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Barbie Approaches Her 50th…
Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images
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Barbie Approaches Her 50th Birthday
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MAY 18: The toy doll Barbie appears in her various incarnations at Leuralla NSW toy and …read more

I talked a little the other day about the popular toy trends for 2009 featured at this years CES. The Consumer Electronics Show for 2009 wrapped up last night, so I thought I’d share some more of the cool toys and gadgets that were featured there.
Green and cheaper was the main trend for the 2009 CES. The video below features a mind control game by Mattel called MindFlex. The game uses your brain waves (similar to an EEG) to help a ball manipulate its way through an obstacle course, and will hit retail stores in the fall of 2009. …read more

And I thought the recall coming in a week and a half ago was huge at about 700,000 toys. Now NBC is reporting that over 9 million toys are being recalled. The toys are made by Mattel in China and the concerns, as before, are lead paint and small magnetic parts.
You can find the entire list posted by NBC of recalled toys by clicking here. One of the doctors featured in the piece recommends testing any child for lead exposure who has played with any of these toys for a month or more. …read more

I’ve mentioned here, before, The American Girl Movie Collection that tells the stories of three of the American Girls Dolls.
I was finally able to watch Samantha: An American Girl Holiday with my Samantha. I really liked the movie, and the character of Samantha. I liked the values, the responsibility, and the “I can do it” spirit that is portrayed in the character. It actually made me look forward to seeing the other two, though we haven’t made it to them, yet!
Hsien pointed me to an article that states that HBO Films and American Girl (owned …read more

Isaac Larian of MGA Entertainment, producers of the Bratz Dolls, was recently interviewed on ABC’s Nightline, with some rebuttal bits by Chuck Scothon, a senior VP at Mattel. He shares his thoughts on the Bratz vs. Barbie battle, and his plans to win it.
Follow this post to the end to see the YouTube posting of the ABC interview (and then please vote in our Barbie or Bratz? poll in the sidebar on the right!). Here are a few interesting bits that I gleaned from it all:
Larian admits that he first thought the dolls looked like aliens, but now …read more

Good morning! If you’re like many parents and children, today is a big day for you in Elmo-land. This picture is of Barbie and TMX Elmo. The new and improved (?) Elmo, him/herself, will make its global debut at 9 a.m.
The Toy Guy(R) Chris Byrne says:
You won’t believe what this little guy does, and if you don’t laugh till you cry, you must have no funny bone at all. ‘T.M.X’. Elmo will engage anyone who sees it and engulf them in gales of laughter. Get ready for another phenomenon!
To whet your appetite for TMX Elmo before Kerri …read more

Business Week Online has published an article questioning the longevity of Barbie as an American toy icon:
Sales for the iconic Barbie fell 1% worldwide, the 11th consecutive quarter of decline for the franchise. Indeed, it’s a worrying sign that kids like Katayan are starting to eschew Barbie for other, more interactive toys.
It is a question raised as the girls of the next generation have so many playtime options available to them. Are dolls and dress up being completely replaced by on-line games and other hi-tech toys?
I don’t think so. Yes, my five year old daughter has …read more