The Toy Industry Association kicked off it’s massive annual toy fair today at the Javits Center in New York City. The four day event is the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere according to event coordinators. More than 30-thousand visitors are expected to check out the toys, games, and interactive items on display, with over 7-thousand never before seen products hitting the floor. The event is not open to the public, it is only for toy retailers and vendors who meet and greet and place orders for the upcoming year. The hot trends this year are 1) active 2) accessible 3) affordable, and 4) aspirational, a new category that toy experts say is meant to give children toys that empower them to make their own choices.
U.S. Toy Industry sales generated 21.47 billion dollars last year, which is only a 1% decline from 2008. Toy Industry experts way those are promising numbers for a profitable 2010.
Some of the “wow-factor” toys unveiled today: stuffed animals called “Perfect Pets”, which gives the illusion that the animals are breathing, a new and improved electronic Rubix Cube called the “Rubix Slide” that has thousands of outcomes, and a little motor bike for girls made by Razor. The “Hello Kitty Pocket Mod” is like a little moped for girls 12 and older, complete with pink and white paint, and a Hello Kitty purse attached near the headlight.