Fashioning fantasy

Role-playing, imagination in one of its purest forms, guarantees that kids will at some point want to dress up as someone else—likely as a role-model or hero. Time was, the transformation from kid to wannabe was accomplished with props from family closets and attics. While this may still be true to some extent, there's a lot more out there to materialize the imaginations and dreams of today's super savvy kids.

Indeed, manufacturers and retailers alike are stepping up to the challenge of turning the dress-up genre of childhood fantasy from a seasonal Halloween spurt in sales revenues into a year-round cash cow.

Manufacturers, for example, that may have once concentrated solely on the market for Halloween costumes have diversified into the dress-up area. Rubietoy, for one, was launched just four years ago by Rubie's Costumes, known for its Halloween and carnival fare. A separate company, Rubietoy caters to the dress-up niche with high-end outfits, manager Richard Tinari tells PLAYTHINGS.

The formation of Rubietoy, he says, was driven by Rubie's Halloween customers who found they were selling costumes year-round and were looking for more variety.

In addition to variety, retailers have also been looking to increase the dress-up niche by growing the preschool market. And manufacturers are following suit.

With children 'growing older' at a younger age and the options for their limited, unscheduled playtime staggering, manufacturers are hustling to grow the preschool market by giving both kids and their schools plenty of 'make-believe' dress-up garb.

At the same time, a core market of 6- to 11-year-olds remains staunch, perhaps even widening among males. The boys role-playing segment, in fact, may now be getting the social acceptance that Cabbage Patch achieved for the male gender in the doll category, a retailer tells PLAYTHINGS.

The tragic events of Sept. 11 have also impacted the male segment, bringing back the popularity of traditional heroes— firefighters, police, soldiers—that a new generation of boys now wants to emulate. By the first weeks in October, in fact, Rubietoy's sales of these dress-up outfits were up twenty-fold Tinari notes, adding that he doesn't see an end to this current upswing.

Added to a robust Halloween market, dress-up, retailers agree, is becoming a winning category and one that can be viable all year long.

And, apparently, they are up to the challenge of cultivating the niche in order to ring up additional sales.

Walk through disco beads into a turreted castle and exit out the swinging doors of the O.K. Corral at Linda Gosselin's Let's Pretend of Kingston store in Kingston, Mass. Completely devoted to dress-up, the brightly painted wooden structure offers princess get-ups on one side and cowboy duds in the adjoining 'ranch.'

Most items hang on the walls at heights easily accessible to children with accessories from scepters and wands to ballet shoes and boas scattered about. Cowboy and Indian outfits, even in pricier leather, are mainstays of the boys' department, says Gosselin, with hats from Puppet Workshop, Jacobson Hat and Mardi Gras rounding out the selection.

While sales may heat up at Halloween and through the fourth quarter, at Lin's Toy Cupboard in Los Altos, Calif., dress-up is definitely a year-round affair. Prices range from the less expensive ballerina tutu and mid-range, glitzy Fantasy Playclothes to outfits retailing at $80 to $100. "People are willing to make bigger investments and will buy a child-size dress to grow into," says owner Linda Dodge.

The 1,000-sq.-foot narrow store makes merchandising a challenge, Dodge explains. Black mannequin heads line the top of the display area with colorful Elope Little Daydreamers hats to catch customers' attentions and direct them toward the Pamela tulle skirts and Fairy Tale fashions. Baskets on the floor carry all-important purses, feather boas, hats and accessories.

Hanover Accessories specializes in the fashionable add-on market and foresees more glamour with movie overtones in 2002. Glitter and marabou, deeper pinks and purples and "lots of feathers" are the focus of the Star Struck Princess dress and cosmetics division, says Pam Holien, Star Struck director of cosmetic business development. Easy pick-me-ups like tiaras, wands and jewelry in updated colors and finishes are what preschool girls are eyeing while retailers are looking for peggable, blister-packed items that simplify merchandising at mass.

Dodge says the funky, off-the-wall Elope hats have added pep to the quiet boy sector at Lin's Toy Cupboard. Elope Little Daydreamers puppet hats let kids become anything from a birthday cake with candles to a character from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. New 'magic filled' puppet hats inspired by the Harry Potter books and upcoming feature film are handcrafted in plush velvet.

"We approach dress-up at a different level that appeals to both genders and all ages," says Tim Morrissey, Elope marketing and promotions coordinator. "Kids are getting the best of all worlds with the puppet features."

Tina Gingerich gushes over the Elope line and carries her fair share in the 1,500-sq.-foot Country Kids in Shipshewana, Ind., "They're the best out there, and my preschool teachers love them." Located in the rural Bible Belt with a large Amish and Mennonite population, Gingerich keeps her dress-up simple with career-oriented outfits from Small Miracles' Let's Pretend series by Learning Curve.

Kids can become a paleontologist, veterinarian, chef, fire-fighter or construction worker with accessories and matching hats that come packaged on a hanger in a clear garment bag. Let's Pretend Capes cover every child's fantasy with wizard, king, knight, dragon and magician themes.

"Let's Pretend satisfies a niche in the market," says Denise Llewellyn, brand manager. "We compete against mom's closet but parents and retailers appreciate how role play develops creativity and imagination in an open-ended way." The Let's Pretend collection is available in 10 different styles in girl-appealing pinks, lavender and silver and animal prints. New Tea Time fashion assortments let kids mix and match a straw hat and purse with formal daisy slippers and a string of pearls for that full party effect.

Small Miracles "flies out the door" at Lizzie's Looking Glass in Boca Raton, Fla., where manager Evelyn Tibcken says, "in this Peptol Bismol town," the only color that will ever sell is pink. A grid display is used to hang various coordinated outfits in a separate area of the store. A mirror for eyeballing the new duds from all sides is kid-sized, as is a floral chair that completes the dress-up section.

Once Upon A Time in Rocky River, Ohio, also takes dress-up down to a kid's level with merchandise placed within reach on hangers in the store's mid-section. After trying on their picks, kids can admire themselves in the mirror. "Little girls in tiaras and boas is a natural," says buyer Rose Wiegand. She cherry-picks the category add-ons but relies on Small Miracles, Creative Education and Puppet Workshop for her main selections. Dress-up days are popular at this specialty store, where trunks full of clothes are left open for kids to dive into and dress up to their hearts' content.

Dress-up trunks filled with Small Miracles outfits and accessories make for terrific birthday parties and are frequently rented at Fantasy Island Toys in Fairhope, Ala., where the average dress-up sale is $30. "Whether it's a complete outfit or add-on pieces, the sooner we get it in, the quicker it goes," says buyer Kathie Byrd.

Dark colors on the store's walls offset the brightly colored outfits suspended from the high ceiling. Byrd carries Small Miracles capes since Small World discontinued its line and she laments the lack of affordable role-playing items for what she calls the untapped boys market. "Perhaps we don't give boys the opportunity to go into that fantasy world like we do the girls."

Mary Baker, owner of Ginger & Pickles in Boulder, Colo., has her own merchandising dilemmas. Set up like an old-fashioned general store, Ginger & Pickles has wooden and glass china cabinets that display many handmade costumes, aprons and headpieces by local artisans. A Small Miracles rounder display has been moved against a wall to provide more floor space.

"We're known for our dress-up," says Baker, "and while it may be considered bad marketing, it helps to understate it a little because it's easy to become tacky. Our customers like (what looks) natural and aesthetically pleasing." Books that tie into the category are merchandised along with knight and princess costumes. Another local woman supplies handmade swords and shields with gemstones, and Sarah Silks provides 100 percent silk skirts, headpieces, and fairy and butterfly wings in solid and rainbow colors.

Schylling recently purchased the Funopolis line of nature, garden and enchanted wings. While the company has dabbled in wizard hats, this is the first time Schylling has gone the dress-up route, says spokesman Stephen Medina. "This opportunity is a way to expand our customer base." Funopolis wings come with either a wand or antennae and sell at $6 wholesale. Working with the existing stock of 14 styles of wings, the 25-year veteran of the specialty toy market is taking a wait-and-see approach before introducing new versions in 2002.

The realm of conical princess hats and beaded handbags is one that A Wish Come True has made a year-long business. Found primarily in FAO Schwarz, the line of fantasy shoes tipped in marabou and spangle dresses and feather boas join mermaid, bride and cowgirl costumes in an extensive selection.

A Wish Come True offers a neat twist to the dress-up category: Barbie children's clothing that matches the doll outfits. Betsy Scaroff, executive sales manager, tries to merchandise this collection alongside the Barbie doll aisle or in the Barbie department to achieve a cohesive presentation.

Wild Planet embraces the boys' market with a line of spy accessories that provides play patterns kids are requesting and empowers boys in an exciting way, says Amy Robinson, director of marketing. Spy Vision Goggles and new Spy Vision Scope are the line's lynchpins that combine high tech with cool toys.

"Kids are influenced by movies and love the idea of being a spy who goes on a mission with gears and gadgets that really work," Robinson says.

Fun First, a fledgling division of Disguise, has found a retail niche with Shadow Ninja and X-Men boxed sets that has helped the Halloween costume manufacturer expand beyond the October holiday. A Spider-Man boxed play set will tie-in with the spring movie release and will minimize the costume aspect and maximize retailers' requests for accessories, says Jeff Ingram, national sales manager.

Disney Princess remains Fun First's best-selling line of costumes in a triple-tier program that runs the gamut from FAO Schwarz to Costco. Next year's boxed sets will showcase the brand's movie princesses and leading ladies with a trunk and dress, scepter and shoes in a window-type package designed to retail for $15.

Flip See'z is a unique collection of girls' outfits that Fun First will debut in 2002. A nurse, mermaid, flamenco dancer and flapper dresses are four of the eight different designs that will fold into a purse with plenty of glitter and fashion-forward hair and jewelry accessories.

"The challenge of this category is the competition with the major retailers that do their own sourcing with generic product, so licensing is the way to go," Ingram says. "This has been an eye opener and much different than the Halloween business."

By working with retailers closely and staying ahead of the trends, Manley Toy Quest President Brian Dubinsky says mixing up the program keeps the category fresh. Its Tonka brand play sets provide all the tools needed for any pint-sized hard hat to construct like the big boys. Whereas girls tend to adorn themselves with accessories, Dubinsky says boys are more action-oriented and the Tonka sets extend that play. New Swim Gear with Power Rangers Time Force and Batman mask and fins sets take role-playing to underwater levels.

"Imagination and the fascination with living in a different world appeal to kids," Dubinsky explains. "It's wild how kids hold a non-functioning walkie talkie, talk into it like it's the real thing and actually wait for a reply."