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NEWS ABOUT: toys

Illegal? No Toys for You, Kid

Texas charities playing Santa check immigration status

(Newser) - A handful of Houston-area charities tasked with giving toys to children this holiday season are checking would-be recipients’ immigration status first—and denying goodies to kids in the US illegally. Though one such group says the measure is aimed at parents, immigration advocates are appalled. More »

Sales Rise Even Though Shoppers Spend Less

$41.2B weekend total beats 2008 haul by $1.2B

(Newser) - Thanksgiving weekend retail sales totaled $41.2 billion, a .5% jump over last year's $41 billion, but the average shopper spent 8% less than in 2008, $343.31 against $372.57. Discounts, especially on electronics and toys, were the overwhelming attraction as cautious consumers pried open their wallets, Bloomberg reports.... More »

This Year's 'It' Toy: Zhu Zhu Pets

The fake hamsters are selling out quickly in stores

(Newser) - The year's "must-have" toy has been crowned. For the uninitiated, Zhu Zhu Pets are electronic hamsters. They typically cost under $10, but stores are selling out quickly and prices are soaring online. Witness the coronation:
  • BusinessWeek: "Remember the Cabbage Patch Kids craze? The Tickle Me Elmo frenzy? Meet
... More »

Plastics 'Feminizing' Baby Boys

In utero exposure linked to different behaviors

(Newser) - Pregnant women's exposure to plastics is "feminizing" the baby boys they give birth to, researchers have found. Heightened in utero exposure to plastics is linked to reduced interest by boys in "rough and tumble" play and also to more typically masculine toys, like trucks, trains and guns, found... More »

Barbie Braces for Doll Wars

Upstarts move in while Mattel hits back

(Newser) - Barbie remains the best-selling doll in the world, but she's in a dogfight. Mattel is banking on a new iteration—complete with 12 movable joints—called “Fashionista Barbie” to combat incursions from the likes of Spin Master's “Liv” dolls, and MGA’s “Moxie Girlz.” The Wall ... More »

White House Doesn't Diss New Michelle Doll

Action figure seeks to capitalize on first lady's popularity

(Newser) - The White House—which strongly objected to Malia and Sasha Obama dolls released earlier this year—declined to comment yesterday on an upcoming Michelle Obama doll. The 6-inch action figure seeks to capture the first lady's "muted, subdued, classy" style, says its maker Jailbreak Toys, which has been selling... More »

Fox to Yard Salers: Unloading Wrong Toy Could Cost You $15M

CPSC launches push to stop the resale of recalled toys

(Newser) - Selling the wrong toy at a yard sale could lead to a fine of up to $15 million under a new government policy, Fox News reports. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's "Resale Round-Up" aims to stamp out the sale of used toys that have been recalled due to high... More »

Toys R Us Pumped Up for Holiday Offensive

Chain plans to open 80 temporary stores in time for holiday shopping season

(Newser) - Toys R Us is getting ready to go on the offensive in the battle for holiday sales, the Washington Post reports. The company—which snapped up the KB Toys and FAO Schwarz brands earlier this year—plans to open 80 temporary "Holiday Express" stores in malls across the country,... More »

Girls Play Mom With Breastfeeding Doll

Spanish toy comes with halter top to simulate nursing

(Newser) - If urinating and burping toys aren’t enough, a Spanish doll provides simulated breastfeeding, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Bebé Glotón, which translates to Baby Glutton, comes with a halter top for the doll's owner, and it's equipped with a pair of flowers that take on the role of... More »

Brit Nursery Schools Ban Cuddlies on Swine Flu Fears

(Newser) - Teddy bears have been given their marching orders from British nursery schools and day care centers as the government seeks to stop the spread of swine flu, the Guardian reports. New guidelines say soft toys should be removed since they are hard to clean properly, and the sharing of pencils... More »

Build-a-Bear Toys Stuffed With $33M in Heroin

(Newser) - Bronx cops discovered that cute Build-a-Bears that children are supposed to fill with stuffing were packed instead with some $33 million worth of heroin, reports the New York Daily News. The brown teddy bears held glassine envelopes of brands of heroin with names like "Barack Obama," "Swine... More »

Boys Hardwired to Like Trucks

(Newser) - The gender stereotypes found in the toy aisle may merely be a reinforcement of genetic preferences, the Daily Mail reports. In a recent study of infants aged 3 to 8 months, boys expressed more interest in a toy truck, whereas girls preferred a doll—leading researchers to believe the predilection... More »

Toys 'R' Us Buying FAO Schwarz

(Newser) - One of the biggest names in toys is buying one of the oldest. Toys 'R' Us will announce tomorrow that it has struck a deal to purchase FAO Schwarz for an undisclosed amount, reports the New York Times. The store's name won't change. FAO has been a New York City... More »

Dollmaker Turns From First Daughters to Dog

(Newser) - Toymaker Ty couldn't resist another attempt to capitalize on Obamania, this time with Bo—the Portuguese Water Dog doll being billed as "inspired by the First Family's new puppy. It's spurring unprecedented demand, retailers tell the Chicago Tribune. But the dolls are unlikely to garner anywhere near the... More »

British Military Blasted Over White Male Toy Soldiers

(Newser) - The British Defense Ministry is under fire for backing a new line of all-male toy soldiers, reports the Guardian.The promotional campaign for the new toys is also all-white. The figures were created with the help of senior officials from Britain's army, navy, and the Royal Air Force. They carry... More »

Think Hard: Telekinetic Toys On Their Way

Concentration 'magically' lifts ball in tube

(Newser) - Two companies are set to release toys this fall that kids can operate using only their minds—and that’s just the beginning of a telekinetic revolution, experts say. To use one toy, intrigued individuals wear a headset and concentrate on anything. The toy senses the brain’s electrical activity... More »

Playmobil Demands Pastor Stop Crucifying Toys

(Newser) - Playmobil has demanded that a German pastor stop using its toys to depict Bible scenes, reports the Telegraph. One plastic human figure has been given breasts to be a naked Eve, and another has been nailed to a cross. Photos of the altered figures have been posted on the internet.... More »

Relax, Parents: Tween Dora Still 'Wholesome'

New doll of beloved character had sparked short-skirt concerns

(Newser) - Dora the Explorer is getting a tween update in a new doll, which trades her baby fat for a more girly, urban look, Hispanic Business reports. After concerns were sparked by a silhouette preview of the doll sporting a very short dress, parents can breathe a sigh of relief: the... More »

Requiem for the View-Master

(Newser) - Fisher-Price isn’t stopping production on its 3-D viewer, the View-Master, but it will no longer produce the huge catalog of picture-wheels that have delighted and enlightened generations of Americans, laments the Economist. The company will publish just a small number of children’s reels for the device that gave... More »

First Daughters Soaring Over New Swing Set

Obamas' purchase a suprise for Malia, Sasha

(Newser) - When Malia and Sasha Obama came home from school Wednesday, there was a surprise waiting for them: a swing set from their folks, the Chicago Tribune reports. The excited girls played on the set, complete with four swings, a fort, and a picnic table with the names of all the... More »

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