May 2009 Notable Toys — Costumes & Accessories

This construction worker kit comes with a realistic vest in high-visibility neon orange trimmed with reflective tape, a bright yellow hard hat, work gloves, goggles, a tool belt, a toy hammer and saw, a measuring tape, and a name tag for personalizing. The vest is machine washable, and the measuring tape really works.
— “The Melissa & Doug Construction Worker set sells very well,” said John MacDougall, owner of Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., in early 2009.
— In a December 2011 survey about best selling Halloween items, seven out of 12 retailers named Creative Education as their best selling brand of costumes.
— “Since the introduction of costumes by Melissa & Doug, they have been selling well,” said Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toy Shop in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

In shimmering pinks and purples, this full-length princess gown features a multi-layered skirt in sheer material with a panel of shiny satin in the front, a frilly, gathered bodice, puffy sleeves and a pink princess hat with a long chiffon veil. Little girls can act out their favorite fairy tales or invent their own fantasy stories while looking the part.
— “Probably my upper-end dress-up clothes from Puppet Workshop. I sell 10 to 15 of these a month,” Charles Bonner, owner of Heights Toy Center in Little Rock, Ark., told TDmonthly of his best-selling dress-up items in early 2009.
— “Princess related dress-up from Puppet Workshop,” said Mary Ann Benson of best-selling costumes at her Austin, Texas, store, Kinda Krazy Kids and Company.

Made in Canada, the Forest Fairy Dress combines the float and shimmer of organza in the multi-layered petal skirt with the rich textures of crushed panne and satin in the fitted top of the dress. Matching organza petals form poofy cap sleeves at the shoulders, and organza flowers adorn the neckline.
— “They last, and the lining underneath is very soft. We've had them for four or five years, and we go through a lot,” said Mike DiAndrea, manager of Hardware Center in Paoli, Pa., of Creative Education of Canada, in early 2009.
— “I sell 20 to 30 a month of complete girl's outfits,” said Fred Rosenberg, owner of On the Park in Kingwood, Texas.
— “We sell a lot of fairy or princess-oriented dress up,” Kim Emigh, VP of e-commerce at Growing Tree Toys in State College  Pa., told TDmonthly about her sales in dress up.

Wearing these oversized glasses instantly transforms you into a caricature of a snooty librarian or a stern school teacher. Each pair of glasses has 9.5" (24.1 cm) wide plastic frames with rhinestones embedded in the corners. It fits most adult heads and comes on an illustrated blistercard. Launch date: February 17, 2009.

Mini Glue Dots® Dot N’ Go™ dispensers are great for scrapbooking, school or card-making projects. This adhesive dispenser applies small, instant-bonding, non-toxic Glue Dots for tiny embellishments like rhinestones, buttons, beads and more. And, it’s recyclable. Launch date: March 16, 2008.

With one side in crushed velvet and the other shiny satin, this generous hooded cape allows for hours of open-ended role playing and story telling. One the velvet side, the cape depicts a frog on a black background, featuring wide buggy eyes on the top of the hood. The other side is a rich royal blue with a black and silver shield that sports a heraldry-style lion. When flipped around, the frog-hood becomes a prince's crown. Fabrics compliment other items in the line such as crowns, tunics, and decorated form swords to accessorize your child's characters. Launch Date: April 10, 2009.