{"id":2176,"date":"2011-02-23T01:56:40","date_gmt":"2011-02-22T18:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=2176"},"modified":"2011-02-23T01:56:41","modified_gmt":"2011-02-22T18:56:41","slug":"the-new-york-toy-fair-in-pictures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/the-new-york-toy-fair-in-pictures\/","title":{"rendered":"The New York Toy Fair in Pictures"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lori Cunningham<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Picture<\/a><\/span>Ah yes, the New York Toy Fair.\u00a0 Since college, I have always wanted to attend.\u00a0 It was my plan to\u00a0work for a toy company.\u00a0\u00a0 Remember the movie BIG?\u00a0 I loved that movie.\u00a0 \u00a0I so desperately\u00a0wanted to work for Fisher-Price, but moving to New York from sunny Southern\u00a0 California seemed like such a sacrifice.\u00a0 So instead, I pursued Mattel in El Segundo, CA.\u00a0 I’d always heard getting into Mattel was extremely hard.\u00a0 I did a lot\u00a0of interviewing in my senior year of college.\u00a0 I was blessed\u00a0to be offered a job with Nestle early, with a fantastic 15 mos. training program in marketing and sales.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, I still pursued Mattel.\u00a0 When I finally obtained my interview with Mattel (with much assertion\u00a0I assure you), they recommended I take the job with Nestle, as their marketing training program was unsurpassed.\u00a0 So, I took a different path than I anticipated.\u00a0 There was no doubt, chocolate has always been another love of mine.\u00a0 I stayed at Nestle for 12 years until I decided to stay home full-time.\u00a0 I have enjoyed spending time with my kids these past 8 years.\u00a0 Once I got into blogging, I realized that I now had the credentials to attend the Toy Fair.\u00a0 So, 20 years later I finally attended the Toy Fair last week and let me tell you, it was a hoot!\u00a0 I had a blast!\u00a0<\/p>\n

No children are allowed\u00a0on the show floor, which is rather ironic, since the people at the show are buying toys to stock the retail stores.\u00a0 Nonetheless, the buyers at the Toy Fair were serious about their trade.\u00a0 They attended demonstrations, sat down at tables and played board games to learn of their entertainment value, and hit the carpet to see over 1,100 toy companies and their 100,000+ toy offerings.<\/p>\n

I felt like a kid in a candy store…there were toys everywhere!\u00a0 As a newbie to the Toy Fair, I went in search of the best toys…both with a technology bent and without.\u00a0 It didn’t matter whether a toy was new or had been out for years.\u00a0 I just wanted to find the coolest toys.\u00a0 And you know what?\u00a0 I found them!\u00a0 I will showcase my fave toys…both tech and non-tech in a later post.\u00a0 For this post, I want to give you a “feel” of some of the fun sights from the show…<\/p>\n

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These stairs were transformed.\u00a0 You\u00a0almost had to watch your step\u00a0as you walk up to the main Toy Fair hall.\u00a0 Don’t step on Hello Kitty!\u00a0 I’m sure my daughter would have reprimanded me if I did!<\/p>\n

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Now this Lightning McQueen was something to see.\u00a0 Lego Master Builders used 325,000 Lego bricks and it took over 2,000 hours for them to build.\u00a0 The car weighs 3 tons!<\/p>\n

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Before heading into the show, I garnered some extra strength from my Power Rangers buddies to face the day!\u00a0 I’m ready for action!<\/p>\n

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I loved these Beanie Puzzle Eraserz\u00a0from ty.\u00a0 They have over 15 different kinds\u00a0of collectible animals that come apart into 2-4 pieces.\u00a0 Kids then piece them back together again.\u00a0 My kids loved playing with these throughout our trip.\u00a0 These erasable collectibles will\u00a0retail for $1.00, a price children can afford.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>\u00a0What’s a Toy Fair without Angry Birds<\/a>, the highly popular app that everyone is talking about.\u00a0 Now debuting in the plush, you’ll be able to cuddle with your Angry Birds or mischievous Pigs every night!\u00a0 Pricing ranges from $6 to $60 dependent upon the size of character.<\/p>\n

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Lego’s new Pirates of the Caribbean — Queen Anne’s Revenge Ship\u00a0for ages 9-16 is pretty remarkable with\u00a0all of\u00a0it’s detail and accessories.\u00a0 It will be available in May for $119.99.<\/p>\n

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I took a tour of the HEXBUG\u00a0booth and I never realized they have so many different bugs.\u00a0 They have crabs that walk side ways, spiders that use all of their legs, an inchworm that inches along, and an ant, and some of these even have remote controls!\u00a0<\/p>\n

The new glow in the dark line really got my attention.\u00a0\u00a0 The Glow in the Dark HEXBUG\u00a0Nano Habitat Set’s\u00a0tracks and bugs will glow once the lights are turned off.\u00a0 I’ve been told that the glow will last up to 2 hours in the dark!\u00a0 Pretty cool.\u00a0The Habitat set will retail for\u00a0$39.99.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0What I love about the Toy Fair is that you don’t have to be\u00a0a big company to get a booth and show off your product.\u00a0 At age 12, this boy came up with an idea.\u00a0 He wanted to roll marbles down a wall.\u00a0 With his dad’s help, they created the Wall Coaster which has interactive shoots, buckets, and spinners to guide marbles along.\u00a0 Affixed with a putty, found easily in hardware stores, you can arrange and rearrange your tracks to your heart’s content.\u00a0 Purchasing extra sets will allow you to extend the fun.\u00a0 Wall Coaster sets can be purchased online \u00a0ranging from $19.95 to $29.95.<\/p>\n

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Another new\u00a0toy inventor, Michele Berman, came up with the creative zazoo\u00a0KiDS photo clock which uses pictures to teach children when they should stay in bed and when they can get up.\u00a0 This helps parents get in their extra zzzz’s\u00a0as well as kids.\u00a0 This fun clock also features\u00a0 a rotating photo frame, alarm clock, video and\u00a0MP3 playback ,and calendar features.\u00a0 zazoo KiDS just debuted is available now online for $89.99.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Mega Bloks\u00a0gave mom bloggers a special tour of their booth, which was behind closed doors so competitors couldn’t peek in on their upcoming toy releases for Christmas this year.<\/p>\n

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Although there were tons of fun products at the Mega Blok’s booth…for all ages… one of the unique items was the new Need for Speed race cars where you build the race car yourself.\u00a0 This brings together two\u00a0of boys’ favorite activities into one toy.\u00a0 Boys will love it.\u00a0 Prices will range from $11.99 to $49.99.<\/p>\n

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Crayola and Griffin Technology have joined together to create Crayola ColorStudio\u00a0HD.\u00a0 This fun little app for the iPad offers all sorts of coloring activities and the option to color with many different types of materials…marker, pencil, crayon, etc.\u00a0 The ColorStudio\u00a0HD app contains\u00a0a large library of templates to color or kids can free draw their own creations.\u00a0 Fun games and social sharing are also included.\u00a0 The app is free but you’ll need to buy the Crayola iMarker digital stylus available later this year for $29.99.<\/p>\n

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Now here’s something you don’t see everyday!\u00a0 The WMC booth had two men in Scooba\u00a0diving suits walking around controlling a giant fish and giant shark in the air with their remote controls.\u00a0 The fish and shark are actually large mylar balloons, filled with helium, but geared with technology that makes their tails swish and allows them to move via remote control.\u00a0 Talk about a way to make an impression at your child’s birthday party!\u00a0 Called Air Swimmers, these giant fish will provide\u00a0weeks of entertainment and can be\u00a0refilled.\u00a0 They are scheduled\u00a0to debut in July, retailing around $39.99.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Toy giant Mattel was living large at the Toy Fair.\u00a0 They took over the North Hall to display their products from Mattel and Fisher-Price.\u00a0 Entry into the hall was for press only.\u00a0 Buyers had their own private booth to enter, but it wasn’t nearly the size of the press booth.\u00a0 I must say the booth was most impressive…and busy.\u00a0 Obtaining an appointment even ahead of the show wasn’t easy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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This picture doesn’t do it justice, put it gives you a glance at what the hall looked like, filled with their products.\u00a0 I was\u00a0 given a personal tour with demonstrators lined up at each product.\u00a0 It took 1 1\/2 hours to go through the booth!<\/p>\n

Before the Toy Fair, Mattel created a lot of buzz around NYC with their “Ken wants Barbie back” campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Advertisements like these were in the Mattel booth and around Times Square asking people to text in whether they felt Barbie should take Ken back.\u00a0 By the last day of the Toy Fair, it was advertised that Barbie did take Ken back.\u00a0 Phew.\u00a0 All is well again.\u00a0 I can go on with my life.<\/p>\n

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Of course with Barbie being the ever fashionista,\u00a0 Mattel has come out with customizable, printable hair extensions called Barbie Hairtastic\u00a0Printables!\u00a0 Create cool designs on the computer and print them out using exclusive Barbie hair paper.\u00a0 The special paper works with most color printers.\u00a0 Attach them to your Barbie and yourself!\u00a0 Be the hippest one on the block! Barbie Hairtastic\u00a0Printables Will sell for $29.99 later in the year.<\/p>\n

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OK, now I’ve seen everything.\u00a0 Mattel was also debuting their\u00a0new Mind Flex Duel game.\u00a0 Both players wear a headband with sensors along with a sensor clipped to your ear.\u00a0 There is a long board in between\u00a0the players with a small blue ball.\u00a0 The object of the game is to move the blue ball to your opponent’s side using your mind.\u00a0 The blue ball incidentally floats in the air slightly \"\"<\/a>above the board game.\u00a0 Apparently, you are moving the ball by using limited telekinesis.\u00a0 As you get better you can think the ball through all sorts of hoops and obstacles.\u00a0 Mind flex will debut later this year for $99.<\/p>\n

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And, like CES, you can always expect a blogger party or two!\u00a0 Fisher-Price, Lego’s, and Zhu\u00a0Zhu\u00a0Pets put on some very nice gatherings to thank bloggers for their support, get to know them better, and debut\u00a0their latest toy innovations.\u00a0 Fisher-Price hosted their first ever Toy Fair blogger event at Loew’s Hotel in Manhattan.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Cocktails awaited us as we entered the door.\u00a0 Great tasting hor’ deurves\u00a0were passed around as we gathered and talked with other bloggers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Later, the curtain was opened\u00a0and we had the opportunity to see all of their latest products and interact with company representatives.\u00a0 A live screen depicted all the tweets for the evening so we could keep up with one another.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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I just loved the flower arrangements on the tables.\u00a0 They were adorable!<\/p>\n

Well, there you have it.\u00a0 I wish I could show you more pictures, but my entire website would probably crash with all of the pictures I took.\u00a0 Rest assured, there will be more articles stemming from the Toy Fair 2011.\u00a0 Next I’ll post about some of my fave toys.\u00a0 But I’ll warn you now, I couldn’t just pick 5…or 10…or 15!\u00a0<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year’s Toy Fair in NYC didn’t disappoint. See the sights from the show and new products from Mattel, HEXBUG, Zazoo, Air Swimmers, Crayola, Angry Birds and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,14],"tags":[540,500,537,553,539,542,541,543,549,550,554,545,538,544,551,534,535,536,552,548,546,547],"class_list":["post-2176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kids","category-moms","tag-air-swimmers","tag-angry-birds","tag-barbie-hairtastic","tag-beanie-puzzle-eraserz","tag-blogger-party","tag-colorstudio","tag-crayola","tag-griffin-technology","tag-hexbug","tag-legos","tag-lighting-mcqueen","tag-mega-bloks","tag-mind-flex","tag-need-for-speed-cars","tag-power-rangers","tag-tf11","tag-toy-fair","tag-toy-fair-2011-fisher-price-mattel","tag-ty","tag-wall-coaster","tag-zazoo","tag-zazoo-kids","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2176\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}