Toy Fair 2001: a new breed of toys for the marketplace - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

DSN Retailing Today, Feb 5, 2001

At this year's Toy Fair, a host of manufacturers will debut their latest and most innovative products, with the hopes that at least one of them will spawn a toy craze to rival Furby or Pokemon.

More than 2,000 manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents will be on hand at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City from Feb. 11 through Feb. 15 to showcase their wares, ranging from action figures to robotic playmates. The following is a list of feature items by leading manufacturers:

* DSI Toys: Extensions of Pride & Joy dolls; TV featured dolls; Gear Head RC vehicles; Tech Link products based on Harley-Davidson license; Kawasaki music lines that include Josie & The Pussycats musical instruments.

* Fisher-Price: Baby Playzone, a new line designed to reward baby's physical accomplishments; Wild Adventures animal figures, a collection of jungle animals developed in partnership with Smithsonian Institution; Roll 2 Pro Scooter with removable training wheels.

* Hasbro: Action Man line extension; Mission Masters 3 Basic, a line of Batman action figures; G.I. Joe line extension; Tonka line extension; Girl Action line of body hoops and jump ropes; Koosh bubbles makers and collectible characters based on popular licenses such as Harry Potter, the Powerpuff Girls and the Simpsons.

* Irwin: Dragon Ball Z line extension; Sailor Moon dolls, wands, plush dolls and accessories line; Reboot action figures, vehicles and accessories; Caillou preschool line.

* Kidz Kraze: Inflatable Crayola Activity Table; inflatable board game tables for Clue and Ouija; licensed character lighted products.

* K'NEX: Train sets Sawmill Express and Prairie Express from the Lincoln Logs L.L. Railroad series; Screamin' Serpent motorized roller coaster; MechWarrior construction toy series; Spirit of America Land Speed Racer.

* Manley Toy Quest: Extension of Tekno line.

* Nelvana: Product lines based on the kids' TV programs "Cardcaptors," "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast" and "Little Bear and Franklin."

* NewKidCo: Extra-Terrestrial interactive video game series.

* Larami: Extension of Vortex sports line of foam balls/discs; Nerf Blasters line, colorful blasters that launch foam darts.

* Playskool: Jurassic Park Junior toy line; Bob the Builder preschool toy line.

* Pressman: Who Wants to be a Millionaire?: The Second Edition; Cardcaptors trading card game; Scooby-Doo Franklin line extensions; electronic truth-telling game based on Dream Star; Jay Jay the Jet Plane Fly On Over Game; two new guessing games: Headbanz and Mouse on the Move.

* Radica: Mouse Hockey and Mouse Basketball; Mini Bass Fishin' and Mini Nascar Racin'; Tiger Woods Ultimate 18 hand-held game; Play TV line; hand-held Tetris game.

* Shelcore Toys: Shakin' Vehicles; Surf Blaster water toys.

* Sport-Fun: Rawlings Power Pro-Pitch and Pop Up T-Ball; Jaromir Jagr Power Shoot 'n' Score hockey machine; character-licensed skateboards collection; Spin Driver preschool ride-on; Kid Starts "Go To Your Room" FUNiture collection, featuring licenses such as Clifford the Big Red Dog and The Power Rangers.

* Tiger: Robo-Chi line extension; Lifestyle electronics line extension; Micro Battlers, miniature versions of Battlebots line; Harry Potter electronic games and accessories; Bob the Builder Laptop Computer, Call and Learn Phone and Walkie-Talkies; "Jurassic Park III" Dino-Dex, a personalized electronic encyclopedia.

* Toy Biz: "Lord of the Rings" action figures; V-mail+, electronic voice mail system; extension of the X-Men line, X-Men: Evolution; Spider-Man Classics action figure assortments; Kinder-Garden Babies line; Puppy Magic/Kitty Magic.

* Trendmaster C-Pets line extension; the Johnny Bots line of robotic pals; C-Book Reader digital storyteller; Maxium Speed line of pullback vehicles; Storm Water Gun line extension; Spy Kids line.