I do wonder, though, what place there is, if any, for the kinds of educational/developmental toys that challenge children’s creativity. The kind that enable young children to strengthen manual dexterity, engage in decision making and fuel their imagination with colors and shapes. Particularly in a climate of “electronic” and hi-tech overload.

More than anything board games are a very tough “sell” to toy companies. In fact, our firm won’t even accept board games for review. Here is why: the big-box retailer only allocates so many square feet of shelf space to board games in their planogram. In that planogram are absolute “evergreens” like Scrabble, Monopoly, CandyLand, Life, Yachtzee, etc AND licensed games like Bat Man, Hannah Montana, et al. This amalgam of “evergreens” and no/low risk licensed items (Star Wars, Hannah Montana, etc) are guaranteed winners. The buyer has zero risk with these guaranteed winners and only so many feet of shelf-space. It does not behoove the buyer to take a chance on a new, untested game. It is sad to say and to hear but it is part of the “no risk, large reward” style of retail buying these days.

With regards to your outdoor concept, I would very much like to see the concept. Outdoor play, as long as it is unique and not material intensive, is a viable avenue for an inventor.

David Fitzgibbons – TheGeatToySearch.com

PS: Happy Holidays to you Mike D.

I know. David’s a great guy, but what he conveys in the interview is a bit deflating, to be candid. That said, he does say that “real innovation will always find a home.”

Best of luck, warm regards and happy holidays.

Mike

I submitted a simple game to a board a few years back for review. They stated it would probably sell in small toy and novelty stores, but not the big stores. They said it was because of the lack of technology, much like you said. I love technology, and I won’t go into a big thing about how kids cannot think on their own without a computerized toy pointing the way, but it does seem simple, good fun toys are history.

After reading your article, I am a bit concerned with my latest invention, which is NOT computerized. It is used at the beach, and serves a dual purpose of functionality as well as entertainment for the kids. Is this kind of idea going to be impossible to sell? And I only have one product (right now), so it sounds from your interview that the big toy stores don’t want individual products, just companies. This is really scary. First all tech., now all big companies-so no good, simple fun created by thinkers without a company name. Whew…I hope you can send some encouragement.

Thank you.

Diana Smith, Inventor