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Article Archive: Construction
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Lego 5/15/2026
IGN The LEGO Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler Is an Incredible Build for Adult Fans of the Movie The iconic Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler gets a worthy LEGO set, complete with a Dennis Nedry minifigure. ...
5/1/2026
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The LEGO Playbook: Five Strategic Pillars for Toy Industry Dominance
In 2025, The LEGO Group achieved a record $12.2 billion in revenue, growing at 12%—more than twice the pace of the global toy industry. While rivals struggle with retail volatility, LEGO has built a "transmedia empire" that spans physical bricks, digital gaming, and adult lifestyle branding. For competing toy manufacturers,...
5/1/2026
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Toy Fair 2026 LEGO SMART Play
LEGO SMART Play: Responsive Brick Technology The LEGO Group unveiled "LEGO SMART Play," a platform designed to bring brick sets to life without requiring screens or external apps. At the heart of this innovation is the "LEGO SMART Brick," which utilizes a custom-made chip featuring more than 20 patented world-firsts...
2/15/2026
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Lego 2026
The LEGO Smart Play system, unveiled at CES 2026, centers on the "Smart Brick," a standard 2x4 element embedded with a 4.1mm custom ASIC chip, motion sensors, and a real-time audio synthesizer. Designed to bridge the gap between physical and digital play without using screens, the system also includes Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures that trigger specific behaviors and character dialogue via near-field magnetic communication. This "invisible technology" allows builds to respond to gestures—like "swooshing" a starship—with context-specific sounds and light effects...
1/15/2026
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Lego News 1/20/2023
LEGO Icons Botanical Collection 10314 Dried Flower Centerpiece – a seasonal delight for you dinner table [Review] The Best LEGO ‘Star Wars’ Sets of 2023 bookmark_border share more_vert...
1/11/2023
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Lego News
LEGO Recreates Doctor Strange's "Sanctum Sanctorum" Residence HYPEBEAST bookmark_border share more_vert Lego Flower Bouquet Review: Pretty and TikTok famous ReviewedYesterdayOpinion bookmark_border share...
7/7/2022
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Lego News ii
Looks like there are no LEGO exclusives at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Brick Fanatics1 bookmark_border share more_vert LEGO 11021 90 Years of Play becomes a fashion icon Brick Fanatics8...
7/7/2022
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Toys in the News 1/13/2022
The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Toys Market Size to grow by USD 964.09 million | Market Insights highlights the growth of a collaborative environment in educational institutions as a key driver | Technavio Yahoo Finance bookmark_border share more_vert...
1/13/2022
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Hasbro Partners With Roblox to Bring Roblox Immersive Digital Worlds to Life
Global play and entertainment company Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) announced its official partnership with Roblox Corporation (NYSE: RBLX), a global online platform bringing millions of people together through shared experiences, to introduce a range of Roblox inspired NERF blasters representing some of the most popular experiences on the Roblox platform. In addition, Hasbro has developed a Roblox version of its iconic MONOPOLY board game (MSRP: $19.99), which is available now for pre-order on Hasbro Pulse for fans aged 16 and older in the U.S. and Canada and at Big Bad Toy Shop...
4/1/2021
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American Girl Construction Playsets
American Girl® Mega Bloks® Playsets For Girls American Girl, a premium brand for girls and subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT), is expanding into the building category with its first-ever line of premium construction toys for girls 8 and up. The new products, developed in collaboration with...
4/1/2016
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Top-10 Most-Wanted Construction Toys
Construction toys aren't just fun - they help kids develop spatial reasoning and motor skills, too. According to specialty retailers interviewed by TDmonthly, these are the bestsellers in the category...
12/1/2015
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November Staff Picks
The holidays are coming, and TDmonthly's Staff Picks for November are all about great gifts...
11/1/2015
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Top-10 Most-Wanted Construction Toys
When TDmonthly Magazine surveyed retailers in a May 2014 survey, we discovered that LEGO was a best-seller for almost half of the toy stores we spoke with...
6/1/2014
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 Mattel buys Mega – what is the likely impact?
In a flat to declining U.S. toy market place, Building toys have been a very noticeable exception. Between 2003 and 2013, the total market went from $22.9 billion down to $21.7 billion whereas the Building category more than tripled from $600 million to now $2 billion...
4/1/2014
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 Construction Toys - LEGO vs. Everyone Else
The construction toy category continues on its phenomenal growth path. This is extraordinary because all the other toys – with the exception of the Electronic Learning segment of Preschool – continue to flag...
8/1/2013
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 Top-10 Most-Wanted Construction Toys
When TDmonthly interviewed retailers in a May 2013 survey, we found that LEGO still rules the roost when it comes to best-selling construction toys...
6/1/2013
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 Q & A With Dane Scarborough of Uberstix
TDmonthly Magazine had the chance to interview Dane Scarborough, creator of Uberstix. Below, he shares how he got started, how his product encourages kids to up-cycle, and what sets his product apart from the rest...
12/1/2012
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 NoodleBlox Builds Brighter Future for Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation
When searching for a metaphor that would elucidate the groundbreaking research being conducted by the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation, filmmaker and TDmonthly Director of Videography Alison Marek remembered a unique building system she'd shot at the 2011 Western Toy & Hobby Retailers Association meeting: Noodle Blox...
11/1/2012
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 Construction Toys
Check out these recently added specialty and mass market construction toys...
8/1/2012
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 Construction Toys
Take a look at these recently added specialty and mass-market construction toys...
6/1/2012
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 Top-10 Most-Wanted Construction Toys
In April 2012, LEGO was named the best selling construction brand by five of 13 retailers surveyed by TDmonthly Magazine. However, several of the specialty stores interviewed seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the brand...
6/1/2012
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 Construction Toys
See these recently added specialty and mass-market construction toys...
11/1/2011
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 Top-10 Most-Wanted Construction Toys
When TDmonthly Magazine interviewed 12 retailers around the country about their best-selling construction toys in Spring 2011, building sets from LEGO topped most lists...
6/1/2011
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 Summary of Online Toy Reviews
Review Scout scours the Web weekly for reviews of new and hot products so you don’t have to spend your time searching...
9/1/2010
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Holiday Preview: Construction Toys
In the world of building, Yoshiritsu's LaQ sets build beetles and more, KnuckleStrutz wows with poseable robots, and Fat Brain Toys plays with the cute factor in a line of stackable turtles...
7/1/2010
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 In This Issue
Upselling is about helping customers, training staff, and believing in products...
6/1/2010
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 Top-10 Most-Wanted Toys: June 2010
Kids (and their parents) continue flocking to perennial favorites like kites, puzzles and LEGO, but a more recent and fad-crazy release, Silly Bandz from BCP Imports, tops this month’s list of best-selling toys...
6/1/2010
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 Top-10 Most-Wanted Construction Toys
There are newcomers to the top-10 list of best-selling construction toys in specialty — namely, Shoptaugh Games’ Jawbones (from Be Good Company)...and Lego-like sets from Cobi...
6/1/2010
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 Take 2: Wooden and Construction Toys
Construction toys are building up and up with tower-friendly pieces from Hape International and Fat Brain Toy Co., and Holztiger's wooden semi trucks have trade-out parts...
6/1/2010
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 My Best Sellers: Jillie Beans Toys & More
At Jillie Beans Toys & More in Westminster, Colo., a knowledgeable staff is ready to help choose the perfect item for every taste. Owner Valerie Elsea told TDmonthly what 10 products customers have been taking home...
5/1/2010
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 April Staff Picks
This month in TDmonthly Magazine's Staff Picks, brinca dada gives the dollhouse family modern appeal, used crayons find a second life, and classic wooden blocks adopt a unique attraction in a line called Tegu...
4/1/2010
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 In This Issue
The toy industry may not break any big records for the decade in 2010, but things are definitely looking up this year...
4/1/2010
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 Top-10 Most-Wanted Wooden Toys
Melissa & Doug. We could almost stop there, based on responses from 38 specialty toy stores across the United States, but there are other top-selling wooden toys, too...
3/1/2010
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 TDmonthly Retailer Spotlight: The Toy Shop of Concord
The Toy Shop of Concord in Concord, Mass., has a different feel than most other toy stores. It’s based on Owner David Hesel’s “shop within a shop” branding concept, which he counts as one of his biggest successes...
1/1/2010
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 Top-26 Most-Wanted Holiday Toys
If you’re wondering what your fellow specialty retailers are selling out of this Christmas, just take a look at the 26 products and brands detailed below ... For a post-Christmas report on sales, see "Did You Order the Right Toys for Christmas?" — https://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4009 — in our January 2010 issue...
12/1/2009
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 Reviewers Stitch, Snap and Shovel for Fun
TDmonthly Magazine reviewers have given their opinions on everything from fish-hunting penguins to recycled bracelets with a customizable message. What do these six products have in common?...
12/1/2009
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 Top-10 Most-Wanted Toys for Tween Boys
Notoriously difficult to select products for, boys in their pre and early teens may not be so fixated on electronics and video games after all...
11/1/2009
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 My Best Sellers: Golden Apple Learning Store
Originally founded as a teacher supply store, the Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., has developed over three decades into a toy store that also caters strongly to educators...
10/1/2009
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 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
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 Top-10 Most-Wanted Construction Toys
In April 2009, TDmonthly Magazine surveyed 49 specialty retailers about their sales of construction toys for children. This foundational category continues to provide strong sales in independent stores...
6/1/2009
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Holiday Preview - Construction Toys
Even a ride-on for tweens isn’t too big for the construction category. This year, creative kids can build everything from vehicles and animals to homes and gardens. Check out basic blocks, gears, marbles and more in TDmonthly’s Holiday Preview of Construction Toys...
6/1/2009
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 Kids' Gifts for the Holidays
Last month in TDmonthly Magazine’s Holiday Preview, you got a glimpse of some eco-friendly art projects, exciting books and costumes fit for a princess. See this month’s featured categories...
6/1/2009
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 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
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 Video Review: Watch Kids Build a House
The four Flamenco brothers spent a Sunday afternoon constructing a playhouse with the Zinkotek building system. Aided by their foreperson, Aunt Elba, the boys astounded themselves...
5/1/2009
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 Recession Gives Way to Retro Resurgence
Quality. Simpler times. Hands-on play. According to retailers, buyers and industry experts who spoke with TDmonthly Magazine, these are some of the key reasons retro toys continue to enjoy a resurgence among consumers...
3/1/2009
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 TDmonthly's Top-10 Toy Fair Toys
Among the tens of thousands of products on display at Toy Fair, there's always a select few that stand out, especially in terms of their promise for the specialty market. This year, TDmonthly Magazine was pleased to find an even broader variety of eco-friendly goods...
3/1/2009
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 Why the Recession Is Good for Kids … and Toys
“The recession could be the best thing that's ever happened to children's toys,” Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a child development expert and professor at Temple University, told TDmonthly in late January...
2/1/2009
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 TDmonthly's Top-10 Most-Wanted Toys: February 2009
This month, the story is much the same with best-selling specialty toys. In short, PlaSmart's PlasmaCar is still on the list (joined by the EzyRoller), Legos are still making their mark in the construction category after decades of success...
2/1/2009
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 Innovations of 2009
From plush and blankets that turn inside out to multi-use furniture inspired by animals, there are plenty of fun, new products to ring in the New Year...
1/1/2009
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 Top-10 Holiday Toys on VIDEO!
Ever wonder why most top-10 hot toys lists show you the same old things over and over? Many of the biggest toy companies pay spokespeople to inundate the media with their products during the holiday season...
12/1/2008
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 TDmonthly’s Psychologist Mom
TDmonthly Magazine’s Psychologist Mom focused on gaming in her most recent reviews, finding fun with frogs, watching kids become a wizard’s apprentices, and seeing how the features of Blue Orange’s Double Shutter Jr. added up...
12/1/2008
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 ZinkoTek Constructs “Instant Smiles”
It’s big. It’s colorful. And it takes children’s construction toys to a whole new level, giving them the ability to build life-sized forts, characters, and anything else their imaginations want to attempt...
10/1/2008
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 Innovations of 2009
In the January issue of TDmonthly Magazine, check in to see which toys will be turning heads throughout 2009...
10/1/2008
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 The Specialty Toys Report Is Here!
ToyDirectory and TDmonthly Magazine are excited to announce the release of TDmonthly's 2008 Specialty Toys Report, "Positive Toys for a Promising Future."™...
9/1/2008
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 Get These Toys!
A TDmonthly Magazine survey of 66 specialty retailers last month showed that many of the toys and games that have topped best seller lists for months are, in fact, still right at the top.....
6/1/2008
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 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
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 Grade Schoolers: I-Gami Offers Folds of Fun
A twist on the ancient craft of origami, I-Gami from PlaSmart Inc. awakened creativity in TDmonthly Magazine’s Grade-School Roundtable as the moms and kids who participated, despite some difficulties in disassembly, enjoyed constructing bright and educational creations...
5/1/2008
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 Preschoolers: Clics Build Creativity
Clics, a three-dimensional building set from ToyLinks Inc., really “clicked” with some of TDmonthly Magazine’s Preschool/Early School Roundtable participants, while other children experienced some difficulty...
4/1/2008
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 Homeschoolers: Building an Animal Kingdom
This month, TDmonthly Magazine’s Homeschool Roundtable experimented with Überstix’ Animal Kingdom, constructing Überfrog, Übercrab, Überbird and Überbat as well as open-ended creations...
12/1/2007
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 TDmonthly's Top-10 Most-Wanted Gifts for Boys
Specialty retailers recently told TDmonthly Magazine that popular holiday gifts for young boys this year should include Learning Curve's Percy and Carnival Set as well as action figures from Playmobil and Papo...
11/1/2007
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 Überstix Builds Creativity Around the Globe
Most toy manufacturers want their toys to do better than the competition, but Dane Scarborough, founder, CEO and president of Überstix, is not your typical business owner...
6/1/2007
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 Tinker Minds Builds Big
Dick Liou and the folks at Tinker Minds Inc. know that kids love to build, and their goal is to give them the perfect materials to create the fort — or boat, plane, train or canoe — of their dreams...
6/1/2007
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 Construction Toys: Building With H2O
The Aquastruct Toy System takes construction to an unfamiliar place — the shower — employing pipes, hoses, sprayers and more so that tweens can enjoy the laborious task of getting clean...
2/1/2007
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 TDmonthly's Top-10 Most-Wanted Classics
Thomas the Tank Engine keeps chugging along, bringing with him dolls by The Alexander Doll Company and Corolle, construction by K’Nex and plush by Gund...
11/1/2006
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 i-gami Builds Interest
By transforming the ancient art of origami into an easy-to-use plastic building toy, Plastic Play has been turning heads in the toy industry...
10/1/2006
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 ToyDirectory: Build an Online Trade Metropolis
In celebration of ToyDirectory’s 10th Anniversary, Bob Naimi — founder of ToyDirectory and publisher of TDmonthly Magazine — explains how using the online trade metropolis he's building will strengthen the specialty toy industry...
10/1/2006
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 Toy Vehicles Entice Young Mechanics
Toy vehicles — perennial favorites for kids — become even more desirable when youngsters can construct the cars, trucks or trains themselves...
6/1/2006
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 Building Toys on a Small Scale
Although building blocks have been around for years, brands and sets that offer a different twist enjoy strong sales, particularly at Christmastime...
6/1/2006
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 Fort Materials Take on New Life
Watching children construct forts out of boxes and household wares has inspired a number of construction-toy manufacturers...
6/1/2006
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 Automoblox Is One Happy Customer
Patrick Calello, president of Automoblox Co., shares what he's learned after resolving problems with his supply chain...
12/1/2005
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 Construction Toys Zoom
Two new surprise great sellers are both construction toys, retailers have told TDmonthly Magazine over the past few months: RollerCoaster Tycoon by Miniature Amusements and the low-tech, high-fun Zoomorphs by River Dolphin Toys. Also high on their list are old-reliables with new twists...
12/1/2005
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 Clic-ing It Together
When CLICSTOYS USA, LLC, based in Grapevine, Texas, opened for business in December 2003, the company started with building toys available from its Belgian counterpart...
7/1/2005
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 Building Connections Through Cyberspace
Now, manufacturers of building and construction toys are offering a new kind of demonstration – online interactive sites – that allow kids to get hooked on building before they even step in the door...
7/1/2005
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 Mic-O-Mic Lands in America
Mic-O-Mic designer Klaus Micklitz created and patented a sleek new take on the traditional construction and model toy...
7/1/2005
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 Adults Are Ready to Build
Called toys that make you think, construction or building toy sets are more than the wooden blocks of yesterday — and they’re not just for kids...
7/1/2005
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 Construction Toy Roundtable
Recently, TDmonthly Magazine interviewed several up-and-coming construction toy innovators to get the low-down on how their unique products fit into the marketplace...
7/1/2005
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 TDmonthly’s Top 10 Most Wanted Building Sets
According to the NPD Group, building set sales totaled $416.3 million in 2004. Winners with kids of all ages, these sets also get a thumbs-up from parents, encouraging active involvement rather than passive observation...
2/1/2005
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 Making A Fun Geometric Connection
Whether you love geometry, science or just like having fun, Roger’s Connection Construction System is a unique building toy that will keep children thinking about how to create an architecturally sound structure...
1/1/2005
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Construction Character Toys, Here to Stay
Through most of its long history, the success of the construction toy had been built squarely on its ever-increasing level of playability. While many can debate the birthdate of the construction toy, few can argue that its popularity continued over the decades is due to the constantly-evolving engineering that accompanied its development...
12/1/2004
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 Chaos: A World of Motion
Jim Rothbarth, designer of the Chaos kinetics system, has been an entrepreneur and inventor since college. Rothbarth learned from development and marketing that nothing is more important than quality. Flaws and reliability issues are never tolerated...
10/1/2004
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BUILDING KITS/BLOCKS
pFlexitoys Flexitoys are the fun building toy that snap and hinge together and are easy to grip and hold in a small child’s hand. Flexitoys stimulate creativity in open play with the limitless things children can build. Flexiswivels allow for even greater creativity with their bendable features. Large sets...
7/1/2004
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