Raving Toy Maniac

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.

February 2012 - We have moved a few things around and have updated the look of the site!

The news section can now be found at: http://www.toymania.com/blog/153. We've also added a fancypants RSS feed for the news posts for you modern folks.

There is also a separate RSS feed for the items that stream through the front page, but just as on the older version of the site, the front page won't be changing on a daily basis.

The ToyBuzz forum format has changed to something written in this century. The new forum can be found here, although your old bookmarks should still work to get you there. We've split the forum into two parts: toys and off-topic. We've also added registration, so now you can have avatars and sig files and whatnot. Both forums have spoiler tags, so there's no reason to be ruining the ending of movies for anyone anymore. (If you are reading this on the front page, click the "read more" link to get the rest of this post!)

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.

February 2, 2012 - Listed below are the toy (and child-related) recalls from this week; these links go to the official announcements on the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site.

Specialized Bicycle Components Expands Recall of Bicycles Due to Fall Hazard

February 2, 2012 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

Arkham Asylum - Play Arts Series 02 listed - We've just listed two new figures from the extremely popular Play Arts line:

Armored Batman
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=SEP10316&mode=re...

Harley Quinn
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=SEP10317&mode=re...

Please note that pricing is currently $69.99 - we are waiting for pricing info from our domestic supplier, once that is confirmed, it is likely that the price will drop $5 or maybe $10.

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Warner Bros. Consumer Products Soars Into Toy Fair Season With Extensive Worldwide Licensing Program Supporting This Summer's Highly Anticipated Film The Dark Knight Rises

BURBANK, Calif., Feb. 1, 2012 -- The Bat-Signal has summoned "The Caped Crusader" to an adventurous Toy Fair season. Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) is showcasing a powerful roster of global licensees in support of the studio's unparalleled portfolio of entertainment properties, led by this summer's blockbuster film The Dark Knight Rises. The epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's phenomenally popular Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, hits theaters July 20, 2012, and will be accompanied by a bevy of products from DC Comics master toy licensee, Mattel, and many other toy partners.