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Jazwares, Hasbro Hit the Gas with Micro Machines General Motors Vehicles
Jazwares and Hasbro are introducing licensed vehicles into the Micro Machines collection in the modern era for the first time. Officially licensed rides were a staple of the original Galoob Micro Machines of the ’80s and ’90s, and this time around it’s General Motors (GM) providing the iconic cars that are being zapped with the shrink ray. New miniature vehicles and playsets include the GM Icons and Micro Drag Race Classics World Packs. Read more…
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Moose Toys’ ScrunchMiez Takes Hair Wear to the Next Level
Moose Toys is expanding its wearable product line with ScrunchMiez, dynamic hair accessories that are styleable, collectible, and playable, all in one. Each scrunchie can transform from a hair tie to a small, cuddly animal plush. A matching colored clip helps tighten-up braids and ponytails, but can also attach to the back of the plush for wearability. Read more…
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Spielwarenmesse Summer Edition Is Canceled; Event Set to Return in January 2022
Spielwarenmesse‘s Summer Edition, which was scheduled for July 20-24, is canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The organizers instead will focus on next year’s event, taking place from Feb. 2-6, 2022. The decision was made on March 25 at Spielwarenmesse eG’s supervisory board meeting. Read more…
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SDCC Reveals Early Plans for In-person November Convention
As promised when announcing the cancelation of in-person Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) for this July, the SDCC team has provided initial information about a three-day, smaller, “Comic-Con Special Edition” that is set to take place from Nov. 26-28 (Thanksgiving weekend) at the San Diego Convention Center. Read more...
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Squishmallows Sales Boom on eBay
It’s no secret that Kellytoy — a subsidiary of Jazwares — has a massive hit on its hands with Squishmallows. Reps for eBay tell the Toy Book that 57,381 listings for Squishmallows have been placed on the site so far this year — an average of 690 a day. As for individual units, more than 58,000 Squishmallows have been sold on eBay this year. Read more…
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PlayMonster, Boy Scouts Blast Off with Snap Ships Partnership
PlayMonster LLC and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) inked a partnership deal for Snap Ships that will bring the intergalactic building fun to the Cub Scouts. A Cub Scouts Modular Design & Build Preview Adventure will launch this year in which kids will learn modular design with and without instructions using Snap Ships. Additionally, PlayMonster will provide 10,000 Snap Ships samples to kids attending BSA day camps and summer camp programs. Read more…
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VTech Launches International Collaboration with Save the Children
VTech launched an international effort to assist Save the Children to help alleviate some of the additional stresses placed on kids livig in poverty amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The company will be donating $1 for each toy and baby monitor sold through its websites in Canada and Hong Kong — along with $1 for each baby monitor sold through its U.S. website retroactively from Dec. 1, 2020-Nov. 30, 2021 — to Save the Children. Read more…
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Aurora World Celebrates Eco Nation Success with Mid-year Plush Additions
Following the successful launch of its 100% recycled Eco Nation plush collection, Aurora World is extending the range with new additions earlier than expected. Eco Nation toys are super-soft plush crafted from fabric and fiber fills made from 100% recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or plastic bottles. Read more…
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Talking Games with Solid Roots on the ‘Power Kid Podcast’
In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Chris and Jennifer Armstrong of Solid Roots. The family-focused company produces games, including Mind the Gap, Hipsterology, and Trapped, alongside the Hangup + Hangout Device Detox Box. Listen here...
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Storypod Officially Launches in the U.S., Teases Licensing Deals
Following a massively successful Kickstarter campaign last year, the Storypod screen-free audio player is officially for sale in the U.S. Storypod is a 360-degree speaker that kids can use to listen to classic and original stories, songs, and rhymes that are activated using 3.5-inch yarn figures called Crafties. Read more…
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Watch: WonderCon@Home Women in Toys Panel
Action Figure Insider’s Daniel Pickett hosts the WonderCon@Home Women in Toys 2 panel, featuring Abby Pickett, licensing associate at Mattel; Ashly Powell, senior director of product development at NECA/Loot Crate/Rubies; Hilary Gray, associate director of fan marketing at Funko; and Jen Cassidy, vice president of business development and licensing at Super7. Read more…
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The Hunt Is on for a NERF Chief TikTok Officer
If you weren’t convinced about the power of TikTok, take note. Hasbro’s NERF marketing team is on the hunt for a NERF Chief TikTok Officer aka NERF CTO.
The company plans to offer a salary of $10,000 a month for up to three months to create content, help develop strategy, and set the tone for NERF’s official debut on the popular video platform. According to the NERF team, applicants should be trend-obsessed and highly creative. Read more…
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ThunderCats Heads to the Big Screen from Godzilla vs. Kong Director
Another one of the most popular toy lines of the ’80s is getting the big-screen treatment. Following the successful international launch of Godzilla vs. Kong this week, director Adam Wingard inked a deal with Warner Bros. to helm ThunderCats. In an interview with Deadline, Wingard explains that ThunderCats has been a passion project since he was 6 years old and that in high school he penned a 272-page screenplay that he hoped to one day develop into a feature film. Read more...
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Learn 123s and ABCs with the Pokémon Primers Book Series
Young kids can start their Pokémon training early as they explore the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors with Pokémon Primers, a new series of books from Pikachu Press. The books are a creative way to introduce kids to the world of Pokémon while teaching them their ABCs and 123s with activities, stickers, and interactive elements. Read more…
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Spacetoon, pocket.watch Ink Pact for Love, Diana
Love, Diana is expanding internationally thanks to a new deal between pocket.watch and Spacetoon. Spacetoon will serve as the master consumer products licensing agent for the Love, Diana brand across the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) in an effort to deliver new toys and other products to kids throughout the region. Read more…
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Mattel’s Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday to Debut on Netflix
Mattel Television officially revealed launch plans for the first of its two previously announced Barbie specials planned for this year. Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday will debut April 16 on Netflix. The first TV movie to feature Chelsea in a starring role will follow the Roberts family as they embark on a cruise to celebrate her seventh birthday. Read more…
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Hasbro, Toys “R” Us Hong Kong Launch Transformers Pop-up Shop
While families in the U.S. await a proper relaunch of the Toys “R” Us brand at retail, Geoffrey the Giraffe and Co. continues to do big things internationally. Toys “R” Us Hong Kong and Hasbro have collaborated on a limited-time Transformers pop-up store at Windsor House mall in Hong Kong. The experience is packed with exclusive products, including many Transformers toys that have only been released as retailer exclusives or offered through Hasbro Pulse in the U.S. Read more…
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ZAG Inks ‘Miraculous’ New Consumer Products Deals with Crayola, KidDesigns, and More
Following the news that Disney Channel picked up seasons four and five of Miraculous — Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir in the U.S., ZAG revealed that the company has inked new licensing deals to extend the brand into new product categories from Crayola, Mighty Mojo Toys, Kid Designs, and others. Read more…
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Willy’s Wonderland Gets into Licensing with Toys, Costumes, and More
A new crew of animatronic ghouls is planting a flag in territory that’s typically dominated by Five Nights at Freddy’s. Since its day and date theatrical and digital debut last month, Willy’s Wonderland has quickly gained a cult following, and now Landmark Studio Group — a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. company — is building out a full licensing program to support it with toys, costumes, and more. Read more…
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Talkin’ Toys: YWOW Brands CEO Discusses Novelty Puzzles and Packaging Innovations
The Toy Book spoke with CEO Michele Rudelli to discuss YWOW Brands’ licensed puzzles, the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the company’s plans for future licensing programs — including an exploration into the inflatables category. Read more…
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Dive into Baby Shark’s Big Show! with Cast Member Luke Youngblood
The Toy Insider chats with actor Luke Youngblood about his role as William in the new Nickelodeon series, the process of creating an episode of the show during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what kids will love about this televised Baby Shark spinoff. Read more…
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Toy Community Mourns the Loss of Hot Wheels, Matchbox Designer Ryu Asada
One of the most prolific Hot Wheels designers of the past 20 years has taken his final lap. Ryu Asada joined Mattel in 2004 as a designer on the Matchbox brand before making his way to the Hot Wheels Team. Over the course of his 17-year career, Asada designed dozens of 1:64-scale die-cast vehicles for the $1 Hot Wheels mainline assortment, most recently serving as designer project lead. Read more…
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