July 29, 2010 1:50:34 PM
TOYDIRECTORY® | TDmonthly® Magazine | Join
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July 29, 2010 1:50:34 PM
TOYDIRECTORY® | TDmonthly® Magazine | Join
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TDmonthly Classics 2007 AwardsThese Toys Have Stood the Test of Time TDmonthly Magazine is proud to announce its TDmonthly Classics 2007 Awards. The following products were chosen because they've been steady sellers in specialty stores for at least five years (many have sold well for 10 years or more), are considered a staple in their category by retailers who've spoken to TDmonthly and are of high quality and play value. We wish we could have given another dozen awards in this category, but here are the ones who made the cut for 2007:
The 8" "Wendy Loves the Grinch" doll has blue eyes and blond Tosca braids with red bows. Her pleated dress in red and green has a screen print of the true Grinch on the skirt. Red-and-white-striped tights, green step-ins and sparkly red Mary Jane’s complete her look. Included is her plush friend Max, who will join her when she brings Christmas to your house. (MSRP $79.95) An 8” articulated Maggie, The Cat in the Hat has brown eyes and ivory-blond braids that have red, satin ribbon bows. She wears a black-and-white, A-line dress with a white panel on the front, a white stand-up collar and white cuffs on the sleeves. The red bow at The Cat in the Hat’s neck is made from red flannel, the same material used for her red-and-white-striped, oh-so-tall Cat in the Hat hat. White cotton step-ins, white lace-trimmed socks and black-and-white Oxford Mary Jane’s complete her mostly normal outfit. Oh…one more thing — she has, as do all cats, a tail. Plush dolls Thing 1 and Thing 2, all red and blue, will hop the train, bus or plane with the Cat in the Hat. (MSRP: $74.95) — The Cat in the Hat won a TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award because the Alexander Doll Company's Storyland line has been a steady seller in the specialty market for decades. The Cat in the Hat artfully combines a classic 8" Maggie doll with characters from Dr. Seuss's timeless rhyme book, "The Cat in the Hat." — Four of 58 retailers who spoke with TDmonthly shared that Alexander dolls have consistently been and will continue to be the big ticket item of the holiday season. — “Alexander has always been my top holiday seller,” Colette Shockley of The Littlest Princess in Norcross, Ga. told TDmonthly. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 11177 (added 1/18/2007) . Snap Circuits make learning electronics easy and fun. Kids follow the colorful pictures in the manual to build exciting projects, such as FM radios, burglar alarms, doorbells and more. Parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together with ease. “Children can play with this kit for hours and hours and still have not completed all the projects the snap circuit kits have to offer,” Walter Larsen, national sales manager for Elenco, told TDmonthly. — One retailer said in summer 2007 his store sells 25 Elenco units monthly. Five percent of 64 retailers said in August 2008 that Snap Circuits are a best-selling science product, reporting average sales of six units per month. Four of 38 retailers echoed the same a year later. “They’ve gone back to this game six or seven times,” between January and July 2006, said TDmonthly's homeschooling mom Susan Ledford. — Any time TDmonthly asks specialty storeowners about top-selling science toys, Elenco's Snap Circuits heads the list. This simple electronics kit appeals to both girls and boys. By making science fun and easy, Snap Circuits earned a TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award. — Eighty-three of 90 customer reviewers on Amazon.com gave this product 5 out of 5 stars for engaging children in learning about electronics and science with easy-to-follow instructions. The product has yet to capture girls but makes for an ideal kit for any little boy fascinated by how radios work or a VCR is put together. (9.15.08) ToyDirectory Product ID#: 5252 (added 10/27/2005) . 14" Bébé Do (pronounced "baby dough") has a beautifully sculpted face with a delicate, lifelike, newborn expression and eyes that open and close. Her translucent vinyl skin appears like that of a newborn baby. Bébé Do wears pink footed pajamas and comes with a picture book that shows make-believe moms how to care for their baby doll. — Ruth Mandt, one of TDmonthly’s Dolls Roundtable reviewers, said her granddaughters "think this is the sweetest baby doll they have. They take this doll everwhere and care for it like a real baby.” It was picked by the Roundtabler reviewers as the doll with the most lasting value. — Corolle baby dolls are constantly mentioned as a great seller in specialty retail stores, especially around the fourth quarter, which makes vanilla-scented Bébé Do a natural for a TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award. Her sweet face has just enough realism to trigger a nurturing instinct. Her scaled-down size makes her a perfect fit for little mommies. Where to Buy: Blue Turtle Toy Store ToyDirectory Product ID#: 2380 (added 1/12/2005) . Calico Critters Lambrook Sheep Family by INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS LLC Other products from INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS LLC  Everyone in the Lambrook Family loves nothing better than fresh fruit. This is not surprising, as Father Danny is in charge of the orchards in Cloverleaf Corners where he grows delicious apples and pears. Mother Barbara helps him take care of the trees, while sister Iona and brother Winton help with smaller jobs after school. Calico Critters are a best seller at Henry Bear’s Park stores in Massachusetts, Owner Sally Lesser told TDmonthly in spring 2007. ― In spring 2007, Roberta Edwards, owner of Wishes Toys & Gifts in La Quinta, Calif., named International Playthings as a vendor who has “gone the extra mile.” — "We probably sell more of the Calico Critter dollhouse than anything from International Playthings. They're hot," said Jeanne McCullough, owner of Children's Store Inc. in Boise, Idaho. Five of 62 retailers cited Calico Critters when asked about best-selling play houses or furniture in their stores. — Known as the Sylvanian Families across the pond, Calico Critters' cute little animal families are collected and loved by little girls and boys around the world. Since being reintroduced to the States, the furry minis have taken off big time, earning them a TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award. Where to Buy: Luv U Pumkin; Blue Turtle Toy Store ToyDirectory Product ID#: 12999 (added 5/22/2007) . Wholesale Price: (Log in to view) MSRP: $19.99 Age Range: 8 and up SKU or Item #: 5050 Launch Date: July 2006 Gender: Boys And Girls
A winner of 20 awards, Rush Hour continues to be one of ThinkFun’s most popular and renowned mind-challenging games. In honor of Rush Hour’s 10 years of success, ThinkFun is celebrating with a Deluxe Edition that is guaranteed to delight seasoned Rush Hour fans and newcomers alike. Just like the traditional game, the object is to put problem-solving skills in gear to help the red car escape the traffic jam. But Rush Hour Deluxe Edition has been revved-up for maximum performance, featuring 60 of ThinkFun’s best challenges and an exciting new level of play. It comes complete with a modern design, 15 bright metallic cars and a collector’s gift box for easy travel. The single-player game received a Best Products of 2007 iParenting Media Award. "Our Deluxe Edition celebrates Rush Hour’s success with 60 of our all-time favorite challenges, including five levels of play, bright metallic-colored cars and a collector’s storage box for easy travel," said Emily Peters, marketing communications manager for ThinkFun Inc. Launch date: Summer 2006. — When asked for a great new game in her store, Gwen Bowden, manager at Doodlehopper 4 Kids in Springfield, Va., replied, "Rush Hour: a strategy game from ThinkFun. They have a lot of very popular games." — “We do well with anything from ThinkFun because [they’re] thought-provoking games,” Tricia Cooper, buyer and daughter of the owner of Le Jouet in Metairie, La., told TDmonthly. — Kids caught in traffic love to pull out this game and find their way out of the crunch. Rush Hour makes a great travel toy, specialty retailers have told TDmonthly, and it's been a top seller in their stores for more than 10 years. For these reasons, we gave it our TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 10158 (added 11/20/2006) . These 30" Raggedy Ann and Andy plush dolls are timeless. Both have red yarn hair, button eyes and triangular noses and wear their traditional outfits: a white apron over a blue cotton shirt for Raggedy Ann and a flannel shirt, blue pants and a ribbon for Andy. — "Raggedy Ann" was among the popular licensed products mentioned by Holly Reay, owner of Kid’s Corner in Indianapolis, Ind. — "Raggedy Ann & Andy" was also cited as a licensed-toy winner by Melodie Ingwersen, owner of Creative Kids in Columbia, S.C. — Almost no toy could be more classic than Raggedy Ann, Johnny Gruelle's sweet-natured and moral character from the series of books he wrote for young children in 1918. Supposedly based on a rehabbed rag doll Gruelle created for his daughter, Marcella, Raggedy Ann captured the hearts of a nation. Raggedy Andy joined her advenures in 1920. These 30" versions of Gruelle's characters are a fourth-quarter staple, specialty toy store owners told TDmonthly Magazine, and so have earned a TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 7596 (added 4/14/2006) . BeamOs are 30” in diameter, 1½” thick with a 15” center opening and weigh 13 oz. They are made of a soft spandex fabric that covers a foam and fiberglass hoop. The washable sleeve may be hosed off when dirty and should be cleaned after pool or salt water use. NOTE: BeamO is not available for sale in 2010. — “We've had to restock many times for them, even though we’ve been selling them for about three years,” said Cathy Foland, manager of Imagination Station in Fenton, Mich. “Kids love it like it’s nobody’s business," seconded Greg Bonner, owner for 40 years of Heights Toy Center Inc. in Little Rock, Ark. "It’s not a cheap toy, but price will not drive sales. If the child and the family like it, they will buy it. The mass market people will never figure that out.” — Kim Stuffelbeam, BeamO inventor, told TDmonthly, “It’s fun and easy to learn, so kids can become successful very quickly. It’s colorful and they learn to catch it in all different ways." — The easy-to-hold, soft body of this flying disk lets kids of all ages play with each other, from tiny tots to grandparents. It's the kind of toy that attracts attention when it's soaring across a park lawn, and catches the eyes of toy buyers, too, specialty retailers have told TDmonthly, which is why it was honored with a TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 7380 (added 3/29/2006) . Ideal for learning balance and coordination, the Rody Horse allows children to hop around and can even be attached to a base that transforms it into a Rocking Rody Horse. The soft ride-on is often used in therapy for handicapped children, and is made of super-strong, latex-free vinyl. It inflates according to the size and weight of a child with a hand or foot pump. The maximum inflated height to “saddle” is 12". Where to Buy: Really Great Toys ToyDirectory Product ID#: 14605 (added 8/13/2007) . This game of recognition can be fun for the family or just one player. Contestants line up 12 numbered cards of various colors and shapes to try to form as many "sets" of three as possible, grouping the cards into categories by color, number, etc. The package comes with 81 cards, ensuring an almost unlimited number of combinations. — “It's a really great game, one that we sell day in and day out,” Sally Lesser, owner of Henry Bear’s Park in Massachusetts, told TDmonthly in spring 2007. When specialty toy-store owners talk about great-selling card games, Set is always on the list. Thus, it garnered a TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award. — Two of 63 retailers mentioned Set when asked about their overall best-selling toy or game in September 2008. Ten of 64 retailers named Set as a best-selling card game in August 2008, and more than 25 percent of 38 retailers said the same in late summer 2009. In Feb. 2010, five of 38 retailers cited it as a top-selling game. — “[Set is] popular mainly because all ages can play it at the same time,” pointed out Greg Bonner, owner of Heights Toy Center in Little Rock, Ark., in summer 2008 “Set is the all-time best-selling game (maybe product) at Pun’s,” said owner Joe Berardoni, Sr., in the fall of 2008. “I own it, my son owns it, and we have it out on display at the counter. It’s a great game for children and adults.” Past Videos: Product Demonstration ToyDirectory Product ID#: 4570 (added 9/13/2005) . Imported from Germany to the U.S. in 1995, this European designer game is thematically nonviolent, elegant in game play and visually appealing. Players must collect and trade resources, such as wood and sheep, and build the best settlement on an island. Moves require strategic planning, and negotiating and trade are crucial elements of the game. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 2230 (added 1/18/2005) .
Catalog Request Form Read what more than 400 retailers have told TDmonthly about toys since 2005 in Toy-Store Owners Talk to TDmonthly.  Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is a writer/artist/filmmaker whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), among others. Her short films have played in festivals around the world and have been broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks. Her short romantic comedy, "The Three-Body Solution," was sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and won a Director's Award at the Hearts & Minds Film Festival in 2010. Alison has been documenting the specialty toy industry since 2005 with a series of articles and videos for TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author
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