TDmonthly Magazine!
August 2012 | Vol. XI - No. 8


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Holiday Savings: 20 Specialty Gifts Under $10

These Specialty Toys are Low in Cost and High in Quality


Parents don't want to skimp when it comes to getting their kids great gifts for the holidays, no matter how thinly their budgets are spread. Luckily, TDmonthly Magazine has added hundreds of affordable specialty toys, games, and kids' products to our database in 2012.

We took a look at the products on our site that are available for $10 or less, and chose the 20 products below. These low cost specialty toys offer high play value and great quality, making them perfect gift items for any budget.

Got some more dough to spend? Then check out our 17 Specialty Gifts $15 and Under




MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 0 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Infant & Toddler
Wooden Toys
Gifts



Vibrant pink, orange, red, and yellow wooden flower rattle. This toy promotes cause and affect. Twist the toy and it makes clicking noises.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34652      (added 7/20/2012)
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MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 3 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: Europe
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Construction
Creative Activities
Puzzles & Skill



Plus-Plus is a brand new breed of construction toy. Made in Denmark (the land of LEGO!), it is the ultimate in open-ended, imagination-driven simplicity. Each piece is the same shape - two plus symbols joined together - allowing for endless possibility. Available in Basic or Neon colors, and in 100pc, 300pc, 600pc and 1200pc. MSRP from 9.99 to 59.99. Launch date: July 2012.
— In a September 2014 survey, Kai Rady, owner of Shenanigans Inc in Charlottesville, Va., told TDmonthly that Plus Plus is one of the store's best-selling novelty items.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34593      (added 7/10/2012)
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MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 3 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Novelties
General Toys
Gifts



Itzabots are robot shaped ceramic planters that kids can customize with any of the included mix and match stickers. Create and recreate new companion as many times as kids like. When kids fill the planter with water and give it a little light, their itzabot will begin to sprout a thick head of grass "hair" within 5-7 days. The hair will continue to grow for 2 months with continued watering and styling. Available in three styles/sticker kits: Monster, Girl, and Robot.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34393      (added 6/8/2012)
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MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 8 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
SKU or Item #: HC430
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Puzzles & Skill
Educational
Family Games



Can kids fit all the numbers back in? First, spill the ten digits (0-9) from the box and give them a scramble. Then, place the pieces back in the box so that the lid closes flat. There are over 4000 possible solutions.
Awards: 2011 Parents’ Choice Awards - Recommended
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 33888      (added 3/13/2012)
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MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 6 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: China
SKU or Item #: BOL-JR-BP-01-W
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Card Games
Family Games
General Games



Bag-O-Loot Junior is designed for 2-6 players ages 6 and up. Players compete to make as many Bags-O-Loot (five matching cards) as they can. The problem is, other players keep stealing your cards. Of course you are doing the same thing to them so the groans and laughter never stop as sets of cards are constantly shifting from one player to another. Very easy to learn. "Bag-O-Loot Junior is the only game on the market where players take turns making and stealing sets of matching cards from each other," John Shelley, president of Bag-O-Loot, LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2012.
Awards: 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 33791      (added 3/5/2012)
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MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 5 to 15
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: China
SKU or Item #: 65805
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Arts & Crafts
Stickers
Kits



Add sparkling jewels to these adorable little monsters. Use 7 reusable stickers to decorate mirrors, windows, notebooks and more! Meet mischievous friends by matching sparkling tiles to a numbered legend. Best of all, these stickers can be peeled right off with no residue and reused for years to come. Launch date: March 2012.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34325      (added 5/25/2012)
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MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 3 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Outdoor Fun
Water Activities
Preschool



Sand funnel for detailed sand decorating for sand castles and other creations. Separate compartments for sand and water. Easy to hold handle for small hands. 6 1/2 inches.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34254      (added 5/18/2012)
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MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 3 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: China
SKU or Item #: 80800
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Card Games
Infant & Toddler
Educational



3 Matching and memory cards games in one! This colorful deck of hand-shaped cards helps children build their matching skills, memory skills and hand-eye coordination, all while having fun. Young players will love the finger-puppet inspired characters. Each deck features 15 different characters. Choose either our Animal or our People deck. For players aged 3 and up.
Model #'s
Animal Edition  80800
People Edition  80801

ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34153      (added 4/27/2012)
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MSRP: $9.95
Age Range: 4 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Puzzles & Skill
Educational
Award Winners



The renewed popularity of the subject of dinosaurs and recent sensational archaeological finds have led to this second coming of Scramble Squares® dinosaurs styles, Diggin' Dinos. These dinos are less dragon-like and scary than b. dazzle's original Dinosaurs puzzle and more suitable for the elementary school child.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34440      (added 6/19/2012)
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MSRP: $8.99
Age Range: 3 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: China
SKU or Item #: 6652
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: General Games
Board Games
Preschool



Spurtle Turtle is also for one or more players. In this fun matching game, press the button on the turtle’s back to spurt out tokens. Then, find the matching sets of tokens! The turtle is also a convenient storage case. Spurtle Turtle is for ages 3 and up. Launch date: 2012.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34531      (added 7/3/2012)
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MSRP: $8.99
Age Range: 5 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Books



Welcome to the City of Light, one of the world's most romantic destinations! From the revered Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame to the majestic Eiffel Tower, from the cabaret venue of Moulin Rouge to the highbrow opera house Palais Garnier, this world-class city offers beaucoup beloved architectural landmarks. Visit a dozen sites, including the Louvre, Pompidou Centre, Musée d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, and more, then fold all away in an élégant slipcase. Launch date: March 2012.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34207      (added 5/11/2012)
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MSRP: $7.99
Age Range: 8 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: United States
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Family Games
General Games
General Toys



Look, see, play and score...a lot. Add cards to a grid, making sure that color, shape, and number are either all the same or all different across the line. Sounds easy but as the grid expands, so do the possibilities. Whoever sees the opportunities will seize the win. Iota – The pocket-sized game that’s big time fun. Launch date: September 2012.
Awards: 2012 Mensa Select
— In a Fall 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Iota was their best-selling card game.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34592      (added 7/10/2012)
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MSRP: $6.99
Age Range: 4 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: China
SKU or Item #: 3737
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Arts & Crafts
Developmental Toys
General Toys



Putty Peeps is a new kind of putty which has unique properties no other putty has. When the putty is played and heated from the warmth of your hands, it will act as a solid and can be stretched, shaped, squished, snapped and bounced. When the putty is left to rest it will immediately begin to take on a liquid form and will seem to melt like ice cream however the putty will not be wet or sticky.    In addition to the unique properties of the putty, Putty Peeps adds extra play value by providing high quality realistic color eyes. Children can insert the eyes into the putty to make the product come alive. Kids can now create countless Putty Peep friends to shape and twist them in their own unique ways, strengthening a child’s imagination  Putty Peeps include the following lines; Metallic color line (Red, Blue, Green, Purple and Silver). Glow in the Dark line (Glow Blue, Glow Green, and Glow Yellow). Heat Sensitive Color Changing line (Green to Yellow, Purple to Blue, Orange to Yellow, Purple to Pink). Launch date: February 2012.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34576      (added 7/10/2012)
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MSRP: $6.99
Age Range: 8 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: United States
SKU or Item #: 82200
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Aircraft
Outdoor Fun
American-Made



Marble Copter is a brand new outdoor light up helicopter toy. Fling the Marble Copter up to 50 feet in the air using the launching wand, and watch as the copter lights up, glows in the dark, the light reflects off the hologram wings, and helicopters to the ground. Great nighttime fun for kids 8 and up. Launch date: May 2012.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34132      (added 4/24/2012)
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MSRP: $5.99
Age Range: 5 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
SKU or Item #: #2913-4
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Puzzles & Skill
Preschool
Gifts



Our unique package design has made these puzzles instant best-sellers. Great themes and illustrations. Unique compelling design. Eye-catching, reusable package. Each 100-pc puzzle is 8" x 12". Pouch is 5.5"W x 7.25"H x 2" D. For ages 5 & up. Crocodile creek products conform to all of the appropriate safety standards.
— Dean Smith, owner of Jazams in Princeton, N.J., told TDmonthly in a Summer 2012 survey that they sell 10 of this item each month.
— In a July 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Ravensburger was their best-selling puzzle brand.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34575      (added 7/6/2012)
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MSRP: $5.80
Age Range: 2 to 8
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: United States
SKU or Item #: 71029
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Vehicles - Small Toy
American-Made
Collectibles



Our Peace Van Scoot is a simple, durable wooden vehicle great for toddlers and sized perfectly for playmats. Crafted from locally sourced, responsibly harvested pine with hardwood wheels and printed Peace and Love details on both sides. The Peace Van measures approximately 2-5/8" tall by 4" long by 2-1/8" thick. Designed and Made in the USA. Launch date: June 2012.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34544      (added 7/3/2012)
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MSRP: $4.95
Age Range: 3 to 8
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Cars
Eco-Friendly
Wooden Toys



These miniature cars come in 8 different styles which have a bamboo chassis. The styles include a beach buggy, hot rod, and twin turbo. The cars are made completely out of bamboo, aside from the contrast-painted wheels, which include some rubber and plastic.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 32165      (added 4/26/2011)
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MSRP: $4.49
Age Range: 8 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Science & Nature
Educational



Just add water and watch these little clear and colored beads grow into giant jelly marbles. Before soaking, sort the different colors and ask science questions like “How are these alike, and how are they different?” Will the different colors grow to different sizes? Try it and see! Afterward, kids can have lots of fun playing with their experiments. Find a water-safe surface and play the slimiest game of marbles in town, or try them out as new jelly bouncy ball. Kids can even try to grow the amazing spheres in different liquids, like milk, vegetable oil, or salt water. Use a notebook and record hypotheses and observations.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34015      (added 3/26/2012)
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MSRP: $3.99
Age Range: 6 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: China
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Creative Activities
Interactive
General Toys



Kids can hypnotize their friends and family with the 30+ tricks they can do with the Funtrix Cat's Cradle from Eolo Sport. Includes an instructional DVD filled with new tricks to master. Launch date: March 2012.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 33947      (added 3/19/2012)
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MSRP: $9.99
Age Range: 3 and up
Specialty: Yes (as of 2012)
Made in: United States
SKU or Item #: 7-93573-14081-4
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Card Games
Animal Figures
American-Made



Pet Frenzied™ is frantic, furry fun for the whole family, where pets hide and players seek. It’s a get up and move, hide and seek, memory card game, where Seekers grab a House card and go in search of an adorable matching Pet card. Launch date: July 2012.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 34711      (added 7/26/2012)
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Justina HuddlestonWriter's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author


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