By Dawn Wilensky

The toys were back in town last week as innovative technology reigned supreme at Toy Fair with interesting new products flooding the aisles and showrooms at the Javits Convention Center.

Some cool products spotted at the show were "Star Wars" chopsticks from Kotobukiya; sculpted USB flash drives from Tyme Machines (some including the soundtrack from the movie such as "New Moon"); Jelly Belly Squeeze N Blow Pop Up Bubbles from Little Kids; scented magnets and keychains from Freshees LLC; and Paul Frank Industries characters Julius and Skurvy on a plush line from Fiesta.

One company to watch is Virtual Experience with chairman and ceo Jonathan Glick bringing holographic technology to a range of products. Its Live in Concert line of interactive beauty products includes a microphone, lip gloss, musical make-up bags, and compact mirror with preloaded song clips, while its 3-DHP Live Player and Docking Station offers four ways to interact with the technology. The group, “True,” will perform a three-song concert, dance to the beat of favorite songs (once an external music device is connected), function as a karaoke player, and play 3-DHV content-driven holographic videos.

Other standouts were Wild Planet with Spy Video TRAKR, the first Spy Video RC with digital transmission; full-color screen; recording capabilities; and the option for users to create, download, and share custom programs online for free; TechnoSource with Rubik's Slide, a handheld electronic version of the game; Think Geek with an Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt (with a mini amp and magnetic pick), Electronic Drum Kit Shirt (with built-in speaker), and Personal Soundtrack Shirt (with working speaker embedded in the shirt and room for an SD card). For the dogs, Mattel comes to market with Puppy Tweets, a dog-shaped plush with a device that sends owners a tweet (from about 500 phrases) about what Fido is doing while they're away.

The show was marked by a number of firsts, including:

•    The entry of LEGO Games into the board game space with 10 skus, including Hogwarts that can be built, played, and changed. The first wave hits in March, followed by another in August.

•    Hasbro, too, got the building bug with U-Build, a line of customizable games featuring Battleship, Connect 4, Mouse Trap, and Sorry that allows kids to build the game and then play how they want. Also new is Monopoly U-Build, which offers a new concept in Monopoly game play with players able to determine the length of the game depending upon how they design the game track. Play-Doh Creations marks the first-ever time that markers, crayons, and paints were added.

•    Crayola targets tween girls with the launch of Pop Art Pixies, a line of 14 activity kits tied to four girls with unique personalities and styles. The activities are coupled with Popartpixies.com, an online world that debuts in conjunction with the products in September.

•    Mattel takes over control of the WWE property with greater attention paid to the actual scale of wrestlers and replicating tattoos and other unique features.

•    Spin Master enters the preschool market in fall with Pop On Pals, a mix of pals, pets, vehicles, and playsets where little ones press down on the pal and pop on mix 'n match rings. Lights/sounds also are added to Bakugan with Deluxe Battle Gear for fall.

•    Fisher-Price is on board as the new master toy licensee for Thomas & Friends with the spring release of Take-n-Play portable playsets; followed by a variety of playsets, talking engines, and preschool items for fall.

Speaking of preschool, the little tots are being targeted by an
increasing number of toymakers, and in some cases, product lines are
being aged down to appeal to this important demographic.
€    A showstopper was Dance Star Mickey, a new interactive plush (due in
October) from Fisher-Price and Disney that walks, talks, and dances to
five different songs and includes games for kids and parents.
€    Big for Mattel is the iXL Learning System, a 6-in-1 handheld device
with a storybook, game player, notebook, art studio, music player, and
photo album. Both PC and Mac compatible, the product includes an SD card
slot and comes with a USB cord. First licensed software featuring Ni-Hao
Kai Lan, Disney Princess, Handy Manny, Batman, Toy Story, and Scooby-Doo
hits shelves in June, followed by Shrek and SpongeBob SquarePants in
September.
€    From Rokenbok come ROK Blocks, which allow preschoolers to build 3-D
working models and can be combined with standard Rokenbok building
pieces.
€    Learning Curve developed Early Engineers Line, a first-ever Thomas
Wooden Railway line geared toward train enthusiasts 18 months and older.

Popular PBS Kids shows such as "Sid the Science Kid" have spurred interest
in the subject with lots of science-based products heading to shelves.
€    Hasbro comes to market with toys, figures, and educational games under
its PLAYSKOOL brand including Sid's Super Fab Lab Science Kit where kids
ages 3 and up can use a real working light-up microscope, five activity
cards, scale, and 12 specimens.
€    Learning Resources created the Primary Science Set, a line of science
kits for kids ages 4 and up complete with a beaker, magnifying glass,
funnel, test tubes, and more.

No surprise that movies and TV shows have inspired lots of stuff that
will head to toy chests over the next year. Some interesting items
include:

€    Fundex created games and puzzles for CBS Films' upcoming "Beastly"
movie due in July.
€    "The Last Airbender" action figures, vehicles, and playsets from Spin
Master utilize innovative technology enabling fans to recreate
favorite scenes from the film.
€    A board game from Cadaco based on "The Deadliest Catch."
€    A broad assortment of "Project Runway" arts & crafts kits from Fashion
Angels.
€    Jim Henson's "Dinosaur Train" series on PBS gets shelf space with
Dinosaur Collectible and Train Car 2 packs from Learning Curve.
€    Patch Products will support "Dinosaur Train" with magnetic and foam
Puzzles, as well as a board game for "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth
Grader." Also supporting the popular game show is Lee Publications with
Invisible Ink Quiz Books.
€    National Wildlife Federation is putting the final touches on new
series "Wild Animal Baby Explorers," a show that encourages kids to
enjoy animals and the outdoors.

The environment continues to be a trend with lots of companies going
green, including:

€    Battat with B., a line of toys packaged in recyclable and reusable
packaging. Ten cents of every sale is sent to the Free The Children charity.
€    Green Pak has developed a line of bubbles packaged in biodegradable
packaging.

Happy Anniversary:

€    Dora the Explorer celebrates her 10th anniversary with a range of new
games and toys, including Day to Night Dollhouse and the singing and
dancing We Did It Dora Doll from Fisher-Price.
€    Hasbro plans some items to commemorate the 95th anniversary of Tinker
Toys and the 40th anniversary of Dressy Bessy.
€    Rubik's Cube marks its 30th anniversary with a range of toymakers
creating new items.
€    Thomas & Friends marks its 65th anniversary with the engines having a
voice for the first time in upcoming DVDs.
€    JAKKS Pacific creates a line of products celebrating Sanrio's 50th
anniversary with products featuring Hello Kitty and other Sanrio friends
in limited anniversary editions.
€    50th anniversary of Etch-A-Sketch with Ohio Art creating a new
signature edition filled with copper powder and red metallic screen in
retro packaging.

Toys also made their impact thousands of miles away in Germany where
approximately 76,600 visitors from 104 countries attended the
Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nürnberg show, a 2% increase from the
previous
year. Many of the 2,625 exhibitors were struck by the good buzz at the
show with lots of activity and general optimism streaming through all
the different halls.
Adding to the overall success of the show was the first-time addition of
baby toys and products. Interest also was driven by the "Building Our
Future Toy Conference," where industry experts from all over the world
exchanged views. ³As long as there are children, traditional toys will
accompany the development of the young generation. At the same time, the
toy industry is enhancing the play value of toys with electronic
components and will unite children all over the world through play in
the future,² summed up Richard Gottlieb, president of USA Toy Experts
and presenter of the conference.
Licenses were everywhere with a massive presence from "Toy Story," as
well as a building momentum from Lego. Other properties of note included
"Alice in Wonderland," "A-Team," and "Star Wars," thanks in part to the
animated new series on Cartoon Network and popular line from Lego.
"This was a shift in direction for many booths that previously carried
generic articles," observed Darran Garnham, svp of sales of key account
and retail at Kidz Entertainment/EEMC.
Also of note was an upturn in electronic licensed products and tween
Brands, as well as lower-priced licensed goods priced at less than £5. "With
consumers being more focused on value, manufacturers seem to be focusing
more on pocket money items. There are many collections already in the
market such as Puppy in My Pocket, and new additions are in the
pipeline. 4Kids is looking to launch a collectible range of smaller
items with the reintroduction of the Quints dolls, which were
popular back in the early '90s. We¹re currently in talks with
the toy companies to appoint a master toy partner shortly. The range
will comprise the adorable five dolls with a wide range of small
accessories and play sets," said Sissel Henno from 4Kids Entertainment
International.

By Regina Molaro

But toys weren't the only thing being showcased this month as fashion
industry insiders headed to the MAGIC Marketplace at the Las Vegas
Convention Center and Las Vegas Hilton.
Designers draw upon the art and media industries for inspiration for
up-and coming fashion collections, and despite the economy, the show
attracted 1,200 new exhibitors and an increase of 9% in first-time buyer
attendance. International attendance was on the rise, as well, with a 13%
increase in overseas buyer registration.
Here's a recap of what styles and themes emerged for spring and beyond:
Mighty Fine showcased several collections, including Trash & Luxury,
which drew inspiration from the high glamour of the early '90s. It also
reflected a touch of surrealism. New bodies include the peek-a-boo
scoop-neck top, drop-tail tank, and asymmetrical shoulder-tie top. A range
of
four groups included: black and white, nautical voyage, neon brights,
and pastel.
Modern-day bohemian was the look at Public Library, which pays tribute
to the California lifestyle. This vintage-inspired collection reflects
an earthy style that has a bit of an edgy vibe. Cut-outs and trapeze
style silhouettes are among the newer pieces.
Cartoon Network Enterprises debuted an apparel line based on popular
characters from "Johnny Bravo," "Courage the Cowardly Dog," "Dexter¹s
Laboratory," "Cow and Chicken," "Samurai Jack," and "Ed, Edd n Eddy." The
endearing characters star in a collection of fashion tees, knit tops,
and fleece that target young men and juniors.
Ripple Junction debuted New Standard, a hip art-driven collection that
was created with the goal of making art more accessible. The
Graphically inspired line represents a global collective of established
and up-and-coming artists. New Standard takes the art world from elite
to street with these colorful tees. Themes range from nature to city
themes and beyond.