Learn
how to play the toy game—from
two of its most successful innovators.
An unprecedented chronicle. Authoritative. Indispensable.
Inventor
Richard C. Levy’s licensed products have generated more than $1 billion
in
global retail sales.
Ronald O. Weingartner
has reviewed thousands of submissions and produced hundreds of them.
Go behind the scenes
of the $30 billion toy industry for a vivid portrait of the people that
create, pitch, license and commercialize products. Based upon more than
100 interviews, Levy and Weingartner will encourage you, inspire you,
and lead you, step-by-step, through the perils and pitfalls of presenting,
licensing and bringing products to market.
The Toy and Game Inventor’s Handbook is crammed full of firsthand, empirical,
insider information gleaned
from hours of interviews with the industry’s most successful independent
toy and game inventors, and its
most knowledgeable and influential executives, leaders and observers.
A thought-provoking must
read for aspiring, and experienced inventors alike, The Toy and Game Inventor’s
Handbook is also an ideal tool for students, designers, engineers, and corporate
executives who want a
deeper understanding of the fluid, high-spirited world of the independent
inventing community.
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The
Toy And Game Inventor's Handbook describes.. |
Features
include...
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- The retail and
corporate environments, including the forces of change within both.
- How to prepare
proposals and prototypes.
- How to open
doors and close deals.
- How to protect
your intellectual property.
- How to save
thousands of dollars in legal fees.
- How to negotiate
deals and get the best terms.
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- Profiles more
than 80 top professional inventors who generously share their advice
and observations.
- A listing of
50 manufacturers that license products from
inventors, and the key inventor contact at each.
- A license agreement
annotated by four licensing agents.
- A contemporary,
witty glossary comprised of over 500
words, phrases and definitions.
- A
compendium of key trade shows, associations, and important
web sites.
- An entertaining
selection of toy industry fun facts and trivia.
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RICHARD
C. LEVY (Mr. Outside) has been inventing, developing
and cashing in on original concepts for 25 years. His
125+ licensed products include one of the most successful
toys of all time, Furby. His games include Men Are From
Mars,
Women Are From Venus, Route 66 and Family Reunion. He has
created premiums for Procter and Gamble (Crest), General
Foods (Pebbles) and General Foods (Puddin’ Pops).
This is Richard’s twelfth book. |
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"The
American Dream lives, and Richard is here with this great
book to help inventors and entrepreneurs learn how to be
a part of it."
--
Donald G. Kelly
Founding Director, Office of Independent Inventor Programs
United States Patent Office |
|
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RONALD
O. WEINGARTNER (Mr. Inside) is a 35-year veteran
of corporate research and development in the toy industry.
He is a former vice president for inventor relations at
Hasbro Games, the world’s largest marketer of games
and puzzles. His product development and marketing involvement
has spanned preschool to computer
software. This is Ron’s second book. |

“Got
a toy or a game that you KNOW will be a huge hit, but you can't get
to the right people? Don't make another move until you commit The Toy
And Game Inventor's Handbook to memory! Levy and Weingartner are superstars
of the toy industry, and
they're sharing insider information that you'll
read no where else!”
-- Joanne Hayes-Rines,
publisher,
Inventors' Digest
“A treasure
trove of information ... encyclopedic in scope and depth
. . . Just about any question you could imagine isn't just answered
but explored from several angles ... Tons of little profiles,
interviews, anecdotes, trivia, lists, addresses, websites,
advice
from pros and more. ... Their guidance on the use of attorneys
and agents is expansive and could be the most important part
of the book for a novice inventor.”
--Richard Pachter, Miami Herald
“Through
literally hundreds of first or second hand stories, the authors
thoroughly introduce the toy and game industry and illuminate
dozens of diverse paths to success there within .... It is my
recommendation that every IP practitioner in the toy and game
arts read this work and additionally hand a copy to each neo-inventor
that walks through the door.”
--Erin-Michael Gill, Journal of the Patent
and Trademark Office Society
“This
is more than peeking behind the veil. Richard and Ron shine a klieg
light on the heretofore private world of toy and game invention, licensing
and marketing. A must read for anyone, in any industry, who ever wanted
to dance the dance and collect the coin.”
— Brian Hersch, inventor of Taboo
“Required
reading for all toy industry executives, not just inventors.”
— Andrea
Morris , publisher Playthings magazine
“In
the competitive world of new toys and games, product is king. But
each year the
industry expects new royalty to ascend to the throne. Independent
inventors are a
key ingredient of the court. This book details the process and highlights
many sources of
the product flow so vital to the growth of our business.”
—
Dale R. Siswick, senior vice president of R&D, Hasbro Games
“This
book is an essential tome for anyone hoping to make it big, or
even create a tiny ripple, in the world of toy invention
-- Knucklebones magazine
“This
is an essential book for every inventor who creates toys and games, and
for corporate
executives that license and market them. Richard and Ron provide the
inside “know
how” and
“
know who” in the most comprehensive and practical work that
I have ever read on subject of
what it takes to succeed as an independent creative source in the
toy industry.”
— Greg Hyman, inventor, Tickle Me Elmo
“Whether through
an agent or trying to sell your idea yourself, this book is the state-of-the-art
GPS that will get you to where you need to go. It is also invaluable to
us who work inside. It should be mandatory
reading for all marketing and R&D executives. The authors turn over a
rock or two for even the most experienced among us.”
— David Berko, senior vice president, Concept
Acquisition, Hasbro Toy Group
“The longest three years
of my life were spent looking for a company to license
my Yo-Yo with a Brain (TM) concept. I used toy agents, called in personal
favors, and made countless presentations. Every presentation ended in
rejection. The information in this book would have made that process less
of an ordeal and a lot more fun!”
-- Mike Caffrey, inventor of Yomega's Yo-Yo With
A Brain, (U.S. patent #4,332,102)
“Having
the most brilliant idea in the whole wide world is only a fraction of the
job. The Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook is indispensable; your one-stop
resource and guide to the practical steps of actually getting your
mindstorm
to the promised land.”
-- John Michlig, author of GI Joe: The Complete
Story of America's Favorite Man of Action
“Selling
toy and game ideas may be long shots in today's turbulent market,
but the Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook is a primer on the basics
of what needs to be done to improve the odds of landing licensing
deals at toy companies.”
--
Peggy Brown, vice president of Product Development, Patch Products, Inc.
“Richard
and Ron bring a combination of 60 years of experience in invention and
licensing, and obvious passion for new ideas to the
most carefully
researched and well written, inventor resource I have read. This
book is amusing, insightful
and valuable. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest
in how playthings are born and nurtured. A must volume for aspiring
inventors!”
-- Stevanne (Dr.Toy) Auerbach, Ph.D.
“If
you are a writer or artist who wants to take your creation
from the drawing board to the toy store, then you must read
this book.”
-- Barbara Slate, writer/cartoonist, Barbie comics (Marvel)
“To
be current in any industry, relevant information is critical. This book
details the climate in the toy and game world. Those
actively in it now
and those interested in getting
into it will find The
Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook an eye-opening read.”
-- Donna
Webster, vice president of marketing, Ceaco