Film, TV licenses animate new products at Toy Fair - American International Toy Fair

Discount Store News, March 21, 1994

NEW YORK -- Fred and Barney, Simba, The Lion King, Power Rangers and Lamb Chop are on nearly everything in toys this year.

And they are not alone. Licensed characters from feature-length films and television have been affixed to a wider range of product categories than previously seen and likely will be hotter than ever in 1994.

At the annual American International Toy Fair here, last month, action figures, games, books, art kits and plush were heavily weighted toward licensed characters from "The Flintstones," "The Shadow," "The Lion King," and "Beethoven II." Also, Hasbro is betting that a new action adventure movie, "StarGate," starring Kurt Russell and James Spader, will rev sales when it is released in August.

Continuing hot licenses include Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Biker Mice From Mars, Lamb Chop, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Barbie, Barney, Sesame Street, Disney, Batman, and even Coca-Cola's polar beer. All were omnipresent at Toy Fair.

Aside from licensed characters, high-tech features such as sound and voice were added to previously silent toys, enhancing their appeal.

Even Barbie has benefited from technology. Among the many new Barbie offerings for '94 are Let's Talk Barbie, a doll that says more than 10,000 phrases, and Dance n' Twirl Barbie, a radio control model of the popular doll. Barbie also moves this year. New to the line are Gymnast Barbie and Bicycling Barbie, each with gesticulating arms, knees, hips and feet.

Other dolls are also talking, including Tiger's Mirabelle & Me, Talkin' Farm Babies by Hasbro and Talking Gerber Baby by Toy Biz.

Technology has advanced in other areas, including electronic learning aids, which offer clearer, more realistic voices and sounds. At Buddy L, the computer chip in many of the RC vehicles uses random access memory to offer users a variety of responses to play situations with police and fire vehicles.

Other popular themes at Toy Fair included radio control and voice command toys and vehicles, farmsets, miniature playsets and crafts kits--particularly jewelry-making and apparel decorating--that seem to be forcing retailers to devote more shelf space to crafts. Electronic learning aids, construction toys, dolls with birth certificates, and preschool games that require no reading skills but offer a high-energy output for children under 6, are also hot.

This year, manufacturers also showed their creativity by introducing toys that provide more than one play feature, thereby extending the item's life. Tomy offered a long list of infant and toddler toys that can be used in several ways, such as the Castle Play Block, which is a shape sorter, building toy and four-puzzle toy in one. V-Tech did likewise with its Little Smart First Steps, an electronic learning aid designed to look like a walker, which also can be collapsed for use on the floor. The games include shapes, colors and nursery rhymes.

Other toys, particularly dolls and plush, have been created with a variety of facial expressions and hairdos offering one-of-a-kind individuality. At RoseArt, such a program has been applied to the new 16-in. Kewpie doll collection. The dolls are offered in three skin tones, three eye colors, open or closed mouths, "inny" or "outy" bellybuttons and 48 different outfits so no two dolls look alike. Ertl adopted the same kind of program for Jibba Jabbers, and toddler toy with sound effects that appeals to a child's sense of visual contrast.

Major line extensions were forwarded by Fisher-Price and Little Tikes, which are trying to extend the age range of their toys.

New for Fisher-Price are board games and electronic learning aids, or as the company calls them, electronic learning toys. The games are mostly for preschoolers, a hot group this year. The company also offered a plastic playset called the Great Adventures Castle, with knights, cannons and accessories that doubles as a "dollhouse" for boys. A Dress-Up Vanity, at $86, pushes up the age profile the company serves and moves it into the bulk plastic toy area dominated by Little Tikes.

Little Tikes' line extensions included a battery operated Formula 500 Race Car, and Creative Arts, an arts and crafts line for children 8 years and up; Creative Arts' premier item is a kids' desk with chair, table light and storage drawers for a suggested retail of $130. Two stencil art kits are also available.

This year, toy sales are projected to grow by 6% above '93's $17.5 billion total, according to the Toy Manufacturers of America. Sales in '93 advanced a weak 2.8% over '92's $17 billion.

Mattel chairman and ceo John Amerman, who also is chairman of the TMA, said 1993 was a "difficult year" for toy vendors. Manufacturer shipments rose just 1.6%, or 5.3% when video games are added in.

Last Christmas' hot toys included Littlest Pet Shop, Aladdin, My Size Barbie, Power Rangers, Jurassic Park, Star Trek, Might Max, Talking Barney, K'NEX and Bumble Ball. Perennial favorites such as Barbie, G.I. Joe, Lego, Erector Sets and doll houses also did well in '93.