All About She

Tween girls are notoriously hard to please … at least when they’re in a toy store. But a few companies are flourishing with 8 to 12 year olds by creating products that help the girls define themselves. Jewelry craft kits, room décor and personal journals are just a few of the items that tweens long for and these companies supply. This month, a few unique toy makers talked with TDmonthly Magazine about why their products have won the hearts of girls who’ve turned their backs on toys.

TDmonthly Magazine: What makes your products stand out from other companies who are trying to reach the same market?

Pam Esty, creative director for Beacon Street Girls (ToyShow): We spend a lot of time working with tween girls, finding out what they like and don’t like. Tween girls love sleepovers, things that are soft and that sparkle, and they are drawn to words and sayings on products. They are really drawn to our velvet overnight bag with “sleepover” written in rhinestones. We are careful to design products for girls that are sized for their needs and have that extra element of fun that tween girls love.

Lisa Orman, publicist for The Bead Shop (ToyShow): The Bead Shop owners travel around the world, going to fashion shows to get ideas for their company. The styles that we’ll be seeing a year from now are what the owners are incorporating into their make-your-own kits today. Tweens really respond to that because they´re so fashion conscious.

Amanda Boyd, marketing specialist for Avalanche Publishing: We’re very proud that we offer a quality product at a competitive price. We put together focus groups of tween girls to find out what they like. Also, many of our designers have children of that age.

TDmonthly: What are you excited about for Christmas 2005?

Esty (Beacon Street): Our best seller for Christmas is probably our black velvet line, including our “Sleepover” bag. Girls really enjoy the Beacon Street Girls book series. They love the Beacon Street Girls mascot, the Marty plush, and his favorite toy, Happy Lucky Thingy pillow and the smaller Happy Lucky Thingy reversible door pillow.

Orman (The Bead Shop): Retailers have been re-ordering The Fashion Angels Fashion Design Sketch Book for the holidays. Another thing we expect to do great is the Sparkle Beads New Vintage Pins Kit. Heart-to-Heart necklaces are selling like crazy. And a great stocking stuffer will be the Fashion Angels MODifiable Markers.

Boyd (Avalanche Publishing): We just added some pieces to our overall collection with a travel journal, other journals and some new memo pads.

TDmonthly: What do you have coming up for 2006?

Esty (Beacon Street): In 2006, we will be expanding our pillow line. They do very well for us, as does our velvet bag line. We have some new colors coming up in January, including baby pink. We’ll also be releasing four new novels during 2006.

Orman (The Bead Shop): (Just last month), The Bead Shop was acquired by Small World Toys, which will allow us greater back-end efficiency, freeing up the owners to do their creative best. We’re very excited to be coming out with more than 100 products, including Make Your Own Skirt — which is a wraparound muslin skirt printed with the Eiffel Tower — and a ring kit using wire, seed beads and sequins. Everyone’s going nuts over them.

Boyd (Avalanche Publishing): For next year, we’re updating the look of the Miss Adventures line. Since Miss Adventures has such as strong following, we’ll still have products that feature her character. Other products, however, will focus on sketches and geometric shapes. We anticipate that pinks will still be hot next year. We’re also going to be using a lot of turquoise.

Here are some of the products that these companies say tweens adore: