http://www.tdmonthly.com Trade Magazine for the Toy, Hobby, Game, and Gift Industry en-us http://www.tdmonthly.com http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/images/5-12-03logo.gif http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4211 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4211 Oblo Spheres from Great Circle Works demands precision at every layer, and words count as strokes in an educational game of golf http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4237 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4237 See brief article summaries as you dive into the July issue of TDmonthly Magazine http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4238 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4238 Amulet Books has announced the first print run of five million copies for the fifth book in Jeff Kinney’s bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, "The Ugly Truth" http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4245 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4245 According to a June 2010 TDmonthly Magazine survey of 40 specialty retailers, outdoor and water toys have seen massive sales increases with the onset of summer http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4262 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4262 We want you to see the toys we see, so you can determine if they're right for your store! Check this space every weekday to see brief video clips of new and specialty products http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4255 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4255 July's Videos of the Day for Week 3 feature a fast-paced (if you're any good) Spot It! game from Blue Orange, an utterly perplexing maze game from PlaSmart http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4251 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4251 July's Videos of the Day for Week 2 feature the creepy, yet cute, Vamplets by Kamhi World along with eco-friendly products http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4239 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4239 July's Videos of the Day for Week 1 included games such as YAMSLAM by Blue Orange, Pirate vs. Pirate by Out of the Box, and Do Tell from Do Tell Enterprises http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4221 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4221 Equating Rhode Island's "intimate setting, and its celebration of self-determination and reinvention" with the specialty toy market's top qualities, organizers at ASTRA chose the smallest state to host their biggest event http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4250 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4250 Games were a hit with buyers at the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association's annual Marketplace in June, a post-show TDmonthly Magazine survey revealed http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4197 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4197 Jane Naisbitt, an elementary school teacher, opened Thinker Things toy store in Del Mar, Calif., in 1974, when son John was still in high school. Jane chose educational and fun toys to stock her shelves http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4198 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4198 When Jeanette Lature opened Aunt Jean's Toys and Treats in 2007, she looked for toys that she'd want to play with herself and those that allowed kids to bring their imaginations to the game http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4217 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4217 The Evers family dubs Dancing Bear Toys Ltd. an “upside-down” family business. In 1989, Sarah Evers began working for the store’s previous owner, and four years later the shop went on the market. http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4200 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4200 At Dancing Bear Toys Ltd. in North Carolina’s Asheville and Hendersonville, the Evers family imagines that customers are guests in their living room http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4183 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4183 With the economy still a giant question mark, toy retailers head into the Christmas buying season unsure of how much inventory they will need. http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4212 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4212 Folkmanis tops the list of most-wanted plush toys for the third year in a row, with about one-third of 43 retailers citing it as their best-selling plush in a TDmonthly Magazine survey. http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4220 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4220 A recent survey conducted by TDmonthly Magazine polled 43 retailers nationwide about the sales in their doll departments http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4226 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4226 - http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4227 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4227 - http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4228 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4228 - http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4229 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4229 - http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4230 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4230 - http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4232 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4232 - http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4235 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4235 You've attended trade shows, thumbed through catalogs, and started to receive box after box of fun holiday merchandise. But perhaps you're still awaiting that "wow" product for Christmas http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4240 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4240 - http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4231 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4231 - http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4222 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4222 Children's furnishings and playhouses can enrich a play environment, but cost and size prohibit many specialty stores from carrying them, 21 of 43 retailers indicated in a recent TDmonthly Magazine survey http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4206 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4206 TDmonthly Magazine’s Music Expert heard a frog’s rock story, learned about functions of the brain, and enjoyed a jazzy spin on classic children’s songs http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4172 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4172 In these latest book reviews, TDmonthly Magazine’s Book Expert enjoys “glowing” artwork in a touching story, helps Chester the Raccoon deal with the loss of a friend, and watches a shy little girl become courageous. http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4219 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4219 TDmonthly Magazine’s Review Scout scours the Web weekly for reviews of new and hot products so you don’t have to spend your time searching. http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4224 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4224 The world’s largest publisher of railroad games is building a bridge between families and hobby gamers. Mayfair Games hopes to make titles such as Hey, That's My Fish appeal to both uber-gamers and http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4236 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4236 For years, players in the video game space have been in an uneasy alliance that is now fraying at the edges http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4223 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4223 Almost everyone in toy and entertainment design asks himself at some point, “Should I work full time for a toy company, or freelance and start my own thing?” http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4214 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4214 See all the new specialty toys we've uploaded in the last month to make your ordering easier http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4215 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4215 See all the new toys we've uploaded in the last month to make your ordering easier http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4233 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4233 The 4th-quarter rush is coming! Throughout the month of August, multiple vendors are offering you holiday ordering specials as an extension of TOYDIRECTORY and TDmonthly Magazine's new Retailer Rebate Program http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4234 http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=4234 In the August issue of TDmonthly Magazine, toy designer Peter Wachtel, who's created playthings for Hasbro, Mattel and MGA Entertainment, shares the ins and outs of inventing