Kids can decorate this trio of wooden race cars with paint and stickers. When finished, they simply pull the cars back and watch them go. Launch date: 2005.
— “Creativity for Kids Fast Car Race Cars and similarly styled items sell around 20 per month,” said Kathy Mabry, owner of The Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass.
— Of 44 retailers surveyed in fall 2008, seven percent named Fast Car Race Cars as a best seller.

Girls can store all of their jewelry essentials inside this cleverly designed armoire, which can be decorated with decoupage, fun paper accents, sequins and sparkle glaze. The top opens to reveal a mirror, and the jewelry chest measures approximately 8-7/8” x 5.25” x 3.5”. “We wanted to develop an item that didn’t use painting,” Lisa Ritchie, public relations manager for Faber-Castell, told TDmonthly. “There’s plenty of decoupage designs in the kit, and kids can use their own images, too.” Launch date: March 2006.

This fully assembled and equipped monster truck excels at racing and off-road action. New features include a race-legal fuel tank, an improved slipper and racing clutch, and a hand-held electric starter for extra-easy starts. The customized, multi-color body is made of rugged polycarbonate with a choice of six trim schemes. It comes with decals and requires 12 AA alkaline batteries, a glow starter, glow fuel (O'Donnell® 20% racing fuel recommended), six-cell NiCd or NiMH pack and charger.

This fully assembled helicopter can be test-flown indoors or out. It features symmetrical, covered wooden blades, a 120-degree eCCPM Swash Plate, full bearings and a beefy unibody airframe that offers more strength and protection. It also includes training gear, a start-up DVD, clip-on heat sinks, a trainer system on the true, five-channel radio, a Deans® Micro™ Plug on the battery, purple-anodized aluminum parts and a choice of six canopy colors with crack-resistant strength.

This 160-page collection of holiday recipes includes dozens of easy-to-create dishes that are delicious, creative and kid-friendly. Launch date: September 2007.

The electric football game is played on an oak wood table that uses a vibration system. The game comes with an instructional DVD, a playbook and two sets of legs, allowing the game can be played on a tabletop or on the stand-alone game table. The game board measures 24” x 48”.

This Woodman kit includes durable beech wood components and the tools a child needs to build the toy. The pre-cut wood is slightly unfinished, allowing kids to sandpaper it for the finishing touches. The set includes a hammer, dowels and glue for old-fashioned assembly. It also features paints and paintbrushes for detail and personalization. Launch date: August 2007; decorative stickers added in 2009.

This Woodman kit includes durable beech wood components and the tools a child needs to build the toy. The pre-cut wood is slightly unfinished, allowing kids to sandpaper it for the finishing touches. The set includes a hammer, dowels and glue for old-fashioned assembly. It also features paints and paintbrushes for detail and personalization. Launch date: August 2007.

This Woodman kit includes durable beech wood components and the tools a child needs to build the toy. The pre-cut wood is slightly unfinished, allowing kids to sandpaper it for the finishing touches. The set includes a hammer, dowels and glue for old-fashioned assembly. It also features paints and paintbrushes for detail and personalization. Launch date: August 2007.

Scaled down for little hands, this briefcase-style carpenter’s carry case for kids includes 16 woodworking tools: model maker’s hammer, carpenter’s hammer, carpenter’s pencil, mallet, saw, set of pliers, screw cutting tool, carpenter’s square, ruler, spirit level, wood chisel, screwdriver, Philips screwdriver, clamp, plane, and sanding block. Launch date: October 28, 2008.

The Playful Chef set includes 10 kid-sized cooking tools, one toolbelt apron and five healthy hands-on recipes, all packed in a backpack for easy storage. The Chef gives children safety tips, color-coded measurements, 10-step instructions and 11 illustrated learning lessons. It also helps them learn how to plan a healthy meal, shop for nourishing ingredients and cook with the right tools. This cooking kit received a 2007 iParenting Media Outstanding Product Award and was selected for Dr. Toy’s Best Products Resource Program Spring 2007. Launch date: November 2006.
— Lots of companies make cooking toys and accessories, but Playful Chef was awarded a TDmonthly Top Toy 2007 award for giving kids a chance to try to their hand at the real thing. With authentic tools, recipe guides and a sturdy apron, this quality set prepares children for a true chef’s experience in the kitchen, including attention to safety.

Where to Buy: The Satin Button

The Playful Chef set includes 10 kid-sized cooking tools, one toolbelt apron and five healthy hands-on recipes, all packed in a backpack for easy storage. The Chef gives children safety tips, color-coded measurements, 10-step instructions and 11 illustrated learning lessons. It also helps them learn how to plan a healthy meal, shop for nourishing ingredients and cook with the right tools. This cooking kit received a 2007 iParenting Media Outstanding Product Award and was selected for Dr. Toy’s Best Products Resource Program Spring 2007. Launch date: November 2006.
— Lots of companies make cooking toys and accessories, but Playful Chef was awarded a TDmonthly Top Toy 2007 award for giving kids a chance to try to their hand at the real thing. With authentic tools, recipe guides and a sturdy apron, this quality set prepares children for a true chef’s experience in the kitchen, including attention to safety.

Where to Buy: The Satin Button

The popular wood birdhouse and bird feeder kits from Hobby Express will be expanded with the new Log Cabin series.  Stylish and easy-to-build kits such as the Log Cabin Style Bird Feeder Kit are perfect for scout, church and school groups. Launch date: July 2007.

The popular wood birdhouse and bird feeder kits from Hobby Express will be expanded with the new Log Cabin series.  Stylish and easy-to-build kits such as the Log Cabin Style Birdhouse Kit are perfect for scout, church and school groups. Launch date: July 2007.

1932 Chrysler Lebaron Convertible. 1:32 scale diecast collectible model car. This 1932 Chrysler Lebaron is a 6"Lx 2.25"Wx 1.75"H diecast classic oldies with adjustable front wheels and openable hood & doors. Sits on a display plaque. This 32 Chrysler Lebaron is manufactured by Signature Models; ref. no 32316 in BLUE color.

Playerz luxury diecast collections. 1:18 scale diecast model car. 9.5"L x 5"W x 2.5"H die cast metal car. Highly detailed engine mechanisms/interior. Diecast metal, workable steering, opening doors/hood/trunk. With plaque. 31060 in ORANGE color. Individually packed in a window box.

With Garrett’s affordable and powerful ACE 150 metal detector, even beginners can find treasure like an old pro. The ACE 150 offers features and performance at a price that is far less than the competition's. It is ideal for coin hunting and its One-Touch technology is easy to use for any age. With true depth and target identification, the ACE 150 is ideal for anyone with a passion for discovering lost treasure. Launch date: December 2004.

The new paint technique and weathering makes this tank look like it just rolled off the Eastern Front. These 1:72-scale tanks are made of 90 percent metal. The quality that they can achieve with metal puts their models a step above the competition.

Traxxas has a wide range of nitro cars and trucks for any enthusiast. With powerful engines, stylish design, and a rugged build, these cars offer off-road action, speed and a great look, sure to please any fan. Traxxas produces lines of 1:10-scale monster trucks, stadium trucks, 1:10-scale sedans, monster buggies, racing engines and more. With fine detailing and impressive power, these products are the perfect blend of function and looks. Bill Carter, head of marketing for Traxxas, informed TDmonthly, “Traxxas basically created the market for ready-to-race [radio-controlled] (RC) vehicles back in the late 1980s ... Our TRX engines are known to deliver the highest performance for any small block engines available. And when a consumer gets a Traxxas nitro vehicle, the box includes our much acclaimed Nitro Set Up DVD, which walks them through all the steps of breaking in, tuning, and maintaining a nitro engine and vehicle.”

These brightly colored and intricate models come with their own 24K gold-plated coin. With engine details, working parts and fine detailing, these models are ideal for adult collectors and younger hobbyists alike. Frank Berk, vice president of Plymouth Toy and Books, told TDmonthly that the Plymouth Scale models are “guaranteed to please” thanks to their “highest quality” manufacturing process.

Based on the tried-and-true Blade CP platform, the Blade CP Pro adds the lightweight power of a three-cell 800mAh Li-Po battery pack, the lightning-quick cyclic response of Bell-Hiller mixing, and the upright or inverted agility of symmetrical main rotor blades. Plus, it can easily be outfitted with brushless power and a heading-lock gyro, without the need for a new radio system or difficult modifications. For red-hot micro heli aerobatics in about the time it takes to charge a battery pack, nothing can touch the cutting-edge Blade CP Pro.
— In a Summer 2012 survey about electronic and battery operated toys, Mark Rosenblum from Hobbytown in Fairfield, Conn., told TDmonthly that he sells 20-30 RC helicopters from E-Flite and Ares each month.

BC exclusively distributes a full range of FURUTA (Japan) 3” prepainted airplane model kits. There’s no messy painting and no glue: Kids just snap in the absolutely perfect precision parts. It’s instant gratification for the video-game and fast-food generation. By eliminating 80 percent of the time it takes to assemble and paint a model, these prepainted snap-together models have attracted millions of new modelers, created a new category and new industry. These airplanes are priced super low and the quality’s super high. BC gets many calls from consumers complaining their local stores are not getting airplanes in fast enough, and retailers report shoppers coming back daily to check if new stock is in.

The HomieShop together with Lindberg and General Motors bring you the HomieHopperz. Feel the power of hitting switches and making your lowride hop, bounce, slam and dance.

The remote-controlled Lourdes model car features a four-wheel hopping action. The 1:25 scale car dances and hops to beats, locks in poses and flashes headlights and breaklights. The car is controlled by a four-button computer game style controller attached by a chord in the back.

Kids can drive on the ground like a car or fly in the air like a plane with Fly Wheels XPV. This virtually indestructible XPV has unbelievable performance and drives over concrete, grass and even off road at speeds approaching 20 miles per hour. The easily controlled XPV can fly over 20 stories high at speeds approaching 30 miles per hour taking radio control to new heights. Kids can put on a show for everyone to see by performing amazing air and ground stunts.