Raving Toy Maniac

LEGO Systems Builds Eighth Consecutive Year of U.S. Sales Growth

-Brand relevance and play pattern at an all-time high as company's 2012 sales increase by 26%-

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR, NEW YORK (February 8, 2013) -- LEGO Systems, Inc., the North American division of the world's leading construction toy brand, achieved its eighth consecutive year of double-digit U.S. consumer sales growth in 2012, increasing category and overall toy industry shares over record performance in 2011.

2012 U.S. Year-End Highlights (Source: The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service)

• Continued year-on-year growth trend in the U.S. as consumer sales grew +26% to reach $1.32 billion.
• Increased U.S. total toy market share to 7.9%, up +1.6 share points over 2011, maintaining rank as America's third largest toy manufacturer. The company's share of the total U.S. toy market has quadrupled in five years.
• Grew share of U.S. Building Sets category +5.3 points to 84.6% in a year of increased category competition.
• Gained +12.1 share points to reach 51.4% of the Preschool segment of U.S. Building Sets.

Rising From The Sewer In All-New Ways, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Are Ready For Ninja Action

Playmates Toys to Reveal Expanded Toy Line Inspired by Nickelodeon's Hit CG-Animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at American International Toy Fair

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Feb. 8, 2013 -- Playmates Toys is set to unveil the action-packed next generation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line, inspired by Nickelodeon's hit new CG-animated show. New elements, including the mysterious Ooze substance and Turtle-loving pizza, have been added to the product line and will be displayed at the American International Toy Fair in New York City, February 10-13, 2013, Booth #1525.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on Nickelodeon on Sept. 29, 2012 and was an instant hit, drawing almost 12 million viewers during its premiere weekend. Coinciding with the series, Playmates Toys, the mastermind responsible for the successful toy line over the last three decades, introduced a new line which became one of the top action figure brands by the end of 2012.

A Variant on the Klingon Bird of Prey Ship De-Cloaks!

February 2013 - When Diamond Select began developing the first alien ship in their electronic Star Trek ship series, they knew that they couldn't just make one version of the iconic Klingon Bird of Prey. The ship has such a rich film history that to pick just one appearance would be an affront to its honor! So while the Star Trek VI version of the Bird of Prey is out in stores now, DST has created a special Star Trek III version exclusively for Action Figure Xpress!

Forces of Dorkness x outsmART originals: Tusken Idol T-Shirt

February 2013 - "Be it scoundrel or scholar, I was drawn in by both Star Wars and the Indiana Jones movies as a kid. So I thought, "what's better than mashing those two?", and my response is a piece I call "Tusken Raiders of the Lost Ark". Our little golden buddy comes from the temples of Tatooine deep in the dunes and about as far away from Mos Eisley as one can get. Not only does it have the face of a Tusken Raider, but he's also riding the most loyal of the beasts of the desert, the Bantha." - Scott Kinnebrew

outsmART originals is thrilled to release the Tusken Idol t-shirt, a limited worldwide release, from the mind of Forces of Dorkness (aka Scott Kinnebrew). Shipping the beginning of March, this release will be screen printed on ultra cotton tees for both men and women.

Diamond Select Toys to Unveil New Products, New Licenses at Toy Fair International

February 2013 - This weekend, Toy Fair International begins at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Not open to the public, the event allows toy manufacturers to present their new offerings to buyers from retail stores around the world, and it always offers fans the first look at the hottest toys of the year. Well, this year Diamond Select Toys will once again be in attendance, and once again they will have plenty on display to dazzle fans!

On display at booth 4905 will be new items from DST's broad array of licenses: Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, The Walking Dead, Star Wars, Star Trek, Universal Monsters, The Munsters, Knight Rider, Ghostbusters, Pathfinder, Tomb Raider and Invincible. Products will include highly detailed 7-inch action figures, 2-inch Minimates mini-figures, Femme Fatales PVC statues, Granix art plaques, vehicles, light-up statues, banks, prop replicas, bottle openers, kitchenware, neon signs and more.

DST will also announce two new licenses at the show:

February 2013 - Christopher Tupa is writing a book and is asking for your toy memories:

I'm putting together a free ebook collecting people's memories of their toys and how they played with them. Would love it if you'd like to join the fun and submit something! All the details are here if you're interested: http://ctupa.com/blog/?p=1729

Hasbro Showcases Portfolio of Brands and Innovative New Play Experiences at the 110th American International Toy Fair

Premier Global Branded Play Company Highlights New Introductions from TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, PLAY-DOH, FURBY and More

NEW YORK -- February 7, 2013 -- Hasbro, Inc., home to many of the world's favorite entertainment and playtime brands, will celebrate new initiatives and product launches at the largest toy industry expo in the western hemisphere.

"Hasbro continues to deliver the best in branded play to consumers around the world with our unparalleled portfolio of multi-platform properties including TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY and MONOPOLY," said John Frascotti, chief marketing officer, Hasbro. "In 2013 Hasbro will offer a wide variety of new ways to experience our brands across multiple formats, making them available anytime and anywhere consumers want."

K'NEX® Brands Launches Fifth Annual Fundraising Initiative To Benefit The United Way

Hatfield, PA, February, 2013 – K'NEX, the only US construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love®, recently announced their fifth annual fundraising initiative benefiting United Way. K'NEX is donating 10% of sales from http://knex.com during the month of February to the North Penn United Way chapter and will also be accepting additional donations through its website.

"We're proud to support the United Way again this year," said Michael Araten, president of K'NEX Brands. "The devastation brought forth by Hurricane Sandy underscored the importance of gratitude and giving back. Raising funds for an organization like the United Way, which provides vital aid to those both around the world and around the corner, is important now more than ever."

February 2013 - CustomCon 34 (Spring 2013) is coming soon! The event itself will be held from April 22 to 26, but the entry deadline is April 1. (No joke, it just happened that the Monday of the week we were aiming for was April 1st.)

We will post the entry guidelines soon, but there are no major changes from years past, so mark your calendars now to be able to include your custom action figures in this online event.

LEGO Systems Unveils 250 New Building Sets at American International Toy Fair

- Builders of all ages will be inspired by endless LEGO possibilities, from new preschool play options to classic themes and new licenses to the introduction of the most advanced LEGO® robotics product ever -

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2013 -- American International Toy Fair -- LEGO Systems, Inc., makers of the world's leading construction toys, will unveil its largest collection of build and play toys ever – 250 new products – at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. With new products launching throughout the year, children of all ages and interests will find a LEGO® building set or theme to spark their building creativity, inspire storytelling and role play or keep them engaged in imaginative play for hours. New items are on display in Booth #1351 in Hall 3B of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from February 10-13.