The Best Advice on Children's Products

Toy Industry

Creating Products for Success

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by Deb de Sherbinin, KidSmart Can you answer these 10 key questions about your hot new product concept? An amazing number—85%—of all new products fail in the marketplace. How can you maximize your chances beating the odds? A good place to start is by developing an understanding of the 10 key factors that contribute to [...]


A Whole New Environment in the Toy Industry

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  How to Survive and Prosper by Rachel Murray Meyer In the summer of 2007 there were millions of toys recalled. Consumers Union labeled 2007 “The Year of the Recall.” The majority of these recalls were for design related issues such as small hazardous magnets and small parts in toys for children under three years [...]


So you want to make (or sell, or market) toys.
Now what?

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by David E. Fitzgibbons, CPC Executive Search Group Hello everybody. Before I tell you what to do, I think it’s important to tell you what not to do. To begin with, don’t ever pay an individual to get you a job! I think this is a serious waste of your money and, ethically, I have [...]


What Makes a Great Game?

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by Connie Gee University Games As University Games approaches its 20th Anniversary and reflects on the more than 150 games introduced, there seems to be several common characteristics of a University Games’ game. Most importantly, University Games strive to mix learning and fun. Below is a nice checklist of the characteristics of a great playing [...]


Bay Area Women Toy Designers

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Ten Bay Area Women Toy Designers, Companies, and Products.   1. Roly Poly Mirror Cone (Baby Ville/Manhattan), Del Greger: www.manhattantoy.com   2. Pack Rat Puppet (Folkmanis), Judy Folkmanis: www.folkmanis.com   3. Ecosaucer™ (Green Toys), Laurie Hyman: www.greentoys.com   4. Madi Doll (Itty Bitty Toy Co), Stephanie Blythe: www.madidoll.com   5. Spin and Go Board Games (Peaceable Kingdom), Donna Jaffe, www.pkpress.com [...]


On Music For Young Children: The Lollipop Music Theory

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by Bobby Susser We have all heard songs that grabbed our attention and wanted to hear them again and again. It could have been a catchy repetitive lyrical phrase, musical line, unusual rhythm, or perhaps an entire section of the song like the chorus. As adults, we often refer to songs that hook us this [...]


Moving Along In the Toy Industry

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by Celia Bechtel Bechtel Executive Search The toy industry, as with all the other industries, is moving along in a time of uncertainty and hesitation. Even the healthiest of companies are being very careful in all aspects of their business. The economy is forcing manufacturers to focus on the bottom line. They are being very [...]


Working With A Licensing Agent

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by Andrew Berton Excel Development Group, Inc. Why Do I Need A Licensing Agent? No one willingly shares their potential royalties with someone else but many toy executives don’t have the time to work with new designers. Instead they look at these ideas through an inventor representative, e.g., a bona fide toy licensing agent. How [...]