Blogs

  How long have you been in the toy industry?   Virtually a working lifetime - around 45 years all up.     Where did it all start and where are you now?   It started...

Why and how did you get into the Toy and Game industry? My work is play! I’m a speech-language pathologist so helping people connect and communicate is what drives me. I’ve worked with ch...

I recently came across the age old question of \"What do I buy the person who has everything?\" It\'s a struggle me and my sister always face when prepping for Christmas, Mother\'s Day, or our mom\'s birth...

It\'s been three hours. The landscape hasn\'t changed in the past two. It\'s too close to the last stop to stop again and too far to the next rest stop. Your knees are stiff; you\'ve lost feeling in your ...

  As professionals in the toy and game industry our jobs are richly rewarded when we help children grow, learn, feel wonder and joy, when we make them smile and laugh.    This is a...

Cheap Thrills By Nancy Zwiers In my first year in the toy industry—over 30 years ago(!)—I marveled to a friend: “Making a great toy is easy.  Making a great toy at the right p...

As long time optical design consultants,  Optics For Hire has designed products for hundreds of applications from LIDAR for self-driving cards to ophthalmoscopes to street lights, spectrometers a...

Technology has been rapidly transforming various industries over the past few decades, and the toy and tabletop game industry is no exception. With the increasing popularity of digital devices, it\'s n...

Thinkfun turns their focus to the global youth mental health crisis and how play can make all the difference in protecting and strengthening children and teens.  The company’s new init...

Hi Rachele! Thank you for taking time for this interview, I know you have a lot on your plate with heading up both ThinkFun and M.E.S.H. To date, what has been your biggest achievement? H...

It\'s no secret that toys and games are not just for kids anymore. Over the past few years, there has been a surge in the Kidult industry, with adults indulging in toys, games, and other forms of play....

The world of video games has exploded in popularity over the past few decades, with millions of people around the world spending countless hours immersed in their favorite games. But have you ever won...

      (Mary) Hi Edoardo! Every time I visit our local italian restaurant, I remember running into you there last fall - the world is a small place! Please share with our readers yo...

A Case History: How We Drove Explosive Growth in the Barbie Adult Collector Business   By Nancy Zwiers   When I joined the Barbie brand in 1992, I was responsible for the doll business.&...

“Fish swim, birds fly, children play.”   – Dr. Garry Landreth Play is as natural to children as flight is to birds. It’s their purpose. Play is how children learn ab...

Have questions about the below fact sheets for the Hong Kong International Licensing Show or the Asian Licensing Conference, contact: Christine M. Barragan Business Development Manager Hong Kong Tr...

The Toys That Built America is back for a second season, this time with eight full length episodes and two bonus 20-minute episodes. Covering more of America’s favorite toys, the history of many...

Season 1 of The Toys That Built America dives deep into the history of some of the most significant toys ever created, ones that are now categorized as ‘classics.’ These toys, most of whic...

In this heartwarming episode of The Monkees, The Monkees get involved with a toy company that has switched from old fashioned, hand-made toys to machine made toys. Peter goes to a job interview at the...

  What are your roles and responsibilities in our industry?   After only seven months of retirement Christine and Alan Blumberg have recruited me to help them kickstart the new North Ea...

Future-Proof Your Work Skills By Nancy Zwiers Are you ready for the future?  McKinsey released a report this past year entitled “Defining the Skills Citizens will Need in the Future World...

  What are your roles and responsibilities in our industry?   I’m a designer, creator, and design leader. I create new toys and games and, with the help of some very talented peop...

    What are your roles and responsibilities in our industry? Creating & Delivering Excellence.  I am by nature a creator, innovator, and now an Inventor, and problem solver!&n...

  What are your roles and responsibilities in our industry?- I am the Senior Product Line Manager for Ultra PRO Entertainment. I handle all of the production for our game division. In the role...

Read this post if you’re interested in ... One of the leading products defining the current Wellness trend in toys An inspiring story from it’s fabulous founder : )  And it’s...

  Mary Couzin: Congratulations on your new role as President and CEO of the enCourage Kids Foundation.  What drew you to the organization?   Thank you, it’s been exciting! &nbs...

  Mary Couzin: We are delighted to have Hilary Kurinsky and Dani Cupps with us today for our Company of the Week profile. (In the photo, Hilary is on the left and Dani on the right.) Hilary an...

PRESS RELEASE  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    Grand Prix International and Floship Collaborate for Efficient Crowdfunding Fulfillment   A Collaboration Between the Two Companies All...

MESHhelps.org, a new initiative created by ThinkFun to develop kids’ resiliency and mental health through play, launched its MESH (Mental, Emotional, And Social Health) task force. “We wer...

Mind over Matter:  Woo Woo or Real? By Nancy Zwiers   We all set goals that we want to achieve—a sales goal, a promotion, a new customer, a bigger home, etc.  How we go about a...