Kathleen McHugh, Executive Director
American
Specialty Toy Retailing Association
312/222-0984; kmchugh@astratoy.org
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Specialty
Toy Group Announces Hot Holiday Toy
Picks
For The 2004
Season
High-Quality Toys and Games that Inspire the
Imagination
CHICAGO–
November 15,
2004–The American Specialty Toy Retailing
Association (ASTRA) released today its list of Hot Holiday Toys for the
2004 season. Compiled with input from ASTRA’s independently owned
neighborhood toy retailers from around the country, the list includes toys
and games chosen based upon their uniqueness, quality, high play value,
and educational\developmental attributes. Above all, however, they
are terrifically fun toys that children will love to play with long after
the holidays have come and gone.
ASTRA’s hundreds of retail members
throughout the country are committed to ensuring that the toys that make
it home for the holidays engage and stimulate the minds and imaginations
of the children who unwrap them. The Hot Holiday Toys list is
offered each year to assist people looking for that extra-special gift for
the children in their lives.
To assist shoppers looking
for those special gifts, neighborhood specialty toy stores in cities and
towns across the nation are stocking these Hot Holiday Toys and hundreds
of other special toys, while also offering a retail experience that toy
shoppers cannot find elsewhere.
|
Blue
Orange Games |
Gobblet |
|
BRIO
Corporation |
POLAR EXPRESS
Holiday
Set |
|
Cranium |
Balloon
Lagoon |
|
Educational
Insights,
Inc. |
Rumis |
|
|
Blokus |
|
Elenco
Electronics |
Snap
Circuits |
|
Folkmanis |
Puppets |
|
International
Playthings Inc. |
Honey Bee
Tree |
|
|
My First
Purse |
|
|
Calico
Critters |
|
KidKraft
|
Kitchen |
|
Manhattan Toy |
Groovy
Girls® |
|
Marky Sparky
Toys |
Doinkit™
Darts |
|
Melissa &
Doug |
Fold & Go
Fire Station |
|
|
Doorbell
House |
|
Only Hearts
Club |
Only Hearts
Club Dolls |
|
Papo/Hotaling
Imports, Inc. |
Castles and
Knights |
|
Playmobil USA
Inc. |
Noah's
Ark |
|
RC2 |
Thomas Wooden
Railway |
|
Radica |
20
Q |
|
Ravensburger,
FX
Schmid |
100 Piece
Children’s Puzzles |
|
Scientific
Explorer |
Star
Rocket |
|
Schleich
North America Inc. |
Animal
Figurines |
|
SET
Enterprises Inc. |
Quiddler,
Five Crowns, SET |
|
Small World
Toys |
Small World
Kids Catch of the Day |
|
Thames and Kosmos |
Fuel Cell
Car |
“Our members live by the
saying that ‘play is brain food’, and so you will find the highest quality
toys and games on this list in a price range for every budget,” said
Kathleen McHugh, executive
director of ASTRA. “Neighborhood toy sellers are a tremendous
resource at this time of year because they are focused on only one thing –
making sure holiday shoppers find good toys that produce the biggest
smiles at holiday time.”
# #
#
Shoppers interested
in locating an ASTRA-member specialty toy retailer in their area can visit
www.astratoy.org for a list of ASTRA members and locations, or they can
call ASTRA at 312/222-0984.
About the
American Specialty Toy Retailing Association
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) currently has
more than 800 members nationwide and is the only association dedicated to
the education and expansion of the specialty toy industry. For more
information about ASTRA or its annual convention, Marketplace 2005, please
call ASTRA at 312/222-0984 or visit the ASTRA Web site at www.astratoy.org.
