Toy Industry

Russian adoption ban leaves U.S. families in an agonizing limbo

2013-05-21 00:00:00

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Andy and Bethany Nagel left photos of themselves at the orphanage for the little boy with Down syndrome who was going to be their son. We'll be back, they told 4-year-old Timofey, blowing kisses from the doorway and...

His big design ideas fit in a child's hand

2013-05-17 20:13:00

The gig: Felix Holst is vice president of design for the Mattel Wheels Division and the chief designer behind the Hot Wheels and Matchbox toy car brands. He supervises more than 50 designers who work on toy cars and related products. "We get to engage...

Toy company co-owner sentenced for role in drug money laundering

2013-05-07 07:00:00

The co-owner of a City of Industry toy company was sentenced to 14 months in custody for her role in laundering money for Colombian and Mexican drug traffickers in a scheme known as the black market peso exchange. Dan “Daisy” Xin Li, 44, co-...

‘Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move’: Five mini-reasons to play it

2013-05-09 15:03:06

Stock spotlight: Mattel toys with ways to sell more products

2013-04-29 00:00:00

Barbie is vacating her pink Malibu mansion and hunting for international digs. Thomas the Tank Engine is being revamped as an even livelier locomotive. Max Steel, the new kid on the block, is marketed as a "modern day tech superhero." The toy brands,...

From American Girl to Trolls, a conversation with DWA's Shawn Dennis

2013-04-23 07:00:00

In 1959, Danish fisherman and woodcutter Thomas Dam couldn't afford to buy Christmas presents for his daughter. So he carved a doll based on the legendary Scandinavian troll. This doll wasn't the scary, somewhat evil troll of Scandinavian lore, but a...

Toy maker Hasbro says Furby and Monopoly shine in first quarter

2013-04-22 10:43:00

Toy maker Hasbro Inc. reported modest revenue growth in the first quarter, backed by solid sales of Furby, My Little Pony and Transformers games. The Pawtucket, R.I., company also said Monday that an online contest to create a new token for its iconic...

Mattel profits quadruple on sales of Monster High dolls

2013-04-17 09:53:00

Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf and the other not-so-mean girls at Monster High stole Barbie’s thunder in the first quarter as sales of the toys led Mattel Inc. to more than quadruple its profit. Sales of Mattel’s Other Girl line, headed by...

Lucha Libre enlists heavyweight expertise to help push into U.S.

2013-04-12 09:00:00

The firm that helped reboot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and adapt Hasbro's Transformers toy line for big (and small) screens is charged with a new task: helping Mexican wrestling characters successfully cross the border into the United States. Partners...

Teacher's pet? Guinea pigs may help autistic kids in classroom

2013-02-28 07:05:00

Kids with autism spectrum disorder could have a new ally in the classroom: animals. Autistic children who played with guinea pigs rather than toys were more talkative, made more eye contact and displayed a more positive attitude, according to a study in...

'Robot Chicken' is an absurdist play toy

2013-02-16 06:00:00

Seth Green slumps on a bench seat in a 1970s Winnebago that's parked inside of Stoopid Buddy Stoodios in Burbank. A nasty case of strep throat has him feeling low. But the fact that "Robot Chicken," the off-color stop-motion animated series Green created...

2013 American International Toy Fair: Fling birds, assemble a hero

2013-02-14 14:32:32

David W. Paul, left, and Michael A. Walker display farm toys for Hillcrest Grange's March 13 program, which was "Toys for All Ages." Forty years ago in 1973 both men displayed favorite farm toys for two special displays while they attended elementary schools.

2013-04-02 11:33:00

After trying to keep it afloat, the owners of iconic toy store Toy Boat Toy Boat Toy Boat were forced to close their last location in Corona Del Mar recently.

2013-03-19 00:00:00

Volunteers Christopher Leatherman, left, and Ryan Bingaman carry boxes and bags of Christmas stockings on Dec. 14 in preparation for the Salvation Army Toys for Tots give-away Thursday.

2012-12-18 04:22:00