Top-10 Most-Wanted Novelties

Favorites Bounce, Erase and Pick Up the Pace

Iwako Japanese Erasers – Cupcakes by BC INDUSTRIES

These small cupcake erasers with removable parts are available as a trio and in single packs.
— Three of 38 specialty retailers named Iwako erasers as a best-selling novelty item in late summer 2009. Going into the holiday season 2009 (late fall), two of 44 retailers named the erasers among their absolute best sellers. 9/30/2009 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

3-D Mirascope by TOYSMITH

The mirascope utilizes concave mirrors to project 3-D images of an item placed inside. Kids can stick their finger right through the illusional image that appears.
— The 3-D Mirascope “always attracts people’s attention,” Mike Lane, manager of Hobbytown in Cumming, Ga., said in late summer 2009.
— The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., sells about 20 per month of this item, David Ekwall told TDmonthly in 2009. 9/30/2009 (Age: 8 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

ZeeBeez Original by ZING

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The ball can turn inside out to reveal a hidden post. Holding the post, kids can drop the ball to the floor and then watch it bounce back up. Kids can spin it, pop it and catch it.
— Two of 38 retailers named this fun little pick-up item as a best-selling novelty in their stores in summer 2009.
— “I made $700 in the last 90 days on ZeeBeez,” David Ekwall, owner of The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., told TDmonthly in late summer 2009. 3/11/2008 (Price: $4.00; Age: 6 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Pick-up Sticks by TOYSMITH

This wooden storage box with a sliding lid holds 41 colorful wood pick-up sticks that each measure 9.75” long.
— Two of 38 specialty retailers said in late summer 2009 that this long-loved classic game is a best-selling novelty at their stores. 9/30/2009 (Price: $4.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Whoopee Cushion by TOYSMITH

This classic noise-making prank measures 7.25” in diameter and becomes quite the shocker when sat on after inflated.
— Two of 38 retailers told TDmonthly in late summer 2009 that whoopee cushions are a favorite novelty item among their customers. “They’re always very popular,” commented Karen Leppmann, owner of Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts in Portland, Ore. 9/30/2009 (Price: $1.30) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

3-D Bookmark – Waterworld by MAGNETIC BOOKMARKS, INC

This bookmark features a colorful palette of the world under the sea, with an eye-catching three-dimensional effect.
— Gary Green of Toy Box of Asheville in North Carolina told TDmonthly in summer 2009 that his store sells 60 to 70 of these bookmarks per month. “It seems to me we do a reorder once a month with them. It's not something people come to the store for, but it's so eye-catching that it stands out,” he said. 9/30/2009 (Price: $4.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Rainbow Pack by WIKKI STIX

With 24 sticks in a rainbow of colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple), kids can construct shapes and figures without the use of glue or other materials. Each Wikki Stix is 8” long.
- Sallie Kashiwa, owner of Timbuk Toys in Denver, told TDmonthly in late summer 2009 that her store sells about 80 Wikki Stix sets per month.
— Wikki Stix have been consistent best sellers for the last two years at The Parent-Teacher Store & Toys Too in Louisville, Ky., Owner Kimberly Kopatz told TDmonthly in fall 2009. 9/30/2009 (Price: $3.25) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Shock Gum by MAGIQUE NOVELTIES LLC

Shocking gum appears to be a regular packet of gum with one piece sticking out. When someone grabs the piece of gum, they get a real shock.
— The Toy Store in Highlands, N.C., sells about four dozen per month of this item, Owner Michelle Bears told TDmonthly in fall 2009. 10/6/2009 (Price: $4.50; Age: 14 to 50) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Z Windups - Eddie Elephant by CALIFORNIA CREATIONS

Once wound, this elephant spins around, drops down and spins the ball on his nose.
— Two of 38 retailers named wind-up toys as a best-selling novelty item during a fall 2009 TDmonthly survey. 10/30/2009 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Bendable Party Mustache by ACCOUTREMENTS

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The flexible wire inside this 6.75" black mustaches allows it to be shaped in various styles, including the friendly barber, the stern general and the dapper dandy. It comes with a rubber piece that clips to the nose.
— Two of 38 specialty retailers mentioned mustaches as a best-selling novelty item in fall 2008. Michelle Bears, owner of The Toy Store in Highlands, N.C., told TDmonthly her store sells about 48 Accoutrements fake mustaches per month. 10/30/2009

Writer's Bio: Julie L. Jones has written articles for both newspapers and magazines. Before joining the staff of TDmonthly Magazine, she worked as a communications writer and provided editorial support for a market research company. Read more articles by this author

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