We’re Back in the Saddle Again!

It’s official: For the first time since 2019, the toy industry is back together at the Dallas Market Center. You could call it a “last rodeo” of sorts, as The Toy Association’s 2023 Preview & 2022 Holiday Market signals an end to the traditional fall toy previews in Texas. Next year, Toy Fair will move into its new September slot at the Javits Center in New York City.

The Toy Book team from Adventure Media & Events is on the ground in Dallas this week as we look for hot new products to cover in the months ahead. The preview experience is all about newness, and with that in mind, we’re dropping the curtain on our Fall Toy Preview issue. Inside, you’ll find a 2023 Preview showcase packed with new toys and games that will be hitting store shelves in the year ahead. And, we’ve also stacked the deck with a showcase of 2022 Late Holiday Launches that retail buyers will want to be on the lookout for ahead of the holiday shopping season. But that’s not all …

Additional highlights include:

  • Backstory: LEGO at 90: Our cover story looks at how a humble workshop spawned one of the biggest toy companies in the world.
  • Facing This Fall’s Challenges: The toy industry makes moves to balance supply and demand amid inflation concerns.
  • 40 Years of Phoning Home: Universal Brand Development rolls out a new toy program celebrating four decades of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.
  • Foodie Finds in the Toy Aisle: A classic play category gets refreshed with new toys across multiple categories.
  • Property Profile: Wham-O prepares to celebrate some milestone anniversaries in 2023.

As always, this issue is packed with actionable insights from The NPD Group, ASTRA, The Toy Association, TinkerTini, and more. Flip through the pages and let us know what you think, and feel free to shoot me a note via email or on LinkedIn if there’s something that you would like to see in The Toy Book

Be sure to check out toybook.com early and often and follow us on TwitterInstagram, and LinkedIn to stay on the #pulseofplay with the latest toy news, trends, and new products all year round!

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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