More Articles By Maria Weiskott, Editor-in-Chief

• Movin' on...
  An esteemed philosopher once said: “When you get to the fork in the road, take it.” Okay, okay. So the person who coined this phrase isn't really a philosopher; he's a Hall of Fame catcher. What of it? Over the years, Yogi Berra has imparted countless gems of philosophical wisdom—which are quoted endlessly, I might add. More
  
• The Pogo principle
  ”We have met the enemy and it is us.” What a dynamic—albeit somewhat harsh—slice of philosophy. And from the mouth of a comic strip character, no less! Little did cartoonist Walt Kelly know, decades ago, when he penned (penciled, really) this now seemingly immortal phrase for Pogo, that it would be used over and again to elucidate myriad situations; from the ... More
  
• It's about the toys...
  I was interviewing for an editorial position in a totally different industry when I first heard the term “toy district.” My soon-to-be new publisher was describing the neighborhood where I would wind up pursuing my craft for a good chunk of my career. It was 1986, just a bit past mid-point in a decade that spawned a new demographic—Yuppies, an acronym for Young U... More
  
• We see the light
  (We hope our readers will peruse the following with tongue in cheek, which is exactly the location of ours as we write in response to groups purporting to be the moral guardians of our children.) What a relief! Folks have finally caught on to the demonic intent of a cartoon sponge. And his band of cohorts, we might add. More
  
• Playthings, your ATV
  Some bright, albeit anonymous, person once said that “the best way out of a difficult situation is to go through it.” And don't we know it! We've done exactly that many times in the past 102 years and, in fact, like you, are still winding our way through one of the industry's most challenging business environments in recent times. More
  
• Setting a new course
  As one of my favorite philosophers once said, "When you get to the fork in the road, take it." Okay, okay! So maybe this particular hypothesis wasn't formulated at Walden Pond (it originated in the Bronx—what's the big deal?) But we get the point, right? About the fork, I mean? Right now in our business, we are definitely at a fork in the road; and like all forks, it has several prongs. More
  
• Centurian candidate (yet again)
  Here's to the next 100! As we wind down our centennial year here at PLAYTHINGS, we are already well into our 101st year; at least as far as planning goes. In fact, we are starting a little early with December launch of the PLAYTHINGS Industry Almanac. Formerly the Buyers Guide, the Almanac will serve as a more dynamic industry resource, adding in-depth research and trend data to the Buyers Gui... More
  
• Be a 'helper'
  It was a basic principle of the 'hood. "Whatever is mentionable is much more manageable," said Mister Rogers. When kids entered Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, very few subjects were taboo. In his calm, exacting way, Fred Rogers talked about some of the most "scary" topics: sickness, loneliness, death and even divorce. More