The American International Toy Fair is the annual trade show and convention during which toy makers show off their planned product lines for the coming year.
The good news is, hundreds of new toys and movie products will be demonstrated. The bad news is, kids and toy fans can't go.
According to Bobbi Boyd. co-editor of Raving Toy Maniac, "Adults get to go and kids don't because this is a business event. Toys are fun, but this event involves business people who have traveled from all over the world. It is a business event where toy makers try to sell toys to the stores, not to the consumers."
The Toy Fair is only open to registered business people in the toy industry. Some media is allowed at the show so we do get to find out what is going on behind those closed doors.
Bobbi goes on to explain, "At Toy Fair, the toy companies show their new toys to the store buyers. If enough buyers think that they can sell the toys in their stores, then the toys are made (mass-produced), and are available in stores for parents and kids. Sometimes there are toys shown which buyers are not interested in, and those toys are not made and are not sold in stores."
The Toy Fair is important because it is here where the toys you will be able to buy in the coming months and year will be decided. It can also be hit and miss. Store buyers have to predict what they think parents and kids will buy in the future. Bad decisions can happen. Buying toys based on a television show or movie that turns out to be a flop can and does happen.
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Buyers can also be swayed with deals forcing them to purchase a "hot" toy only if they also include a "mediocre" toy in the deal. That is how some "not-so-hot" toys end up on the shelves.
Bobbi has attended a few Toy Fairs in the past and will be attending the upcoming New York event. "Our biggest disappointment our first year at Toy Fair was seeing that it IS just business. There are many people involved who do enjoy toys as toys, but most of the people there are business people who just happen to deal in toys. Those people could just as easily be dealing with toasters or cars or office furniture."
Bobbi will be covering the 2003 International Toy Fair February 16th through 19th for Raving Toy Maniac. You can get news, updates and product information daily on the Raving Toy Maniac site throughout the show dates. Check back often for new reports.
