Hot toys for the holidays Oct 24, 2009
"Kids will have the action figure, the board game and a few other things," says Victor Bertrand, chief innovation officer of Mega Brands, a Canadian toy manufacturer known mostly for plastic blocks and building sets. Mega is redoing the prices of the stuff it's pushing this year, from a $50 to $90 range to $40 and under. (MSNBC -- Business)
Toy Coupons for Playskool, Fisher P... Oct 17, 2009
Fisher-Price coupons are available for a wide array of toys, like the educational Laugh & Learn toys for toddlers, the popular LEGO-like Trio building sets, and Fisher-Price baby products like Happy Days and Nights Diapers and few frugal parents can resist diaper coupons. Coupons for Fisher-Price toys can be viewed via the toy manufacturer's and like Playskool, these coupons are fairly generous, with many worth $5, $10 or $20. (Suite101.com)
Feds cracking down on secondhand sales of some products Aug 21, 2009
Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets, March 31, 2006. Polly Pocket dolls with magnets, Nov. 21, 2006. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Classroom fun for little ones at home Jul 30, 2009
Building sets improve hand-eye coordination, help children develop spatial relationships, determine shapes and classifications, and encourage creativity. ADVERTISEMENT. (Ontario Argus Observer, OR)
Toy makers, retailers get big boost from movie biz Jul 19, 2009
They draft off studios' multimillion-dollar movie-marketing campaigns to spur interest in action figures, building sets, video games and other items with a cinematic tie-in ... Store buyers are reluctant to gamble on original films such as "Up," preferring proven favorites such as Lego building sets and toys based on the animated TV series "The Clone Wars," the action figure, G.I. Joe or Disney's Princesses, eight characters whose animated legacy dates to the opening of "Snow White" in 1937. (Daytona Beach News Journal -- Business)
NASCAR and K'NEX Announce New Licensing Partnership Jun 2, 2009
The relationship, which names K NEX Brands as the licensee for interlocking construction building sets in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, combines the award-winning K NEX building system with the fast-paced world of NASCAR racing. The new NASCAR line by K NEX will be available January 2010, and will initially include vehicles and accessories from one of the premier teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports, and its popular drivers, and. (Yahoo News -- Auto Racing)
Magnetix building sets manufacturer to pay $1.1 million penalty Apr 16, 2009
Magnetix building sets manufacturer to pay $1 ... Magnetix building sets manufacturer to pay $1 ... The penalty, which the Commission has provisionally accepted, settles allegations that Mega Brands America and Rose Art failed to provide the government with timely information about dangers to children with Magnetix magnetic building sets, as required under federal law. (Danvers Herald, MA)
Mega Brands Agrees to Pay $1.1 Million Penalty for Toy-Safety Violations Apr 15, 2009
1 million penalty after a U.S. consumer safety agency determined the company withheld information about the risks of its magnetic building sets. The action stems from reports filed by the toymaker, then known as Rose Art Industries and under different ownership, following the death in 2005 of a 22-month-old child who ingested multiple magnets from the Magnetix toy set. (Bloomberg -- Canada)
Mega Brands targets lower-priced toys Apr 7, 2009
At the same time, Mega Brands is working on getting out more products aimed at older kids that will build on its established and highly successful tots' building sets, he said. "We acquired the Halo licence to give us the cool factor. But we need more of those cooler brands. We're going to continue looking for other properties to bring that cool factor to the [older kids'] building experience.". (Globe and Mail -- Business)
* The rebirth of Lego Mar 29, 2009
It consisted of 28 building sets, eight vehicles, various supplementary components, all interchangeable (as they still are; Lego bricks from the 1950s connect with their 2009 counterparts). The problem was, none of it really stuck together. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Mega Brands dons Halo to capture tween market Feb 8, 2009
Still, shares of Mega Brands are trading below their 2006 levels, before the Montreal-based company was forced to recall some of its Magnetix line of building sets, after one child was killed and 27 others injured when they swallowed small magnets from the toys. For Mega Brands, the addition of Halo to its portfolio of toys not only boosts its cool factor among its older grade-school audience, but shows that the company is capable of attracting high-calibre partners such as Microsoft, Mr.... (Globe and Mail -- Technology)
