Outgrowing the Toy Box: Beyond the Toy Fair, Beyond the Limits
- Jessica R.
- Mar 3
- 1 min read
The Toy Industry taught me how to create, adapt, and innovate—but real growth comes from knowing when to step beyond the familiar and build something bigger.
Scrolling through all the Toy Fair posts this week takes me back to where it all began.
My first official day of work wasn’t in an office—it was on the floor of Toy Fair at the Javits Center. No desk, no onboarding—just a directive: walk the floor, observe, absorb.
The toy industry is an easy place to get comfortable, cozy… maybe even lazy. It’s warm, fuzzy, and full of joy—after all, the business is about making kids happy. Silly play patterns are easy work.
But beneath the charm lies a relentless grind: negotiating costs to the bone, pushing for innovation at a fraction of the price, and competing in the retail Olympics, where the life cycle of a “hot new item” is measured in months—until the next knockoff or tariff hits.
Buyers want it yesterday. No—they wanted it before yesterday. And as a creative, you’re tasked with making it all work—dreaming up magic within the constraints of cost, timelines, and an ever-moving finish line.
Starting my career at Toy Fair was a gift. But the bigger gift? Realizing that growth means stepping beyond the maze, politics and complacency of the Javits floor - bigger exists! —seeing the industry for what it is, and choosing when to play by its rules… and when to build new ones.
hashtag#Growth hashtag#LessonsFromToyFair hashtag#CreativeIndustry hashtag#BusinessOfPlay hashtag#ToyFair2025
תגובות