Posted on 03/04/2003 6:17:28 AM PST by GailA
Pregnant Midge among toys expectant on shelves for 2003
By KAREN MACPHERSON
Barbie's best friend Midge is pregnant. Betty Spaghetty's got a voice, and so does the Slinky. Spiderman and the Hulk have a soft new look as plush toys for toddlers. And Elmo's learned two new dances - the Limbo and the Hokey-Pokey.
That's just a peek at the news this year from Toyland, also known as the International Toy Fair, where thousands of toy buyers from around the world come to New York's Javits Center to get a look at what's new in 2003.
Buyers this year also previewed such potential trend setters as Hasbro's "Video Now," a handheld video player for kids featuring special 25-minute videos, Wild Planet's inflatable boom box, Spin Master's "McFlurry Maker," and "Cranium Hullabaloo," the first preschool game from the makers of the popular "Cranium Cadoo."
The four-day Toy Fair featured 1,500 toy manufacturers displaying their latest playthings. The toys range from a Captain Underpants doll created by the MerryMakers Co. to a build-it-yourself log cabin, a kid-sized playhouse created from durable foam pieces and sold by a newly minted toy company called Kidz Built.
Most of the toys are geared for the holiday season, which means consumers won't see them on store shelves until late summer or early fall.
Toy industry officials hope that such dedication is a good omen of an upswing in toy sales this year after being disappointed in 2002, when sales dropped to $20.2 billion from $20.5 billion in 2001. The biggest toy sellers these days aren't traditional toy stores, but big discount retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target. And one of the best-selling toys of the Christmas season, the pocket-sized ZipZap remote control car, was manufactured by Radio Shack, not a traditional toy company.
In addition to looking for younger and older child customers, toy makers are increasingly targeting adults. Briarpatch, for example, has several puzzle and deck-of-cards gift sets designed for the adult market.
Mattel has created special sets in its Hot Wheels' 35th anniversary line for adult collectors, and is introducing a new line of Barbie collectibles called Modern Circle, aimed at inspiring new adult collectors.
Mattel also is introducing a new Barbie line for younger girls called The Happy Family. In this line, Barbie is a pediatrician for the children of her friend Midge. Girls can help Midge "give birth" to her second child (a girl) by detaching a bulb-shaped abdomen that can be reattached through tiny magnets.
The Happy Family line also includes Midge's husband, her toddler son, a set of hip-looking grandparent dolls, and a Volvo station wagon complete with child seat.
Toy makers also are hopeful that items with nostalgia value will hook both adults, who will have fond memories of playing with the toys, and their children, who are fascinated by such "retro" items.
The ever-popular Easy-Bake Oven, meanwhile, celebrates its 40th anniversary with an updated version that uses electricity instead of a light bulb. The new Easy-Bake Real Meal Oven will allow young cooks to create a variety of dishes, including macaroni and cheese and chocolate chip cookies, while The Easy-Bake Oven Gourmet, a new cookbook out in May, will offer further culinary inspiration.
Creativity for Kids has new kits for painting a "bobble head" dog, a bird bath, and a garden watering can and tools, while Balitono offers a kit that allows kids to paint a wooden Fly Thru Bird Diner. Klutz is promoting an Origami kit, and a make-your-own potholder kit, while American Girl has a "sparkle card" set.
New games at this year's Toy Fair included Hasbro's updates of two popular games, Jenga Extreme and the New Clue, a wild and wacky new word game from Gamewright called PDQ, and Endless Games' Route 66.
Technology continues to extend its reach in the toy industry. Some new toys combine technology and nostalgia: Mattel's electronic Pin the Tail on the Donkey game and Radica's Dare Ya!, an electronic twist on Truth or Dare.
Ohio Art added an electronic voice to create the Betty's Talkin' doll, while Spin Masters updated the Slinky on its 60th anniversary by creating the E-Slinky, which lights up and "talks" as it moves.
But hey, at least Midge is married. They could've made "Skipper" pregnant...
Couldn't be. Remember, he's sterile from having the mumps.
Yep, that's exactly how I gave birth to my children. Unfortunately for the last birth, the doctor put my abdomen on backwards and the repelling force of the other magnet shot it across the delivery room.
I wonder how good of friends they'll be when Barbie finds out Midge is suing Ken for child support?
Her frined? Are you series? That's hugh!
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