It says a lot for the toy industry when a well- known toy that has endured over time is telling consumers there may be a shortage for Christmas. Lego is telling the industry it can't keep up with current demand and there may be a shortage in toy stores for Christmas! Industry says that may represent a substantial decrease in sales for the company over the season
I guess Santa has to kick in and help- for every little boy or girl that has their heart set on Lego for the holidays

Every year the toy industry hopes for a hot toy that drives interest in the toy industry in general. Ten years after his launch- Elmo returns with TMX adn everyone is laughing all the way to the bank as EBay, Toys R US, Wal-Mart and Mattel Inc all win.
With a great PR and launch the toy has already generated tons of buzz with consumers. The limited run has already got consumers in a Frenzy to get their Elmo TMX It makes you wonder how we are and can influence consumers. He is great - we all love Elmo-but I am not the kind of consumer to ever stand in line for hours to get one. I might be persuaded, though, if a child really wanted one, to track one down on EBay.
So as for months we have all wondered if the consumer would come to the table for holiday shopping- Elmo is leading the charge telling us the consumer is alive and well. This all should help with holiday numbers that can represent 30% of the annual numbers and a lot more for some. Stocks to watch- all the players and first in line - Mattel Inc

2005 Wild Heart Ranch Inc.ISBN: 0976176823Cancer patient Brad & the Sandman take a magical trek to discover the secrets of the heart.Dedicated to nine year old Bradford Lawless, a true warrior at heart & his battle with cancer (Ewing's Sarcoma) this tale combines elements of his real life woven into a magical journey of hope.“When the Sandman comes to visit you tonight, you need to listen closely as you close your eyes & drift off to sleep. It is a tale of magic that lives in the desert, of buried ancient treasures, vanishing wild camels, forgotten people & the courage of a small unlikely warrior destined to be their guardian.”Come meet a boy as he does battle with cancer & dreams of what his purpose in life is.Come away with him, when the Sandman visits, to the ‘ends of the Earth’ where once sea covered the land & dinosaurs lived, where eagles fly & herds of camels & asses (donkeys) roam the vast orange dunes, & people are far & few between.Come listen to the stories the grains of sand have to tell, of history & kings, treasures & mysteries, as Bradford searches for his purpose.Bradford and the Journey to the Desert of Lop is a lyrical, lively bedtime tale, filled with vivid images & magical insights.The bold & bright illustrations are by Alexander Levitas, who lives on a kibbutz in Israel & knows something of deserts.In researching for this book Dawn Van Zant learnt about the last of the true wild Bactrian camels - Camelus bactianus ferus - from John Hare, founder of the Wild Camel Protection Foundation (www.wildcamels.com) with Jane Goodall as its patron.

Hasbro Scheduled to Launch Direct to Consumer Website in May:
HasbroToyShop.com, which is scheduled to go live in May, will initially focus on a select number of Hasbro brands, including MY LITTLE PONY, WEEBLES, VIDEONOW and a variety of family games from Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers. What will the retailers think that carry their line? With Wal-Mart already dominating the industry, having a major supplier compete for consumers may cause controversy