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!