Whether families are hanging out together at home or heading off on vacation, the spring and summer months are sure to be filled with plenty of outdoor playtime. The Toy Association is sharing its top tips for outdoor play with parents and caregivers to ensure kids are playing safely while having fun in the sun.
Toy Fair exhibitors are encouraged to mark their calendars for six upcoming Exhibitor Academy sessions, which will provide valuable insights and practical tips for a successful Toy Fair, taking place March 1 to 4, 2025 at the Javits Center in New York City. Key contacts will receive an email when sessions are open for registration.
US Representatives Seth Magaziner (D-RI) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) relaunched the bipartisan Congressional Toy Caucus to create a forum for the US toy industry and elevate the important role the industry has in the education and development of children. The Toy Caucus is dedicated to raising awareness on issues impacting the toy industry, including ensuring product safety, protecting children’s online safety, securing resilient supply chains, mitigating the sale of illegal and counterfeit products, and advancing environmental sustainability.
People frequently approach me, perplexed by the lackluster performance of intricately designed packaging that they’ve invested in both financially and emotionally. The confusion deepens when major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target, Barnes and Noble, and even smaller establishments, request a redesign or reject these visually stunning layouts completely. The underlying reason is straightforward – these designs lean more towards being “coffee table books” rather than effective “consumer packaging.”
Toy packaging is the bridge between the product and the consumer. It’s the first interaction a potential buyer has with a toy, and as the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” An effective toy package has the power to:
1. Create Anticipation: Engaging packaging triggers a sense of curiosity and excitement, making children eager to unwrap and explore the toy.
2. Convey Brand Identity: Packaging is an extension of a brand’s personality. Consistent design elements help establish brand recognition and trust.
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On April 18, 2023, Senator Chris Coons (D-Del), Chairman of the Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee and Senator Tom Tillis (R-N.C.) convened a substantive bi-partisan hearing to discuss how to address “Foreign Competitive Threats to American Innovation and Economic Leadership.” Significantly, Chairman Coons asked Mark Cohen, Director and Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center for Law & Technology about the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision on eBay, Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C., 547 U.S. 388 (2006). Chairman Coons observed that the ruling, “…made it difficult to get injunction relief in terms of strengthening the fundamental rights of patent holders.”
If you were to search the internet for information on how to bring your product idea to reality, you are bound to find dozens upon dozens of companies, gurus, consultants and coaches offering pay-to-play courses on how to make millions as an inventor. While some of them may indeed offer sage advice, others will sell you “simple steps” and “guideline method” programs to “ensure success”. Others will tout the merits of licensing as the golden ticket. However, even with all this help, the reality is that there is no simple method to finding success as an inventor. According to an Edison Nation poll, 78% of inventors believe that their invention will earn them a minimum of $1 million dollars, and 54% of them believe it will earn them over $5 million. Yet, only less than 3% of them will even sign a licensing agreement, let alone make any money! These “gurus” often tend to peddle false realities through cults of personality, oversimplifications, and saccharine cheer-leading, all while playing up to the notion that your one idea will be life-changing.
My-my, how the world has changed since I came of age in the late ’80s, early ‘90s. Back then, I thought we had it all with 57 channels of cable television, a wireless phone in the kitchen, and my Walkman clipped on my hip. Cutting-edge technology was compact discs and the Nintendo NES. There were juggernaut toy brands like Cabbage Patch Kids, Transformers, Laser Tag, and Rubik’s. The toy retail landscape was represented by chains like Toys R Us, Kay-Bee Toys, Childs World, and Zany Brainy. It took hundreds of thousands of dollars to launch a toy brand and a large staff of salespeople around the nation to land the distribution channels. However, much like the cassette tape in my Walkman, it is all antiquated now.
Think you have a great STEAM toy? Now toy makers can earn an official ‘Stamp of Approval’ for their product from the Toy Association.