Toys and Collectible Wish List

2008-12-07T05:37:00.000-08:00

Toys and Collectibles Books

The Amazing Game Board Book - Bound into the book are 12 different game boards, including a foam pegboard, magnetic boards, and write-on/wipe-off boards. There's even a handy compartment to keep all of your game pieces.

Charlie and Lola - Toy maker Kids Preferred, LLC announces its new collection of dolls and books from the international hit preschool TV series, Charlie and Lola™.

Collector Books Gift Wish List - Whether you enjoy collecting dolls, Breyer animals, post cards, matchbox toys, McDonalds collectibles or TV toys and memorabilia, Collector Books offers a a terrific selection of books which make wonderful gifts for collectors and enthusiasts!

Constructing Teddy & His Friends - Constructing Teddy and His Friends showcases a dozen different animal patterns starting with Mortimer the Teddy Bear, then covering animals and fantasy characters from around the world.

Emily Goes Wild - Kids Preferred, LLC is proud to introduce a newly-licensed pair of fashionable and exotically exciting Emily plush characters and the ever-popular "Emily Goes Wild" book.

In My Backyard - Geared for preschoolers and emerging readers, this picture book follows a little girl discovering what everyone sees, when they stop to look and smell the roses.

The Inns and Outs of Collecting - Author Sherry White has selected a U.S. nationwide collection of inns that have a flare for showcasing antiques and collectibles.

Krause Publications Gift Wish List - Whether you enjoy collecting Civil War related collectibles, Little Golden Books, baseball cards farm toys, sports memorabilia, Baby Boomer toys or comic books, Krause Publications offers a terrific selection of books which make wonderful gifts for collectors and enthusiasts!

Krause Publications Gift Wish List #2 - Whether you enjoy collecting farm toys, antiques, Lionel Trains or collectible post-WW II toys, Krause Publications offers a terrific selection of books which make wonderful gifts for collectors and enthusiasts!

Nana Star- In Virginia, two granddaughters declared to bring their Nana's charming story character Nana Star, to life with a picture book series lovingly illustrated, written and published by three generations.

Space Toys of the 60's - Space Toys of the 60's is a collector's guide to Major Matt Mason: Mattel's Man In Space, Mighty Zeroid Robots and STAR TEAM from Ideal Toys, and Colorform Toys Outer Space Men.

2008-12-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

Decks & Boards - Toys & Collectibles Guide to Family Card and Board Games

Around the Table Games™ - Colorful conversations between parents, children and relatives of all ages are the concept behind an inexpensive, portable card game from Around the Table Games. It has been reaping huge benefits among folks who may sit together but rarely, truly converse together.

Beatles Monopoly Collector's Edition - The Beatles Collector’s Edition of the MONOPOLY game offers Beatles fans of all ages the opportunity to create their own private music anthology by collecting all the Beatles albums from Please, Please Me to Let it Be.

BrainPucks - Hey hockey fans! Got five minutes? Want to have some fun? Be the first to complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line with four pucks by placing two pucks at a time and removing an opponent's puck when you are on twin NHL team logos.

Briarpatch Animal Soup - Clear the kitchen table and get ready for Briarpatch's Animal Soup Game that combines a soup bowl and spoon and a flip book into one zany board game.

Briarpatch Beddy-Bye Baby - Parents know tucking tots into bed takes patience, caring, and lots of love. Game maker Briarpatch makes this night time ritual child's play with the Beddy-Bye Baby game.

Briarpatch Clothespins! - This new matching game is good clean fun for kids and their families.

Briarpatch Fancy Nancy - Posh young ladies everywhere will set down their teacups and exclaim "ooh lala!" as fans of the Fancy Nancy book series discover Briarpatch's newest line of board, puzzles and card games featuring young Nancy surrounded by très chic clothes and accessories.

Briarpatch™ Spider-Man 3 Games - Spidey fans (young and not-so-young) will be swinging and slinging webs in their imaginations in Briarpatch's true to the movie game releases... featuring powerful villains and new challenges.

Briarpatch™ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Joining Forces Card Game™ - Like the movie, the Briarpatch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Card Game features colorful characters and fascinating strategies that bring the generations together for family fun.

Briarpatch Thomas Board Games - Plenty of fun for young children through this selection of Thomas & Friends games.

Buzzword Junior - Patch Products’ new Buzzword® Junior game is designed with younger players in mind. Just like in the award-winning Buzzword game, teammates have 45 seconds to solve a set of clues, and all the answers contain the Buzzword.

Chatterchix - Every ChatterChik represents a different U.S. state and comes to life through her unique bio, appearance, personality and lifestyle. With distinct rhyming bios, the ChatterPet cards are just as fun.

Disney Wheel of Fortune - Two all-time family favorites come together for the first time with Pressman Toy’s Disney Wheel of Fortune.

ESPN Jeopardy! Attaché Edition - Pressman Toy’s ESPN Jeopardy! Attaché Game unite the fast-action excitement of the answer and question TV game show Jeopardy! with the sports expertise of ESPN for hours of play-at-home fun and entertainment.

Go Ape! - This game adds a hilarious twist to the traditional game of Go Fish! Instead of asking other players for a card, you will act out the funny monkey picture on a card!

Guess What I Am! - Guess What I Am! ™ is a tabletop game that puts a hilarious new twist on a classic guessing game.

Hang Four - Fetch a wave with champion surf dogs Kelly Slobber, Riptail, and Jeff Spicollie in this totally bone-dacious card game.

High School Musical Wildcat Megamix DVD Board Game - High School Musical Megamix contains content from all three movies and comes complete with the best of High School Musical DVD Board Game, High School Musical 2 DVD Board Game plus songs and pictures from High School Musical 3: Senior Year!

Hula Hippos - In this simple, fast-paced action game, spin the hula-hoop and then quickly flick your wooden hippos so they end up inside the hoop when it stops spinning. The first player to get four hippos into the hoop wins. Finger flicking fun!

I SPY™ Fantasy - Search for lost treasures beneath the sea, command a mission on an alien planet and invade a castle to rescue a princess!

I Spy Private Eye - The smartest private eye may be the kid next door as Briarpatch launches its popular I SPY game series with a P.I. twist for little sleyths. I Spy Private Eye has all the intrigue a detective can handle and true to the brand, makes learning fun!

Imaginiff™ Card Game - iMAgiNiff™ is the hilarious party game where your opinion matters and you find out what people really think of you.

Jenga: Donkey Kong Collector's Edition - Donkey Kong Jenga is the first and only game that allows fans to experience Jenga’s “hold on to your seat” excitement with a classic Donkey Kong video game twist, which puts players to the task of saving Pauline from Donkey Kong using Mario playing pieces.

Jishaku - Jishaku (jee-shah-koo) is a patent-pending portable strategy game like chess or checkers that can be played anywhere - in the kitchen or at the beach. Bun unlike chess, the element of surprise is when the magnets jump out of position, without warning.

MiniPuck Trivia Challenge - Score goals with your family and friends on hockey nights with the official trivia game for all hockey fans!

Monster Maker™ - Monster Maker™ is an outrageous race to create colorful Monsters by trading and exchanging "parts cards" with opponents or drawing from the "garbage pile". A creative Monster Maker™ story book is also included in each game pack.

Nacho Loco™ - Nacho Loco™ is a spicy new strategy game with three-sided triacards. The object of the game is to acquire points by getting rid of all your cards while blocking opponents from doing the same.

The Office DVD Board Game - The Office DVD Board Game from Pressman Toy combines video on DVD from America’s funniest television sitcom NBC’s The Office with a companion game board allowing fans to interact with their favorite characters and put their show knowledge to the test.

On the Dot - You will love the interplay of the overlapping transparent squares as well as how it makes your brain work to solve the patterns. You can play at your own pace – either as a great solitaire brainteaser or competitive visual challenge.

Perfect Sense - Perfect Sense™ is packed with clever and witty riddles to tease your brain. The five riddles on each card describes the same object, and each riddle relates to one of your five senses.

Pokémon: Champion Island - Play Pokémon trivia and collect Pokémon as you journey your way across Champion Island.

Pounce! - From the fast-action game play to the variety of visual perspectives captured in the card art, we hope you’ll get a small taste of what it’s like to be a young feline on the prowl.

Scene It?® - Scene It? games are socially interactive, immersive activities that incorporate familiar entertainment and pop culture themes and are perfect for parties or family gatherings.

Silly Stix™ - Silly Stix™ is a clever little memory game where children drop brightly colored rods of various lengths down hollow blocks of various depths.

Smithsonian Institution - Dig That Dinosaur - Players will learn fun facts about dinosaurs while they test their memory as they dig up dinosaur bones just like a real paleontologist.

Smithsonian Institution - Pandamania - It's a giant adventure where you move your panda along the path, collecting food tokens along the way.

Tastes Like Chicken - In the Tastes Like Chicken™ card game you will match a Pig-Frog to a Frog-Snake or a Shark-Lobster to a Lobster-Pig. You have never seen such crazy mixed-up animals like these before!

Thomas & Friends DVD Bingo Game - Everyone's favorite steam engine, Thomas the Tank Engine™ and his many Island of Sodor friends offer a new, interactive and fun way for children to practice numbers, colors and matching skills on screen with the ones on their Bingo Cards.

The Wizard's Workshop™- Open up a World of Wizardry with this spell-binding Workshop filled with an array of ropes, rings, balls and wooden blocks.

World Almanac for Kids Puzzler Decks - The World Almanac for Kids Puzzler Decks continue to make their mark and here's why: the decks are packed with all-new puzzles, riddles, and fascinating facts that kids love.

Xeko: Mission China - Released just in time for the Olympic games in Beijing, kids now have the opportunity to learn about China's ecosystems and meet the endangered species that live in them. Xeko recently released Mission: China the fourth collection of their eco-adventure trading card game series.

Xeko™ Mission: Indonesia - Mission: Indonesia is the newest addition of Xeko, the award-winning trading card game that teaches kids about endangered species and the world's conversation "hotspots."

2008-12-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

Arts, Crafts, Activities & Science Kits

The Toys and Collectibles Wish List offers profiles, reviews, and information about hundreds of toys for kids and families. Are you looking for gifts that are creative and educational? Check out these terrific picks for the holidays.

ARTLAB Black Light Studio - In Black Light Studio, special fluorescent paints and a custom-designated black light LED projector lets kids create out-of-sight paintings that truly glow in the dark.
ArtLab Horse Drawing Studio - Young equine enthusiasts will learn how to draw horses using two artist horse models (one adult, one foal), pastels, colored pencils, and other useful tools.
Color Explosion Glow Board - Crayola's Color Explosion Glow Board let's kids create glow-in-the-dark art. This new 'color tech' toy combines the best of both world - the magic of Color Explosion with the eye-catching luminosity of a light-up drawing surface.
Crayola Glow Station - With this new Crayola Glow Station, kids' creativity can shine in bright new ways as they "paint" with light on the glowing poster-sized canvas.
The Magic School Bus™ Science Kits - According to Esther Novis, the founder of The Young Scientists Club, "Magic School Bus™, is a great fit for our science kits as it combines fun and education with hands-on-science learning and, in return our science kits complement the Magic School Bus™ TV shows, DVDs, and books.
The Magic School Bus Science Kits 2008 - More fun science from the award-winning series, "The Secrets of Space"and "Soaring Into Flight" from The Young Scientists Club.
Perler Bead Blast - Perler bead products capture your child's imagination and provide hours of fun and learning. The bead packs, pegboard packs, and accessories open a world of creativity for your children.
TaDoodles Scribble and Sing Art Station - With "TaDoodles Scribble and Sing Art Station," toddlers will be singing and dancing as they create to a symphony of songs designed to bring the scribbles out!

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2008-12-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

TOTY Award voting open

The Toy Industry Association today released a list of 74 nominees for the 9th annual Toy Of The Year (TOTY) Awards, due to be bestowed during the 2009 American International Toy Fair.

For full article and list of nominees visit Playthings.com

2008-12-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

Are You Planning on a Safe Toy Holiday? - A Selection of News Articles About Toy Safety

2008-11-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

ToyDirectory.com® and TDmonthly™ Magazine Select The Most Positive Toys of the Year

TDmonthly Magazine Honors 44 Winners in Second Annual Awards Program

TDmonthly Magazine is pleased to announce the 44 winners of its 2008 toy awards, including two prototype recipients of TDmonthly’s new In the Lab award. From shape-shifting games and toys that go “under construction” with surprising designs and materials, to favorites that can’t be forgotten, the awardees collectively capture a spirit of innovation and classic appeal.

Winners were independently nominated and did not pay a fee to enter the competition. They were selected based on a number of criteria, including product quality, safety and design; play value; appeal to children and parents; review by experts, consumers and TDmonthly staff in-house and at industry trade shows (e.g., American International Toy Fair); positive effect on children and society; and success within the specialty market, or the potential to perform well in specialty stores.

“The quality, educational value and ‘fun’ factor inherent in these products demonstrate what the specialty toy market is all about,” said TDmonthly Publisher Bob Naimi. “Our awards program is one way we’re helping toy-store owners and parents identify safe and constructive toys for today’s children.”

Because TDmonthly is a trade magazine devoted to identifying new trends in the specialty toy industry, its staff is uniquely qualified to recognize toys of superior value. Of the nearly four dozen winners, 43 percent are safety tested at least once per year, 36 percent feature recycled materials in their composition, and 18 percent are made, at least partially, in the United States.*

TDmonthly takes toys seriously, and believes that great toys that inspire creativity, caring and intelligence will one day help to shape a better world.

See a list of the award-winning products below:

TDmonthly Top Toy 2008
Baby Deglingos by All New Materials
Sixteen by Alpine Games
Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.
Brain Noodles by Brain Noodles
Soft Play Dragons by Bullyland Toys
Inversé™ by Family Games, Inc.
WebWilds by Folkmanis, Inc.
Handstand Kids Mexican Cookbook by Handstand Kids
Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Kids Can Press
Puzzibits™ Flexible 3D Puzzle Art™ by Manhattan Toy
Xeko Mission: Indonesia by Matter Group LLC
ZipBin® Softie™ Wheelie™ by Neat-Oh! International LLC
ScienceWiz DNA by Norman & Globus
Pawparazzi by Noodlehead, Inc.
Food Chain Friends by Pint Size Productions
PlayMais by PlayMaisUSA LLC
Press ‘n Dress Dolls by Pockets of Learning
Potty Monkey by PottyMD
Stack & Stick by Stack & Stick
4th Corner by Strategic Space, Inc.
Chocolate Fix by ThinkFun
Scavenger Series Kits by Überstix
Chimalong XR by Woodstock Chimes

TDmonthly Top Seller 2008
MACK Granite Rear Loading Garbage Truck by Bruder Toys America, Inc.
Calin Cheerful Pink by Corolle Dolls
Ultra Stomp Rocket by D&L Company
Blokus Trigon by Educational Insights, Inc.
Sticky Mosaics Jewelry Box by The Orb Factory
Zingo! by ThinkFun

TDmonthly Innovations 2008
Beyond Chess by Beyond Chess
GIANTmicrobes Petri Dishes by GIANTmicrobes
HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creature by Innovation First, Inc.
Flibbix by Merillian
Prehistoric Puppets by Puppetoys Inc.
Teething Bling by Smart Mom LLC
FunFlyStick by Toys i.e. LLC

TDmonthly Classic 2008
Abalone by Foxmind Games
Kapla Planks by Kapla
Groovy Girls by Manhattan Toy
Cynthia Jabar Woodkins by Pamela Drake Inc.
Original Slinky by Poof-Slinky
Quiddler by SET Enterprises

TDmonthly In the Lab 2008
Twig by Fat Brain Toy Co.
Mini Voxal by Voxal LLC

Click here to view the awards announcements online at www.tdmonthly.com.

*Percentages are based on information provided by manufacturers at time of submission.

About ToyDirectory.com® and TDmonthly™ Magazine
For more than 12 years, ToyDirectory.com has been connecting retailers and manufacturers within the specialty toy industry. As of May 2008, Google ™ ranks ToyDirectory.com the No. 1 site in the world for wholesale trade directories. TDmonthly Magazine, an online trade publication for the toy, hobby, gift and game industries with more than 27,800 registered retailers, is dedicated to being the most comprehensive monthly resource for the toy industry through trend reporting, news, reviews, trade show coverage and a searchable database of 17,000+ products in more than 100 categories, plus more than 1,000 video demonstrations of toys and games.

Media resources courtesy of TDMonthly

2008-11-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

Recall information for consumers

Stay safe! Be sure to keep informed about recalls and dangerous consumer goods by visiting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

http://www.cpsc.gov/

2008-11-19T11:58:00.001-08:00

Worse Than A Lump of Coal

Just in time for holiday shoppping, the following Associated Press article highlights the toys that shouldn't be on your Toys and Collectibles wish list.

Associated Press

November 18, 2008

BOSTON, Ma. -- A consumer safety group released its annual list of the '10 Worst Toys' for the holiday season Tuesday.

The group World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) says the list represents toys with the potential to cause childhood inuries or even death. They are:

1. Sportsman Shotgun
2. Go Go Minis Pullback Vehicle
3. Inflatable Giga Ball
4. Animal Alley Purse Pet
5. Spider-man adjustable skates
6. Walk'N Sounds Digger the Dog
7. Pucci Puppies
8. Meadow Mystery Play-A-Sound Book with Cuddly Pooh
9. Extreme Spiral Copters
10. Ninja Battle Gear

Government figures show toys played a part in the deaths last year of at least 18 children under 15 years old.

The majority of these deaths were caused by blocked airways, drowning or accidents involving motor vehicles, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Many of the incidents were not caused by the toys themselves, but occurred while the children were playing.

Fourteen of the 18 children were boys. The largest number of children, five, were killed in tricycle-related incidents, one from a fall, one from a motor vehicle accident and three from drowning after falling into pools while riding.

The agency estimates that 232,900 toy-related injuries were treated at hospitals in 2007.

Meanwhile, after spiking last year, recalls of toys or children's products because of lead paint or lead content are down sharply in 2008.

Last year, a record 112 products were recalled. This year, there's been 64, though in 2006 there were only 20 lead recalls and just 13 in 2005.

Last year's record recalls spurred Congress, for the first time, to pass new rules limiting lead content in toys and children's products. However, they don't start getting phased in until February, too late to have an impact this holiday season.

But advocates say the initial lead limit still allows a dangerous amount of lead, especially for younger babies.

Most of the recalled products are from China and other parts of Asia.

2008-11-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

These Bills Affect Toy Safety

The Senate and House Log Legislative Action

Discover what the US Government is doing to make toys safer for our children:

S. 2663: Update to S. 2045: CPSC Reform Act of 2007 – February 25, 2008
To reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide greater protection for children's products, to improve the screening of noncompliant consumer products, to improve the effectiveness of consumer product recall programs, and for other purposes.
This bill is superceded by H.R. 4040, which passed both the House and the Senate.

H.R. 4040: Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 – November 1, 2007
To establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products and to reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
This bill passed in the House of Representatives on Dec. 19, 2007. It passed in the Senate March 3, 2008, superseding S. 2663. The House and Senate resolved differences and then voted to pass the bill on July 31, 2008. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on August 14, 2008.

H.R. 3903: Kids' Toys Safety Act – October 18, 2007
To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to require the development of a multi-stage product testing process to ensure compliance of children's products with consumer product safety standards, and for other purposes.
This bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

H.R. 3691: SAFE Consumer Product Act – September 27, 2007
To reauthorize and improve the Consumer Product Safety Act.
This bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

S. 2045: CPSC Reform Act of 2007 – September 12, 2007
A bill to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide greater protection for children's products, to improve the screening of noncompliant consumer products, to improve the effectiveness of consumer product recall programs, and for other purposes.
This bill was scheduled for debate in the Senate on Dec. 5, 2007.

H.R. 3499: Children's Products Safety Act of 2007 – September 7, 2007
To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to require third-party verification of compliance of children's products with consumer product safety standards promulgated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and for other purposes.
This bill, identical to S. 1833, was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.

S. 1847: Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2007 – July 23, 2007
A bill to reauthorize the Consumer Product Safety Act, and for other purposes.
This bill was referred to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

S. 1833: Children's Products Safety Act of 2007 – July 19, 2007
A bill to amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to require third-party verification of compliance of children's products with consumer product safety standards promulgated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and for other purposes.
This bill was referred to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

H.R. 3100: Import Safety Act of 2007 – July 19, 2007
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Consumer Product Safety Act to increase the safety of food, toothpaste, and toys.
This bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, and the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.

H.R. 1698: Infant and Toddler Durable Product Safety Act – March 26, 2007
To direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a consumer product safety standard for each durable infant or toddler product, and for other purposes.
This bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Source TD Monthly

2008-11-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

10 Years of Toys and Collectibles

The 2008 Holiday Season is just around the corner and we have been busy searching to the ends of the Internet Universe to select an amazing variety of toys, games, playthings, books, CD music and DVDs to feature in our 10th Annual Wish List.

When we began in 1998 while the Kids' Toys and Collectibles Guides at About.com there was a Furby Frenzy about, with some of the furry interactive friends selling for hundreds of dollars at the popular auction site, eBay. We were quite fond with Groovy Girls, debuted by Manhattan Toy. Ty Beanie Babies was another popular item at the auction sites, in shops, and the McDonald's Happy Meal toy of choice.

While teens had been playing Magic: The Gathering during 1999 younger siblings discovered Pokémon. This brought a new dimension to collectible cards; a challenging new dimension to collectible cards with a cast of characters and a quest to become Pokemon Master. Pokémania quickly spread to other toys, plush, games and a very popular television show.

The 21st Century welcomed Harry Potter, hero of the series of books by J.K. Rowling. Pottermania included action figures, card and board games, and a wide range of collectibles.

The must-have toy for the holidays for 2000 was Let's Pretend Elmo for the youngsters and for the tweens the Lego Championship Challenge, a build and play soccer field complete with players. Tiger Electronic's Hit Clips were a sign of things to come for portable music.

Video game consoles were in the forefront during 2001, with Xbox, Gamecube, Gameboy Advance and Playstation 2 on many a wish list. LeapFrog/LeapPad adding an educational dimension to electronic play. The must-have traditional toy was Lego Harry Potter's Hogwart's Castle, they was so high a demand you would be lucky to find one. A new line of fashion dolls entered the scene, Bratz from MGA Entertainment.

2002 celebrated 50 years of Matchbox with a special collection of 50 1:64 scale vehicles. Each Matchbox Across America car personified one of the 50 states within the union, having detailed decorations commemorating a key state feature, and included a replica of the state's license plate. Hasbro celebrated it's own 50 year milestone, releasing the 50th Birthday Mr. Potato Head. Elmo was a hot item, dancing the Chicken Dance.

In 2003 Elmo was doing the Hokey Pokey Dance, Hasbro brought back My Little Pony to the delight of young girls everywhere. Boys collected Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards, and battling beyblades. Transformers were making a comeback, as were Care Bears. Video games became popular with games now available for every member of the family.

Poker became the game of choice in 2004, with Texas Hold 'Em box sets a popular gift for adults, young and old. SpongeBob SquarePants silly antics on television led to a selection of play toys and plush pals for younger kids.

The video game industry, by now, had become a major player for teens and adults, top titles for wish lists included:

Bandai`s Power Rangers and Tamagotchi were named ALL STARS at the 2005 Toy Wishes Holiday Preview. Robosapien, designed by NASA, was a full functioning robot that entertained both kids and their parents. The robot could walk, run, fart, belch, rap and even had some snazzy kung fu moves. The always popular Lego featured a very cool Knights Kingdom line of building sets and figures.

Poker remained very popular gift as the 2006 Holiday Season was underway. According to Lycos Most Popular Toys and Games for the year:

The Top 10 Most Searched Toys the 2006 Holiday Season:
1. Poker
2. Pokemon
3. iPod
4. Neopets
5. Barbie
6. Harry Potter
7. Blackjack
8. Baccarat
9. Bratz
10. Playstation 3

The Top 10 Most Searched Video Games the 2006 Holiday Season
1. Runescape
2. Naruto
3. Grand Theft Auto Vice City
4. WWE Smackdown
5. EverQuest
6. Gundam
7. World of Warcraft
8. Kingdom Hearts 2
9. Halo 2
10. Mortal Combat

For 2007, girls wished for dolls. Popular dolls included Barbie, Bratz, Dora the Explorer, Disney Princesses, Hannah Montana and American Girl. Boys were interested in Thomas the Tank Engine, Transformers, RC Vehicles, LEGO, video game consoles, especially the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360.

Our personal choices for 2008 will be revealed in the coming weeks. Make sure to stop by and discover our latest editions as we will be profiling new toys, games, playthings, DVDs, and CDs each day.

2008-11-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

GameStop Seeks to Immortalize the Next Guitar Hero(R) Superstar in National Contest

GRAPEVINE, Texas --(Business Wire)-- Nov 05, 2008 Are you ready to be a star? To appear alongside some of the most famous bands in rock ‘n’ roll history? Your dream of rock immortality may only be an upload away. GameStop (NYSE:GME), the world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer, today announced the GameStop Avatar Contest in search of the newest character for a future Guitar Hero® video game.

From now until December 22, 2008, fans are encouraged to visit http://www.gamestop.com/auditions to submit an original video or photo of their best rock pose and qualify for a chance to win immortal fame as a character in a future Guitar Hero game. Video submissions must be of the entrant and no more than three minutes in duration and photo entries are required to be unaltered and taken within the last six months. One lucky grand prize winner will get an opportunity to have his/her likeness crafted into a character by Guitar Hero designers, Neversoft Entertainment, and included in a future release of the game.

The total Grand Prize package for the GameStop Avatar Contest is valued at $3,100 and will be distributed to the winner of a random drawing from among all eligible entries as follows:

One (1) Grand Prize: Trip for winner and one (1) guest to Los Angeles, CA and the opportunity for the winner’s likeness to be replicated in a future Guitar Hero video game. The trip includes:

Round trip airfare and hotel accommodations for two nights;
Tour Neversoft HQ and chill with game developers;
Participation in a photo shoot, where winner will select his/her own rock outfit and have his/her likeness captured for a chance to be incorporated into a future game's "Create a Rocker" section;
A chance to try out your rock moves on a professional motion-capture rig;
And $1,000 in spending money.

Additionally, in its ongoing quest to bring power to the players, GameStop will let fans serve as judge and jury to determine 8 weekly fan favorites. Be sure to check out the “Gallery of Rock Poses” online to size up the competition and vote for your favorite entry. The top 8 fan favorites will each receive a $400 GameStop gift card.

General contest entry is also available online. The contest runs through December 22, 2008, is open to residents of the 50 United States and D.C. who are 18 years or older, and no purchase is necessary to enter. For additional details and to obtain a list of official rules, visit a local GameStop retail location or http://www.gamestop.com/auditions.

*Activision Publishing, Inc. is not a sponsor of this Contest. Activision’s name and logo, and/or the “Guitar Hero World Tour” name, logo, and/or materials are used for purposes of promotion and/or prize description only and such use is not intended to suggest or imply Activision’s participation, sponsorship, endorsement, or approval of this Contest.

About GameStop Corp.

Headquartered in Grapevine, TX, GameStop Corp. is the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer. The company operates 5,557 retail stores in 16 countries worldwide. The company also operates two e-commerce sites, GameStop.com and EBgames.com, and publishes Game Informer(R) magazine, a leading multi-platform video game publication. GameStop Corp. sells new and used video game software, hardware and accessories for video game systems from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. In addition, the company sells PC entertainment software, related accessories and other merchandise. General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website: http://www.gamestopcorp.com.

2008-11-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

I have been busy reviewing and profiling toys for the 10th Annual Toys and collectibles wish list, stop by often as new products will be profiled daily until mid-December.

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Toys, Games, Playthings, Music and Film for Family

2008-11-01T00:44:00.001-07:00

Toys, Games, Playthings, Music and Film for Familygreat free widgetsWidgetbox