September 2000
Warner Bros. may sell Hasbro stock from Harry Potter deal (Reuters Securities)
Posted Saturday, September 30, 2000
Warner Bros. may sell 500,000 common shares of Hasbro Inc. that it received from the toy maker under a Harry Potter licensing deal, a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday said.
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Mattel Agrees To Sell Learning Co. (Associated Press)
Posted Saturday, September 30, 2000
Mattel Inc. will shed its money-losing Learning Co. unit in a virtual giveaway that ends a disastrous foray into software publishing that toppled its former top executive and cost the world's largest toy maker hundreds of millions of dollars.
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Retailers grappling with expected PlayStation2 shortage (CNet)
Posted Saturday, September 30, 2000
As Sony worked today to drum up enthusiasm for the PlayStation2, retailers were struggling to figure out how to handle expected shortages when the game console is released next month in North America.
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Pages Come Alive as FAO Schwarz Unveils Highly Anticipated Holiday Catalogues
Posted Thursday, September 21, 2000
FAO Schwarz, the world's ultimate toy store, officially kicked-off the holiday shopping season today with the unveiling of its highly
anticipated Fall 2000 and Ultimate Toy Catalogues.
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Fox ties holiday cheer to X-Men, Momma videos (Reuters)
Posted Thursday, September 21, 2000
The X-Men are being called in to to lead Fox's fourth quarter holiday charge in the home video arena.
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Disney, Mattel Enter Licensing Agreement (Reuters)
Posted Thursday, September 21, 2000
A unit of Walt Disney Co. said on Wednesday it entered a licensing agreement with Mattel Inc. to produce toys based on Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, in all global territories except Japan.
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Hasbro and Disney form marketing alliance (Reuters Securities)
Posted Wednesday, September 20, 2000
Walt Disney Co. and toys and games maker Hasbro Inc. said on Wednesday they had formed an alliance under which Hasbro will have the right to develop and market toys and products relating to Disney characters, such as plush toys, action figures, vehicles, games, dolls, puzzles and preschool toys.
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4Kids to switch to NYSE from Nasdaq on Wednesday (Reuters Securities)
Posted Wednesday, September 20, 2000
Toy licenser 4Kids Entertainment Inc., which owns the rights to the Pokemon brand and other children's entertainment products, is hoping it can conquer the New York Stock Exchange.
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Jakks Pacific sees Q3 below forecasts (Reuters Securities)
Posted Wednesday, September 20, 2000
Toy company Jakks Pacific Inc. on Tuesday said it expects to report third-quarter earnings of 45 cents to 51 cents per share, well below an average forecast of 62 cents, due to slower sales for wrestling games and products.
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Lionel Toy Trains Turn 100 (Associated Press)
Posted Wednesday, September 20, 2000
Replete with digitally mastered stereo sound, cruise control and remote maneuvering, model trains have undergone dramatic changes in the past century.
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No Frivolous Question: Is eToys Played? (Reuters)
Posted Wednesday, September 20, 2000
A number of journalists have recently opened up their dog-eared eToys files to reevaluate the company that once reached a market cap of $10.3 billion - more than twice that of Toys R Us, its brick-and-mortar competitor.
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Toys R Us Japan bucks trend with jump in profit (Reuters Securities)
Posted Monday, September 18, 2000
Net profit at Toys R Us Japan Ltd, the Japanese arm of the world's largest specialty toy retailer, jumped 60 percent in the latest six months, bucking a trend of weak department stores sales in Japan's biggest city.
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Zany Brainy CEO replaced by company's president (Reuters Securities)
Posted Sunday, September 17, 2000
Zany Brainy Inc., a speciality retailer of toys, games, books and multimedia products, said Friday Keith Spurgeon has resigned
as chairman and chief executive officer in order to pursue personal interests.
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Toysrus.com closes site, makes way for Amazon (CNet)
Posted Sunday, September 17, 2000
Toysrus.com has closed its Web site and opened the doors to its new relationship with Amazon.com.
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Playskool recalls 550,000 "Klackeroo" toys (Reuters Securities)
Posted Friday, September 15, 2000
Hasbro Inc's Playskool unit is recalling about 550,000 Klackeroo toys because the toy's end knobs can detach, allowing small parts to come loose and posing a choking hazard to infants and young children, the U.S. consumer watchdog agency said Thursday.
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Slow sale of Mattel unit raises analysts' concern (Reuters Securities)
Posted Thursday, September 14, 2000
Five months after toy giant Mattel Inc. said it planned to sell its interactive toy unit, the lack of a deal has led some analysts to
believe the division is proving a tough sell and is rapidly losing value.
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DSI Toys Inc. Names New Director (Business Wire)
Posted Thursday, September 14, 2000
Today DSI Toys Inc. announced the appointment of Michael J. Lyden to its board of directors, bringing the total number of directors to eight. In June 1999, Mr. Lyden joined the company as president and CEO.
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Wild Planet Toys and Your Own World Enter Marketing Agreement (PR Newswire)
Posted Thursday, September 14, 2000
At the Jupiter Online Kids Forum Digital Kids, Wild Planet Toys, Inc. and Passport New Media, Inc. announced today a marketing agreement in which Wild Planet Toys will include a Your Own World(TM) (YOW(TM)) certificate in nearly 1 million toy packages, directing families to a co-branded Web page where they can request a free YOW installation CD-ROM.
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eGames settles patent, copyright litigation (Reuters Securities)
Posted Wednesday, September 13, 2000
EGames (NasdaqSC: EGAM - news ), a maker of low-priced, nonviolent computer video games, said on Thursday it settled a
trademark and copyright infringement suit brought by Hasbro Inc.'s Hasbro Interactive and Atari Interactive video game units.
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Magic Kingdom Sued for Toysmart Debts (Industry Standard)
Posted Wednesday, September 13, 2000
The advertising agency for Toysmart.com is suing the bankrupt toy retailer's behemoth backer, Walt Disney, for $2.5 million, which it says it is owed for media buys during the last holiday season.
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New Tonka Tucker My Talkin' Truckbot Makes National Debut in New York City (Business Wire)
Posted Sunday, September 10, 2000
Hasbro, Inc. today unveiled a Tonka(R) truck for the new millennium with the introduction of Tucker My Talkin' Truckbot(TM) at a first-look event for kids in New York City. According to toy retailers and industry experts, the interactive, high tech Tonka dump truck is expected to be one of the hot toys heading into the holiday season.
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Hot Wheels and Roush Racing Sign Exclusive Licensing Agreement (PR Newswire)
Posted Sunday, September 10, 2000
Continually striving to bring fans closer to NASCAR(R) with innovative products and die-cast replicas of their favorite drivers' race cars, Mattel, Inc.'s Hot Wheels Racing brand today announced a long-term exclusive licensing agreement with Roush Racing to become their sole die-cast manufacturer of mass retail products.
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FAO Schwarz Introduces New Lee Middleton Original Dolls Boutiques (Business Wire)
Posted Sunday, September 10, 2000
Lee Middleton Original Dolls, Inc. a subsidiary of Bando McGlocklin Capital Corp. and world-renowned toy store FAO Schwarz announced the grand opening of a distinctive series of Lee Middleton Original Dolls boutiques nationwide.
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Play Co. Toys & Entertainment Corp. Announces 51% Sales Growth In August.
Posted Thursday, September 7, 2000
Play Co. Toys announced today that it posted an overall sales growth of 51% during the month of August 2000 compared to the previous August.
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Hasbro launches JFK doll in navy fatigues (Reuters Securities)
Posted Thursday, September 7, 2000
The new frontier in action figures dawned on Wednesday as Hasbro Inc unveiled its "GI Joe John F. Kennedy: PT 109 Commander" doll at the late president's library and museum in Boston.
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Hot Wheels craze grips Puerto Rico (Associated Press)
Posted Thursday, September 7, 2000
In the morning they gather outside Toy R Us: grown men, a few young boys, a mother and son, a young man playing hooky from his job. When the doors open they stampede toward display tables to scoop up armfuls of the tiny metal cars.
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Marvel Enterprises adopts a shareholder rights plan (Reuters Securities)
Posted Monday, September 4, 2000
U.S. toy maker and comic book publisher Marvel Enterprises Inc. on Friday said that its board of directors has adopted a stockholder rights plan to protect shareholders in the event of a takeover.
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