Toys "R" Us Expansion:Toys "R" Us announced a major milestone partnership with Go! Retail Group to open 120 new standalone locations across the United States. The stores will feature curated toy assortments, and select locations will include cafés, candy shops, and Creator Studios. This massive growth aims to leverage a booming toy market heavily driven by adult collectors.
Toy Fair Timeline: The Toy Association and the Javits Center announced official Toy Fair dates locked in through 2032, providing long-term predictability for the industry's premier trade event. 2028: Feb. 26–29 2029: Feb. 24–27
Doll and Figure Announcements
American Girl's GOTY: American Girl officially introduced Daisy Davenport as the Girl of the Year, kicking off early excitement for the brand's next major character line.
McFarlane DC Multiverse: McFarlane Toys debuted a brand-new wave of 7-inch collector figures, showcasing characters like Donna Troy returning in her classic Wonder Girl costume. Pre-orders have officially opened alongside other upcoming speedsters like Kid Flash Classic.
Playmates Crossovers: Playmates Toys revealed its Mashups Wave 2 crossover line blending Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Godzilla. The figures feature creative mashups like Donatello transformed as Jet Jaguar and Mechagodzilla Shredder variations.
Reimagined Classics and Licensing Partnerships
Little Tikes Cloud Collection: The Little Tikes Company launched a trend-forward, colorless "Cloud Collection" exclusively on Amazon. Shifting iconic staples like the Cozy Coupe and Lil' Wagon into a soft, sophisticated palette of neutrals, the line is explicitly designed to blend into modern home decor. The shift has sparked internet debate between design-conscious parents and fans of the classic bright primary colors.
Mattel and Bluey: Mattel and BBC Studios announced a massive extension of their global licensing partnership to significantly expand the world of Bluey into multi-brand toy segments.
LEGO Super Mario: The LEGO Group unveiled a brand-new minifigure-based Super Mario and Mario Kart range slated for an upcoming rollout.
Mattel’s Barbie Signature line named Lenny Kravitz the second Kenbassador, following LeBron James, as Ken’s 65th anniversary year keeps rolling. The collectible is priced at about $70 and is available online at Mattel Creations and major retailers.
The doll pulls from Kravitz’s Blue Electric Light Tour wardrobe: trademark locs, tattoos, a bronze mesh cowl-neck tank, boot-cut denim, a studded belt, boots, and shades. Mattel is positioning Kenbassadors as a series that celebrates men who shape culture, which gives the SKU a fashion-and-music story rather than a kids-aisle reset. For buyers, that means collector packaging, certificate of authenticity, and a stand—plus earned media that travels beyond the toy trades.
Hasbro used the third Transformers Day to honor Peter Cullen’s Optimus Prime with theatrical and retail activations, including a Target Transformers capsule spanning figures, apparel, and partner collectibles. The timing doubles as a late-summer brand moment before holiday exclusives accelerate.
On the Mattel side, Hot Wheels × Transformers Bumblebee is the product photo that sells the crossover: a weathered 1967 Volkswagen Beetle with Real Riders wheels that converts into a robot with 13 points of articulation. It is the third 1:64 collaboration between the brands and a clean dual-aisle pitch—die-cast collectors and Transformers fans in one SKU. Merchandise it next to Hasbro’s Transformers Day stories if you are building an entertainment endcap.
Hasbro’s Target Fall Geek-Out exclusives opened for preorder September 18 at 9 a.m. ET. The set that will pull the most collector traffic is G.I. Joe Classified Series #223 Ninja Force Snake Eyes & Kim “Jinx” Arashikage—a two-pack with clear Fan Channel energy.
Marvel Legends Cypher and a Spider-Man: No Way Home Marvel Legends figure round out the Target list. These are not mass-aisle restocks; they are timed exclusives. Plan email, push, and social around the preorder open rather than a broad shelf reset, and expect secondary-market chatter within hours of sell-through.
American Girl’s biggest doll story of the stretch: Daisy Davenport, Girl of the Year 2027, went live September 17 at americangirl.com and American Girl stores. The 18-inch doll and Meet Daisy Davenport book are $135. Daisy is from Madison, Wisconsin—the brand’s first character from the state—and spends summer at Camp Gowonagin, the same camp as historical character Molly McIntire, as American Girl marks its 40th anniversary.
The collection is built for depth: cabin, soccer gear, guitar, campfire, and matching girl apparel. Mattel is supporting the launch with in-store experiences and digital content. For holiday planning, Daisy is the doll program to lead with—anniversary storytelling, a clear hero SKU, and accessories that extend the ticket.
LEGO stacked four adult-leaning sets for early October, giving gift guides more than one LEGO hook. Icons Holiday House (11387) joins Winter Village at $119.99 with 1,354 pieces and an October 1 on-sale date. Avengers: Doomsday New Avengers Tower (76352) follows October 4 at $109.99—timely Marvel shelf heat ahead of the film cycle.
Ideas Downton Abbey (21373) is the prestige play at $349.99 (LEGO Insiders October 1, general October 4). PlayStation (72306) at $179.99 is the first LEGO PlayStation set on the same street-date window. Pitch seasonal builders to Holiday House, Marvel fans to the tower, prestige TV fans to Downton, and gaming nostalgia to PlayStation—four audiences, one October calendar.
Mattel announced a multi-brand Bluey program spanning Little People, Barbie Cutie Reveal, Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, and UNO, with first products expected Fall 2026. Instead of one hero SKU, the license is meant to travel across preschool, dolls, vehicles, and games.
That structure is the marketing brief: a Bluey bay rather than a single endcap. Retailers can ladder price points and age grades under one license; content teams can shoot family-of-product creative instead of a lone press shot. Watch for street dates by brand as Fall assortments lock.
Disney Store unveiled its 2026 holiday toy lineup in mid-September, with items available now and more rolling through fall. The assortment mixes park nostalgia, princess fashion, and Pixar.
Standouts for gift guides include a Toy Story 5 doll gift set, Mickey Mouse and Friends Lionel Christmas Train (about $99.99), Beauty and the Beast Singing Tea Cart, a Disney Princess Classic Doll Collection gift set with mystery accessory boxes, and Andy’s Toy Chest playset. Treat Disney Store as a holiday cluster story—one article, several SKUs, clear photo hooks for social and email.
Four shorter stories still worth a slot. Hess Toy Truck’s 2026 Collector’s Edition Tanker Trucks ($69.99 at HessToyTruck.com) pair a modern tanker and a vintage-inspired tanker with a combined 137 lights and display packaging—classic collector holiday bait.
Little Tikes Cloud Collection restages Cozy Coupe and friends in soft neutrals as a modern-home aesthetic play, launched as an Amazon exclusive. Fat Brain’s Air Toobz EVO (about $129.99) upgrades the airflow STEM system with a rechargeable fan, modular tubes, and foam balls for physics play. McDonald’s SpongeBob × One Piece Happy Meal toys started mid-month at participating U.S. restaurants—a short-window, high-visibility kids traffic driver.
