Astronauts, athletes and Vikings are just a few of the diverse range of people that have populated LEGOland – in their Minifigure form – over the past thirty years.
Yet, we never see these little people grow-up from the infants that they surely once were. Until now that is, because Citizen Brick have a reproduction [stet] line working to knock-out numerous Minifigure babies.
The company are selling tiny plastic offspring in a completely unofficial enterprise that is not connected with LEGO in any way. For a reasonable sum of one dollar (63 new pence) per Minifig Baby, you can have your own “…bundles of screamy joy…”
Just as in nature, you do not get to choose whether you’ll be blessed with a baby boy or girl. And, just as in modern life, newborns are swaddled in either pink or blue, so that it grows up knowing what the world expects of a LEGO citizen.
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As the summer of 2012 approaches (we hope) in London, many of us are anticipating an important event. That’s right, there’s a new series of LEGO Minifigures waiting to be released.
However, rather than another motely crew of 16 new little people, this time there are 9 sporting men and women to collect, dressed in the colours of Great Britain’s Olympic team.
No doubt, this archer hungers for a medal at the games.
As with previous series, you won’t know which minifigure your are getting until you open the foil bag.
The nine Team GB LEGO Minifigures (8909) are:
- Archer
- Boxer
- Gymnast
- Horse rider
- Judo fighter
- Relay runner
- Swimmer
- Tennis player
- Weightlifter
The range goes on sale from 1st July and will cost £1.99 for each single figure pack. Stockists include John Lewis, Argos and Toys R Us.
There’s no telling what minifigure you’re going to get, until you open the packaging.
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Walmart and Toys R Us have recalled 21,000 inflatable Banzai in-ground pool water slides, after a 29-year-old Colorado mother died in Andover, Mass. from a broken neck sustained after the slide partially deflated.
The victim hit her head at the bottom of the slide because it had partially deflated. fractured her neck going down the water slide which had been placed over the concrete edge of a pool.
Two other serious injuries have occurred in a similar manner: a 24-year-old man from Springfield, Mo. became a quadriplegic and a woman from Allentown, Pa. fractured her neck.
Not only can the slide can deflate, putting the user at risk of hitting the ground underneath the slide, it is also unstable and can topple over in both still and windy conditions and carries inadequate warnings and instructions.
The recall product was made in China by Manley Toys Ltd and is decribed as: “…[having] a blue base, yellow sliding mat and an arch going over the top of the slide. By connecting a hose to the top of the slide, water can be sprayed on its downward slope. The words ‘Banzai Splash’ are printed in a circular blue, orange and white logo, shaped like a wave on either side of the slide.
The recalled slides were sold at Walmart and Toys R Us in the USA from January 2005 until June 2009 for about $250. The recalled slides have the barcode number 2675315734 and model number 15734. Both the barcode and model number appear on the original packaging but are not on the actual slide.
Owners of this product are urged to stop its use immediately and return it to the nearest Walmart or Toys R Us for a full refund. Consumers can also cut the two safety warning notices out of the slide and just return that portion.
Walmart can be called on telephone number: (800) 925-6278 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. Their website address is: www.walmartstores.com.
Toys R Us can be contacted via telephone number: (800) 869-7787 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday and between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday. The company’s website address is: www.toysrus.com.
]]>The firm cited laptops, tablet computers and home wares as strong sales performers, however, the statement went on to say: “…this was more than offset by weakness in other product categories, most notably in consumer electronics, which has seen a market decline of around 20% in the year and, excluding the growth in laptops and tablets, accounted for around 80% of the sales reduction in the year.”
During the past financial year Argos have closed-down 3 stores and in the coming five years as many as 230 stores will have their lease up for renewal or have the option to use a break clauses, giving the company an opportunity to cut-and-run from a large number sites it finds unprofitable. However, a chain of high street and out-of-town stores still remain a core part of the way Argos trades; nearly 90% of all its sales involve a visit to a store, even it is just to collect goods ordered via the Internet.
Homebase, the DIY chain, also suffered a drop in turnover; like-for-like sales were down by 2.0%.
During early trading on the London Stock Exchange, shares in Home Retail Group fell by over 3%.
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A LEGO set based upon a scene in the comedy-horror film – Shaun of the Dead – and designed by an enthusiast will not go into production, despite rapidly gaining 10,000 votes of approval.
The proposed set was shown on the LEGO Cuusoo website (a place where fans can upload pictures and descriptions of their own ideas, and vote for others) and on 31st March 2012 it had received 10,000 votes from visitors that wanted to see the design go into production.
As promised, a LEGO Jury deliberated over whether it should be released, however, today it decided that it was unsuitable because “…good though the model is – the film Shaun of the Dead contains content that is not appropriate for our core target audience of children ages 6-11.”
Dead : Legoland is safe from these zombies – at least, for now?
LEGO Cuusoo also stated: “Long before the Winchester received mainstream media attention, Greg (Yatkuu) contacted us in earnest to see if his project was acceptable. We recognized the potential conflict, but didn’t see a reason to remove the project. The model was presented tastefully and we thought it deserved fair consideration. With 10,000 supporters, the Winchester earned the opportunity to receive the full LEGO Review.
“Greg has been a pleasure to work with throughout this process. We’re impressed by his model, grateful for his constructive approach with us, and we are sad to disappoint such a devoted LEGO fan.”
Whist many may feel that the Danish company’s decision is zombiefied, it has been predicted by The Toy Detectives and others that a construction toy based upon such a gory movie was unlikely to be brought to life.
A fight on their hands : it was always going to be difficult to convince LEGO to make a horror movie toy.
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Whoozit Starry Time Rattle has been recalled by Manhattan toys due to a potential choking hazard.
The clear spheres on the ends of the rattle can break and release numerous small parts, which pose a choking hazard to small children.
Manhattan Group has received two reports of rattles breaking, however, no injuries have been reported.
UPDATE 4th May 2012 : a recall on this product has also been published in Great Britain. Stop the use of this toy immediately; return it to the original place of purchase for a refund. If you have any further questions there is a free UK telephone number to call: 0800 731 2857 — lines are open between the hours of 9 AM to 5 PM.
Around 3,000 units of this product in the United States and 150 in Canada are affected by the recall. The rattle toys were made in China.
Whoozit Starry Time Rattles were sold in a variety of specialty toy and baby stores in the USA and Canada. It was also sold via Manhattan’s own website: www.manhattantoy.com. Sold for about $15, the toy was available from September 2011 until March 2012.
The recalled toy is described by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) as: “plastic rattles feature three colored [sic] (orange, aqua blue and purple) stars stacked front to back between two clear spheres on a flexible stem. The rattle measures about 5-1/2-inches long. Each clear ball, located at the end of the rattle, measures 1-3/4 inches in diameter. The clear rattles contain small multi-colored [sic] beads and a white plastic disc featuring a blue smiling character face inside. The name of the product is printed on the hang tag.”
The affected rattles should be taken away from young children immediately and returned to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.
For further information, Manhattan Group can be contacted free of telephone charges on: (800) 541-1345 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (CT) Monday to Friday. The company’s website address is: www.manhattantoy.com
Undoubtedly London’s most instantly recognisable landmark is the Palace of Westminster’s Clock Tower, that is more commonly known as Big Ben (actually the name of the largest bell contained within).
LEGO have named 1st June as the day it releases it’s own plastic tribute to Big Ben, when the fourteenth model from LEGO Architecture range is launched.
It is the first model designed by Rok Zgalin Kobe (from Slovenia) who joins Adam Reed-Tucker, in the enviable job role, as a LEGO architect.
“The most challenging in creating this model was representing the richness of 19th century Gothic Revival architecture in a scale usually more appropriate for modern or contemporary architecture of smooth surfaces and clean lines,” said Rok Zgalin Kobe.
The building of the real Clock Tower commenced in 1843 and was completed in 1859 and was designed by the unlikely team of Classical architect Charles Barry and Gothic Revival pioneer Augustus Pugin.
Charles Barry had won the competition to build the new Palace of Westminster in January 1836; after the original was largely destroyed by fire in the night of 16th October 1834.
Mr. Barry’s initial designs were without the clock tower and as his own style was more Classical than the increasingly popular Gothic Revival, Mr. Barry asked Augustus Pugin for assistance. The clock tower and the design of the interior of the palace are thought to be Mr. Pugin’s work.
Constructed from brickwork, stone cladding and cast iron : Ben Ben stands at a height of 316 feet (96.3 metres).
LEGO 21013 Big Ben will be available from LEGO stores, LEGOLAND Stores and online (http://shop.lego.com/) from the 1st June 2012. The product is designed for ages 12 years and older. The Architecture Landmark series model will include a booklet with facts and history about Big Ben. Expected retail price is £19.99 ($29.99 or €29.99).
Mattel, the world’s largest toy compant, has seen its first-quarter profit fall by 53%. Costs associated with the acquisition of HIT Entertainment (owners of brands, such as, Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder) and a drop in sales in Barbie and Hot Wheels products were the main factors in the decline.
Worldwide, Mattel saw sales decrease by 2%; on home soil, North American sales decreased by 9%, however, internationally, sales grew by 7%.
The results were below market expectations, which saw shares fall by mas much as 7.7% during trading.
“We consider the first quarter to be spring training for the toy industry,” said CEO Bryan Stockton. “We continue to have momentum in many key areas and we’re focused on improving our performance in a couple of areas like North America and Fisher-Price.”
Monster High – a fashion doll range featuring horror story influened characters, such as, Draculaura and Frankie Stein – appears to be making a continued and significant contribution to Mattel’s sales figures; with what the company describes as “other girls’” increasing by 22%.
Mattel also cited the a fall in the popularity of toys based on the Disney PIXAR film Cars series as a reason for a 17% decrease in its “entertainment” category.
For the period, revenue fell by 3% to $928.4 million (from $951.9 million last year). Unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates contributed to the overall fall in turnover.
Mattel First Quarter 2012 Highlights
- Worldwide net sales down 2%
- North American gross sales down 9%
- International gross sales up 7%
- Barbie down 6%
- Hot Wheels down 5%
- Fisher-Price flat
- American Girl up 4%
- Operating income of $28.7 million compared to operating income of $36.8 million in the first quarter of 2011; and
- Earnings per share of $0.02 (includes the negative impact of $0.04 of HIT Entertainment acquisition and integration costs) vs. prior year earnings per share of $0.05.
- Acquired HIT Entertainment for $680 million.
- The Company repurchased 700,000 shares of its common stock during the first quarter at a cost of approximately $20 million.
Dividend
The Mattel Inc. board declared 2012 second quarter cash dividend of $0.31 per share, reflecting an annualised dividend of $1.24 per share.
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The appeal of Hasbro’s popular range of Nerf toy guns is obvious; after-all, many succumb to the allure of power that firearms promises to legions of (mostly and anecdotally) men.
Thankfully laws, by-laws and general morality prevent mobs marauding with black-powder powered weapons. It’s also true that there is a proper time and a place for the use of foam projectiles used in Nerf guns and its rival brands.
Recognising this, Hasbro has produced an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will allow Nerf fanatics, and other would-be sharp shooters, test their reactions and accuracy.
So, as long as you have one of the Apple devices named below, you’ll be able to get some shooting practise in; whether your seated in a restaurant, aeroplane seat or (if you can get away with it) attending boring meeting at work.
Being a “free” app means that it does encourage you to buy some tangible goods, therefore, scanning actual Nerf product boxes allows you to gain access to better blasters in the game; such as: the N-STRIKE RAYVEN CS-18 and the VORTEX LUMITRON.
Nerf Blaster Challenger is available from Apple iTunes and is recommended for ages 6 years and up.
You’ll need one of the following supported Apple devices:
iPhone 4
iPhone 4S
iPod Touch 4th Generation
iPad 2 (upscaled graphics)
iPad 3 (upscaled graphics)
As part of what Mothercare plc (MTC.L) describe as a “Transformation and Growth Strategy”, the company will shut down a further 36 nursery stores and 75 Early Learning Centre (ELC) shops over the next three years.
These newly announced store closures are in addition to the 3 Mothercare stores and 59 ELC shops closed down in the past year. This will reduce the current number of UK branches from 311 to 200 by March 2015; leaving a total of 173 Mothercare and 27 ELC stores. The company believes that the further store closures will add around £13 million to its bottom-line by March 2015.
Jobs are also under threat at the company’s UK head office in Watford, where 98 staff are all ready in consultation – and together with as many as 750 of store employees - are at risk of redundancy.
Sales in the firm’s UK stores dropped by 6.3% in the past year, however, sales in foreign countries grew by 16%, leaving the group’s total sales up by 0.7% by the end of the forth quarter. The company plans to accelerate its international expansion “… with more store openings in both new and existing countries.”
Alan Parker, Executive Chairman, stated: “Since November, a significant amount of progress has been made across the business. We launched a structural and operational review, appointed a new CEO, closed a significant number of underperforming stores and commenced a consultation programme to streamline our head office function. We have also introduced immediate initiatives aimed at improving value and service for our customers.
“Today we have announced the framework of our decisive three year strategy to restore the UK business back to profit and strengthen our foundations for growth. This will see us operate a lean, more competitive business, focused on the existing profitable stores in a smaller UK portfolio, combined with a state of the art online platform. Our International business continues to perform strongly and we plan to further accelerate growth.
“We now have the cornerstones of our Transformation and Growth strategy in place. Simon Calver joins us later this month and brings with him invaluable business change skills plus e-commerce and international brand expertise. Simon will take whatever action is necessary to deliver the strategy and, as such, will present his detailed plans in May.
“Mothercare is a great global brand with strong international partners. Today marks the beginning of a three-year turnaround and I am confident we will deliver a sustained recovery and long term success.”
Trading update (12 April 2012)
Full year 2011-2012 (52 weeks)
Worldwide network sales up 4.3%
Total group sales up 0.7%
International retail sales up 16.0%
Total UK sales down 6.3%
UK like-for-like sales down 6.2%
Direct in Home sales down 3.4%
Full year statutory trading data based on 53 weeks (vs. 52 last year)
Worldwide network sales up 6.4%
Total group sales up 2.4%
International retail sales up 18.5%
Total UK sales down 4.6%
Direct in Home sales down 1.7%
Fourth quarter (12 weeks)
Worldwide network sales up 4.5%
Total group sales down 4.2%
International retail sales up 18.0%
Total UK sales down 9.5%
UK like-for-like sales down 8.2%
Direct in Home sales down 3.2%