Introducing...

We keep pretty busy here at Playthings. What with a monthly print publication to produce, a weekly email newsletter and a Web site that's updated daily, we always have a multitude of irons in the fire. It's hard work, but, frankly, we're proud of the fact that there's no other toy industry publication cranking out such a volume of industry news, in-depth interviews, new product coverage and other need-to-know information about this business than we do. And I'm glad to say we just got busier.

Last month, we unveiled the latest member of the Playthings family of products, Playthings Product Watch, our second email newsletter. Its creation was sparked by the realization that the volume of new product we receive that either doesn't make it into our annual Toy Fair issue, onto one of the feature stories in a specific print issue, onto our Web site's Product Showcase pages or become a Playthings.com Toy of the Week, is just too good to ignore—and definitely too good to delay giving some much-deserved editorial coverage. Currently, we're producing two issues of that newsletter a month—a themed issue (such as the debut issue's focus on educational toys) and an issue featuring products fresh across our transom. You never know what you'll find inside, so we hope you'll wander over to Playthings.com and subscribe. And, like our other email newsletter, it's free.

And there's more where that comes from. Later this month we'll have even more in store. That's when that old Web site of ours, the one that's looked pretty much the same since the Clinton administration, is finally getting a new coat of paint—and several new features you'll find either useful or entertaining, or both. Among them are:

• Playthings Supplier Search, a comprehensive, constantly updatable online directory of the global toy industry produced in cooperation with Kellysearch.com, the largest business-to-business search engine in the U.S.
• Several new blogs where we plan to offer you a look at toy-related goings on across the Web at fan sites (“Geek Watch”) and at other media outlets (“Worth Noting”).
• TalkBack, a function where readers can comment (or read others' comments) on every story posted to our site.
• Photo galleries where you can see all the event photos we take but never manage to fit into the print publication.
• A more comprehensive, easier-to-use, regularly updated tradeshow and conference calendar.
• Expert Business Source, a section where authoritative columnists offer insight and advice about issues common to all businesses, regardless of the industry you're in.

Head over to Playthings.com starting on June 25 to take a look. We think you'll be pleased to see what a little bit of spackle, a power washer and a few extra hands can do to our humble little Web site.

See you online,

—Cliff Annicelli, Editor