Top-10 Most-Wanted Items for Tween Girls These days, if it’s not a craft to be made, an accessory to be worn or a cute animal to be admired, it’s probably not at the top of tween girls’ want lists...
11/1/2009
Tween Crafts Show Off on Video Are your tween customers into arts, crafts and fun accessories? There's plenty for them to explore in the following kits by Fashion Angels, Artterro, Creativity for Kids and Corps of Re-Discovery...
9/1/2009
Fresh Videos Take Flight Now's the time to order, so this month TDmonthly has a new batch of toy videos to help you make decisions for fourth quarter...
TDmonthly's Fall 2009 Award Winners! TDmonthly Magazine's Fall 2009 award winners include bugs that buyers can't resist, sophisticated arts and crafts kits for girls, games with penguins, gobblers and plenty of dice, and beautiful natural and wooden toys...
9/1/2009
FREEBIES: No-Cost, High-Value Add-Ons TDmonthly Magazine offers lots of unique, free ways for specialty retailers to help their customers learn more about what makes their toys an incredible value. This month marks TDmonthly's first-ever in-house VIDEO BLITZ...
9/1/2009
TDmonthly’s 2009 Award Finalists! Toys, games and baby items poured in for the fall installment of TDmonthly Magazine’s 2009 awards program. The submissions have been narrowed by about 40 percent...
8/1/2009
In This Issue This month, TDmonthly Magazine brings you tips for online success, a spotlight on a Southwest toy store that places big emphasis on fair-labor and American-made toys, and a look into one manufacturer’s complex process...
Why Twitter May Be Worth the Time Near the end of July, Flying Pig Games was celebrating its first order via Twitter — direct from a toy store that had recently been introduced to the new Jukem football card game during an in-store demo by the inventor...
8/1/2009
TDmonthly's Top 10: Baby & Kids World, Tokyo Japan's first-ever Baby & Kids World trade show, held concurrently with Reed Exhibitions' GIFTEX and DESIGN TOKYO shows, welcomed 106 exhibitors July 8-10, offering a variety of juvenile care items, clothing, toys and accessories...
8/1/2009
Top-10 Most-Wanted Gifts for Girls In June 2009, TDmonthly Magazine asked 47 retailers what are the most in-demand items for girls in their stores...
8/1/2009
Top-10 Toys from ASTRA 2009 From pet fish in self-sustaining aquariums to tiaras with all the twinkle a little girl could want, specialty toy-store owners at the 2009 ASTRA Marketplace & Academy found plenty of fun products...
7/1/2009
Bigfoot & Pickle Face Creations Stamp For Fun Developing a product that encourages creativity and can grow with a child presented an exciting challenge for Cheryl Marchek, owner and founder of Bigfoot & Pickle Face Creations...
Regional Reports: What's Selling … And Where Magformers by Rainbow Products are hot sellers for Mike DiAndrea of Hardware Centre Inc. in Paoli, Pa. He noted that between the brick-and-mortar store and the website, they sell about 100 to 150 sets per month. “I’m reordering every three weeks,” he told TDmonthly Magazine...
6/1/2009
Followup: Toy Space at Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recently denied “new plans to reduce allocated shelf space for toys companywide” as a statement of response to a TDmonthly Magazine article, “Wal-Mart Cuts Toys and Crafts in Clean-Up Campaign,” written by TDmonthly contributor Lutz Muller...
5/1/2009
Kid Reviewers Applaud Eco-friendly Craft Barn TDmonthly Magazine’s Roundtable of 12 children from five families enjoyed coloring, decorating and assembling the Paintable Barn from Imagination Box Co...
TDmonthly’s Psychologist Mom TDmonthly Magazine’s Psychologist Mom recently discovered an intriguing twist with a morphed art project, watched her son start to master beginner yo-yo skills, and played with her senses in a game that brought lots of laughter...
5/1/2009
New Toys for Santa's Sleigh This year, kids can ditch the traditional coloring book for some 3-D fun with biodegradable and cardboard structures that can be decorated to their hearts’ content...
5/1/2009
TDmonthly's May Staff Picks From fascinating art sets, to eco-friendly dolls and plush, to creative games and science kits, there are plenty of new product launches to consider for fourth quarter...
5/1/2009
In This Issue When you’re not browsing through the current issue of TDmonthly Magazine, visit ToyDirectory’s recently launched retailer blog to see posts from Joe Mitchell of YoYo Joe’s Toys & Fun in Wilmington, Del...
My Best Sellers: Twirl Toystore & Playspace Fun, impulse toys are staples at Twirl Toystore & Playspace in Taos, N.M. Following are the items Operations Manager Molly McMullin told TDmonthly Magazine are best sellers at her store...
4/1/2009
Look at Exciting Crafts and Construction Videos Kids who like to work with their hands will find new ways to challenge themselves with these crafts and construction toys from Toy Fair 2009...
4/1/2009
Top-10 Most-Wanted Arts and Crafts In late fall 2008, TDmonthly Magazine polled 44 specialty retailers on their sales of arts and crafts items. In this staple category, sales underscored the wild popularity of Orb Factory's Sticky Mosaics...
2/1/2009
In This Issue Whether you’re running the show circuit or tidying things up in-store to make room for exciting new products, grab the scoop on what’s new via our Notable & New Toys articles...
2/1/2009
Regional Reports: What’s Selling … And Where Sticky Mosaics by Orb Factory are just blowing away the competition. Not only did they rank at the top for girls’ arts and crafts toys, but some storeowners reported they were the best-selling item in the store...
2/1/2009
Good Co./Bad Co.: Feel the Love What attracts specialty retailers to long-term relationships with their suppliers? Everything from excellent customer service and return-friendly policies to fast, free shipping and broad product selection...
In This Issue First, let me tell you what’s new at ToyDirectory.com! We’ve redesigned the homepage to serve as a comprehensive research center — based on our communication with retailers and manufacturers every month...
11/1/2008
TDmonthly’s Psychologist Mom While reviewing the products below, TDmonthly Magazine’s Psychologist Mom learned lessons on geography, had some fun with dentist-developed paint for teeth, and brightened up bicycling with a flashing safety component...
11/1/2008
A Taste of Toy Fair You may not be gearing up for North American's biggest toy show yet, but manufacturers have long been planning and priming their releases...
10/1/2008
TDmonthly Top Seller 2008 Awards Which toys are known for driving up sales in specialty toy stores? The list of winners for TDmonthly's Top Seller 2008 award, presented based on sales evaluations by specialty retailers across the country, tells its own story...
8/1/2008
Uberstix Kits Construct Eco-Friendly Play Überstix building system is unique. You can build buildings as tall as your ceiling, and airplanes that fly and boats that float...
8/1/2008
My Best Sellers: Aunt Jean’s Toys & Treats At Aunt Jean’s Toys & Treats in Montclair, N.J., customer service and fulfillment of “drive-bys” — a service in which staff select and pick party gifts for customers in a hurry — are a specialty...
8/1/2008
TDmonthly’s Psychologist Mom In her latest round of reviews, TDmonthly Magazine’s Psychologist Mom found a 3-D puzzle up to the challenge, brushed up on world geography, and studied phonics in a flash...
8/1/2008
June Staff Picks: Crafts and Critters Start summer off on the right foot by exploring new products and prepping your mind (and budget) for those ever-important holiday orders...
TDmonthly’s Psychologist Mom Two five-star games and a strong lineup of other items — from space-themed art to decades-old airmen stories — gave Dr. Wright and her fellow kid reviewers plenty to rave about.....
6/1/2008
TDmonthly's May Staff Picks Sunny summer days are just around the bend, and with kids on break from school, there's lots of extra time to play...
5/1/2008
In This Issue TDmonthly Magazine's May Issue is full of marketing tips, product reviews and trend coverage of baby products, travel toys and bath items.....
5/1/2008
TDmonthly’s Psychologist Mom Things have been shaded yellow and green for TDmonthly Magazine’s Psychologist Mom, who rated the following five products with 1 to 5 TD stars (for TDmonthly!); 5 is the top mark...
5/1/2008
Play Clay Models Success Linda Clark, founder of Play Clay, was a stay-at-home mother of four when her husband was laid off for six weeks in 1989. In need of money, she started selling her special play dough creation...
4/1/2008
TDmonthly’s Top-10 Most-Wanted Arts & Crafts TDmonthly spoke with 62 retailers about their success with arts and crafts products. While the amount of each particular product sold varied, one thing was consistent:...
2/1/2008
Boys Can be Crafty, Too “Boys just aren’t that hot into arts and crafts right now,” said Teneen Dobbs, owner of Kit & Kaboodle in St. Carmel, Ind., during a recent TDmonthly Magazine survey of 66 specialty retailers...
2/1/2008
TDmonthly's Top 10: Artsy Toys Whether they require donning a smock and utilizing the right side of the brain or just setting on a shelf to admire, these products are sure to bring out the artsy side in people...
2/1/2008
PRESCHOOL ROUNDTABLE: Art to Go TDmonthly Magazine’s Preschool/Early School Roundtable has been active in the arts, exploring products that put innovative twists on classic items: crayons that do more than color from International World of Toys, and a portable chalk “mat” from Flourish...
Baby Roundtable: Breaking the Mold This month, TDmonthly Magazine’s Infant/Toddler Roundtable participants evaluated Baby Art Kit from Zoom Distribution. The artsy molding project received mixed reviews...
11/1/2007
Homeschoolers: Crafting on a Grid This month, TDmonthly Magazine’s Homeschool Roundtable got creative with Magic Mesh, a repositionable, self-adhesive, reusable mesh available in a variety of sizes, colors and weaves...
10/1/2007
Make a Mess Nicely If Arts & Crafts are a big seller in your store, here's what's in store for the Holidays...
6/1/2007
Why Quilting Is Sew Cool What's old is still new, according to 36 retailers interviewed by TDmonthly Magazine about the hottest trends in arts and crafts...
2/1/2007
Arts and Crafts Push the Envelope — Remotely Drawing, painting, and beading are standards of the arts and crafts industry, but companies are finding unique ways to revolutionize these activities and the quality and preparation that goes into them...
2/1/2007
Spas in the Toy Store Cosmetics have invaded the arts and crafts market, nudging over airplane glue and fingerpaint...
2/1/2007
"Reborn" Doll Sales With Kits While many collectors are still shopping for dolls, others are now producing their own...
2/1/2007
Arts & Crafts: Peelable Wall Art In late 2007, kids will be able to steer their crayons across a page, using the remote control that powers the Color Bug from RC Art...
2/1/2007
Homeschooling Roundtable The homeschoolers got their hands into Kits for Crafts' "cookie" batter that winds up in the bathtub, and had their first experience with last year's Toy Fair sensation, PlayFoam by Educational Insights...
To Drool For: Wee Gallery's Baby Art Teacher Dave Pinto and graphic artist Surya Sajnani created Wee Gallery, but their first production — a son born in 2002 — was the inspiration behind the company...
Palms Trading Company: A Native American Showcase Though the Palms Trading Company in Albuquerque doesn't sell toys, this Native American crafts store still reflects what it takes to expand a retail operation...
4/1/2006
CHA Craft-User Study Surprises Industry The Consumer Usage and Attitude Study, released in January by the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) at its 65th winter convention and trade show in Las Vegas, produced surprising results...
3/1/2006
Skullduggery Digs in Deep Skullduggery emerged as a mail order company in 1978 to fill a niche for educators and collectors, specializing in museum-quality fossil replicas...
3/1/2006
Scrapbooking Is King at CHA Show Scrapbooking and papercrafts dominated the 65th Annual Craft & Hobby Association Convention and Trade Show, gobbling up half the floor space of the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 30 through Feb. 2...
Scrapbooking Predicted to Dominate CHA Show Many predict that scrapbooking and papercrafts will rule the 65th Annual Craft & Hobby Association Convention and Trade Show, controling half the floor space of the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 30 through Feb. 2...
1/1/2006
Arts & Crafts The following products are from manufacturers you won't find at the 2006 Toy Fair...
1/1/2006
Tween Scene: Arts & Crafts Kits for the Holidays A little more than 300 tween girls were polled on what kinds of crafts they like to do. With this information, it was clear what they want for the holidays...
12/1/2005
Making Toys Makes for Double-Duty Fun Have you noticed the fuzz-blowing soft-animal-stuffing machines showing up in the cards and gifts section of the local mega-supermarket? It could be time to try something similar in your own shop by providing books and materials to host a creative happening...
12/1/2005
Scrapbooking Follows Fashion At October’s Sixth Annual MemoryTrends Trade Show for scrapbooking and papercrafts, TDmonthly Magazine discovered that fashion is found more places than on the runway...
Crafts Kits Build Sales Crafting kits have always been good boredom-busters. To keep the category fresh, these days some combine two or more traditional craft mediums, some are smaller than their originals and some use artists’ quality materials...
10/1/2005
Boys Are Creative, Too! No longer are crafts just for girls. People in both established toy and craft companies are brainstorming ideas that will tap into the creative side of boys’ minds. To lure them in, crafts glow in the dark and deal with insects, monsters and dinosaurs...
10/1/2005
Big Lots! Concerns Scrapbooking Community It’s no secret — and perhaps no surprise — that Big Lots! and other discount chains have jumped onto the $2.5-billion scrapbooking bandwagon...
10/1/2005
Hygloss: Pulp Non-Fiction When Rose Engelsrath left her native land of Austria for the United States in 1950, she felt something was missing. Was it her Viennese students? The wienerschnitzel? The Tyrol? No, she realized, it was the high-gloss craft paper...
10/1/2005
Big Lots! Scrapbooking Grows Bigger Small retailers take note: Big Lots! has been so successful with their scrapbooking section (implemented in October 2004) that by October of this year, they hope to expand their eight feet of linear store space for scrapbooking into12 feet...
Knitting Comes Together Knitting provides a world of possibilities for retailers and consumers. There is no end in sight to the popular appeal of wooly, fuzzy, glamorous and practical things that a girl – or a guy – can create...
5/1/2005
Is It Play Time or Is It Snack Time? Is it play time or is it snack time? It’s becoming hard to tell. Two favorite pastimes, cooking and crafting, have collided, resulting in the development of the edible-craft kit...
5/1/2005
TDmonthly’s Top 10 Most Wanted Bead Kits Beading has spread like wildfire and the beading supply industry is at its peak. The popularity of beading has led to a veritable explosion in beading kits, giving the market a multitude of quality options...
4/1/2005
Newspaper, Glue and Memories After my daughter’s birthday party this year we lugged home gift bags stuffed with the latest dolls, videos and electronic games. The next day the pestering began...
2/1/2005
Arts & Crafts: Unleashing Creativity and Building Community As more people seek the satisfaction and stress-relief of arts and crafts, sales of craft supplies have been on the increase. Baby boomers introduce their kids, especially tweens, to the cool “retro” hobbies of their youth. Families and friends are rediscovering old-fashioned favorites like quilting and scrapbooking. This year, manufacturers...
1/1/2005
TDmonthly’s Top 10 Most Wanted Girls Arts and Crafts According to Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D./Dr. Toy “Children learn best through play.” Whether they are playing a game, drawing, reading, running or building they are learning by experiencing the world around them. Some manufacturers are even working to incorporate the ever-changing world by adding electronic interaction and digital activities to arts and crafts projects...
12/1/2004
All that Glitters: Tween Fashion Accessories When it comes to Tween fashion, all that glitters is gold. Girls in this age group are starting to love shoes more than toys, while retailers and manufacturers have devised some sparkling solutions for this increasingly influential market segment...
It´s Arts & Crafts Time - Are You Prepared? The sweetest words in the English language--next to "the IRS has decided not to prosecute"--is "I made this for you" falling from the lips of a small child. Of course getting from the beginning of the arts and crafts journey to this heartwarming place can feel like scene from "Return of the King"--strewn with horrific obstacles and a bit of a bloody mess...
Arts & Crafts Color-Ons LTD Personalize your own T-shirts with Color-Ons by Color-Ons LTD. Simply color a picture as you would in a coloring book on the special Color-Ons transfer sheets. And with a hot iron, iron the picture onto most washable fabrics. It is permanent, washable, and colorfast! An easy way...
10/1/2004
New and Venerable Crafts Fuel Upsurge in Adult Crafters The Craft & Hobby Association estimates 80% of American households have at least one member engaged in arts and crafts. Publishers have responded to the expanding popularity in arts and crafts by stepping up production of how-to books...
10/1/2004
Books: Coloring & Activity Betty Lukens Learning Fun with Felt Activity books become educational when a child can interact with the characters themselves. A series of books by Betty Lukens Learning Fun with Felt teaches about many fun topics, such as, “Holidays & Seasons” and “Animals of the World.” These books encourage your...
10/1/2004
School Supplies Art Skills Instead of purchasing a bulky easel, invest in the Door Easel by Art Skills. Easily attach it to the door in a couple of minutes and start drawing! You can adjust the height of the easel so it can be used for all ages. Included is a...
Stickers Top That! Publishing PLC The new exciting series, Sticker Timeline by Top That! Publishing PLC , educate children about dinosaurs, moving machines, and explorers and their discoveries. On one side, there is a colorfully illustrated timeline of events, and on the back , there is more educational information on...
9/1/2004
ACCESSORIES Party PigsAn award winning kit, the Button Bands Kit is a collection of cute brightly colored buttons, accessory beads and elastic cord. Detailed instructions included. Make a bracelet or hair tie. (Ages 6 and up; $9.99)Rich Frog Industries Inc.Kids and their parents will surely flip for the new whimsical reversible...
8/1/2004
ARTS & CRAFTS Faber-Castell The Watercolor Art-Tricks & Techniques art kit introduces a great way to begin watercolor art. The kit includes 12 watercolor crayons, 8 watercolor pencils, watercolor paper pad, 2 paintbrushes and even sandpaper for special effects. It also comes with an instruction guide with 17 special watercolor techniques and...
8/1/2004
ARTS & CRAFTS Balitono Inc. Balitono offers Paint the Wild™ Kits, which are renewable plantation wood boxes carved into 3-dimensional animal shapes and are ready to be painted. When finished, these colorful boxes make a great personal gift of a perfect place to keep one’s treasured belongings. Bemiss-Jason Corp. Fadeless® paper is perfect...
7/1/2004
Revving Up for Back to School Parents, students and teachers do their back to school shopping with credit cards and checkbooks open...
6/1/2004
Noodle Head´s Using Their Noodles Brothers Eric and Chris Ryan, originally wanted to research subatomic particle formation as a career...
4/1/2004
Molding Kits Create a Lasting Impression You wouldn’t think that a company run by a brother and sister team from a home-office in American Fork, Utah would be invited to hobnob with celebrities in Hollywood...
2/1/2004
Featured Products in TDmonthly Magazine: Arts & Crafts
Creations By You is an award winning manufacturer of personalized, activity kits for children. Our products are represented in a variety of markets including toy stores, book stores, gift stores, craft/hobby stores, educational supply stores, catalogs and websites. The backbone of our product line is our kit called ILLUSTORY. With ILLUSTORY children (ages 5-105) can write, illustrate and publish their own hardcover book! Offsets of this kit (also popular in the toy market) include PLATE WORKS (make your own plate), MY CALENDAR (create your own... More information on Creations by You, Inc. products.
Brain Noodles LLC manufactures and distributes craft and puzzle products to the specialty gift and toy markets. We have independent reps across the US.Use your Noodle to Bend, Twist, and Create anything you can imagine!Craft fun for kids of all ages; birthday gifts, quiet play and travel. Also great for party favors, brainstorming, ice breakers for parties, centerpieces, stress toys, luggage id, and fundraisers. Available in themed kits, packaged assortments, bulk and teacher packs... More information on BRAIN NOODLES, LLC products.
Pharmtec manufactures the My Very Own House™ and My Very Own Castle™ playhouses. These collapsible cardboard playhouses easily expand to a large kids playhouse. Great for birthday parties, sleepovers, classroom activities or the perfect gift, children can color their way to fun. Ranked #4 in the "Top Arts and Crafts Kits for Younger Kids", they are the only single-piece constructed playhouse on the market. No pieces/parts. No sharp tabs. Made in the USA... More information on PHARMTEC CORP. products.
Calafant - A New Line of Unique, Creative & Recyclable ToysCALAFANT toys come in high-quality, white, pre-cut cardboard kits that allow children to build and decorate their own toys. All models feature a unique design and clever slot-and-groove-system (no glue needed!). The line has sold successfully in Europe for the last two years, and is now available in the US.5% off order when you mention TOYDIRECTORY.comThis offer cannot be combined with other discounts or coupons... More information on Calafant USA products.
Spots and Ladybugs LLC introduces Sandy Feet, a fantastic new product to create your own vacation fun. A parent and child activity resulting in a long-lasting keepsake to hold in the memories... More information on SPOTS AND LADYBUGS LLC products.
