TDmonthly is a division of ToyDirectory.com Inc.
TDMONTHLY MUST READS
November Staff Picks
From colorful paper constructions to useful items for babies and toddlers, the products in TDmonthly Magazine's Staff Picks this month offer fun ways to decorate, educate and play...READ MORE
First, let me tell you what’s new at ToyDirectory.com! We’ve redesigned the homepage to serve as a comprehensive research center — based on our communication with retailers and manufacturers every month...
Eighty migrant laborers demanding more severance pay after a layoff at Kai Da toy factory in Dongguan, China, sparked a 500-protestor-strong riot outside the factory Wednesday...
TDMONTHLY TOY VIDEOS
Watch Before You Buy
You've heard about SpinMaster's Bakugan Battle Brawlers, but are they right for your store? Now you can see for yourself. TDmonthly's videos let you try out toys without meeting a rep or boarding a plane...READ MORE
TDMONTHLY TRADE SHOW WRAP-UP
Fall Toy Preview: Vendors Keep Up Despite Challenging Year
Compared with last year’s attendance, the Toy Industry Association’s Fall Toy Preview, Oct. 14-17 in Dallas, Texas, held steady with 280 exhibitors....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY - GET READY TO ORDER!
Don't Miss These Holiday Discounts!
Whether you're still holding out for great holiday deals or need to replenish stock that's flown out the door thanks to early shoppers, don't miss out on these specials...READ MORE
TDMONTHLY SHOP TALK
Retailer Spotlight: Where’d You Get That!?
For Michele Gietz, owning a toy store with her husband Ken was the realization of a lifelong dream. “From the time I was very young, I said someday I’d own a toy store,”...READ MORE
Where’d You Get That!? is a specialty toy, game and gift store on the elite Williams College campus in the Northern Berkshires of Massachusetts....
The right complementary products and services can generate extra revenue for a store and keep customers returning regularly....
Working with other retailers, taking advantage of traffic during special area-wide holiday events, and embracing creative ideas may attract new customers for the holidays....
There’s anxiety among specialty toy-store owners as they consider the uncertainty of the impending holiday season....
Wondering how to fill customers' stockings this year? Take some advice from a few dozen specialty toy-store owners who recently gave their recommendations...
TDMONTHLY TOP-10 MOST-WANTED LISTS
TDmonthly’s Top-10 Most-Wanted Toys for Tweens
When asked about sales of items for tweens, between ages 8 and 12, 51 specialty retailers lauded craft kits as tops, particularly from Creativity for Kids, Alex and Klutz...READ MORE
A TDmonthly Magazine survey of more than 50 specialty retailers revealed that jewelry sales are headed by kits from companies such as Fashion Angels, Klutz and Alex that encourage kids to make bold, new fashion statements by designing their own accessories....
Affected by slow sales and a frightening economy, some of the 32 specialty toy-store owners TDmonthly Magazine interviewed in late October didn't feel they could positively name which products will be their strongest sellers for Christmas...
TDMONTHLY HOLIDAY TOYS ROUNDUP
Place Your Last-Minute Orders Here
Several specialty toy-store owners have told TDmonthly Magazine that they are ordering later than usual this holiday season, owing to the uncertain economic climate...READ MORE
TDMONTHLY TOY REVIEWS
Questions Bring Families Closer, Reviewers Say
TDmonthly Magazine’s Grade School Roundtable participants raved about their experiences with The Box Girls’ Family Dinner Box of Questions, a simple game of asking and answering questions that brought the families closer....READ MORE
TDmonthly Magazine’s Tweens & Teens Roundtable took word play to a higher level with Jumbulaya, the ever-changing word play game … and had so much fun they wanted to play again and again....
If you want to know which books to sell in your toy store, find out what kids have to say about them...
If you want to know which children’s CDs may be worth carrying in your store, see what TDmonthly’s Music Expert has to say....
While reviewing the products below, TDmonthly Magazine’s Psychologist Mom learned lessons on geography, had some fun with dentist-developed paint for teeth, and brightened up bicycling with a flashing safety component....
TDMONTHLY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Holiday Gift Guide: Teach Kids to Choose Quality
Intense marketing or fancy packaging can make a toy seem better than it really is, and sometimes, perception complicates the task of selecting safe, quality toys for children — or helping them pick the right one!...READ MORE
If you're expecting good value for your holiday dollars, TDmonthly can show you 20 great toys that kids will play with long after the celebrations are over...
Prepare for the holiday season by looking through these great toys, sorted by category...
The Consumer Version of the 2008 TDmonthly Specialty Toys Report: Positive Toys for a Promising Future is now available for free to moms, dads, grandparents and anyone else looking for detailed information on the newest and most exciting toys on the market, including eco-friendly and American-made...
TDMONTHLY TOY FAIR PREVIEW
Conquer Toy Fair 2009!
Don't leave the most important U.S. toy show of the year to chance...READ MORE
TDMONTHLY TOY BUZZ
Karito Kids Provide Health and Homes for Children
KidsGive makes dolls and books that represent girls and cultures around the world. It’s also a children’s charity and the result of a vision shared by Co-founders Laura Rangel, president, and her friend Lisa Steen Proctor, COO....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY POPULAR STORIES
Hollywood ToyBoy: No Downturn for Toys
“I don’t care if the economy’s in the crapper!” I screamed into my phone, my no-news-is-good-news accountant to the stars (and me) on the other end of the line...READ MORE
The NPD numbers that came out for the video game space in October did not make for nice reading. After a disappointing August, September recorded negative growth rates for all three main categories: software, hardware and accessories....
The high cost of testing is just one challenge manufacturers are facing under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that passed in August....
I predicted as far back as September 2007 on Klosterstrading.com that LeapFrog was stabilizing, much to the mirth of my analyst friends....
TDMONTHLY MANUFACTURER'S CORNER
Event Marketing Guru’s Corner: How to Handle Objections
One of the most overlooked and under-valued areas of professional selling is the mastery of addressing and effectively handling the real reason sales do not occur....READ MORE
TDMONTHLY NEW TOYS
Notable and New Toys by Category — Specialty Only
See all the new Specialty Toys we've uploaded in the last month to make your ordering easier...READ MORE
See all the new toys we've uploaded in the last month to make your ordering easier...
TDMONTHLY UPCOMING ISSUES
Find More Positive Toys in TDmonthly's Report
Kathy Mabry of The Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass., recently told us how TDmonthly Magazine's 2008 Specialty Toys Report, "Positive Toys for a Promising Future," benefited her business...READ MORE
Find out which hot, new toys will be on display at the American International Toy Fair in New York with TDmonthly Magazine’s Toy Fair Preview in December and January. Before February rolls around...
In the December issue of TDmonthly Magazine, find out what specialty toy-store owners said has been their biggest obstacle ever to a successful holiday season...