Contact: Adrienne Citrin / Tiffany Guarnaccia
  Toy Industry Association / G. S. Schwartz Public Relations
  646.520.4870 / 212.725.4500
  acitrin@toyassociation.org / tguarnaccia@schwartz.com

Toy Industry Association Announces Finalists
for 10th Annual TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards

Ballot Showcases the Year’s Best Toys in 12 Categories

Winners to be Announced  at TOTY Gala on February 13, 2010, Kicking off Toy Fair Week

New York, NY | November 20, 2009 –­ The Toy Industry Association (TIA) today announced the finalists for the tenth annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. The ballot is being sent to TIA members who will vote exclusively for products in twelve categories, including two separate categories for Infant and Preschool, which is new this year. In addition, one toy will be designated Toy of the Year.

Well-recognized as the “Oscars®” of the toy industry, the coveted toy industry awards program is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2010.

TOTY awards are determined by a vote of the TIA members and associate members (one vote per member organization).  The ultimate “Toy of the Year” winner is selected from among the products appearing on the TOTY ballot or via a write-in vote by TIA members. 

TOTY nominations rose this year by 18% and were submitted by 120 distinct sponsors.  The submissions represent a broad cross section of the toy industry, covering products for both specialty and mass market retail sectors.

All 2010 TOTY nominated products must be available at retail in the United States when the nomination is submitted and have been introduced to the marketplace within the last two years.  (A new version of an older product line is eligible as long as the “new” iteration has been introduced within the last two years.) No more than two products from one company may appear in an award category on the final ballot.  Companies with multiple divisions and whose individual divisions have nominated toys may be represented by up to three products on the final ballot.

The toys featured on the ballot were selected by members of the TOTY Nominations Committee, a group comprised of industry professionals including major retailers, academia, toy journalists and inventors. 

Jamie Gallagher, CEO of Faber-Castell USA/Creativity for Kids and chair of the TOTY Committee, affirmed the Nomination committee’s discerning role. “Our goal is to ensure the integrity of the ballot selection process by selecting top tier toys which have had retail success and exemplify the ingenuity and creativity of the industry.”

TIA introduced a more in-depth nominations submission process this year in order to obtain key product data to help it promote the toys which make it to the final ballot.

Issued today to TIA members, the ballot voting period will run through January 12, 2010.

All the products selected for the official TOTY 2010 ballot are featured on a new TIA-sponsored consumer-facing website that launched today … just in time to help drive sales for the holiday shopping season.

Consumer visitors to www.ToyAwards.org will find descriptions of each TOTY-nominated toy and links to each manufacturer’s website where they can access shopping information.  To help make toy shopping easy, the Toy Awards site features a free, downloadable gift shopping list which parents and caregivers can take with them to stores to aid in selecting the most innovative and desirable toys this holiday season. Kids, parents and caregivers can also identify their favorite toys using an electronic polling system and opt-in to register for one (or more) of eleven (11) prize packages.

“The TOTY Awards celebrate the creativity and innovation of the toy industry and the products on the ballot represent this year’s “best of the best” as selected by those in the know – members of the industry itself,” said Carter Keithley, president, Toy Industry Association.

Winners will be announced during the TOTY Awards presentation ceremony that will take place on Saturday evening, February 13, 2010 at Chelsea Piers/Pier 60, officially kicking off the 107th American International Toy Fair week in New York City.

More information about the TOTY Awards, sponsorships and ticket sales as well as the Toy Industry Hall of Fame can be found on www.totyawards.org.

[A list of the TOTY 2010 ballot items follows.]

About TIA
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing over 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe play.

For more information about the TOTY awards, visit www.totyawards.org.
 
ACADEMY AWARD(S)®, OSCAR(S)®, OSCAR NIGHT® and OSCAR® statuette design mark are the registered trademarks and service marks, and the OSCAR® statuette the copyrighted property, of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Finalists for 10th Annual TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards

Activity Toy of the Year

1. Harumika by Bandai America (MSRP $5.99-$39.99)
2. Musicolor by Delta Creative (MSRP $49.99)
3. TRIO by Fisher-Price (MSRP $29.99)
4. Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Jewel by JAKKS Pacific (MSRP $29.99)
5. Chixos Design a Luxury Loft by Spin Master (MSRP $29.99)
6. Crayon Town by Wild Planet Entertainment (MSRP Starter Sets: $9.99 mass-$14.99 specialty, Deluxe Sets: $19.99 mass-$24.99 specialty)

Boy Toy of the Year

1. Nerf N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS-35 by Hasbro (MSRP $29.99)
2. Transformers Constructicon Devastator by Hasbro (MSRP $99.99)
3. Duck Hunter by Interactive Toy Concepts (MSRP $29.99)
4. EyeClops Night Vision 2.0 by JAKKS Pacific (MSRP $49.99)
5. Matchbox® Rocky the Robot Truck™ by Mattel (MSRP $59.99)
6. Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid by Spin Master (MSRP $39.99)
7. Laser Zero Gravity by Spin Master (MSRP $29.99)

Educational Toy of the Year

1. Desert Biodome by DuneCraft (MSRP $24.99)
2. Mythbusters Weird Water World by Elmers Products (MSRP $19.99)
3. Tag Junior Book Pad by Leapfrog (MSRP $34.99)
4. Super WHY! Touch & Learn Super Duper Computer by Learning Curve Brands (MSRP $34.99)
5. Mindstorms NXT 2 0 by Lego Systems (MSRP $279.99)
6. SmartGlobe 3 by Oregon Scientific (MSRP $159.99)
7. Zippity by Leapfrog (MSRP $79.99)

Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year

1. BOP-IT! by Hasbro Games (MSRP $19.99)
2. Duck Hunter by Interactive Toy Concepts (MSRP $29.99)
3. EyeClops Mini Projector by JAKKS Pacific (MSRP $99.99)
4. Swinxs by Swinxs Inc (MSRP $150.00)
5. Rubik’s TouchCube™ by Techno Source (MSRP $150.00)
6. Mindflex™ by Mattel (MSRP $79.99)

Game of the Year

1. BOP-IT! by Hasbro Games (MSRP $19.99)
2. SCRABBLE SLAM Card Game by Hasbro Games(MSRP $6.99)
3. Mindflex™ by Mattel (MSRP $79.99)
4. UNO Moo!™ by Mattel (MSRP $19.99)
5. Bakugan Trap by Spin Master (MSRP $7.49)
6. Big Buck Hunter Pro TV Games by JAKKS Pacific (MSRP $39.99)
7. Sort It Out! by University Games (MSRP $24.99)

Girl Toy of the Year

1. Harumika by Bandai (MSRP $5.99-$39.99)
2. Barbie® Fashionistas™ by Mattel (MSRP $11.99)
3. Moxie Girlz™Art-titude Doll by MGA Entertainment (MSRP $19.99 and up)
4. BFC, Ink. 18-inch Doll by MGA Entertainment (MSRP $39.99)
5. Liv Dolls by Spin Master (MSRP $19.99)
6. Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia (MSRP $7.99)
7. Princess Tiana 11.5” Doll Mattel (MSRP $24.99)

Infant Toy of the Year

1. Gentle Giraffe by Cloud B (MSRP $24.95-27.95)
2. Crayola Beginnings Color Me A Song by Crayola, LLC (MSRP $24.99)
3. Laugh & LearnTM Learning Farm by Fisher-Price (MSRP $79.99)
4. Seedlings™ Ivy by The Goldberger Company (MSRP $10.00)
5. My Pal Scout and My Pal Violet by Leapfrog (MSRP $19.99 each)
6. Yookidoo Swap-N-Go Snail by International Playthings (MSRP $36.99)
7. Twilight Turtle by Cloud B (MSRP $29.95-$33.95)

Most Innovative Toy of the Year

1. Nerf N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS 35 Blaster by Hasbro (MSRP $29.99)
2. EyeClops Mini Projector by JAKKS Pacific (MSRP $99.99)
3. Mindflex™ by Mattel (MSRP $79.99)
4. Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia (MSRP $7.99-$19.99)
5. Air Hogs Switchblade by Spin Master (MSRP $69.99)
6. Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser by Spin Master (MSRP $29.99)
7. Printies™ Design Studio by Techno Source (MSRP $19.99)

Outdoor Toy of the Year

1. My 1st Scooter by Radio Flyer (MSRP $49.99)
2. Razor® RipRider™ 360 by Razor USA LLC (MSRP $129.99)
3. Razor® Spark™ Kick Scooter by Razor USA LLC (MSRP $69.99)
4. Smart Trike Deluxe by Smart Trike, Ltd. (MSRP $99.99)
5. Air Hogs Switchblade by Spin Master (MSRP $69.99)
6. Swinxs by Swinxs Inc. (MSRP $150.00)
7. EA Sports Voice Command Pitching Machine by Toy Island (MSRP $69.99)

Preschool Toy of the Year

1. Handy Manny’s Repair Shop by Disney/Fisher-Price (MSRP $99.99)
2. Tonka Chuck & Friends Chuck My Talking Truck by Playskool (MSRP $34.99)
3. Cozy Coupe 30th Anniversary Edition by Little Tikes/MGA Entertainment (MSRP $49.99)
4. Imaginext Dragon World Fortress by Fisher-Price (MSRP $49.99)
5. Bilibo by O Kido (MSRP $30.00)
6. Rocky the Robot Truck by Mattel (MSRP $59.99)

Property of the Year

1. Bakugan by Cartoon Network
2. Transformer by Hasbro
3. Lego
4. Barbie by Mattel
5. iCarly by Nikelodeon + Viacom Consumer Products
6. The Princess and the Frog by The Walt Disney Company
7. Star Wars

Specialty Toy of the Year

1. Twilight Turtle by Cloud B (MSRP $29.95-$33.95)
2. HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creatures by Innovation First International (MSRP $9.99)
3. Shopping Cart by Melissa and Doug (MSRP $49.99)
4. Captain Owen’s Dolphin Explorer Boat by Sprig Toys (MSRP $29.99)
5. Pentago by Mindtwister USA (MSRP $19.99)
6. The Dangerous Book for Boys—Classic Chemistry by Thames and Kosmos (MSRP $35.95)
7. EcoAquarium by Wild Creations (MSRP $19.99-$50.00)