collectibles – The Next Kid Thing

The Best Beauty and the Beast Toys and Dolls from Hasbro and Funko

March 17, 2017March 17, 2017 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Disney’s latest live action film, Beauty and the Beast, is debuting today with much Disney fanfare. Cue #BeourGuest and sparkly costumes!When the teaser started to show online and on tv, generations were captivated, including the generation that grew up watching the iconic animated version. Today, those kids who watched Belle and Beast’s animated tale are now parents, and of course, the new film’s appeal is reaching a new generation in an epic way.

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In celebration of the film’s release, we’re sharing some of our favorite toys and trinkets that we spotted at the 2017 Toy Fair here in NYC. The various companies that have the Disney license created magical toys to dazzle kids and engage in cool new ways.

Enchanting Melodies Belle Doll

Dressed in her gold ball gown, the Belle doll sings the “Something There” song from Disney’s live-action movie Beauty and the Beast. With one press of Belle’s stomach, she will sing of her budding love for the Beast in this classic song. Requires three A76 batteries, included. ($29.99/Available: Spring 2017)

Dance and Code Belle

Dance and Code Belle was one of my absolute favorite toys at Toy Fair, and perhaps my most favorite coding doll. This unique and gorgeous doll is inspired by Belle’s brains and graceful dancing. With an app, kids can code Belle’s dances and movements. I thought this was such a unique way to incorporate the tenets of STEAM and introducing coding.

Check out a video of Belle in action, as well as the other Beauty and the Beast dolls from Hasbro’s Toy Fair Showroom

Disney Beauty and the Beast Grand Romance

The deluxe duo 2-Pack includes a Belle doll dressed in a removable dress inspired by her yellow ball gown, Beast figure in his ballroom attire featuring a furry textured body, and fashion accessories. ($49.99) Available Spring 2017

Castle Friends Collection Small Doll Set

Once the human servants of the enchanted castle, the Disney Beauty and the Beast Castle Friends Collection Small Doll Set features five loyal friends to The Beast. The set features some of the characters from the live-action movie including Lumiere, Cogsworth, Chip, Mrs. Potts and Plumette. ($14.99) Available Spring 2017

Beauty and the Beast Village Belle Doll

The Village Belle doll wears the iconic blue dress inspired by the village scene in Disney’s live-action movie Beauty and the Beast. Kids, collectors, and fans of the timeless classic will love reliving their favorite moments and imagining their own stories. Includes Belle doll, outfit, and a pair of removable shoes inspired by her outfit in Disney’s live-action movie, Beauty and the Beast. ($14.99/available Spring 2017)

Funko Disney’s Belle, Beast and Gaston

Funko creates an expansive line of licensed vinyl figures, including many beloved Disney characters such as Belle and the Beast. I loved checking out the multiple iterations of these characters from their Pop! line of vinyl figures. With their over exaggerated animated features, these lovable collectibles are ideal for fans and kids alike. Now if only they had a LeFou character!

Have you seen Beauty and the Beast yet? If so, what did you love about it? More importantly, which toys are on yours and your kids’ wishlist?

Toy Fair 2011 Trends and Beyond

February 17, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Whew. What an exhausting week it’s been. You probably wouldn’t know it from my absence here on NKT, but I was at the New York Toy Fair, and what a productive week it was!

Every time I attempted to write up a post or two, I was distracted by toys or discussion about toys with my blogger pals. For my second year at Toy Fair, it was yet another fun adventure, and one that I’m excited to share.

From babies to big kids, manufacturers are stepping in up with their latest fares. I spotted a lot of great trends ranging from active-inspired toys and games, to tech enhanced toys, to many licensed products in line with new movie releases (Pirates of the Carribean, Cars 2, Captain America, Green Lantern, etc.) to toys that continue to mimic the real world and of course, anything that’s old is new again.

Still in the process of digesting all this information and downloading the thousands of photos I took, I can’t wait to share more detailed information and sneak peeks of new toys, books and gifts that I saw in my travels.

In the meantime, here are just a few of the many photos I took over Toy Fair:

Skylanders Spyro’s Adventures from Activision incorporates actual toys with video game play. This game, geared to gradeschoolers and up, is unique, exciting and the first of its kind.

Call it Monopoly 2.0 or video games of the future, Monopoly Live involves electronic interactivity, player recognition and more.

In line with their 10-year deal with Sesame Street, Playskool rolled out their new line that celebrates America’s favorite furry monsters. Let’s Rock Elmo was the big reveal in this new Sesame Street line boasting accessory recognition, dancing and singing capability and more.

Megablok’s Need for Speed line was one of the many licenses-turned-toy/games that’s indicative of the impact games and apps have on kids and the products we’re finding on our toy store shelves.

Continuing on with the Teeny Tiny trend that I talked about last year and a trend that we saw continuous growth all year, Spinmaster is introducing Gomu, another line that will have girls lining up to collect more teeny tiny toys. Gomu, a line of tiny erasers, was one of my personal favorites since I love pens, pencils and writing tools, and collectible (and affordable) erasers.

I’ll be back with more finds and thoughts from Toy Fair 2011, but in the meantime, feel free to check out my Flickr photos.

Toy Fair 2010: Teeny Tiny Trend

February 24, 2010March 3, 2010 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Toy Fair had so many larger than life toys that were on display, but one trend that I noticed that paralleled the aforementioned accessibility theme was the presence of so many teeny tiny toys. And for this first toy, I’m talking tiny.

Teeny Little Families

Bandai was showcasing their new Tiny Little Families line, which is described to be the smallest collectible doll. The story behind these guys is that the little animal families–The Bakers, Acorns, Nibbles, Purrbrights, Waddles and Pollywogs–take up residence in abandoned, mundane objects such as shoes, alarm clocks and even a wee little cell phone. Their little town/playsets include homes, pampering spots and many more locations for the families to enjoy. Teeny Little Families is a new take on doll houses, giving girls another alternative for cutesy collectibles.