Ode to the Season of Giving

The Big Day is near and throughout the mall,
Stores are ever hopeful shoppers will buy all.

Flat screen TVs, toasters, and an occasional toy,
Whatever it takes to bring loved ones some joy.

Marketers try every trick they think to muster,
A 4 hour sale, a "black" day(?), even a "door buster"(?).

Hurry, to get "Best prices ever" those FSI's shout,
And there's "Buy one, Get one" hype to get shoppers out.

Buy now, buy often, buy even what you don't need,
It stimulates the economy. It's your patriotic deed!

Just be thankful this mayhem comes but once every year,
So get to the malls, smile as you shop, and be of good cheer!

Happy Holidays to All!

When you "herd" at the mall, remember where you parked.....

Co-Author Richard Levy Goes to War

Richard and Sheryl Levy and I felt the buzz for Warstones in the Duncan booth at Toy Fair 2009.

Richard C. Levy, co-author of Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook, launched his unique new game product with Duncan Toys at Toy Fair 2009. Intricately sculpted power figures entrapped in glistening marbles give a captivating effect comparable to priceless gemstones. But these stones are actually battle pieces used in a new form of war game play. In collaboration with Samurai Comics, Richard will co-host a Warstone tournament Saturday at 2pm in Phoenix, AZ. It promises to be a "don't miss" event for players who wish to see the debut of a game play that combines marbles and trading cards. Warstones will be the spotlight at a local comic book store and feature cash prizes. Get all the info: http://www.westvalleyview.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=35993

Those Jolly Holiday Elves

The glow from these Florida inventors suggests banner sales years past, present, and future for their toy and game ideas. Those hit$ keep these $un$hine Santa$ $miling. Blog privacy rules shield identities but the telltale iconic glasses can only mean third from the left, front row is friend and co-author, Richard C. Levy!

These happy faces are not rejects from Macy's Santa brigade. And they are in no way genetically related to the rotund, jolly, old North Pole original. These are the Sunshine Santas; toy and game inventors doing their creative work not in some inhospitable polar outpost but rather in tropical south Florida. Their St.nick-name and costumery are merely to show respect to the seasonal icon who has helped hype many of their creations and allowed them to enjoy a very comfortable tropical subsistence.

As a group, they are not only highly creative, but they are wise enough to have escaped northern climatic distractions like snow and ice storms so creative juices can be focussed on new toys and games. Why spend the day shoveling when time can be better spent making the next big toy idea into reality? When a toy marketer is searching for a break through product, one phone call to the Social Santa, and a whole itinerary is mapped out for meetings with the talented band of neighborhood elves. Chicago, NYC, LA and the Twin Cities maybe other inventor hubs, but they certainly lack the palm lined patios where the Sunshine Santas make their pitches. Talk about "blue sky meetings"! They live it everyday!

But despite spending most of their business days in idyllic settings, they do reluctantly leave south Florida sans costumes to join the rest of us in much less temperate NYC for February Toy Fair. Most likely the mission North is to view their fledgling creations on the big stage and gain assurance that the marketers will do whatever it takes to keep them in sunshine!

Congratulations Baby Q!

New game Quad•doku will be four months old at the end of the year. But it already has received a significant industry commendation. Dr. Toy chose it as one of the 10 Best Games of 2009! Nothing like a view of baby Q on sites like Target.com and areyougame.com to get the proud parents hearts palpitating. Of course you can always order it from Cadaco Games. May you gain more attention during holidays 2009, Quad•doku!

The Birth Of A New Game

It's been months since Toy Fair '09 and the future NYC extravaganza is closer than the past one. I have been so active doing other toy biz things that TOYDREAMERS.blogspot.com has been barren.

Included in that biz is tracking all the efforts on our 2009 game, Quad•Doku. It's emergence got me thinking about the varied labors of getting a product licensed, developed, produced and released to the market by a good industry partner.

No question, the birth of an offspring is a true miracle. The delivery of an infant from the womb into the world is an ultimate creation. Though physiologically unable to personally make such a delivery, I have been a co-contributor to the process twice. Seeing that new born after nine months of development is indeed remarkable. I've been struck by the similarity of the human miracle to the miracle of licensing and birthing a new game with a marketer.

I had this revelation when Cadaco recently delivered my new game, Quad*Doku, into the retail world. Looking back, the development period was at least nine months, maybe longer. From planting the seed for the game through the defining stages as "my baby" took shape, there was much excitement and anticipation. I wasn't showing vague black and white ultrasound images of my baby, but rather a real looks like, playable creation, a real game! Like any expectant parent, I couldn't wait to show-off my baby publicly. And first exposure would be to partner companies needed to complete the delivery into the toy and game world.

Guess what? After three or four of those exposures, I had no partners! Disappointed, I put the effort on the shelf and did a bad thing, I aborted the creation! However, the lingering desire to create a word game to supplant Scrabble kept swirling, and I had a "don't give up attitude". I decided to start a new creation complete with better play features and a very cute name. Rather than just being Baby X, I gave the creation the name, Quad*Doku. That name came from my imagined connection to the hugely successful Sudoku. I can only thank the toy and game gods that John Lindsay, President of Cadaco, had the product sense to pony-up for my baby and agree to partner in the daunting task of getting the trade to love a new word game! The baby was finally born!


I knew from my Milton Bradley and Hasbro years that a new product concept, even from the best creators, faced odds between 90 and 100 to 1 that it would arrive at Toy Fair. I'm thrilled that the result of our labor (much assistance came from life partner, Leslie) has ended up in master cartons with a real order number (No.747). Only time and many, many consumers will tell if our creation will survive in the cold world of retail toys and games. Like any proud parents, we have very high and hopeful expectations that our offspring will be a success in the real world. Go baby Quad*Doku, go!

Creative Factor at Toy Fair

It doesn’t seem possible that Toy Fair ’09 was two weeks ago. Now we should be back to whatever it is we do; inventing, prototyping, pitching, promoting, maybe even planning for Toy Fair 2010. Well, if we can’t deal with time chunks that far into the future, maybe the readying is for the June Licensing Show in Las Vegas or the October Dallas Show or another industry event on the horizon. One thing about the toy and game business, there is always someone available to hear a pitch or a show to attend somewhere. So noodle away, pitch your ideas, maintain your contacts, and by all means keep the industry bustling.

Here's one of the industry's best "bustlers". If you don't
know him you should . . . Kevin McNulty Endless Games

Co-author Richard Levy and I energized SRO crowds at our two Creative Factor sessions as part of a TIA education program.


SRO - Standing Room Only:-) Next year we'll do MSG -Madison Square
Garden- so there's room for all!

Our assigned topics were “invention” and “licensing” which we covered by extrapolating facts and stories from the pages of our Toy and Game Inventors Handbook. We did our best to give empirical, non-theoretical, eye-opening, practical advice from what has been called “the bible” of the industry on its subject. Actually, when we wrote the book, we compiled the insights of many industry leaders. Some of these people have played musical chairs since our pub date, but their words still resonate with currency as if their thoughts were expressed during Toy Fair 2009.

Buy a copy today!
http://www.greatideagear.com/toybook

To set the tone in the Creative Factor sessions, we used such tidbits from the hundreds in the Handbook as:

“The success, the innovation, and the personality of the industry is best exemplified by the independent inventor. The creative inventor serves as a constant reminder that the business is about finding fun for kids and playing Santa Claus for America.”

Bob Moog, President of University Games

Ted Wolfe, long time inventor, saw an inventor’s role as

“adapting previously known devices to previously unknown products. Inventors do not speak only of original or innovative. Recombining is an acknowledged skill of the toy pro.”

Right on Ted! Seems that has happened all too frequently with the advent of “brandwashing” in our industry; a new face (media license) on an old item.


Talk about pizzazz! Here is the marketing maven and shtikmeister with his partner(s).

"Given equally good concepts, the inventor with pizzazz, passion, showmanship and a well thought out presentation will have the edge that could make the difference in a company taking or passing on an item."

Mike Hirtle, Hasbro, Global Vice President of Product Acquisitions

“Inventors should embrace the myriad opportunities entertainment licenses provide. Rather than being locked out by inactivity, I encourage inventors to see licenses as a major opportunity and create innovative product for these brands.”

Roger Shiffman, founder and president of ZIZZLE

Richard and I could not cover all aspects of invention and licensing in our two hours at Toy Fair or even in our 470 page “Toy and Game Inventor’s Handbook.” Being current and active in the business is all about gathering information, knowing the industry, identifying trends, and applying your own personal magic to what you learn each day so you are a creative force in the race to Toy Fair 2010. See you there.


One or both of us will see you next year!

Toy Fairs Past

Long before Jacob Javits became the hub for the NYC Toy Fair, there was the Toy Center at 200 5th Avenue. Toy Fairs then were not the horizontal open-air bazaars with aisles and aisles of playthings that we know today. Rather in the old Toy Center, the annual extravaganza was held in a combination of vertical towers connected by an oddly placed but functional “bridge” on the 9th floor that attached more exhibits at 1107 Broadway to the main Center.

Most toy and game companies maintained “showrooms” at the Toy Center and would not bother to exhibit at Javits; it was an inconvenient location mostly for startups. The Toy Center forced buyers and the thousands of miscellaneous fair goers to use the grossly undersized elevators or the narrow and steep marble stairways to get to the showrooms protected from un-welcomed visitors by an “appointments only” mentality. After all that physical abuse to find a company, there was little hospitality shown by the reception desk temp or business-suited security enforcer to any guest without an appointment. Toy Fair was a serious time for sales/orders, not for schmoozing inquisitive non-buyers.

Yielding to my curiosity about the old Toy Center, on Saturday afternoon, February 14th, I took my valentine, Leslie, to the changing neighborhood at 23rd and Broadway. Maybe this nostalgic photo op captures a few memorable scenes for those in the toy biz before Javits became the center of the toy universe.

The iconic clock in front of 200 still stands with the incorrect time. Maybe the green light is saying "Toy people, do not stop here. Go directly to Javits."

The 23rd St. side entrance may be open, but only the "ghosts of toy fairs past" are home.  Why is the entrance protected by a tunnel of street level scaffolding?

To my query, the workman says, "I told you once, but I'll tell you one last time, pal. I know nuttin' about showrooms, there's nobody alive in there! Guess they're puttin' in new offices or sumptin'."

Wait a minute! Didn't I often park my car on the second or third tier of this lot one-half block from the Toy Center when I was silly enough to buck the NYC traffic?

Yikes, a Home Depot. I'm confused! Isn't this the old Hasbro showroom on 23rd St. where I spent hours in meetings and Toy Fairs?

Safe at last back uptown where the toy business is still hoppin'! (Wonder if my new game, Quad*doku, will draw all these shoppers later this year!!??)

OK, Mike Hirtle, I know you're in this Times Center showroom on a Saturday. I have a few 

great new game concepts to show you. No, I don't have an appointment! Guess if I can't get in, I'll just wait for the opening day of Javits, February 15, 2009.

Build It and They Will Come

Another White Sox Fan

Being from Chicago and a long time baseball fan of the same team as Barack Obama, I knew a bit about the 1919 Black Sox featured in Kevin Costner’s movie, Field of Dreams. As you likely know, the movie focused on players banished to an Iowa north forty cornfield only to magically appear once a ball diamond was built.

It occurred to me there is a similarity between that movie, major mass-market retailers, and mall developers. When mall developers see an open field, it is not a baseball diamond they build, but rather huge mega-malls. Their hopes must be, “if I build it (a mall), they (shoppers) will come”. However, in these hard times of economic meltdown and changing shopping habits, shoppers are not coming. In fact, there are dire projections about retailers in 2009. Michael Burden, principal with industry adviser Excess Space Retail Services, expects as many as 14,000 stores will close in 2009. "We could see the highest ever number of closures," he said. And the International Council of Shopping Centers estimates that chain store closings could exceed 3,100 in just the first half of the year.

Such troublesome forecasts can only have a rippling effect on the toy and game industry., Anne D’Innocenzo in a recent AP article cites a number of reactions retailers may have to the economic climate, saying “ retailers will cut marginal suppliers, keep inventory lean, hold special buying events, and provide an array of products at lower prices.” I ask, “haven’t Walmart and Target been doing this already to industry marketers for years”? When we attend Toy Fair and witness the sea of products, hear the optimism and see the carnival that is Javits, it is astonishing that only a trickle of those products will reach the shelves of the two reigning retail giants. Those two retailers, in particular, have already cut suppliers, kept inventories lean, and pressured marketers for incredibly low prices. The result at big box stores is a sameness of limited selection of toys and games.

What might be the answer to the retail malaise? Re-emergence of TRU where there was always great selection? Increased traffic at “specialty” stores where there hasn’t been an inordinate mix of laundry detergents and bed and bath linens at the sacrifice of toys and games? More dot -com sales without the need of consumers in mall store aisles?

I must admit that as a “product” guy, I was never satisfied with “sales” guys’ explanations of why products couldn’t be offered at places more convenient to consumers as a way to increase sales. With travel games to sell, why couldn’t they be placed next to Coke and Pepsi at all those gas station mini-markets? Why weren’t those games with movie characters licenses placed in video stores or in the lobbies of movie houses next to the $8 popcorn barrels and $5 soda cups tempting consumers to buy?

Maybe now more than ever when consumers are reducing trips to the mall, products need to get closer to a potential buying event. Maybe if the temptation is heightened, the consumer may break out of buying restraint and make an impulse purchase. And maybe in desperation, we will have to go back to methods vacuums and hairbrushes were sold during past hard times. Would you believe?... Knock, knock. “Who’s there?” Ahhh, “toys and games”. (Can you see all those silhouettes in red suits with big, big bags going door-to-door all across America in search of consumers? Any unemployed Santa’s out there?)

Knock, knock, toys for sale!

Juggling Act

                               
EGG | CHAIN SAW | BOWLING BALL

If coming to see Richard Levy isn't enough, come see the juggling act I've been working on for years. Surprisingly, I still have all my fingers.

The TIA has scheduled an open forum, The Creative Factor. This year the Drop-In Learning Center will be in Booth 4838. Check out the full lineup of topics in the Toy Fair program. Be aware that Richard and I will present at the Licensing and Business Hour on Sunday, February 15 and Tuesday, February 17 from 3 to 4 PM each day. Stop by with a smile, a wave, or a timely question. On Sunday, we'll be focusing on perspectives on how the industry has changed for inventors and on Tuesday how character licensing has shaped toy and game product since the release of our Toy and Game Inventors Handbook. You may want to mark a stop at 4838 in your daily Toy Fair schedule.

P.S. I'm working hard on that wrap-up to feature my life long dream: to juggle a chainsaw, a bowling ball, and an egg. Don't miss us!

Thoughts About Christmas Past (Three weeks ago)

Phew!

Christmas is finally behind us even though a few diehard celebrants refuse to remove their twinkling lights and browning evergreen ornaments. But the post mortems on holiday shopping are coming in painting a rather bleak picture of the industry's biggest selling season.

Out of the Hong Kong Toy Show came a statement that "retailers posted a 2% fall in business despite heavy discounts and promotions." ToysRUs posted a 3.4% decline over the nine week holiday season, November 2 - January 3.

Sales -3.4% U.S., -5.1% internationally

And foretelling the sad state of the retail arena right in the middle of the shopping season was KB Toys filing for bankruptcy. (Couldn't they even have waited to see if toy shoppers would beat a path to their mall doors?)

Files bankruptcy in the middle of the selling season!

The ominous signs were everywhere that retailers would use all the tricks to try to be Santa's helpers. ToysR Us boasted of "Our Lowest Prices Ever!" It was common to see an abundance of 50% off or saying it another way, "Buy one at regular price, get a second FREE!" Maybe the best deal was, "all toys at 70% off." But even with the prospect of all those good buys, I was certaiinly not motivated to shop at the retailer who promised an absurd store opening of 4 A.M.! I think I'm a bit of an adventuresome sort, but I couldn't envision myself arising in subfeezing New England darkness to push a shopping cart around Target, TRU, or Kohls. What were they thinking?

Thankfully, in the midst of all the year-end economic gloom. I came across Alan Hassenfeld's optimistic message in the 12/20/08 issue of The Economist magazine, entitled "Santa's Happy Helper." (Check out the full article here.) Alan offered these reassuring words, "The papers say everyone will get coal this year, but most parents - and grandparents - in difficult times will spend less on themselves to ensure that their children are happy, especially in the holiday season. That is an important leg-up toys have on almost all other retail items, except food." Motivated by Alan's comments, I bought my family two bags of groceries, tried to keep one grandson happy with Guitar Hero World Tour, and the Jr. Olympian skiing grandson happy with new downhill skis! (Admittedly, I delayed buying a new Chevy!)

So what can we toy people do to ensure better times in a business where the numbers of 60-70 percent of the T&G annual volume have historically been done in the 4Q? My suggestion for the bailout of our industry is not mounds of cash like all the other businesses bugging Washington's coffers. I propose we petition to alter the official National Calendar for twelve monthly gift-giving dates. Since all the really big sales come AFTER Dec. 25, January should have a specific date to "give the toy or game you didn't give at Christmas." February is almost there already but broaden the 14th beyond "sweethearts" to giving a game or toy "to someone you love" (no XXX items, please!). Now all we need are nine more national proclaimed dates to shop toys and games each month to get those big $$$$ volumes. No, this idea is not intended to in any way dismiss or dilute December 25. We still need Christmas. A monthly gift giving calendar is just the toy industry's way to catch the spirit of economic stimulus packages and hopefully avoid another meltdown like the one our industry experienced in 2008!

P.S. BTW, we know what retailer bucked the sales slide, right?....

Store sales up +1.7%.
"This was a year made for WalMart" to quote Consumer Growth Partners.

CU@Toy Fair!