At Toy Fair Work is Always Play!

Step right up, don’t be shy! Take your pick from all these fabulous toys and prizes! The Giggle Guide^® had a blast taking in all the sights and sounds at recent trade shows in NYC, and we discovered plenty of goodies to cheer about at Toy Fair 2011. We grinned with childhood delight at Nowstalgictoys’ Squirmles. Creative products from Center Enterprises won our stamp of approval, and we felt like kids again as we “test drove” ride-alongs from Playsam’s. Our Geeky nature was fed too, with ThinkGeek’s joystick for iPad and interactive guitar t-shirts. Want to play? Add these exciting knickknacks, games and action-packed products to your store’s toy aisle and let the good times roll!

Remember When Again at Nowstalgictoys

Now is the time for Nowstalgictoys and their original Squirmles. For the uninitiated, Squirmles include a capsule case for magical pets that wiggle, jump, and do tricks over hands and cups. Sold in packs with different sizes and colors, a Squirmle fits in perfectly with today’s current trends and will bring a warm and fuzzy feeling to adults who remember the original, as well as to their kids that experience the craziness anew.

Customers and kids will bounce into your store in search of Ball Wizard, which makes the perfect birthday party gift. Ball Wizard includes all the ingredients needed for a make-it-yourself ball kit, including ball-making powder, molds, and instructions.

Spring breezes are perfect for Mystiflyers, which are billed as the ultimate flying illusion, with millions sold nationwide since the 1950s in fairs and festivals. A fun card trick, each set includes magician’s thread and wax, the card, and instructions.

Kids of all ages enjoy the Nowstalgic toy and gift options that bring toys of the past into the playtime arena of a new generation.

Everything old is new again! Contact Carl Zealer at or 740-964-6232, or visit www.nowstalgictoys.com for further information.

1-2-3 O’Clock, 4 O’Clock, Stamp

Turn your store into a learning center with innovative and educational projects from Center Enterprises. School your customers on the benefits of Ready2Learn packs that include fun items like rubber stamp pads, stamp kits, and accessories. Imagination rules with kit choices that include multi-lingual options in letter lacing and magnetic letter kits. Alphabet stampers help little ones learn ABCs and can help moms complete scrap-booking projects. Giant stamps add big fun to craft projects and teacher learning stations.

Stamp out summer boredom with rubber stamps, stamp pads, and add-on items like seasonal and holiday paint rollers, texture rollers and palm printers. Ready2Learn Spoon or Animal Puppet craft kits are a great resource for teachers. Vibrant Mask Kits from Ready2Learn can create an afternoon of imaginative play, while nothing brightens up a rainy day like Paint & Clay Explorers.

Learn more about the ABC’s and 123’s of stamps, stamp pads, accessories and Ready2Learn kits at www.centerenterprises.com. You can also check on wholesale pricing by emailing

Playsam Gets Things Moving!

Can they ride it in the rain? Can they ride it like a train? Ride along with sales from the high-quality streamliner toys and ride-ons offered by Scandinavian design company, Playsam, makers of traditional rocking horses, rocking rabbits and ride-on cars, with quality construction at the helm. Wood-crafted Playsam ride-ons harken back to a simpler time, when special attention was paid to artistic design detailing.

Shown at the World Expo in Shanghai, these wooden toys have been part of the world of play since 1984 with push toys, ride-ons, executive gifts, and stationary toys. Playsam ride-ons and toys appeal to kids of many ages for their toy and imagination function, but also as artistic decorative options for a child’s bedroom or an executive’s office. Backed by years of experience and design awards from prestigious organizations like the Swedish National Museum, these ride-ons and streamliner toys are perfect additions to your own shelves for long-lasting value and active fun.

Get ahead of the game online at www.playsam.com, or contact

Think Geek, Think Fun

ThinkGeek thinks fun with their introduction of entertaining items that combine nostalgia and the latest technologies. iPad is here to stay. ThinkGeek creates an arcade stick for the iPad that elevates the experience for adults and kids alike. Billed as providing stuff for the “smart masses,” ThinkGeek adds play value with iPad arcade sticks and novelty t-shirts.

While the iPad is the newest technology trend, the arcade game has fans from many decades. Combining the iPad’s appeal with the nostalgic feel of a joystick brings the ThinkGeek JOYSTICK-IT to market. The stick adds accuracy to the touchscreen experience with no wires or batteries to interfere with the gaming experience.

ThinkGeek also offers tees that give new meaning to the term, “play-wear.” Kids can express their love of rock-n-roll with the Wearable ROCK! shirt. This interactive electronic rock guitar shirt includes a belt-clip mini-amp, electronic guitar image, and magnetic pick, all on a fun t-shirt design.

Tim Scriven of ThinkGeek is waiting by his iPad for your questions at . You can also visit www.thinkgeek.com, or go the more traditional route and call 703-621-6482 to reach the innovative ThinkGeek staff.

Did we leave out your favorites from Toy Fair? Comments welcomed below…