Traditional Toys, Eco-Themes, Safety Top of Mind at Toy Fair

WENDY TOTH

NEW YORK — Archetypal styles of toys updated with contemporary sensibility ranging from eco-conscious stuffed animals (Idbids by Idbids, Altanta) to rock collections with Web-based interactive storylines (MiYu Stones by Winscott, Gilford, N.H.) dominated the trends at Toy Fair held here this week. For instance, the booth of Charleroi, Pa.-based Channel Craft was packed with curious buyers handling its array of traditional hand crafted, U.S.-made toys such as wooden tops, puzzles and playing cards featuring old-fashioned renderings of modern sports heroes. Reflecting the string of toy recalls involving China in the past year, a sign above the booth read “Made in the U.S.A. No MSG.” Fittingly, the Toy Industry Association on Sunday announced a proposal for a new toy-testing and safety-verification system to be released on Friday. Most companies interviewed by SN at the show felt confident that their current testing procedures could be easily expanded to fit new safety standards although some thought an increase in product cost might be necessary.

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