Parents, students and teachers do their back to school shopping with credit cards and checkbooks open. According to Mordy Schilers, sales manager at Hygloss (ToyDirectory), sales boom in all areas during this season.
Schilers reports that the back to school season is big for their retailers. “People really seem to stock up,” he says. “We get a big run on everything.” One patented item from Hygloss is Squizzers ($2.99), a safety scissor for young students.
No one is more excited about the first day of school than someone who is going for their actual FIRST day! Kids can get ready for that first day with My First Day of Preschool ($13.99 VHS or DVD; ages 2-5), a new video by My First Day Productions (ToyShow), which has won a Parenting Magazing Award. Rob Mankowitz, vice president of business development, says it is likely the company will be developing a series of first day videos featuring Buddy Bear because “kids love him.”
Hygloss is also experiencing growing success with colored plastic gloves ($1.99 for a box of 12 pairs). The gloves come in child and adult sizes, intended to keep hands clean while painting, gluing or engaging in other messy projects. They also have a line of colored lunch bags, available in pastel, bright, fluorescent and natural color sets.
Mara Mosing, sales and marketing director at TAG Toys (ToyShow), believes, “based on early testing, the new Toddler Activity Table will be popular this year.” TAG, which manufactures a line of higher end wooden educational toys, is always adding new colorful puzzles to their line. They have improved their popular name puzzle by adding a second line where students can have their first and last name on the puzzle. The activity table retails for $149.95 and the double line name puzzle for $39.95.
The Pencil Grip has a new toy eraser out for 2004 that is a combination eraser and construction toy. The erasers can be sold individually or by the tub for $4.99.
Crayola 
Window Mega Markers ($5) are new in 2004 from Binney & Smith. They have a ½” tip to make wide, bright colors across windows, mirrors or any glass surface. Their counterpart, Window Markers ($5), come in a colorful eight pack and have a smaller tip for more detailed drawing or lettering.
Writer's Bio: Pennie, a graduate of Indiana University School of Journalism, is a freelance writer and lives with her husband and three children in Visalia, Calif. 
