Creative Factor at Toy Fair

Promoting the session to Bob Fuhrer: inventor, agent, and strategist for Ken-Ken

My co-author, Richard Levy, and I did an encore of 2009 at the Creative Factor resource center this past Toy Fair on February 15. We were pleased to be part of a knowledgeable group of specialists brought together by Brett Klitsch and sponsored by the TIA to "focus attention of inventors and other creative professionals on the intricacies of working in the toy and game industry".


















Explaining an intricacy of working in the Toy Industry

In this information age when one can stare at a monitor and be linked in various degrees of separation, the three day Creative Factor trumped digital texting and comments by putting high profile personalities and real experiences into the highly relevant sessions. There could be no substitute to hearing industry realities from such experts as Nancy Zwiers of Funosophy, Steve Zuloff of Can you Imagine Corp., Richard Gottlieb USA Toy Expert supreme, Stephanie Azzarone of Child's Play Communication and on and on. Hopefully, the TIA will make the series of topics available in recorded format as part of its continued commitment to the industry's creative sector.


















Standing room only of hopeful inventors

No question the attendees at these sessions have dreams of participating in future Toy Fairs through hopefully licensing ideas so they can join the annual display of 100,000 products. And why not continue to try and create new products for the toy and game industry when this year's billing said there were "7000 products never before seen." With that kind of target to shoot for, it's a great incentive to generate a never before seen gidget or gadget? Who wouldn't want to be the originator of the Toy of The Year? Dream on.....

Satisfied Customers

Kojak, the cop with a million stories.




Early TV NYC cop Kojak would start each show with the lament that "there were 9 million stories in this city", and then go on to entertain by solving the latest assault, robbery,or homicide in the episode of the week. My NYC story this Toy Fair was a chance meeting of a real live player of my game, Quad*Doku, in of all places, the Hasbro showroom.

I stopped by the Times Center to see a friend on Wednesday, February 17 only to find the showroom being dismantled. At the entrance were two receptionists, Tiona and Shatavia, and a manager confirming that no personnel was there except exhibit workers. During the quiet time, the ladies were playing Scrabble Slam which I saw as an invitation to inquire why they weren't playing the game I invented. As I started to describe Quad*Doku play and its components, Tiona was knowingly ahead of me and said that she had played it and liked it!




















WOW! of all the 9 million stories in NYC, I was happy with this nonviolent one about a consumer who plays word games and had positive comments about my favorite game, Quad*Doku.

4 Eyes

In my youth, anyone wearing eye glasses was taunted by the ridicule of having "4 eyes". As hurtful as that might have been then, that is pretty tame by standards of today's bullying. Eyewear has since evolved to where frames and tints make glasses fashion statements. At a Toy Fair Creative Factor presentation with my co-author, Richard Levy, I unveiled my latest inventions to assembled inventors, marketers, and curious guests. The initial line has three SKUs shown here:

The first SKU is The Spotter, to be worn by inventors. These glasses have rose colored lenses that allow wearers/inventors to scan exhibitors' booths and view holes in product lines. No more wasteful speculative time for inventors guessing on how to "fill the holes" to get marketers' attention.






















The second SKU is "The Judge" to be worn by potential licensees of inventor prototypes. The viewer (or as inventors lovingly reference this person, the "product picker") slips on these glasses and can immediately judge the first years product sales. Telepathic waves allow the wearer to determine up to a seven digit output of likely sales volume. The Judge will make for on the spot decisions by the licensee and new found euphoria for licensors.






















The third SKU is "The Banker" that allows successful inventors to see projected royalty streams over a one, two or three year period.

















Last minute production details are being wrapped up. We are on track for a $9.95-$14.95 retail. This eyewear should be a blowout, home run. For those vain users who remember too vividly being called "4 eyes", we are working on contact lens that can give the same results.

OK, if you have read this and are ready to order, it is time for a DISCLAIMER. This product vision is untrue. Maybe the Toy & Game world needs these products, but they aren't in the works yet, at least with me. But I do thank Elope Inc in booth 383 at Toy Fair for loaning these fun specs from their wonderfully whimsical line of playful products.