Toys in the News: 10-29-2015

By TDmonthly Staff
October 2015

_{SUBMIT your news to TDmonthly.}_{See previous toy industry news.}

_{Toys in the News is updated Mon-Fri at 9:15 am PST}

Genius Brands International Announces $4.3 Million Private Placement. October 29, 2015 — Genius Brands International, Inc. has entered into an agreement to sell approximately $4.3 million of its common stock and warrants in a private placement with institutional investors and company management...

A Little Toy Company Could Win Big From 'Star Wars'. October 29, 2015 — One potential "Star Wars" trade is JAKKS Pacific Inc. (JAKK), which makes toys based on "Star Wars"...

Hess Keeps Up Holiday Tradition With Toy Trucks. October 29, 2015 — Hess sold its retail business, the largest chain of gas stations and convenience stores along the East Coast...

LaRose recalls toy over hubcap hazard. October 28, 2015 — LaRose Industries is recalling about 11,000 Chinese-made Peanuts Flying Ace riding toys...

Toy Companies Slowly Letting Go Of Strict Gender Categories. October 28, 2015 — A few months ago, Target got a lot of publicity when they decided to remove gender labels from their toys...

Wal-Mart wants to take on Amazon with its own delivery drones. October 27, 2015 — Wal-Mart Stores Inc applied Monday to U.S. regulators for permission to test drones for home delivery...

Lux Blox toy builds on Legos' shortcomings. October 27, 2015 — I have a love/hate relationship with Legos, and the hate half stems mostly from the company's willingness...

Hasbro Wants "Implausible" $5M Lawsuit From Fox News' Harris Faulkner Tossed. October 27, 2015 — Almost two months after Fox New Channel anchor Harris Faulkner went after the toy giant for a hamster that shares her name and...

JAKKS Pacific Reports Third Quarter 2015 Financial Results. October 26, 2015 — JAKKS Pacific, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter 2015...

Hot Toys' Force Awakens Flametrooper Is Here To Incinerate What's Left Of Your Money. October 26, 2015 — First, Kylo Ren and his Stormtroopers were there to tempt your disposable income...

Talking robots, spinning fairies dazzle children at Paris toy fair. October 26, 2015 — Walking, talking robots, spinning fairies and drones were among the latest toys...

Mattel confronts its feminism problem with this new ad for Barbie. October 23, 2015 — A new advertisement from Mattel shows how children typically play with dolls...

Build-A-Bear recalls $865,000 of toys on choking fears. October 23, 2015 — Build-A-Bear Workshop is recalling nearly 35,000 stuffed animals after they were discovered to pose a choking hazard...

Amazon results could tell tale of Christmas. October 22, 2015 — Amazon is expected to post a loss in the third quarter when it reports...

Hasbro Sees 'Absolutely Huge' Potential in China Market (VIDEO). October 22, 2015 — Billy Lagor, senior vice president and general manager for the Asia-Pacific at Hasbro Inc...

A Brief History of Mattel's Failed Hoverboards. October 22, 2015 — As you’ve no doubt heard a thousand times today, in the 1989 movie Back to the Future II...

Lego Seeks to Calm This Year’s First Holiday Toy-Shortage Panic. October 22, 2015 — The Lego toy company says there might not be enough bricks to go around this holiday season...

Lego Expands Three Factories to Meet Increased Demand for Toys. October 21, 2015 — Lego A/S, Europe’s biggest toymaker, said it will expand three of its factories to meet increased demand...

Lego Ghostbusters Fire Hall leaked by Toys R Us website. October 21, 2015 — Toys R Us Canada has leaked the upcoming Lego Ghostbusters Fire Hall set...

Historical Story of Women Toymakers Aims for TV. October 20, 2015 — Ovation TV's Creative Studio selected the upcoming staged reading of a pilot written by Alison Marek — former managing editor and directory of videography for TDmonthly Magazine and ToyDirectory.com — to be part of its historic partnership with RocketHub to crowd fund TV. "PLAY ME" is an historical fiction TV pilot about a young mother in 1957 who tries to break into the toy industry despite rampant misogyny and other social and personal barriers. It is based partly on stories told to Marek by women pioneers in the industry. Though it take place in the past, "PLAY ME" mirrors many of the issues that women in creative industries still face today. The crowd funding will end on November 19. The staged reading will take place early next year in Hollywood. Early supporters include Aimee Symington of Blunders by Patch Products, who is donating 4 games as prizes and Renee & Len Trinca of Schoenhut Piano Company, who will donate a 33-key Fancy Grand Piano as a prize. If "Play Me" creates enough buzz through support and social media, it may also win a $5000 prize to further develop the series and could be featured on Ovation TV's program about Creative Studio next spring — further exposing toys and their makers to the general public. To learn more about how to support this story about women in toys, please go to the "PLAY ME" RocketHub page.

Amazon Boosts Holiday Hiring, Signaling Shift in Retail Jobs. October 20, 2015 — Amazon plans to hire 100,000 people for the holidays, a 25 percent jump from last year...

Star Wars couldn't save Hasbro from this unforgiving market force. October 20, 2015 — On Monday, the Hasbro Inc. reported weak sales in Q3. And shares tumbled by 7.2%...

Many Big Retailers Again Expected to Open Doors on Thanksgiving. October 20, 2015 — Several retailers have taken an early stand against Thanksgiving Day openings...

Yes, Video Games Can Make You Smarter — Depending On What Type You Play. October 19, 2015 — To anyone whose parents ever made them shut off Grand Theft Auto (or Crash Bandicoot or Spyro...

Hasbro earnings buoyed by Star Wars products. October 19, 2015 — Hasbro Inc. posted better-than-expected earnings Monday, propelled in part by the rollout of Stars Wars...

Retailers in Warehouse-Building Frenzy as Online Delivery Wars Heat Up. October 19, 2015 — Christmas won't come early this year, but the gifts might. Just in time for the winter holiday shopping season...

Barbie: slumping sales hits Mattel profits as Disney princesses leave for Hasbro. October 16, 2015 — Barbie, once present in every little girl’s bedroom, is becoming increasingly unpopular judging...

How Retail Business Owners Can Take Advantage Of 'App-Rooming' This Season. October 16, 2015 — At Apptentive, our core focus is helping companies use their mobile app as a vehicle to communicate...

Retailers speed up deliveries in time for holiday shoppers. October 16, 2015 — Christmas won't come early this year, but the gifts might. Just in time for the winter...

Three Ways Brick-and-Mortar Stores Are Closing In On Online Retailers. October 16, 2015 — The last few years have seen great shifts in the retailers’ business models...

Disney CEO Bob Iger to Be Inducted Into Toy Industry Hall of Fame. October 15, 2015 — Disney CEO Bob Iger will be inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, the Toy Industry Assn. announced Wednesday...

Mattel Wanted DC Superhero Girls Dolls To Be More Heroic Than Pretty. October 15, 2015 — Gymnasts, basketball players and dancers with the bodies of real women and athletic muscle tone...

Amazon releases 2015 Holiday Toy List. October 15, 2015 — The holidays are just around the corner along and that means holiday shopping will soon be underway...

How YouTube drives holiday toy wish lists. October 15, 2015 — My 7-year-old fell in love with a food-shaped plastic figurine named Poppy Corn on YouTube...

LEGO is latest toymaker to jump into toys-to-life arena. October 14, 2015 — LEGO is the latest toymaker to dip its toe into the $4 billion toys-to-life market...

Retail Sales Fall Short as Holiday Season Looms. October 14, 2015 — Retail sales in September rebounded slightly after an underwhelming August...

GameStop, Staples among retailers that won't open on Thanksgiving Day this year. October 14, 2015 — Whether you’re buying for loved ones or splurging on yourself, Black Friday is often your best bet...

App Uses Kids’ Obsession With Phones to Teach Them Coding. October 14, 2015 — When Raul Gutierrez's son was younger, he came up with a great name for his father’s smartphone...

Good Call: Mattel Enlists Feminists to Help Design DC Super Hero Girls Dolls. October 14, 2015 — So far we’ve been delighted with DC Super Hero Girls, the DC line that reimagines DC female characters...

Rumor: Mattel Wants to Make a Dino-Riders Movie. October 14, 2015 — The latest 1980s toyline-to-movie franchise could be Dino-Riders...

Kids Learn STEM Through Fashion Design. September 30, 2015 — A science, technology, engineering and math company offers 3-D printing, robotics and other enrichment courses...

Jakks Pacific inks deal to make Powerpuff Girls costumes. September 30, 2015 — Toy maker Jakks Pacific Inc. has signed a multi-category licensing agreement...

Here's How A Play-Doh Movie Could Work For Hasbro. September 30, 2015 — Drawing from the "Immersive Entertainment" and "Storytelling" component of its brand blueprint strategy...

National Toy Hall of Fame unveils 12 finalists for 2015 class. September 30, 2015 — Twelve toys enter, but only two will become members of the National Toy Hall of Fame...