It’s September, and that means it’s time to look back on the biggest toy stories and hottest products of August.

Our Action, Adventure, & Mystery Issue dominated screens as earnings season heated up. Some of this year’s biggest trends also ruled the month, with both NeeDoh and Dumplings cracking the top 10, while retail and live experiences drew a ton of interest across the Spencer Spirit Holdings x Hot Topic deal, Build-A-Bear’s Halloween Collection, and the real-life Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza coming to American Dream. Check out the hottest stories below.

The Toy Book Top 10

The most-read, clicked, and shared stories at The Toy Book last month.

  1. Mattel Launches Disney Playsets for World Princess Week
  2. Build-A-Bear Workshop Reveals Its 2026 Halloween Collection
  3. Spencer Spirit Holdings Acquires Hot Topic Portfolio
  4. Earthbound Brands to Expand RMS Mystery Squishy Dumplings Through Exclusive Global Licensing Program
  5. Mattel’s Q2 Growth Story Runs Through Hot Wheels, Games, and Action Figures
  6. A Taste of 2026: A First Look at This Year’s New Toys and Games [Returning from March]
  7. Fake NeeDoh, Real Trouble: $214,000 Counterfeit Haul Seized
  8. Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza Becomes Real at American Dream
  9. Playmates Toys Launches Collection Inspired by ‘Paris & Pups’
  10. Funko Flips the Script in Q2 as Collectibles Growth Fuels a Return to Profit

Top 10 Product Pages:

The Top 10 most-searched-for toys and games.

  1. NEEDOH ADVENT CALENDAR (Schylling)
  2. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE CHRONICLES GYM BRO SKELETOR ACTION FIGURE (Mattel)
  3. MAX BUILD MORE PREMIUM BRICKS BOOKS COLLECTION (ZURU)
  4. WARRIOR CATS COLLECTIBLE CHARMS — SERIES 1 (Bonkers Toys)
  5. [2024] NEEDOH GLOWY GHOST (Schylling)
  6. LUVIBUBS (Moose Toys)
  7. BIG SQUIJ (Keycraft Global)
  8. XSHOT SKINS PRO SERIES MOTORIZED THRASHER (ZURU)
  9. BLUEY’S DELUXE SURPRISE HOUSE (Moose Toys)
  10. MRBEAST LAB — MEGA TECH MUTATORS (Moose Toys)

Click here for the full archives of previous Toy Book Top 10 features.

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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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