What is a Good Idea?

Getting Started | What is a Good Idea | What Will Sell | Entering the Marketplace  | Resource Section

Is it Unique?

Be sure the item you have invented, or something very similar to it, is not already in existence. Of the approximately 5,000-6,000 toys introduced each year, most are created by salaried professional designers and research and development specialists at the more than 1,000 toy manufacturers based in the U.S. (For those interested in studying professional toy designing, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Toy Design is offered by the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. New products also originate from toy design firms that sell their ideas to toy companies. Independent professional inventors use their personal contacts to sell their ideas to toy companies and design firms.

To see what is currently on the market, research the toy industry at the retail level. Visit as many outlets as possible that sell toys, including large toy chains and small, local toy stores; discount, variety, gift/novelty, card/stationery and department stores; as well other outlets including bookstores, museum gift shops, drug stores, supermarkets, juvenile furniture stores, sporting goods stores and home supply centers. A good time to do this is in the late summer or early fall, when most new products have arrived at retail stores for the holiday shopping season. Observe how toys are sold: categories, pricing, packaging, product displays and amount of retail shelf space devoted to each category. This is important information, especially if you should later decide to manufacture your invention yourself. A free booklet, Researching Your Market, is available from the U.S. Government's Small Business Administration. Remember, too, that toy companies often work two or more years in advance, so there is always a possibility that something similar to your invention may already be in a planning stage.

Read the toy industry trade magazines. Also check the consumer press in the library's "Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature" under "toys, games" for feature stories about new toy industry products, especially during the holiday season and after the new items have been previewed by toy buyers at Toy Fair, held annually in New York, during the month of February.

Conduct a patent search, which is done prior to applying for this type of protection. Patent searches can be time-consuming. For a fee, patent agents, attorneys who practice patent law or patent searchers can conduct searches for you.