The toys include inflatable play spaces; oversized building/tumbling blocks; action-filled bath toys; musical plush and outdoor open role playtoys.

To find these innovative toys, Haystack broke toy industry tradition and invited people from all walks of life to participate in The Great American ToyHunt™, an annual nationwide search for "needles in the haystack," toys that are so ingenious and involving they withstand the test of time. From the Hunt, individuals who delivered on this criterion were chosen to have their toys brought to market by Haystack.

"As a professional inventor and former inventors' agent, I've seen a heavy reliance in the toy industry on line extensions, entertainment licenses and low price points, which has kept some of the best toy ideas from getting to market," says Dan Lauer, president and co-founder of Haystack Toys. "At Haystack, we're opening our doors to the public and inviting participation to find unique, authentic ideas. We then take those ideas and add features to enhance playability, and the result is great toys whose cost is in the quality of their design and craftsmanship."

Haystack's first toy line featured at http://www.haystacktoys.com:

• AirMaze™... an air-suspended, imaginative play space that is the "ultimate fort" for kids. It moves from flat to fun in 60 seconds. AirMazewas invented by Denver self-proclaimed ski bum Gabe Ruegg during college. AirMaze sat in Ruegg's basement for years before his mother encouraged him to apply in something she'd read about in an article -- The Great American Toy Hunt.

• FlutterWings™... an open role-play item that can be worn on a child's arms or attached to a bicycle or swing. The soft, easy motion of the wings empowers a child to control the play experience and create from it what she/he pleases. FlutterWings was invented by Dallas mom Kathy Cunningham whose inspiration came from watching her daughter playing on the swingset pretending to be an angel. The original prototype Cunningham brought to the Hunt is now being featured in an invention display at the Chicago Children's Museumthrough September 2001.

• Jumbo Tumbos™... oversized, foam filled, lightweight, durable building blocks that encourage open, imaginative play. Jumbo Tumbos was created by St. Louis businessman Mike Richter who took a concept from his children's furniture business and created from it a home-based activity system that enables kids to pretend they're playing in a myriad of environments from jungle gyms to rocket ships.

• Cuddle Fish™... an eclectic, musical, maxed-out plush play set that combines the two most popular play patters - hair play and nurture play. Cuddle Fish is the creation of Minneapolis-based former toy executives Frank Young and Liz Farley. Young and Farley have found in Haystack an avenue through which to express their ideas authentically and produce them in excellence.

• Sea Pets™... a strikingly realistic, oversized, tactile, action-filled line of water play toys that includes a Humpback Whale that sings real whale songs, an octopus that shoots purple ink and a Great White Shark with its tuna prey that "bleeds." Created by Dan Lauer, Sea Pets was inspired by a boyhood fascination with real live sea creatures.

The e-store site is built using Microsoft's .Net technologies, including Microsofts' BizTalk 2000 Server.

In addition to being sold at http://www.haystacktoys.com, the toys are available at FAO Schwarz, Zany Brainy, Imaginarium and hundreds of other specialty retailers nationwide.

Look for more on this exciting new toy company in today's RTM Friday Feature later today!

[Posted 9/29/2000]