Related Research Articles
A model car, or toy car, is a miniature representation of an automobile. Other miniature motor vehicles, such as trucks, buses, or even ATVs, etc. are often included in this general category. Because many miniature vehicles were originally aimed at children as playthings, there is no precise difference between a model car and a toy car, yet the word 'model' implies either assembly required or the accurate rendering of an actual vehicle at smaller scale. The kit building hobby became popular through the 1950s, while the collecting of miniatures by adults started to gain momentum around 1970. Precision-detailed miniatures made specifically for adults are a significant part of the market since the mid-1980s.
Matchbox is a toy brand which was introduced by Lesney Products in 1953, and is now owned by Mattel, Inc, which purchased the brand in 1997. The brand was given its name because the original die-cast "Matchbox" toys were sold in boxes similar to those in which matches were sold. The brand grew to encompass a broad range of toys, including larger scale die-cast models, plastic model kits, slot car racing, and action figures.
A Happy Meal is a kids' meal usually sold at the American fast food restaurant chain McDonald's since June 1979. A small toy or book is included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a red cardboard box with a yellow smiley face and the McDonald's logo. The packaging and toy are frequently part of a marketing tie-in to an existing television series, film or toyline.
A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy house made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North America commonly use the term dollhouse, but in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries the term is doll's house. They are often built to put dolls in.
A model figure is a scale model representing a human, monster or other creature. Human figures may be either a generic figure of a type, a historical personage, or a fictional character.
The long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who has since its beginnings in 1963 generated many hundreds of products related to the show, from toys and games to picture cards and postage stamps. This article is not an exhaustive list of merchandise but attempts to present a flavour of the type of material that has been produced. This entry mainly concentrates on "official" spin-offs, that is to say, material sanctioned by the British Broadcasting Corporation, which produces the series.
The Attacktix Battle Figure Game was a collectable action figure game produced by Hasbro, released 2005 through 2006 and featuring characters from the Star Wars, Transformers, and Marvel Comics franchises. Many of the action figures are sold in starter sets in quantities of five or in quantities of three in a booster pack. Most figures average approximately 3.5 inches tall with other larger sized "mega" figures and vehicles. The figures sport a wide variety of spring-loaded action features such as projectile launchers and swinging close combat parts. The goal of the Attacktix game is to physically knock down the opponent's figures. It has also been described as an actionized version of another miniatures game, HeroClix.
MGA Entertainment Inc. is a manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1979. Its products include Bratz, Num Noms, Lalaloopsy, and Rainbow High, as well as toys targeted at boys such as Scan2Go. MGA also owns Little Tikes and animation studio MGA Studios.
Jada Toys, Inc. is an American manufacturer of collectible scale model cars, figures, radio controlled model vehicles, and dolls. It was founded in 1999 by Jack and May Li. Jada's products are predominantly aimed at the collectible market, and are available and popular at retail outlets worldwide.
Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures licensed and limited pop culture collectibles, known for its licensed vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces licensed plush, action figures, apparel, accessories and games. Founded in 1998 by Mike Becker and Claudia Becker, Funko was originally conceived as a small project to create various low-tech, nostalgia-themed toys. The company's first manufactured bobblehead was of the Big Boy restaurant mascot.
Spin Master Corp., formerly known as Spin Master Toys, is a Canadian multinational toy and entertainment company. Spin Master employs over 1,600 people globally with offices in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam.
RE-MENT Co., Ltd., located in Chiyoda Tokyo, is a Japanese manufacturer of collectible plastic toys. The company's name is derived from a combination of the phrase "reform the entertainment", alluding to their desire for innovation in the toy market. Established in 1998, Re-Ment currently sells a line of highly detailed miniature food, furniture and animal figures as well as mobile phone charms, doll fashions and magnets. Re-Ment miniatures have been featured in two television advertisements by the Kellogg Company for their Pop-Tarts pastry product.
TrueScale Miniatures is a Hong Kong–based manufacturing company of collectible scale model vehicles, founded by the Taiwanese Glen Chou in 2006. By 2007 TrueScale Miniatures had released their first product; scale replicas of snap-on brand tools called "Garage Essentials".
Prizes are promotional items—small toys, games, trading cards, collectables, and other small items of nominal value—found in packages of brand-name retail products that are included in the price of the product with the intent to boost sales, similar to toys in kid's meals. Collectable prizes produced in series are used extensively—as a loyalty marketing program—in food, drink, and other retail products to increase sales through repeat purchases from collectors. Prizes have been distributed through bread, candy, cereal, cheese, chips, crackers, laundry detergent, margarine, popcorn, and soft drinks. The types of prizes have included comics, fortunes, jokes, key rings, magic tricks, models, pin-back buttons, plastic mini-spoons, puzzles, riddles, stickers, temporary tattoos, tazos, trade cards, trading cards, and small toys. Prizes are sometimes referred to as "in-pack" premiums, although historically the word "premium" has been used to denote an item that is not packaged with the product and requires a proof of purchase and/or a small additional payment to cover shipping and/or handling charges.
Lego Friends is a product range of Lego construction toys designed primarily for girls that was launched in 2012. It introduced "mini-doll" figures, which are about the same size as traditional Lego minifigures but are more detailed and realistic. The original cast consisted of Andrea, Olivia, Stephanie, Mia and Emma. The theme was rebooted and relaunched in January 2023 to focus on a more diverse cast of characters, the main cast now consisting of Aliya, Nova, Zac, Liann, Paisley, Leo, Autumn and Olly.
The Trash Pack was a brand of collectible toys produced by Moose Toys, first launched in 2011. The toys were released in series, all with their own specific themes, and there are seven series in all. Along with the individual toys, the line also includes other merchandise, such as video games, activity books and sticker albums. A Trash Pack magazine has also been released through PONY Magazine.
Moose Toys, also known as Moose Enterprises or The Moose Group, is an Australian-owned toy design, development, and distribution company founded in 1985 by Brian Hamersfeld. The company is headquartered Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia, has over 600 staff, and distributes to over 50 countries. They are most known for their collectable minifigure toy lines "The Trash Pack" and "Shopkins", and their associated francises.
Shopkins are a range of tiny, collectable toys manufactured by Moose Toys. Based on grocery store items, each plastic Shopkin figure has a recognizable face and unique name. They also have special finishes like translucent, glitter, or squishy. The collectable toys also expanded into lines of clothing, trading cards, and other related merchandise.
Rainbow High is a fashion doll franchise created by Michael Scott Anderson originally as Rainbow Surprise and released by American toy company MGA Entertainment in 2020 originally as a spin-off from their Poopsie Slime Surprise brand. The back story for the franchise revolves around an elite high school for the visual arts, featuring students who represent colors of the rainbow.
Zuru is a Hong Kong–based toy and FMCG company that manufactures multiple brands of toys and consumer goods products. As of 2024, the company operates four main divisions: ZURU Toys, ZURU Edge, ZURU Tech, and Rhodes Pet Science.
References
- ↑ Mini Brands are the latest bizarre toy craze to sweep the nation, and they’re filling me with existential dread - The Washington Post
- ↑ Zuru prepares for global launch of 5 Surprise Toy Mini Brands - Toy WorldToy World Magazine | The business magazine with a passion for toys
- ↑ 5 Surprise Mini Brands Toys Investigation 2021 | The Strategist
 | This product article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |