Because there's often more that we want to say than our pages will allow, Up Close is where you'll find stories "carried over" from Playthings, our monthly print magazine.
Up Close: Dark Horse Comics’ David Scroggy By Karyn M. Peterson - 01/01/2008
Dark Horse Comics is bringing Domo, the fuzzy Japanese cave-dweller, to the specialty market in 2008, along with toys for new licenses Dilbert and Will Eisner’s The Spirit. As the company prepared for Toy Fair, we spoke with David Scroggy, vice president of product development, about his plans for these and Dark Horse’s other core brands. (An abbreviated version of this story appeared in the January 2008 issue of Playthings magazine.)More
Tips for the Trade: Rev up holiday sales with “Best Toys” lists By Kathleen McHugh - 11/03/2009
PLAYTHINGS.COM EXCLUSIVE — In a year when all toy retailers need to deploy all the traffic-generating, revenue-enhancing strategies they have available, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association president Kathleen McHugh advises adding the appropriate “best toys” lists to your store’s “best tools” list for the upcoming holiday season.
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Up Close: TIA's Carter Keithley on industry's toy safety efforts By Staff - 10/14/2009
In this exclusive Q&A, Toy Industry Association president Carter Keithley discusses the status of industry efforts at safety standards harmonization at home and abroad on the eve of presenting its Toy Safety Certification Program to the federal government.
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Up Close: Merchandising Puzzles By Karyn M. Peterson - 06/01/2009
Puzzles and brain teasers, mainstays of the toy industry, continue to be relevant and reliable to customers through manufacturers' commitment to innovative design and clever marketing. But what can retailers do to enhance their sales of the category?
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Up Close: Manufacturers' Forecast 2009 By Karyn M. Peterson - 02/03/2009
Just ahead of the New Year, Playthings spoke with dozens of toy manufacturers about their plans for 2009. Here's what they told us was highest on their agendas. [Editor's note: An abbreviated version of this story appeared in the January 2009 issue of Playthings magazine.]
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When 'Regular’ Is Just Right By Jane Kitchen - 02/01/2009
When the Holcomb family bought Toys & Co. back in 1987, it was a small, 10-year-old specialty business located in a high-end mall, with more than half its sales coming from collectible dolls. The Greensboro, N.C., business also carried juvenile products like strollers and car seats, and the Holcombs soon saw that with big box competitors like Babies “R” Us moving in, they’...
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Up Close: Scholastic's The 39 Clues By Karyn M. Peterson - 10/01/2008
Move over, Nancy Drew! Today’s young super sleuths are about to be drawn into an even more intriguing mystery series, one that combines chapter books, online gaming and card collecting into an expansive two-year treasure hunt with real-life rewards.
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Up Close: Jill Wilfert on Lego's licensing efforts By Staff - 04/04/2008
For 2008, Lego grows its licensed toy assortment with additions like Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones franchise and Warner Bros.’ update of Speed Racer. Playthings spoke recently with Jill Wilfert, Lego’s vice president of global licensing and entertainment, about the toymaker's efforts to tap into entertainment properties.
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Shopatron is the world's leading provider of global eCommerce for consumer goods. With Shopatron, orders placed on branded websites are offered to a managed network of global partners for fulfillment, typically for assignment to local retailers...
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Out of the Toy Box Richard Gottlieb, President, Richard Gottlieb & Associates January 4, 2008 Hong Kong Day 1
There are certain rituals that are reassuring. Just as the birds (and the retire... More
Out of the Toy Box Richard Gottlieb, President, Richard Gottlieb & Associates January 2, 2008 Things to watch for in 2008
I leave tomorrow for Hong Kong and am looking forward to working with my clients and ... More
Out of the Toy Box Richard Gottlieb, President, Richard Gottlieb & Associates December 28, 2007 Grown Up's Toy of the Week
The Grown Up's toy of the week is a set of these Russian nesting dolls that g... More
Spin Master plans Tech Deck virtual skate park
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