September 2009 Notable Toys — All

Beloved by children and farmers alike, the John Deere brand is well known for its durability and reliability. In Ertl’s 1:16 scale line of die-cast replicas, the tractor models’ details are faithfully rendered and finished with glossy paint and decals. The tractors roll freely on heavily treaded wheels ready for pretend-play or collector display.
— In July 2009, one of 49 retailers surveyed said John Deere tractors are the best-selling die-cast toys.

In eye-catching black and white, Schylling’s die-cast model of a police car is ready to respond to any emergency.  Zipping along on working wheels and a pull-back motor, the cruiser  has 9-1-1 printed on the side.
— “They're wonderful sellers,” Michelle Sahr, owner of My Little Red Wagon in Stow, Ohio, said of her Schylling die-cast vehicles in July 2009. Sahr said the police car is a favorite in the line.
— In an August 2013 survey, two out of nine retailers told TDmonthly that police cars were their best-selling type of die-cast toy.

With its glossy paint of bright red and double sets of deeply treaded tires, Case’s heavy-duty farm equipment is rendered in careful detail in Ertl’s 1:64 scale model. The interior of the tractor’s cab is sculpted faithfully and visible from the clear plastic enclosure. The chunky wheels are functional. 
— Two of 49 storeowners told TDmonthly in July 2009 that Ertl provides their best-selling die-cast toys.

An assortment of 10, 1:64 scale cars with realistic details and working wheels, this set of Matchbox cars can stand alone or accompany a collection, parking garage or road set. Familiar vehicles like family sedans, emergency vehicles, sports cars and construction equipment are cast and painted with realistic details to engage imaginative playtime.
— Of 49 retailers contacted during a July 2009 survey, three told TDmonthly Matchbox cars are their best-selling die-cast vehicles.

Color Shifters cars go through a transformation when immersed in warm or cold water. Themes include flames, city, camo, racing and color-to-color. 
— “The Hot Wheels are the best,” remarked Helen Dean, owner of Toy Safari in Alameda, Calif., when asked about her sales in die-cast vehicles in July 2009.
— Four of 49 retailers told TDmonthly in summer 2009 that Hot Wheels is a top-selling brand, reporting sales of about 100 per month, on average.
― As of 9.21.2010, this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 21 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 24 on the top 100 best-selling toys and games. PROS: Sturdy and entertaining. CONS: Does not work well indoors. Must be refilled often.

With swing-open doors, a working stop sign and details in crisp black, Schylling’s Die Cast Bus is an effective miniaturization of one of childhood’s most beloved and familiar vehicles.  A pull-back motor sends the bus zooming across floors or tables, and the interior is detailed with rows of seats visible through clear windows. 
— “The School Bus is always our best seller,” said Kim Emigh, VP of e-commerce at Growing Tree Toys in State College, Pa., who told TDmonthly during a July 2009 survey that Schylling provides her top-selling die-cast vehicles.
— “The best seller in die-cast would be [the] school bus,” said Michelle Smith, owner of Piccolo Mondo Toys in Portland, Ore.
— Seven of 49 retailers told TDmonthly in summer 2009 that school buses are their best selling die-cast vehicles.
— “Oddly enough, school buses are our best-seller,” said Terri Bracken, owner of Earth Explorers Toys in Zionsville, Ind., when asked about her best-selling die-cast items in July, 2010.
— Four out of 38 retailers specified the Schylling Die-Cast Bus as their top-selling die-cast toy in July 2010.

This apple-shaped pouched with a soft, zip-closed top includes 110 tiles with red capital letters that may be used to play three different games. In Appleletters, for two to six players ages 5 and up, players alternately add tiles to the first or last letter of a word in the middle of the table, creating a continuous "snake" of new words. Apple Turnover, for two to four players ages 7 and up, is similar to Appleletters. However, each player begins with 21 tiles instead of nine, and may actually replace an opponent's word with a longer word. The goal is to be the first player to get rid of tiles. In Applescore, for two to four players ages 7 and up, players build words as long as possible in crossword-like fashion and get bonus points for length, palindromes and going out first. Launch date: 2009.

In this episode, Billy Blue Hair loses his dog Doogie while playing fetch. As Billy searches for Doogie within the live-action video, Billy discovers Fire Station 25, where he learns fun and quirky facts about fire stations, fire engines, ladders, turnout suits, hydrants and how to safely battle a fire. "Why do fire stations have a pole?", "Why are fire hydrants different colors?" and "Why are fire trucks red?" are just a few of the many questions answered during this adventure with Billy Blue Hair. "Billy Blue Hair is a child's personal guide and educator, speaking directly to the child during the episode," Kris Olson, president of Kayo Media, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2009. It received a 2009 Kids First Approved approved.

The Texan Bull is part of the Farm Life Series by Papo, featuring detailed artwork on hand-painted figurines. Launch date: April 2009.

This hand-painted Turtle Caouanne is a 2009 addition to the Papo Sea Animals Collection. "The realism, poses, movement, detail and quality that Papo offers," set these figurines apart, Brian Shackelton, operations manager for Hotaling Imports, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2009.

The Papo Lioness with cub is created with detail and designed to authentically display how lionesses really carry around their cubs. "[The] Papo wildlife series is easily the best-quality figure for the price," Brian Shackelton, operations manager for Hotaling Imports, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 15, 2006.

Dedicated Dads of a dozen kids, for Yosi & The Superdads, every day is Father’s Day. "Super Kids Rock!" celebrates their sentiment, message and credo. Fronted by award-winning recording artist, Yosi Levin, with a string of Sirius/XM radio hits, The Superdads ('Jammin' Joe Geisler, Gary 'G-Whiz' Hoffman and 'Super Steve' Brown) deliver "Super Kids Rock" ala Beatles, Clash, CCR, Ramones, ACDC and Buddy Holly. It's "a rock album for the whole family," Yosi Levin, owner of Yosi Music, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

Each display of these talking bookmarks comes with 24 bookmarks — six of each style: dog, cat, horse and monkey. Users simply press the bookmark to hear the respective animal sound. Launch date: 2009.

Fred Figglehorn, the first YouTube star to land 1 million subscribers, is featured on these packs of stickers that come in bundles of 36. There are 13 stickers on the Hey It’s Fred – Red Stickers, which come on a red backer card, and 14 stickers on the blue version. "Fred is the hottest licensed property of 2009," Kristin Baker, in sales admin at Kamhi World, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

This jet-setting suitcase for kids of all ages is made of heavy-duty nylon on a sturdy metal frame. The wheelie bag has an adjustable handle with multiple lock settings to size to every traveler, even grown-ups. The exterior has a large zipped pocket for quick access to toys, coloring books and snacks. An additional zip pocket can be found in the roomy interior. It features "extremely high-quality construction. [The] dual-lock handle allows for two settings so grown-up can take over if kiddo gets tired," Claire Theobald, partner at Dante Beatrix, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 15, 2009.

Fred Figglehorn, the first YouTube star to land 1 million subscribers, is the star of these buttons that come on a blister card with a standard butterfly hole. The pack contains four different 1.5" buttons: Oh My Garnet, Hey It's Fred, On Offense, and May Day. Launch date: 2009.

Fred Figglehorn, the first YouTube star to land 1 million subscribers, is the focus of this talking pen that says five of Fred’s most famous lines. "Fred is the hottest licensed property of 2009," Kristin Baker, in sales admin at Kamhi World, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Description: This large-scale construction set is designed so that kids and parents can work together to design and build a structure on which children can climb, crawl, slide and play. Additional components or accessories like slides or wheels may be used to create larger, more complex creations. It’s designed for easy assembly and disassembly when building something new. Launch date: 1979.

These sturdy backpacks are constructed with nylon made entirely from recycled plastic water bottles and trimmed with naturally biodegradable canvas. Each pack removes seven, 16-oz. plastic bottles from the environment. Each features a large front zipped pocket, two side pockets and an interior zipped pocket. The packs are sized for kids ages 5 to 10. "[They] help your child do something to help the environment while carrying their books to school," Claire Theobald, partner at Dante Beatrix, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 15, 2009.

With this large-scale modular construction kit, children and parents can collaborate to design and construct play structures on which children can actually climb, crawl, slide and play. Larger, more interesting and more complex designs can be created by adding more components or accessories such as slides or wheels. It’s designed for easy assembly and disassembly when building something new. The Junior kit is the second largest set in the line. "Our kits are the only product on the market where you can design your own play equipment on a computer and then actually build rugged play structures to actively play on," George Maday, owner of Phunzone, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 1979.

With this large-scale modular construction kit, parents and children can work together to design and build play structures on which children can actually climb, crawl, slide and play. Larger, more interesting and more complex designs can be created by adding more components or accessories such as slides or wheels. It’s designed to be easy to take apart so users can build something new and different as often as desired. This Basic kit includes wheels to make rolling vehicles. Launch date: 1979.

This is a large-scale modular construction kit on which children can climb, crawl, slide and play. Parents and children can work together to design and build play structures. Larger, more interesting and more complex designs can be created by adding more components or accessories such as slides or wheels. It’s designed to be easy to take apart so users can build something new and different as often as desired. "Our kits are the only product on the market where you can design your own play equipment on a computer and then actually build rugged play structures to actively play on," George Maday, owner of Phunzone, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 1979.

This 12-track album features the alphabet, the days of the week, the rooms of the house, colors, food and more. It may be used by teachers and French students. "With its upbeat and easy-to-learn songs, this CD is a great introduction to French for children 3 to 10," Alain Le Lait, owner of Yadeeda.com, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 25, 2004.

This album offers French songs for children ages 3 to 10. It may be used in classrooms and immersion programs. "A great way to introduce children to French, the songs on this CD are upbeat and easy to learn," Alain Le Lait, owner of Yadeeda.com, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 23, 2003.