Jetfire by PAUL K. GUILLOW INC.

A high performance balsa wood flyer with the style of a jet fighter, this baby has a large 12" wing span with a built-in dihedral. Its colorful style prints on the wing, tail surfaces and canopy give it a very fun-tech look. Even though balsa wood gliders have been around for over half a century, they’re a perennial favorite.
― “[Jetfire] balsa planes have done very well,” said Teresa Ford, owner of Kid's Ketch in Lewes, Del. She reported sales of approximately 20 per month during an April 2010 survey of top-selling activity kits.
— Owner Michelle Bears of the Toy Store in Highlands, N.C., said she sells approximately 15 per month. Where do all those gliders land? When hiking at the bottom of a mountain one day, she found ''many crashed airplanes,'' she told TDmonthly in Fall 2010.

Backyard Flyer - Red Biplane by KID GALAXY INC.

This light, Styrofoam airplane is simple enough for easy flight and durable enough for an eventual nosedive. It has the distinctive double wings of biplanes, and a bright red color detailed with checkered stripes on the wings and tail. Charging off its launcher in less than a minute, the plane is just a trigger-pull away from flight. The charger-controller requires six AA batteries.
— “[It's] Kid Galaxy by far. The Backyard Flyer,” said Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toys & Books Store in Scottsdale, Ariz., when asked about best-selling flying toys in October 2008.
— “The Red Biplane is actually our best seller,” Ava Allen, owner of Be Beep a Toy Shop in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly.
— About 25 percent of 68 retailers named the Backyard Flyer from Kid Galaxy as a top-selling toy.

Air Hogs RC Switchblade by SPIN MASTER TOYS

This transforming stunt flyer lifts off like a UFO but changes in the air to fly like a jet, for a two-in-one effect. The Switchblade features durable polyfoam construction and includes a controller/charger, a lunch base and an instruction manual. The flight range is 300' and it requires eight AA batteries.

Watch Video

Junior Stomp Rocket by D & L COMPANY

As a creative, educational action toy, it’s loads of fun — kids jump on the air bladder to launch a 9" all-foam rocket into the air. The Junior Stomp Rocket is used by science teachers to help children learn about trajectory, force and motion. It is also valued by psychologists, physical therapists, special-ed teachers and parents of children with special needs. “Stomp Rockets are recognized for their positive contribution to the lives of millions of children and adults around the world,” Frank Reed, of D & L Company, told TDmonthly. Awards: Top Toy of the Year 2005, Creative Child Magazine; Excellent Product 2005, iParenting Media.
— “Our top selling flying toy is The Stomp Rocket Jr.,” confirmed Sallie Kashiwa, manager of Timbuk Toys in Denver, in October 2008. “We go through about four cases (40) a month.”
— Six of 68 retailers said in fall 2008 that the Stomp Rocket is their best-selling flying toy. Holly Anvers, manager of Ages & Stages Toy Box in Golden, Colo., cited sales of about 40 units per month in late fall 2009.
— Eighteen percent of 38 specialty retailers named Stomp Rockets an overall best-selling toy in July 2010. Scott Loveless, owner of Toys That Teach in Bothell, Wash., told TDmonthly in summer 2010 that his store sells “somewhere along the lines of 40 to 60” Stomp Rockets each month. “Stomp Rockets … are always a summer favorite.”
— In autumn 2010, Marc Holcomb, owner of Toys & Co. In Greensboro, S.C., said he sold approximately 50 per month per store. “It's our #1 gift item,'' he told TDmonthly.

Giant Skyryders by AG INDUSTRIES

These large, foam gliders are now available in three new styles in the rubberband-powered gliders and three new styles bundled with an electric winder. They are not sold to mass-market accounts. "The first launch in this series sold out three times in the first six months of release," Dennis Edlund, marketing director for AG Industries, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 30, 2009.
— “AG airplanes (are) really great products. They’re 8 and up, so they’re great for the older boy,” Diana Gisolfu, co-owner of Sisters Kids in Springfield, Mass., told TDmonthly in early summer 2010.
— In June 2010, five percent of 40 retailers cited AG planes as a top seller for boys 4 to 12.

Foxtail Sonic by KLUTZ

This Foxtail breaks the sound barrier every time you throw it. Whistles lodged in the leather-covered soft sponge ball shriek as it whizzes through the air.

Watch Video

RamRocket Assortment by POOF-SLINKY INC.

This assortment includes the Rocket Glider, Steel Titan and Para Glider, all of which can be launched up to 50 feet in the air. All rockets are made from a soft, safe foam and come in “try me” packaging that emits real rocket sounds.
— These rockets were best sellers at Twirl Toystore & Playspace in Taos, N.M., in early 2009, according to Owner Molly McMullin. “These have been on our best-seller list for over a year,” she told TDmonthly. “We always suggest buying two, because they’re so fun to play ‘tag’ with.”

Watch Video

Faux Bow by MARKY SPARKY TOYS

Everything about this toy is fake. We admit it. From the faux Black Ebony handle to the fake bow string. It's all fake. All fake except the performance. The Faux Bow was designed with only one goal: To be the best performing toy bow on the market. We beat all the competition by miles. Every Nerf® enthusiast's jaw will drop at the distance and accuracy of this beast. It out shoots and out distances everything in the class. My mom always told me not to judge a book by its cover. No truer words could be said about the Faux Bow™. Under its fake exterior lies the heart of a dragon (here comes the segue). So, if dragons are on the menu... Faux Bow™ is ready to do some slaying. Comes with 3 perfectly balanced Faux titanium arrows and one 3 arrow quiver.
— "This Bow an Arrow is new from Marky Sparky - creators of the popular 'Doink It Darts.' The bow shoots 'arrows,' which are more-or-less the same missles sold in Marky Sparky's popular 'Blast Pad' rockets. The rockets worked well and seem to be a good addition to a strong line," Joe Mitchell, owner of YoYo Joe's Toys & Fun, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.
— “Those things fly out of here,” unintentionally punned Christine Osborne, co-owner of Wonder Works in Charleston, S.C., in Fall 2010.

Watch Video

Blast Pad® Advanced Missile Launch System by MARKY SPARKY TOYS

This launch system features a flex tube that stretches to nearly 3’ and won’t restrict airflow. It only blasts vertically (9 degrees either way), using Metalix™ missiles (three included). The parts store in the base, and the product is also available in Electric Extra Terrestrial Green and Exploding Sun Yellow.
— Two of 66 retailers told TDmonthly in July 2008 that this product is one of their overall best sellers. Five of the 66 named it as a best-selling gift item for boys. Three of 39 retailers listed Blast Pads as their best-selling item for tween boys during an October 2009 survey. “I've been accused of giving them away with how fast I go through them,” Jude Larene, owner of Izilla Toys in Seattle, Wash., said in March 2009.
— “Blast Pads from Marky Sparky were our biggest sellers last year,” Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun’s Toy Shop in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly in spring 2009. Of 47 retailers, two told TDmonthly in June 2009 that Blast Pads top their sales of boys' items, reporting figures of seven to 15 sold per month. "We sell that all year. Every time we get them in we sell out," reported Kim Haynes of Lollipop Toy Store in Dawsonville, Ga., in March 2010.
—‘’We sell at least one per week, sometimes more,’’ said manager Gwen Bowden of Doodlehopper 4 Kids in 1Q 2011.
AWARDS: 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller

Watch Video

Flying Monkey by WESTMINSTER INTERNATIONAL CO.

This monkey slingshot's strong elastic arms can propel him far distances. Users simply put two fingers in the hand pockets, pull back and let go. He comes complete with a cape and mask, and lets out a loud monkey call when released.
— In autumn 2010, Christine Osborne, co-owner of Wonder Works in Charleston, S.C., said she was still selling about 30 soaring simians per month.

Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is an award-winning writer, director and cartoonist whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks, and viewed worldwide in film festivals. See her short films and print work on www.alisonmarek.com. Watch her nefarious villains in the web series www.MuggsMovers.com. Get inspired by her cartoons "Daily ARFFirmations to Unleash Your Inner Fido" at www.ARFFirmations.com. Phew! And then ...  Read more articles by this author