TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--Novelties Product Category

Talking Bedtime Teddy by TOEDESIGN INC.

His nightcap and sweet smile look cute and innocent, but this plush bear talks dirty: “I like it when you touch me there!” he proclaims when you squeeze his chest. Slightly less nasty than his cousins, he stands nearly 11-inches tall. Bedtime Teddy is the first-ever oversized Swear Bear ! Only 900 Bedtime Teddies are available. 7/1/2008 (Price: $29.99)

SpongeBob Squarepants - Water Wonders Water Lilies by DUNECRAFT INC.

This easy-care plant will last for years and can grow as large as kids wish. They start by filling the provided bowl with water and adding the seeds. Lily pads start to sprout by the 2nd week. Water must be changed every few days. Lily Pads take shape within a few weeks of sprouting. 7/1/2008 (Price: $7.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

SpongeBob Squarepants - Water Wonders Amazing Instant Plant by DUNECRAFT INC.

When this plant is placed in the provided bowl, it springs to life ina matter of hours. When the water goes dry, the plant curls up and becomes dormant. The plant will continue to open and grow each time water is added to it. The kit contains the Amazing Instant Plant, themed plant stake, themed bowl decals, lava rocks and a clear bowl. 7/1/2008 (Price: $7.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

I Love You Bean by DUNECRAFT INC.

An "I Love You" message will appear when the bean sprouts. All this kit needs iw water, wunlight and love. It's guaranteed to grow by the manufacturer. 7/1/2008 (Price: $4.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Cats and Dogs PEZ Keychain Dispensers by PEZ

These cuddly characters, available in at least five designs, hold PEZ candy for on-the-go snacking. Launch date: March 2008. 6/27/2008

Tooth Paint - Sparkle Colors by NUDENT LLC

This non-toxic tooth paint is available in gold, silver and bronze, as well as other colors. It dries in 10 seconds and lasts about 24 hours. 6/19/2008 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Tooth Paint by NUDENT LLC

This safe, black paint for teeth is easy to apply and dries in 10 seconds. It lasts about 24 hours and can be removed at any time. The product comes in various colors. 6/19/2008 (Price: $8.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Smencils – Watermelon by EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS INC.

Each of the five scented pencils in this set comes in a freshness tube and is designed to retain its Watermelon scent for two years. Smencils are made from 100-percent recycled newspaper. Many other scents are available. 6/18/2008 (Price: $5.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

4" Hand Boiler by COPERNICUS TOYS

Small new shape. Cup your hand around the base of this glass sculpture and the liquid inside shoots up into the upper bulb, where it begins to boil! Also called a "love meter" because its reaction intensifies with higher body temperatures. Comes boxed. 6/17/2008 (Price: $3.25) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Hillary Clinton Laughing Pen by KAMHI WORLD

The limited edition pen features the head of Hillary Clinton, with a moveable mouth. Production of this collectible, retractable pen is limited to 5,000 pieces. 6/16/2008 (Price: $14.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Ugly Ghost Ugly Doll by PRETTY UGLY LLC

Ugly Ghosts can be found way out beyond the back exits of Uglytown.  If you ever decide to go camping near those trees just beyond the gates of the big city, you may be lucky enough to see one! Boo! Boo! Is that some sort of scare tactic or is he trying to tell you his name? Or is it Karaoke night? Hard to tell. But one thing is certain... Ugly Ghosts are good to have around if you can find a way to make friends with them. Try leaving out some sweet snacks under the bed.  Launch date:  2008.
— “Such a cute toy and the kids like collecting them; and there’s always a new generation (of kids) that get started collecting,” Shana Hack, owner of Moon Rabbit Toys in Santa Fe, N.M., said about Uglydolls in early summer 2008.
— Kevin Pohle, owner of The Wizard's Chest in Denver, Colo., named Peaco, Moxy, and OX as the favorite characters among his best-selling plush line, the Uglydolls.
— “We sell lots of Uglydolls — several a day, maybe 50 to 75 a month at our one location,” Kathy Goeddy, manager of JaZams in Pennington, N.J., told TDmonthly. ( Watch Video) 6/12/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

UglyDoll Puglee by PRETTY UGLY LLC

Puglee is super smart. She figured out that a great way to avoid getting a job was to get the worst possible grades ever!  Only an F- would do. But here’s the problem... Puglee LOVES to read, write and count. So she gets all A’s no matter how hard she tries to fail! Puglee is also smart enough to know that life isn’t about getting a grade. It’s about the special bond she now has with you. Launch date: 2008.
— Uglydolls are a strong seller at The Gifted Child in Lenox, Mass., Owner Randy Austin told TDmonthly in summer 2008. ( Watch Video) 6/12/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

UglyDoll Plunko by PRETTY UGLY LLC

Plunko is a business man. He’s got his own car wash, his own tire store, and ideas for lots of other stores. Some of those ideas are his very own. Plunko is a good guy to know. If you know Plunko, you can say you’ve got some connections. And if you call Plunko’s phone, you may get a bad connection. He's 14" tall and is the ultimate business partner because he only wants 100% of your love and even less
of your money.  “Fans love to collect Uglydolls and they have to have them all!” Pretty Ugly LLC Director Alita Friedman told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2008. ( Watch Video) 6/12/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Flippin' Animal Wind-Ups by TOYSMITH

Kids can watch these animals walk, then flip for fun. The assortment includes a dog, cat, frog and monkey. Launch date: 2006.
— “Wonderful wind-up toys from Toysmith,” Candace Williams of The Toy Maven in Dallas, Texas, told TDmonthly when asked to name the best-selling novelty item in her store.
— “Toysmith wind-ups are most popular,” Fred Rosenberg, owner of On the Park in Kingwood, Texas, told TDmonthly in May 2008. According to Rosenberg, they sell “hundreds” per month.
— In May 2008, 11 of 55 retailers named Toysmith as the manufacturer of their best-selling novelty toys. 6/9/2008 (Price: $2.50) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Tech Deck Dudes Street Crew by SPIN MASTER TOYS

Each pack comes with a dude with magnetized feet, a magnetized skateboard, a story about the dude and either a “jigsaw” piece of sidewalk and posing stand or a skate-able street obstacle. Launch date: 2008.
— “Know what's good? The Tech Dudes — they’re from Spin Master” Carol Knight, owner of The Toy Store in Ketchum, Idaho, told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— “They call it specialty action figures,” Knight told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— The Dudes can be collected to build a Dude Street Pack diorama. 6/9/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Self-Inflating Whoopee Cushion by WESTMINSTER INTERNATIONAL CO.

This whoopee cushion self-inflates and comes in a “Try Me!” package. It is available in yellow, orange or pink.
— “The whoopie cushion — that's your perennial novelty item,” Tye Steinbach of Thinker Toys in Portland, Ore., told TDmonthly in May 2008.
—  According to Thea Brown, buyer and general manager at World of Mirth LLC in Richmond, Va., whoopee cushions are best-sellers, running out the door at a rate of “10 per month.”
— In May 2008, three of 55 retailers surveyed by TDmonthly singled out prank products as best-sellers in the novelty category. 6/9/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Chinese Yo-Yo by TOYSMITH

This yo-yo features a roll of paper with a printed design on a 7” handle. The paper extends when the yo-yo is forced outward by a simple wrist motion.
— “Funny enough, Chinese yo-yos,” Alicia Smith, owner of Juneau's Imagination Station in Juneau, Alaska, told TDmonthly when asked to name the best-selling novelty item in her store. “I don't know why, but all of the sudden everybody loves them. [I] probably sell a couple dozen in a month.”
— “Chinese yo-yos … do really well,” Mary Sisson, owner of Kazoodles in Vancouver, Wash., told TDmonthly in May 2008. “They're on backorder right now.”
— Nathan McKelvey, manager of Toy Castle, LLC in Jonesboro, Ar., told TDmonthly in a September 2011 survey that they sell about 100 of this item each month. 6/9/2008 (Price: $4.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Iwako Ice Cream Erasers by BC INDUSTRIES

This eraser looks just like a cup of ice cream. Many other varieties are available in the ice cream line, including ice cream in a cone and ice cream bars.
— “The erasers are doing really well,” David Ekwall of The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., told TDmonthly in May 2008. “They’re erasers from Japan that come in all different shapes — there are vehicles and cakes and ice cream.”
— “Japanese erasers are huge pickups,” Candace Williams of The Toy Maven in Dallas, Texas, told TDmonthly in May 2008. “[We’re] almost out of a 1,300 wholesale order [placed] three weeks ago.”
— In May 2008, two retailers singled out Japanese erasers as their best-selling novelty item. ( Watch Video) 6/9/2008 (Price: $1.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Retrievers Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Featuring different breeds of retrievers including the golden retriever, this Scramble Squares® puzzle goes great with dog lovers. b. dazzle, inc.'s brain teaser puzzles earned a Dr. Toy Award for Best Products for Summer 2008. 6/5/2008 (Price: $8.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Dolphins Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Dolphins are playful, have individual personalities and adapt well to humans, making them a popular sea mammal to kids and adults alike, making for a very enjoyable Scramble Squares® Puzzle. 6/5/2008 (Price: $8.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Original Slinky by POOF-SLINKY INC.

Kids today can enjoy this classic metal toy as much as their parents did when they were children. Awards: TDmonthly Classic 2008.
— Original Slinkys are one of the top-10 best sellers at the Lollipop Shop in Jonesborough, Tenn., and Kiawah Island, S.C., Co-owner Jeff Gurley told TDmonthly in spring 2008.
— “Slinkys are still doing very well,” Ray Goodhart of Ages & Stages Toy Box in Golden, Colo., told TDmonthly in May 2008, noting that they sell “probably 15 to 20” per month.
— “Slinky — nostalgia does very well,” Linda Hill, owner of Emerald Isle Toys in Emerald Isle, N.C., told TDmonthly in May 2008. “[We sell] 50 per year … [to] kids — not parents — looking for older toys.”
— In May 2008, three of 55 retailers named the Slinky as one of their best-selling novelty items. Original Slinkys are a top-10 best seller at the Lollipop Shop in Jonesborough, Tenn., and Kiawah Island, S.C., Co-owner Jeff Gurley told TDmonthly in spring 2008.

Where to Buy: Rocking Horse Toy Store; Berkira

( Watch Video) 6/4/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Amazing Mystery Stick by COPERNICUS TOYS

Rub the notches of the stick to make the propeller spin. Astonish friends by mysteriously making the propeller change directions. It’s a “ruly unique and fascinating classic toy with a great optical trick,” Peggy Tobias of Copernicus Toys told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2008. 6/4/2008 (Price: $1.50) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Compact Curiosity: Balloon Jet Car by COPERNICUS TOYS

The air-powered jet car demonstrates the surprising physical phenomenon of jet propulsion. Inflate the balloon and then release, watching as the air from the balloon powers the car with zero emissions. “Explore science while zooming around a little race car,” Peggy Tobias of Copernicus Toys told TDmonthly. It’s “really colorful and fun, combining the appeal of balloons and race cars.” Launch date: March 2008. 6/4/2008 (Price: $3.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Compact Curiosity: Monster Balloon by COPERNICUS TOYS

This biodegradable latex balloon grows to at least three feet when inflated. Use for delightful play or to think about atmosphere, air molecules and more. It’s “a great instant-gratification stocking stuffer — blow it up and chase it around the tree or out in the snow,” Peggy Tobias of Copernicus Toys told TDmonthly. “Fun compact packaging makes this a great stocking stuffer.” Launch date: March 2008. 6/4/2008 (Price: $7.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Plastic Light-up Tops by KURT S. ADLER INC.

The tops spin, light up and play music. They are available in red and green or red and white. Launch date: January 2008. 5/30/2008 (Price: $3.50) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]