Spotlight On the Toy Industry

Toy Industry:

• Toy Industry Employment:
  • Getting Your Hiring Strategy Together - Today's Toy Business Demands New Thinking
    By Bob Concannon
  • Moving Along In the Toy Industry - A Female Perspective is Often a Plus
    By Celia Bechtel
  • So you want to make (or sell, or market) toys. Now what? - On the Value of a Personal Recruiter
    By David E. Fitzgibbons, CPC

• Toy Inventors:
  • Commitment
    By Paul A. Lapidus, IDSA
  • Take Your Toy Concept To the Next Level
    By Eric Frydler
  • Tips for Toy Inventors
    By Fred Kroll
  • 10 Commnadments for Success
    By Richard C. Levy
• Toy Marketing
  • Why Public Relations Doesn't Just Happen
    By Diane T. Creston of Creston & Associates
  • Your Toy Website: A 4-Step Primer to Building a Better Site
    Edited by Monica Hsu of OrangeYouGlad.com

• Toy Wars: A great book about the toy industry by G. Wayne Miller.
  
• Toy History: A collection of true toy anecdotes and company histories. 
  
• YoYo Times: A world of fun on a string newsletter.
  
• Network for toys, hobbies, games and more, website, http://www.toynet.de (German)
  
  
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  The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association http://www.astratoy.org links retailers, manufacturers, importers, reps and industry related people.
  Check list of retail members with websites listed by state.
  
  
• 
  NSSEA is the National School Supply and Equipment Association.
  
  
• Teddy Bear stores and artists are connected on this site http://www.fix.net/surf/bears/dir
  
  
• Barbie collectibles are found at http://www.barbie.com
  
  
• Bernie DeKoven "Dr. Fun" http://www.deepfun.com

• The Bloom Report Where toy industry insiders go to get their inside information.

• Frank Martin Associates, Inc. A Toy Representative who is a long time industry company, and can provide more information on the products his company handles, role of reps in the toy business, value of ASTRA, and see his newsletter, Toy Times.

• International Council for Childrensplay (ICCP) Organization of academics and persons from all over the world, especially from Europe and America, interested in practical questions of play and toy research.

• Kid Power Xchange Online resource that assists organizations in optimizing their marketing goals by offering conferences in all areas of marketing, market research, e-commerce, and branding.

• Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) National charity of leading retailers and manufacturers of children's products committed to helping children in need.

  Also see K.I.D.S. Mission Statement

• Playing for Keeps! - National not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting healthy, constructive, non-violent play for all children..

• Playthings - Toy Business Portal

• Otis Toy Design School - Not only trains students to design and produce toys, but also prepares them broadly in the cultural and sociological implications of all that the word “toy” implies.

• ToyDirectory.com - Only wholesale toy directory on the Internet that has more than 15,000 registered retailers. Helps reputable toy and hobby retailers find wholesalers and manufacturers of new and innovative gift, toy, and hobby products.

• Also see The Toy and Hobby Industry Bulletin Boards

  • Business Messages,
  • Toy Industry Job Board, and
  • Consumer Messages

• Toy Industry Association (TIA™), ( was Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc. (TMA®)) - founded in 1916, is the national New York City-based trade association for U.S. producers and importers of toys, games and children's entertainment products. For queries to toy manufacturers, please send to email to

• Toys for Tots U.S. Marines' annual toy collection and distribution campaigns 

• Western Toy & Hobby Representatives Association Non-profit organization that produces and promotes the Western States Toy & Hobby Show 

• Women In Toys Professional networking base for women working within the toy and related industries 

• Yoe Studios Toy design studio with attitude.