March 2010 Notable Toys — Designer Toys

An animal menagerie, made from organic cotton and soy inks. These petite pillows or playthings are based on Victorian designs, and feature such animals as giraffes, pigs, gorillas, bunnies, owls, ostriches, zebras, and dogs.

PIPEROID is a paper craft robot designed and produced in Japan. The robot is made out of paper pipes with pre-drilled holes and marks to cut, fold, and connect the pipes without the need of glue or tape. All one needs is a pair of scissors, and with minimal assembly they can bring your own PIPEROID to life. It's "very easy to make - with only scissors and 30 minutes," Shinya Fujimoto, owner, Magnote, told TDmonthly. Awards: Good Design Award (2007). Launch date: 2009.

This stylish sillo purse has coordinating fabrics, a sturdy zipper and straps. It measures 10" — 19 " including strap. Launch date: Feb. 15, 2010.

This family set is designed for the Emerson House by brinca dada. The Modern Family is sleek, minimalist, and striking; the dolls' beauty is only matched by their equisite functionality. Not only are they posable and fully articulated, the dolls' biceps and calves flex realistically. The Modern Family turns playtime into an art.

This living room set serves as a collection of accessories for brinca dada's Emerson House. It creates the perfect atmosphere for entertaining guests, reading a good book or relaxing with family. The set features eleven pieces including TV console, lamps, HD television, sofa, chairs, coffee table, console, side table and rug. Launch Date: Spring 2010.

Cubebots's powerful hardwood frame can hold many poses, and his elastic-band muscles and durable wood limbs make him impervious to breakage. When it’s time for him to rest, he folds into a perfect cube. Designed by David Weeks. Made of sustainably harvested cherry wood. Watch Cubebot: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010

Cate & Levi stuffed animals are all handmade and eco-friendly. Especially unique, each one is made from reclaimed wool whose colors and textures are individually selected. This one-of-a-kind Monkey stands between 16"-22" tall and is customizable by gender.

CATTURA is played with Italian cards — the player to collect the most cards wins The Royals on the board stop the players from collecting cards, and players must fight them off in order to win the game. "The imported Italian cards set this game apart from any other," Kristine Troiano, Owner, Italian Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 15, 2010.

Fashion Skinz are removable, reusable fabric stick-ons for your entire wardrobe. They are made of fabric, designed to work great as a fashion decoration for any article of clothing or accessory. Girls can decorate skinz with jewels, sparkly stickers, or markers, and just peel and stick to personalize any outfit. Fashion Skinz come in three different themes, based on the best-selling BOT themes for girls. Users can complete their look with matching tattoos for a head-to-toe fashion makeover. "Iron-ons are intended for a one-time use while Fashion Skinz are designed to be used over and over again on many different surfaces. Fashion Skinz are made from high quality woven canvas that won’t tear, stretch, leave a sticky residue, or damage any surface," Lacey Wilson, Account Coordinator, SAVVi, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2010.

With Stick 'N Style craft kits, girls can use a wide variety of jewels to create their own shimmering bracelets. "Aside from being incredibly easy to use, this new kit offers over 700 jewel tiles and 12 bracelets of varied thickness. Not only are there more than 700 jewels, but there are 17 varieties, making the combinations endless. There is no numbered pattern in this kit, so each design is unique!" Damien Crocker, U.S. Specialty Sales Manager, The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 15, 2010.

Out of the pages of Tanpopo Volume 2, Poodle Kuro makes a shocking transformation into Specter - as he teaches Tanpopo a lesson in emotion. This variant collectible plush follows the original, 15 cm Kuro "Poodle" black plush. Limited to only 1500 pieces.

Out of the pages of Tanpopo, a story of a young girl who makes a pact with a devil, by Camilla d'Errico, Kuro comes to life as an adorable 15 cm collectible plush. He's cute, he's evil, and he'll bring a smile to your face. Limited to only 1500 pieces.

Get in harmony with your very own Yoga class! These three slender young beauties feature dark brown synthetic mohair hair primly pulled back to help them focus on their poses. Handpainted eyebrows give each a unique facial expression, and three distinctive lip and eye color combinations provide exquisite variety (Orchid features merlot lips and brown eyes: Jasmine has brown eyes and peach rose lips: and Iris with blue eyes and sangria lips). Each blithe young lady is attired in a white v-neck, short-sleeved Yoga top smocked at the front, complemented by pink, purple, or blue lycra workout pants.

Mistletoe is ready for the holidays wearing a green long sleeve T-shirt under a decorated moss green short sleeve knit turtleneck sweater and genuine leather black belt. Red woolen shorts, black lycra tights and black boots finish the festive outfit. This outfit is complemented by her bright and cheerful blue eyes and 100% Japanese synthetic auburn hair. She is 12" tall and completely posable with 21 points of articulation.

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! Following hot on the heels of the first three Marvel Comics Bishoujo Collection Statues (Rogue, Black Widow, and Scarlet Witch) comes the mysterious and beautiful telepathic ninja mutant Psylocke. Once a British woman with minor mutant powers, Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock's mind was transferred into the body of a ninja giving her additional martial arts prowess. A long-time member of the X-Men, Psylocke now stars in her very own comic book series. Here, the mutant heroine is presented for the first time in the Japanese Bishoujo (pretty girl) style based on original character art by illustrator Shunya Yamashita. Psylocke is a warrior woman to the core, striking a deadly pose with twin Japanese swords at the ready. The alluring curves of her body are accentuated by her skimpy, skin-tight costume that leaves little to the imagination and the high heeled boots that draw attention to her shapely legs. Constructed of high-quality PVC plastic and standing approximately 9 inches tall (in 1/8 scale with the other Marvel Bishoujo statues), Psylocke was sculpted by Yu Ishii and is packaged in an attractive window box, along with an exclusive X-Men logo base.

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! With the first Iron Man film came two Fine Art Statues of the superhero’s armored suits: Iron Man Movie Mark II and Mark III. Now Kotobukiya announces the first ARTFX Statue Series IRON MAN MOVIE MARK IV ARTFX STATUE to the Marvel Studios collection. Robert Downey Jr. will be reprising his role as Tony Stark with a new and improved armored suit. Sculpted by Ryoichi Ito, constructed of high-quality PVC plastic, Iron Man stands approximately 13 inches tall (1/6th scale) atop an exclusive cylindrical Repulsor Technology base. Just like the previous Iron Man Fine Art Statues, the Mark IV ARTFX Statue includes LED lights in the eyes, chest, fists, and base! In addition, the switch to activate the lights has been moved to the top of the base for easier activation.

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! The Hulk has been a staple superhero of the Marvel Comics for years, battling foes across the universe in epic storylines. In 2008 the gamma-powered powerhouse met his match in a mysterious crimson-hued mirror image: the RED HULK. Massively powerful and frighteningly intelligent, the villain has all of the Hulk’s strengths and none of his weaknesses. The unstoppable Red Hulk rampages across a blasted volcanic landscape, preparing a lethal blow for his foes. The brute is absolutely covered in rippling muscles, with muscular definition rivaling (and even exceeding) that of Bruce Banner’s gamma-powered form. The detail on the tremendous villain’s intricate sculpt highlights every sinew and fiber of his being, while the fantastic paint work emphasizes his skin’s subtle crimson gradations. A dark smoky gray appears on the Red Hulk’s shredded pants, close-cropped hair, and finger and toe nails. Gleaming white teeth stand in stark contrast to the monster’s gaping maw, while his tiny beady eyes shine with a hellish yellow. You can display the Red Hulk in two different ways according to your preferences with two included heads; one depicts the monster grinning in evil glee, while the other is a mask of rage crisscrossed by a yellow “X.” Sculpted by master artist Erick Sosa, Red Hulk stands almost 13 inches tall (1/6th scale), veritably leaping off of his exclusive “georama” base.

Kimochis are small pillows with a feeling (happy, sad, silly, brave) printed on one side and a corresponding facial expression on the other. Each Kimochis plush character comes with a set of three feelings and a how-to Kimochis Feel Guide. The characters — Cat, Huggtopus, Cloud, Bug and Lovey Dove — have a special pocket where kids can store their "Kimochis" or feelings. Using the characters and their Kimochis, kids can get in touch with their emotions through puppetry and play. “Getting back to the basics by playing and communicating with Kimochis™ is a simple, yet powerful way to teach children how to: be aware of feelings, choose how to communicate in emotional moments, and redo mistakes. Children will be drawn to the fun, adorable, accessible characters. Parents will be drawn to the high-quality craftsmanship and the valuable educational content," Susan Schroeder, director of marketing and communications for Plushy Feely Corp., told TDmonthly. Awards: 2009 Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence, Best Vacation Products by Dr. Toy, and Kaboose.com's Top 13 Amazing Toys for Preschoolers. Launch date for Lovey Dove: 2010.

These fashionable designer handbags are made to look like pups. "These purses are the most realistic looking dogs for the dog-loving fashionista," Julie Flann, Manager of Marketing & Sales, Manhattan Toy, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

Emerson House combines contemporary design with excellent play value. It has a fold-out design for play inside and out, sliding doors, and LED lights that run on solar-powered batteries. "The solar-powered LED lights are innovative, but it's the contemporary design that makes the Emerson House stand apart. There are a handful of "modern" dollhouses on the market, but nothing like this," Doug Rollins, Founder & CEO, brinca dada LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2010.

This 21" vinyl play doll is dressed in white with pink trim and comes with a certificate of authenticity. It was sculpted by Dianna Effner and has childlike facial features.