Welcome back, NA Bear

Hooray for Muffy collectors! After several years away from the toy trade show circuit, North American Bear Co., New York, is returning to Toy Fair this month to seek out new specialty buyers for its extensive catalog of luxury infant and kid-friendly plush toys and gifts, as well as its lines of Very Important Bears and Muffy collectible bears and accessories that have been a hit with adults for more than 20 years.

"We do think there's a whole new generation of retailers that haven't seen our stuff, and we're very excited about that," Barbara Isenberg, N.A. Bear president, tells Playthings.

"I'm seeing a mini baby boom, and I'm seeing parents who are very concerned about quality and know their brands. They know who's won toy awards and they're very informed parents, and so they're willing to buy better things. It's not just about price point," Isenberg says. "We're also seeing some of those parents open children's stores, and that's one of the reasons for going back to Toy Fair. There are new buyers in the gift and toy industries and a lot more parents—really educated parents—thinking about the toys they buy for their children."

Isenberg predicts the newest additions to the company's velvety-soft doll lines (which include everything from baby dolls to princesses, ballerinas, fairies and clever Topsy Turvy storytelling dolls) will be some of N.A. Bear's most popular at the show, and has high hopes for a new kid-designed contemporary plush line, My Own Monster. More than 65 new items will be on display at the N.A. Bear booth, along with the company's staple infant and kid collections, which are all hand-made in New York.