Raving Toy Maniac

November 15, 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.

- Bike Friday Recalls Tikit Folding Bicycles Due to Fall Hazard

- CPSC Approves New Federal Safety Standard for Infant Swings

GIANTmicrobes, Inc. Announces Big New Line-up of Contagiously Cute Toys and Collectibles for Christmas

STAMFORD, Conn., Nov. 12, 2012 -- Trim your trees and fill your stockings with new ornaments and toys from GIANTmicrobes, Inc. (http://www.giantmicrobes.com), the innovative designers of collectible toys inspired by the microscopic world.

Like other GIANTmicrobes® products, the new additions are humorously educational toys modeled on electron micrographs, enlarged a million times actual size. Each includes an image and information about the microbe it represents. The 100+ microbes range from the infectious (Common Cold) to the catastrophic (Ebola Virus) to the anthropological (Brain Cell) to the wonderful (Amoeba).

Highlights:

• GIANTmicrobes® Primordial Putty with collectible figures
• Inside-out reversible Cancer cell doll that is curable
• White Lab Mouse: unsung hero of medical miracles
• GIANTmicrobes® Wreath box of ornaments

Get Ready for Round 2 with More Street Fighter X Tekken Minimates Series 2 Packaging Shots!

November 2012 - It's time for another battle! The first assortment of Street Fighter X Tekken Minimates was such a success that we had to bring the line back for another round, with even more of the famous fighters from the Street Fighter and Tekken video game franchises! That means 12 new fighters to face off with the 12 you already have!

Series 2 includes:
Ryu vs. Yoshimitsu
Abel vs. Kazuya
Rufus vs. Julia (comic shop and specialty store exclusive)
Chun Li vs. Hwoarang (comic shop and specialty store exclusive)
Hugo vs. Heihachi (Toys "R" Us exclusive)
Rolento vs. Kuma (Toys "R" Us exclusive)

The Hustler T-Shirt by Pocket Wookie

November 2012 - Whether it's trading with the locals or crawling across the land for a cold one, or looking for a place to tag, one thing is for sure; being a hustler ain't easy!

The Hustler t-shirts are available for pre-order from November 13th through November 20th exclusively at http://www.outsmartoriginals.com. This original design will be screen printed on 100% cotton American Apparel Fine Jersey t-shirts and is available in a variety of sizes for both men and women. Just $25.00 for this limited edition shirt and shipping the beginning of December makes this a perfect gift for that holiday hustler.

World Premiere Extended Preview of J. J. Abrams' "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" to Debut in IMAX 3D on December 14th

THE FIRST 9-MINUTES FROM THE ANTICIPATED SEQUEL WILL BE RELEASED EXCLUSIVELY IN DIGITAL IMAX 3D THEATRES WORLDWIDE

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 14, 2012 -- Paramount Pictures will release the first 9 minutes from J.J. Abrams' eagerly-awaited "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" exclusively in IMAX 3D months prior to the film's official release in May 2013. This first-look at the movie will play in approximately 500 digital IMAX 3D theatres beginning December 14th.

"STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS," the sequel to Abrams' 2009 hit film that redefined the Star Trek universe for a new generation, marks the first time exclusive footage has played in IMAX 3D and only the third time a first-look will be released in IMAX.

K'NEX® Brands and The Rodon Group: Building An American-Made Holiday Season

Hatfield, PA, (November 2012) - At a time when most toys are made overseas, K'NEX Brands, the only U.S. construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love®, is committed to making toys in the USA!

K'NEX has become America's Building Toy Company -- over 95% of its parts are manufactured by The Rodon Group, K'NEX's sister company. In business since 1956, the Rodon Group makes billions of parts each year in its 125,000 square foot eco-friendly facility and is one of the largest family-owned and operated injection molders in the United States. In addition to manufacturing K'NEX parts, The Rodon Group serves a diverse group of industries including consumer products, medical, fenestration, construction, and pharmaceutical.

November 14, 2012 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

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NEW PREORDERS
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JOECON 2012 OPERATION BEAR TRAP BOX SET - LIMITED EDITION SECOND RUN
This set was so popular that Fun Publications is going back and doing a second run of it. It includes 15 figures plus the weapons and more, and is listed at $439.99.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22323&mode=re...

DC COLLECTIBLES NEW ITEMS FOR DECEMBER

Hasbro Delivers Innovative and "Must Have" Toys for the Holidays

Global Branded Play Company Delivers New Ways to Play with its Popular Brands

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- November 14, 2012 -- Home to many of the most well-known and beloved toy and gaming brands such as TRANSFORMERS, MONOPOLY, MY LITTLE PONY and PLAY-DOH, Hasbro, Inc. announces highlights of its toy and gaming offerings for the 2012 holiday season today.

Toys"R"Us® To Kick Off Its Biggest Black Friday Event At 8pm On Thanksgiving Night With More Than 200 Incredible Doorbusters

First 200 Customers in Line on Thanksgiving Evening to Receive a Complimentary Toys"R"Us Great Big Goody Bag Filled with $30 Worth of Stocking Stuffers

Toys"R"Us® Unveils Redesigned Mobile Shopping Apps And Site; Introduces Optimized Experience For Tablet Users

Updated Mobile Shopping Capabilities Now Allow Customers to Take Advantage of Popular Omnichannel Services Like "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" and "Ship to Store" While On-the-Go

WAYNE, N.J., Nov. 13, 2012 -- Toys"R"Us, Inc. today announced that it has redesigned its mobile shopping apps and mobile-optimized sites for Toys"R"Us® and Babies"R"Us,® providing an enhanced experience for customers looking to shop the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer from wherever they are. The company has also launched a new tablet-optimized site providing tablet users easy access to the two trusted brands.