Today, Aqua Dots were officially recalled. They were one of 2007's hottest toys but they were recalled today due to the fact that they contain the components of a date rape drug. How a toy gets made with date rape drugs, I dont know, but they were. Being that the recall is so fresh, I decided to go to the store to see if I could get my hands on some Aqua Dots.
I went to a Target in Northern Virginia. I went to the toy section and the big Aqua Dots toy maker was gone. There was no sign, they were just gone, so it looked like they were sold out. Ok. But yet they had little Aqua Dot sets that you could buy, take home, and make one Aqua Dot piece. They had like 6 hanging. So I grabbed one. Yes, I got my hands on a recalled toy!!!
Then I picked up the red phone at Target and asked for assistance in the toy department. When the assistant came, I asked him if he knew anything about the Aqua Dots toys. He said he had heard something but he wasnt too sure. I informed him that the toy contained a form of a date rape drug and that if I were him, I would take every single Aqua Dot product off of the shelf before the store got into trouble.
So I watched him as he gathered the Aqua Dot mini sets and took them off of the store shelf.
I still wanted to see if I would be able to buy them though. I took one Aqua Dot set and took it up to the cashier, along with the rest of my items. Everything was going great- the cashier scanned my CDs, my scarves, my gloves, my uh oh, uh oh, she couldnt scan the Aqua Dots.
'Whats wrong' I asked her.
She informed me that the product had been recalled.
'If its been recalled then why do you still have it on your shelves?', I asked her.
She said she didnt know, but the cash register would NOT let her ring it up. I could see the computerized register and it said," This product has been recalled. DO NOT sell this product to customers".
I asked her if I could buy it anyway. She said no. Then the manager came out to inform me that I could not buy the product and that it was being recalled. The manager had come to my register because she had to punch something in the computer in order to let the cashier get rid of that recall screen.
So folks, I was NOT able to buy Aqua Dots, which is great!! Target has a great system set up.
Know that you should feel somewhat safe buying products from Target. Now I need to go test other toy retailers.
Just yesterday, I copied an article about a toy being recalled in Australia that looked like Aqua Dots. It is one of the blog entries. Gosh I'm good- who knew that they WERE Aqua Dots going by another name!!! Who needs CNN for toy news when you have me!!!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Toy Catalogues and the WoW Factor
Last week I got my toy catalogue from Fisher -Price. Yep, Im on their mailing list. I got the catalogue and I was quite impressed. It was nice and big and colorful. Then in the Sunday newspaper, I saw Target's Toy catalogue. And I must say: Target's toy catalogue was WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better than Fisher-Price's catalogue. I don't know who made the catalogue for Target, but that person deserves a payraise- I absolutely love it.
As I sit here going through both catalogues, I want to give you a first hand experience of what its like to go thru the catalogue and pick the seasons hottest toys. Ive already told you what the hottest toys were going to be (check the earlier blog entry: F-P Arts and Crafts Studio, remember????)
Ok, lets flip through these catalogues:
I like the cover of the Target catalogue, because it has a real person on it. The FP catlge has the little people on the cover.
You know what I saw in the Target catlg: a toy puppy that grows and says your name.Now if you have a kid below the age of 8, thats kind of cool having a toy dog that can say your name and sing songs. F-P is really capitalizing on that "KNOW YOUR NAME" technology. I have the Elmo Says your Name toy and I love it ( my sister got it for me ). This puppy costs $40.
Sparkle and Twirl mERMAID dORA: $30 thru F-P ctlg and $25 at Target.
Vtech KidiZoom Camera- Because I hated the F-P Digital Camera so much, I'm thinking of getting the VTECH camera this year. Im going to call F-P to see if I can return the F-P camera I bought last year which was such a disappointment.
You know why the Target catalogue was better-Becaue it has a wider selection of toys in it.
BAsed on the catalogue, apart from my top ten list , these other toys look cool too:
- F-P King Car-NIVORE: which is an EXACT COPY OF HASBRO's TRANSFORMERS!! In this case, the truck turns into an animal, instead of turning into a Transformer type robot. This is SUCH A copycat of Hasbro's Transformers. Hasbro should sue over this, if its possible.How would Mattel feel if Hasbro created a doll named Maria who sang and spoke in English and Spanish, just like their Dora?
-Playskool's Bounce N GO Inch along toy looks neat. I might buy this and just keep it for when I have kids or someone I know has a kid.
--Lil Luvables Doll Factory: This is great for a rainy day when your kid wants to go to Build A Bear but you dont feel like going. This allows you to build- a -doll right in your own living room.
--This toy should be on my top 10: the Eye Clops Bionic Eye- its a magnifying gadget that allows you to see your objects on tv. So if you put a bug in your handand shine the eyeclops eye on it, you can see it magnified on your TV. This is a great toy for all of you who know little wanna be scientists. Can you imagine pointing this in your mouth and seeing a close up of your teeth and cavities-- YUCKY!!!! But cool!!! This is $45 at Target.
-I tried out this toy the other day: the I CAn play guitar system. The concept is cool but the guitar doesnt have strings. Arent guitars supposed to have strings?? I couldnt get over that fact, that why I wont buy it. But I would love to learn how to play the guitar and Ido think that this would work, but I would feel comfortable if it had strings.
For those of you who never read the copy of my Census analysis report dealing with the country's demographics and how that relates to the toy market- please let me know and Ill send you a copy.
As I sit here going through both catalogues, I want to give you a first hand experience of what its like to go thru the catalogue and pick the seasons hottest toys. Ive already told you what the hottest toys were going to be (check the earlier blog entry: F-P Arts and Crafts Studio, remember????)
Ok, lets flip through these catalogues:
I like the cover of the Target catalogue, because it has a real person on it. The FP catlge has the little people on the cover.
You know what I saw in the Target catlg: a toy puppy that grows and says your name.Now if you have a kid below the age of 8, thats kind of cool having a toy dog that can say your name and sing songs. F-P is really capitalizing on that "KNOW YOUR NAME" technology. I have the Elmo Says your Name toy and I love it ( my sister got it for me ). This puppy costs $40.
Sparkle and Twirl mERMAID dORA: $30 thru F-P ctlg and $25 at Target.
Vtech KidiZoom Camera- Because I hated the F-P Digital Camera so much, I'm thinking of getting the VTECH camera this year. Im going to call F-P to see if I can return the F-P camera I bought last year which was such a disappointment.
You know why the Target catalogue was better-Becaue it has a wider selection of toys in it.
BAsed on the catalogue, apart from my top ten list , these other toys look cool too:
- F-P King Car-NIVORE: which is an EXACT COPY OF HASBRO's TRANSFORMERS!! In this case, the truck turns into an animal, instead of turning into a Transformer type robot. This is SUCH A copycat of Hasbro's Transformers. Hasbro should sue over this, if its possible.How would Mattel feel if Hasbro created a doll named Maria who sang and spoke in English and Spanish, just like their Dora?
-Playskool's Bounce N GO Inch along toy looks neat. I might buy this and just keep it for when I have kids or someone I know has a kid.
--Lil Luvables Doll Factory: This is great for a rainy day when your kid wants to go to Build A Bear but you dont feel like going. This allows you to build- a -doll right in your own living room.
--This toy should be on my top 10: the Eye Clops Bionic Eye- its a magnifying gadget that allows you to see your objects on tv. So if you put a bug in your handand shine the eyeclops eye on it, you can see it magnified on your TV. This is a great toy for all of you who know little wanna be scientists. Can you imagine pointing this in your mouth and seeing a close up of your teeth and cavities-- YUCKY!!!! But cool!!! This is $45 at Target.
-I tried out this toy the other day: the I CAn play guitar system. The concept is cool but the guitar doesnt have strings. Arent guitars supposed to have strings?? I couldnt get over that fact, that why I wont buy it. But I would love to learn how to play the guitar and Ido think that this would work, but I would feel comfortable if it had strings.
For those of you who never read the copy of my Census analysis report dealing with the country's demographics and how that relates to the toy market- please let me know and Ill send you a copy.
Recalled Items and the U.S Reaction
An advisory committee wants to goive more power to the FDA to regulate items that may be dangerous. Well, isnt that what the FDA was supposed to be doing all along? If they werent doing that, then what have they been doing?
An official report is scheduled to come out next week.
Articles and news reports Ive been reading have stated that recalls are up to the manufacturers/companies, not the government. Thats why Mattel recalled their toys, not the government. Thats why Dole recalls their lettuce. So does this mean that if a company decides that they dont want to put out a "voluntary" recall, that they dont have to? Is that why the word "voluntary" is used? Does this mean there is no such thing as a "mandatory" recall?
The committee reportedly wants to give the CPSC the power to make it illegal for companies to "knowingly" distribute a product that has been recalled. Ok, so does this mean that it will be legal to sell a product if you dont know that the product is bad? So if Im Mattel, its legal for me to sell products that I dont know are bad but illegal to sell products I know are bad. So when something bad happens, I can simply say " oh, Im sorry, I didnt know the product was bad" and that alone will make the accident legal??
This doesnt make sense: if the committee wants to give the CPSC the power to make it illegal to sell known recalled items, then the panel should also give a government entity the power to make recalls, and not leave it up to the companies to make the "voluntary recalls."
The panel also wants CPSC and government officials to be in foreign lands inspecting vthe goods. So will all of the inspectors have lead inspection gadgets at the ports?? The issue of inspections needs to be dealt with by the toy companies and not the US inspectors. The Us inspectors can only do so much. And bribery will dilute the US inspectors roles. Dont think that all of the US Inspectors inspecting the cargo will be immune to take bribes- there are always a corrupt few. And those corrupt few will circumvent the system the US is trying to establish now.
Seal- there is the whole idea of having a certification type of seal on products so that people will know the products have been inspected. Fact of the matter is, no one is going to care. Doesnt our meat have a USDA stamp on it, but look at how many times meat has been recalled. And what exactly will the stamp prove- that its been thoroughly inspected, that its been inspected by US Customs, that the cargo was seen with the eye, what? So if Nixe Co has the seal, then am I supposed to trust everything they make because they are now a "trustworthy" company?? Give me a break!! People will know that Nixe Co is a "stamped " company and they will buy all of their products because they trust the stamp. But then there will be another recall and people will be put on the edge and wonder if the stamped goods are really safe. You kow whats going to happen, let me tell you. Our products will be stamped right? Then someone is going to find a way to steal the stamp, reproduce the stamp, and it will show up on products that were not truly meant to be stamped. Then we will run into the problem of real stamp vs. fake stamp.
And how will the stamping procedure work- how long does a company have to be in compliance before they are recognized as a certified company? And how long does that certification last? And will this mean that executives will no longer be able to go on trips sponsored by these companies that are all striving to receive the stamp of approval??
I dont think that the CPSC exec, Nancy Nord, should resign. Everyone needs to leave her alone.She was not the one ordering the toys to be made, she was not the one telling the Chinese companies what type of paint to use, she was not the one giving the orders. People always want to fire someone over something, but they are looking at the wrong person to fire. Noone was fired when drugs were recalled because the side effects were deadly (wasnt it the same FDA that was supposed to protect the consumers?? Its this same FDA that may be getting more power to regulate toys. OK, you think about it....its the same FDA that approved VIAGARA but then later asked the manufacturers to edit the labels because they failed to warn its customers about potential hearing loss that can occur ). So hopefully the FDA wont be approving toys and then later say, "oops, we messed up, can we please have all those toys back!" Thats not what the world needs. Toys need to be made and regulators have to know whether or not the toys are bad BEFORE it gets shipped out for mass consumption. Regulators have to be PRO ACTIVE rather than reactive. No one was fired when the bridge collapsed in Minnesota. No one was arrested for those wild fires in California even though they know EXACTLY who set the main one. So everyone needs to leave Nancy alone and let her do her job. Firing someone is not going to solve the problem.
Lets see what the future holds:)
An official report is scheduled to come out next week.
Articles and news reports Ive been reading have stated that recalls are up to the manufacturers/companies, not the government. Thats why Mattel recalled their toys, not the government. Thats why Dole recalls their lettuce. So does this mean that if a company decides that they dont want to put out a "voluntary" recall, that they dont have to? Is that why the word "voluntary" is used? Does this mean there is no such thing as a "mandatory" recall?
The committee reportedly wants to give the CPSC the power to make it illegal for companies to "knowingly" distribute a product that has been recalled. Ok, so does this mean that it will be legal to sell a product if you dont know that the product is bad? So if Im Mattel, its legal for me to sell products that I dont know are bad but illegal to sell products I know are bad. So when something bad happens, I can simply say " oh, Im sorry, I didnt know the product was bad" and that alone will make the accident legal??
This doesnt make sense: if the committee wants to give the CPSC the power to make it illegal to sell known recalled items, then the panel should also give a government entity the power to make recalls, and not leave it up to the companies to make the "voluntary recalls."
The panel also wants CPSC and government officials to be in foreign lands inspecting vthe goods. So will all of the inspectors have lead inspection gadgets at the ports?? The issue of inspections needs to be dealt with by the toy companies and not the US inspectors. The Us inspectors can only do so much. And bribery will dilute the US inspectors roles. Dont think that all of the US Inspectors inspecting the cargo will be immune to take bribes- there are always a corrupt few. And those corrupt few will circumvent the system the US is trying to establish now.
Seal- there is the whole idea of having a certification type of seal on products so that people will know the products have been inspected. Fact of the matter is, no one is going to care. Doesnt our meat have a USDA stamp on it, but look at how many times meat has been recalled. And what exactly will the stamp prove- that its been thoroughly inspected, that its been inspected by US Customs, that the cargo was seen with the eye, what? So if Nixe Co has the seal, then am I supposed to trust everything they make because they are now a "trustworthy" company?? Give me a break!! People will know that Nixe Co is a "stamped " company and they will buy all of their products because they trust the stamp. But then there will be another recall and people will be put on the edge and wonder if the stamped goods are really safe. You kow whats going to happen, let me tell you. Our products will be stamped right? Then someone is going to find a way to steal the stamp, reproduce the stamp, and it will show up on products that were not truly meant to be stamped. Then we will run into the problem of real stamp vs. fake stamp.
And how will the stamping procedure work- how long does a company have to be in compliance before they are recognized as a certified company? And how long does that certification last? And will this mean that executives will no longer be able to go on trips sponsored by these companies that are all striving to receive the stamp of approval??
I dont think that the CPSC exec, Nancy Nord, should resign. Everyone needs to leave her alone.She was not the one ordering the toys to be made, she was not the one telling the Chinese companies what type of paint to use, she was not the one giving the orders. People always want to fire someone over something, but they are looking at the wrong person to fire. Noone was fired when drugs were recalled because the side effects were deadly (wasnt it the same FDA that was supposed to protect the consumers?? Its this same FDA that may be getting more power to regulate toys. OK, you think about it....its the same FDA that approved VIAGARA but then later asked the manufacturers to edit the labels because they failed to warn its customers about potential hearing loss that can occur ). So hopefully the FDA wont be approving toys and then later say, "oops, we messed up, can we please have all those toys back!" Thats not what the world needs. Toys need to be made and regulators have to know whether or not the toys are bad BEFORE it gets shipped out for mass consumption. Regulators have to be PRO ACTIVE rather than reactive. No one was fired when the bridge collapsed in Minnesota. No one was arrested for those wild fires in California even though they know EXACTLY who set the main one. So everyone needs to leave Nancy alone and let her do her job. Firing someone is not going to solve the problem.
Lets see what the future holds:)
"Date Rape Drug in Childrens toy"- CNN
The following story was taken from CNN's site. These toys remind me of Aqua dots:
'Date rape' drug in children's toy
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/07/australia.toys/index.html?iref=newssearch
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Australian officials ordered a popular children's toy to be pulled from shelves Tuesday after scientists found it contained a chemical that converts into a powerful "date rape" drug when ingested.
Bindeez, which were named Australia's toy of the year, contain the "date rape" drug GHB.
Three children have been hospitalized over the past 10 days after swallowing beads from Bindeez, a craft toy sold by Australia-based Moose Enterprises.
The beads in the toy -- named Australia's toy of the year at an industry function earlier this year -- are arranged into designs and then fuse together when sprayed with water.
Scientists say the beads contain a chemical that the human body metabolizes into the so-called "date rape" drug gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB), also known as Fantasy. When eaten, the compound -- made from common and easily available ingredients -- can induce seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.
The New South Wales state minister for fair trading, Linda Burney, ordered the toys pulled from store shelves Tuesday after a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were admitted to a Sydney hospital in recent days after swallowing large quantities of the beads.
A 19-month-old toddler from Queensland also was receiving medical help after eating the beads, the state's chief health officer, Jeannette Young, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Don't Miss
Panel: FDA needs clout to mandate recalls
China cracks down on toy factories
More lead-paint toy recalls coming, source says
Naren Gunja from Australia's Poisons Information Center said the drug's effect on children was "quite serious ... and potentially life-threatening."
A statement from the New South Wales Fair Trading Department said the product was supposed to use a nontoxic compound used in glue, but contained the harmful chemical instead.
Burney said officials were investigating the Hong Kong-manufactured product.
"I am treating this matter very seriously," Burney said. "One of the considerations is how, in fact, such a substance, such a toxic substance, is actually used in a children's toy."
Moose Enterprises could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday, a public holiday in Victoria state, where the company is based.
The product was not immediately recalled, but officials ordered stores to pull Bindeez off their shelves and urged parents to hide the toys from their children. E-mail to a friend
'Date rape' drug in children's toy
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/07/australia.toys/index.html?iref=newssearch
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Australian officials ordered a popular children's toy to be pulled from shelves Tuesday after scientists found it contained a chemical that converts into a powerful "date rape" drug when ingested.
Bindeez, which were named Australia's toy of the year, contain the "date rape" drug GHB.
Three children have been hospitalized over the past 10 days after swallowing beads from Bindeez, a craft toy sold by Australia-based Moose Enterprises.
The beads in the toy -- named Australia's toy of the year at an industry function earlier this year -- are arranged into designs and then fuse together when sprayed with water.
Scientists say the beads contain a chemical that the human body metabolizes into the so-called "date rape" drug gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB), also known as Fantasy. When eaten, the compound -- made from common and easily available ingredients -- can induce seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.
The New South Wales state minister for fair trading, Linda Burney, ordered the toys pulled from store shelves Tuesday after a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were admitted to a Sydney hospital in recent days after swallowing large quantities of the beads.
A 19-month-old toddler from Queensland also was receiving medical help after eating the beads, the state's chief health officer, Jeannette Young, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Don't Miss
Panel: FDA needs clout to mandate recalls
China cracks down on toy factories
More lead-paint toy recalls coming, source says
Naren Gunja from Australia's Poisons Information Center said the drug's effect on children was "quite serious ... and potentially life-threatening."
A statement from the New South Wales Fair Trading Department said the product was supposed to use a nontoxic compound used in glue, but contained the harmful chemical instead.
Burney said officials were investigating the Hong Kong-manufactured product.
"I am treating this matter very seriously," Burney said. "One of the considerations is how, in fact, such a substance, such a toxic substance, is actually used in a children's toy."
Moose Enterprises could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday, a public holiday in Victoria state, where the company is based.
The product was not immediately recalled, but officials ordered stores to pull Bindeez off their shelves and urged parents to hide the toys from their children. E-mail to a friend
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Amy's Xmas list for 2007
I finally got a good connection of the internet at my house so now I can write weekly. Tis the season to start thinking about gifts. Gifts for friends, family, associates , you name it.
I am going to give you my own list of the toys I just KNOW are going to be hot this holiday season. Most people would use the word "prediction". I wont use that word because predictions can be wrong. I believe 100% in what I am saying and in what I know, so here is my list of " Toys that will be HOT during the 2007 Holiday Season".
" Toys that will be HOT during the 2007 Holiday Season":
1. The Fisher-Price Digital Arts and Crafts Studio- this thing is amazing. I HAVE TO GET ONE FOR XMAS!!! Who is going to get one for me?Hopefully my dear, lovely, doctor sister will because I love her with all of my heart. This studio is amazing!! It allows you to draw, color, everything- it hooks up to your computer and you can save your art. Do you guys remember the guy on PBS who had the afro- he painted "Happy Trees" - he would start with a blank slate and end up with a canvas that was absolutely amazing. Sometimes , while painting, he would dip his brush in some paint, and you'd be like," Hey man, what are you doing, now you KNOW that color isnt right!". BUt somehow, at the end of the show, everything would blend and his canvas would be amazing- he always drew landscapes. So having the Arts and Crafts Studio is like having your own PBS show.You can print and save everything you've created. Mark my world AMERICA- this WILL Be the best selling toy this season. Its only $44.
2. Aqua Dots - This is a device that allows you to create items using dots, then the dots bind and you have your masterpiece, voila. This is really neat too. Im going to buy this for myself. This will be a big seller.
3. The Fisher Price Light Sketcher - This is so COOL!!! Maybe somebody working for Fisher Price will send me one of these. This is like the Magna Doodle, but only better. It allows you to draw with light. So when you are in a car, and its dark, and you're bored, you can take out your Light Sketcher and draw-I love it!!! This is $29.99 at Target.You can draw in 3 different patterns - line, dotted line, or dashes. This is going to be a top seller.
So Fisher Price will definitely have at least 2 of the top 5 toys this season. Wow, Fisher Price is on a roll. They always are. F-P and the Sesame Street gang- I wonder what type of Elmo will be invented this season??
Now the rest are just dashed because I think they are interesting but I have not ranked them yet and I dont know if they deserve to be ranked.
- GI JOE Collection box- For all of us between the ages of 20-35, we all remember GI JOE. G.I Joe, American Hero. Hasbro has created a GI JOE Anniversary Collectors box that commemorates the 25th anniversary of GI JOE. The "gift box" is nice and simple. I like it. BUt if I got one , I wouldnt play with it. I would keep it nice and closed so it would be worth money at the 50th anniversary celebration. So if anyone buys one of these, I think they will have to buy 2: one they can play with and one they would reserve. This might make Hasbro some money. But not as much money as F-P's going to be making with that Art Studio.
- Nerf: Nerf has come up with a NERF Disk Shot that has 6 darts and 6 foam discs that can be shot through the air. The concept is neat but I dont know how safe it is. What happens if I shoot my sister in the face with it. Is the foam soft enough that it wont hurt anyone? Thats my only concern. But Nerf has really come out with some great products this season.
- Transformers- Transformers are a brand, not a company. Walking into the toy store, you would think it was the opposite.There are WAY too many Transformer toys. With the release of the Transformers on DVD, it will spark an interest in their toys. Lots of money has been spent on the trasnformer Toys. The Optimus Prime Voice Changer is cool. You know whats even cooler? The Transformers Projector System which allows you to project a stencil drawing on a sheet of paper, and then you can stand at your big piece of paper and draw whats being projected. This is really neat. You see how arts and crafts are really big this season? Kids like to do things with their hands and use their imagination. The F-P arts and Crafts studio uses the imagination more than this Transformers Projector System, but yet this Projector system is neat.
- Rose Art: Rose Art needs to be bought by Hasbro. They are always doing great things. I dont know how many times I need to say this. If Hasbro doesnt buy them, Mattel will. Mattel makes their money from acquisitions. This is what Hasbro needs to start doing. Rose Art creates a lot of "do it yourself" toys. I have their cotton candy machine, which works quite well. Rose Art now has a "Hover & Spin Paint Machine". This is so cool. You stick your paper on the machine. The paper spins and you drop paint on the spinning paper, different colored paint, which eventually creates a painted masterpiece. State fairs usually have this spinning art thing. Now you can have one in your own home, and its only $14.99. This is going to be a hot toy once people see it. Rose art toys dont get good diplays in toy stores. I should rank this- this is my 4th top pick.
Rose Art also has a deluxe pottery wheel and a on the Go Art cup which is ideal for little kids.
-- SpinMaster - another company that needs to be acquired. Spin Master is really making their mark, coming up with innovative technologies. The Spin Master Tech Deck and skateboards are quite nifty. So is the Girl Crush Air Brush Tattoo system, which allows you to airbrush a fake tattoo onto your skin or your friends skin. No longer do you have to rub fake tatoos on.
The following toys are interesting to look at and may interest you:
The Spider Man and friends toy collection. The toys have soft upper bodies, which make them ideal for little kids.
Playskool's Spider Man Sing Along - Now when I think of Spider Man , I think of a big tough guy. Who in the world created a sing along spider man?? HUH?? Thats like creating a sing along BatMan or a sing along Transformer?? Im surprised this toy made it through quality control at Hasbro. However, this toy is intended for kids 5 and below, in my opinion. At that age, kids dont know that Spider Man is supposed to be tough. So in actuality, this toy may work. All the kid wants to do is sing, so I think this toy may sell well, but the age group that likes this toy will be very specific- I say 5 and below.No 9 year old kid is going to want this toy. This Spider Man even has a soft soothing voice. When is Hasbro going to make a GloWorm that talks and can say goodnight in English and Spanish??
If I had a baby, I would buy the kid a Fisher Price learning DJ. The Dj has moving eyes and rocks to the beat of ABCS and 123. This toy is HOT!!! IF you know any kids below the age of 7, you really need to get them the F-P Learning DJ. Its interactive as well. Ill rank this as #5, especially for kids below the age of 7.
I like the Wish with Me little Cinderella & Little ARiel. It doesnt do anything. I just like the sounds it makes and the way the crown lights up. I really like the way the crown lights up. The Barbie Glamour Pup toy is okay too, if youre into Barbie. Im not.
Barbie is for Mattel what Transformers may be for Hasbro this season.
The Hannah Montana CD BOard game may do well too. DIsney knows how to make their money.
Toys that are just dangerous: The F-P Jeff Gordon Shake N Go. What happens if the car shoots into someone's face??
Summary: Buy the Arts and Crafts Studio for your young ones. And the light sketcher . Fisher-Price (which is owned my Mattel) will be the biggest money maker this season unless other toy companies come out with something between now and Xmas.Rose Art and Spinmaster will also do quite well. Transformers will give Hasbro a little boost and the GI JOe commemorative box needs better marketing so that people my age know about it. Put a commercial on MTV,VH1, and ESPN and then people will know about it. Do a commercial during "Dancing with the Stars" and have an ad at the baseball field where the baseball playoffs are occurring. Try placing them in the men's section instead of in the toy section.
There you have it, my picks for Winter 2007- AMY
Monday, September 24, 2007
TAGGIES - New toy,New Hazard
I was just doing what I love to do best: looking for toy news.
I was on PLAYTHINGS website because they are a toy magazine. They had an article on their site about a new toy called "TAGGIES". If you google it, it will pop up. Its a new toy that will be sold at Babies R Us, I believe. The idea is that babies love tags. So the company has created teddy bears that have tags on them. Its created blankets that have tags on them. See the picture below. The creators say that babies love to play with tags and somehow someway this will help the baby's coordination.
Now do u want to know what I think about it? The truth of the matter is, babies love to play with anything. Anything you give them they will play with. Some lady is going to make millions of dollars off of something so simple: connecting tags to toys?? Are you serious??
Here is my concern: I honestly believe that this toy will eventually be taken off the shelves- recalled.
Here is why: When you have a baby playing with a toy, they dont know what they are doing. So I KNOW that a baby will get this toy, stick their finger in one of the "tags" and start twisting it. As they twist the tag around their finger, the tag wil get tighter and tighter and tighter. What happens when something is too tight? It cuts off your circulation. What happens when circulation is cut off? There is no blood flow and it can lead to amputation.
So this toy idea is okay but I truly believe that it will eventually be recalled. So remember this article when you see that it is being recalled. The thing is, babies dont know the concept of twisting and untwisting, so thats what makes this toy dangerous.
Taggies, picture taken from the Taggie website.www.taggies.com
I was on PLAYTHINGS website because they are a toy magazine. They had an article on their site about a new toy called "TAGGIES". If you google it, it will pop up. Its a new toy that will be sold at Babies R Us, I believe. The idea is that babies love tags. So the company has created teddy bears that have tags on them. Its created blankets that have tags on them. See the picture below. The creators say that babies love to play with tags and somehow someway this will help the baby's coordination.
Now do u want to know what I think about it? The truth of the matter is, babies love to play with anything. Anything you give them they will play with. Some lady is going to make millions of dollars off of something so simple: connecting tags to toys?? Are you serious??
Here is my concern: I honestly believe that this toy will eventually be taken off the shelves- recalled.
Here is why: When you have a baby playing with a toy, they dont know what they are doing. So I KNOW that a baby will get this toy, stick their finger in one of the "tags" and start twisting it. As they twist the tag around their finger, the tag wil get tighter and tighter and tighter. What happens when something is too tight? It cuts off your circulation. What happens when circulation is cut off? There is no blood flow and it can lead to amputation.
So this toy idea is okay but I truly believe that it will eventually be recalled. So remember this article when you see that it is being recalled. The thing is, babies dont know the concept of twisting and untwisting, so thats what makes this toy dangerous.
Taggies, picture taken from the Taggie website.www.taggies.com
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