Top Stories

• Tomy to bring Tomica line to North America
  
  Playthings Staff, July 20, 2010
  Tomy Corporation will introduce Japan's number one selling die-cast car and train set brand to North America this September. Tomica has been the most popular and dependable toy car system line in Japan for the past 40 years.
  
• LIMA presents Webinar on basics of branding
  
  Playthings Staff, July 19, 2010
  What does it take to build a viable brand, and once a brand is established how do you extend its reach into categories that go beyond its core? These are just two of the many questions that will be addressed during a special branding Webinar sponsored by LIMA.
  
• Peanuts Worldwide named Elf on the Shelf licensing agent
  
  Playthings Staff, July 19, 2010
  Licensing company, Peanuts Worldwide will serve as the merchandise licensing agent for The Elf On The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition brand.
  
• Ceaco licenses artwork from Ellen Eilers, 93
  
  Playthings Staff, July 16, 2010
    Ceaco, a jigsaw puzzle and game manufacturer, has secured the exclusive license to produce jigsaw puzzles using paintings by Ellen Eilers, a 93-year-old country artist.
  
• Strong museum receives grant to digitize collections
  
  Retail Editor 1, July 16, 2010
  Strong National Museum of Play has received a grant of $149k, which will help capture digital images of thousands of pre-1930s dolls, toys, and games among its world-renowned collections.
  
• Baby Genius pre-school laptops to hit stores in Spring
  
  Playthings Staff, July 14, 2010
  Pacific Entertainment Corp. is taking its award-winning Baby Genius brand into the computer age in the U.S. through a new licensing deal with Hong Kong-based Winfat Industrial Co. Ltd.
  
• Kelly Henwood joins Novel Entertainment
  
  Playthings Staff, July 13, 2010
  Novel Entertainment, independent producer of top children's programs including Horrid Henry, Fimbles, The Roly Mo Show, Rockit's Pocket and Ping & Pong, has appointed Kelly Henwood as children's brand manager to lead the future development of its TV properties.
  
• Orb Factory names Bill Bordegon national sales manager for USA
  
  Playthings Staff, July 12, 2010
  The Orb Factory Limited, a Canadian designer and manufacturer of fun and educational toys, has appointed Bill Bordegon to the post of national sales manager for the USA.
  
• New retro Zubels line is 100% organic cotton
  
  Playthings Staff, July 12, 2010
    Zubels are hitting the beach with the roll out of a new line of organic characters. The vibrantly-colored sea creatures from Renzo Company are hand knit with 100% super soft organic cotton yarns colored with eco-friendly dyes.
  
• Kids II makes Atlanta's 'Fast 40' list
  
  Playthings Staff, July 12, 2010
  Infant product company, Kids II has been named as one of Georgia's fastest growing middle-market companies for 2010.
  
• Russ Berrie to open Vegas showroom
  
  Playthings Staff, July 9, 2010
  Russ Berrie U.S. Gift has announced plans for a permanent showroom in World Market Center in Las Vegas. At the upcoming market on Aug. 2-6, the company will exhibit in a 9,000-sq.-ft. temporary location.
  
• LIMA elects executive committee
  
  Playthings Staff, July 8, 2010
  LIMA has elected three current board members to new executive committee positions. Five new members were also elected to the board of directors. Cartoon Network's Christina Miller is now chairperson.
  
• Hasbro elects Lisa Gersh to board of director
  
  Playthings Staff, July 8, 2010
  Hasbro has elected Lisa Gersh, president of Strategic Initiatives at NBC News, to its board of directors, effective July 1, 2010.
  
• Child's Play Communications adds toy clients
  
  Playthings Staff, July 6, 2010
  Child's Play Communications is the new agency of Record for Summit Toys, Toy State, and The Shred Sled.
  
• Maple Landmark signs deal for overseas distribution
  
  Playthings Staff, July 6, 2010
    Maple Landmark Woodcraft has reached an agreement with Plush Toys of New Zealand for the distribution of Maple Landmark's newest product line, Schoolhouse Naturals, to New Zealand and Australian retailers.
  
• Build-A-Bear Workshop and Michaels debut craftshop
  
  Playthings Staff, July 6, 2010
  Build-A-Bear Workshop has partnered with arts and crafts retailer, Michaels, to introduce Build-A-Bear Craftshop, a line of creative products and activities for kids of all ages that will be sold exclusively at over 1,020 Michaels stores in the U.S. and Canada starting in September.
  
• Who really invented Monopoly?
  
  Playthings Staff, July 1, 2010
  A rare and unique early version of Monopoly, used as evidence in a controversial, 10-year legal copyright battle over the iconic American game's true inventor, has been acquired by Strong National Museum of Play.
  
• Toy and game inventors win INPEX awards
  
  Playthings Staff, July 1, 2010
  InventHelp's INPEX, America's largest invention trade show, announced several winners at the closing awards dinner for the 25th anniversary show. All of the inventions were exhibited June 16-18 in Pittsburgh.
  
• Fisher-Price's Bigfoot heads to stores
  
  Playthings Staff, June 29, 2010
    Bigfoot was recently spotted in North Carolina and is now thought to be headed toward the headquarters of Fisher-Price, a subsidiary of Mattel in New York. This is not the first time that the legendary monster has sought refuge with the toy company.
  
• Steven Aarons takes helm of ASTRA's board
  
  Playthings Staff, June 29, 2010
  Steven Aarons, owner of Barstons Child's Play of Washington, DC has been named chair of ASTRA's board of directors. Michael Ziegenhagen, owner of several Playmatters Toys stores in the Cleveland, Ohio area, was designated chair-elect by the membership.