We can retreat into our memories to recall how things were back when we first started in toys. Depending on what decade we can think about all of the ways the toy industry has changed; even if you’ve been working in the industry for just a few years many drastic changes that the ‘old-timers’ complain about can be seen. The shifts have been greatly exaggerated even in just these past few short years. The highlighted issues represent changes that reflect how the industry has and will be seen in the future. These trends seem to be the focus and concerns for now and for the years ahead.

For those of us who have been involved in the business over several decades, the changes are enormous. There are many factors that have contributed to each of these changes. Whether you view the toy business from any position you can see dramatic shifts in perceptions and reality. Toys are after all a reflection of our society. How the toy industry is dramatically changing can be viewed through this ‘kaleidoscope’ of issues that reflect major changes, including:

1) Free playtime of children- reduction in the availability of free time to experience play plus the increase in working parents with less family play time.

2) Impact of technology– chips, computers and beyond.

3) Diversity and types of products—licenses, technology and ‘joysticks’3) Shift in toy manufacturing- Made in the USA is past as global manufacturing has taken over

4) Various legal, ethical, trade imbalances, and other business matters-your lawyer can talk to my lawyer and so on

5) Drastic changes in venues of retail settings – where people find toys and buy them

Over the past few months these important issues have been discussed with a variety of people who have been in the industry for a long period of time. The perspectives of the past and present may match your own experiences and may also color your view of the future and the pros and cons of the directions the toy business is headed.

The future of the toy industry will be a challenging one as the industry shifts into the new role of “facilitators of play”. Looking toward the future, we can consider some excellent new directions.
We can be optimistic that children will continue to seek playthings of value. Diverse and worthwhile playthings will continue to be readily available and be accessible to influence the play patterns for the children of tomorrow. There will be continued support for play as an essential experience for children and families.