TDmonthly Magazine!
May 2007 | Vol. VI - No. 5


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TDmonthly Toy Videos

See (and Hear) What's New in May


Want to know what a toy's really like before you order? TDmonthly Magazine's ToyTV lets you look at toys in and out of the box ... and we even try to tell you how they work! Now with sound. And a face. Does TDmonthly's ToyTV work for you? Let us know.

Edited by Alison Marek.

*Video of the month*

Juba Clownfish by GOLDFISH GUITARS LLC

This wonderful 22-1/2" scale Juba Clownfish guitar with a built-in speaker and volume control knob requires a 9-volt battery. It also can be plugged into an amplifier (not included). Perfect for children and adults alike, it has 20 frets, a rosewood fretboard and quality tuners. Goldfish kids’ guitars are twice the quality of toy-store guitars at the same price. This guitar may also be enjoyed by teens and adults as a travel instrument. (Watch Video)


To see archived videos sorted by category please click here.

You can also watch manufacturers frrom TOY FAIR and POMONA demonstrate their toys (2006, 2007), by category. Or watch demos from the GAMES EXPO.

And here are the new videos for this month!





MSRP: $6.99
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Stationery
Gifts



This 7.5” x 5” journal features 100 pages of cherry-colored paper that has lines on one side and a frame to draw on the other side. The front and back covers are laminated to repel spills, and a mini magenta-colored Sharpie is attached to the coil.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 11779      (added 3/6/2007)
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MSRP: $129.95
Age Range: 3 to 12
SKU or Item #: TOF-01-0200
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Gifts



Designed for children ages 3 to 12, this chair comes standard with two solid hardwood construction side panels that can support up to 350 lbs.; a quilted, removable, washable seat loop (18”W x 30”H); two foam padded cross bars for extra comfort (18”L x 3”D); and a limited edition individually numbered brass plate.
— “This chair is designed to last a very, very long time,” noted Susan Ledford, one of the homeschooling moms who evaluated the Freddy Big Chair for TDmonthly Magazine. All of the moms commented on the chair's high-quality construction and ease of assembly. Homeschooler Elise Wilson (8) called it "the perfect gaming chair," and the other kids agreed.
—Months after it was first reviewed, the Freddy Chair earned an Honorable Mention as a product with lasting value. Two of 5 Roundtable moms reported that their kids use the chair “almost daily.” 
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 8971      (added 8/11/2006)
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MSRP: $19.99
Age Range: 3 to 8
Launch Date: February 2007
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Play Sets



This soft-sided, horse stable-shaped and -decorated carrying case converts to an entire horse farm playscape with a barn, stable, corral and riding paddock. Gerry Linda, director of marketing at Neat-Oh! told TDmonthly, "We’re beginning to sense a movement toward branded/licensed accessories and toys in playsets, driven more by manufacturers than by consumers or the trade. However, we are also seeing higher-quality toys and accessories being incorporated into playsets ... and this demand is coming from consumers. Either way, playsets are taking on a more important role.” Launch date: February 2007. This product was previously catalogued under the name ZipBin® Softie™ Country Stable (changed January 2009).
— Georgia Wampler of The Learning Station in Newark, Del., called ZipBins “very, very clever” while at Toy Fair 2007. “They can be used in a lot of different ways. We were excited about the good price point,” she said.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 11729      (added 2/28/2007)
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MSRP: $19.95
Age Range: 8 to 80
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Novelties
Gifts
Science & Nature



The Zero Blaster is the latest addition to the Zero Toys Vapor-Ring toy line. With a bright blue LED light and ray-gun sound effect, it blasts 2"- to 4"-diameter vapor rings up to 12'. It uses safe, non-toxic (water-based) fluid.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 9185      (added 8/30/2006)
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Age Range: 5 and up
Launch Date: April 2007
Gender: Girls
Category: Fashion & Accessories
Arts & Crafts
Gifts



LauraLi Corporation presents Design-a-Purse, a versatile patent pending pouch accented with a treasure of beautiful accessories. Design-a-Purse allows a girl to design her own purse and then assemble it herself. Interchangeable straps, trims and jewels make Design-a-Purse a fun activity and fashion for girls. Packaged as individual components suitable for craft stores, party stores, home parties and as play sets, Design-a-Purse will offer seasonally updated designs, making the product a collectible item every girl will seek out. Pick-a-Pouch, Pick-a-Strap, Pick-a-Trim, Pick-a-Jewel, its your creation, take it home. LauraLi Corporation offers a Point of Sale Display on request as part of any Design-a-Purse wholesale purchase. Suggested retail prices for components range from $1.50 to $10.50. Launch date: April 2007.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 10993      (added 1/8/2007)
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Wholesale Price: (Log in to view)
MSRP: $10.00
Age Range: 0 to 5
Launch Date: April 2006
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Infant & Toddler
Plush
Developmental Toys



This award-winning, patent-pending product uses a fun bottle cover designed to help babies and toddlers learn how to lift and hold their own bottles and sippy cups. Each machine-washable LilyBug features a soft, cuddly animal friend with an embroidered face and vibrant colors, and provides visual and tactile stimulation. The company requires a minimum order of 50 pieces. The product “is an innovative learning tool that children are instantly attracted to. … We provide an alternative to the hard, plastic baby bottle or sippy cup by offering a comforting animal friend during the developmental years of feeding and growing,” CEO Crystal Kane told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2006.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 11287      (added 1/29/2007)
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MSRP: $14.99
Age Range: 8 and up
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: General Games



Kids won't stay on "Cloud 9" for too long if they’re not careful with this quick and easy-to-learn game from Out of the Box. It's full of "ups and downs" where players risk going sky high or having the air let out to sink. It's the winner of numerous awards, including iParenting Media and GAMES magazine awards. It comes with 72 Balloon Cards, six Passenger Tokens, six Scoring Markers, four Wild Cards, four Cloud Dice, a game board and a Hot Air Balloon Basket.
— "Cloud 9 is one of our favorites. It’s a cute game for kids 6 and up, but our 4-year-old likes it as well. Adults like it, too," said Bill Rayment, co-owner of Toy Crossing in Harbor Beach, Mich.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 11452      (added 2/19/2007)
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MSRP: $19.99
Launch Date: February 2006
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Action Figures



Lord Commander Coleman Stryker is the greatest warcaster serving the noble nation in the world of "Warmachine." Here, the very earth shakes during fierce confrontations as six-ton constructs of tempered iron and steel slam into one another with the destructive force of a locomotive. Lead-spewing cannons chew through armor plating as easily as flesh, and a tempest of arcane magics sets the battlefield ablaze. The 6.1" commander comes with a Cygnar flag with 9" base, a Stryker sword, a removable cape and a pistol.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 6844      (added 2/7/2006)
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MSRP: $69
Age Range: 12 and up
Gender: Girls
Category: Dolls



She's not quite depressed, rather just eternally bored. She dresses differently than girls her age, but doesn't care. She lives on whipped cream and edible flowers on a fault line in San Francisco. Her story is a little dark, yet funny and intriguing. She's not the perfect fashion diva... but then again, who is? This is Ellowyne, the first doll in the Wilde Imagination line created by Robert Tonner. The price is for the basic doll. Dressed dolls run from $110 to $149. Outfits will also be available separately. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Video gives Ellowynne's age as 13, but she's actually 18.)
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 8652      (added 7/21/2006)
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MSRP: $139.99
Age Range: 4 and up
Gender: Boys And Girls
Category: Musical Toys
Electronics



This wonderful 22-1/2" scale Juba Clownfish guitar with a built-in speaker and volume control knob requires a 9-volt battery.  It also can be plugged into an amplifier (sold separately).  Perfect for children and adults alike, it has 20 frets, a rosewood fretboard and quality tuners.  Goldfish kids’ guitars are twice the quality of toy-store guitars at the same price.  This guitar may also be enjoyed by teens and adults as a travel instrument.
ToyDirectory Product ID#: 11775      (added 3/5/2007)
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Alison MarekWriter'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


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