We've covered the toys that got the most buzz at the 2012 New York International Toy Fair (general toys, boys toys, girls toys), but we wanted to know which products were hot sales-wise, too. So, TDmonthly Magazine asked manufacturers about their most popular toys at Toy Fair. Check out their best selling toys below, and see if any of them would be a good fit for your toy store.
Pillow Pets™ Neonz by CJ PRODUCTS
A super-soft chenille plush folding stuffed animal. Starts out as a plush pal, then un-velcro its belly, and it quickly becomes a pillow. The line includes a neon dog, neon monkey, and a neon hippo. 18" (mini 11 inch also available). Launch date: 2012.
MOGO Charm Collection Baby Cakes by MOGO DESIGNS, INC.
These trendy magnetic charms click onto MOGO charmbands. 20 different themed charm collections to choose from in 2012, including Baby Cakes, Be Mine and Flower power.
A lively mix of party game fun and trivia challenge. It’s the game about putting famous and fun events into a timeline – though players don’t need to know any specific dates. Think mayonnaise was invented after the telephone - But was it before or after Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address? Was Seinfeld’s series finale before or after Dolly the sheep was cloned? Guess right about where the event falls and the timeline grows, but a bigger timeline means it’s tougher to correctly place the next event. It’s a simple premise that’s deviously challenging. The first player to create a timeline of 10 event cards wins, and with more than 850 events and facts, the combinations are endless. Launch date: June 30, 2012.
Splashimals can be played anywhere there is water but it can also be played on dry ground too. For ages 2 to 5+, depending on the age, children can use the cards for animal recognition, for creating new animals by mixing the combinations, for a game of memory, and for practicing reading skills.
(OWI-MSK640) 7 in 1 Rechargeable Solar Transformers by OWI INC.
An innovative solar science kit that encourages children to exercise their sense of creativity and imagination. It features all snap together plastic parts (no screws, tools required), solar panel and accessories. It is incredibly easy to assemble the 7 different modules: 2 power charging stations and 5 different vehicles. The transforming rechargeable station has 2 output plugs; one for solar recharging and the other for battery recharging. Amazingly, the battery charging station can bring the selected unit to full power in about 5 seconds and the solar recharging station will fully recharge in approximately 120 seconds. The fun time - run time is approximately 50-80 seconds. Similar to OWI's other mini solar kits, if you have sun, you have power. Enjoy five different vehicles: Solar Car, Concept Car, Bulldozer, Dump Truck and Concept Race.
Collectible myth and monster cards can be played with on their own, but also added to an app for gameplay with 3-D figures. Each card has information about its subject, including unicorns, sea serpents and Cyclops based on the Ology book series. Tap the card to the screen of an iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone, and that monster appears in the game. Launch date: March 2012.
A smaller version of the Chimalong, the Mini Chimalong comes attached to an illustrated full-color spiral-bound songbook that can be propped up for both the player and the singers to read their parts simultaneously. It folds into a traveling toy.
Tilt and see images flip magically to teach the alphabet, numbers, opposites or animal babies. Special lenticular printing makes these cards interactive and captivating for young children. Colorful illustrations make learning fun in English, Spanish and French. High-quality, durable flashcards are easy to clean and maintain. Reclosable ring keeps cards together. "Our flash cards utilize an unique lenticular printing process and provides the ability to learn in 3 languages," Ilango Sankaralingam, president of Smart Play LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2012.
With it's innovative flipping mechanism, Wishbone Flip transforms from rocker to ride-on in seconds. Eye-catching and super-functional, Wishbone Flip is the perfect first birthday present. It’s an heirloom quality, transformable toy, packed with personality. Made from plantation birch for ages 1 to 5. "Wishbone Flip has an impressively simple flipping mechanism making it easy to transform Flip from rocking to ride-on toy and back again in seconds," Jennifer McIver, managing director at Wishbone Design Studio, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2011.
Prince Lionheart Play Mat by PRINCE LIONHEART INC.
Finally, a well-designed play mat that lasts through the developmental stages of your child! Our play mats have been designed to cushion and delight babies during tummy time, entertain toddlers for play time, and encourage young learners of all ages to engage and explore. Search for the hidden characters, count the creatures, sound out letters, or master the road rules: the only limit is their imagination. Reversible: engaging art on both sides; Water-resistant, wipes clean; Soft & cushiony ; Non-toxic. "The play mat lasts through multiple developmental stages of a child - from baby to kindergarten," Lea Janowicz, marketing director for Prince Lionheart, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2012.
These cute pretend fruits are made of polar fleece, and come in a sturdy pine box. Includes a tomato, banana, grapes, strawberry, orange, and a lemon. Anatina paint is NON TOXIC, the wood is FSC CERTIFIED, and the fabric is RECYCLED.
Coloring meets crafting in the innovative, patent-pending COLORGAMI. It debuts with several thematic sets, including "Space Adventure," "The Red Carpet Collection" and the "Puppet Maker Activity Kit." Each COLORGAMI kit includes markers, giant COLORGAMI design sheets with characters, accessories, themed environments and more. When the coloring is finished, the illustrations can be popped out, folded and constructed into a three-dimensional scene. Launch date: February 2012.
iPieces are accessories that accompany iPad app games- they provide an extra dimension to traditional group games. The pieces activate astonishing animations and special effects on the iPad, which literally bring the game to life. For 2 to 6 players, Ages 4 and up. Launch date: 2012.
Kids can marvel at the fastest-growing fish in the world, growing from egg to adult in just six weeks. The adult can reach up to 2" (7 cm) in length. The Killifish eggs used in the kit are from the same family of Killifish eggs that were flown and studied by NASA on the space station. These eggs are homegrown in the USA and raised in Toyops labs to preserve their native habitats. Owners just add bottled water and a light source to watch them spring to life. Launch date: March 2010.
Regal Elite launches its new "Glove Force" technology, which allows users to direct their 'copters by turning their wrists left or right, with the help of a small thumb-controlled throttle. Launch date: Spring 2012.
Carnegie Scale Model Dinosaur Collectibles Brachiosaurus by SAFARI LTD.®
This long-necked plant-eating dinosaur lived during the Jurassic Period, in western North America. Authenticated by the paleontologists of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, this licensed scale model is designed to reflect the latest scientific research. Finely hand painted with up to 25 steps, this model is phthalate and lead free. The scale of the Brachiosaurus is 1:50 and measures 18.5”L x 7”H. Suggested ages 3+. Educational information in 5 languages is available. All products are 100% guaranteed and phthalate and lead free to ensure children’s safety. Launch date: April 2012.
The Void is puzzling to comprehend because there’s a hole right in the middle of it. Consumers can literally put their finger right through the center of the Void. The object is to solve each side, much like one would a standard Rubik’s Cube, but that’s where the similarities end. The Void has different colors, rounded edges, and requires a different solution. Launch date: February 2012. Awards: 2012 ASTRA Best Toys For Kids Nominee
Blocks by brinca dada were designed to engage kids and adults. Unlike other blocks that fit together simply, these blocks are designed to conflict. We play with the simplicity of imperfection. They are a puzzle with infinite solutions. They are spontaneous, not pre-programmed--the opposite of video games. Handmade of teak hardwood. Launch date: November 2011. Awards: 2011 New York Gift Fair Blogger's Choice Award
These large plush Uglydolls have a mini Uglydoll in their pouch. Launch date: May 2012. — Shana Hack, owner of Moon Rabbit Toys in Santa Fe, N.M., told TDmonthly in a Summer 2012 survey that they sell a couple dozen Ugly Dolls each month, though sales have slowed slightly. — Bill Sartain, owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, Utah, told TDmonthly in a Fall 2012 survey that Ugly Dolls are one of their best selling tween products.
SPIN and SEEK On-The-Go hidden-object games are a must have for any road trip. Spin the wheel then find the 3 objects hidden within thousands of squiggly lines. Play with a friend to see who can find the objects first. Launch date: 2012.
Wits & Wagers is trivia made fun. Not a trivia buff? It doesn’t matter. Wits & Wagers brings out the excitement of a Vegas casino by letting you bet on the answers of other players. So you can win by making educated guesses, playing the odds or knowing the interests of your friends. Strike it big with one of your friend’s high payout answers and you’ll be cheering like you just hit the jackpot. Wits & Wagers has received 10 industry awards including Games Magazine's 2007 Party Game of the Year and the Mensa Mind Game award. Wits & Wagers takes two minutes to explain and 25 minutes to play, and can be enjoyed by up to 20 people. It is the perfect after-dinner activity at large family get-togethers or late night parties. (See Review)
Olly Oogleberry™ is a curious and lovable alien seeking adventure and discovery. After traveling 11 million light years from his home planet of Oogleberry, Olly and his merry band of alien misfits finds the companionship of young earthlings who share with him all the wonders of your extraordinary planet, Earth. In return, Olly Oogleberry teaches earthlings about space, aliens, UFOs and distant galaxies. Launch date: June 2011. Awards: 2011 Davey Award for Education and Youth Web Site (OllyOogleberry.Com); 2011 IMA (Interactive Media Awards) Outstanding Achievement Award in category of Teens for www.OllyOogleberry.Com
This pump-action device fires miniature marshmallows approximately 30 feet on a line. This shooter has two magazines that hold 25 marshmallows each and is top-rack, dishwasher safe to clean. The shooter, like all Marshmallow Fun Company products, is designed to shoot nothing but soft, safe marshmallows.
Part of a line of ScienceWiz Thinking Games, this puzzle game created by Harry L. Nelson and Hiroshi Yamamoto provides 40 challenges at different skill levels. Players put a puzzle card down and solve the puzzle by making sure all the pieces are looped together, at which time the board will light up with the solution.
Writer's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author
Writer's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author
