TDmonthly is a division of ToyDirectory.com Inc.
TDMONTHLY MUST READS
ToyDirectory’s 10-Year Anniversary: Staff Matters
This month, as part of our ongoing coverage of ToyDirectory’s 10-year anniversary, we thought it would be nice to let you get to know us a little better....READ MORE
Have a look for yourself at this issue's top stories....
TDMONTHLY HOT TOPIC
Hollywood ToyBoy – July
Tinkerbell’s not dead, she’s just getting her second wind. In 2007, Disney’s going fairy. In a big way....READ MORE
In a June 2 press release, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott pledged to “build more experimental stores to help the company broaden its appeal to Hispanic customers, rural customers and Baby Boomers.”...
HOLIDAY PREVIEW - Part II
Games Grow in Sophistication … and Sales
Stress relief, strategy building and strengthening the family have accounted for the growing popularity of game playing across the United States....READ MORE
Even kidults need cuddly friends, manufacturers of plush and puppets told TDmonthly Magazine....
What makes a good electronic toy more than just a couple of wires and a silicon chip? TDmonthly Magazine talked with manufacturers to find out what would be “electrifying” this holiday season and why....
Technology has advanced so quickly that baby dolls don’t just talk, they talk back. But do kids go for dolls that have a mind of their own?...
What is the key to a good puzzle? Is it the difficulty? The inventiveness? That it looks cool? TDmonthly Magazine talked to manufacturers in order to take the puzzle out of puzzles....
With the Christmas buying season in swing, how does a manufacturer of outdoor toys deal with the fourth quarter shelf-space melee?...
Science toys. Do the makers and purveyors have any scientific ideas about them? Were they “eggheads” themselves? Teachers?...
TDMONTHLY NEW TOYS
July Peeks
With summer in full swing, manufacturers are enjoying the heat while preparing for the end of year sales season....READ MORE
Be sure to peruse this selection of new and unique toys....
TDMONTHLY TOY VIDEOS
Toys on Tape: Video Demos
Mr. TOYDIRECTORY is back in action! We have added more than 50 new videos and 3 new categories! Check out the tons of new games that will keep your summer days filled with excitement!...READ MORE
CANDY & FOOD
While America struggles to fight obesity, candy- and food-related products are getting the cold shoulder at toy stores across the country....
ACTION FIGURES
Papo and Schleich Kick Hasbro off the Shelf
Boys and dads sweep shelves clear of Papo and Schleich knights, and then drop to the floor for a jousting match before bringing the figures home....READ MORE
At Dolls by Jerree in Kingsport, Tenn., the customer demographic has suddenly shifted in the last three months to include boys and men age 10 to 40....
Action figures encompass such a broad category of toys that they appeal to almost any age....
DIE-CAST
Heavy Metal
Toys may come and toys may go, but die-cast is forever … always selling, regardless of trends, fads or the End of Days....READ MORE
There’s die-cast, and there’s Die-cast. TDmonthly Magazine talked with some of the expert’s experts in the die-cast collecting realm to find out what’s hot, what’s not, and what’s just scrap metal....
TDMONTHLY MANUFACTURER'S CORNER
Game and Toy Creation, Part I
Nine entrepreneurs shared with TDmonthly Magazine their process of moving from dream to product....READ MORE
Frank Armbruster, the man who is Colorado Bootstrap Inc., has worked out a mathematical equation for puzzles and toys that calculates which product will have the best chance of success....
Succeeding as a toy designer takes more skill than climbing a cliff without equipment....
TDMONTHLY MOMīS PERSPECTIVE
Homeschoolers Are Fashionable
This month both the homeschooled girls and boys had fun crafting items to play with, wear or display....READ MORE
See how five homeschooling families evaluated four new educational arts and crafts toys....
Stacking blocks and tying shoes caught on with New England-based kids, teachers and parents....
This month, four families and three preschool classrooms evaluated three new toys....
A teacher and mom of four shares her thoughts on a number of new toys....
Dr. Carroll shares her toy recommendations with TDmonthly Magazine....
RETAILER SPOTLIGHT
Phillips Toy Mart Does Business With Bunnies
Phillips Toy Mart in Nashville, Tenn., has been in business for 60 years....READ MORE
RETAILING TIPS
Keeping High-End Doll Sales High-Spirited
What’s the difference between those retailers who fail and those who succeed?...READ MORE
TDMONTHLY COOL COMPANY
A Passion for Fashion
From $75 fashion tee shirts to bead kits for tween girls, Goldi Miller has been able to take an item that has been normally seen as something plain, and turn it into something fabulous....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY TOY BUZZ
Stained Glass Construction … Or Is It Art?
Systems engineer Jay Simmons discovered that the television screen is like a tapestry with rows of colored dots, and PixelBlocks was born....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY BRASS RING
Kamhi World Makes Fortunes
Jay Kamhi went from selling toys on the streets to running a multi-million dollar company....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY TOP-10 MOST-WANTED LISTS
TDmonthly’s Top 10 Most Wanted Travel Toys
Think magnets, crafts and games when thinking of what to stock up on for customers ready to hit the road....READ MORE
Traditional water toys, such as sprinklers, diving toys and water guns, have been given a boost by new technologies, transforming the mundane into mondo cool....
Eighteen store owners told TDmonthly Magazine which toys flew off their shelves last month....
TDMONTHLY UPCOMING ISSUES
When Unique Dolls Go Mainstream
With Groovy Girls and Only Hearts Club already at Target and Lee Middleton heading to JCPenney, retailers wonder, what's the incentive to carry dolls once considered the anti-Barbie?...READ MORE
Plush pets in purses continue to dangle from young fashionistas' arms while shopping for other animal companions....
The latest innovation in kids' furniture, evolving bedroom sets, is catching on among money-conscious parents....