GoodyBlog

Toy Fair Recap: First Sign of the Apocalypse

For those of you who've never been to Toy Fair, it's a chance for the press and buyers to see what's new in toy lines for '07.  Basically, you walk around to booths and show rooms to check out the goods--some of the toys are really cool and some you feel like you've seen before. But every now and then, you'll find a product that horrifies you to the core of your being. For me, that item was Grillz for Kids. (If you don't know what Grillz are, the best way I can think to describe them is gold teeth coverings made famous by gangsta rappers.) This product has the Grillz on one side and a lollipop on the other--a similar design to the pacifier. When I saw it, I froze in my tracks, and much like the doctors on Grey's Anatomy, the only word I could muster was "Seriously!?!" I thought the low point for Grillz was when Brooke Hogan donned them for her video, but this takes the cake. Can Pimp Sippy Cups be far behind? (Note to self: get on that Red Bull juice box idea pronto). What products marketed to kids do you find offensive?

Toy Fair Recap: License to Thrill

Licensed toys usually aren't that exciting. I mean, once you've seen a Power Ranger doll, you've kind of seen them all. But there were a couple products that had the cool factor this year:

        1.)     Mr. Potato Head transforms into Spidey Spud just in time for Spider Man 3. I have to say my inner Star-Wars geek loved Darth Tater a couple years ago. And I think this super-hero version is just as much fun.

        2.)     A talking Dora the Explorer doll the size of a real-life 3-year-old. I kid you not. Little girls will flip out when they see this gi-normous toy under the Christmas tree (except, of course, for all the Manhattan kids who won't be able fit it into their apartments).

        3.)     Barbie makeovers for everyone! M.A.C Cosmetics is teaming up with Mattel to release a make-up line for grown women based on the doll. My only question is what do you wear with the Malibu Barbie lip-gloss?

        4.)     Kung-Fu Grip! Apparently, it's back. I don't understand this G.I. Joe feature or why we should care. But it's really fun screaming "Kung-Fu Grip!" out loud. You try....

Live From Toy Fair: I'm A Barbie Girl, In A Barbie World

Calling all girly girls! Barbie is now apparently a tech-savvy woman of 2007. I went to the Emerson Electronics booth, expecting to see dorky...well...electronics. Instead, I found myself in pink lady heaven! Pink flowery personal CD players, DVD players, mp3 players, mp4 (video) players, iPod speakers, and more. All with butterflies and jewel gemstones and the classic old-school Barbie silhouette. See, you CAN be frilly and brilliant at the same time. FRILLIANT! :)

Live From Toy Fair: When Uglies Attack!

Funniest part of my day at Toy Fair? Getting chased around the convention center by a life-size Uglydoll. I was laughing and trying to dodge my plush pursuer, but it was still fairly embarrassing--bystanders were gawking and giggling. Only at Toy Fair, kiddos! PS: Sorry there's no action shot, but I did manage to get his Ugly mug.

Live from Toy Fair: Pony Ride

As I was walking around killing time between my Toy Fair appointments, I spotted a booth that was full of beautiful, realistic stuffed animals set up on an elaborate backdrop to make it look like a scene from the wild. I asked if I could take a photo, and the Hansa rep encouraged me to sit on one of the animals, and then proceeded to mount a tiny stuffed deer. It turns out that all the animals have lightweight metal frames that can support up to 250 pounds! So here's an embarrassing photo of me on a pony, as proof.

Live from Toy Fair: Car Wars

So everywhere I looked at Toy Fair I saw cars: remote control cars, little windup cars, waterproof all-terrain cars. Don't get me wrong—I love playing with cars and used to be addicted to my Hot Wheels set. But I was super excited when I visited the Corgi USA booth and saw their new "Paint My Ride" car toy complete with shiny silver rims. It comes with a funny little character figure who shoots a UV light out of his hand to "paint" the vehicle. Your artwork fades after a few minutes letting you create a new design. And it comes with stencils in case you need some help tricking out your ride.

Live From Toy Fair: It's Hip to be Square

Who's this guy and what's he doing on goodyblog? He's the world's fastest blindfolded Rubik's Cube solver. Yes, that's right. This guy solves Rubik's Cubes. Blindfolded. For the record, I've never even solved one with eyes wide open, despite a childhood's worth of tries. He's hanging out at the Winning Moves both (they sell the famous Rubik's Cubes) so I asked him to demo for me. (To be nice I didn't make him wear the blindfold.) I scrambled all the colors myself and handed it over. Boy wonder solved it in... wait for it... 14.66 seconds! Amazing!!

(For the record, you budding Rubik's Cube geniuses, he recommends a 3-step process and solving it in layers. I'm still stumped...) Off to the next booth!

Live From Toy Fair: I Want This

This is not something I say often (well, ever) at a meeting. But then I went to check out Leap Frog's new line of toys for 2007 this week, and I found myself drooling over the new version of their Fly Pentop Computer. In my defense, it's a really cool "toy"-one that I could get more use out of than, say, an 8-year-old doodling flowers, hearts, and puppy dogs during class. Too bitter? Let me clarify: The pen has all sorts of great uses--calculator, organizer, math tutor, etc. But what's really neat about it is you can write stuff down in the special notebook and then plug the pen into your computer...and presto change-o! It converts your handwritten notes into a Word file or e-mail. Just imagine taking notes in a meeting and then being able to upload them automatically into a document. No typing it out by hand, no trying to decipher your chicken-scratch handwriting (or is that just me?). Don't get me wrong: It's a great homework helper for kids. I just think that it's something parents will want to steal. Tell us which toy you wish was made for adults?

Live From Toy Fair: Cool or Creepy?

Wild Republic's big, new toy line this year is all about the dearly departed Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. Now, is it just us, or is there something not right (read: disturbing) about giving your child a doll of a recently deceased person? To be fair, they had this toy series in development long before his untimely death-some toys feature voice recordings of him. But even if your kid was a big fan, would you want him writing with a Croc Hunter-shaped pen? Let us know what you think. Steve Irwin toys: tacky or a good idea?

Live from Toy Fair: Your Kids Can Have X-Ray Vision

I think comic books are just... awesome.  WHAM, BAM, POW!  I love reading about heroes with x-ray vision, mind-reading powers, or the ability to suddenly create a tornado.  But comic books just got better with Comic Book Creator. It lets you make your own story books by simply dragging 'n dropping images from one of their many kits—Barnyard for the young ones, Marvel heros for the old-schoolers, or Nacho Libre for... well... I don't know who?  OR—you can import your own images and create funny thought bubbles for all the people in your family.  Here's what I see in your future...