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Toys & Collectibles

Little Things Mean A Lot: Think Super Impulse Miniatures for Valentine and Beyond

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Super Impulse novelties will help you stay out from behind the 8 ball on Valentine’s Day.

My Tiny Valentine…

I’m not a prognosticator, but I can predict your future accurately if you manage to overlook Valentine’s Day. I know, I know! It seems like you just used all your brain cells picking out the perfect holiday gifts for your loved ones. Now V-Day has snuck up on you with an equally important task. If you’re still scratching your head for an answer at this moment, I suggest you think small. 

By that I mean, take the opportunity to power up your gift basket game with miniature collectibles from Super Impulse (SI). In addition to the traditional candy and champagne, SI’s array of “World’s Smallest” replicas will help you create a uniquely personalized present, and bring back a few special memories for a loved one.

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Just a few of the choices available from Super Impulse’s “World’s Smallest” toy line.

Big Love, Small Package…

As someone who hid his wife’s engagement ring in a trick-or-treat pumpkin, I believe that a little something out of the ordinary can elevate an occasion. So, if you bonded over a board game decades ago, are popping the question to a pop culture fan, or need a distinctive party favor for a wedding or anniversary, the range of licensees that Super Impulse is partnered with ensures you’ll find the appropriate memento.

SI products are notable for their attention to authenticity. Yes, the Mattel Magic 8 Ball replica will respond to your queries just like its full sized sibling. Yes, you can play the Trivial Pursuit game, though at my age it will require a magnifying glass. No, you can’t eat the candies. They’re collectibles, not edibles.

Need something quick? Check this Super Impulse Amazon search link for what’s currently available.

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SkeletonPete Says…

Over the course of many toy industry events it’s been impressive watching Super Impulse build a battalion of tiny novelties.

For me, the first grand slam was their minuscule, but fully working, reproduction of Ohio Art’s Etch-A-Sketch. The dial controlled art palette was one of my favorite toys as a kid.

Since then SI has launched a line of Micro-Figures. They stand approximately 1.25″, have 3 points of articulation, and come with their own smartly designed collector/display cases. They portray characters from fictional franchises (G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe, Star Trek) to real life personages like TV painting guru Bob Ross

Love is in the Lab…

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We belong…Wed. Frankie and Elsa got off to a rocky start. She had a hissy fit when they first met. But the big lunk revealed his soft side and she realized they were made for each other. Literally.

As you can see I had some fun building a castle laboratory diorama for photographing the Series One Universal Monsters Micro Figures to illustrate this post.

With a little color wash and depth of field control, everything and the kitchen sink strainer can stand in for scientific apparatus.

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A behind-the-scenes shot of my truly table-top “studio” setting.
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Toys & Collectibles

The Toy Association Reveals 2018 Toy of the Year Finalists

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Andy Says Toys & Collectibles

Toys to the World: Toy Insider’s Holiday of Play 2017!

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Toys & Collectibles

UN-ADULT-erated Fun: Toy Insider’s Sweet Suite 2017

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Orders of the day at Sweet Suite 2017, were fun and easy to follow.

If you’ve watched a television news or talk show segment about toy trends in the last couple of year’s it’s almost certain you’ve seen “Toy Insider Mom” Laurie Schacht doing the demonstrations. Laurie and the Toy Insider team have built a reputation as the go-to mavens for broadcast and online information about what’s hot on the horizon of play. Toy Insider’s pre-gifting season lists point to the best of what’s on the market. Their hashtag, #WeKnowPlay, is not a boast – it’s a fact.

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Toys & Collectibles

Fab Gear: Toy Insider Names Best in Play for 2016

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Adventure Publication’s Laurie Schacht and the Toy Insider team gave Holiday of Play attendees the lowdown on the latest & greatest modes of play.

Andy and Pete Say…
Once again it was our pleasure to join The Toy Insider team for the annual reveal of their choices for best toys for the holiday season lists. The HoliDAY of Play event highlights products in three categories, Hot 20 Toys, 12 Best Tech Toys, and 10 Best S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Toys.

You probably know “Toy Insider Mom” Laurie Schacht from her numerous television appearances demonstrating the operation of those products. The Toy Insider 2016 Catalog can be found nested inside the current issue of Family Circle Magazine, and you can get comprehensive details on each item at the Toy Insider Website link above.

Things to Make and Do….
There is probably no greater satisfaction for youngsters, really for anyone, than building something that works. That appeared to be the major theme this year at The HoliDAY of Play event. As we’ve seen in the past, from Lincoln Logs to LEGOS, the honing of dexterity skills, deciphering of instructions, assimilation of concepts, peaking of imagination and recovering from missteps, all make the final product a very personal thrill. The accomplishment makes the object all the more valuable to the builder.