Inside Out

One down, and one more to go... FAO Schwarz Las Vegas opened last month and the Manhattan flagship is due to reopen its doors this month; in time for the holiday season, but not necessarily for the holiday shopping season. But so what? The new FAO is the old FAO—a “destination”—which means the retailer's life won't necessarily depend on fourth quarter sales, as is the case in the mass market. “We've come full circle,” FAO prez David Niggli told us during a recent visit to FAO's offices on the Avenue of the Americas in New York. “We're going back to what we were,” he continued. “It's about the product and spotlighting the product; unique wonderful product. We're going back to being exclusive; specialty only,” he emphasized. People, Niggli said, are looking for a “change of pace in a Wal-Mart world”...And speaking of the retail behemoth, at last month's American International Fall Mass Market Toy Fair in New York, a manufacturer noted that in one day he had met with both Wal-Mart and Toys R Us. “That's 70 percent of my business already done,” he remarked. Think about it...Meanwhile, lots of toymakers are looking for entirely new markets and areas where they can introduce toys. Tangle, based in San Francisco, prides itself on “being the only toy not sold in the toy aisle” according to Scott Masline, vice president of sales and marketing. Usually found in the impulse aisle, Tangle has even come out with a product for occupational therapy that is set to test-market in 32 Walgreens in Wisconsin and there is a series of Tangle lamps, as well...Speaking of those lamps, a Tangle Lamp, designed by American artist Richard Zawitz, was entered in the Asian Products Design Competition at the 13th Annual Hong Kong International Toys & Gifts Show/12th Asian Gifts Premium & Household Products Show, which is organized by Kenfair International Limited. The novelty low-voltage desk lamp, from Intermed Asie Co., Ltd., is designed with 18 ABS sections, just like the original Tangle...And speaking of new markets, eBay, San Jose, Calif., hosted a summit last month to figure out how to get Gen Y and Gen X back into the collectibles and toy-buying arena. Marketing to Gen X online or on highly segmented TV, not the networks, is one way, and as for Gen Y it's all about the Internet and viral marketing...Meanwhile, over in Palo Alto, the folks at Superflight actually left the toy market, taking the company's Aerobie to the sporting goods arena where the product has had great success. Currently the Aerobie flying disk holds the Guinness World Recordof the “longest throw of an object without any velocity-aiding feature,” 1,333 feet. Hey, maybe the National Football League's Bengals should try one!