Coming in March:
Trends in Die-Cast Vehicles, by Lisa Durante: Die-cast vehicles have been popular in the toy market since the first 1:64 cars were produced in England in 1947. Today, street vehicles are the trend, with the Dub City line by Jada Toys Inc. surfacing as the No. 1 seller for pre- and mid-teens and Playing Mantis´ Johnny Lightning achieving all-around top-selling status.
Hot Die-Cast Products, by Cheryl Scott: The Die-cast genre is making a comeback, as fans flock back to seasoned brands like Tonka and Hot Wheels. TDmonthly interviews Dave Bell, president of SpecCast Collectibles, to discuss the effect of the collectible market on today’s toy purchases and the role of nostalgia on spending.
Predicting Halloween Trends, by Ellen Scolnic: How do the experts predict what is going to be hot for Halloween when the holiday is still nine months away? It’s all about identifying the trends, baby. See what will be hot for Halloween 2005. One word: Batman.
Halloween 2005, by Marie Rossiter: As a compliment to Ellen Scolnic’s Predicting Halloween Trends, Rossiter’s article explores trends in home decoration and other facets of Halloween outside of costumes.
Top Ten Electronic Learning Toys, by Melissa Kaplan: Electronic learning toys like V-Smile by V-Tech and Leapfrog’s Leapster are among the hottest toys on the market. Check out TDmonthly’s “Top 10 Most Wanted Electronic Learning Toys” featuring some of the coolest products out there.
Brass Ring: The Bear Mill, by Dennis Foley: In 2001, The Bear Mill, an Idaho-based company, started designing and manufacturing teddy bear stuffing machines. Today, the company offers a line of stuffed animals and is the leading provider of teddy bear stuffing franchises, both domestically and internationally.
Pretend Play, Cosmetics and Jewelry, by Dennis Foley: How is pretend play different today than it was 20 years ago, when kids wore their parents’ old dresses and suits? Check out this exciting article which highlights breaking trends and the newest products in pretend play.
Pretend Play in the Kitchen, by Susan Maddela: The tea party is as old as time itself, or so it seems. In this piece, TDmonthly highlights the newest items in pretend kitchen play - food, dish sets, china – that lie at the heart of a hungry imagination.
Pretend Electronic Gadgets, by Kimberly Lau: Technological gadgets like MP3 players, cell phones and the like are the must-have items for adults these days. So, it’s no wonder that manufacturers are producing kid-sized electronic toys for pretend play. That cell phone might not ring – but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it!
