Nano Novelties Puff Up Sales

This little fellow shoots up to 50' in the air and screams like a monkey. It comes with a cape. Launch date: December 2006.

As music plays, ladybugs spin on this 4”-wide hand-painted music box.  “It’s the simple things in life that put smiles on our faces. It’s something as elementary as dancing ladybugs that make us laugh,” Sales & Marketing Coordinator Jaime Edry of Schylling told TDmonthly. “This product is made from quality wood and has the potential to last from generation to generation.” Launch date: January 2004.

An LED light rotates inside to create many patterns. The 7”-tall novelty features an on/off button, and three AAA batteries are included. “Meteor Storms are a visual delight. By holding the button you can create several different patterns,” Sales & Marketing Coordinator Jaime Edry of Schylling told TDmonthly. And they’re “always great for summer night and outdoor festivals,” she added. Launch date: June 2004.

This fake cat’s paw has a bell on the handle and a trigger to make the claw ... well, do claw things. Backscratcher? Friend tapper? Dog deceiver? This thing is just straight weird. The user manual shows things such as using it to reach for a coffee cup, confuse a real cat, and even duel — if your opponent also has a cat paw. It looks fun, and Izumi Nagano at Bandai headquarters in Tokyo explained that “it is something that is unique and brings both playfulness and joy.”

This new concept in light-up toys is sure to be popular. Give it a light tap, and it will start flashing light. It's not a bouncing ball; rather, it slides across hard surfaces while the pirate continues to stare up, and lights flash.

This 3.5" squeeze froggy oozes when squeezed. It is not messy and comes in a 12-count 11.5" x 8" display box.

The 4" Die Cast School Bus has pull back action. It comes as 12 pieces per printed display box.

This cuddly plush monkey has super-stretchy hyper-flex arms. It can be stretched, twirled and flung around. “These cuddly plush monkeys are one of a kind. … They can be stretched, hung up by their paws and then come back to their original shape instantly,” Laura Brewer of Play Visions told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2006.

The Flingshot Flying Frog screams and shoots across the room. The rubber neck allows it to shoot up to 50' through the air.

Slot cars and grandma? What do the two have in common (unless you have a granny who grew up in Southern California in the ‘60s)? This new high-speed senior citizen slot-car package takes the usually slow and infirmed, wheelchair-bound old fogies and turbo charges them for the track. We’re talking two grannies with rugs over their knees, 10-piece cross-over track (for dangerous navigating), remote controls, clip-on crash barriers (you don’t want those grandmas cartwheeling into the “stands,” do you?), and a whole lotta fun. They’re great for kids or old-age home retirees: Who says we slow down with age? The racers require four 1.5V AA batteries (not included). It’s been an excellent seller for Jumpin Banana, according to its sales staff, with an “excellent novelty value.”

Standing about 5.5” tall, these flexible rubber characters feature magnetic hands and feet that can also easily connect to each other. The following colors are available: white, black, orange, lime, clear, red transparent, pink, olive green, purple, slate blue, yellow and blue. Camouflage is available at a slightly higher price. The company requires a wholesale minimum of at least six pieces per color ordered. The Q-Man’s “unique design and flexibility gives it multiple uses,” Frank Frisari of NuOp told TDmonthly.

Once these grannies are wound, they race along at crippling speeds. Launch date: May 1, 2007.

Each 3-½" plastic beaker oozes with mysterious color swirls of green, blue, purple, yellow and pink. The product features a “unique blend of distinctive colors and texture,” Debra Ashley of Toysmith told TDmonthly.
— Owner Fred Rosenberg of On the Park in Kingwood, Texas, said in spring 2007 that inexpensive impulse items from Toysmith are best sellers in his store’s “birthday” category.

Three-inch vinyl worm balls are available in assorted neon colors including green, pink, yellow and orange. Six worm balls are packaged in one retail-ready Value Pack. Launch Date: June 2006.

These Painted Tip, Inside-Out Balls come in two sizes. When flipped inside out, the painted tips reveal an array of color. They were introduced in January 2005 and have exceeded the company´s retail expectations.
— Virtually every retailer who has these products has told TDmonthly Magazine over the past year that this is a hot-selling product.
— “Are you kidding? They love them!” Chuck Susmilch, owner of J.T. Puffin’s in Madison, Wis., responded when asked how well they were selling at his store. “We always sell a lot at Christmastime.” He said that other stretchy products, such as the Urchin Ball and Glow-in-the-Dark, Inside-Out Ball from Play Visions, were also great sellers.
— It’s a ball … it’s a wig … it’s anything you want it to be! Retailers want best sellers and the Inside-Out Ball is that, too, which is why it was chosen for a TDmonthly Top Seller 2007 award.

Made of flexible coated wire cable, the Q-Man luggage tag is durable, stylish and fun. It comes in six solid colors and is also available in camouflage.

This ball, available in several colors, can blow up to 12” in diameter.

These cute realistic cars are part of the Nano Racing System, which includes fun tracks and accessories and allows the cars to jump and stunt at high speeds. They have pull-back engines and can do pop-up wheelies.