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With ASTRA’s 2022 Marketplace & Academy set to open in Long Beach, California this weekend, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association has revealed the winners of its 2022 Excellence and Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The annual ASTRA Excellence and Lifetime Achievement Awards are designed to honor and recognize the outstanding contributions made by members of the specialty toy industry.

2022 ASTRA Excellence Awards Winners

  • Retailer: Kiddywampus
  • Manufacturer: Djeco
  • Young Professionals/Rising Star: Rudy Valenta (Author)
  • Sales Representative: Ash Goto-Webb (Sugar B Sales)

Related: ASTRA Insights: Harnessing the Power of Classic Play

2022 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

  • Lea Culliton, Haba

This year’s winners will be honored in a special presentation on Monday, June 13 at ASTRA’s 2022 Marketplace & Academy.


The Toy Book team will be in attendance at this year’s Marketplace & Academy to debut our 2022 Specialty Toys issue.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book and Co-President of The International Toy Magazines Association (ITMA). He is also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), New York Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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