More of this story» Jun 19, 2009
Leonhardt, in looking for activities to do with her nephew, asked if he'd be interested in making a sock monkey, after she saw a journal of his with one of the classic toys on the cover. Hollister obliged. (Niles Star, MI)
For inventors, marketing new invention can be tough sell Mar 3, 2008
"This can be a very tough business, and knockoff products are commonplace," said Tim Walsh, a Florida-based toy inventor and author of "Timeless Toys," a book that looks at classic toys and the people who created them. "The problem is that success often prompts others to want in on what you are doing.". (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
At Toy Fair, Kids' Play Gets Wired Feb 20, 2008
At the annual Toy Fair celebration of innovation and inspiration that wraps up here today, even many of the classic toys and time-honored storylines had a whiz-bang, Internet-based interactivity. The latest , once guided by hand by kids on their knees making vroom-vroom noises, now have chips that connect directly to the hotwheels. (Washington Post -- Technology)
The Hottest Toys for 2008 Revealed at 105th American International Toy Fair(R) Feb 18, 2008
From classic toys to interactive entertainment and everything in between, we have it all. Products include: action figures and dolls, games and puzzles, bicycles, tricycles and ride-ons, radio-controlled vehicles, infant and preschool toys, cars, trucks, and trains, puppets and plush, audio and video cassettes, computer software and video games, playground and sporting equipment, Halloween, Christmas, books, stationery, party supplies, and much more. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Believe in Play ... Hasbro's Playskool Brand Celebrates 80th Anniversary with Introduction of Break-Through Line of Toys for Infants and Toddlers Feb 15, 2008
After 80 wonderful years, we are proud and excited to enter this anniversary year with an amazing product line up which includes both tried-and-true classic toys and innovative new playthings, said Lorrie Copeland, general manager PLAYSKOOL brands. In addition to introducing great product, in this very special year we are making a promise to play. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Toying with ideas Feb 10, 2008
And to survive, they say, an entrepreneur must be market savvy, develop brand loyalty and "sleep with one eye open.""This can be a very tough business, and knockoff products are commonplace," said Tim Walsh, a Florida-based toy inventor and author of "Timeless Toys," a book that looks at classic toys and the people who created them. "The problem is that success often prompts others to want in on what you are doing."Walsh said a classic example is the Hula-Hoop. (Fresno Bee)
That looks like fun Jan 27, 2008
Wham-O's classic toys had an appealing common theme: "Simple things are always better," Knerr told me two years ago, when I interviewed him for an Ideas story about how his toys compared with today's top-selling educational playthings. (Knerr was nearly 80 at the time, but told me, "mentally, I'm still about 15."). (Boston Globe)
Co-founder of Hula Hoop toy company dies Jan 18, 2008
Knerr started company that made other classic toys, like the Frisbee. The Hula Hoop (shown here) quickly became a classic toy. (MSNBC -- Business)
Keyboard tops retailer's hot presents list Dec 25, 2007
Discount department store chain Big W said classic toys and "brands of years gone by" were the top buys for children this Christmas. Hot Wheels cars and perennial favourite the Monopoly board game made it into the retailer's top 10 Christmas toys list, along with dolls' houses and radio-controlled toys. (Melbourne Herald Sun)
Top Christmas toy is: the humble keyboard Dec 24, 2007
Discount department store chain Big W says classic toys and "brands of years gone by" are the top buys for children this Christmas. . (Sydney Morning Herald)
Act your age? Dec 23, 2007
Arnie Prince holds up a classic motorcyle as part of his collection of classic toys in Lodi. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel). (Lodi News Sentinel, CA)
Fashion Blog Dec 21, 2007
carried primarily children's clothing and a few lines of whimsical and classic toys ... is a specialty toy shop offering a wonderful mix of classic toys that have stood the test of time and a continuous collection of creative new toys that are at the forefront of the specialty toy industry. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Grateful recipients say food, toy donations 'a blessing' Dec 20, 2007
If you're looking to simplify this holiday season, check out these classic toys that still rock -- no batteries required. Although his fellow baby boomers are counting wrinkles and gray hairs, Mr. Potato Head looks better than ever. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
For movie lovers Dec 18, 2007
Gift: Various classic toys ... Like "Toy Story" did before it, this film about a magical toy shop is reviving classic toys. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Readers describe classic Christmas gifts Dec 16, 2007
The most classic toys follow that same tenet, she said. Items like dolls, crayons, Play-Doh, blocks and even empty boxes inspire creativity, she said. (Fredericksburg.com, VA)
Toys more naughty than nice Dec 9, 2007
Every generation wants to pass on the good memories and times they had with classic toys. You re not just transferring a good toy, but a good memory. (Scranton Times, PA)
Rampage victims begin path to recovery Dec 8, 2007
Classic Toys donated goodies for Deak's two young children. Alaska Mill Co. gave a tree. (Anchorage Daily News)
Two exhibits open this weekend at museum Dec 3, 2007
"Christmas Toys through the Decades: 1930-1970s" features a display of classic toys from the personal collection of local KSCJ radio personality Larry Fuller. Fuller started collecting toys in the early 1960s, after he returned from service in the Marine Corps. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Potatoes, not turkey, send you to the holiday couch Nov 19, 2007
The idea gained even more currency when a famous episode of "Seinfeld" showed Jerry and George feeding turkey and wine to Jerry's girlfriend so she would fall asleep and let them play with her collection of classic toys. In more recent years, most stories on the topic have claimed that the turkey-sleep connection is "an urban myth," and that turkey would only make you sleepy if you ate it on an empty stomach. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Atari 2600 Enters the Hall of Fame Museum Nov 13, 2007
It is surely a prestige for the gaming console world and the gaming industry as a whole, that Atari 2600 has found the place in Hall of Fame between classic toys such as the Frisbee, Barbie, Etc-a-sketch, Mr. Potato Head, Play-Doh, jigsaw puzzles, the hula hoop, Lego and the yo yo of course. This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 at 12:58 am and is filed under. (TechGadgets.in)
I love the '80s toys: Classic toys make a comeback Nov 13, 2007
The desire to share favorite playthings with a new generation may be driving a trend of classic toys resurging on the market, but "nostalgia will only get you so far," said toy analyst Chris Byrne. "The brands have to keep revitalizing and revamping to be relevant to today's kids.". (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
Classic toys get an upgrade Nov 11, 2007
30-day news archives. "Here's a look at some oldies-but-goodies that have been updated for the children of 2007:Barbie 1959: Named after inventor Ruth Handler's daughter Barbara, Barbie from Mattel Inc. was introduced to the nation as a teenage fashion model sporting a ponytail, black-and-white bathing suit and full line of fashion accessories.2007: Barbie has exhausted more than 100 careers, from princess to astronaut, and is available in the Barbie Girls line as more than just a doll. The... (Florida Today)
Raggedy Andy, kite, Atari 2600 enter toy museum Nov 9, 2007
BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Red-haired doll Raggedy Andy, the kite and the Atari 2600 video game system were selected Thursday for entry into the Strong National Museum of Play's all-star lineup where they will join the bicyle, Lionel model trains, Mr. Potato Head and 33 other classic toys. "They are outstanding toys that have engaged multiple generations over time, inspiring them to create, learn, discover," said the Rochester museum's president, G. Rollie Adams. (Xinhuanet, China)
Geppetto's Celebrates 20th Year With 20 Days of Special Events Oct 10, 2007
The store still offers high quality, classic toys that never go out of style. And though the big retailers now carry some of the same toys that used to be unique to smaller niche stores, Geppetto's has declined to carry the mass market toys found at the big chains. (Voices, CT)
Sewing Products For Children Oct 2, 2007
This product has won the Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys, Parents' Choice Approved Award ... Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, Parents' Choice Approved Award. (Suite101.com)
Toy recalls may affect shopping habits Sep 7, 2007
Greer said back-to-basics toys "are the best ones and those are the ones we've prided ourselves on and carried." Greer said classic toys in the company's line such as the volumetrically correct Measure Up. Cups with clocks and animal stamps encourage math skills and other learning. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Squeals of delight echo in this museum, where children are always hard at play Aug 28, 2007
So far, 36 classic toys have been enshrined, from Barbie, Mr. Potato Head and Lionel trains to the corrugated cardboard box, a universal plaything or recreational backdrop since the 1890s. On the Net. (Auburn Citizen, NY)
Boomer toys stand test of time Jul 12, 2007
Such toys have endured simply because they are simple, says Tim Walsh, author of Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them ... Still, even as they are newly licensed and marketed, classic toys endure, because they "are not dependent upon a cartoon character, a current food fad or a popular song," says Claire Green, president of Parents' Choice Foundation, a nonprofit toy evaluator in Timonium. (Sun-Sentinel.com)
Toy recall spurs parental anxiety Jun 23, 2007
Schylling, which was founded in 1975 and has about 60 employees , is known for selling classic toys like rubber ducks and tea sets. The company's Thomas items, from whistles to tin drums, only account for about 10 percent of its business. (Boston Globe)
View-Master: Life in 3-D Jun 13, 2007
Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005. (Suite101.com)
For summer fun, the water gun still rules May 26, 2007
Johnson's addition of a pressurized pump and a bottle for additional water storage "changed the face of summer and revolutionized play," says Tim Walsh, author of the book "Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers who Created Them" (Andrews McMeel, $29 ... Sources: Lonnie Johnson, "Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them" (Andrews McMeel, $29. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Living)
Just Let Them Play Feb 27, 2007
Star Community Newspapers. In The Community, With The Community, For the Community. (McKinney Courier-Gazette, TX)
Earnings: Électricité de France reports jump in profit Feb 22, 2007
LEGO, the largest toymaker in Europe, said annual profit almost tripled as sales climbed, costs fell and shoppers bought more "Star Wars" products and classic toys like Duplo plastic building bricks. Net income rose to 1. (International Herald Tribune -- Business Asia)
* `Sudoku Cube' hopes to frustrate a new generation Feb 20, 2007
Jay Horowitz, owner of American Classic Toys, holds up a Sudoku Cube in Sebring, Ohio, on Feb. 5 ... The 60-year-old Horowitz has spent years reproducing classic toys like Gaylord the Pup, Howdy Doody and Evel Knievel stunt cycles. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Bohemia in the Big D Feb 18, 2007
Knox Street, west of the freeway, is the more polished, where such chains as Crate & Barrel and Restoration Hardware are mixed with local faves like Froggie's 5 & 10 (3211 Knox St., 214 522-5867), selling classic toys and novelties, and Forty Five Ten, 4510 McKinney Ave., 214 559-4510; ), a high-end fashion spot founded by local models. Down the block is the entrance to the Katy Trail, a jogging and cycling path through the city. (Los Angeles Times)
It's All Play At New York's Toy Fair Feb 15, 2007
New and classic toys, games and stuffed animals were all on display at the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center. Some of the toys that grabbed attention included an electronic sumo wrestler set and a plasma car that uses no batteries or electricity. (NBC4.tv, CA)
Toy Makers Seek to Tout High-Grade Items Feb 9, 2007
"Two thousand six was the first year that I think there was definitely a lot of creativity and a lot less reliance on retro, classic toys," said Gerrick Johnson, a toy analyst at BMO Capital Markets. Microchips have come down in price, enabling toy companies to make more advanced toys that are still affordable. (Herald Sun)
