TDmonthly is a division of ToyDirectory.com Inc.
CONSTRUCTION
Building Connections Through Cyberspace
Now, manufacturers of building and construction toys are offering a new kind of demonstration – online interactive sites – that allow kids to get hooked on building before they even step in the door....READ MORE
Construction toys for young children run the gamut from a bag of blocks for less than $20 to high-style European design....
Called toys that make you think, construction or building toy sets are more than the wooden blocks of yesterday — and they’re not just for kids....
Recently, TDmonthly Magazine interviewed several up-and-coming construction toy innovators to get the low-down on how their unique products fit into the marketplace....
IMPULSE BUYS AND NOVELTIES
“I Gotta Have It! Don’t I?” — Shopping 101
According to numerous studies on consumer shopping habits, two major influences determine the likelihood of impulse purchases: emotions and environment....READ MORE
When boys pick a toy up on the spur of the moment, it’s because it speaks to their need for energetic play. Boys have a large play space that is not limited to their rooms....
Girls are motivated to pick up things that fit into their environment, specifically their rooms....
RC TOYS
Taking Sales Sky High
They’re sleeker and cheaper than ever before, but are radio-controlled model airplanes attracting new consumers?...READ MORE
If you glance at the selection of radio controlled cars and trucks in a traditional toy store, you might think that the industry has been at a standstill for decades. You´d be wrong....
Older radio controlled aircraft were largely gas-powered, very complicated and predominantly used by older hobbyists. Technological innovations, however, have caused a resurgence in electric-powered planes, which is expanding the audience for this toy category....
As more easy-to-use boats reach the market, the hobby is becoming less exclusive and more power-oriented....
TDMONTHLY HOT TOPIC
The Hollywood Toyboy: The Dirt on Disney
Another month, another bunch of new shows for kids. No rest for the wicked. The big word this time: Disney....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY POPULAR STORIES
Designer Toys Go Mainstream
Until recently, designer toys were relegated to specialty and hobby stores aimed at collectors of underground art. Now the products are showing up in more mainstream venues....READ MORE
The water toys of 2005 are a lot more active than the traditional beach ball. The trend indicates a push toward more action and more powered toys for either ride-on or play....
Use this catalogue to discover new and unique toys....
TDMONTHLY TOY BUZZ
“Is it a Carrot?”
What’s smaller than a pack of cards, smarter than a bug and one of the fastest selling toys out there? If you answered 20Q in less than 20 questions, you win!...READ MORE
After more than two decades in the toy biz, Mark Chernick, the founder and chief executive officer of Play Visions, is presiding over his company’s hottest product to date: Hyper-Flex, a material that can stretch to eight times its length, then return to its original form....
Mic-O-Mic designer Klaus Micklitz created and patented a sleek new take on the traditional construction and model toy....
Jorge A. Tello Aliaga owns Pers, a new company with two lines of children’s books, four finalist children’s book awards and talk of an animated television show....
RETAILING TIPS
One-of-a-Kind Merchandise Creates “Urgency to Buy”
Most independent toy retailers create a merchandise niche by selecting products not sold by mass merchants. Some go further, and stock only toys that cannot be found elsewhere....READ MORE
A toy store can create a merchandise niche by carrying the complete lines of just a few brands, a strategy that has worked wonders for The Essence of Nonsense....
Creating a niche focused on collectibles is a time-honored way to keep customers coming back. However, it is a difficult niche in which to succeed, requiring great knowledge of what collectors desire....
TDMONTHLY COOL COMPANY
Fusion Toys: Greater Control Leads to Greater Profits
Instead of relying on the most modern marketing tool, Fusion Toys places emphasis on the oldest tool: the personal connection....READ MORE
RETAILER SPOTLIGHT
Pufferbelly Toys: A Small Town Success Story
Stephanie Cox admits that no one would move to St. Helens, Ore. to open a toy store. But Cox wasn’t coming from the outside....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY BRASS RING
Clic-ing It Together
When CLICSTOYS USA, LLC, based in Grapevine, Texas, opened for business in December 2003, the company started with building toys available from its Belgian counterpart....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY MOM´S PERSPECTIVE
Signs Point to Sales
Toy shopping can be overwhelming. If toy stores were set up more like grocery stores, customers may find it less so. ...READ MORE
TDMONTHLY TOP-10 MOST-WANTED LISTS
TDmonthly´s Top 10 Most Wanted Lists
TDmonthly compiles a list of 10 products broken down by category that may be likely to succeed if placed in your store....READ MORE
Radio-controlled vehicles are becoming ever more sophisticated, even employing robot technologies in their designs. There are plenty of products designed just for girls, but many of these toys are genderless....
Many retail toy stores surveyed by TDmonthly concentrate on finding more unusual construction toys that appeal to both boys and girls....
Almost 100 years after the first practical joke product hit the market, gag toys remain steady sellers in toy and novelty shops across the country....