The Trump Administration recently announced new tariffs of up to 100 percent on certain imported drones and drone components, citing national security concerns and efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.

As previously shared with members via email, on August 22, the Trump Administration imposed new 50% tariffs on imports from Canada, including certain toys. Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods beginning next month.

Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told CNBC the company is seeing strong sales at both ends of the pricing spectrum.

Shares of Pop Mart fell over 4% in Hong Kong after the Labubu maker reported first-half results that showed declining sales in Asia-Pacific and the Americas.

In H1 2026, Tonies saw growth across its North America, DACH and Rest of the World segments, and predicts this trend will continue to the end of the year.

The department-store chain recorded lower sales and profit.

It’s back-to-school season, and Morning Blend (With Rachel Griffin) has some fun ways to keep kids learning through play — from building early reading and math skills to sparking creativity, imagination and hands-on discovery.

Historic Five-Year Partnership Reinforces New York City as the Global Marketplace for the Toy Industry.

Marketing leaders face a growing challenge: every channel is competing for budget, yet consumers rarely make purchasing decisions based on a single touchpoint.

Licensing International’s annual study highlights how adults are driving the industry’s growth. Maura Regan writes that brands need to tap into this audience—without neglecting kids.

As I write this week’s Blog, it’s finally raining here for the first time in months, serving as a handy reminder that the glorious summer of 2026 is almost over.

She has the largest Bop It collection ever, and shares a lot of her archiving and analytical findings on her YouTube channel, which is the most popular Bop It channel on the platform.

Spin Master has expanded their preschool line with a fresh set of Ms. Rachel toys! Ms. Rachel, a key figure in early learning, is not just on your television screen anymore.

"Disney Adults" are experiencing a resurgence in attention, fueled by viral content and large-scale events like D23 highlighting extensive adult fandom.

In Make/Unmake: Play at the Centre of Culture Change, Anna Beresin documents the ingenuity of children who transformed everyday objects into opportunities for imaginative play.

The leaf sheep, a neon green solar-powered slug, has inspired at least one Pokémon character and triumphs in global ballot.

A presentation from the ITRA Conference 2026 in Malte

"In addition to playing games and indulging my nostalgia for my 90s childhood, one of my greatest joys is venturing to used book sales around the region."

Of all the artists in the late 20th century, few have resounded with people like Bob Ross.

A good, memorable in-store experience begins and ends with employees as customers rely on staff members for recommendations and guidance.

Exactly what ‘the spirit of cricket’ actually is has long been a subject of furious debate.

When George Lucas was crafting Star Wars, he wasn’t just building another world in space—he was tapping into something ancient and deeply human. At the core of the stories within the franchise, the influence of Joseph Campbell can be seen and felt.

Perched on the edge of Lake Erie, the property was originally built to serve as a summer retreat for toy maker Irving Price's family.

Children no longer just want to consume – they want to create. Toy design expert Suhasini Paul on the rise of the Creator Child.

A truck driver recreated the iconic Toy Story scene with Woody and Buzz Lightyear toys spotted dangling from the vehicle near Tampa, Florida.

Imagine walking into a toy or hobby store in 1960, spending $2.98 on a model submarine—and potentially walking out with information that one of America's most powerful admirals believed was valuable to Soviet intelligence.

Sidewinder from Parker Brothers was a “gravity-defying challenge of skill and speed.”…

Released by Mattel in 2001, the Polly Pocket Wizard of Oz playset reimagined the fantastical story in miniature Polly Pocket form.

The rookie card of the future Yankees legend once sold for pennies. But, even with garish colorization, it became a treasured symbol of the golden age of the sport that is now valued in the millions

One of Bandai's toy brands, Tamashii Nations, will soon revive the 1992 Moon Stick toy for a brand-new release that's inspired by the wand in the '90s Sailor Moon anime.

“Can this madness be stopped in time?”

Collectibles leader will bring legendary Hasbro franchises to life through trading cards and games, beginning with Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary Special Edition trading card set.

The coolest Command Tower ever is now on its way. Wizards announced a new Secret Lair Superdrop on Monday focused on Masters of the Universe.

Fizz Creations will be transforming some of Hasbro's most popular titles, including Monopoly and Operation, into a pocket-sized format.

The new Playmobil x Barbie collection will be available across Argos, Very and Hamleys, allowing children to create their own Dreamhouse adventures at home.

JAKKS Pacific has renewed its multiyear licensing agreement for a third time to create new toys inspired by 'Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.'

These interactive plush pals use technology to deliver a palm-sized Care Bears experience.

Playmates Toys launched a Walmart-exclusive lineup based on Paris Hilton's show, 'Paris & Pups.' The lineup has playsets, dolls, and more.

The race back to theaters coincides with Lightning McQueen Day on Sept. 5, honoring Owen Wilson’s lead character’s number, #95. 

The LEGO Group has finally revealed the LEGO Mario sets which feature minifigures and they look pretty good as expected. These sets with mini figures should be available from January 2027.

The exclusive Happy Meal kicks off with an epic trailer.

The Walt Disney Company today announced a new original content deal with popular scripted creator Dhar Mann.

Created in partnership with Champion and Fanatics, the first-of-its-kind collab pairs each NFL team with a beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel or 'Star Wars' character.

Upper Deck and Hasbro have forged a multiyear global licensing partnership to produce trading cards and tabletop games for iconic IPs including Transformers, GI Joe, and Power Rangers.

Ms Piggy and Dolly: They were two brassy blondes, outspoken and no-nonsense; trailblazing women in a world where men often pull the strings.

The latest special-edition of Google's Fitbit Air is inspired by the Pokémon Sleep game, with a "Sleepy Blue" band emblazoned with a snoozing Pikachu.

Halloween is on its way, and this year, the shelves are looking extra 'Spookley,' thanks to a new batch of licensing partnerships.

The LEGO Group is changing the game with its latest wave of Super Mario building sets with the first-ever Mushroom Kingdom minifigures.

As classic toons get more exposure on streaming, WB is reportedly teeing up a new live-action film that will move the spotlight from Fred onto another familiar face.

It’s an enormous undertaking for the artists at Studio Kai, as one can see from the amount of detail on the screen. Who is responsible for all the animated mayhem? How did the project get started, and what can we learn from the people who made it?

The promotion puts an executive who helped transform a record-breaking Kickstarter game into an international brand in charge of a portfolio including Catan, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders and Dobble/Spot It.

James Turner, who was the art director at Game Freak and left to make The Plucky Squire, has announced that he’s back working for The Pokemon Company.

Blue Sky Designs, Toymaster, Ravensburger and DKB are the latest companies to advertise job vacancies within the Toy World recruitment section.

ICv2 caught up with asmodee US Country Manager Julien Sharp at Gen Con and talked about the state of the market for hobby games, game sales trends and the expansion of social party games, the impact of the TCG boom, and the outlook for the holiday season and 2027.

The executive also led Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.

"Thank you Mary Couzin and team for putting on Chicago Toy & Game Fair, where you too can take a prototype to mass market shelves, in this case in under one year."

"It’s just what we small business owners do. We take chances on people."

"It’s the ultimate unfair advantage. True alignment isn't just about agreeing on goals. It's about operating in the exact same stream of consciousness."

Though Bodhana Sivanandan picked up the game just six years ago, she is now a British champion. And she routinely beats men and women many times her age.

Kristina Sundby-McKie will bring a wealth of toy and gift sector knowledge to her new role with Ty UK.

Bethan Garton will take over as Jumbo's Commercial Director for the UK and Ireland in September.

Owners Sarah and Lee Borastero are retiring after running the indie store for the past 28 years.

With The Entertainer Rewards, customers will be able to receive discounts across online and in-store orders.

Mattel is taking Uno gameplay to the next level with a competitive live entertainment experience with a grand prize of $50,000.

Sly3 is a new, fun card game. Each player tries to get rid of their cards first by matching or beating the card on top of the discard pile.

Smyths is bringing magic to its stores across the UK and Ireland this weekend with free Lego Dumbledore Office with Harry Potter sets.

Visitors to LA will be able to see Wilton Bradley’s latest product launches in its new showroom from 14th–25th September.

Oink Games is launching games Eggsposed and Loop 40 this October. The family games will launch in America in December.

After 50 years of bringing toys and games to kids in California, Geppetto’s Toys is celebrating with some good, old-fashioned family fun. 

BPMS has always been on a mission to help consumer brands grow, but its latest service aims to help them blossom in e-commerce.

The acquisition adds conversational AI capabilities to WildBrain’s licensing and franchise management business.

The stance puts a limit on how far the Danish toymaker is willing to take AI as the technology spreads rapidly into creative work, with companies using it for everything from advertising and images to video and product concepts.

Solis, which was founded in 2020, has published games including Pocket Paragons, Space Lion, Treat, Please! and The Massive-Verse Fighting Card Game, while also carrying out development and production work for other tabletop companies.

Marketers see opportunity in jargon derived from ‘looksmaxxing’ despite its association with extreme behaviors.

In the midst of the Great Recession in 2008, husband-and-wife team Rob and Cherry Pickering made a gamble. Fueled by their love of toy stores, they opened their own retail business.

When Kahootz Toys was acquired by Playmonster in 2019, team members found themselves scattered across the specialty toy industry.

Asmodee will distribute exclusively in Europe and will also distribute the game in Canada and Asia.

The footage fully showcases the intense gameplay, from charging up and launching, to fierce collisions and explosive disassemblies.

The limited-edition range of bespoke bears launches to mark National Teddy Bear Day and will be on display in Hamleys' Regent Street store.

3D Studio Gifts' collectible fidgets have joined the Fleetwood Town Community Trust as a Community Holiday Camp Partner.

Huffy's newest bikes are new versions of their Rock It and Sea Star rides. The bikes come in different colors, and have new safety features.

In celebration of National Black Business Month, Purpose Toys, the largest internationally distributed Black American-owned toy company in the U.S., is expanding its flagship Naturalistas® brand into Walmart's main fashion doll aisle nationwide.

Baby born is celebrating more than three decades with a TotFest partnership and the first-ever Baby born Join-In Cinema experience.

New sales data from Circana has revealed that Nintendo remains the crème de la crème for physical game sales in the United States with physical sales on Nintendo platforms accounting for 63%

One Nintendo Switch 2 game which looks extremely promising is Ubisoft’s revised Rayman Legends Retold which features new visuals, new cinematics, voice overs and levels.

SEGA has released a new multiplayer-themed trailer for the upcoming Crazy Taxi World Tour which comes to Nintendo Switch 2 and other platforms in 2027.

Square Enix has unleashed a new Final Fantasy VII Revelation trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live showcasing the final part of the popular trilogy.

Spending fell sharply in July, while new releases, events, and digital experiences continue to give gamers plenty of opportunities to play.

Xbox disc-to-digital arrives first for testers on August 31st

Panic is refunding customers who purchased a Playdate device and paid a 19 percent fee imposed by the now-rescinded US tariffs.

Gamescom, one of the year’s biggest gaming events, was underway this week in Cologne, Germany. The festivities kicked off with a night of new trailers, reveals, and information on upcoming games.

Xbox isn't healthy, CEO Asha Sharma insisted once again, this time in an interview with BBC. It's a refrain that Sharma and Xbox leadership have been repeating since Microsoft laid off 1,600 people in its July 6 "reset."

Switch 2 releases, family-friendly adventures, and financial literacy games arriving in the gaming world.

As part of its $18 billion settlement with 48 states, Meta agreed to add these restrictions to youth accounts within six months.

The Toy Association™ is partnering with Amazon to help families put safety first during Baby Safety Month this September, joining a lineup of children’s safety specialists for a two-day series of live, virtual educational events (September 1 to 2).

Every child deserves the gift of a new toy during the holidays, and the industry has the power to make that happen.

If your company will be showcasing 2027 product in Los Angeles this fall, don’t forget to schedule a meeting with a member of The Toy Association’s trends team to share your standout products and new launches.

The Toy Association™ will kick off LA Fall Preview Market Weeks with a special Member Forum on Monday, September 14 at the Toy Building in El Segundo.

"Getting a Vietnamese game -to- Essen was never really the goal - getting it there ready to sell is."

Retailers and brands can discover a new way to sell, see live shopping in action and have a go themselves at The Clubhouse.

New Mexico-native Joe Romero took the crown at Hot Wheels Legends Tour Albuquerque with his custom 1957 Chevy convertible.

With record crowds and several new features, Astra Marketplace & Academy in Milwaukee, WI was a true success.

The Tokyo Toy Show will run through Sunday at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center.

From AI and social commerce to retail crime, licensing, visual merchandising and the latest consumer trends, Autumn Fair’s finalised agenda offers four days of free, practical insight for retailers.

Two full squads of global toy industry players, including significant representation from the UK, will compete for the inaugural LA Trophy.

Dolly Parton, considered by many to be the all-time queen of country music, and star of movies such as '9 to 5,' died Tuesday in Nashville at 80.

The famous voice actor passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family - and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide.

Curry, who shot to stardom in his role as the corset-wearing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died Tuesday. He was 80.