From the 2023 Toy Fair Issue of The Toy Book…
It’s been more than three and a half years, but finally, Toy Fair is back in action in the Big Apple. For the first time ever, the biggest toy show in North America is happening in the fall, “reimagined” on a new timeline with new categories. The move from February to September may defy the laws of tradition by planting a flag on an unusual — and contentious — space on the toy industry Monopoly board.
For years, many of the biggest voices in the business have questioned just how many major trade shows are needed around the world. Hong Kong, London, and Nuremberg loom large with major events that previously led into Toy Fair as the grand finale of “trade show season.” Now, the “season” is a year-round affair that’s ripe for reinvention and what’s right for some may not work for others. The biggest example of a differing outlook is the rising prominence of the Los Angeles preview weeks in April and September, dubbed by many as “LA Toy Fair” despite no formal organization under a governing body. As the defacto historians of the North American toy industry since 1984, The Toy Book team cannot ignore that the business is evolving, and due to the new timing, some members of our extended family will leave their seats at the table empty in NYC this week.
THE TOY BOOK EVOLUTION
The shift in timing reshapes things, including this very magazine. Our 2023 “Toy Fair Issue” is essentially a second volume of our annual BIG Toy Book. We’ve packed these pages with the in-depth category coverage that readers demand in the February issue paired with the holiday drivers and an early look at next year that we’d previously shared in our “Fall Toy Preview” editions.
We’re celebrating our toy industry family by opening the scrapbook on page 42 to take a look at the toys and games that inspire them. The throwbacks continue on page 132 where Chris Byrne checks in with “Tales of Toy Fairs Past.” Our Flashback column on page 242 digs into The Toy Book archives for a look at five products (one of them infamous!) that hit the market back in 1993.
While the industry may disagree on certain things, one thing we can all agree on is that it’s time for some excitement, and on page 50, Marissa Silva, Co-Editor-in-Chief of our consumer-facing sister publication The Toy Insider, unwraps some of the biggest toy trends for the holiday season. Carrying on the festive vibes, Senior Editor Madeleine Buckley presents a curated collection of holiday-inspired toys and games on page 94, but if spooky is your thing, we’ve got you covered with Halloween treats on page 84. On page 100, Associate Editor Nadia Velit explores a century of Hasbro and what’s next for the company behind Transformers, NERF, My Little Pony, and more.
This year has been one of “rebalance” (check out what Circana’s Juli Lennett says about that on page 40) and evolution and speaking of that, we quietly launched a whole new website, rebuilt from the ground up with new features and product showcases that we think you’ll love!
As this issue lands, we’re already working on our Innovation & STEAM Issue (out Dec. 15) and the kickoff to The Toy Book’s 40th volume in 2024.
Let’s rock!
[Ed. Note: Less than 24 hours after our new issue hit, The Toy Association revealed a dramatic change to Toy Fair timing and location beginning from 2025 to 2028]
A version of this feature was originally published in the 2023 Toy Fair issue of The Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
