May 2009 New Specialty Toys — All

This soft and cuddly Boogaloo is knit by Peruvian artists and dressed in a classy cap and tie.

Knit from natural fibers by Peruvian artists, Mini Kaya comes complete with braids and a smile.

This cross-bow shoots large marshmallows up to 40 feet. Launch date: 4Q 2009.

These wooden play watches are a must for any little girl's costume wardrobe. They also teach her how to tell time. Designed in Italy, produced mostly in the Phillippines.

The Greedy Gorilla's come all the way from England to teach kids better eating habits. Give him something unhealthy and he burps. He's made of  75% recycled cardboard. Launch date: February 2009.

Smooth rounded corners with 2 easy grip handles. Suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Includes self-mounting stickers. Danish designed, made in Denmark. Maximum weight 150 lbs. 42"L x 15"W x 16"H. Ages 3 years +. Launch date: February 2009.

This line of plush tote characters is accompanied by storybooks. Launch date: February 2009.

Now kids can play basketball in the house without knocking down the lamps. The Baskards card game has penalties and points, just like a real basketball game.

The Super Glider is designed so that adults or older kids who are a little unstable on a bicycle or perhaps have an injury or learning disability can benefit from the extra stability it offers.

Veggies and Carnivores stand off in this chess game that features authentically modeled and painted dinosaur figures. Launch date: February 2009.

Kids don't have to drive their parents up the wall anymore ... now they can transfer their energy straight to this super cool Gecko RC car. It can travel horizontally or vertically for fun in all dimensions. Launch date: February 2009.

Manufactured by German company Holz-Hoerz, this wooden balance bike is constructed of sustainably grown birch and is finished with a linseed oil treatment. It has 12" pneumatic rubber tires and supports riders up to 100 lbs. Multiple accessories, including a ski bob conversion kit, are available. Launch date: 1991 (Germany); 2003 (United States).

With this special diary, kids write with invisible ink markers and then shine the UV mini-light on the page to read what they’ve written. Each set comes with a locking 240-page diary with two keys, a mini UV-light and two invisible ink pens in a 6.5” x 7” x 1.5” magnetic-closure keepsake box. Varieties include Fairy, Castle, Princess Pea, Dragon, Baby Deer, Firebird, Degas and Merlin. “A perfect gift, the My Invisible Diary sets combine the secret elements of invisible ink with a personal diary and a special keepsake box decorated with beautiful artwork,” Elizabeth Carpenter of Mazeology told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 1, 2007.

This little duck in an inner tube is designed to make bathtime fun for kids.
— "I sell a couple of dozen a month" of the Bath Buddies, Fran Anaya, owner of Golden Aspen Toys in Flagstaff, Ariz., told TDmonthly in May 2009.

Suitable for babies 0 to 3 months and up, this teether and discovery toy features a contrasting spot pattern that offers visual stimulation, plus a squeaker for amusement. It is made of natural rubber from Hevea tree and colored with food paint. Sophie is distributed in the United States by Calisson.
— Retailers surveyed by TDmonthly have been naming Sophie the Giraffe as a best-seller since 2009.
― Nicole Boomhover, assistant manager of Learning Express in Cahaba Heights, Ala. told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that they sold between five and ten Sophies a month.
— In an April 2012 survey, three out of 11 retailers told TDmonthly that Sophie the Giraffe was their best selling infant & toddler product.
― “Sophie giraffe is a great baby product that we order over and over again,” Diana Nelson, owner of Kazoo & Company in Denver, Co., told TDmonthly in June 2010. “I can't keep them on the shelf,” agreed Keith Schumacker, general manager at Talbot’s Toyland in San Mateo, Calif.
― During a March 2010 survey of 39 retailers, seven said Sophie the Giraffe is a top-selling toy for infants. Sales averaged 24 per month.
— Want this? As of 05/06/2011, this product was available for purchase at Learning Express of Cahaba Heights, Ala.
AWARDS: 2014 TDmonthly Magazine Top Toy Award, 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller

This classic game features an erasable whiteboard with a marker/eraser that can easily be stored on the side, and has no loose components, making it ideal for travel. It measures 0.9” x 10.2” x 8.75”.
— “We sell a lot of … Melissa & Doug flip games, especially Hangman,” Susan Blanton, owner of Pufferbellies in Staunton, Va., told TDmonthly in March 2009. "All the pieces are attached," pointed out Holly Anver, manager of Ages & Stages Toy Box in Golden, Colo.
— Four of 64 specialty retailers named this one-piece version of hangman when talking about best-selling travel toys in spring 2009. Four of 39 retailers echoed that sentiment in March 2010. Overall, 11 percent of those surveyed in '09 cited games by Melissa & Doug. David Ekwall of The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., said his store sells eight to 10 per month.

This 120-page activity book includes mazes, word games, puzzles, stickers and more for on-the-go fun.
— “[TRIPtivity] is going to be a big hit because it’s less expensive than the other ones,” Valla Wagner, co-owner of Teaching Toys & Books in Tacoma, Wash., told TDmonthly when discussing the Klutz line in March 2009.
— Six of 64 retailers named products by Klutz as best-selling travel toys in spring 2009.

Curious about what is hidden in invisible ink? So is Curious George. Help him discover the hidden world. The Special Pen reveals the invisibly printed pictures. Then match your stickers to the appropriate spot. Each book includes 24 pages of fun, a special pen and stickers.
— Kim Haynes, co-owner of Lollipop Toy Store in Dawsonville, Ga., told TDmonthly in spring 2009 that her store sells about $300 a month of the Magic Pen books, “if I can keep it in stock.”
— Four of 64 retailers named products from Lee Publications when discussing best-selling travel toys in March 2009.

This colorful tin box comes with three sheets of mermaid-themed magnets, including three dolls plus clothing and accessories, and two cards with background images on both sides. The product is printed with nontoxic ink, and the tin measures 7-7/8” x 6 3/10” x 1”.
— “Magnetic paper dolls from Mudpuppy,” are the best-selling travel toy at Twirl in Taos, N.M. “I sold 32 last month,” Owner Molly McMullin told TDmonthly in March 2009.
— Three of 64 retailers named Mudpuppy magnetic sets as top sellers for travel in spring 2009.

This small playset includes a backdrop and 11 dinosaur magnets.
— Two of 64 retailers cited Imaginetics as a best-selling travel toy in March 2009, reporting sales of 12 to 20 units monthly.

In this word game activity book, kids fill in the blanks about their own family members on topics such as “Family Ghost Stories” and “Famous Ancestors.”
— Barbara Paeth Haas, owner of The Durango Kid in Durango, Colo., said in spring 2009 that Mad Libs sell so well she can’t keep them in stock.
— “A lot of people choose things like Mad Libs for travel specifically because they're very compact and they're entertaining for a while, and they just seem to be one of those perennially popular items,” Gini Wingard-Phillips, owner of Math ‘n’ Stuff in Seattle, told TDmonthly in March 2009.

These floating drums introduce kids to rhythm while they bathe, and can be pitch-adjusted according to the amount of water in the drums themselves. They come with a waterproof rhythm chart.
— “We sell tons of Alex's bathtub musical instruments. A dozen or so [per month],” Mary Porter, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly in spring 2009.
— In March 2009, eight of 64 retailers named instruments by Alex-Panline as their best-selling bath toys.
— Alex products are always top sellers for Melody’s Choices, Owner Steve Melody told TDmonthly in spring 2009. “Stock it well and it will sell well,” he said.

These trendy cowboys (and cowgirl) add a little twist to the classic rubber duck. Four designs are available.
— “We have Cowboy Rubber Ducks from Schylling. People like the cowboy theme in Wyoming,” Dalene Lockhart, owner of Toy Town in Casper, Wyo., told TDmonthly in March 2006. She said she sells about six per month of this particular line of rubber duckies.
— Four of 64 specialty retailers told TDmonthly in spring 2009 that rubber ducks are a best-selling bath toy in their stores.

Powered by baking soda, this classic 1950s toy submerges and resurfaces over and over again.
—  “I sell around 25 a month,” Molly McMullin, owner of Twirl in Taos, N.M., told TDmonthly in March 2009.
— Five of 64 retailers named products by Toysmith when asked about best-selling bath toys in spring 2009.