November 2010 New Specialty Toys — All

Star Wars ARTFX+ Statues bring quality and detailing in a small scale suitable for collecting. An addition to the Saga Collection, the Storm Trooper Build Pack features a Storm Trooper wrapped up in shiny white armor and following the orders of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader to the letter. The Storm Troopers project the Empire’s might into every corner of the galaxy. Rarely found alone, the Troopers attack en masse to swarm their foes with superior numbers. Joining the ARTFX+ line, these two Storm Troopers are perfect miniature versions of the onscreen characters, with fully detailed armor and weapons. Both come with four different interchangeable kinds of arm parts and two different style of leg parts, making for eighteen different posing combinations. Like other ARTFX+ Statues the Troopers also have magnets in their feet for display on included bases. ARTFX+ Statues are fun-to-assemble pre-painted snap-fit kits that can be easily put together in seconds without glue or modeling skill. The Storm Troopers stand nearly 8 inches tall (1/10th scale).

From the line of smaller scale Star Wars ARTFX+ Statues comes characters from the original films in this Saga Collection. First in line is the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett. Appearing as he did in Empire Strikes Back, Fett works with Darth Vader to capture the Millennium Falcon and collect on the bounty for Han Solo. Cold and calculating, Boba Fett is never encountered without his full suit of Mandalorian armor and trusty blaster rifle. The armor plating over a full-length bodysuit clearly shows the wear and tear of a life as a galactic bounty hunter, along with all of the personal touches added by Fett over the years like the cape and unique built in weaponry. Poseable in two ways (holding his gun at ease or aimed at his quarry), Fett comes with two different interchangeable arms and magnets in his feet for display on the included base. ARTFX+ Statues are fun-to-assemble pre-painted snap-fit kits that can be easily put together in seconds without glue or modeling skill.  Boba Fett stands almost 8 inches tall (1/10th scale) and is the first in the the upcoming Saga Collection line.

Sabretooth is the third member of the elite X-Men Danger Room Sessions Fine Art Statues in the Marvel Comics Presents Kotobukiya Collection. Inspired by Jim Lee’s 1990’s era X-Men, Sabretooth (Victor Creed) embodies animalistic aggression. With similar powers and abilities including a healing factor, superhuman senses, and claws, he was a longtime rival of Wolverine. The fearsome predator stands ready for battle, his left hand balled into a fist and his right splayed open with claws at the ready. Sabretooth’s face is a mask of rage with his fangs bared in a vicious snarl. The mutant’s costume is authentic to the last detail, with the iconic brown and yellow tiger-striped bodysuit and massive fur collar. Sculpted by Erick Sosa, Sabretooth stands nearly 14 inches tall (in 1/6th scale with the other Danger Room Sessions members Wolverine and Psylocke). Beneath his feet is an exclusive base consisting of snow-covered rocky terrain on top of a mechanical projector. Every mutant in the Danger Room Sessions series is mounted on a unique Danger Room holographic environment with translucent parts that glow with a built-in LED light in the base.

Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of DC Comics, the DC X Bishoujo Collection (combining DC’s superheroines and villains with traditional Japanese stylings) continues with the second beautiful bishoujo-inspired statues, Catwoman. Catwoman is ready for heroism or mischief (or both). Clad in her tight black leather bodysuit, the thieving beauty coyly raises one foot off the ground while playfully biting her whip. Meanwhile, the rest of her weapon coils in the air behind her, adding tremendous life and action to the piece. Catwoman is finely detailed, from her goggles pushed up on her forehead, the straps on her boots and the buckles at her neck and waist. Finishing off with her beautiful Bishoujo-styled face. Catwoman is constructed of high-quality pvc plastic and stands approximately 9 1/10 inches tall (in an increased 1/7 scale for DC X Bishoujo statues) atop an exclusive Gotham City Batman-inspired gargoyle base complete with two miniature cats. First appearing in 1940’s Batman #1, Selina Kyle has for decades straddled the line between hero and villain. Whether on the same side or not, Catwoman and Batman have had an interesting relationship that has occasionally turned romantic.

RooMeez™ help you organize, clean and de-clutter space while providing a modern look and feel. A modular storage system, it features connectable cubes and accessories and provides organization, style and functionality all in one. The cubes are eco-friendly and can be customized and adjusted to fit into any space. Made in the USA.

Vibe IT is a fun way to listen to your favorite music, movie or play a game on your portable device. Vibe IT turns almost anything into a speaker, just remove the acoustic generator from the Vibe IT cube and place it on any hollow or an object that can vibrate. With the reusable sticky material found on the acoustic generator, it will stick to any object and turn that object into a speaker.

Terri Lee "Summer by the Sea' is ready to hit the beach in her adorable sailor suit and cap. She is 15" in height and has beautiful hair for hours of styling fun. She comes with a brush, as well as in both African American and Caucasian Skin tones.

Terri Lee Ready for Recess is staying warm in her cable knit cardigan, matching hat, plaid skirt, blouse and of course her saddle oxfords. She is 15" in height and has long beautiful hair for hours of styling fun. She comes with a brush and in both African American and Caucasian skin tones.

Swing into Spring is wearing her Sunday best. Her sheer organza dress matches her hat and rosy complexion perfectly. She is 15" in height and has long beautiful hair for hours of styling fun. She comes with a brush and in either African American or Caucasian skin tones.

Terri Lee "Winter Wonderland" comes with a purple houndstooth coat, faux fur hat, red corduroy dress and boots. She is 15" in height and has long beautiful hair for hours of styling fun. She is available in both African American and Caucasian skin tones. A brush is included.

Available in a wide variety of flavors and vivid colors, Rock Crystal Candy is made of sugar crystalized onto a wooden stick. The crunchy candy sparkles like real rock crystal formations.
— John Blair, owner of Science Safari in Cary, N.C., told TDmonthly in a late Summer 2012 survey that Rock Candy was one of his bestselling edible treats.

Where to buy:
SOUTH

Individually packaged, these gecko-shaped lizards are made of brightly swirled gummy candy in pastel colors and covered with a sour coating.

In this game for 2-4 players, children try to complete a "Wanted" poster by solving simple math problems. Each player chooses a poster board, then draws from the pile of "sum" cards. The player looks for the matching "answer" card, using the "magic spy glass" to determine if the correct card was chosen. If the cards match, the player can place a sticker on his or her "Wanted" poster, and the first player to collect one of each of four types of stickers wins. This game is designed to teach elementary math skills and encourage problem solving.

These building blocks move into action with wheels and ball tracks. The 26-piece Basic Vehicle Pack includes blocks, clutches and clamps, and is designed to teach motor skills and basic physics principles. An instruction booklet is included.

This memory game for 2-4 players comes with 20 wooden pieces illustrated with images of favorite childhood toys, including dolls, blocks and teddy bears. Players lay the blocks out, then turn them over and try to match picture pairs by memory.

DINGaRING characters like Betty Butterfly feature old-school craftsmanship and good quality materials. All are safe and non-toxic, with wooden rings and internal rattles, designed to serve as an interactive toy for ages 0 and up. Each toy comes with its own introduction swing tag and unique backer card which allows it to be free-stand, hung or laid flat, for various display options.

In this game for 2 to 4 players, kids help Farmer Bert find his lost animals. Awards: 2010 iParenting Media Award for Outstanding Product; Parents’ Choice Approved Award, Fall 2010 Games.

This collection includes four scenes including County Roads, Hot Pursuit, Hitchin’ a Ride and new to the bunch, Road Racers. These replicas feature opening hoods, detailed engines, real rubber tires, metal body and chassis, detailed graphics and custom license plates, and are officially licensed.

Racing has never been furrier than in Hot Rod Hamster by author Cynthia Lord and illustrator Derek Anderson. The rhythmic text tells the story of an enthusiastic hamster as he works to build his own racing machine and show off his lead foot. The beautiful illustrations bring to life sizzling hot rods and the hamster’s adorable animal friends.
— At Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup, Jama was positively ecstatic over the main character of Hot Rod Hamster, who “oozes personality and kid appeal from every pore.” Jama especially liked the fact that the “characters talk in speech balloons, which keep the narrative humming along like a finely tuned, well-oiled machine.”
— Middle-school librarians Lynn Rutan and Cindy Dobrez of Bookends praised “Lord’s child-centered fun text and Anderson’s perfectly jaunty illustrations.” “This big picture book with its bright colors and bold shapes has our focus group’s name written all over it. Hamsters, race cars, building stuff — I knew they would love this and I wasn’t wrong,” stated Lynn.

This dramatic play wooden workbench is designed to be the right size for young children, right down to the nuts and bolts. The set includes a functioning vise, a tool rack, wooden tools, hardware and a storage shelf. A booklet with creative play ideas is included.
— In a February 2012 survey about wooden toys, Mike DiAndrea, manager of Hardware Toys in Paoli, Pa., told TDmonthly that they sell six of this item each month.

Wheely Bugs are hand-crafted ride-on toys that go backwards, forwards, sideways and in circles. They provide free movement so children can be entertained while developing gross motor skills.

This multicolored magnetic building toy is a 30-piece set that includes 18 squares and 12 triangles with 108 magnets. Kids can create 2-D or 3-D objects for open-ended building possibilities.
— Lynda Blankenship, owner of Smart Toys & Books in Knoxville, Tenn. told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that Magformers were a best-selling construction toy.
— Want this? As of 05/10/2011, this product was available for purchase at Smart Toys & Books

This monkey slingshot's strong elastic arms can propel him far distances. Users simply put two fingers in the hand pockets, pull back and let go. He comes complete with a cape and mask, and lets out a loud monkey call when released.
— In autumn 2010, Christine Osborne, co-owner of Wonder Works in Charleston, S.C., said she was still selling about 30 soaring simians per month.

One of 12 styles of Douglas "Fuzzles." They are floppy, soft and cuddly, come in fresh distinctive hues and ready to play, be a gift, or stand brightly in any room decor.