Get Involved: The Toy Book Celebrates 40 Years on the Pulse of Play with the 2024 Edition of 'The BIG Toy Book'

The legend returns to kick off a milestone year!

The BIG Toy Book tradition continues in February 2024 to kick off The Toy Book‘s 40th volume.

Answering the call of retailers, manufacturers, distributors, and licensors across North America, the 2024 edition of The BIG Toy Book is a giant-sized issue packed with the content that readers have come to expect from the No. 1 trade publication serving the toy industry in North America.

While it might seem early, it’s not, and this is your official notice that the time to get involved with our biggest — and most important — issue of the year is now and you won’t want to miss out!

The Toy Book is now collecting editorial product showcase submissions for The BIG Toy Book. The deadline for new product submissions is Dec. 22, 2023. Additionally, marketing opportunities tied to the issue are now available.

Highlights in this issue include:

Comprehensive 2024 product coverage for all categories: The hottest new products that retailers will want to stock.
State of the Toy Industry: Q&A with industry leaders, retailers, and manufacturers about toy trends and hot topics in the toy industry; 2024 forecast; insight from Circana; and full-year 2023 statistics.
The Toy Book’s regular departments plus exclusive features covering all aspects of the industry, including retail, the state of freight, hot trends, packaging, invention, marketing and public relations, and more.
Toy Book 40th Anniversary Kickoff: Our year-long, overarching theme will focus on big brands with big anniversaries along with a look back at four decades of toy history.

The BIG Toy Book will be mailed to subscribers and be available digitally beginning in late February. Additional copies will be displayed and available at ToyFest in Las Vegas, and at a special event in New York City taking place in March.

Submission Guidelines & Instructions:

There is no fee to submit for editorial consideration.

If you have products that you want retailers and the rest of the industry to see, we’d love to consider them for one of our curated new product showcases.* Due to the large number of submissions that we receive, we request that you read and adhere to the submission requirements below. For consideration in our 2024 new toy coverage, please submit using the following guidelines. Only products that are NEW FOR 2024 will be accepted.

Please send your new, 2024 product descriptions in a Word document attachment to James Zahn, james@toybook.com

PDFs and/or PowerPoints will not be considered. List the suggested age, MSRP, and availability (e.g. Spring 2024, Fall 2024) whenever possible. Please group your descriptions by category, and do not send more than three (3) items per category. While you may submit up to three items or product lines per category, please place them in order of priority as The Toy Book team, at its discretion, may include just one “hero” item from those submitted.

You may submit using the following format:
PRODUCT NAME | AGE GRADE | MSRP $USD | AVAILABILITY DATE
(Street date, month, or season, i.e. Summer 2024, Holiday 2024)
Short description of your product.

Categories planned for this issue Include:

Action Figures: Traditional action figures and playsets for kids and collectors.
Arts, Crafts, & Activities: Products geared toward keeping kids creative.
Construction: Building sets and construction materials of all kinds.
Collectibles: From kid-focused micro figures that come in waves to high-end action figures, licensed pop culture merch, and beyond for kids and kidults.
Dolls: Any toy that fits into the traditional doll category, including small dolls, baby dolls, fashion dolls, etc.
Games & Puzzles: Traditional games and puzzles, card games, tabletop games, roleplaying games, 3D puzzles, and more.
Impulse & Novelties: Cash register fodder, rack toys, and other pocket money items (including candy!) can be found here.
Infant & Toddler: Baby toys and toddler fun — this showcase features juvenile brands.
Outdoor & Active: Toys that kids can play with outside or get them moving, including blasters, water toys, and outdoor games.
Plush: Traditional stuffed animals and plush in all sizes and variations.
Preschool: Products geared toward the massive audience of kids ages 3-4.
Ride-Ons and Wheels: Bikes, scooters, go-karts, bumper cars, skateboards, and more.
Toy Adjacent: Products sold in a toy store that aren’t necessarily toys and games.
Vehicles & R/C: Die-cast vehicles, radio-controlled vehicles, action figure-compatible vehicles, pull-back cars, construction vehicles, train sets, model kits, drones, airplanes, boats, and more. If it has wheels, treads, flies, or floats, this is the spot.
Stock This! (aka What’s New:) Our miscellaneous section is for other items that don’t fit elsewhere, such as robotics, tech, and entertainment, and will also feature some standout items alongside additional products from categories not listed or earmarked for this issue.

Prioritize your submissions in each category, listing your most important items at the top of each category list, and your most important category first. Please only include top-line talking points in the product description. Our space is limited, but we will try to cover as many of your products as possible.

Please include high-resolution 300 dpi images with transparent/no background as email attachments. If possible, include an image of every item for each category, and name your images so that it is clear which item it is.

Please do not send PDFs or PowerPoint presentations, and DO NOT embed images within documents.

*Please note that due to the large number of submissions that we receive, inclusion in The Toy Book is not guaranteed. The Toy Book editorial team, at its sole discretion, may approve or reject a submission for any reason. We reserve the right to categorize products, edit product descriptions for length, clarity, and adherence to AP and house style, and may limit the total number of products showcased for this no-cost editorial opportunity. We do not, for any reason, include legal symbols in editorial coverage.

Send your submission by Dec. 22. If you need an extension, please send an email to james@toybook.com before Dec. 22.

EMBARGOES: Be assured that ALL EMBARGOED SUBMISSIONS for 2024 new toy coverage will remain confidential and will not be printed until The BIG Toy Book is officially released in late February 2024