Story Retrieval Date: 11/28/2008 12:42:59 AM CSTDespite a gloomy economy, the toy and game industry is doing just fine, said exhibitors at the sixth annual Chicago Toy and Game Fair Nov.
22 and 23 at Navy Pier.
Leaders from top toy and game companies contend that when times are tough, Americans are more inclined to swap pricey movie outings, concerts and sporting events for family game night.Games have traditionally been recession proof, said Roger Gehrke, a board-game industry expert and president of Swedish development and marketing firm Sybarit AB.Al Waller, president of Out of the Box Publishing Inc.,?declared that games are a good value.
The economy, when it goes into a slowdown or recession, is really good for the industry, he said.
People are actually buying more [games] because of the down economy, said Waller, whose company recently sold its best-selling Apples to Apples game to Mattel Inc.
At the show, nicknamed ChiTAG and billed as?the nation’s only...
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Tough economic times may mean your holiday budget is tight this year.
But trimming your holiday spending doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style.
By using existing items in your home and purchasing just a few key, but inexpensive elements, you can create a show-stopping holiday display within your budget.Here are some festive and fresh ways to deck the halls:Bring a taste of the outdoors in with a green theme straight from your back yard.
Use foliage, like pine cones and holly, to create a lush centerpiece or dress up a mantel.
Intertwine the natural flora with ribbons, ornaments or the hottest earthy trend of the season woodsy mushrooms.
Look for hand carved wooden or recycled glass mushrooms in various sizes.Also nature-inspired, birds (small, feature covered birds can often be found in craft and discount stores) evoke the songs of the season.
These cheerful feathered friends can make a special appearance or set the entire theme and are adorable additions...
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Jolly Good Meat Products, a Los Angeles, Calif.
establishment, is recalling approximately 600 pounds of ready-to-eat and raw banger sausage rolls because they may contain an undeclared allergen, eggs.
Each box bears Est.
# 6216 inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The Banger Rolls products were produced in September and October, and were shipped to distributors in California for further distribution to retail establishments and restaurants.Find your new home or the perfect apartment.
Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Cars drive on walls and ceilings.
(See the details on Page D4.)Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Cars drive on walls and ceilings.
(See the details on Page D4.)Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Cars drive on walls and ceilings.
(See the details on Page D4.)Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Cars drive on walls and ceilings.
(See the details on Page D4.)Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Cars drive on walls and ceilings.
(See the details on Page D4.)Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro...
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Jonathon White pointed to a brown patch on his color-coded relief map of Virginia.
Stump Elementary School using clay, paint and a Styrofoam tray on which to rest the model and its labels.It’s pretty beautiful, he said, his finger hovering over the Appalachian Plateau.
It’s rocky.But in addition to being beautiful, Jonathon also learned the region was among the poorest in the United States.
That knowledge didn’t sit well with the 9-year-old, who talked about it with his dad one day after school.I felt sad about them being poor, Jonathon said.His father, 37-year-old Robert White, understood Jonathon’s feelings and asked his son if he might like to do something to help.
Would the two of them want to take a trip down to the region before Christmas to try and help families in need?
Would Jonathon mind donating some of his old toys and clothes in the basement to kids who might not have any of either?
They were going to sell them in a yard sale,...
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Mattel, Ugobe and other toymakers are hoping that robotic dinosaurs are high on the must-have lists of kids this year.
Spectrum Radio’s Prachi Patel-Predd went shopping to take a look at some of the high-tech interactive dino playmates on the market and has our story.GELLERMAN: There was a time - seems like eons ago - when toys were simple and fashioned from wood, cloth, metal and paper - but times have changed and toy technology has evolved.
The Japanese toymaker Ugobe is one of the companies leading the way with a new generation of toy-asaurus as Spectrum Radio’s Prachi Patel-Predd reports.PATEL-PREDD: When Ugobe announced that Pleo the robotic dinosaur would hit store shelves in late 2007, parents of pet-loving kids rejoiced.
Puppy-sized Pleo would be an ideal pet: cute and friendly, without the needs of a live animal.
Twelve-year old Nadya Nee was intrigued.NEE: Pleo could walk around and it wouldn’t walk off the table we tested that a lot and it...
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Thu, Nov 27, 2008 (2:03 a.m.)Congress generated considerable publicity this summer when it passed a law regulating the lead content of toys and other children’s products.
But there is something to remember as this year’s holiday shopping season begins the main provisions of the law do not take effect until next year.What made Congress’ action necessary was a record 112 recalls in 2007 of toys and other products geared for children.
Extremely high lead content was the reason.
One recall included more than 600,000 accessories for Barbie dolls.Children are the most susceptible to lead poisoning, which can cause learning and behavioral disorders, as well as illnesses and even death.There have been 64 recalls this year based on high lead content in children’s products, showing that while the danger is receding, it still remains.The Associated Press reports that most of this year’s recalls were of products manufactured by companies in China, Vietnam,...
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WASHINGTON (AP) If the toy fits inside the tube from a toilet roll, it’s too small for tiny tots, consumer advocates warned Tuesday.U.S.
Public Interest Research Group said parents shopping for holiday toys should look out for hazards such as small parts, soft plastics and lead contamination.Although increased consumer protections were approved this summer, U.S.
PIRG warned parents that those rules have not yet gone into effect.Unfortunately, while the product safety bill is a major step forward, many of its protections are not yet fully in effect, so it’s still buyer beware this year, said Elizabeth Hitchcock, public health advocate for U.S.
PIRG.In its 23rd annual Trouble in Toyland report on hazardous playthings, the organization focused on three hazards: small parts that can choke children who are younger than 3-years-old, lead-tainted toys and soft plastic toys that contain chemicals called phthalates.Hitchcock said the tube at the center of a toilet...
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Assabet Valley students are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Aztec Wishes holiday gift drive in style - the school has already met its goal of adopting 100 children.The annual drive collects toys, gift cards, clothing and money for families in need.
The school receives first names of children from the South Middlesex Opportunity Council.When students first met a couple of weeks ago, they started with 80 names, said Kathy Barber, a teacher and organizer of the drive.
Those names were gone within a few days, so the school took on more and topped out at slightly more than 100.
By adopting a child, participants agree to provide gifts for them.We don’t have any more names, said Barber, who organized the drive for the first time this year.
We still want people to be involved.Anyone interested in donating can bring gift cards, new clothing or money to the front office of the Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School.
Gift cards can be from grocery stores...
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With budgets tight, many parents are trying to make the best decisions when it comes to buying Christmas toys this year, so News 9 put some of the season’s hottest toys to the test.In this year’s toy test, children of different age groups were giving a chance to play with 10 of the hottest toys in a variety of price ranges.
They gave feedback on the toys, and their teachers also evaluated them.And it’s not enormous, Elie said.
It’s a good size.At $39.99, Elie said she would recommend it.The Aquadoodle Wall Mat is a reusable drawing canvas where art almost magically disappears.
The child testers could draw on it for hours.The mat uses a refillable water pen, so there’s no mess.
At $24.99, it was also recommended by teachers.On the pricier end is the V-Tech V-Motion Active Learning System.
The testers had a hard time taking turns, but they liked it.The game lets children choose their own level and tell it if they’re a boy or a girl.
The...
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