One Monster of a Toy Fair

New York's Toy Fair 2010 starts this weekend.  The event, held at the Javitz Center and sponsored by the Toy Industry Association, is held annually to showcase all the newest toys your child may be playing with in the year to come.  Additionally, awards are given (the Toy of the Year Awards, or the TOTY's) which celebrate innovation in toys brought to market in the past year. 

Toy Fair is an amazing event (similar to the video game industry's E3) and toy vendors go all out to make sure their toys are memorable -- gigantic, decorated booths; actors who perform skits involving the toys; interesting giveaways, etc.  There are even a few toys that are kept secret (sometimes you have to sign a non-disclosure agreement just to see them) but others leak out on the internet for the whole world to criticize see.  Case in point, Fisher-Price's Bigfoot.  The idea is similar to last year's hit toy, The Imaginext Dinosaur (even the remote control has similarities.)  But, one thing is for sure:  the adults who previewed just an image of the toy over at BoingBoing are definitely not looking at toys the same way a child would.  No wonder so many vendors want to keep their toys a secret.

I'll have more updates on new toys and Toy Fair 2010 in the days to come. -- E. Christian Moore