Add personality to yourdolls with dimensional accessoriesincluding: paper flowers, bows, a fan,pompoms and an umbrella.

The Creativity for Kids Finger PuppetTheatre is for age four plus. Embellishsix puppets with adhesive back felt,wiggly eyes and accessories. Thetabletop cardboard puppet stage issturdy and easy to assemble andfeatures stickers to decorate it.

The firm will have a number of offersavailable over the course of the show.

ASOBI, 01628 200077Asobi will be showcasing its evergrowing range of toys and gifts at theToymaster show this year, includingiconic retro metal pedal cars from Frenchdesigners, Baghera.

Alongside this, the firm will beshowcasing Boikido wooden toys,Calafant recycled cardboard kitsincluding the award winning Calafantrobot and Crafty Kids puppet kits.

DACTA, 01978 667777Tolo Toys has launched the First FriendsDinosaur range, allowing children to builda dinosaur world. The introduction of thenew Dinosaur World, with First FriendsCave Boy and Cave Girl, Mountains, Treesand Flowers, is completed with sixcolourful Dinosaurs including all thefavourites of Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus,Tyrannosaurus Rex, Pterodactyl andTriceratops.

The Tolo Toys collection featuresplastic and plush and includes anassortment of rattles, teethers andactivity toys, developmental toysincluding musical instruments, bath toysand First Friends collectable charactersand vehicles for children up to five years.

Tolo is also introducing a new range oflightweight and easy to manage gardentools. The tools come with all thepracticality and durability of high qualityadult gardening tools.

Switchbotz are robotic styledcharacters, which transform intodifferent designs, for eight to 12 yearolds. Each set has a main character withdesign instructions on how to build itand then switch it into two differentcharacters. The toys are created by thefounders of Wegits building blocks.

ImagAbility has partnered withEducational distributor Dacta, part of theRM Group, for educational programmedevelopment and educationaldistribution throughout Europe.

Dacta was founded in 2004 as aspecialist education distributor for Legoeducation products across Europe. Thefirm also holds the worldwidedistribution rights for Tolo Educationproducts and has created a range ofeducational materials that enable theseproducts to be used to support teachingand learning in schools.

MOOKIE, 01525 722722Mookie has a range of nursery productsincluding the Ben Bat range of TravelFriends; seat belt pals and necksupports, Go Vinci Trolley and Backpack;Quicksmart; High chair, Buggy, ChangingMatt, Port-a-cot, Scuttlebug andScramblebugs, YBike including the newExtreme version & Pewi; and from theSmart Trike range, the Recliner and theAll In One.

In the pre-school category, Mookie’sPeppa Pig wheeled range continues togrow with refreshed playballs and ride-on. Other sit ‘n’ ride products include theFisher Price pre-school ride-ons and thenew Racing ride-on from Ecoiffier.

Urban X is a range of children’s bikes,carts and cars, which will be in themarket for s/s 2011, as well as a newscooter range.

Street Cruz scooters are available innew Mini starter scooter and the newRetro for beginners. Lightning has lights,Classic is a folding scooter and Extremeis a pro scooter suitable for eight years-old and over. Mookie is also introducingthe Thunderbolt, a new low deck scooter.

The new Mookie R/C range can beused indoors and outdoors. All Titancopters come with gyroscope controland are available in three sizes: TitanNano, Titan Mid and Titan Grand.

The Modular Construction Toys rangetakes a new approach to constructiontoys and play, allowing 3D modularconstruction of race tracks, highwaysand districts. All Modular kits arecompatible and include constructionpieces, metal cars, connectors,decorative stickers and accessories.

The Modular Construction Toys lineallows building parts to be stackedvertically without limit. The toys aresuitable for age five and over. Multiplevariations are in development and alarge range will be available in thesecond half of the year.

The all in one Createaway Easel foldsup making it easy to assemble and store.Createaway’s Travel Pod fits on a child’slap enabling them to draw and storeaccessories inside while on the move.

Tailball is designed as a progressionto shuttlecock play. Each item featuresthe Tailball streamer, which slows andstabilises flight. Tailball is available intwo sizes; light and extreme. New to therange is Pro Tailball with a three-metrewide net and larger base for stability.The game is for up to four players andcontains a heavier ball for faster actionand ease of play.

Swingball is also introducing the newPro Swingball, which is stronger andharder to play, ideal for adult games. Theset has a larger base for stability, thickertubing and is now 1.75m high to give aharder to hit higher swing and a largercoil head for a longer game.

For 2011 Mookie will also launch newSwingball and Tailball websites.

TOP BANANA TOYS,01371 873141Everyone will get the chance to play withPlayMais at this year’s show – thecompany is running a challenge at theTuesday party night.

On each table will be boxes ofPlayMais, all you have to do is createyour own model, drop it off at the TopBanana stand the next day and the bestmodel will win a case of 12 bottles ofchampagne.

This year PlayMais launches new linesand revamped packaging and branding.The craft toy uses 100 per cent naturalingredients. Sweetcorn and plant dyesare moulded into colourful buildingmaterial, which, using a dab of water,stick to each other. Children can create arange of models and sculptures eitherfreestyle or using one of the manythemed packs available. The rangeincludes the One Packs which create aprincess, a lion, giraffe, cow or fish.

PlayMais is available in a variety ofsizes and themes. Generic boxes come insizes small, medium and large and thereare also Basics buckets containing 500and 1,000 pieces. The larger World-themed packs include Farm, Jungle,Deco, Safari, Princess and Sea.

Each of the themed sets containinstructions and templates to create thetheme on the box. Also new is theColourline collection, which allowsparents to buy the PlayMais blocks inone colour – choose from pink, orange,green, blue, red or yellow.

TCE DESIGN, 01904 489 057TCE Design will be showing more newHello Kitty toys for 2011. Designed andmanufactured by Toho Toys of Japan, theline includes the Hello Kitty Camper Van,the Hello Kitty talkback plush and theHello Kitty Princess House, which is areplica of the original Hello Kitty housefrom 1976.

ARK DIY, +353 (0)91 521857Red Toolbox is a new concept, offeringsets of carpentry tools complemented bya selection of original and real woodencarpentry kits. The tools are speciallydesigned to suit a child’s grip.

The philosophy behind the companyis based on creating opportunities forparents and kids to work together andthe step-by-step level system is ideal forhelping kids develop and gain skills asthey go. Each level increases in difficultywhile improving hand-eye coordinationand motor skills.


The carpentry kits enable children tomake play items such as a Soccer Table,Billiard Table, Go Cart and other usefulitems such as a Birdhouse, CD rack,Deco-shelf etc. Kits are availableindividually or as part of a combo setwhich includes the tools required for thejob. The tools are also sold in sets soyour child can build a collection of toolsand kits. Red Toolbox also offers anadjustable workbench with convenientstorage space for tools and a tool belt touse while working.

Red Toolbox is launching the RedToolbox Junior Range for the five andover age group this summer. In thisrange, children will be able to makeitems such as a wooden truck, racingcar, mini safe and a candy maze.

BROOKITE, 01837 53315The new Once Upon a Time kites havebeen favourably received and theWindthings range has gone fromstrength to strength with theintroduction of the Union Jack Hot AirBalloon and Windsock. Also added to therange are the Clown Fish and Starfishwindsocks.

The two new Play Parachutesareavailable in two sizes: 2.4-metre and3.5-metre. Made in nylon with brightrainbow panels, they both featurereinforced grip straps.

Venom Skateboards continue to sellwell. With three retail price points all theskateboards have ABEC 9 bearings andChinese or Canadian maple decks. Therange has also now been complementedby Sport and Power kites featuring askull design and echoing colours used inthe skateboards. As a special offer, anycustomer ordering four skateboardsduring the show will receive four fingerboards free of charge.

Brookite are also stocking a range ofNerf products, new Aerobies and someextra items in the Funtrix range.

UNIVERSITY GAMES, 01359 243900University Games will place a focus onits key family games, Smart Ass, 5Second Rule and Pointless. Smart Assand 5 Second Rule will again besupported by TV advertising in autumn.

New board game, Pointless, is basedon the BBC TV quiz show hosted byAlexander Armstrong. 5 Second Rule,was awarded Best New Game for 2011 atToy Fair. The game requires players tothink on their feet and launches in July.

Smart Ass is the family game thatallows you to yell out the answer evenwhen it’s not your turn.

In the pre-school sector, the launchof the activity-based game, GruffaloMagnetic Adventures sits perfectly withthe other Gruffalo lines – The GruffaloFelt Play Board and The Gruffalo WordRhyming Game. The felt board and themagnetic activities both encouragecreative play with the characters fromthe classic book.

The brand-new Very HungryCaterpillar Match and Munch game willalso be on show. University Games willbe offering incentives to show visitorswho place volume orders on the TravelTin games, the Glow range and Puzzles.

CHEATWELL GAMES, 02392 524098New lines include Plop Trumps, selectedby The Daily Telegraph as one of its TopTen Toys For 2011 at Toy Fair.

Also presented will be new editions tothe Build-Your-Own 3D Puzzles, detailedand true to life representations offamous worldwide landmarks. Coming inApril are Westminster Abbey andBuckingham Palace.

For something more cutting edge,watch out for App-Player, the boardgame that harnesses the power of asmart phone. Finally there is the PigPopper, a fun-filled popping-porker.

ARTSTRAWS, 01792 796151Artstraws says it can offer over £1,000 ofproduct at retail, displayed on little morethan a quarter of a square metre of floorspace, giving its customers a 50 per centprofit on return. At the Toymaster Showthe firm will be able to increasecustomers’ initial margin to 56 per cent.

Supplied by Artstraws, the CreationStation range is an art and crafts productfor kids.

There are also introductory dealsavailable from Artstraws on the new Play& Discover range.

BLUW, 020 7627 1268EggBods launched the first eightcharacters in March. These include thepirate Captain Hard Boiled, EggalinaBallerina and Tinkershell the fairy.

Easter was a key period as Bluwpartnered with The Sun to run a specialpromotion where every reader could geta free EggBod with a redeemablecoupon at any Toymaster store in the UK.

There will be three major ranges oflicensed EggBods in the summer, as wellas a second wave of eight characters forthe autumn/winter period.

The AirHedz range, made up of eightoutfits that include a giant piece ofinflatable headgear and an accessory,also have major licensed products set tobe released in the summer.

KITFIX SWALLOW GROUP,01760 721390Additions to the Sequin Art range will beon UK display for the first time at theshow. New products include two sets ofPop Art with three pictures in each setand My Name Sequin Art.

Stardust Sequin Art is also a newrange with four designs. It combines theStardust range with the Sequin Artproducts. Last year KSG launched adecorate-your-own Russian nesting dollkit called Baboushka. For 2011, two newMatryoshka nesting doll kits, a penguinand a parrot, have been added to therange. More products being launchedinclude Jazzy Jewellery, Scented Soapand Cool Candles kits.

PAPO, 01564 784969Knights, Tales & Legends, Fantasy,Pirates & Corsairs, Historical Characters,Wild & Farm Animals, Horses, Sea Lifeand Prehistoric ranges are available from

Papo. The firm regularly increases itsranges, releasing more than 80 newitems this year. All the themes willbenefit from new figurines along withnew environments like the Pirates shipto offer a complete play concept.

BIGJIGS, 01303 250400Bigjigs Toys will have six new collectionsat Toymaster. The Road range launcheswith 19 lines including three roadwaysets. The special Link items also allowBigjigs Road to be linked with the BigjigsRail to create a whole new world.

Bigjigs has the exclusive UK andIreland distribution rights for Twigz, arange of colourful gardening equipmentdesigned in Australia.

Two new ranges – Ambi Toys and GowiToys – mark a move into plastic toys.

The new Bigjigs Dolls, at 280mm high,are the softer side to the Bigjigs line.

PLAYMOBIL, 01268 548111Playmobil will be focusing on its outdoorcollection, as well as five hero ranges.

Included in the offering is a series ofultra-light, aerodynamic gliders.Complete with pilot at the helm, thevehicles are light and strong and eachone comes with a pilot badge. There’salso a beach racer, which will skimacross the sand.

The new racing pick-up comes with aquad on the back and is compatible withPlaymobil R/C modules.

Another addition to Playmobil’sranges is the Skip Lorry. The toy hasmany features, including a full tippingaction for loading and unloading the twoskips. Playmobil will also be showcasingits new 2011 hero range of toys at theshow, with the introduction of newranges, including the Zoo, Knights rangeand a new addition, Secret Agents.

HALILIT, 01254 872454 Halilit is adding to its Children’s MusicalInstrument range with a new Baby Drum,a Puppy Slide Flute and new rattles inpastel colours for very young babies.

There are four new sets in theInterstar range, including Animals, aWheels Set for building extremevehicles, a Bricks set, which includes asmiling character and a Geometric setfor building with basic shapes. AllInterstar products are compatible andthe new products will link with theInterstar Rings.

The new Water Whirly, Cup O’ Fun andActivity Fun Tubs are being added to thecurrent Halilit Water Play Range.

There are 14 additions to the TAFDevelopmental Toy range including aBaby MP3 Cot Mobile and 12 items in thenew Kooky range. The Kooky linefeatures everything from rattles to a newvibrantly coloured, thickly padded KookyGym, designed especially for newborns.

The Brik-A-Blok construction systemis a new concept, which is designed toenable children from five years old tobuild giant tunnels, forts andplayhouses. Brik-A-Blok is for indoor oroutdoor use and each of the two sets (26and 46-piece) packs down into a smallzip bag for easy storage.

38 SPECIAL

MAY 2011

MAY 2011

“WITHOUT INNOVATION, toycompanies stagnate and decline,”Neil Bandtock, Vivid Imaginations’MD, simply states.

“Having a powerful R&D machinedriving new product development isvital for growth.”

This is certainly something theteam at Vivid knows a lot about. Inthe past 18 months, the company hasmore than doubled its investment inin-house product development.

“In the same space of time, Vividhas made successful in-roads intoother territories, with over 33 percent of sales now coming from non-UK markets.

“[The new model] reduces risk inour business and allows us muchmore control over our long-termdestiny,” Bandtock explains.

“With a more stable businessmodel we can continue to increaseinvestments in new productdevelopment, plus advertising andpromotion of our brands.”

A prime example of this is Vivid’sAnimagic, a brand which started outthree years ago as just oneanimatronic pony and is now a full

productrange,withretail price points ranging from £6.99 for

the Newborn Pets up to £79.99 forBenji My Best Friend Puppy.

Animagic is proving a major hit atretail, doubling its

market share in 2010.“Our biggest sellingitem for the pastthree years has beenFluffy Go Walkies,which is joined by

cute kitten CassieGoes Catwalk thisyear,” Bandtockcontinues. “We willhave five differentAnimagic productlines on televisionthis year, whichshows just how fast

we have grown and just how big ourinvestment is on Animagic.”

On top of this, investment is alsobeing poured into Moshi Monstersand Furrblings, plus Little CharleyBear from Chapman, Everything’sRosie from V&S Entertainment andDisney-Pixar’s Cars 2.

Indeed, Moshi is currently the bestselling girls toy in the UK, with Vividexpecting the brand to be growneven more from May onwards, whenstock is less scarce.

“Around 45 per cent of our range islicensed and this segment is growingstrongly,” admits Bandtock.

Outside of the UK, meanwhile,Vivid also operates subsidiaries inFrance and Germany, with a strategyto set up more bases in other key

markets in the long-term. “We setthem up to maximise sales in thesebig markets and so far we’re enjoyingspectacular success in difficult retailconditions. Retailers in these marketsappreciate the innovation and brandinvestment we bring. Our goal is tobecome a top ten player in Franceand Germany at some stage in thenear future, but we will be prudentand patient and understand that wehave to earn the respect of the localretailers and the hearts and minds oflocal consumers.”

Meanwhile, Vivid is also notchingup success in North America withAnimagic, Moshi Monsters, Roary theRacing Car and Timmy Time.

“The toy industry is probably inbetter shape than many otherconsumer goods industries as we tendto be relatively recession proof,”Bandtock explains.

“However, there is no doubt thatin virtually all developed Westerneconomies, there is the spectre ofdouble-dip recession still hangingover us all and that undoubtedlymeans consumers are very carefulwith discretionary spending and arevery value conscious.”

Despite the note of caution, Vividis quietly confident about its aims for2011: “Double digit growth in theUK, France and Germany, andtripling our business in NorthAmerica, which looks very likely oncurrent performance.”

Property developmentThere’s an infectious, positive vibe coming from Vivid Imaginations at the moment. Its Moshi Monsters line isgenerating positive headlines for the industry, expansion overseas is continuing apace and it has ambitious plans toboost in-house product development even further. Samantha Loveday finds out more…

www.toynews-online.biz 41SUPPLIER FOCUS VIVID

Our goal is to become a top ten playerin France and Germany at some stage in

the near future, but we will be prudent andpatient and earn the respect of the localretailers and the hearts and minds oflocal consumers.

Moshi Monstersis performing

strongly for Vividin the UK and US

BANDTOCK: Quietlyconfident about 2011

FOR THE full year 2010, pre-schoolwas the largest category within thetoy market, making over £366 millionin sales and growing by four per cent(source: NPD Consumer Panel). With22 per cent of all toys purchased forages two to three years – the largestage group and growing – pre-schooltoys remains an important offeringwithin the toys category.

The largest area within pre-schooltoys is vehicles, accounting for 21 percent of value sales (source: NPD EPoSPanel) where Thomas & Friendsremains the top property andaccounts for a quarter of all sales.

There has been some growth fromFireman Sam, with the vehicles andaccessories the top selling items acrosspre-school toys for 2010.

Chuggington is also adding to salesand is the third largest property. Thesecond largest category is figures andplay-sets, with Playmobil remainingthe top property and continuing to

grow. Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdomand Handy Manny have both alsogrown in the sector.

Pre-school electronic learning hasalso experienced strong growth withsales up 17 per cent on 2009. Thishas been driven by a number of newinnovations, with both LeapFrog andVTech launching new products in thesecond half of 2010.

The Explorer has helped driveoverall Leapster property sales into 74per cent growth, while the TagReading System continues to grow.

VTech’s new launches – Storio andMobigo – both performed stronglywith the Storio Reading System theninth best selling item within pre-school toys for 2010.

Licences remain important to thecategory and account for 30 per centof all pre-school toys sales. However,competition is fierce. The top two areThomas & Friends and Peppa Pig, bothof which have very strong establishedfan bases. Toy Story has also had animpact, especially within the ‘all otherpre-school toys’ area where Mr PotatoHead and Slinky Dog sit.

While the sector remains highlycompetitive and reliant on successfulTV shows, there is a wide variety ofproducts which both entertain andeducate pre-schoolers, making this acrucial area of the toy market.

The largest sector of the toy market last year, pre-school notched up £366 million in sales in 2010, driven bysome strong licences and innovative new products. Over the next few pages, we take a look at what some ofthe key firms have coming up, as well as offering the latest NPD data...

www.toynews-online.biz 45SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

MAY 2011

Tot idols

The largest areawithin pre-school

toys is vehicles, whereThomas & Friendsremains the topproperty.

(source: NPD)

PRE-SCHOOL TOYSVALUE % YTD 2010 Vs YTD 2011

2010 2011TOTAL PRESCHOOL 100.0% 100.0%VEHICLES 20.7% 21.3%FIGURES & PLAY-SETS 21.8% 18.8%KITCHEN & FOOD 11.3% 11.9%ELECTRONIC LEARNING 10.4% 11.0%ALL OTHER PRE-SCHOOL TOYS 8.9% 10.5%ALL OTHER ROLE PLAY 10.5% 10.1%MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 3.5% 4.6%BATH TOYS 4.7% 4.2%LEARNING TOYS 4.6% 3.9%TALKING & SOUND 2.4% 2.2%PUSH & PULL 1.3% 1.4%

The UK’s number one infant and pre-school manufacturer, Fisher-Price will belaunching fresh new product driven bymulti-faceted brand campaigns this year.Incorporating high profile mumcommunication, press partnerships andprint, sponsorship and PR, allcommunication will continue to evolvefrom Fisher-Price’s milestone campaign.

Wendy Hill, senior marketingmanager, Fisher-Price, comments:“Exciting initiatives throughout the yearwill help to convey Fisher-Price’s breadthof expertise in product development andhow mum can help her baby to growthrough the joy of play.”

The programme will lead the way intoautumn 2011 with an array of freshproducts joining established collections,as well as hotly tipped new licences.

Laugh & Learn is a major focus forautumn with new items bringing learningwith giggles to playtime. Joining thepopular Puppy, Tea Set and CookieSorter, the new Alphabet Train introducesletters with fun phrases and songs.

New to the infant line-up, TopzyTumblers team-up tumbling action andmusical incentives with action packedfun. Key play set in the collection, theTwirlin’ Whirlin’ Fun Park comes withtunes, a ferris wheel and magicalstaircase. Topsy Tumblers receivesignificant marketing support at launchincluding PR and TV from midSeptember onwards.

Designed specially to keep growingtots on the move, the Poppity Pop Dinojoins the popular Go, Baby, Gocollection. As baby drops one of the sixbrightly coloured balls onto thedinosaur friend, the popping action andmusical rewards encourage infants toreach, grab and crawl.

New launch from 2010, Roll ‘n’ Racersremains a focus for autumn with itsinnovative take on vehicle play. Designedfor small hands, the chunky collectablecar assortments join key item in the line,Roll ‘n’ Racers Spinning Speedway.

The World of Little People are set for anew introduction for autumn.

Featuring clever innovation, ZooTalkers introduce pre-schoolers to theirfavourite animals in a whole new waywith fresh technology. This setincorporates four habitats includingGrasslands, Arctic, Jungle and Water withfun activities for play on both sides.

The Little People are still on the movethis autumn with the Wheelies collection.New for the second half of the year, Zigthe Big Rig brings the collection to lifelike never before with fun sounds, lightsand animated reactions. This animatedbuddy includes over 40 unique soundsand phrases for hours of fun.

Little People are supported throughoutthe year with heavyweight marketingincluding significant TV support in the runup to Christmas, substantial PR activityand a year long press partnership with aleading parenting title.

Supported by a substantialmarketing campaign including PR,sponsorship and extensive TV throughto Christmas, Imaginext introduces newDino Tech themed items for autumn to

its already strong world of adventure.The line-up features dino friends atvarying price points and is driven by theMega T-Rex. With motorised action,sounds effects, removable armour andtwo projectile launchers, boys controlthe action with activation disks on T-Rex’s back. Character themed play-setsadd further strength to the rangeincluding Toy Story 3 offerings and a DCSuperfriends line-up featuring aBatcave and Batmobile.

Mattel’s Sing-a-Ma-Jigs have landedin the UK with a mission to get thenation in tune. Voted Toy of the Yearfollowing its success in the US, thecollection burst onto the UK High Streetat the beginning of the year, with anunderground launch, including asubstantial viral campaign.

The collection continues with newadditions to the range. Launching inautumn, the new Duets will sing, chatterand harmonise with their partners.

The line will recieve PR and marketingsupport throughout the year.

MAY 2011

46 SECTOR GUIDE PRE-SCHOOL

MATTEL 01628 500000

MAY 2011


Fisher-Price’s character portfolio goesfrom strength to strength for 2011 withnew property Octonauts. Favourite pre-school friends including Thomas &Friends, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Dora,Waybuloo and Handy Manny continue tobe a focus for the Fisher-Price line-up andwill receive heavyweight marketing andPR support throughout the year.

Following its launch on CBeebies lastOctober, Chorion property Octonautsbrings new additions to Fisher-Price’scharacter portfolio for autumn. Withmajor TV support for the pre-schoolshow including premier slots onCBeebies and a presence on CBeebieswebsite and CBeebies Magazine,excitement is building for Fisher-Price’scollection of play-sets, figures andvehicles for autumn. Helping to bring tolife the ocean adventures of the crew ofanimals, key play-set in the range, theOctopod Play-set, comes with twoOctonaut figures and sea creatures torescue. Pre-schoolers can help theirheroes to explore the undersea world

with an Octopod slide and rescue toolsto save the day. Octonauts is supportedby a full marketing campaign includingPR, press and TV.

Fisher-Price is set to power leadingpre-school property Thomas & Friends toa whole new platform this autumn with abreak-frame 360-degree campaign.Bringing decades of knowledge and awealth of expertise in play to the brand,Fisher-Price has full presence acrossTrackmaster and Take-n-Play collections,as well as additions to its new line-upspecially designed for pre-schoolers.

Fisher-Price’s pre-school line-up goesfrom strength to strength with furtheradditions to the range, specially designedfor the youngest of Thomas fans. Suitablefrom 18mths+, the Discover Junctioncollection includes sturdy push-alongengines and play-sets at varying pricepoints. Key play-set in the line-up,Thomas at Tidmouth Sheds, featureschunky Harold and Fat Controller figureas well as sounds and character phrases.Also new for pre-school, Follow Me

Thomas enables youngsters to guide theway for Thomas. The blue engine goeswherever they do with interactive phrasesand sound effects. New for Trackmaster,the Tidmouth Sheds Play-set brings to lifeone of the most popular locations forThomas fans.

Featuring train bays to storeTrackmaster engines, a motorisedThomas engine and a motorisedturntable, which is powered by Thomas’swheels, it includes a complete tracklayout. Take-’n’-Play continues to expandits collectability with new engines joiningthe small, medium and large assortmentsfor autumn. The second half of the yearalso benefits from a further two new play-sets, the Engine Wash and Diesel Works;tying in to the Day of the Diesels DVDrelease from Hit Entertainment.

Disney’s Mickey Mouse Clubhousecontinues to grow and a Stateside staris set to get the toy shelves boppingthis autumn as Dance Star Mickey hitsthe UK. Set to be moonwalking out oftoy stores everywhere, Dance Star

Mickey walks, talks and dances to fourdifferent songs as it comes to life infront of your eyes. This interactive starwill receive the VIP treatment with a fullmarketing campaign including TV, PRand a high profile media launch event.

Evergreen Winnie the Pooh continuesto have a big year as the toy collectioncelebrates the first movie from Disneyanimation in more than 35 years.Autumn will see Love to Walk Pooh jointhe Fisher-Price collection.

Playhouse Disney hit, Handy Manny,remains a focus and benefits from fournew play-sets and vehicles for autumnincluding the Construction Site Play-set.Featuring figures, a Dump Truck andCrane, the site can be constructed andre-constructed so pre-schoolers canbuild just like Manny.

Finally, Fisher-Price’s toy collectionshowcasing the characters fromCBeebies’ show, Waybuloo continues tobe a priority for the brand, with PR andmarketing supporting the rangethroughout the year.


MAY 2011

Lego’s Duplo brand introduces threenew police sets, with the Police Bike,Police Truck and Police Stationstrengthening the emergency productoffering within the Legoville range.

January also saw the launch of threenew Lego Duplo Bricks & More SKUs,designed to encourage creativebuilding and suitable for ages 18months plus.

Containing all the letters of thealphabet plus play starters includingthe Lego Duplo child figure and cat, theset is an addition to Duplo Play for the

older children in the Duplo target groupand targets parents who want to givechildren a head start in learning letters.

My first Duplo set and CreativeLearning provide an introduction to theworld of building, while Play withLetters adds a learning dimension tothe range.

Meanwhile, the new Winnie the Poohrange includes three sets featuringWinnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet andEeyore, along with an array of bricks toenable toddlers to create their ownPooh stories.

LEGO 01753 495000

The Playskool brand kicks off itspartnership with Sesame Workshop witha line of new toys. One of the highlightsis Count ‘n’ Crunch Cookie Monster. Kidsfeed it cookies as it counts. Kids can alsotickle its foot to make it giggle.

The In the Night Garden range returnswith the Igglepiggle and Upsy DaisyDance and Sleep Assortment. Kids holdtheir hand and spin them around to hearsongs from the show and the dolls canbe rocked to sleep to hear a lullaby.

The Goodnight Friends line continueswith the Upsy Daisy plush, which comeswith a light, storybook and nightdressand slippers. The Ninky Nonk Train ismade of five carriages.

Other new pre-school lines includePlay-Doh and Poppin’ Park. Play-setsinclude the Twirl ‘n’ Top Pizza, the Flip ‘n’

Serve breakfast play-set and the StoryTime Castle.

The Cars 2 play-sets include the GrandPrix Race Mats with scenes from themovie, three character moulds and fivedouble-sided accessory moulds. Thereare also sets featuring Sesame Streetcharacters, including the electronicColour Mixer.

The Poppin’ Park range gets kidsactive through ball play. The Busy BallPopper sees Elefun joining in on theunpredictable ball popping fun wherekids drop balls into its ears before theypop out the trunk or roll into the belly.

Other play-sets include the Pound ‘n’Pop Carnival with lights and music, theBounce ‘n’ Ride with sound effects andthe Roll ‘n Pop Express which pops outthree balls as it is pushed along.

Heading up Bandai’s summer pre-school range are new Noddy in Toylandfigures, plush, vehicles and play-sets.The Noddy Takes to the Air rangeincludes an airport play-set featuringNoddy, a helicopter and a plane,complete with runway and a light upcontrol tower. A plush pilot Noddycompletes the aviation themed range.

Also available is Noddy’s Fix n GoMonster Truck with lights and soundsand the Toyland fold-out playmat withtwo cards.

The hero product in Bandai’slicensed Tinga Tinga Tales range is theShake n Walk Elephant – whenaccompanying mango shaped maracasare shaken, they control the direction inwhich the elephant walks. By switchingmodes, they can also make him dance.The Monkey which sits on top ofElephant’s back moves in time with themusic effects too.

Other new lines being introducedinclude a bath play-set and two plushcharacters – Tortoise and Tickbird.

BANDAI 01489 790944

All of the Wonderworld Wooden Toys areexpertly made with safe, non-toxic paintsand lacquers and are suitable both thehome and nurseries.

The Neo Kitchen range focuses onrole-play. It has realistic appliances,including a washing machine, cookerand microwave, ideal for role-play.

Suitable for three years and up is theWonderworld dollhouse range.

The Modern House is a completehome, housing a family, furniture and anopening front and roof, allowing childrenaccess to every room.

Alternatively, the Eco House teacheschildren about the environment, usingrecycling bins, a wind turbine, solarpanels and an electric motorbike. TheEco House is completed with a familyand accessories.

All Wonderworld toys are made fromenvironmentally friendly materials anddecorated using non-toxic paints and arepackaged in boxes made from over 70per cent recycled paper.

DKL 01604 678780

The My First Baby Annabell receives arefresh this year, with the my firstBaby Annabell Time-to-Sleep doll,which boasts new mechanical featuresto help provide a more enhanced playpattern for pre-schoolers.

When the doll is tired, it stirs andmakes baby sounds before fallingasleep. Suitable for children aged oneand upwards.

Also adding to the Baby Born rangeis the My Little Baby Born Doll withJetski. The set includes a doll sportinga life jacket and sun visor, alongside abattery operated pink jet-ski. Pricedaround £29.99, the doll works indoorsand out and is suitable for girls agedthree and up.

A new doll for pre-schoolers will beintroduced in autumn. The PatchyDolly allows children to alter its facialexpressions using interchangeablemouth and eyepieces. Prices will startat around £24.99.

ZAPF CREATION 0845 0533 333

HASBRO 020 8569 1234

THE HOME OF NO.1 TOYS©2011 Mattel, All rights reserved.


MAY 2011

Little Tikes’ Discover Sounds collectionis continually expanding with colourful,interactive products that provide role-play, as well as key learningopportunities. The products allow pre-schoolers to play ‘grown-ups’ with theirown set of gadgets and tools.

A key item in the range is theDiscover Sounds Kitchen with lights,sounds, songs, colourful food shapesto sort, springy play toast and otheractivities to explore.

Future DIY enthusiasts will be enjoythe Discover Sounds Workshop – newto the range is a Paintbrush with soft,thick bristles, which change colour andprompt sounds when its used to paint.The Remote was made to aid children’sco-ordination and memory skills,

pressing the buttons to learn numbers,arrow directions and phrases.

Also available is the Discover SoundsHammer and the new Phone and AlarmClock, which counts the hours.

For outdoor, active play, pre-schoolers need look no further thanLittle Tikes’ vast range of ride-ons.

Look out for the new sleek-lookingSports Coupe which is ideal for a first‘foot to floor’ ride-on for mini car lovers.

Also available, the 2-in-1 Play n ScootPirate Ship ride-on doubles as a play-set with figures, cannon, anchor, pirateflag and storage under the deck hatch.For those who prefer ‘driving’ a cab,Little Tikes’ new Cozy Cab featuresblack and yellow styling in the classicCozy Coupe design.

LITTLE TIKES 01908 268480

VTech is introducing a touch screen padstyle learning system (name TBC). Thetablet is a handheld device witheducational games, activities and an e-reading system. The tablet is equippedwith a microphone, stylus pen, an SDslot and a USB port. Inside there is Gsensor technology to support motionbased games and auto picture rotation.Kidizoom cameras can be connected toview videos and photos. Additionallicensed games are available.

New to VTech Baby, Toot-Toot Driversare interactive vehicles, which speak,play tunes and make noises. The Toot-Toot Drive Garage comes with car wash,petrol station, heliport and a Tow Truckelectronic vehicle. There are three areaswith light up LED displays and in-builtsensors recognise the vehicle.

The new Kidizoom Twist has a rotatingself-portrait. Kids can view pictures andfootage on the LCD screen. The two

megapixel device has a 4x digital zoom,games and stamps and effects.

Also new is the Kidizoom 3D. The duallens camera with two megapixel cameraallows pictures to be seen in 3D and hasa 4x optical zoom, games and 3D clipart.

The Storio Interactive E-ReadingSystem has a new selection of storybookcartridges and is now available in pink.

The MobiGo Portable Learning Systemis a touch sensitive handheld gamingsystem with a focus on learning. It has arange of software cartridges.

To celebrate Cars 2, VTech has a rangebased on Lightning McQueen. There is aLightning McQueen Digital Camera,Learn & Go, Learning Laptop, Atlas and aTeam Lightning McQueen Laptop.

New to the Disney Princess range isthe Princess Fantasy Notebook, a laptopfeaturing an LCD screen, qwertykeyboard, mouse, cursor pad, 20activities and four learning categories.

Tomy brings the developmentallearning range Play to Learn and the no-mess pre-school arts and crafts brandAquadoodle. Both are ideal for boysand girls, with a variety of toys atdifferent price points.

New to the Play To Learn range thisyear is an updated version of the BigAuto Loader, a colourful constructionthemed play-set for boys aged threeand over.

It has a unique play pattern, whereina motorised chassis automaticallyswaps between loader, dump truck anddigger. Boys can take control of theaction, pressing switches to control thevehicles and their cargo of rocks. Likeevery toy in the Play to Learn range, theBig Auto Loader was designed withchildren’s cognitive and motordevelopment in mind, allowing childrento play either passively or actively.

The range also includes new toysincluding the Puzzle Bug and WackyRacers, with the R/C Whistle n Go

Puppy and Happy Hammer due tolaunch in autumn/winter.

Aquadoodle, Tomy’s pre-school artsand crafts range, offers mess-freecreativity. The mats are made so theycan be taken on holiday or on a journey.Children use water to doodle on themats and as the water dries, thepictures disappear ready for the mat tobe used again. Available models areThe Classic Aquadoodle, RainbowAquadoodle and Animal Magic SoundsAquadoodle – the first mat to featureelectronic sounds.

There is a variety of large mats andmini mats available, with a mixture oflicensed and non-licensed products.Licensed Aquadoodle large matsinclude Peppa Pig and Disney Cars witha Chuggington large mat to launch laterin 2011. Licensed Aquadoodle MiniMats include Disney Princess, Cars, Inthe Night Garden, Toy Story 3 andPeppa Pig, Chuggington, Rapunzel andTimmy Time.

TOMY 020 8722 7300

With its Push Along range, Fiesta Craftshas re-imagined the classic toddler toy.

The animal themed toys are carvedfrom wood and finished with glossy paintand fabric. Available are a hedgehog,sheep, monkey, penguin, a pink mouseand more.

Push Alongs have multi-coloured ballsinside the wheels, so when the toy ispushed along it makes an intriguingclacking sound.

Suitable from 18-months, the push-alongs are designed to encourage smallchildren to get up and walk.

A specially designed wooden floordisplay is free with first orders.

FIESTA CRAFTS 020 8804 0563

Haba has a variety of pre-school toysfor this summer, including the flagshipHabaland collection.

There are multiple Habaland play-sets available. A 25-piece Play Blockset provides the best starting point,offering a foundation, which can beexpanded on with other themed sets.

Themed sets include Fire BrigadeHabaland, with removable driver andLilo and Tom in Habaland – a rabbitand cat with flower and tree pieces.

The sets and characters encouragekids to role-play, while the blocksdevelop building and piling skills.

Also in the pre-school range arenew dressing-up sets includingKnights, Dragons and Bavarian Maid.The Henry Haba-Strong set hasarmour, helmet, shield and weapons.

HABA 0161 304 9555

VTECH 01235 555545

THE HOME OF NO.1 TOYSTHE HOME OF NO.1 TOYS©2011 Mattel, All rights reserved.


MAY 2011

Vivid will be supporting all of its pre-school ranges with extensive TV, pressand PR campaigns in collaboration withthe respective licensors.

After the successful launch of LittleCharley Bear on CBeebies, Vivid has anew range ready for autumn/winter.

First up, puzzles come in 4 in a Boxand 10 in a Box varieties. There is also amusical TV.

In the plush category, there is theSoft Toy, the Fun Sounds Charley Bearand the Good Night Charley Bear.

The figures and play-sets rangeincludes a posable Charley, his toy boxand his toys in the Bedroom Play-set.Up, Up & Away Charley Bear has aplush Pilot Charley in the cockpit of hisbright red aeroplane. Depending on theflight path taken, different sounds willplay. Interactive toy Let’s PretendCharley Bear plays a guessing gamewith children.

Vivid’s new pre-school licenceEverything’s Rosie is set to launch inJuly. There are jigsaws in 4 in a Box and10 in a Box varieties plus a Musical TV.The collectable Playtime friends arealso on offer and in plush there is MyBest Friend Rosie and bedtime toySweet Dreams Rosie and Raggles.

There is also Ring ‘o’ Rosie, whichplays the theme from the show whenchildren hold her hands in a circle. Thevehicles range includes the Twooter –place the posable Rosie and Raggles

and push them along to hear soundsfrom the show.

In Picnic Timmy, children feed Timmysandwiches and drinks and he will beable to tell them which is which.

Vivid’s pre-school portfolio alsoincludes the ZingZillas toy line. Inaddition, Roary races intoautumn/winter with a targeted toy linewith price points starting from £2.99.

New for Crayola Beginnings inautumn/winter 2011 is the TVadvertised My First Art Desk. Thisdouble sided, multi-functional artstation, offers a variety of ways to playand create.

The Art Desk can be adapted to flooror table top play via adjustable feet andall left-over crayons can be storedwithin the built-in compartment. MyFirst Art Desk will be supported with anextensive TV campaign.

VIVID 01483 449944

Extending its pre-school collection for2011, Cesar has costumes in both thelicensed and generic varieties.

The Marvel range still includessuperheroes such as Spider-Man, IronMan, Captain America and Wolverine,suitable for ages three and over. Therange has been expanded to includesquad characters aimed at younger fans.There are also cartoon-stylised costumesfor younger kids between one and threeyears old. These hero costumes includea one-piece character suit and hat.

For babies Cesar has Marvel babysleeping bags with hero prints completewith beanie style caps.

Generic costumes include one-pieceplush animal costumes including anelephant, a kangaroo, koala, monkey,penguin and bumblebee. Suitable forchildren aged between one and three. Tocomplete the collection there are Lil LadyBug and Lil Honey Bee dresses for girls.

Offering a new take on the traditionalpush-along toy, are Tumblekins fromGreat Gizmos.

Each of the Tumblekins vehicles hasa space for quirky characters to fit in –when pushed along the round figureswill tumble and roll around.

There are seven vehicles to chosefrom – the police car, jeep andconvertible are the smallest, with aschool bus and a fire engine providinglarger options. Bigger still is thetractor – while the farmer drives aTumblekins pig rolls around a hay balein the trailer.

All the toys are crafted from woodand are painted in bright colours tohelp improve hand-eye coordination.

The fire engine is also available inthe fire station play-set. TheTumblekins fire chief rolls down theramp, into his seat and is ready to go.

Other pre-school toys can be foundin Great Gizmo’s Traditional WoodenToys collection, which includesalphabet blocks, asorting box, a shapesstackerand more.

GREAT GIZMOS 01293 543221

Rainbow Designs’2011 pre-schooloffering featureslicensedcharacters fromclassic literaryfavourites tostars of children’sTV series.

The Gruffalo isloved the worldover andRainbow’scollection ofwooden toys andgames have seenthe publishingbrand take centrestage in the pre-school sector.

New woodentoys include theGruffalo Catcher,a bug and butterfly net with a woodenhandle. The Gruffalo Magnifier is idealfor spotting creepy crawlies close upand the Gruffalo Woodland CreatureCabin is a wooden carry case with apeek-through plexi-glass swing door –allowing pre-schoolers to create theirown natural habitat for bugs andinsects. The Gruffalo Plant Press is idealfor preserving leaves and petals for usein craft activities.

The new Gruffalo Wooden Toysinclude the 28-piece Dominoes in brightcolours and a Peg Puzzle featuring

animal charactersfrom the book.

Wibbly Pig,star of the newanimatedadventure serieson CBeebies andBBC2, has nowentered the pre-school toy sectorthanks toRainbow’s newtoys and games.Cuddly toysinclude the plushWibbly Pig withComfort Blanketand the WibblyPig Bean Toys –three plush, witheach one wearingdifferent outfitsincluding a tutu

and bow tie.Wibbly Pig games include the Wibbly

Pig Mix and Match card game and theWibbly Pig Wooden Shapes Puzzle,both ideal for little hands. The fun yetfunctional Wibbly Pig Backpack hasWibbly’s soft face and wiggly ears.

Retailers can complete licensedcharacter pre-school displays with theVery Hungry Caterpillar collection ofwooden toys, developmental toys andsoft toys and the My First Paddingtonrange featuring wooden toys and thenew Hand Puppet.

RAINBOW DESIGNS 01329 227300

Developed for children aged above 18months, My World puzzles from GibsonsGames help with hand-eye coordination,problem-solving, imagination, speech,listening, reading, numeracy,observation and concentration skills.

Joining range are two new games for2011; My Lotto and My Dominoes. MyLotto is a multi-cultural game full of factsabout other countries and cultures.

My Dominoes features jungle animalsto help kids develop counting, colourand matching skills. Each has aneducation pattern help expandvocabulary and improve recognition ofshapes and patterns.

Both have hints and tips for parentsfor extending play. As with all My Worldproducts, they are planet friendly andproduced in the UK on recycled board.

Gibsons has also produced a MyWorld video which can be uploaded freeto customers’ websites.

This year Flair introduces Disney’sJungle Junction to its pre-schoolrange, along with a line of creativelyfocused toys.

The collectable play-sets rangefrom the small Beetle Bugs through toEllyyan, the big delivery truck. TheHippobus and Beetle Bugs Play-set isa school bus with sounds and comeswith Beetle Bugs and stop and gosigns for crossing the road. The JunglePlay-set recreates the Jungle Junctionworld with Ellyyan and Zooter figuresand their houses, Miss Jolly’s School,the clock tower and an elevator.

The new Remarkables Design &Dress Rosie Ragdoll Set allows girls tocustomise Rosie’s outfit withwashable marker pens.

The Remarkables Travel and DrawMat can be carried in the re-usablestorage bag or rolled up.

Rolobox is back and allows thecardboard box to be transformed intoa rolling vehicle using wheels, axles,chunky nuts and bolts. Designed toinspire creativity in kids.

FLAIR 0208 643 0320

CESAR UK 01733 397400

GIBSONS GAMES 020 8661 8866

THE HOME OF NO.1 TOYSTHE HOME OF NO.1 TOYS©2011 Mattel, All rights reserved.

OCTONAUTS™ © 2011 CRL


MAY 2011

This year Learning Curve will expand itsdie-cast Chuggington range with anumber of new vehicles, play-sets andinteractive features.

The toys use ‘smart talk’ wirelesstechnology to enable the engines torecognise, greet and interact with otherengines and destinations around thetrain tracks.

The Wilson and Dunbar Set includestwo character engines and ten trackpieces for £19.99.

The expandable Wash and Fuel Setwith Brewster has interactive enginesand training stops with 33 pieces, 175lights, sounds and phrases, which playalongside other interactiveChuggington sets.

The Hero product is the SteamAround Old Town Set with Puffer Pete.For around £59.99, the Puffer Pete

character produces real steam usingionised water.

The Thomas Wooden Railway rangealso sees new introductions includingArthur, Toad, Scruff, Duncan, Fergus,Skarloey and Devious Diesel, foraround £10 each, alongside three newfeature twin-pack sets: Box Cars, SodorDairy Cars and the Light-Up AquariumCars for £15.00.

New sets include the introductoryThomas & James Starter Set (£25.00)and the 28-piece Battery PoweredFigure Eight Set with Sir Topham Hatt(£50). The newest edition to the BatteryOperated product line the BatteryOperated Charlie Engine (£20) will alsobe available in Q3.

New for Early Engineers are the Hiro,Victor and Spencer character engines,each available from July.

LEARNING CURVE 01392 281900

New this year from GoGo is the What’s inthe Garden Game. All held safely underPerspex, the mini-beast shaped playingpieces are lifted and placed with the aidof a magnetic stylus. The puzzle teachesshape recognition and hand-eyecoordination plus new vocabulary.

For younger children, the Sort ‘n’Shape is a collection of holed shapesthat fit on top of familiar imagery.Designed to encourage number learning,shape recognition and colour matching.

Memory is a matching game withcards that slide into the playing board,then bright green buttons are lifted inturn. Memory was made to help withreading and early counting skills.

Two action vehicles for buddingdrivers aged nine months and above arethe Liz Car and Jack Car.

Both made from plush fabric, theyfeature pull-back technology, allowingthem to accelerate into the distance.Each car has its own removable driver,plus, there are no sharp edges ensuringplaytime is safe.

Also available for pre-schoolers is theLilliputiens premium plush collection.

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

This year, Esdevium welcomes Fisher-Price Classics back into its portfolio.

Five years ago Esdevium launchedthe Classics collection and will use thesame vintage look for the new set oftoys. The range is updated with animproved version of the design tobring them into the 21st century.

Aimed at children 12 months andabove, the toys are built to last withdurability being a focal design point.

Two of the range, the ChatterTelephone and the Two-TuneTelevision have qualified for the finalsof the Junior Design awards.

The Fisher-Price Two Tune MusicBox TV has two classic melodies whichplay while pictures scroll across thescreen. It recreates classic rhymes likeRow, Row, Row, Your boat.

Introduced in 1961 as the Talk BackPhone, the Chatter Telephone is readyfor a new generation. The RecordPlayer plays five plastic records.

The new 2011 Fisher-Price Classicsrange is an exclusive property toEsdevium Games.

ESDEVIUM 01420 593593

Available now, the Leapfrog Shapes andSharing Picnic Basket is an interactiveplay-set which allows children to sharea picnic with their friends.

The basket has over 30 audioresponses and kids can sing along to acollection of provided songs.

The picnic basket contains 14individual picnic necessities, includingsandwiches, fruit and colourful cups –the entire set is brightly coloured anddesigned to help children build theirmotor skills as they sort, match, stack,empty and fill.

Suitable for children of six monthsand above, the Shapes and SharingPicnic Basket retails at around £19.99.Parents can log on to Leapfrog’s

Learning Path portal, which offers arange of ideas for expanding theirchild’s development.

The Count and Scan Shopper isdesigned to help toddlers discoverfood, by shopping and scanningpretend groceries.

As children scan the shopping list orindividual food items. numbers, coloursand shapes are revealed.

It encourages the development ofkey learning skills through a series ofeducational games, sing-along-songsand word association activities.

Suitable from 24-months the Countand Scan Shopper is available now foraround £19.99.

LEAPFROG 01895 201520

Throughout 2010 Paul Lamond reportedthat sales of its Chimp and Zee pre-school range increased by 60 per centyear-on-year, with the firm expectingfurther growth.

The educational games range has twonew additions to its roster. Dodge theDino is an action game where eachplayer races to collect dinosaur eggswhile trying to avoid the tail of therevolving dinosaur, which can knock allof the eggs away.

In Who’s the Princess?, players mustcollect a ball gown, a tiara, a pair ofshoes and an invitation to the ball. Onceall of those items have been collected,the player places them in their coach toget to the ball first but must beware ofthe wicked queen along the way.

Paul Lamond says both of these titleswill help teach pre-schoolers aboutcolour movement and objects.

There are also three educational craftand activity sets joining the Chimp andZee range: On Safari, Pretty Ponies andMake-over Friends.

PAUL LAMOND 020 7254 0100

Asobi stocks environmentallyresponsible toys designed with thelearning and development of pre-school children in mind.

Boikido brings together an eyecatching collection of classic playpatterns with a modern twist. Suitablefor children between one and threeyears-old, the Boikido range includesa wooden shapes train, providingbuilding and stacking play, colourfuland stimulating wooden walkers andride-ons, wooden puzzle blocks,wooden animals and activity tables.

In addition to being solid woodproducts, paints are water-based andpackaging is recycled paper with soybean ink printing. Prices start ataround £6.

ASOBI 01628 200077


MAY 2011

HTI has a newrange of Winniethe Pooh role-play toystargeted at kidsaged 18 monthsto four years.

The HunnyPot Picnic Setplays Poohsounds whenthe lid opensand comes withpicnic partyaccessoriesincludingstackablesandwiches.

With theWinnie the Poohpush-alongActivity Mower, kids can pretend tomow the grass in the Hundred Acrewood and the Market Stall hasactivities and interactive features topromote pre-school learning, hand-eyecoordination and imaginative play.

HTI has a range of Peppa Pig role-play, musical and outdoor toys. ThePeppa Pig dolls prams and pushchairshave been given a refresh with newfabric for autumn/winter 2011 and anew Peppa & George Twin Stroller isalso introduced.

HTI will also launch a new range ofBen & Holly’s Little Kingdom role-play

toys and dollsprams andpushchairs. Therole-play rangefeatures theuniquely tooledMagic Kitchen,packed with‘magic’ featuresand sounds tocook up amagical treat.Also featured isa DressingTable, BreakfastSet with Gongand a Tea PotTea Set.

Heading upthe Chuggingtonwheeled toys,

the Wilson Ride-On is designed withclose attention to brand and characterrelevance and features a speciallytooled character moulded face

There is also the Chuggington ThreeWheel Scooter, featuring a honkinghorn as seen on each of the main traincharacters in the show.

The bike also features a HandyManny character front plaque, EVAtyres, mudguards and stabilisers. Otherproducts in the range include a HandyManny Trike, featuring a removablehandle for parents to push along,chunky wheels and easy grip handles.

HTI 01253 778888

Driver Dan’s Story Time line has plushand plastic products featuring charactersfrom the series. Dan tells stories aboardthe Story Train, which has three books.

The Little Kingdom line includesHolly’s Magic Wand. Holly helps kidscreate drawings on the Magic Draw. Alsoincluded is the Magic Phone.

The My 1st JCB team has a new recruit– Dan Dozer. Dan joins the Talking rangeand has five phrases, flashing light andmoving scoop.

Doug Dumptruck is also transformedinto an R/C vehicle. Doug zooms aroundwhen buttons are pressed on thesteering wheel-shaped remote control.

The Chuggington arts and crafts rangecontinues. The Light and Sound ChalkBoard has phrases and lights, activatedwhen kids sketch on the board andfollow Wilson’s instructions to createartwork on the Magic Draw.

New to the Peppa Pig range areDough Sets, Dominoes and the MagicDraw with Talking Vision technology.

GOLDEN BEAR 01952 671338

Single pack additions to the Budkinsrange include a Royal Guard, HenryVIII and Alice in Wonderland. They jointhe selection of 90+ individualcharacters, which are supported by awide selection of painted wooden LeToy Van play sets.

Budkins is supported by a numberof free merchandising options,including wooden floor and counter-top stands, while it also has adedicated website.

All of Le Toy Van’s painted woodentoys are designed in the UK andethically manufactured in Indonesiausing responsibly sourced materials.

The Wedding Day triple pack is soldas a triple pack that includes a groom,a bride and bridesmaid. Featuresinclude real fabric outfits and detailedbridal bouquets. Retailing at around£13.99 for the set, it joins other newtriple packs like the Pirate, Crusaderand Fairy sets.

LE TOY VAN 020 8979 2036

This year, IMC will again offer theMickey Mouse Club House toys.Keyboards and a Guitar have beenadded to the range of pocket moneylines, such as a spy glass, Toodlesshape matching game and a pretendCamera with lights and sounds.

The activity packed Work Bench canbe combined with Mickey’s electricscrewdriver to create lots of projects.

In the Mickey Mouse AnimatedStoryteller, Mickey Mouse dances hisway through eight songs and eightstories featuring other Disneycharacters. The Mickey Mouse RemoteControlled Car is also available.

Last year’s Minnie Mouse CashRegister and Minnie Mouse ShoppingTrolley have been joined by newproducts, which includeMinnie Mouse food setsand a tea set, which haspots, cups andeverything else achild needs to host aMinnie TeaParty.

TheMinnieheroproduct is

the Minnie Mouse Kitchen, which hasthree activities; preparation, cookingand dining. It has the essential potsand pans with many accessoriesincluding a food mixer.

IMC’s Winnie the Pooh range will bereleased alongside the new film. Firstly,there is an electric keyboard with afollow me mode and a microphone.

The Winnie StoryTeller performs like hisMickey counterpartdescribed above.

New for 2011 is astories and songsTigger Puppet.

IMC 01904 720908

Part of the John Adams My First Craftrange, Colour-in Creatures includesthree animals to decorate and colour.

Existing titles include FishyDanglers decorative wall hangings;Looney Fruits cards; Funny Bean Bagscan be decorated and turned into fourcharacters; and Animated Animals.

My First Craft encourages creativity,interaction, co-ordination and refinemotor skills in pre-schoolers.

John Adams’ Ideal range of gameshas been created with the pre-schooler in mind. Litter Bugs developsa tactical approach where kids mustlift the lid and dump their rubbishbefore the buzzing bugs escape.

New to the portfolio, Doggie Doo isnot as unpleasant as the namesuggests – players throw the dice todetermine how often they squeeze thedachshund’s lead and wait for the‘prize’ to appear, then scoop the poop.Doggie Doo is suitable for ages fourand up and is available from June.

JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361

Licensed Bob the Builder toy, Build itwith Bob, lets kids make buildings out ofclay bricks and mortar.

Once the cement is mixed with water,kids can lay the bricks and build usingthe easy-to-follow instructions, whichdescribe how to build structures likeBob’s house or a clock tower. Soaking inwater dissolves the cement and thebricks can be used again.

Sets come in three varieties with 30,50 or 70 mini clay brick versions tochoose from. Included are the bricks,cement powder, a trowel, building board,mixing bowl, building plans, a wipe cleanplay mat and a poseable Bob figure.Additional packs of Dizzy’s cementpowder and Scoop’s bricks are available.

Also available is Squashblox – a softconstruction toy. The sturdy constructionpanels attach together to build anythinga child can imagine. The panels can alsobe used as a playmat for babies, atumble floor mat and a storyboard thatcan hold felt figures. Squashblox canalso be stacked and stored away easily.

MAPS TOYS 01483 776 006

First 6 individual Toot-Toot Drivers available June 2011.

Also available in 2 ‘3 packs’.

Toot-Toot Drivers Garage comes with Tow Truck.

New interactive range of garage and mini cars that include realistic vehicle sound effects, flashing lights and fun phrases.

Flashing lights

Fun phrases

Realistic sounds

Sung- songs


MAY 2011

Jumbo Games is bringing new productsand puzzle concepts to its pre-schoollicences, which include Peppa Pig, Ben& Holly’s Little Kingdom, Fireman Samand Disney Cars.

Jumbo also launched two new pre-school licences at Toy Fair –Everything’s Rosie and Poppy Cat.

Everything’s Rosie games andpuzzles will be in stores forautumn/winter including a 35-pieceassortment, Lotto Game and 15-pieceFloor Puzzle, with Poppy Cat due toarrive in 2012.

Jumbo has updated its Fireman Samrange with new offerings in games andpuzzles. In the Fireman Sam RescueGame, players must spin Fireman Samand try collecting all four rescue cards,along to the theme tune and soundeffects from the show. Other productsinclude the Nine in One Bumper Pack,the 24-piece Puzzle and Colour andFireman Sam Dominoes.

To celebrate the release of DisneyCars 2, Jumbo will launch a new

collection of puzzles including theDisney Car Puzzle and Colour – a giant24-piece double-sided floor puzzlewhich doubles up as a colouringactivity. Once the puzzle is completedchildren can turn it over and colour inthe black and white image on the back.

Other new jigsaws being added tothe collection include a Giant 2 in 1Activity Floor Puzzle and a 100-piecepuzzle in a deluxe tin with a free DisneyCars fridge magnet.

The Peppa Pig range has beenrefreshed with the introduction of newimages and themes from the latest TVepisodes. New products include thePeppa Pig Puzzle and Colour and Ninein One Bumper Pack.

Key pre-school property Ben &Holly’s Little Kingdom, will also see theaddition of a nine-piece Wooden CubicPuzzle, which allows children to createfour different scenes from the series,along with a collectable puzzle in a tinand giant Snakes and Ladders game forthis year.

Moon Dough is a new mouldingcompound, which is soft and fuzzy totouch. Launched last autumn, thecompound is marshmallow-like intexture and cleans up easily. Crucially,it never dries out and can be usedover and over.

An accompanying play-set, Life inthe Zoo, has three moulds including agorilla and a penguin. The MoonDough moulds onto stand whichbrings the creatures to life with awind-up walking motion.

SPIN MASTER 01628 535000

Brio has introduced over 25 new roadand rail products for 2011. The newproducts have been designed with greatdetail, focusing on adding play valuethrough engines, wagons and trains.

The new urban Metro Railway Setconsists of a metro train and carriageswith working head lights and sound, aMetro station with sliding doors, seatingand figures and an underground section.

At the Brio warehouse; the worker isloading the goods off the trains and intothe warehouse using the magneticcrane. Children can control the cranesand get the goods into the warehouse.Drive the road vehicles up to thecollection point at the back of thewarehouse and continue the journey.

The Brio Toddler line will beexpanded, adding ten products in 2011.The new push-along airplane propellerspins with and the wheels allow for easytake-off and landing.

Children’s educational development isthe core focus of Brio’s design team andthis year they have revamped a classic. Anew Bead Maze features two interwovenbead paths to help children to developvisual tracking, hand-eye coordinationand colour recognition. Brio has beenworking closely with the Nordic Ecolabel,Svanen. The environmental certificationhas strict environmental, safety andquality criteria. Brio is the first woodentoy company to be awarded with thecertification and has developed fourspecial celebratory products for autumn.

The Marbel catalogue includes a widerange of pre-school products from tendifferent worldwide brands.

The Plan Toys pre-school rangecontinues to expand and in 2011 Marbelwill be releasing ten new pre-schoolproducts. The Plan Toys are developed toimprove dexterity, motor skills, spatialperception and hand-eye co-ordination.

Using preservative-free, replenishablerubber wood and painted with non-toxiclacquers and finishes.

When pushed, the new Stegosauruspush toy encourages a child’s first steps.The scales on its back bounce up anddown and the body wiggles.

Two new products have also beenadded to the Plan Toys musical range;the Melody Xylophone featuring musicsheets and the Clatter that clicks andclacks to help children develop theirdexterity.

Makedo has emerged from a groupwhich seeks to

inspire social change through creativity.Makedo’s aim is to encourage use ofimagination and to see the creativepossibilities in everyday materials.Makedo is about creativity,sustainability, imagination, communityand play. It is a collection of reusableparts; pins, clips and lock-hinges, eachset also includes a safe-saw.

Five products make up the Find andMake collection, which come withmaterials to create a pre-definedconstruction – a car, doll house, playhouse, robot or a bunch of flowers.

MARBEL 01208 873123

Crayola’s Doodle Match and Colour Mix-a-Roo are designed to help colourrecognition and enhance memory skills,with no mess and no batteries required.

University Games will also launch itsexclusive Play ‘n’ Learn System this year.

There are 11 titles in the range,including Alphabet Game, Adventures inFairyland and Jungle Adventure. All thegames involve counting, maths,observation and social skills.

Launching into the activity category,The Gruffalo Magnetic Adventures will sitalongside the other games for theproperty, The Gruffalo Felt Play Boardand The Gruffalo Word Rhyming Game.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Match andMunch game allows pre-schoolers todevelop their matching and countingskills as they collect and match foodfrom the Eric Carle story.

UNIVERSITY GAMES 01359 243900

JUMBO 01707 289289

With over 25 years of experiencesupplying pre-school toys, Halilit iscontinuously launching new productsand has recently extended its MusicalInstrument range, Taf Toys and theWaterplay line.

Designed to encourage a love ofmusic from an early age, the Children’sMusical Instruments include jingle bells,drums, xylophones, tambourines,maracas, rainmakers, harmonicas andrecorders. The new baby drum is madewith a professional grade drumskin for a strong sound. The range includesmany gift sets that provide anintroduction to music making fortoddlers from around £9.99.

Known for developmental infant toysincluding play mats and gyms, in-car andpushchair toys, Taf Toys’ pre-schoolrange uses characters and quirkyillustrations to appeal to children andparents. The versatile four-in-oneDevelopmental Walker can be used as aclassic walker, a ‘lockable’ toy box, aride-on and a truck. New for 2011, theKooky Stacker and Stacker Truckfeatures a plush mouse driver andcolourful stacking rings that rotate asthe truck rolls along.

Water Whirly is a new, stackablewater play toy from Edushape. There arebath games, squirters, fishing sets,sorters, themed ‘wet and stick’ foamshapes, bath crayons and floating foambuilding sets to encourage creativity.

HALILIT 01254 872454

For more informationon on Little Tikes wide range: www.littletikes.co.ukMGA entertainment (UK) Ltd, Regent Business park, 50 Presley Way, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0ES. Tel: 01908 268480

Little Tikes has outdoor play for Kids all wrapped up!

170966 Milano Swing Set170942 Richmond Treehouse Play system

New New

New New

620744 Cozy Truck

620300 Spirallin’ Seas Waterpark

620294 Turtle Sandbox

Farm Life is a range of familiar animals,which can be collected one figure at atime and combined with accessories andlarge farm buildings to recreate a farmlife scene. Each year, new animals andbreeds are added and 2011 brings ahutch full of rabbits in different poses.

The existing farmyard cats will seesome new arrivals too, with a stretchingtom and a mother cat with a litter ofkittens. The poultry family will beextended with grey geese – there arethree to choose from; a gander ready forflight, a mother posed with open beakand a clutch of four fluffy goslingstucked together.

Taking the farm experience further,Schleich has introduced human figuresto introduce kids to key roles on thefarm. New farm machines include atractor with driver and trailer.

As with all of Schleich’s naturecollections, the animals, humans andaccessories can be played with as singlepieces or collected to build a play world.


MAY 2011

This year Dinosaurs, a Formula 1 racingcar and a collection of simple to buildmini models will join Meccano’s awardwinning Build & Play range.

The flexible plastic pieces are puttogether using the easy build system,designed to enable children aged fiveand over to build models bythemselves. The latest items adopt anew mechanism of clipping screws, inaddition to Meccano’s traditional nutsand bolts system.

The new Mini Build & Play collectionprovides all the pieces in a handystorage case with a top thatdoubles as the base of themodel. Simply take off the topand start clipping the piecesonto the fixed base, thefinished model can bedecorated with an includedset of stickers.

The Mini Build & PlayPlastic Case rangefeatures three cases whicheach build two different

cars one at a time. Available now, theyare priced at £9.99.

Another new addition this spring arethe Build & Play Dinos. Made of 20 to40 parts, this selection of threedinosaurs can be collected andconnected together to create one largemodel dinosaur from the parts. Fullinstructions and tools included witheach model priced at £7.99.

The Formula 1 Racing Car also usesthe simple construction system andcomes with 130 parts, offering five

model variants to build –upping both the challengeand the play value for thebudding constructor – for

around £24.99. Also look out for a new

Bulldozer (£12.99), New Side Car(£14.99) and Buggy (£17.99) joining

the Build & Play family this year. Sue Barratt, country manager,

Meccano Toys UK, said: “We’re veryproud of our Build and Play range andare delighted that its quality andinnovation has been commended byparents and media alike.

“The collection remains true to thecore values of Meccano and offers highquality components and inventiveconstruction sets that challenge youngchildren to create something forthemselves,” she added.

MECCANO 01844 278888

After achieving record sales with GoGlow in 2010, Worlds Apart isconfident it can take the brand evenfurther this year.

The company is set to launchseveral new additions to thecollection, including the Go GlowClock Bedtime Trainer.

Stepping forward the Go Glow Timemodel, the new Go Glow ClockBedtime Trainer continues to provideparents with an important tool forestablishing and maintaining apractical bedtime routine, allowinglittle ones to have fun learning duringthe process.

Ergonomically designed, theBedtime Trainer allows children toplay, while perfecting their bedtimeand morning routines. The 2-in-1product uses two changing images toencourage children to stay in bed untilmorning and also doubles as a nightlight which glows softly throughoutthe night.

WORLDS APART 0800 389 8591

Ravensburger’s Discover and Developrange won a collection of awards in2010, including Gold and SilverPractical Pre-school awards for Tip theShip and Ring a Roses Game andBronze and Highly Commended RightStart awards for Dodge a Dinosaur andFun on the Farm. The games werepraised for helping children with theEarly Years Foundation Stage oflearning and thisaim is key to theDiscover andDevelop range.

Several newproducts havebeen launchedfor 2011,including aredesignedversion of theclassic Snail’sPace Race. Anideal first game, the simple playmechanic revolves around childrenguessing which of the colourful woodensnail playing pieces will reach the endof the track first. The use of the snailsand the colour spot dice helps todevelop colour recognition and socialinteraction skills, and is a good way tointroduce the concept of taking turns.

Another classic favourite broughtback by popular demand is theredesigned Rivers, Roads and Rails. Thegame uses illustrated cards to build acontinuous network of rivers, roads and

rails, and develops matching, visualdiscrimination and sequencing skills.

Other new introductions are threesets of colourful flashcards, eachcontaining 50 double-sided cards,designed to help develop differentskills. My First Flashcards feature brightpictures and clear text to illustrate firstwords and can be used to help developobject identification, reading and

spelling skills. My First

Numberflashcardsclearlyillustratewrittennumbers andnumerals, andcover numbersone to 20 in acolourful way.The set also

includes cards showing mathematicalsymbols so can be used to do simplesums, in addition to developing numberrecognition and basic counting skills.

My First Word Flashcards contain 100different words on the 50-double sidedcards and help youngsters to developtheir reading, spelling and writing skillsas they learn how to recognise lettersand words.

All the flashcard games come withtips for parents on how to use the cardswith their own youngsters.

RAVENSBURGER 01869 363800

Junior construction brand Mega Blokshas a number of new core pre-schoolproducts for autumn/winter 2011.

They are designed to offer innovativeplay patterns while providing great valueand endless build opportunities for pre-schoolers, as well as providing storagesolution for mums.

The three-tiered Maxi, Mini & Microbuilding system grows with the childfrom its first year, withthe 3-in-1 Build n GoWalker, Build ‘n GoWagon and Maxi TubCollection includedin the range. TheBuild n Go Walkerhas three functionsas a wagon, walkerand buildingplatform.

Aimed at boys andgirls over three, newpre-school brandBlok Town furtherdevelops Mega’s buildable‘Mini Bloks’ range, featuring everydayclassic themed play-sets including afarm, airport, zoo and garage and manyspecial parts, offering children thepossibility to create their own town.

New products in Mega Bloks’ Thomas& Friends range include The LoggingCamp, The Great Waterton and WorkingHard at the Sodor Steamworks, priced atunder £20. Autumn/winter will see newbuildable characters, small buildable

buckets and larger buildable play-setsincluding All Aboard at Knapford Station,Tidmouth Sheds & Day at theDieselworks. The collection will featureimproved packaging for enhanced shelf presence.

Expanding its girls’ portfolio MegaBloks has launched Hello Kittycharacters and play-sets, so girls agedfour and up can build, personalise and

collect their own HelloKitty world. The

range includes thehero product, TheDream House,which continues toreceive strongsupport fromretailers.

In time for theworldwide launchof the anticipatedbox office hit inthe summer, Mega

Brands has unveiledits new Smurfs portfolio

of products including buildable smalland large play-sets.

Further developing Mega’s pre-schoollicensed portfolio, there are newChuggington characters and play-set forchildren aged four and up. Children willbe able to build, rebuild and collect keycharacters from the CBeebies show. Alsoavailable is construction setChuggington Coaster, the Round-HouseRace set and Old Puffer Pete’s Garage.

MEGA BRANDS 01844 350033

SCHLEICH 01279 870000

Contact The In Thing on

0845 3653030Or visit www.TheInThing.com

RRP£3.99

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MAY 2011

New Mookie nursery lines include BenBat Travel Friends, with seat belt palsand neck supports, the Go Vinci Trolleyand Backpack. The new portable range,Quicksmart, has a high chair, buggy,changing matt, and port-a-cot.

In pre-school, Mookie introducesnew Peppa Pig playballs and a ride on.

Mookie will also stock Fisher-Priceride-ons using a variety of charactersand a new racing ride-on from Ecoiffier.

The Street Cruz scooter range hasmodels for different age groups. TheMini starter scooter, the Lightningmodel and the Classic.

Mookie recently signed as distributorof Modular Construction Toys. The toysuse a new 3D, modular constructionconcept which is designed to improveperception and develop creativity andabstract thinking. Suitable for children

from five years and up, the Modular kitsinclude metal cars, connectors,decorative stickers and otheraccessories. All sets can able link witheach other using connectable pieces.

Unlike conventional constructionsets, Modular Construction Toys allowthe parts to be stacked verticallywithout limit, constructing complexbridges, interchanges and more.

An extensive Modular TV campaign isplanned for autumn/winter.

The Createaway Easel folds up,making it easy to assemble and storeand the Travel Pod is ideal for long cartrips and plane journeys – it fitscomfortably on a child’s lap enablingeasy drawing and storing. The play-setsare suitable for kids over three andeach comes with various accessoriesand features.

MOOKIE TOYS 01525 722722

In Wow’s Fantasy range is the George’sDragon Tale, a push-along chariot with aworking catapult. The set includes theremovable knight figure, Sir George andSmokey, his removable ride-on dragon.

Also new to the line is Fire BuggyBertie is a push-along fire buggy whichrocks from side-to-side as it movesalong. Berti comes with a removablefireman called Kurt and his fire-dogDalmatian friend, Russell.

Wow toys are exclusively designed forchildren aged 18-months to five-yearsand require no batteries.

All the toys come in vibrant coloursand are displayed in bright and attractivewindow box packaging.

Extensive point of sale material isavailable to retailers.

WOW TOYS 020 747 0980

The star-product in MV Sports’ pre-school girls range is Ben and Holly’sLittle Kingdom, which includes bikes,trikes, scooters and sit ‘n’ rides. TheMagical Light and Sound Tri-Scooterincludes a magic wand to activate thescooter’s lights and play the themetune. A collection of sit ‘n’ ridesincludes a basic model decorated withBen and Holly graphics, and a GastonLadybird ride-on.

To promote the Ben and Holly line,MV Sports has a substantial TVcampaign planned.

For boys, the Thomas & Friendsrange has been refreshed to reflect theCG animation style of the new TVseries. There are several new, feature-driven sit ‘n’ rides including the new 3DEngine Ride-on, while MV expects theBattery Operated Train & Track Set tokeep the range growing.

The Fireman Sam portfolio is led bythe Firehose Scooter, which has aremovable pump action, water filled,fire hose, which can be worn as a backpack. Also available as part of therange, the Jupiter Ride-on is adornedwith colourful engine graphics.

For fans of Bob the Builder, theToolbox Trike comes with a detachablesix-piece toolbox.

Inspired by traditional African animalstories, Tinga Tinga Tales has atimeless animal theme which appealsto boys and girls in equal measure.Licensed from a BBC TV show, therange stands out on-shelf with itstrademark, colourful, eye-catchinganimal artwork.

Two more BBC properties, Waybulooand In the Night Garden, are refreshedfor 2011 and complete MV Sports’ pre-school line-up.

MV SPORTS 0121 748 8000

Styled with modern graphics and a softcolour palette the Bigjigs Road range isintended to develop a child’s creativity,

There are 19 lines, all of which aresuitable for kids aged three and over.

Complete road sets are sold in a rangeof sizes, starting with My First Roadway,going up to the City Road and RailwaySet with 108 pieces. Sets include people,buildings, road signs and cars. To teachroad and rail safety, zebra and levelcrossing roadway pieces are available.

Using linking pieces the Road Rangeconnects to the Rail Range. With a totalof nine link items, there is always theoption to expand the play.

Most of the Bigjigs Road lines havewindow-box packaging to attractattention on the shelves.

BIGJIGS 01303 250400

The collection of crochet cottonPebble toys available from Best Yearsincludes a number of fairy talefavourites like dragons, princessesand Humpty Dumpty.

Best Years celebrates spring withPebble’s flower and pixie rattles. Forboys there is a knitted collection ofrattle snakes, which come in a varietyof bold colours.

The Pebble toys are suitable frombirth and are fully machine washable.The cotton crochet is robust with theknit providing a tactile surface foryoung hands to feel. Retail prices forthe fair-trade, hand made toys start at£2.10 a piece.

All of the Pebble toys are ethicallyproduced and hand made by aworkers co-operative in Bangladesh.The co-operative provides fairemployment for women who live inrural locations.

BEST YEARS 01327 262189

To encourage young children to engagewith its games and jigsaws, Orchard Toysmakes sure its products are brightlycoloured with appealing characters. Thishelps with basic skills, such as colourmatching, counting and turn-taking.

Although the company’s range ofproducts is suitable from 18 monthsthrough to 12 years, there is anemphasis on Foundation Years and KeyStage 1 areas of three to six years.

All six of Orchard’s recently launchedproducts fall within this age group, apartfrom the Teddy Bears’ Picnic, which hasbeen designed for two to fives – this is a15-piece floor jigsaw puzzle, measuringapproximately 42 by 61 centimetres.

Orchard Toys says Teddy Bears’ Picnicwill encourage observation and finemotor skills; develop language andsocial communication and link with EarlyLearning Goals at a suggested retailprice of £9.50.

MD Simon Newbery comments: “Wework very hard at producing a UKproduct at a price that people can affordand delivering it as quickly andefficiently as possible.

“Reading the many testimonialsreceived, and looking at the feedbackfrom a recent end-user survey, it looks asthough we are getting it right.”

ORCHARD TOYS 01953 859525

© 2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

MAY 2011

www.toynews-online.biz 65SECTOR GUIDE ACTION VEHICLES

Drive timeAction vehicles is a staple sector for the boys market, with brands like Hot Wheels and Tomica sitting alongsidegeneric lines. Continual technological developments help keep the offering fresh and appealing, while traditional vehicles also remain popular. ToyNews researches the latest products due to hit the shelves...

Bladez’ latest creation is the Pump NPlay range of inflatable remote controlvehicles. The toys use a durable,inflatable body shell which is lightweightand won’t damage furniture.

The child-friendly handsetmanoeuvres the inflatable forward,back, left and right and allows the userto perform stunts and 360-degree spinson the spot, so it can be used in a smallroom. Available models include MonsterTrucks, Racing Cars, Diggers and Robots.

Bladez expects the G-Bladez gyrohelicopter range to continue to bepopular in 2011.

It has auto stability and precisioncontrol for ease of flight in a robustpackage. The helicopters are made fromtoughened aluminum, collapsible bladesand are fitted with a directionalGyroscope to give a level of performancewhich was once the preserve ofexpensive high tech gadgets.

Bladez will be launching an exclusivelicensed range later in the year whichwill be previewed at Toymaster. Thecompany will not be exhibiting in themain show, but will be holding privatemeetings in the St Georges Hotelshowroom opposite the Majestic.

BLADEZ TOYZ 02392 658255

With the new Transformers Speed StarsStealth Force range, the Autobots andDecepticons do battle in vehicle modeand transform to reveal hidden weapons.

The vehicles have automatic or simpleconversion from traditional vehicle modeto a vehicle battle mode, featuring pop-out weapons.

The Stealth Force Bumblebee featureselectronic lights and sounds, motorisedconversions and firing projectiles.

The collections include a choice ofDeluxe and Mini Changers.

For Star Wars fans, The Clone WarsRepublic Attack Shuttle is styled on thesignature vehicle from the popularanimated series.

The product features two modes ofplay – an armoured attack base play-setand an attack ship. The shuttle featuressounds, lights and an array of surpriseaction features.

HASBRO 020 8569 1234

Building on the Tomica range, Tomy isreleasing a number of larger vehicles. Inkeeping with the Hyper City Rescueseries, the HCR Helicopter Container andHCR Hovercraft Container are biggerthan the standard Tomica die-castvehicles and feature large containers totransport smaller vehicles.

The containers unclip and theHelicopter and Hovercraft can beattached together, which means vehiclescan be stored inside and transported.

The vehicles also have some hiddenfeatures. By pulling the trigger of theHelicopter, the propellers on top spinand a jet-ski can be pulled from the frontof the Hovercraft.

Coming later in the year is the PoliceLauncher, featuring lights and sirens.

The vehicle converts from four wheelsto six and can fire standard police carsfrom under its bonnet.

Tomica also offers a range of smallercars and hi-tech trains. There are threevehicle multipacks, the Honda setfeatures four cars and for Hyper CityRescue kids can choose from the Policeset with helicopter, van, motorbike andspider vehicle and the Fire set, with tankhelicopter, fire engine and hovercraft.

Tomica also features an expandablerail network, with electronic trains. TheCT1000 and CT2000 are the two CityTrains, while the Hyper City Rescuerange has its own trains complete withuniformed action figures. The HCR FireLiner and the HCR Patrol Liner will retailat around £13.99.

TOMY 020 8722 7300

2011 brings new machines to the BritainsBig Farm range for pre-schoolers agedthree and over.

The Land Rover is a 1:16 scale modelhas chunky design and accuratedetailing with lights and sounds.

The Polaris ATV hassturdy grip tyres todeal with anysurface,handle bardetail andlights.

The JohnDeere Gatorcomes with aheavy dutybumper, headlampsand cabin top lamps. Alsoavailable is the John Deere Round Balerand the Cattle Trailer with cows.

The Bobcat E-35 Compact Excavatorboasts a moveable arm, swinging cabindetail and caterpillar tracks.

The Big Farm range is designed toencourage discussion about farms, food,animals, machines and work.

On a smaller scale are the collectableBritains Farm Toys 1:32 models.

Additions to the 2011 portfolio includea new red Land Rover Defender 90, withdetachable canopy.

Alongside the 4x4 is the JCB TM 310Sand new style JCB 3CX.

A licence with Kane Trailers brings a16-tonne Silage Trailer and a 16-tonneGrain Trailer, a Sheep Trailer, a GeneralPurpose Trailer and an ATV Trailer.

More collectable models include theclassic IH 956XL and Case 1056XL

tractors, as well as theInternational 3588 2+2.

The articulated 4WDtractor consists of

one two-wheeltractor combinedwith another and isknown as the

anteater, becauseof its long nose.Moving to the

present day there is thenew Case IH 600 4WD Steiger in

both wheeled and Quadtrac, along withsmaller Case IH 350 4WD Steiger – allavailable in June.

The redesigned and upgraded NewHolland T9000 tractor range is nowavailable in 1:32 scale. Other NewHolland models in the collection includethe New Holland T9.670 and NewHolland T9.390.

Coinciding with the launch of the realthing this year, Britains has introduced amodel of the John Deere 8360R Tier IVTractor, following the first Europeanshowing of the new John Deere 8R serieslast autumn.

LEARNING CURVE 01392 281900

66 SECTOR GUIDE ACTION VEHICLES

MAY 2011

Corgi is offering two Subaru ImprezaTurbo die-cast models. Driven by theTime Attack Championship winner, OllyClark, the Subaru Impreza Turbo RCM isnow available in 1:43 scale.

The limited edition model was builtusing new tooling techniques and ispart of the new collection for theVanguards range.

The next model is the SubaruImpreza Turbo Humberside Policemode. Also in 1:43 scale, the die-castwas made with ‘meticulous attention to

detail’, recreating all the markings onthe 1990s police car.

Martyn Weaver, Corgi’s marketingmanager, comments: “The SubaruImpreza Turbo models have alwaysbeen an exciting addition to the road,and now we are giving everyone achance to own their own version.

“Whether it is the championshipsthat fuelled your interest or the historyof the car itself, this is a modeleveryone loves and we are excited tobring it to Impreza fans.”

CORGI 01843 233502

Lilliputiens from John Crane allowchildren to get in on the action. The twoaction vehicles for infants aged nine-months and above are the Liz Car andJack Car. Both are made from plushfabric and feature pull-back technology.Each car includes a removable driver,plus, there are no sharp edges ensuringplaytime is always safe.

The eco-friendly Hape range isproduced from the sustainablebamboo plant.

E-racer’s streamlined design andsporty looks are detailed with water-based paint. The roll-bars andoversized wheels add to the design.

Two new vehicles will be arriving inMay, an e-copter and e-moto. TheHape e-copter takes to the skies instyle with its bamboo bodies andbright graphics.

The e-moto’s bamboo body islightweight and durable, so it canhandle fast rides and big jumps. It hasa kick stand enabling it to bedisplayed and kept standing uprightand stationery.

MARBEL 01208 873123

This year Mattel introduces a number ofadditions to leading boys’ vehicle brandHot Wheels as well as its range oflicensed action vehicles, which willinclude Cars 2.

For Hot Wheels, a multi-platformbrand will run throughout the year. Thisincludes partnerships with the BritishRacing Drivers Club and the home ofthe British Grand Prix – Silverstone.

The Team Hot Wheels virtual racingchampionship is already underway atteamhotwheels.co.uk, where boys canhave an impact on their team’sperformance by playing games anddownloading content to earn points.

The races, extreme stunts andfamous racers will be streamed live onCartoon Network and will feature onthe refreshed Team Hot Wheels websiteand all the news will appear in TotallyHot Wheels magazine.

Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 will returnto Cartoon Network this year. Theaction will be brought to life via a range

of new vehicles, figures and track sets.These will include larger-scale fusioncombat vehicles, which transform andweapons and fire projectiles.

Play-sets include the Rev Upsassortment of four-wheel drivevehicles, with a full 360 loop andswinging arm. Wall Tracks moves thetrack from the floor to the wall for anew perspective of play. There are newadditions to the Colour Shifters rangewith more basic vehicles and stunts, aswell as action and racing track sets.

Matchbox’s Skybusters die-castplanes and helicopters will receiveincreased support in 2011 with theirfirst large-scale TV ad campaign.

The Disney-Pixar Cars toy collectionwill benefit from an injection of hypeand a new Cars 2 product line.

Meanwhile, the Toy Story vehicleassortment compromises four vehicles.Each has a ‘rev ‘em up and go’mechanism and comes with anexclusive, two-inch Buddy figure.

MATTEL 01628 500000

Exceeding growth expectations in 2011,Lego Technic is currently up 47 per centYTD versus 2010. The growth wasachieved without marketing support.

Product growth drivers for 2011include the Lego Technic RescueHelicopter, which is up 200 per centversus its equivalent SKU in 2010 andthe Lego Technic Supercar.

This year the range is again supportedby the Technic Challenge buildingcompetition and in-store events, alongwith the first UK and Ireland TVcampaign since 2001.

The Lego Technic build systemchallenges the mind with its complexdemands. If builders show thedetermination to meet the standardsdemanded by Technic construction sets,they will be rewarded by exceptionalpost-build functionality and play value.

The Backhoe Loader is an example ofthe new lines. Once built, the mechanicaldigger transforms into a Log Handler.

For aerial rescue missions, the LegoTechnic Rescue Helicopter has a workingwinch and retractable landing gear. Thegear wheels can be turned to spin themain and tail rotors simultaneously.

The Mini Mobile Crane has manyfunctions. After being steered intoposition, the boom can be raised,lowered, turned and extended to liftheavy loads. When extended, theoutriggers will stop it tipping over andthe crane can be re-built into a truck.

The Technic Off-Roader, with itsauthentic gear wheel steering andworking front and rear suspension, canhandle many different terrains. For extraoff-road play, the vehicle can be re-builtinto a buggy.

LEGO 01753 495000

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949

www.toynews-online.biz 67SECTOR GUIDE ACTION VEHICLES

MAY 2011

Flying Toys latest action vehiclesinclude the Heli Blaster, which launchessix lightweight plastic rocketsindependently before landing to reload.

The three-channel infra-red indoorhelicopter incorporates twin coaxialmain rotors to provide tight controls ina medium sized rooms. A prefabricatedtarget allows handlers to practise theirskills, launching the rockets by pressingthe set top buttons.

The Heli Blaster has a flashing LEDpower indicator, plus a lighting effectwhen shooting. Steer the chopper bymoving the transmitter joystick left orright, while operating the throttle totake off, hover or land. Made fromimpact resistant plastic.

Silverlit’s Sky Cam helicopter cantake up to three minutes of video orphotos while flying, on command fromthe remote control. It features a contra

rotating rotor design for stablehovering, combined with asophisticated electronic heading lockgyro system for superb directionalstability and clear picture taking.

The filmed footage is thendownloaded to a computer using thesupplied USB cable and the providedgraphic software can be used to adjustthe picture quality for the best possiblereproduction. The helicopter wasdesigned to be operated by youngstersand adults, offering a smooth andcarefully controlled performance.

The Silverlit Power in Air includes afully assembled helicopter suppliedready to fly, complete with a pre-installed three-channel proportionalwide beam infra-red control system anda flight manual.

The Heli Blaster is available and theSpy Cam from July.

FLYING TOYS 01702 295110

Thanks to the Vectron Wave, SpinMaster’s Air Hogs property grew 102 percent over the last year, according to NPD.

The Vectron Wave hovers in the airusing obstacle sensors to detect itsproximity to the ground and the altitudeis controlled by placing a handunderneath the helicopter.

Spin Master is looking forward toanother year of record growth, withVectron Wave back on TV and with threenew lower price point SKUs.

New product Wind Flyers fly highwhen charged. The Heli Blaster and theTriple Booster provide outdoorentertainment and easy flying for firsttimers, with no batteries required.

Autumn TV promotion focuses on theR/C Sharp Shooter, an indoor helicopterthat fires real missiles and uses SteadyFly technology for a stable flight,enabling accurate shooting.

SPIN MASTER 01628 535000

New for 2011 is the Time Trial, a laptiming gate for use with radio controlcars. The Time Trial comes with conesand tyres, so a course can be set upinside or outside. Children can thenrace against one another.

The gate features sounds and whenthe start button is pressed, it willrecord times right down to the lastsplit second.

Also available in autumn/winter,the Time Trial Plus includes a remotecontrol car.

PEERS HARDY 0121 524 1439

Following its airing earlier this year atthe New York Toy Fair, US news channelCNN has tipped Flair’s Lazer StuntChasers for success.

The cars chase a projected light froman infra-red remote control handset,making the vehicle easy to use andgiving the handler more control.

There are two initial models namedDragonfire and Flameout. Thedistinctive design of the chassis allowsthe vehicle to perform stunts, flips andtricks, but always lands on its wheels,which also light up.

As well as the Stunt Cars, there willbe several corresponding play-sets tochoose from – the Crash Zone with FlipRamps, Cyclone Funnel Jump and theLoop the Loop track set which willextend stunt possibilities further.

Extra terrestrial action vehicles comefrom the Planet Z7, the home of Flair’sR/C Robot brand, Zibits. New to therange is the ZX34, a remote controlledZibit-carrying tank.

The ZX34 carries its Zibit passengersand sucks up power orbs, firing themout of its chest.

FLAIR 020 8643 0320

HTI’s own developed brand, Teamsterzoffers a range of die-cast, radio controland special feature vehicles, along withtrack sets and garage play-sets forautumn/winter.

The four-level Big City StackingGarage has a car wash, a helipad and apetrol station. The range of StackingGarages is designed to be built up, sokids can collect them all and make theminto one huge garage.

The Teamsterz Playmat set includesone die-cast car and has four differentscenes – city, emergency rescue,raceway and rally. There is a new trackset too. The Twin Turbo Racerz trackfeatures two launchers and two licenseddie-cast cars.

HTI’s JCB Multi Construct range wonBest New Toys in the vehicles category atToy Fair 2011. The toys allow kids to buildJCB construction machines from an arrayof vehicle pieces with the tools provided.

The range consists of four lines – theBackhoe Loader, the Dumptruck, the LowLoader & Backhoe and the AssemblyPlant, which includes a Backhoe Loaderand a battery operated drill for role-playactivities.

Designed in conjunction with 20thCentury Fox, The Simpsons range ofaction vehicles are suitable for all ages.Fans can direct Bart or Homer Simpsonforwards and backwards and they willturn and speed randomly.

The Simpsons Radio ControlSkateboarding Bart has an articulatedBart figure that allows players to alterhis position into different boardingposes. The radio control handsetcontrols direction and speed as Bartskates around and performs spinningtricks. The Simpsons full function RadioControl Car is a replica of the family’spink car and includes all of the Simpsonsfamily members.

HTI 01253 778888

Revell will add to its establishedairborne R/C range this year, adding theCardinal and Aquila Pro remote controlhelicopters, as well as planes, theGilder and the Air Hopper.

The outdoor toys all boast sleekdesign and improved technology,including infra-red, MHz and GHz. Theflying machines offer easy to operatecontrols suitable for newcomers orexperienced pilots.

Also available, the indoorSupermicros are some of the smallestremote control helicopters on themarket. They feature the smallestthree-channel Gyro technology. Theycome in three designs: the Tiger, thePirate and the Sparky. Available now,Pocket Rockets retail at £34.99, andfeatures electronic gyros to aidexcellent and effortless flying withoutany experience.

REVELL 020 7234 9150

Following a successful trial last year, IMCwill add a new range of R/C I-motion-Cars. Available in two designs, StreetRacer and Boogie, both cars arecontrolled by the I-motion system. Theremote control design is based on an F1steering wheel and boasts paddlecontrols to move forward and reverse. Tosteer the car you turn the steering wheelin the direction you wish it to travel.

As part of its new SpongebobSquarepants line, the Spongebob CrabbyPatty Remote Control vehicle is shapedlike the Crabby Patties from the series,with SpongeBob on top.

Soft Cars act as an introduction to R/Ccars. There are three designs: the PoliceCar, Speedy the Racer and the FireEngine. The cars feature lights andsounds. The remote control has twolarge, easy to use buttons and also asound on and off switch.

IMC 01904 720908

Bigjigs recently won exclusive rightsto distribute the Austrian made GowiToys. The range includes many actionvehicles, from smaller push-alongracing cars to giant trucks and a Ride-on Digger.

The giant Ride-on Digger has a seatheight of 300mm and an arm formoving loads. The Giant Truck acts asan accompaniment to the Ride-onDigger. With a capacity of 105kg, thistruck can store whatever the diggeroperator wants to move.

A mixture of red, orange, blue andgreen panels make up the styling ofthe Adventure Cars range. The push-along cars have storage space totransport items during play and eachcomes with a figure. As well as singlecars, the firm offers two of theadventure cars with trailers – theAdventure Car with a Boat and theAdventure Car with a helicopter.

On a smaller scale, the range oftractors provide scooping and movingtoys. The green and yellow tractorsare 160mm tall and consist of a PushAlong Tractor, a Tractor with Shoveland Tractor with Trailer.

For seaside play, sand loadervehicles include Push-Along Scoopand a Tipper Truck complete with anopening door.

BIGJIGS 01303 250400

68 SECTOR GUIDE ACTION VEHICLES

MAY 2011

Meccano’s new Turbo racing carcollection is styled with wide racingslicks, performance enhancing spoilersand track hugging skirts.

Meccano’s mechanics have beenhard at work in the pit lanes to producetime-saving modifications to Turbo. Thetop of each model’s carry case can beconverted into the car’s chassis.

The Turbo Small Assortment featuresover 70 parts which build into a racingcar. Available in two different coloursand suitable for children aged sevenand up, the assortment will retail ataround £12.99.

The Turbo Medium Assortmentfeatures two designs, which are builtfrom a selection of over 90 parts. Oncebuilt, the super cars can be raced. Theassortment retails at £16.99.

Meccano’s Turbo R/C Racing Car andRC Pro are buildable remote controlcars, retailing at around £29.99 and£59.99 respectively.

Also new is the Micro KitsAssortment from the Xtreme actionvehicle range. The collection of off-roadvehicles are made using a fusion ofplastic and metal parts in day-glocolours with chrome effect metal.

There are three Xtreme Micro Kits tochoose from, each with 40-plus parts tobuild a miniature super car. Theproduct, which is ideal as a starterproduct, includes sound effects,pullback motors, power motors andremote control.

Sue Barratt, country manager,Meccano UK, comments: “Meccano’snew Turbo range takes all thetraditional qualities associated withMeccano and builds realistic lookingracing cars which incorporate a newclever storage system.

“The remote control vehicles due tobe release this autumn winter promiseto deliver great play value at a terrificprice too.”

MECCANO 01844 278888

The Maisto-TECH radio control rangecovers many sectors and price points.

Specially designed for the hobbysector is the Baja Beast, while the RockCrawler Junior caters more for the casualtoy market.

The fastest Masisto-Tech R/C, Baja-Beast has digital proportional steeringcontrol front and rear suspension and tri-band controller, which allows threepeople to play simultaneously. It isready-to-run with a 7.2V rechargeablebattery pack, with charger and Rebelsays the £69.99 price tag is competitivefor an R/C of this specification. Baja-Beast is for kids aged eight and up.

The Rock Crawler range has beenextended and now includes a Juniorversion for ages six and over.

The Rock Crawler Junior has front andrear motors for the climbing, 4X4 actionexperience. The toy is supplied ready-to-

run and carries a suggested retail priceof £24.99.

Featured on The Gadget Show, the BigDaddy Rock Crawler has new colouroptions for this year and is ready straightout of the box.

The Ferrari 458 Italia and LamborghiniAventador LP700-4 will be available in1:24th scale R/C from mid June.

Monster Drift Cars and Trucks withreal drifting action are in stock now, inaddition to the infra-red control R/CJunior collection, which featurescaricature vehicles including dump truck,fire, police and train. Suitable for threeyears old and up.

The Maisto die-cast collection alsohas a range of new model releases inboth 1:18 and 1:24 scales, including thePorsche Panamera Turbo, Audi R8 GT,Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, AudiR8 Spyder and Mercedes-Benz SLK.

REBEL TOYS 01482 887917

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MAY 2011

www.toynews-online.biz 71SECTOR GUIDE LARGE DOLLS

Guys and dollsThe large doll sector is one of the most traditional in the industry, but one that is still going strong. Constantlyupdated interactive features and a raft of new accessories keep the offering fresh. Katie Roberts finds outwhat the latest updates are from some of the key players…

Tender Tiny Tears comes with aninteractive baby monitor. Symbols tellchildren if the doll is happy, tearful,bored, hungry or tired. Suitable forages three and over, it is TV advertisedand available from June.

The original Classic Tiny Tearscomes with accessories such as potty,bottle, nappy and hair brush offeringchildren aged three and over role-playopportunities.

For children aged one and over,there’s a Teeny Tiny Tears version andthen a Teeny Tiny Tears Deluxe Set forages two and over, which is a 33cmsoft bodied doll complete with magicfeeding bottle, comfort blanket,sleeping bag, pyjama set and pacifier.

Accessories include outfits, pluschanging bag, Baby Gym-Carry Bag,Electronic Feeding Set and Bath Set.

JOHN ADAMS 01480 414361

Corolle is a collection of traditionaland contemporary French style dolls.

The Corolle Les Classiques line hasan array of large dolls suitable forchildren aged two and over. Theclassical dolls range from 14 to 20-inches tall, both with hair and without.They come with accessories andoutfits for role-play possibilities.

The range features a variety ofinteractive dolls including Lia, a 17-inch doll which laughs, cries, eats,wets and can speak four languages.Lia comes with eight accessoriesincluding potty, bib, dummy, bottleand plate and has 16 features.

Chouquette Blonde and Brunetteare 14-inch dolls with shiny long hair,which is good for grooming andstyling. With pyjamas and matchingheadbands, girls can style the hairusing the pink brush included.

Also part of the Les Classiquesrange is Corolle’s Bébé Chéri doll. Thedoll is the size of a real three month-old baby girl and can be dressed inclothing for babies aged three months.

DKL 01604 678780MGA Entertainment is further expanding

its Lalaloopsy large doll range, withseveral new characters being unveiledthroughout the year.

Lalaloopsy dolls are a modern twist onthe traditional rag doll, with a whimsical

appearance and button eyes. The idea isthat they magically came to life when thelast stitch was sewn to complete them,taking on the personalities of the fabricsused to make them.

The 13-inch dolls have two newcharacters added to the range for spring,Tippy Tumblelina, which was made from

pieces of a ballerina’s tutu andBlossom Flowerpot, which was

made from scraps of a gardener’sglove. Each doll comes with a pet

and a collectable poster.Autumn will see further

brand expansion with anumber of new charactersjoining the range, includingSunny Side Up and Berry

Jars ‘n’ Jam. In total, 20 newdolls will join the range.

Also new to the collectionfor the autumn will be a

Lalaloopsy with wacky, silly hairthat bends to allow the child tocurl, twist and straighten it. Thedoll will come with styling toolsand clips, while the pet has a

matching bendable tail. The impactful packaging of

the dolls emphasises theindividual characteristics ofeach doll and themarketing supportprogramme includes TV,PR and social media.

Lalaloopsy dolls aresuitable for children

aged four-plus.

MGA ENTERTAINMENT 0845 0533 333

This autumn will see a refresh on BabyAnnabell. The update will include newlife-like functions as well as retainingcore features, such as laughing,babbling and crying.

Baby Annabell Care For Me will alsojoin the range later in the year. The bath-able doll is made from a unique materialthat feels like a real baby’s skin andwhen the doll is placed in tepid water itwill be warm to touch.

Carrying through into 2011 is ZapfCreation’s Baby Born Magic Feedingdoll. Baby Born Magic Feeding doll has acolour-change feature – feeding it withthe ice cream cone results in a messyface. The dolls are aimed at girls agedthree plus.

New to the range this autumn is theinteractive Baby Born Clapping Handsdoll, which sings pat-a-cake whilstclapping its hands. When the childassists it to clap its hands, the doll willsing faster or slower accordingly.

Baby Born reaches its 20th anniversarythis year and to celebrate Zapf Creationhas created a special edition BirthdayParty doll. It is dressed in a sparkly pinkparty dress, with party accessories.

The Chou Chou dolls will have twonew additions this autumn. Chou ChouMagic Pacifier doll, with interactiveelectronic features and Chou Chou RockA Bye, which yawns and falls asleepwhen rocked. Meanwhile, Learn to WalkChou Chou crawls on its own, cries andkicks its legs.

Moving on, Dancing Danni respondsto music by dancing, moving its knees,waist and body randomly to the tunes. Anew doll for pre-schoolers will beintroduced this autumn. The 36cmPatchy Dolly allows children to alter itsfacial expressions using theinterchangeable mouth and eye pieces.

Also available for girls aged threeplus is the Jolina the ballerina and theAnnabell Tween dolls.

ZAPF CREATION 0845 0533 333

72 SECTOR GUIDE LARGE DOLLS

MAY 2011

Pintoy from John Crane features a rangeof doll accessories. New for this year, isthe Doll’s Stroller.

Designed in pink, the Doll’s Strollerfeatures a safety harness, plus anactivity bar. The four-wheeled stroller isalso fully collapsible.

The Doll’s Stroller joins the growingPintoy selection of large dollsaccessories which also includes aclassic Doll’s High Chair, which features

a pale pink seat and tray,complemented by pink, sturdy feet.Natural wood legs add extra style.

The pink Doll’s Swing Crib and aDoll’s Buggy featuring rose pink andnatural styling are also available.

Finally, the Doll’s Rocking Cradle ismade from natural wood with a pinkcradle. There are also side bars androckers beneath and white and pinkbedding to match the cradle.

JOHN CRANE 01604 774949 FLAIR 0208 643 0320

Brio offers two different doll prams,available in a variety of colours.

With a folding metal chassis, widetyres, foot brake and shopping basket,the classic Doll Pram Gull ensures thatchildren experience a realistic prampushing experience.

The pram also features a fold-outhood and padded cover.

The Doll Pram Combi features aremovable soft carrier with easy carry-handles. The seat, footrest and handle

height can be adjusted to suit childrenof different ages and heights. A foldinghood, folding frame, side pockets andspacious shopping basket completethe versatile pram.

All the products in the I’M Toy Dollierange are constructed from sustainablerubber wood finished in a pink withpurple detail. The Dollie Cradle is still astrong seller and the cradle can betransformed into a rocking hammock,rocking bed or rocking cradle.

MARBEL 01208 873123

A leading feature doll in Italy for manyyears, Cicciobello Love ‘n’ Care wasintroduced to the UK in 2009.

Soft-bodied, the doll needs care andattention and requires interaction tomake it happy. For example, if the dollcries and its cheeks glow red, girls haveto discover what’s wrong. Cicciobello’sneeds will be different every time.

The latest addition to the family –Cicciobello Crawl and Walk – sees the

baby boy growing up and learning towalk. Still the same doll, when kids placeit in the crawling position and clap theirhands it begins to crawl; or if they put itinto standing position and clap theirhands, it begins to walk.

The doll also makes gurgling soundswhen it moves.

The Cicciobello line is supported bytargeted TV advertising, PR and othermarketing activities.

Baby Alive Luv ‘n’ Snuggle features aplush, fleece body and tactile featuresincluding satin ribbons, soft hair and arattle in its tummy, the Luv ‘n Snuggledoll is designed for little hands to graspand hug. Baby Alive Luv ‘n Snuggle dollis machine washable and is suitable forchildren ages six months and over.

The Baby Alive Splash ‘n’ Giggle dolltakes the classic Baby Alive care-givingplay from playtime to bath time. Thecuddly Baby Alive doll can be playedwith in the bathtub. The doll’s plushbody is designed for water play.

Baby Alive Splash ‘n Giggle is machinewashable and has realistic baby soundsand is suitable for 18 months and over.

The My Baby Alive Doll can play, laughand talk. The doll offers the mostcomplete care-giving experience withinthe Baby Alive brand, speaking multiplephrases and featuring ‘rock-a-bye’ eyes,which can open and close.

When the doll is ready for bed, girlscan ‘feed’ it with the bottle and mix thespecial food.

Children aged three and over can alsochange the doll’s nappy.

HASBRO 020 8569 1234

www.toynews-online.biz 74SECTOR GUIDE LARGE DOLLS

Haba is introducing a new series oflarge soft dolls – Little Scamps. LittleScamp Michael has a sprinkling offreckles, shorts, T-shirt and skatershoes and likes to get out and about onhis skateboard.

Also new to this range is Elfe Elfine,dressed in a pink dress with wings andco-ordinating leg warmers. There arealso lots of additional accessoriesavailable separately.

Haba’s family of large soft dollscontinues to grow and introduces fournew characters and a new doll size. Inaddition to its38cm and 30cmdolls, there arenow newmedium-sized34cm dolls,including twogirls, Annie andClara. Bothdolls havehappy facesand are dressedin bright clotheswith co-ordinating hairbands.

To furtherenhance play,there are lots ofdress sets to fitall sized dolls

including a Fun on the Beach set withswimming costume, towel andswimming ring; a ballerina set andfootball outfits. Accessories are alsoavailable including Dolls Carry Cots,Infant Seat and a Doll Tent Fayland.

Horse Paulina and Horse Sissi areeach available as doll companions andcan be used together with the HorseShow Set and new Horse Barn LuckyHorseshoe for role-play.

Haba dolls are made with softbodies, cheerful faces and chenille hair,with distinctive, removable clothes.

HABA 0161 304 9555

Best Years’ handmade rag dolls arecrafted by a workers’ co-operative inSouth Africa and stand at 30-inches tall.

The dolls are clothed in removable,colourful dresses, including a pinkorganza dress over a pink petticoat orgreen organza with gold trimmings. Thedolls also have a button-up sash withribbons and satin bows on their feet.

Each doll is signed by the lady fromthe fairtrade co-operative who created it.The smiley faces are hand embroidered.The dolls are created from 100 per centcotton, while the stuffing and dressesare made from 100 per cent polyester.The dolls are around 78cm high, 30cmwide and 16cm deep.

BEST YEARS 01327 262189

Bigjigs Toys has added a softer side toits collection of wooden toys throughthe new Bigjigs Dolls Range. The dollscome in nine designs and each is280mm tall.

There are two ballerinas includingLily, the traditional pink ballerina withblonde hair and a pink hairband tomatch its tutu and Violet, which wearsa violet dress along with matchingballerina shoes.

Daisy has a bright yellow dress,trimmed with a pattern of strawberriesand berries and blonde hair. Poppyhas thick blonde bunches and a red,white and pink floral dress with awhite lace trim and a pink knittedcardigan. Olive has a pastel greendress decorated with a fruit patternand a dark green velvet waistcoat.

Rose has embroidered roses on afitted pink dress, finished with a whitelace trim. The doll has brown hair andpink shoes. Grace has brown buncheswith a fringe and a pastel blue dress.The doll wears a red pink and bluepatterned blouse. Summer has lightbrown hair and rose blush cheeks. Thedoll wears a dusty pink corduroydress, finished with a light pink floraltrim and scalloped white edging.

The boy – Harry – wears a red andwhite stripped t-shirt and blue shortsand has short blonde hair.

BIGJIGS 01303 250400

As a market leader in the dolls pramsand pushchairs market, HTI continuesto grow its Silver Cross and Mamas &Papas Junior collections. Based on thecontemporary models available in thereal nursery ranges, HTI offers little girlstheir own prams for their dolls.

HTI’s Silver Cross dolls prams andpushchairs range has been refreshedwith a new fabric of Poppy red withwhite Domino spots. New productlaunches for autumn/winter include theSurf Pram, which features the samemodern styling and convertible feature.A reversible body and tilt mechanismenables easy conversion from pram topushchair for maximum play value. Therange also includes the Ranger JuniorPram, 3D Pushchair and X4 Stroller, allof which feature the refreshed new lookof poppy domino styling.

The last word in luxury transport fordolls, the classic Silver Cross OberonPram features a hand sprung chassis,spoke wheels, polished enamel hand-painted body and waterproof hood andapron. Also supplied in the new PoppyDomino fabric for autumn/winter, thedolls carriage is suitable for girls agedfive to 11 years.

Also new for the second half of theyear is the Mamas & Papas main rangefeaturing the replica nursery fabric ofblack and white Damask pattern withbold Orchid pink. The range includesnew replica lines such as the Luna MixThree Wheel Stroller, T2 Tandem TwinStroller and the Rubix pram, as well as

an extended range of nurturing dollsaccessories. The Mamas & Papascollection also includes the new TrèsPetite range. The line comprises My Firstprams, pushchairs and accessoriesincluding a moses basket, which isinspired by one of the brand’s own reallife nursery collections.

The firm’s Peppa Pig range of dollsprams and pushchairs has also beengiven a refresh, with new fabricfeaturing all Peppa family charactergraphics and the introduction of a newPeppa & George Twin Stroller. To add tothis, HTI also provides dolls prams andpushchairs ranges within the Hello Kittyand Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom lines.

HTI 01253 778888

MAY 2011

Toymaster would like to invite all

Independent Toy and Model Retailers,

both in the UK and Ireland, to attend

the 2011 May Show.

Over 100 suppliers will be in attendance

at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate,

on the 17th - 19th May and we hope

you are able to join us in making the most

of the opportunities offered.

For more details or to register,

please contact Jo Skelton on

Tel: +44 (0)1604 674477

Email [email protected]

May ShowMay Show17th - 19th May 201117th - 19th May 2011

Alworths falls intoadministrationLESS THAN 18 months after itsfirst store opened, the Alworthschain has entered administration.

Neil Bennett and Michael Healyat Leonard Curtis are attempting tofind a new owner for the retail chainin order to save the 235 jobs heldacross the 17 stores.

Alworths was set up by ex-Woolworths executive Andy Lathamin November 2009, exactly a yearafter the original chain collapsed.

Questions began to be asked aboutthe future of the business in Aprilwhen Latham resigned as director asreported by Retail Week.

Administrators Leonard Curtissaid that all shops remain open whilea buyer is sought.

Partner Neil Bennett, said: “Thisis a business that operates in a verycompetitive market that has beenbadly affected by the recentdownturn in consumer confidence

experienced on the UK High Street.We are currently continuing to tradewhilst we look for a suitable buyer inan effort to secure the business andsafeguard job security for its currentemployees.”

Latham originally envisagedhaving 50 Alworths shops, later

seeing potential for 200,concentrating on small market townswhere Woolworths previouslythrived. By sticking to these areas,he was confident Alworths wouldnot fail in the same way thatWoolworths did.Leonard Curtis: 020 7535 7000

ONLINE GROCER Ocado has hiredformer Tesco executive, SimonBelsham as it looks to grow its non-food portfolio.

Belsham, who was themultichannel development director atTesco, will join Ocado in June toaccelerate its expansion in non-foodranges including toys, baby products,health and beauty and kitchenware.

The new recruit is expected tobuild a team that is likely to bringnew products to the website earlynext year.

Tim Steiner, chief executive,commented: “Ocado is entering thenext exciting stage of its developmentand part of that involves expandingour range of products significantly inthe coming years.

“Simon will lead theteam to develop acompelling non-foodoffer forOcado.”

Ocadoalready sellsa small

number of non-grocery products,including small toys, tableware,magazines and gifts.Ocado: 01707 227800

Retail OnlyDedicated monthly retail coverage

News • Data • Opinion

Ocado plans toy offeringBandai’s Power Rangers SamuraiMegazord…

Hero ProductPage 81

Retail charts including John Lewis,Amazon, The Entertainer, Play.com,Mail Order Express and WH Smith...

ChartsPage 79

Page 80New products

Counter Insurgent tells us why weshould still be charitable in thesedifficult times...

CommentPage 78

Jumbo, Seager Games, LegoMinifigures, Magmatic and Rollers...

by Katie Roberts

MAY 2011

Guess Who?Hasbro

Polly Pocket Doll's HouseMattel

My First Baby AnnabellZapf Creation

HIGHSTREET

COUNTERINSURGENT

78 RETAIL ONLY

AS A SHOPOWNER whentimes aretough youlook for thingsyou canchange to

keep some money in yourpocket, but recently I’venoticed just how many morerequests we’re getting forfundraising support.

We have always tried hardto help with prizes for raffles,tombolas and auctions. Itmight not be much – as we setourselves a budget – but youalways have people come intothe store or phone up and it’seasy to lose track. We recentlydecided to only respond toletters and tried to support thelocal community, if possible forchild-related causes likeschools, playgroups and kids’charities.

I had someone wander intothe store struggling with somebags and ask at the till for a

raffle prize. As I was re-doingsomeone’s effort of a displaynearby, I came over and askedfor some more details.

She replied they wereblitzing the area, asking localshops for support. In returnwe’d get a mention in theprogramme. But, when I askedwhat and where the event was,I was told it was a fete in avillage 30 miles away andoutside the county. I said thatwe normally try to help thelocal community as much aswe can, but I could get them alittle something. I asked forsome proof of who she wasand a letter of authorisationfrom the event’s organiser inorder to do so.

She had neither, but she didpoint out that I wouldn’t haveheard about the event as itwas so far away. I told her thatI couldn’t give her anythingwithout any proof, to whichshe held the bags up and saidlots of others had helped out

and then launched a mouthfulof abuse that would have gotWayne Rooney a ban for sixmatches.

However, my favouritemoment is still the time whena member of staff asked me to

come and see a ‘customer’about a raffle prize. When Iasked how I could help, I wastold that the raffle prize wehad given wasn’t goodenough: he was expectingsomething better.

I looked to see what he wasgiven and it was a request thatI remembered dealing with.They wanted a bear for a‘Name the Bear’ competition.As this was a big £30 teddybear I was a little surprised but

he wanted the bigger, £80bear in the window.

I knew what I had agreedwith the chair of the event,who is in fact a long standingcustomer, but this guy felt weshould make an exception as it

was for a good cause. And Idid make an exception, foronce: I told him as it wasn’tgood enough for him I wouldhave it back and walked off...

When times are hard shouldwe bother with supportingevents? I know how hard it isfor local organisations, schoolsand charities to get fundingand how much hard work goesinto these events, and mostare very appreciative for eventhe smallest bit of help. If itwas left up to the likes of ToysR Us these events wouldn’thave a chance of getting whatthey need. Oh, and for those ofyou who think I was aheartless bastard, they did getthe bear: I called the chair toexplain why she was ‘bearless’and asked her to come in andcollect it herself.

I know how hard it is forlocal schools and charities

to get funding, and how muchhard work goes intothese events.

Dispatches from the retail front line...

Lego Ninjago:Ice Dragon Attack

Lego

R2D2 Repair GameIMC

PRICE CHECK: MAY 2011

£13.99 £11.99 £14.990 £19.99 £13.99

£12.99 £16.99 £18.19 £20.99 £22.99

£13.99 N/A £12.00 £19.99 N/A

N/A £14.77 £12.96 £19.97 £19.97

£6.49 £16.99 £11.50 £19.36 £19.98

MAY 2011

www.toynews-online.biz 79RETAIL ONLY

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Star Wars Brickmaster Lego

Large Brick Box Lego

Timmy Time Wooden Dominoes Set Golden Bear

Sylvanian Families Sister at Home Set Flair

Pirate Plank Game Lego

Atlantis Brickmaster Lego

Toy Story 3 Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear Mattel

Pirate Brickmaster Lego

Science Museum Solar Airship Great Gizmos

Lego Atlantis: The Menace from the Deep Activity Book Lego

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The Entertainer

Lalaloopsy Doll MGA

Moshi Monsters Talking Poppet Moshi Soft Toy Vivid

Hornby Toy Story 3 Electric Train Set Hornby

VTech Kidizoom Plus - Digital Camera Blue VTech

Plum Products Sand and Picnic Table Plum

Toy Story Woody The Sheriff Vivid

Forest Growable Acorn Swing Set with QuadPod TP Toys

Genius SurroundSafe 10ft Trampoline TP Toys

Hello Kitty Scooter HTI

Belling Foldaway Kitchen HTI

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Mail Order Express

Bananagrams Game Winning Moves

Nerf N-Strike Clip System Dart Pack (36 Darts) Hasbro

Union Jack Flag 12ft (11 Pack) Partyrama

Nerf N-Strike Stampede ECS Hasbro

William & Kate Commemorative Union Jack PMS International

Mookie Classic Swingball Mookie

Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 Hasbro

Duplo Large Brick Box Lego

Tomy Aquadoodle Classic Drawing Toy Tomy

Scrabble Original Mattel

Waybuloo Patio Set Patio Set Yaffe

Thomas Desk and Stool Yaffe

In The Night Garden Infant Sand & Water Play Centre Yaffe

Thomas and Friends Two Seater Toy Box Yaffe

Fire Station Playmobil

Baby Annabell 2009 Zapf

Academy Desk & Chair Dominoes

Waybuloo Toy Box Yaffe

Nebulus Blue Scooter Ozbozz

Waybuloo Basic Desk & Stool Yaffe

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Lego Star Wars Trade Federation Troop Carrier Lego

Mini Micro T-Bar Scooter, Green Micro Scooters

Meccano Build & Play Mini Assortment Meccano

Gruffalo Dress Up Outfit VMC Acessories

FurReal Friends Butterscotch Pony Hasbro

Extreme Stretch Dinosaurs TAOS

Marbles Set Rex International

Flying Glider Rex International

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Dotty Fleece Blanket Character World

Rubik’s Cube Classic John Adams

Nerf Dart Tag FuryFire 2 Pack Set Hasbro

Lego Minifigures Series 3 Lego

Hide N Squeak Eggs Tomy

Connect 4: 5 Ways To Play Hasbro

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom: Holly & Her Fluttering Wings Golden Bear

Me To You Daisy Fleece Blanket Character World

Tangled: Rapunzel Fleece Blanket Character World

Tyrannosaurus Rex Board Game Paul Lamond

CHART DATE11/04/11

CHART DATE11/04/11

MAY 2011

PRODUCTNEWS

4-IN-1 TRUNKI Travel ToyBoxgets its name from its four differentfunctions as a ride-on, a push-along, a rocking cradle andmultiple ToyBoxes that can linktogether to form a train.

Magmatic sees the toy as asolution to the ‘staycation’: ‘astorage solution was required notonly to stash and stack essentialtoys, games and books while onthe move, but to function as a toyin its own right. A travel toy boxthat can be used at home’.

Available in pink and blue, theToyBox has wheels and islightweight and durable, while thelid clips on to make sure contentsare secure. A carry handle and arubber tongue for connectingtogether completes the package. Itis priced at £19.99Magamatic: 0117 9542 781

SINCE THEIR launch in 2010, LegoMinifigures have become aplayground hit and have topped theNPD charts on multiple occasions.

Now on the fourth collection,there are 16 new characters tocollect in the latest Minifiguresseries. These include The Monster,Surfer Girl, Sailor, Kimono Girl,Punk Rocker, Soccer Player, CrazyScientist and a Lawn Gnome.

Each Lego person comes sealed ina ‘mystery bag’, so children willnever know which one they’re goingto get, until it’s opened.

Each one has its own specialaccessories, display plate andcollector’s leaflet.

They are inspired by movies,sports, history and just everyday life.Each minifigure is priced at £1.99.Lego: 01753 495000

EXPANDING ITS popular Disneyrange, Jumbo las launched a newflagship product – the DisneyPrincess Magic Wand Game.

Girls must work their way aroundthe board by waving the magic wandand listening to the instructions, butlanding on the Evil Stepmothermeans you miss a turn.

The first person to get to the frontof the castle and successfully use the

magic wand to gain entry isnamed the winner.

Aimed at pre-schoolers, Jumboexpects the product to be a hit inthe summer all the way throughto Christmas. It will support thebrand with puzzles and low pricepoint games. The Disney PrincessMagic Wand Game is expected toretail at around £14.99Jumbo Games: 01707 289289

Toy Trunk providesstaycation solution

80 RETAIL ONLY

SEAGER GAMES prides itself onproducing games for children,teenagers and ‘big kids’.

Designed to be played by peopleof all ages and abilities, Granbob’sBritain Game and Granbob’s NatureGame are matching images games.

They have 48 and 56 original,circular cards which feature handpainted pictures by the 87 year-oldby Mrs Pat Comer.

The games feature those thingsconsidered ‘most British’ aboutBritan, for example, the nature

game includes animals, birds,flowers, fish. Luck, knowledge andstrategy evenly combine so that

anyone can win from any position.No player can ‘go out’ of a game atany time, until the game is over.

Games can take one hour or lessto finish.

Each game pack comes in acompact travel size with an RRP of£10. Seager Games will offer up to50 per cent trade discount even onmodest orders.

Orders above £180, which caninclude any other SG products, arefully carriage paid.Seager Games: 08707 440822

Seager picks up hand-painted card game

ROLLORS COMBINES the skill ofbocce, horseshoes and bowling all inone game that is suitable for all ages.

The outdoor game is played byhand rolling small wooden diskstowards a colour coded goal. Eachgame features crafted wood piecesand a carry case to protect the wood.

“I wanted to create a fun gamethat gets families out of the houseand enjoying some quality timetogether in the sunshine,” saidinventor Matt Butler. The Americancame up with the game while onactive duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During the down time whileserving in combat operations, he hadtime to sketch the pieces, devise therules and brainstorm his ownbusiness selling the game.

Rollors has been picked up by bigUS retailers like Menards and Meijer,and sells for around $26.

If you’re interested in helpingButler roll out the product in otherterritories, contact him via hiswebsite, www.rollors.netRollors: 478-501-2003

US toy seeks worldwide roll out

Jumbo plotting success for DisneyPrincess game

New Minifigures Four Everyone

www.toynews-online.biz 81HERO PRODUCT

Bandai Power Rangers Samurai –Samurai MegazordPower Rangers are back on our screens and Bandai issupporting the iconic brand with a new toy line…

MAY 2011

Bandai’s Power Rangers Samurai marketing will include an extensive TV campaign, kicking off in August

Release dates:July 2011CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: 01489 790944Email: [email protected]

POWER RANGERS Samurai features a newgeneration of Rangers who must master theSamurai Sword and the Mystical Symbols ofPower, which give them control over theelements of Fire, Water, Sky, Forest and Earth.

Under the guidance of their all-knowingmentor, the Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and PinkPower Rangers can summon their devotedanimal Zords to aid them in battle.

In the TV series, the Power Rangers mustfight the dark forces of the underworld and amysterious Warrior bent on destruction.

The animal Zords are always ready to helpagainst the forces of the Netherworld and whenfaced by larger foes, the Zords can combinetogether to create the ultimate SamuraiMegazord complete with Super Samurai Sword.

The Megazord can also be combined with theDisc Cycles and the Animal Zords for extendedplay. All these items will be part of Bandai’slaunch range hitting shelves in July.

Bandai’s marketing campaign will feature PR,online, sponsorship and extensive TVadvertising, beginning in August and runningthroughout the year.

1/4 page: Annual charge £1,395 (minimum twelve months booking)Get your company featured: [email protected] T: 01992 535 647RATES:

The place for business

RATES:RATES:

MAPS TOYSSUPPLIER/MANUFACTURER01483 776006MAPS TOYS has seen incredible

growth in the last four years.

Divisional head Will Sharman

attributes this to the company’s

focus on working with ranges

that are a little different than its

competitors.

“I think all of us working in

the industry through

challenging times are so

obsessed with economics and

logistics that we lose sight of it

is really about – selling fun toys

that children actually want to

play with.”

Yummy Dough embodies this

philosophy, based on the

simple yet satisfying activities

of creating, baking, eating and

giving, and the new tub’s

packaging has proved attractive

to both children and parents.

In addition to the cola

powered rocket car and other

creative products from Be

Amazing Toys, Maps is very

excited about the spring launch

of the Marshmallow Fun

Company’s Classic Mallow

Blaster and Bow and Mallow,

both of which follow the themes

of simplicity and fun.

Complementing the

Mallow toys perfectly

comes the 30-feet

water shooting Fire

Power back pack from

Aeromax Toys.

Marshmallow and water

fight anybody?

For further information:

Tel: 01483 776006

[email protected]

www.mapstoys.com

CARTAMUNDI IS the largest global

manufacturer of playing cards and

cards for games.

The company was established in

1970 and since then it has

continued to manufacture and

supply quality playing cards to all

of its customers, both large and

small. Those customers include

general public right through to

casinos, private labels, cards for

games and the premium and

promotional markets.

A former Entrepreneur of the

Year, the group achieved sales of

€147,5 million in 2010, with a

workforce of 1,200 and factories

and sales offices all over the

world. With its experience and

specialist knowledge, the company

is able to continuously develop

innovative playing cards.

Cartamundi has a strong new

retail range for 2011, with licences

and products being introduced

throughout the year, including

Disney Cars 2, Phineas and Ferb,

The Beatles Yellow Submarine and

a whole new Poker range,

Diamond for the premium end of

the market and Joker for the entry

price point.

There is also the Puzzler Family

of card games, with more to be

announced soon.

For further information:

Tel: 01268 511 522

www.cartamundi.co.uk

CARTAMUNDITOY SUPPLIER01268 511 522

Advertisers■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.Rainbow Productions 0208 254 5300

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

Brookite 01837 53315

Cambridge Brainbox 01279 821 333

Esdevium Games 01420 593 593

Flying Toys 01702 295 110

Fun Collectables 01844 273 719

The Puppet Company 01462 446040

Jumbo Games 01707 289 289

Logiblocs 01727 763 700

Maps Toys 01483 776 006

Millhouse 01526 351 919

Network Display 01902 493 999

Plastics for Games 01728 745 300

Revell 01442 250 130

Thumbs Up 0845 466 8880

Yoyeti [email protected]

Wow Toys 020 7471 0980

■ Toy Suppliers

Cartamundi 01268 511 522

Richard Edward 0208 311 8888

82 TN117_final 27/4/11 16:23 Page 1

Marketplacewww.toynews-online.biz | Advertising: +44 (0)1992 535 647


■ Suppliers/Manufacturers■ Character Costumes & P.O.S.


Marketplace

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers


■ Suppliers/Manufacturers■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

■ Suppliers/Manufacturers ■ Suppliers/Manufacturers

Marketplace






■ Suppliers/Manufacturers ■ Toy Suppliers

■ Toy Suppliers ■ Toy Suppliers

88 TOY TALK

TOYTALKSpin Master gets baking for charity and we take a look at the latest technology from the Gadget Show Live…

MAY 2011

THERE ARE more pressing matters in theworld at the moment than kids’ playthings,of course, but even the toy industry isfeeling the fiscal fallout of global tragedy.The horrors in Japan saw financial nervesfrayed with investors less willing to takecredit risk, particularly in leveraged loans.About $10bn of loans were cancelled,including a $1.1bn refinancing for Toys R Usand potential oil shortages in light of theconflict in Libya could yet impact on rawmaterial and transport costs.

Although there was no suggestion thatthe Japanese disaster would scupper theTomy/RC2 deal, a number of law firms wereapparently investigating potential claims onbehalf of shareholders of RC2 concerningthe proposed acquisition of the company byTomy. However, the deal has now beengiven the green light to proceed.

The world has been truly stunned byevents in Japan and you can’t help beingamazed at how dignified their people havebeen in the face of such trauma. Playing itspart, The Toys R Us Children’s Fund made a$500,000 donation to Save the Children tohelp provide relief to children and familiesimpacted by the earthquake and tsunami,while the Toys R Us team in Japan isworking with Save the Children to provideimmediate deliveries of urgently neededbaby products to impacted areas.

Despite such caring, well intentionedacts, the toy industry still does itself nofavours in other areas and the latestproduct to take the biscuit for stupiditysurely has to be Struts from Playmates, asort of slutty cross between My Little Ponyand Bratz with long haired fillies in dressesand high heels. Yeuch. Geared towards girlsaged five to eight, are the long lashes andimpossibly thin limbs of the Struts sendingthe wrong message to children? Thesexualisation of children’s playthings is asticky wicket for toys and the sexualisationof horses is just plain stupid, neigh, idiotic.

JonSALISBURYObservations froma toy industrysurvivor....

DOMESTIC GODDESSES‘SWEET DELIGHTS’ tookon a new meaning forSpin Master last monthas staff in the UK officegot cooking in thekitchen to producesome edible cakes andcookies for charity. TheNational Autistic Societyis the chosen globalcharity of Spin Masterfor the year, and staff atthe office in Bourne Endwere busy baking andbuying (not to mentioneating) lots of goodiesto support the charity. Itwas the first of a fewevents the company willbe holding throughoutthe year.

Paul Roberts,General Manager, Cartamundi UK

What was your first jobin the toy industry?Manufacturing the game cardsets that went into the originalTrivial Pursuit.

What do you love most aboutworking in the industry?The diversity of the charactersyou meet and the friendlinessof the people.

What would you do if youweren’t in your current role?I could never imagine myselfdoing anything different, but ifI had a choice a Formula 1 racecar driver.

What does your averageworking day consist of?Early to rise and late to bed.

What’s the best bit aboutyour role?Strategising for success.

And the worst?The clocks always go backto zero on January 1st.

Where do you hope your careerwill have taken you in fiveyears time?Hopefully three to four inches lesson my waist size and still in thesame job, doing what I havealways loved.

Use three words todescribe yourself.Realistic, honest, hardworking.

Who would play you inCartamundi: The Movie?Johnny Vegas.

Tell us a funny story abouta moment in your toyindustry career:When Trivial Pursuit was firstreleased, and we didn’t make it,one of the cards read:Q. Who is the president of theUnited States?A. Mickey MouseIt was a good lesson in what notto do at the start of my career.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MyFavouriteThings

MatthewWarneford,CTO, Dubit, producingvirtual worlds and socialgames for brands.

Number one album: Carry On Up The Chartsby The Beautiful South.------------------------------------------------------------------Film: Elf, it’s not Christmas without Buddy the elf.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Website: Hacker News, the single best news site forcomputer geeks and entrepreneurs.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hero: Pete Sampras makes the sporting hero topspot for six years as world number one. Steve Jobsfor creating the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Number one single when you were born: Flashdance...What A Feeling - Irene Cara.--------------------------------------------Magazine: Wired.--------------------------------------------Holiday: La Manga, Spain.---------------------------------------------Pet: Cat.----------------------------------------------Game/toy: Lego Technic.----------------------------------------------Tipple: Gin martini, stirred,straight up, with a twist.-----------------------------------------------------------------Food: Prawns in hot garlic and chilli oil, followed by saltencrusted sea-bass and a creme brulee for desert.------------------------------------------------------------------Way to spend a weekend: Tennis in the morning,Martinis in the afternoon.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Advice: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man whopoints out how the strong man stumbles, or where thedoer of deeds could have done them better. The creditbelongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whoseface is marred by dust and sweat and blood.”

MAY 2011

89TOY TALK

GADGETSHOWHITS NECA HOST of companiesincluding LeapFrog, VTech andRe:creation made the trip toBirmingham to exhibit theirtechnological toys.

Many exhibitors found thenew ‘Professional’ trade day(supported by ToyNews)helpful – using the less busyday to strike deals withretailers and e-tailers from theUK and Europe.

Hexbug’s marketingmanager, Heather Rowson,said: “It’s a really goodopportunity to sell toconsumers as well as trade,and it allows us to reach a bitof an older audience who aremore interested in big boystoys.” The Flying Toysdistributed AR.Drone wasnamed in the Gadget ShowLive’s top 50 gadgets, and theshow’s ever-enthusiasticpresenter Jason Bradbury saidthe flying helicopter was oneof his favourite toys.

Dave Rawlins, director ofFlying Toys, commented: “Inour opinion The Gadget ShowLive is the perfect exhibition todemonstrate this type oftechnical product.”

Despite being hard at workchatting to the toy trade,ToyNews’ Emily Briggs andLewis Tyler found time to sit inFirebox.com’s officiallylicensed 1960s Batmobile, nowselling for £120,000.

90 FEATURE PLANNER

JULY 2011

Editorial deadline: May 6thAdvertising deadline: June 17th

Two firms are specialists in electronic learning, VTech andLeapfrog, but many more are now joining the fray in thecontinuously updated category.

Also in the July issue is a look at creative play, a categorywhich is currently seeing a strong rise in sales, and a run-down of the latest costumes hitting the dress-up sector.

In a special feature, we will also take a look at theproperties which have successfully moved out of the virtualspace, into the physical toy space.

MAY 2011

Got any events you would like to see added to the calendar? Email [email protected]

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

© Intent Media 2011 No part of this publicationmay be reproduced in any form or by any meanswithout prior permission of the copyright owners.ISSN: 1740-3308

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PLAYCON (FORMERLY TOYCON)May 4th - 6thHyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort,Gainey Ranch, Scottsdal, Arizonawww.toyassociation.org

BTHA/AGM INDUSTRY DAYMay 29thGreat Fosters Hotel, Egham, Surreywww.BTHA.co.uk

TOYMASTER MAY SHOWMay 17th - 19thMajestic hotel, Harrogatewww.toymaster.co.uk

TOY TRUST G.O.S.H. FUNDRAISERJune 11th 2011Rutland Waterwww.btha.co.uk/toytrust

TIA CALIFORNIA TOY DAYJune 7th - 8thTBC, Sacramento, CAwww.toyassociation.org

AUTUMN FAIRSeptember 4th - 7thNEC Birminghamwww.autumnfair.com

LICENSING INTERNATIONAL EXPOJune 14th - 16thMandalay Bay Convention Centre, LasVegaswww.licensingexpo.com

THE LICENSING AWARDSSeptember 13thGrosvenor House Hotelwww.thelicensingawards.co.uk

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ToyNews Issue 117 May 2011

Documents

independent sector

year olds

generation learning

itsstrongest toy lineup

us27 toymaster

theindie sector

fun motion gaming

annual toymaster showis