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The Toy Book Top 10: The Hottest Stories of July 2023

Let’s just say that Mattel and Jazwares dominated July.

by James Zahn
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We’re a week into August, and that means we’re a little late in posting our monthly roundup of the hottest stories for the previous month here at The Toy Book. A new phase in the Toy Book evolution took place as we quietly deployed our all-new website in anticipation of the holiday season and some great content on the horizon. Now, we’re hitting the rewind button and taking a quick look back at some of the hottest stories of July 2023, as chosen by you, the readers.

A few older stories picked up steam again last month, including our Monster Jam Property Profile from the 2023 Licensing & Entertainment Issue and Jazwares’ Squishmallows headed to McDonald’s Happy Meals (June) alongside three stories that just keep staying in the Top 10 month after month: JAKKS Pacific’s Sonic Prime launch (May); PhatMojo’s collaboration with Roy & Charcle on Rainbow Friends (Jan.) and Basic Fun! taking the lead to relaunch Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop (Nov. ’22).

As always, to secure an official slot within the monthly Top 10, only news and features that were published in July 2023 qualify.

Check out the most-read new items here at The Toy Book last month.

The Toy Book Top 10: July 2023
  1. Exclusive: Jazwares Enlists with ‘Call of Duty’ as Global Master Collectibles Licensee; Line to Debut at SDCC
  2. Mattel Reveals Leadership Changes as Richard Dickson Departs; Silverman, McKnight, Down Elevated to New Roles
  3. Babies ‘R’ Us Returns to the U.S. with Flagship Store at American Dream
  4. Funko Layoffs: Company Reduces Workforce by 12-13%, Nearly 200 Jobs Lost
  5. SDCC Exclusive: Nacelle Fires Up the Motorcycles for ‘Biker Mice from Mars’ Relaunch as Ryan Reynolds Joins the Team
  6. AMain Hobbies to Acquire HobbyTown
  7. From the Editor: The Record-Breaking ‘Barbie’ Boom and the Impact on the Toy Department
  8. Mattel Rocks the Big Apple and Rings the Nasdaq Bell to Celebrate ‘Barbie’ Premiere
  9. Just Play Welcomes Two New Executives to Business Development Team
  10. Squishmallows, VeeFriends Partner for New Plush Offerings Inspired by NFTs

RELATED

From the Editor: The Record-Breaking ‘Barbie’ Boom and the Impact on the Toy Department

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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, 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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