Raving Toy Maniac

February 2012 - Hasbro has let us know about a new Star Wars promotion:

Hello, STAR WARS fans!

With great new Hasbro Star Wars items now hitting retailer shelves, we wanted to make sure you and your readers know about the exciting promotion Hasbro is currently running.

The "Darth Maul Giveaway" gives Star Wars fans the opportunity to win a life sized Darth Maul statue signed by George Lucas himself! Specially marked packages of Vintage Figures and Vintage Vehicles will contain an entry form that can be used to enter the sweepstakes. One (1) Grand Prize Winner will win the statue, and another one hundred (100) First Prize Winners will receive a Force FX Lightsaber. This sweepstakes runs until 8/31/12. No purchase is necessary to enter.

Information about the promotion and entry without purchase can also be found at http://hasbro.promotions.com/swdarthmaul.

February 2012 - Hasbro has sent out a statement regarding the availability of Transformers Prime First Edition figures in the United States:

TRANSFORMERS fans,

As we greatly value our TRANSFORMERS fans and consumers, we appreciate the opportunity to clarify and explain the current situation with TRANSFORMERS PRIME First Edition figure availability in the U.S.

We very much apologize for the miscommunication with our great retailers in the U.S. Regrettably, as a result, the TRANSFORMERS PRIME First Edition Wave 2 Deluxe, Wave 1 Voyager and Entertainment Pack figures were posted for pre-sale in error. Final product was not produced for these figures to ship within the U.S. As such, any consumer who placed a pre-sale order with Big Bad Toy Store or Entertainment Earth in the U.S. received a note that their order had been cancelled and these orders will not be fulfilled. While it is common for Hasbro to cancel production and/or shipment of collectible figures prior to being listed for pre-sale, this particular situation was unique. We deeply regret this circumstance and understand your frustration.

Avengers Minimates Assemble for the All-Star Movie Line-Up!

February 2012 - Thor. Iron Man. Captain America: The First Avenger. The Incredible Hulk. Diamond Select Toys has made Minimates for each of the key Marvel movies so far, and now they're making Minimates for the most action-packed Marvel movie yet! Hitting stores this spring will be two assortments of figures, one exclusively available at Toys "R" Us stores and on toysrus.com, and another only at comic book shops and specialty stores. Look for them in late April/early May, and be sure to collect them all!

Marvel Minimates - The Avengers Movie (Toys "R" Us/toysrus.com)
- Captain America & Thor
- Iron Man MK7 & Hulk
- Hawkeye & Black Widow (exclusive)
- Loki & Nick Fury (exclusive)

Marvel Select Avengers Movie Hulk Will Be the Smash Hit of Your Collection in April

February 2012 - This past weekend, Superbowl watchers were treated to the new Avengers trailer showing the heroes in action, including our first full look at the gargantuan Hulk. Well, the Marvel Select toy line has been making waves lately with its larger figures, which tower over other entries in the 7-inch-scale line, and last week they finally unveiled their movie version of the Hulk! Standing 8.25 inches tall, he stands a good inch taller than the rest of the movie-based Avengers DST has made, and features 16 points of articulation for a full range of smashing. He's available for pre-order now from your local comic shop and from online retailers, as are Hawkeye and DST's figure of one of the movie's mystery foes!

Here's your Avengers checklist:

February 3, 2012 - Hasbro has sent out an update about GI Joe movie toys:

Yo, G.I. JOE fans!

As fans around the world get ready for the new G.I. Joe Retaliation commercial set to air during this weekend's Big Game, we wanted to let you know that the reveal of the full line of new G.I. Joe Retaliation action figures is now live at http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/en_US/retaliation.cfm!

Based on the eagerly anticipated new movie, starring Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock and Bruce Willis as Joe Colton, the new 3 3/4-inch action figures depict all of the key characters from the film, while capturing the all-out ninja action at the center of G.I. Joe Retaliation. The full line also features new vehicles and role-play items based on the film, as well as the amazing 10-inch electronic Ninja Commando figures of Snake Eyes and Roadblock, with an innovative weapon-drawing feature.

From The Avengers Movie, Hawkeye is the Next Marvel Select Figure!

K'NEX® Celebrating 20 years of American Made Toys
2012 product line will be shown at NY Toy Fair.

Hatfield, PA - February 06, 2012 - K'NEX, the only US construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love™, will be celebrating 20 years of American Made toys with retailers and fans alike at the Javits Convention Center in New York during American International Toy Fair®, being held February 12th through the 15th.

"Celebrating our 20th year by sharing our new product line with the media and our valued retail partners is exciting," said Michael Araten, President and CEO of K'NEX and The Rodon Group. "K'NEX is proud to be able to offer consumers high-quality toys at a reasonable cost - 90% of which are made right here in the USA."

Hasbro Reports Revenue and Earnings Per Share Growth for 2011

• Full-year net revenues increased 7% to a record $4.29 billion compared to $4.00 billion in 2010;
• Full-year International segment net revenues up 19% to $1.86 billion; Up 16% excluding the positive impact of foreign exchange;
• Boys category revenues increased 35% and Preschool category grew 4%;
• Eleventh consecutive year of full-year earnings per share growth; Full-year 2011 EPS of $2.82 per diluted share versus $2.74 per diluted share in 2010;
• Repurchased 10.5 million shares of common stock during 2011 at a total cost of $423.0 million and an average price of $40.42;
• Paid $154 million in cash dividends during 2011; On February 2, 2012, Board approved a 20% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.36 per share.

Magnet Toy Class Action Settlement

NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 6, 2012 -- On December 15, 2011, the Honorable Susan D. Wigenton, U.S.D.J., granted final approval of a class action settlement in the lawsuit Chris Doering, et al. v. MEGA Brands, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 2:08-CV-1750 (SDW) (MCA). Defendants MEGA Brands, Inc., et al. agreed to settle legal claims surrounding certain Magnet Toy products, many of which were subject to recalls instituted by MEGA Brands in cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission ("C.P.S.C."). Plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that certain "Magnet Toys" (as defined in the parties' agreement to settle the action) contained defective magnets, and sought a refund of all monies paid. This lawsuit did not allege any personal injury claims. Defendants have denied any and all liability. However, the parties have agreed to settle the matter to avoid the expense and resources that would be needed for further litigation.

LEGO Children's Fund and LEGO Systems Partner with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to Fight Childhood Cancer

ENFIELD, Conn., February 2, 2012 -- LEGO Children's Fund and LEGO Systems, Inc. announced today that they will partner with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a non-profit organization dedicated to finding better treatments and ultimately cures for all kids with cancer. Together, the groups will seek to drive record participation in National Lemonade Days, the Foundation's national fundraising weekend, June 8-10, 2012. LEGO Systems will build the world's largest Lemonade Stand out of LEGO® bricks to kick off National Lemonade Days, location to be announced, to raise additional funds for the fight against childhood cancer.