Archive | Toys/Games

Enchanting Activity Kits

The worlds of magic and licensing are increasingly intersecting within the toy industry, as manufacturers of magic-themed activity kits—often with an educational slant—are matching this perennially popular category with a variety of properties, mostly connected to magic or science: Abacus Brands, a maker of educational virtual-reality activity kits, recently added the Penn & Teller license, […]

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Diversity and Inclusion at Play

For many years, entrepreneurs have been at the New York Toy Fair launching ethnically and culturally diverse product lines, created because they could not find anything similar at retail for their own children. In the past, these initiatives most typically have consisted of ranges of diverse dolls, often accompanied by books outlining the characters’ backstory. […]

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A Hunger for Branded Meal-Time Minis

The market for toy collectibles featuring real food and beverage brands seems as strong as ever, with demand continuing, new brands launching, and additional licenses being signed. Among the key players: Zuru Mini Brands offers Foodie Minis, which encompass more than 100 grocery brands, mostly from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K, ranging from Bazooka, […]

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Entertainment Studios Strategize Over TCGs

Classic trading card games (TCGs), especially the “Big 3” of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!—all introduced in the 1990s—are going strong. They continue to rank at the top of the TCG sales charts, are expanding into new media and licensed product categories, and are making cameos in productions not connected to their brands, […]

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Tiles With Style

For many years, global and local brands, particularly on the luxury end of the spectrum, have been releasing high-end mahjong sets as a means of generating sales and engagement among their customer base in greater China and parts of Southeast Asia. The category has seen its profile grow over the past couple of years, especially […]

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Controlling the Narrative

For years now, toy companies have been launching or acquiring entertainment and gaming studios, in the hopes that bringing these businesses in-house will strengthen their ability to control their all-important forays into TV, film, and interactive gaming productions based on their proprietary brands. There has been some news on this front since the start of […]

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Top Toys for Tots

With the holiday season quickly approaching, major retailers and key consumer publications have released their predictions for the top toy gifts of the year. Together, these lists offer a snapshot of licensing in the toy industry, which typically reflects trends in the broader character/entertainment licensing sector as well. Here are some takeaways from an analysis […]

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In It To Win It

Sales of tabletop games and puzzles in the U.S. grew 14.4% in 2021 versus 2020, according to NPD Group research conducted for the Toy Industry Association. That was on top of a 32.5% increase during the peak lockdown year of 2020. While sales are unlikely to maintain these lofty growth rates in 2022, marketers and […]

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