Publishers Weekly: Publishers Get Personal at Toy Fair

From crafts and inventions to various elements of personalization, many of the playthings displayed at this year’s New York International Toy Fair had a do-it-yourself slant. That theme carried over to the nearly 30 publishers that exhibited at the show, with Parragon, Bendon, and others adding crafting and DIY titles into the mix.

“We look at Etsy and Pinterest and see what’s happening, and then take those trends and make them relevant and accessible,” explained Stacy Lellos, senior v-p and general manager of Scholastic division Klutz. A longtime player in this segment, Klutz is focusing on premium products as it faces increased competition from other toy makers and publishers entering the DIY arena. Klutz was exhibiting books such as Lego Chain Reactions, the motto of which is “teach your bricks new tricks,” and Personalized Friendship Bracelets. “It all comes back to the personalization,” Lellos said.

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