Noisy, try-me toys lead parade at Toy Fair - 1993 International Toy Fair trade show, New York, New York

Discount Store News, March 1, 1993 by Laura Liebeck

NEW YORK - Toy departments will be a lot noisier this year due to manufacturer introductions of a slew of beeping-honking-ringing-talking cars, trucks, trains, dolls and quasi-plush animals.

Try-me packaging permits kids to touch and try these toys on the store shelf without opening the packages and messing up the sales floor.

The result will excite kids, add interactivity to shopping, and, hopefully, set retail outs ringing to a quicker beat.

This was only one of the many trends uncovered at the just-concluded 90th American International Toy Fair held here. The 1993 Toy Fair produced more than the usual number of innovations, possibly reflecting the upbeat mood of vendors in an improving economy. Among the likely hot toys and trends this year: * Barney the dinosaur; * Jurassic Park toys, based on the upcoming Steven Spielberg movie of the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton; * Dinosaurs of all kinds; * Radio control devices; * Education products beyond electronic learning aids; * Arts and crafts; * Foam dart weapons in the spirit of Kenner's Nerf line; * Nostalgia toys such as Flubber and Kewpie Dolls; * Bubble-blowing items; * 3-D puzzles and games; * Arcade games; * Backyard water toys.

In addition, ethnic toys or toys with ethnic representations appeared in greater numbers this year than in recent memory.

At Playskool, for example, a new line of infant products under the Kids of Color banner offered an activity quilt, rattles, dolls and animals bearing kente cloth designs. Kente patterns are designs worn by African royalty.

But the sound factor dominated Toy Fair this year.

According to DSN research, the lead item this year is an interactive toy called TV Terrier by Tiger Electronics. The cuddly plush dog has a high-tech center that permits the dog to respond with barks, yelps, pants, howls and head movement to a specially-produced videotape that accompanies the toy. The video, which prompts the dog via flashes of light that are imperceptible to humans, is joke-filled entertainment on two levels that parents and children can enjoy together. Educational instruction also is part of the program for TV Terrier.

Twelve video titles will be available, six initially when the toy ships in June. Tiger is supporting this new toy, on which it holds an exclusive worldwide license for the technology, with a $4 million media campaign, said Roger A. Shiffman, executive vp.

Items such as TV Terrier and others should produce a robust selling climate for toys in 1993, according to numerous show attendees.

In 1992, U.S. toy sales hit $17 billion, up from $15.15 billion in 1991, according to the Toy Manufacturers of America. Among last year's toy winners were Barney, Creepy Crawlers, Puppy Surprise, Super Soakers and Barbie.

For the first time since toy sales have been tracked, shipments of every major toy category increased, said Harry J. Pearce, chairman of TMA, who also is executive vp and cfo of Tyco Toys.

Despite the good news in 1992, which also included a blockbuster year for video games, and the upbeat mood at Toy Fair, Pearce said the TMA is forecasting conservatively for 1993, a sales increase of 5% to 7%. He explained that it is still too early to tell if the 1992 increase was due to the changing political, climate, the status of the inventory pipeline and other reasons. He also said he wouldn't be surprised if next year TMA announces a sales gain similar to the one in 1992.