ReyneRice.com

Global Trend Hunter & Toys/Tech Expert!

Follow Me!

twitterlinkedin

Hot Holiday Toy Sellers 2018 in the US

By Leave a Comment

Facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedintumblrmail

(Originally posted on Spielwarenmesse.de)

This Holiday Season 2018 is certainly shaping up to be an interesting one across both, North America and many international markets. Retailers are devoting more shelf space than ever to toys. Here are just a few hot toy categories that are the toy hot sellers in the 4th quarter 2018.

LOL Surprise Eye Spy Series by MGA Entertainment

LOL Surprise toys, across multiple segments, are still causing quite the frenzy at retail. When they hit shelves, they are scooped up quickly, by adoring fans, and early Holiday shoppers. The L.O.L. Surprise House is already sold out in many global locations, with the $170-$190 product selling at 2 to 3 times that price on eBay.

New squishable and tactile toys continue to be hot-sellers, including all of the varieties of slime, dough-like compounds of all colors and iterations are currently available, including neon, glitter, glow-in-the-dark, magnetic, and more. Slow-rise soft squishables and slow-rise plush toys include brands such as: Squishables (Squishables, USA) , Rainbocorns (Zuru, New Zealand)), Soft N Slo Squishies (Orb, Canada), Smooshy Mushy (Redwood Ventures, USA), and Squish-Dee-Lish (Shopkins brand, Moose Toys, Australia).

Unicorns, sloths, llamas, hedgehogs and narwals are new creatures of choice.

Plush Rainbowcorns by ZURU are full of surprises.

Unicorns, sloths, llamas, hedgehogs and narwals are new creatures of choice. Newer fabrics and materials offer tactile sequin-changing plush, squishable play and surprise-inside-toys. Blind packaged brands delight boys and girls, although across different spectrums.  For some collectors, there are shimmery, glittery, winged, sequined and rainbow-colored versions of plush and blind bag collectibles. And then there are the potty humor trending collectible products, tied to poop emojis, slimy, gross and disgusting versions of collectibles that appeal more to an irreverent or off-color sense of humor. All co-exist on the collectible shelves, until they are scooped up by kids’ using their pocket money.

Scruff-A-Luvs (Moose Toys, Australia) are appealing to boys and girls who want a pet. The unique reveal play pattern for adopting a rescued pet is selling well with parents and gift-givers who are looking for innovative and interactive products to delight kids, and to keep them entertained and engaged. On the other hand, more diverse plush such as Fugglers (Spin Master, Canada) and Feisty Toys (WMC Toys, USA) appeal to tweens and others with a sense of humor, versus a nurturing instinct.

Most species of dinosaurs are on the rise, following the popularity of the latest Jurassic World movie. Dragons are on the horizon, teasing the next How to Train Your Dragons theater release in 2019, and following the Game of Thrones popularity.  Expect more in 2019. Lots more amazing creatures.

Harry Potter fans can build the Hogwarts’ castle with Lego bricks.

Other winged creatures, Fantastical Beasts themes, and Harry Potter themed products are hard-to-find on shelves as kids conjure up wand spells and magical sorcery with Harry Potter Coding wands (Kano, USA) Jakks Pacific wand selections (Jakks Pacific, USA) and Wow-Stuff spell-inducing wands. Kids are also perfecting their magic skills with the Harry Potter Mystery Flying Golden Snitch (WowStuff, UK), and gathering characters with Funko action-themed collectible figures (Funko, USA) or constructing their favorite Hogwarts Castles or Hogwarts Great Halls, with deluxe LEGO replica building sets, complete with themed mini-figures. Even the new just-released Fantastical Beasts movie: The Crimes of Grindelwald, has a new set of dedicated LEGO mini-figure blind packs (LEGO, Denmark).

The popularity of nostalgia, video game licensed characters and gamer franchises are fueling sales of Nintendo Labo, and Nintendo Switch, Mario Bros video games and licensed products, Pokemon plush and interactive pets, licensed FUNKO action figure collectibles, and Zelda and Spyro merchandise.

Hasbro relaunches their board games classics as farcical copies.

Gaming for adults as social games: Fortnite Monopoly (Hasbro, USA), for ages 13+, is in short supply, as are many social games for adults such as Relative Insanity (Play Monster, USA) and farcical copies of classic Hasbro games, selling exclusively at Target this holiday season, re-invented as:

  • Game of Life: Quarter Life Crisis Parody Edition,
  • Clue: What Happened Last Night? Lost in Vegas Parody Edition,
  • Mystery Date: Catfished, Parody Edition,
  • Botched Operation, Parody Edition
  • Sorry!Not Sorry! Parody Edition,

All of these re-invented versions of iconic games are designed with an edgy appeal, for players aged 12+.  Secrets are confessed, risks are taken, and stories are revealed by players, all in twisted new versions of these once classical children’s games. They appeal to millennials, who remember the tamer versions, from their childhood memories.

Visit the Toy Business Forum at the Spielwarenmesse® 2019. Reyne Rice shares a whirlwind view of the newest trends and products found across the toys, games and technology spectrum, as we enter 2019, and beyond. Listen to her at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 30 January 2019. Read the complete program of the Toy Business Forum. 

Bologna Toy Fair 2017 Opening Event

By Leave a Comment

Facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Originally posted on LicensingMagazine.com

Discover the latest Digital Trends in Toys and their impact on the kids toys & licensing business: one hour presentation, on the Opening Morning of the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair, from 10AM to 11AM, on Monday, April 3rd, in Bologna.

Since the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair is held in conjunction with the Bologna Digital Media Event and the Bologna Book Fair, the event wants to include two of the key fair focuses in one presentation, kids licensing and kids digital media.

The presentation aims to discover the new technologies and innovative products that are leading development of Digital Media Trends in Toys; see visual examples of the products that define this new connected play digital toybox; dive into research results of the latest Kids & Digital Study by Kidz Global to gain an understanding of this new market segment and kids preferences, attitudes and usage of digital tools and devices and see how trend-setting manufacturer Spin Master has tapped into this digital marketplace, instilling new technologies and progressive play options, for an innovative wave of interactive play experiences.

Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter and ToyTrends CEO, will start off the session with a visual cavalcade of digital toy trends and the products that define this space, showcasing global manufacturers across multiple categories of digital play. Reyne Rice is a toy industry trend expert/analyst, consultant, and media spokesperson, with 30 years experience marketing, researching and analyzing the toy industry, children’s technology, entertainment & licensing, and the youth market. Reyne has developed products and solutions for the media, consumers, trade associations, retailers, manufacturers, licensors and entertainment studios. Her career experience includes working as a marketing consultant, trend expert and strategic consultant for international toy trade associations, Mattel, NPD Research Group, Ogilvy & Mather, and other companies. As an international trade journalist for more than a decade, Reyne has articles published in over 60 countries, spanning the USA, Europe and Asia. She is a frequent Keynote speaker at USA and International conferences. Since 2003, Reyne has owned her own consultancy, ToyTrends.

Toy Fair New York 2017

By Leave a Comment

Facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Originally posted on DailyLounge.com.

“Sponsored Content”

New York Toy Fair opens this weekend and our toy trend expert, Reyne Rice, has a sneak peek at some of the coolest toys this year!

LEGO DUPLO Batcave Challenge

Lego continues to innovate toys for younger kids. The LEGO DUPLO Batcave Challenge lets Batman fans be their favorite superheroes and drive the Batmobile and Batcycle as they look for The Joker and Poison Ivy. Create fun action scenes using these LEGO DUPLO bricks that are two times the size of a classic brick to accommodate smaller hands and help develop motor skills. Visit shop.lego.com to learn more!

LEGO Make Your Own Movie by Klutz

Klutz has new titles in their book-based activity kits including LEGO Make Your Own Movie. Bring your favorite Lego mini-figures to life with this beginner guide to stop-motion animation. Create short, funny clips on a phone or tablet using six backgrounds and thirty-six LEGO elements. Visit Klutz.com to learn more!

Sew Mini Animals

A follow up to Sew Mini Treats is Sew Mini Animals that lets you stitch and stuff an assortment of fuzzy animals from felt. These mini plushies deliver full-size fun and everything you need to make up to 14 animals is included. Add extra accessories like hats, bows, and glasses to personalize your animals. Visit Klutz.com to learn more!

My Egg Carton Animals

From the all-new Klutz Jr. line for preschoolers, My Egg Carton Animals lets kids transform specially made egg cartons into 6 barnyard animals. Fun animal facts throughout the book give an added giggle as kids paint and add googly eyes, cotton balls, and precut accessories to make their very own farm animal friends. Visit Klutz.com to learn more!

ZhuZhu Pets by Spin Master

Spin Master is reviving ZhuZhu Pets from their launch in 2009 with over 20 new Zhu’s to collect! Each little hamster has a special hidden talent to discover. With their unique personalities and unpredictable behavior, Pipsqueak, Mr. Squiggles, Num Nums and Chunk love to zoom around, dance, talk and even sing. Make sure to check these cute guys out at ZhuZhuPets.com!

Giant Volcano with T-Rex from Schleich

Kids can have hours of fun with the Giant Volcano with T-Rex from Schleich Dinosaurs play world. Press the skull to release the stalactites, set the dinosaur trap, or hit the large stone to see the fossil puzzle erupt from the side of the volcano. This playset encourages your child to explore the exciting world of dinosaurs with over 30 additional dinosaurs to collect. Click here to learn more!

Whiffer Sniffers

Following the collectability trend, Whiffer Sniffers have become the “It Toy” for kids who collect. The new Series 4 will be introduced this year including Sour Saul, and May B Minty that kids clip to their backpack or sports bag.  They smell like everything from popcorn to jelly beans! Or take a chance with this mystery package to find a rare special edition character. Visit WhifferSniffers.com to learn more!

Aeromax Toys

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Aeromax Toys brings imagination to life. The Get Real Gear, My 1st Career Gear Tops, and accessories lets kids pretend to be firefighters, astronauts, chefs, and more. Pretend play inspires kids to dream big and helps build self esteem in their developmental years. They are known for their quality and durability, along with an affordable price. Visit AeromaxToys.com to learn more!

Licensing & Anni­versaries That Will Continue to Drive Products into 2017

By Leave a Comment

Facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Originally posted on Spielwarenmesse.com

Over 40 movies are slated for 2017, throughout the entire year, that will appeal to fans of these favorite characters and brands:  superheroes, classic characters, favorite playthings, all with relevant new content for today’s generations of movie-goers and experience-seeking customers.

The year of 2017 is shaping up to be another substantial year for strong licenses and licensed properties, and brands with multi-generational appeal. There are a number of factors that support this premise. Character licensing is no longer relegated to the merchandising power of toys and games.  Strong theatrical releases, live events and multi-tier tentpole events are driving merchandising dollars into apparel, publishing, sports, entertainment theme parks, and even more branded lifestyle categories. 

For example, it was no coincidence that Pokémon Go attracted a wide swath of the population across multiple age groups. In 2017, the Pokémon brand celebrates their 20th anniversary. Kids who grew up with Pokemon are now young adults, for whom augmented reality treasure hunts were a positive pat-time for Summer 2016. Kids and parents also joined the foot traffic, as tens of millions of people across the globe hunted for the elusive Pokémon characters. Expect more Pokémon news throughout 2017, in new and exciting formats that will continue to break barriers with technology innovations. Promoting inter-generational play, active outdoor activities and the “Gotta Catch Em All “mentality will continue throughout 2017.

Key Anniversaries of Brands and Movie/TV Characters

Property Anniversary Property Owner
In the Night Garden 10 DHX Media
YooHoo & Friends 10 Aurora World/ Mondo TV
Yu-Gi-Oh 15 4K Media
Build A Bear 20 Build-A-Bear
Pokemon 20 The Pokemon Company
TeleTubbies 20 DHX media
Power Rangers 25 Saban
Dragon Ball Z 30 Toie Animation
Care Bears 35 American greetings
Danger Mouse 35 Fremantle
Maya the Bee 40 Studio 100
Star Wars 40 Lucas Ent/ Disney
Thunderbirds 50 ITV Studios
Toie Animation 60 Toie Animation
Mr Potato Head 65 Hasbro
Wonder Woman 75 Marvel/ Disney
Daffy Duck 80 Warner Bros Looney Tunes
Goofy animated character 85 Disney
LEGO 85 Lego
Lincoln Logs 100 Knex
Teddy Bear 115 multiple
Märklin Trains 125 Marklin
Peter Rabbit: Beatrix Potter 150 Sony / Penguin/Beatrix Potter

 

Other strong cross-generational brands celebrating major milestones include Star Wars 40th anniversary.  Their first action figures for boys were launched in 1977, and stores couldn’t get enough merchandise to meet demand, even then. This dual target audience brand (kids and adults) will be strengthened with another new Star Wars movie, Episode VIII in late 2017, and the Rogue One movie (Holiday 2016) will continue to offer new footage and characters with epic stories in late 2016 and spilling over into 2017.

On a softer side, Care Bears will be celebrating its 35th anniversary with a Fall 2017 movie release. TeleTubbies are back, marking a 20 year anniversary with new TV episodes. Their storyline has been updated for today’s kids by updating the television screen on their tummies with touch-screens. Power Rangers continue to appeal to new fans each year, and will be celebrating 25 years of Power Rangers with their own 2017 movie launch. DragonBall Z (30th) and even Dirty Dancing (30th) will continue to tug at Millennial heart strings, with young adults and new parents remembering their childhood favorites.

With this knowledge of upcoming movies and strong anniversaries, store shelves and online channels will continue to appeal to the dual-target market audiences, and offer an inter-generational connection for the young and the young-at-heart.

Blockbuster Movies 2017 with Popular License Properties

 

Blockbuster 2017
 
Title Studio Release Date
The Greatest Showman on Earth 20th Century Fox Jan 2017
Monster Trucks Paramount Feb 2017
LEGO Batman Warner Bros Feb 2017
Beauty & The Beast Disney March 2017
King Arthur; Legends of the Swords Warner Bros March 2017
Smurfs 3: The Lost Village Sony April 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Disney April 2017
Fast 8: Fast & the Furious NBC Universal April 2017
Power Rangers Lionsgate April 2017
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Disney May 2017
Despicable Me 3 (Minions) Universal June 2017
Wonder Woman Warner Bros June 2017
Transformers 5: The Last Knight Paramount June 2017
Thor Ragnarok Disney July 2017
Cars 3 Disney July 2017
Emoji Movie: Express Yourself Sony Aug 2017
Jumanjii Sony Sept 2017
LEGO Ninjago Warner Bros Sept 2017
Care Bears: The Movie Not yet announced Sept 2017
Justice League Warner Bros Nov 2017
Black Panther Disney Nov 2017
Croods 2 20th Century Fox Dec 2017
Star Wars, Episode VIII Disney Dec 2017

Black Friday Toys 2016

By Leave a Comment

Facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedintumblrmail

 Originally posted on DailyLounge.com.

 

Toy Trend Expert, Reyne Rice, has this year’s best toys just in time for Black Friday!

LEGO NINJAGO

LEGO Juniors was developed to provide builders ages 4 and older an easy-to-assemble brick-building experience to transition from bigger Duplo blocks to smaller LEGO bricks. NEW this year, LEGO Juniors NINJAGO Themed Sets The Lost Temple and Snake Showdown are perfect for the child who watches the TV show along with their older siblings and wants to get in on the fun! Now, they can build on their own — without help– and play along with the characters and stories they love. These sets feature familiar Ninjago characters with land and air vehicles and lots of interactive features, including a helicopter with spinning rotors, a super Ninja car with rolling wheels, and a swinging axe and a spinning saw blade. Click here to learn more! 

Ozobot Evo STEM Robots

The Ozobot Evo smart STEM robot reads colors! Enjoy unplugged play with nothing more than markers and paper. Use Evo’s color language to control its lights, sounds and speed. You can also control Evo from your smartphone AND compete and play games with friends! You can even send and receive OZOJIS – emoticons that your Evo acts out.  Evo Action Skins bring your favorite Marvel characters to life … transform your Evo into Iron Man or Captain America.  Then, connect with the app to complete Stark Academy missions. Click here to learn more!

Skylanders Imaginators

Activision has taken Skylanders to a whole new realm with Imaginators, where kids can unleash their imagination, and create their own Skylanders characters. With the power of Imaginite Crystals and the guidance of the powerful Sensei Skylander Masters, kids can select their battle class, choose their gear, and pick their personalities to customize their creations. All of their previous Skylanders characters work in the Imaginators video game, and there are new side quest missions and mini-games to conquer. Click here to learn more!

Uncle Milton’s Virtual Explorer

Explore space, dinosaurs, and ants with Uncle Milton’s Virtual Explorer, a 4-in-1 interactive discovery system. With STEM-based learning at its core, the activity guides help to explore the stars with the Star Planetarium, create your own enclosed ant farm, and excavate a dinosaur skeleton. Use the virtual reality goggles with the 2-sided cards to see a 360 degree virtual reality view on one side and on the flip side, see 3D models come to life through an augmented reality experience. Simply download the FREE Explorer app onto your own smart phone, and use the included VR Goggles, to go on your journeys. Click here to learn more!

Early Bird Holiday Toys 2016

By Leave a Comment

Facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Originally posted on DailyLounge.com.

Ready to get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping? Toy Expert, Reyne Rice, has the toys that are topping your kid’s lists!

Brightlings from Spin Master

The Brightlings from Spin Master are interactive dolls that will be your kid’s silliest sidekick. Kids can have so much fun playing more than 100 silly sayings, or recording anything and then playing it back in Brightlings’ unique voice. Tilt their head from side to side to change the voice from high to low. Create your own song in 6 different styles of music including pop, yodeling, opera, and even beat boxing. These dolls are loveable and fun – perfect for kids as they’re exploring their creativity. Click here to learn more!

Schleich’s Big Adventure at the Waterhole

Kids will go wild over the Schleich’s Big Adventure at the Waterhole. This playset features over 20 wild animals and accessories – including an exclusively painted white lion and lion cub. Awarded the National Parenting Product Award, this playset is a perfect introduction to wildlife. With over 100 animals to collect, your child can truly explore the world of wild animals. Click here to learn more!

Riding Center from Schleich’s Horse Club

Another winner of the 2016 National Parenting Product Award and Seal of Approval, the Riding Center from Schleich’s Horse Club is a great addition to any child’s horse collection. With over 40 accessories, including an Arabian mare with rider, children can create a separate riding arena to add to their adventures. Learn more here.

GeoSmart: Remote Control Mars Explorer

GeoSmart, from Smart Toys and Games, has evolved the future of magnetic construction.  It begins with strong magnets, bright colors, and durable pieces. You can get an open ended set for hours of creativity or get this Remote Control Mars Explorer Vehicle Magnetic Building Set. The pieces feature a patented double-lock safety system and are a great choice for fun, creative, STEM learning, at home or in the classroom. Click here to learn more!

Worry Eaters

These incredibly soft plush pals are not only great to cuddle with, they also have an appetite for worries! Worry Eaters from the Haywire Group are a great way to share your troubles. Simply write down what is worrying you, zip it up in your pal’s mouth, and let them carry your concerns for you. A helpful tool for parents to find out what their child is thinking, and to teach them how to successfully cope and problem-solve. Click here to learn more!