Alan Dorfman, President of Super Impulse, discusses the growing world of miniature toys, the relaunch of Potato Head PopTaters, the Toy Fair shift, and more in this extended edition of The Toy Book’s 2023 State of the Industry Q&A roundtable. Want more insight from the all-stars of the toy industry? Click here to explore this year’s lineup!

The Toy Book: You practically invented the miniature toy category. Now that the space is highly competitive, how is Super Impulse staying ahead of the pack with new products and innovations?

Alan Dorfman: Our core line, World’s Smallest, is more than a collectible line. All of the World’s Smallest items have working functions — they are playable like the full-size originals. Our colleagues in the toy industry trust us to replicate their flagship, classic, and trending products into working miniature toys and games.

We also do lines of non-functional miniatures that are collectibles, and all are unique from the other collectible miniatures in the space. We do the very smallest miniatures — a fraction of the size of other miniatures — in our Minis-in-Minis line. We also produce extensive series of collectible miniatures based on classic toys, Micro Toy Box; and Wacky Package Minis, based on hilarious, retro trading cards.

Potato Head PopTaters as featured in the 2023 edition of The BIG Toy Book. | Source: Super Impulse

TB: You’re relaunching the Potato Head PopTaters line this year. Some readers may recall the previous products that the late PPW Toys produced a decade ago. Tell us about the Super Impulse take on these collaborative collectibles.

AD: Super Impulse is very proud to partner with Hasbro to carry the Potato Head brand forward for new audiences and is glad to continue the legacy that PPW established with its great line of co-branded products. PopTaters is updated to appeal to today’s figural collector. We bring playability to the line: all of the parts, facial features, and body parts, are removable and interchangeable.

We are featuring a range of co-brands that appeal to fan favorites in pop culture, including Bob Ross, Dwight Schrute from The Office, Sonic the Hedgehog, and KISS. PopTaters are displayable as stand-alone figures or in the packaging. And the real fun is in the mash-ups, mixing and matching the character parts.

Related: The 2023 Edition of The BIG Toy Book is Here!

TB: Super Impulse products can be found at mass retail, specialty stores, and even some unexpected places like Bass Pro Shops. What are some of the ways that you cultivate and support retail partnerships?

AD: Super Impulse is fortunate to have broad distribution to a wide range of retailers, often exceeding what is typical in the toy industry. We attribute this to products that have a broad demographic appeal.

We have some of the best sales managers and sales reps in the business. Knowing that our toys are the perfect impulse products, appealing to all ages and genders, we pursue opportunities at all types of retailers.

TB: How does Toy Fair moving from February to September impact your business, and what’s your take on the trade show shift?

AD: Very good question, one that we are all waiting to see how it plays out. I’m excited about the change. We, as an industry, have had the opportunity to really evaluate business without trade shows over the past two years. While we miss the camaraderie, the buzz, the media, the chance to meet our customers and make a proper line presentation, and other opportunities of shows, we learned that we did survive without them. But it is time to get back.

There have been rumblings about the timing of Toy Fair for years, as retail buying windows have evolved. Toy Fair was established 120 years ago to support the holiday buying season. The new timing changes our development schedules. By moving the biggest show of the year to the fall, we can focus on the early-year gift shows, especially the Atlanta Gift Show, which has been growing in prominence over the past few years. With ToyFest and ASTRA following in the spring, we can essentially build our momentum throughout the year, leading to Toy Fair. And while we always had success with the Dallas Toy Show, doing two major shows a year was expensive and resource-consuming. I love New York, but will not miss it in February. October is much more welcoming, and I think the trade will appreciate it.


A version of this Q&A was originally published in the 2023 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, 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) 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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