November 2008 New Specialty Toys — Collectibles

One of RAVENCLAW™'s...ummm...well...most unusual students joins the ranks of HARRY POTTER™ TONNER® DRESSED CHARACTER FIGURES™. LUNA LOVEGOOD™ at HOGWARTS™ is 17" tall and features a new face sculpt of an authorized likeness of actress Evanna Lynch from Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," with 14 points of articulation (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, bust line, hips, knees, and ankles). She features hand-painted face details and rooted saran hair. LUNA LOVEGOOD™ comes dressed in her school uniform, which includes a white cotton shirt, pleated wool skirt, button-down cardigan, blue & grey striped tie, grey tights and faux leather Mary Janes. Her RAVENCLAW™ robe, wand and cheery earrings complete her ensemble — not to mention a special charm necklace that helps to ward off NARGELS. Display stand included. "Highly detailed costumes, likeness sculpts and quality of collectible dolls and Character Figures sets Tonner apart from similar items," explained Shauna Perry, Director of Sales and Marketing Tonner Doll Company, Inc. Launch date: Fall 2008.

Handmade in Germany, the white and the brown alpaca have a durable woven fur made of natural alpaca wool, which makes them especially soft and cuddly. Special emphasis was given to their naturalistic appearance. All KÖSEN plush animals conform to the highest safety standards. The materials, products and production are inspected by TÜV and meet all requirements of the European safety standard for toys EN 71. "This toy has the potential to be a keeper beyond childhood and to be passed on to the next generation," assured Sybille Hartmann, Sales and Marketing Manager, KÖSEN USA, Inc. Launch date: January 2008.

Pawparazzi Pets have a nose for style and whatever they’re wearing is what’s PAWpular in fashion! Girls will gasp when they see this tail-wagging collection of stylish clothes and fashionable accessories. They can dress their posh pets up for a night on the town or get together with friends and put on a fashion show. High-profile style for Little Pets Living Big Lives!™

This child-sized water bottle has a connected twist-on top and a “North Pole, Alaska” snowy pole design. It makes a great stocking stuffer when filled with treats or special goodies. Launch date: 2005.
— The custom water bottle is a best-selling item at Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, according to Operations Manager Susan Miller.

Outfitted with a shield, a helmet with horns, and weaponry, this knight is ready for battle. It is one of many styles in the varied Papo collection.
— “Papo figures always seem to be the best-selling thing in our store; we sell hundreds. I order from Papo once a year, so I order in my inventory for the entire year … a $17,000 order,” Linda Angel, owner of Kidoodles in Norman, Okla., told TDmonthly in summer 2008. “I have birthday wagons … kids fill them with what they want people to buy for them, and they always include Papo figures.”
— Jessie Wood of Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vt., said in July 2008 that her store sells roughly six Papo figurines per month from each of about 30 SKUs in the line. They’re best sellers at The Gifted Child in Lenox, Mass., Owner Randy Austin told TDmonthly in summer 2008.
— Four of 66 retailers named Papo as a best-selling gift for boys in summer 2008.

This child-sized custom metal lunch box makes a great gift container. It includes a photo of Santa writing a letter on one side, and says “Santa Claus House” on the other. Launch date: 2005.
— It’s a best-selling item at Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, according to Operations Manager Susan Miller.

KnuckleBonz has created a second figure, in response to many requests, to honor the Randy Rhoads legacy. The first figure has been sold out since 2006. Randy Rhoads is considered to be one of the most talented and influential rock guitarists of all time. The figure is sculpted and hand painted and available only in a very limited edition of 3000 worldwide. Each is hand-numbered and has a certificate of authenticity on the base of the sculpture.

We are pleased to announce the introduction of Lily as part of the Anne Geddes Collectible doll line. This new doll is inspired by Anne's critically acclaimed, and much loved photography and her passion for babies. Lily is available to order now and will be shipped in mid November, 2008. The first offering of this doll will include a photo of one of the actual Waterlily babies that appears on the front cover of Anne's most recent book, "A Labor of Love." This wonderful image is world renowned and a favorite of Anne Geddes' collectors.

Lily is the first full body sculpt in the Anne Geddes Collection. Height 22". The baby has been produced in vinyl which adds to the overall beauty of the doll. Anne has worked with well known artist, Laura Tuzio-Ross to translate her vision for this doll. Lily has an engaging smile that will warm your heart. Her body has been specially sculpted for this doll and has adorable chunky arms and legs. The baby is articulated at the neck, shoulders and hips. She wears a soft blonde baby fine wig that frames her beautiful face and has pretty baby blue eyes.

The very special outfit for the Lily doll was specially designed by Anne Geddes and features the following details.

The Jimmy Page Limited Edition figure features the legendary guitarists in his white “poppy suit" with the dragon and poppy embroidery sculpted in intricate detail. The sculpture captures a moment in time from 1977 during the performance of “Dazed and Confused” with the bow held over head. Each figure is limited edition, hand-numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. This fine-arts piece is a resin sculpture and each collectible is individually hand-painted. The sculpture is fully licensed through Jimmy Page and Bravado International Group.

KnuckleBonz has created a George Lynch limited edition figure for the Rock Iconz® Sculpture Series. The likeness of one of the most respected guitarists to emerge from the ‘80s-era metal scene is portrayed in this hand-painted figure.  Each one of these very limited edition pieces is also hand-numbered and displayed on a wooden base.  The George Lynch figure is shown with his signature “bones” guitar.  Only 3000 figures available worldwide. The Rock Iconz® series is a collection of rock’s most highly praised musicians and vocalists, sculpted in great detail and cast in poly-resin.  The series is designed to be a tribute to acclaimed guitarists and rock icons that have made their indelible mark on music history.  All figures in the series are officially licensed.

Rob Halford - also known as the “metal god” - is the first vocalist represented in the KnuckleBonz Rock Iconz® sculpture series. The iconic front man for Judas Priest sets the bar for vocal range and his hi-pitched screams have dominated metal since the 70s. The Rob Halford Limited Edition Sculpture is an officially licensed figure and is only available in a limited quantity of 3000 worldwide. Each figure is hand-painted and hand-numbered and has a certificate of authenticity.

The Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Sculpture is now offered in a color paint scheme. The original Hendrix Rock Iconz® sculpture was created in a "retrospective" black and white paint scheme, and KnuckleBonz also offers a bronze coated version (only 500 of the bronze have been created). Each version is a limited edition collectible in the Rock Iconz® sculpture series.

A cross-platform MMO game, Freaky Creatures allows players to build the ultimate, customizable creatures and then battle them against friends. The Freaky Creatures experience begins with a starter pack that includes 2 action figures and a 1 gigabyte reusable flash as the key to the Freaky Creatures universe with a random assortment of 50 parts, 20 powers and 4 lair objects that allows players to create more than 3 billion visual combinations. Booster packs add more to the customization. Once customized, players can enter the online world and interact with other players.
— Freaky Creatures bills itself as “the first player-customized, cross platform gaming universe you can take on the go.” Do such grandiose claims match the product itself? In short, no, but this does not mean Freaky Creatures should be ignored. Each starter pack contains two of the titular creatures rendered in action figure form along with a flash drive that unlocks a MMOG with exploration, character customization, and a simple battle system. Reviewers report the figures are nicely detailed and painted, especially for their size. KidsTechReview.com proclaimed the game “surprisingly well done.” Jacqueline Rupp of Common Sense Media recommended the toy for children ages 10 and up (not the advertised 8+), praising the online component for delivering fun game play while avoiding violence and adult content. With irresistibly grotesque figures and a solid online game experience, Freaky Creatures has genuine appeal. It’s not for everyone, but it can be used to reach older boys who spurn tamer and more traditional toys.