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Check out the latest toys and games news

Before you invest in wholesale toys and wholesale games, find out what companies are saying about their own product releases as well as what reviewers and other news sites are saying about products.

I recommend: Catch the latest in toys and video games news from eNewsChannels. Find out about the newest press releases available through PR.com. Find out about international toy news through ToyNewsI.com. Take a look at the features on Raving Toy Maniac. For news on on the video games business, check AOL's GameDaily.

Study trends and analysis on toys and games

Use the news sections of toy sites as well as publications and analysis sites to follow the trends surrounding the toys and games industry.

I recommend: Check out the information on games/toys at Toy News. Look at the news section of the Action Figure Times. Subscribe to Playthings magazine for insider information on the toy and play industries. Use it to study in-depth analysis and statistics of toy trends. Take a look at the latest news specific to the Marvel brand of toys.

Take your wholesale games up a notch

Instead of just toys and games, consider also offering video games as well. Video games have a fast shelf life, though, so make sure that you invest in popular titles that will sell out quick and not get left to go to clearance.

I recommend: Take advantage of the video game news radio podcasts from Video Game News. Use the video and audio programs from IGN to immerse yourself in the realm of games and entertainment. Get the latest gaming news from 1UP. Use the gaming news from VideoGameNews to help you form an opinion on what games to offer in your store.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When choosing video game related games, toys and activities, choose popular series titles that have a proven track record like Grand Theft Auto, the Sims, etc. Also know your product and be ready to discuss it with your consumers.

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Start them right with plush toys

Everyone remembers a favorite stuffed animal companion, be it a bear, rabbit or other plush toy. Specialty manufacturers cater to the market of retail and wholesale plush toys with teddy bears and other fuzzy animal buddies.

I recommend: Burton and Burton offers the total gift experience in wholesale plush toys with a searchable online catalog. Vermont Teddy Bear Company makes custom teddy bears for new babies and expectant mothers, and a line of fuzzy-wuzzy gifts for the grown-up girl. Nancy’s Plush Toys goes a step further with cats, dogs, rabbits and even sea turtles and Arctic wolves. Binkley Custom Products supplies the wholesale toy business with custom-made plush toys.

Choose toys and games appropriate to the child

Children's interests become more sophisticated as they age. Young children prefer simple toys, while older children prefer toys and games that challenge their minds and tie in with their other interests.

I recommend: Fun Express offers yo-yos, toy springs and other novelties for the young child, while Esco Imports has continued to expand its novelties line since 1946. Hobbymega.com sells radio-controlled wholesale toys, while MITECH Trading offers wholesale games for older kids and adults.

Get personal with gifts for children

While they often 'play pretend,' children also have a strong sense of their own identity and like to create 'their' space through what they play and how they play, as well as branding it with personalized items.

I recommend: For That Occasion offers personalized stuffed animals, backpacks, children’s furniture, scrubs for the future doctor, and a chef cooking kit for the next Rachael Ray or Emeril Lagasse. 2Blockheads.com offers a line of handcrafted, personalized gifts for children that include books with the child’s name and age, original songs with the child participating in exciting adventures, clocks to help teach time and name trains with the cars between the engine and caboose spelling out the child’s name.

Choose toys and games that educate and entertain

Children learn in different ways. Educational toys and games teach new information and reinforce lessons already taught.

I recommend: Galison’s Mudpuppy division offers award-winning wholesale toys and games that have passed stringent safety tests. Arts and Minds promotes creativity in children and adults of all ages with educational toys and games for home, school, preschool and daycare center. Learning Express offers educational toys, games, crafts and quality gifts for children at its more than 100 nationwide locations. The Toy Connection also offers a line of educational toys and teacher aids.

Shop online for unique toys and games and advice on what to buy

The Internet has leveled and expanded the market for retailers and wholesalers of toys and games, with an explosion of choice that has led consumers to turn elsewhere on the Web to learn where and what to buy as children's gifts.

I recommend: Grand River Toys and Fairhaven Toy Garden each offer a comprehensive, searchable selection of games, toys and other gifts for children on their websites, and a choice of shipping options and reasonable return policies. Creative Kids at Home maintains a set of links to unique gifts for children organized by common areas of interest. For older children and adults, American Mensa awards the best games its Mensa Select seal at its an annual Mind Games competition.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choose a mixture of toys and games and other gifts for children that allow for open-ended play as well as structured play. Open-ended play fosters creativity, as well as language, thinking and social skills. Often, when a child says, 'I'm bored,' he or she may not have enough unstructured play time.

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Find specific wholesale toys

Look for hot items like best selling wholesale toys or clearance items.

I recommend: Take a look at the wholesale product list from Empire Discount. Check out what items are on sale from Joissu Products. Find the best sellers from DASAQ. You can find the closeout specials available at Toy Connection.

Go for a wide variety of toys and games

Stock your store with a wide selection of toys and games. Start with age specific, then target both boys and girls.

I recommend: Check out the wholesale novelties and toys available through Hayes Specialties. STAR TRACK offers thousands of plush toy items. Take a look at the new plush items at Plush in a Rush. DollarDays is another source for board games, toys, hobbies and wholesale electronics.

Look to vendors who exhibit at wholesale toy trade shows

Visit vendors at their next wholesale toy trade show.

I recommend: Find out what trade shows to find Esco Imports at next. Find out both wholesale info and what trade show you'll find the Fat Brain Toy Company at next.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When dealing with toys and games, it is particularly important to keep safety in mind. Make sure that you are only stocking your business with quality items that are child safe and appropriate. Ask your wholesaler where he or she is receiving their merchandise from? Ask what quality assurances you have about the import, etc.
• •  When stocking your store, also consider a good balance of board games, toys, hobbies and interests for kids. Children now-a-days are very electronically savvy, but parents do value quality time around a board game. Toys help brain development, and hobbies can help foster career development by developing an early interest in a topic. So having a good balance of all of these items in your store will help give your customers a quality selection for all ages, adults included.

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Console

A console is a term used for electronic games. The console describes the device that is the home to the game disc, cards and controllers. The console hooks to the television for game play. Consoles today are compact enough for small apartments.

I recommend: View the definition of a console from PC Magazine. The site gives a definition and discusses the console in terms of handheld games and proprietary systems.

Pull-back motor

A pull-back motor describes the type of propulsion used to make certain toy trucks or cars move. The vehicle launches forward after it is pulled backwards across the ground. These toys require no batteries.

I recommend: View a basic answer to how pull-back motors operate from Answers. The site also gives a link for more information.

Sleeping eye

Asleeping eye is a feature of dolls that enables the doll to close its eyes when it's lying down and open them when it's is upright. This works through weights in the eyes.

I recommend: Find a definition for sleeping eye under the letter "S" in the Golden Era Dolls glossary.

Simulation game

A simulation game is a type of video game that represents a real-life or real-world activity, and the player controls what happens. The game can depict sports, shopping, school, war and more. Designers create the game to be realistic and use computer-generated graphics to enhance the feeling of reality.

I recommend: View a discussion of simulation games from Wise Geek.

Puzzle game

Puzzle games are challenging games in which the player must think in order to play. The games vary in difficulty and include variations such as jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku, a game involving numbers.

I recommend: My Puzzle discusses puzzle games and gives examples.

Wind-up toys

Wind-up toys operate by turning a dial or a key in the toy. Once you turn the dial or key, the tightly coiled spring within the toy will keep it operating until the spring winds down. These toys require no batteries to operate.

I recommend: Learn how wind-up toys work from eHow.