Let the games begin!

Who would ever think that the newborn syndrome of 'colic' could breed creativity?

One mom found a way to turn this into an idea for a new business. It all began when Laura Kronen and her husband, who were desperate to soothe the crying of their infant son, decided to get a break from the harsh New York City winter and drive to sunny Florida. Amazingly, Kronen recalls, her son stopped crying and slept the entire way.

"It was then that we thought of the idea for a baby road trip," she tells PLAYTHINGS. "My husband and I kept saying that phrase over and over again and it just stuck."

And so a new company, Baby Road Trip Company (Booth #2373) was born. While Kronen admits that she initially had considered a number of product ideas, many involved a lengthy patent process. The idea for a video series took on a life of its own, and so she focused on this category.

As Kronen explains, the mission of Baby Road Trip's videos is to stimulate baby's development by concentrating on a specific learning principle. She describes the line of videos as "a cross between Baby MTV and Sesame Street. "What makes us different from what's already out there is our music," she explains. "It's not the standard classical you hear in a lot of videos out there, but each video features different genres of music."

At the center of each video is a puppet named Road Trip Ryan ("Fathers particularly like this

element," quips Kronen, adding that the company is planning to develop a line of puppets based on the videos' characters.)

The company's first release, Baby Road Trip Beach, includes a mix of original island, surf and reggae music. The company's plan is to introduce 10 videos every six months.

Kronen is especially excited to show the Baby Road Trip series at Toy Fair. "It is the venue to launch the product," she states.

The events of 9-11 prompted a number of people to rethink their day-to-day routines and their priorities. For Aaron Kim, the tragedy warranted taking a closer look at his own life and his career on Wall Street. "9-11 made me think about things a lot and what I should be doing," he tells PLAYTHINGS. An attractive contract buyout afforded Kim the opportunity to leave his position and give some serious thought to an idea that had crossed his mind some months earlier at work. "While on the trading floor, I realized that trading was much like Monopoly and could make for a great game," he recalls. "I thought this was something I could work on when I was retired, but then I realized that this was something I could do now.

In early 2002, Kim began contacting lawyers and laying the groundwork for his company: College Hill Games (Booth #6145), which officially launched in November of that same year (and is named for a district of Providence, home of Brown University where Kim had earned his undergraduate degree). He says that in creating a prototype for Rags to Riches, he purposely chose not to research what other games were currently competing in this space. "I wanted to come up with my own game, based on my own Wall Street experience," Kim divulges.

The most challenging part of creating the game was making it age-appropriate. "The hardest part was simplifying the idea," explains Kim. "My first focus was to make this a family game. I really concentrated on the 'fun' element. While education took a backseat, as it turned out, the game became very educational." The game's targeted age range then became ages 10 and up, so kids could play it with their parents.

Kim has begun showing his game to specialty retailers and hopes to expand distribution at Toy Fair. Of the show, he says, "It's where a lot of companies get their start; if you want maximum exposure, it's the place to be."

"The idea for toobeez came to me like an epiphany," says Joseph Donahue, founder of Connectable Color Tubes (Booth #6248), about the company's flagship product.

The idea for the building toy stemmed from taking a closer look at the construction toys currently on the market and seeing an opportunity for creating something different. "Where most large construction toys are like plumbing equipment, I got rid of the various connectors and the locking clip, which are possible choking hazards, and created a new kind of product," he explains.

The result was Toobeez, which comes with 20 spheres and 32 tubes in varying lengths that inter-connect. He tells PLAYTHINGS that the construction toy, whose name means "tubes" and "easy to work with," is meant to be the "next step up from building toys with small parts."

After running his product past various industry executives, Donahue confirmed an untapped market and decided to move forward with production. "We've put toobeez in various parent-child testing laboratories, and it's undergone CPSC testing," he notes, ensuring it meets safety regulations.

He believes his product has earned a seal of approval from an equally important group: consumers. In fact, Donahue has built his business by focusing on direct-to-consumer sales and has valued the feedback culled from a group whom he has dubbed the 'construction crew.' Members consist of 350 consumers who have experimented with toobeez in their homes and who, in turn, clue Donahue in on what works—and what doesn't.

He also credits the construction crew with providing ideas on how to expand the toobeez brand. "They've told us they want curved tubes and slide-on curtains to accessorize their creations," he says, noting that both items, along with a line of accessories, will be on display at Toy Fair.

Retailer incentive: Stores may be interested in the company's 'buy three, get one free' program that will be available from Toy Fair through June 30.

An in-store playday initiative is also in the works.

No one ever said the world of dating was easy, but thanks to the release of a Marry, Date or Dump?, a new board game from DCK Wallace (Booth #6149), it's now a lot more fun.

In fact, a good time was the ultimate goal of originator Debbie Wallace. "I wanted to create laughter, offer a couples' game, a party game, a girls' night out," she explains. The game marked a departure from the co-creator's first release, Take $tock, which was inspired by investment classes Wallace taught. This time, she was motivated instead by the conversations about relationships and dating that she had with her college-aged daughters during a number of long car trips.

Marry, Date or Dump? features playing cards with the names of 1,200 well-known celebrities, sports and television personalities. Players must choose which celebrities to become involved with—or not—based on the names they pick. "We tried to include a mix of both young stars and classic names, so anyone playing the game would be able to pick from people they were familiar with," Wallace explains. Fun combinations are the key, she adds, noting the example of different "Bills:" Clinton, Gates and [Billy] Bob Thorton.

The game was initially released last August to retailers; Nordstrom, Borders Books and Wizards of the Coast are just some of the stores that sell it.

Also on tap is the development of Fortune Puzzle, a 30-piece puzzle with an element of surprise to it. Or, as Wallace describes, "you'll never know what your fortune is until you piece it together." This item will be shown as a prototype at Toy Fair.

Retailer incentive: Wallace is developing some dedicated programs to further bolster Marry, Date or Dump?'s presence in the marketplace. She is in the process of putting together a charity event that will be held in the Vancouver, Wash., area—where her company is based—featuring multiple vignettes of games from different companies. Each of the stations is sponsored by area businesses and offers participants the ability to sample different games, as they rotate from booth to booth.

"It's not about my game or my company, but about giving back to our community," Wallace explains. Response has been positive and if all goes well, the event will take place this September. "I think it's something that retailers could do to gain visibility in their own communities," she adds.

Graeme Thomson says a mouthful when describing his company's mission: "We're trying to give people board games that they will enjoy, that will challenge them, that will give them not only quality time together, but the opportunity to share laughter, a sense of commonality and, along the way, impart a communal feeling of having experienced in and shared a little bizarre knowledge of the world in which we live." Co-founder of HL Games (Booth #6142), a British-based operation, Thomson is bringing the company's game, GO mental, stateside.

Thomson, along with business partner Andrew Bernard and their wives, created the board game "as a way of passing the time during dull periods in the international banking markets," he quips. Each GO mental question contains four apparently unconnected things: people, places, events and objects. Despite appearances, three of the items are somewhat connected, so players must identify the odd one out.

"GO mental is about looking at the world a little differently," Thomson tells PLAYTHINGS. "It's about viewing familiar objects and events from unfamiliar angles, seeing things through a slight squint of the mind. It's also about being competitive, being on your toes and having a lot of fun. A bit like life, really."

Thomson says he and his company are thrilled to be attending this year's Toy Fair, citing the United States as "definitely the biggest and the most important market in the world for our product." GO mental is being positioned for the mass retail market. The game is geared for ages 12 and above.

Retailer incentive: HL Games hopes to entice buyers with the idea of hosting game nights in their store.

Good communication is vital to doing good business and something that one can arguably never stop trying to improve. As a former advertising professional, Susan Rice completely identifies with this sentiment. "I have noticed that even many of the most brilliant people sometimes have problems sharing their ideas in a powerful, effective manner," she tells PLAYTHINGS. With this in mind, she set out to create Howling Monkeys (Booth #6156), a board game—and company by the same name— that seeks to make people more aware of how they communicate with one another. (The attention-grabbing name was the brainchild of Rice's 12-year-old daughter Chloe who thought a Howler Monkey, known for its ability to 'talk,' embodied the personality of the game.)

The game involves four card decks: Connections (relationships), Spotlight (celebrities), Out of the Box (creativity) and Chips & Dips (miscellaneous fun). Each features a bevy of activities that prompt players to act unusually.

"Howling Monkeys is based on the concept that there is no 'perfect' way to communicate," explains Rice. "There are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers." As inspiration for the game's materials, the Stanford University graduate says she has picked up useful information over the last decade via her creative communication consultancy. As part of her work, Rice helped CEOs of major companies define and share their visions. Among her roster of clients are Ericsson, Wrangler and LEGO, whom she credits for "inspiring me to understand how we can learn through play."

Howling Monkeys will initially be found in specialty stores, but Rice says she hopes to enter the mass market by mid year.

Retailer incentive: At Toy Fair, the company will be offering buyers a 10-percent discount based on order volume. An in-depth media program and tie-ins with radio and televisions stations are in the works, as are promotions surrounding Valentine's Day, Father's Day, July 4th and New Year's Eve. "In-store events are great for store traffic," notes Rice. "I consider my retail customers to be important partners and would like us both to be in a win-win situation."

Josh Berg is not your average toy manufacturer.

On top of managing a budding business and getting ready to introduce his line of plush to the Toy Fair community, he is a 21-year-old college junior at the University of Michigan, majoring in business—and certainly getting some real-world experience via his company iceBerg Toys (Booth #1379).

About a year and a half ago, while driving to his summer job in the telecom department of a bank, Berg noticed that many cars had stuffed animals in their rear windows. "I thought about how to design a stuffed animal that you could wear on your seatbelt," he tells PLAYTHINGS. After tinkering around with some ideas, and narrowing down the number of designs to seven or eight, Berg found a contract manufacturer on the Internet and commissioned him for a small production run. The result was Passenger Pals Seatbelt Friends, a line of small, whimsical plush animals featuring Velcro straps that can attach to seatbelts, as well as back-packs and purses.

The initial product was featured in two designs—Mandy Moo, a cow, and Paws K. Nyne, a bulldog—placed in 40 test highway travel rest stop stores across the East Coast, where they received a good reception. The response was so great, in fact, four additional designs were created: Jackie Frost, a polar bear; Cubby Cuddles, a tiger; Wendy Waddles; a penguin; and Pinky Hamilton, a pig.

Each comes with a personalized Passenger Pals Driver's License and dons a highway symbol embroidered with the design name on his chest.

"My main vision was to come up with a line of characters with personality that people can connect with and a seatbelt mechanism which works with that idea," explains Berg. And while his product won't be marketed as a safety item, Berg says he believes that "many kids might be more encouraged to buckle up if their 'friend' is with them." Shelf and floor displays that demonstrate how the Passenger Pals strap to a seatbelt will be available to buyers at Toy Fair.

Berg is in the process of developing Flash-animated vignettes for the line on the interactive Passenger Pal Web site (passengerpals.com) that will debut later this year. He is also in talks with some NBA teams to possibly produce team mascots and offer these pals as giveaways.

Hoping to expand his business into the toy retail arena, Berg is in the process of signing some sales reps and is looking upon Toy Fair as a "launching pad" for ultimate national distribution. In the meantime, he is concentrating on juggling iceBerg Toys with his schoolwork, though he says it hasn't been that difficult to do both. "This is a long-term project," he says of his toy company.

Speaking of seatbelts, another company is hoping to drive traffic to its booth with its own invention: Lucon Kids, Inc. (Booth #5917) is introducing the Busy Belt and Go! Belts, along with small- and large-size plush items in the likeness of the characters featured on these items.

Laurie Norton started Lucon Kids after bringing her toddler-aged son along on her bike ride. "I was looking for a way to keep him entertained," she tells PLAYTHINGS. And so came the Busy Belt, an adjustable belt designed with a host of activities to keep baby busy: a ladybug with a peek-a-boo picture frame and mirror, a squeezable bumblebee and a butterfly rattle. Soon after its creation, she realized that the seatbelt could also be used with car seats, strollers and high chairs.

Norton launched the product at gift shows in Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta before heading to the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas last September where she says she signed up "quite a few new stores." She also credits the Vegas venue for spurring interest in the idea for another product.

"In our booth, we had large-size plush replicas of some of the characters featured on on the Busy Belt and people just loved them so much, we decided to add them to our line," she explains. "The plush really brought the belt to life." Currently, Lucon Kids offers frog and ladybug beanbags, 18-inch versions and pajama pillows.

Another line extension is Go! Belts, a version for 2- to 8-year-olds that Norton says will begin shipping in May. This product will be available in a number of motifs, such as a princess, sports that can played underwater, spy, explorer and a bug catcher. A new zoo version of the Busy Belt featuring a menagerie of animals will ship in May, and Norton will have samples on hand at Toy Fair.

Retailer incentive: Lucon Kids will offer buyers free shipping on all orders placed at the show.

Moving from retail to wholesale requires a solid business foundation and a strong knowledge of product development. MindWare (Booth #2946) may have both.

The 14-year-old company started as a retail store and in 1995, expanded into the direct marketing and catalogue business. "We had an advantage in that we sell product through a catalogue, so we know what people want," Jeanne Voigt, MindWare's president and creator, tells PLAYTHINGS. Items were typically sold to teachers and schools.

"All along, we look for product to fill our customers' needs," she continues. "When we can't find something, we go ahead and create product of our own." Two years ago, MindWare set up a wholesale division to create these items and now sells, manufactures and distributes Brainy Toys for Kids of All Ages for both home and classroom environments. Products range in age from 4 through adult, and include coloring books, math and logic puzzle books, and visual learning games.

This year, the company will introduce 19 new products and will continue to add to its line aggressively, according to Voigt. "Our emphasis is the Brainy Toys niche," she states. "We see this as our growth segment." Among the new products are The Kanji Game, which teaches players ages 5 and up language skills, math, concentration and visual relationships, and Venn Perplexors, puzzles that strengthen skills in logic, problem-solving, reason and reading for grades pre-K through 9.

Retailer incentive: MindWare will offer Toy Fair buyers free freight on product shipments. The company believes the show is a good fit with its business goals. "We've been doing the wholesale side of the business for a couple of years now, and we've known that there is a demand for these types of products," says Voigt.

Having spent 20 years in the travel industry, Chris Ryan was up for a new challenge. "My brother had been doing export with China and we saw some new opportunities for importing," he tells PLAYTHINGS. The duo settled on kids' products and in September 2002, launched their toy company Noodlehead (Booth #5721) with three offerings.

In the outdoor toy realm comes the Jelly Flyer, a floppy flying disc that, according to Ryan, "is safe for ages 4 and up."

Noodlehead's two other toys fall into the arts and crafts sector. The Flip-Flop Fun Kit encourages a little fancy footwork, enabling girls to add jewels, paint and sequins on to a pair of black flip-flops. For those interested in a high-flying adventure, the Color Your Own Kite kit lets kids add color to three different pre-printed designs: a butterfly, goldfish and owl. A Chinese-style kite, 10 markers, booklet chronicling the history of kites in China and a kite string on a winder are all included. Both kits are aimed at ages 6-12.

While the above items mark Noodlehead's primary offerings on display at Toy Fair, Ryan says the company has already begun plans to expand its line. Walk Chalk, a new twist on sidewalk chalk, enables kids to create different patterns by attaching lids to different tins. The kit includes powdered chalk and a glittered mix. At press time, Ryan was not certain if this product would be exhibited at Toy Fair.

Also in the works from Noodlehead are two additional crafts kits aimed at young girls: one for decorating denim that will offer either one or two hats or a handbag, and one for painting silk halter tops.

It doesn't take high-tech or elaborate set-ups for creative, educational play. Julia Morgan and Mary Ann Moe were of this mind when they set out to create Pal Toys (Booth #6421). After leaving careers in the financial industry to become full-time mothers, the friends were hard-pressed to find engaging toys that encompassed simple activities they could do with their toddlers. The "lightbulb" moment was in November 1999 when the duo came up with a "bright idea."

"I brought up the idea of featuring activities on a deck of cards instead of a book," Morgan tells PLAYTHINGS. "This way, parents could easily sort through them." With this concept in mind, she began talking to retailers about what they'd want to see in a product. "They told me packaging was key," Morgan recalls.

She and Moe contracted a design firm in Seattle (that counts Starbucks as a client) and took a working model to a production company which referred them to a printer. "This is very much a who-you-know business," observes Morgan.

The end result was Bright Ideas for Mommy & Me, four card decks geared to different age groups: Baby, Age 1, Age 2 and Preschool (ages 3-5). Each card features an activity that incorporates simple household items like buttons or a shoebox.

Future decks in the series include reading, writing and arithmetic for K through 3 and what Morgan refers to as "thinking decks" for ages 7 and up, which will be available in late spring/early summer.

She says that prototypes will be on display at Toy Fair in the company's booth.

Retailer incentive: Pal Toys is offering flyers that stores can produce for related playdate activities. "We continue to suggest and promote these to our customers," Morgan says of the program. She also keeps in touch with stores by providing them with ideas for events and promotions via the company's Bright Ideas bulletin board newsletter. New customers will be able to take advantage of free shipping on initial orders: a prepackaged display with six of each titles, including a backer card and sample card standout. Morgan says that buyers will also receive a free gift at Pal Toys' booth.

"I have always been interested in games—I have a collection of over 1,000 of them—and in flags," Daniel Broh-Kahn tells PLAYTHINGS. Combining his two loves, this entrepreneur launched his company Six Sided Simulations (Booth #6148), makers of a collectible card game entitled VEX (from "vex-illology," the study of flags).

"With the game, I am trying to expand people's interests in flags," says Broh-Kahn. "People don't need to know anything about flags to begin with, but they will learn as they play the game."

In 2001, the company released its first version, VEX 1, highlighting 200 flags of the nations of the world. The following year came a set devoted to states and provinces (VEX II), followed by a version on historical flags (VEX III). The company has since introduced two additional editions, and Broh-Kahn notes that all games are compatible.

VEX can appeal to a range of different ages, from child to adult. "The simplest game can be played by a 6-year-old, matching colors on flags," says Broh-Kahn. More complicated editions will interest older children with activities involving the ratio of the width of a flag to its length.

Broh-Kahn also sees an interest on the part of adult collectors, noting an increased surge in flag buying after 9-11. "VEX gives them the ability to collect 1,000 different flags for $160 (the entire set)," he notes. "If they decide that buying a flag is too expensive, they can buy the game instead."

Specialty retailers, including a U.S. Sate Department shop and a National Geographic store, are currently picking up product. Broh-Kahn is hoping that Toy Fair will afford VEX greater visibility. "I need to get my product into the hands of distributors," he says.

Almost a decade's worth of experience working in the stock market likely qualifies a person to know the ins and outs of this volatile industry. At least, Morris Kyrollos thought so. He says he was so entrenched by his work that it impacted his sleep. "I woke one day playing the game [Stock Rush] in a dream," he tells PLAYTHINGS. "I went to my office and drew a sketch of what this game might actually look like if it were produced."

After research, which included visiting mass toy stores to see if there were any similar games already out there, Kyrollos decided to develop the game. Kyrollos himself wrote a computer program that simulated the game, which, he says helped complete the design. Four years later, Stock Rush (Booth #6143) was transformed from an idea on paper to a physical product—and a company by the same name.

Aimed at ages 8 and up, Stock Rush offers an inside glance into just what makes the stock market tick. "The game is designed to teach players how the stock market works and to make them aware of how the companies are connected to our everyday lives," Kyrollos describes. "Players can buy everyday commodities, such as groceries, toys, etc. If you go to an item's roots, you can trace it back to a company."

According to Kyrollos, Stock Rush sets itself apart from competitor board games with its unique device called a mechanical market display. "It shows players how the prices can go up and down," he explains. "The idea is for them to act accordingly." (An electronic version is in the works for a future edition of the game.)

To round out the stock market theme is a corner space—appropriately dubbed the 'opening bell'— where players begin, six slots for each day of the trading cycle and a 'game over' spot to illustrate a full business cycle.

While Kyrollos showed a prototype of Stock Rush to attendees at last fall's TGIF conference, Toy Fair marks its official debut. He is also planning on contacting brokers to see if they'd be interested in carrying or distributing the game.

With over 50 years in business, The Tin Box Co. (Booth #2849) is more than ready for its debut at Toy Fair this year.

A licensee for tin products, the company started offering Spider-Man decorative metal lunchboxes in 1998 and also starting rolling out carryalls.

According to Andy Siegel, marketing manager, the license for the first movie did so well, that the company has picked it up again this year.

Tin Box will also be distributing NASCAR-licensed goods in the winter. "These are for the adult collectors who are into their favorite driver," says Siegel. He notes that some of the items will be focused on the Earnhardts—"two of the most coveted drivers."

No stranger to the licensing arena, Siegel notes that Tin Box has been a Coke licensee for over 20 years and counts approximately 25 products in this line. "People love the Coke items," he says. "They keep them on their counters and use them as decorations." These include an ice bucket, utensil holder and delivery truck tin on wheels.

Product is currently sold at mass market, over 5,000 gift shops across the country and specialty chains like Blockbuster. Spiegel notes that the company is expanding into other non-traditional channels as well. "Seeing success in atypical venues like truck stops has really helped us grow," he tells PLAYTHINGS.

And now, after having walked Toy Fair for the last few years and noticing an abundance of kids' licenses, Tin Box has added itself to the exhibitor list for 2004. "We always thought there was a potential for us," he says. "And with popularity of all these kids licenses out there, we think it's going to be a very successful show."

Yo Yo Balloons, Etc.'s (Booth #5163) business is up, up and away! Having 'taken flight' fifteen years ago, when the company began, the owners came across the balloons in their travels and felt the product would do well in the U.S.

After test-marketing the balloons at festivals and fairs around the country, the company decided to shift its focus to the wholesale side of the business. According to Christine Sweeten, who runs the company with her husband Chad, the balloons have since embodied a simpler design. "In the beginning, there was a lot of work in putting the balloons together," she tells PLAYTHINGS. "There were not clips and the pumps were very small and somewhat difficult to use."

Today, it takes about an hour to put together 100 balloons and they last 6 to 8 weeks or longer once made. Sweeten points out this benefit to retailers: "They can now make the balloons a week in advance and put them out for sale as needed."

Toy Fair will serve as an opportunity for Yo Yo Balloons to make its presence known in the industry. "While festivals are excellent locations, they are by no means the only venue for our product," remarks Sweeten.

"We feel Toy Fair gives us the opportunity to stand up and say, 'Here we are!'," she exclaims.

Avonlea Traditions, Inc. (Booth #5301), in business since 1988, specializes in gifts, collectibles and dolls, all with Canadian themes. Exhibiting for the first time at this year's Toy Fair, the company will show its brand new line of Maplelea Girls in the Canadian Toy Association's booth. Maplelea Girls are 18-inch vinyl dolls designed for girls aged 8-12. Each of the four doll characters comes with a 64-page journal and a deluxe keepsake box. The journal provides detailed information about the doll's character and offers a space with questions to prompt the real girl to tell her own story. A number of outfits and other accessories will be available for these dolls. These items are designed to also fit an assortment of American Girl and Corolle dolls. "We decided to exhibit at Toy Fair because many Canadian toy buyers go to the show and this is a way of reaching as many Canadians as possible," says Kathryn Gallagher Morton, president, Avonlea Traditions.

big BOING Toys (Booth #1763 and Suite 520A, International Toy Center) is a new toy manufacturing company based in Sausalito, Calif. The big BOING mission is to create toys that spark creativity and nurture the imagination through hands-on, experimental play. A number of new toys are available this year: Get-ups wearable fantasy toys with realistic sound effects, Gnomads collectible figurines, Tub Tunes musical instruments specifically designed for tub play and Bathtime Adventures themed fantasy playsets for the tub are all making their debut at this year's show. President and CEO Matt Brown explains, "big BOING has created great toys, which is the first step, and now we are ready for Step 2, which is to introduce them into the marketplace, both nationally and internationally."

Carpatina (Booth #3319) offers high-end fashion dolls and accessories with stylish romance. In July 2002, the company launched Fantasy Adventures, two slim-bodied, 18.5-inch vinyl dolls named Julia and Isabella. When it comes to fashion, sumptuous velvets, rich taffetas and shimmering chiffons are all the rage. In July 2003, Carpatina introduced the Girlfriends Collection. This line, specifically made for 18-inch cloth-bodied dolls, carefully mixes dress-up glamour with casual chic. At next month's Toy Fair, Carpatina will expand the Fantasy line with the introduction of the Emma doll and even more accessories. The dolls are designed for ages 6 and up. "We decided to attend Toy Fair in order to give buyers the opportunity to see and feel our beautiful dolls and costumes and to discuss in person what their store needs are," says Mihaela Hinkle, president, Carpatina Dolls.

Honorgens Toys Ltd. (Booth #5912), a division of Hung Toa Group of China (established in 1962), has been in the musical instruments business making private-label product for the national chains. Honorgens will debut a new system of electronic action board games complete with cartridges, high-definition electronic play and voice activation. Another key introduction will be a line of Magic Learning Books that feature full-color animation identifying letters and words. It's Show Time is an electronic stage with professional sound effects. "We decided to display at Javits because of the great flow of customers that come to Toy Fair each year," explains Paul Finn, director of sales for North America. "Toy Fair will give us far greater exposure." In the past, Honorgens Toys Ltd. solely manufactured and shipped goods to such mass retailers as Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.

Musicorp (Booth #6174), an MBT International Company founded in 1979, has grown to become one of the largest wholesalers of musical instruments, accessories and lighting products in the United States. Musicorp will showcase musical instruments for children such as drums and percussion product by Remo, junior-size guitars by J.B. Player and Lauren, as well as music lesson books. "The great thing about music is that it is not confined to any age and has the capacity to touch anyone that has the drive or the interest," Don Rhodes, senior vice president, merchandising, tells PLAYTHINGS . "Because Musicorp is the primary distributor for Remo percussion products, we have great instruments and a wonderful opportunity to help create new music makers. Currently, we offer many value-added services with phenomenal speed of delivery to music retailers. Exhibiting at Toy Fair gives us the opportunity to provide the same great service to the toy industry."

New York Game Factory, LLC (Booth #6172) is serious about having a major impact in the games business. According to the company's owners Jeff Gross and Joel Rogers, "America's second favorite pastime is suing each other." So Sue Me! is an interactive board game designed for 2-6 players or teams ages teen to adult. It is a combination of fun, nerve, luck and strategy that allows you to "sue your friends and take their stuff," the co-owners tell PLAYTHINGS. A spin of the wheel, a roll of the dice and some clever negotiating help players collect cash, seize assets—and drive their friends into bankruptcy! No legal knowledge is required or even desirable. "Toy Fair is the industry's premier launch pad," quips Gross. "Given the ongoing growth of the board game category, we felt this was the ideal time and place to introduce So Sue Me!"

Uberplay Entertainment's (Booth #6153) first two titles, New England and WildLife, have already earned accolades from the gaming industry. Jeremy Young and Matt Molen founded Uberplay Entertainment just last spring. "In our American culture, most forms of entertainment isolate us, rather than bring us together," Molen tells PLAYTHINGS. "Going to the movies, watching television, even playing video games allows for minimal social interaction between participants. We feel designer board games have the ability to draw people together." The company carries two main brands: Uberplay, a mass-market line, and Inspiration Games featuring specialized themes that are religious in nature. The Bridges of Shangri-La, The Ark of the Covenant, The Settlers of Zarahemla, and High Society are among the new game titles. "Toy Fair is a great place to introduce ourselves to the toy and game community. We are looking forward to forming new partnerships and entertaining a whole new audience," enthuses Molen.