Toy Tattle

Get your hands on One Direction Dolls and Merchandise in US

Laura — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:41 +0000

Love One Direction?
Ready to be confused?

Good, well here we go then.

Last week Hasbro annnounced they have secured the license to make One Direction dolls, and they will be released in time for Christmas 2012.

Very exciting stuff indeed.

But the most die-hard of 1D fans will have already noticed that the 1D dolls and merchandise are already available in the UK. And since the UK is just a plane ride away, whatever can be bought over there, must surely be available in the US, allbeit for a bit more money.

Here’s my run down of One Direction stuff you can buy in the US, right now:

One Direction Dolls

Available as Harry, Liam, Louis, Niall and Zayn, the dolls are around 33cm tall, and cost around $32 each.

One Direction Celebz Figurines

Mini figures with jumbo heads. Each character stands at 7cm tall and is on a base, making it easier to display. I like these because the enormous heads makes it easier to see the facial features and each character really looks like the band member it represents. The full set of 5 figures and a stage to display them on costs around $50.

One Direction Board Game

For 2-4 players, suitable for ages 8 years and up. Expect to pay around $30.

Buying One Direction dolls and toys in the US
I’ve looked around and can’t find any retailers who have bulk imported and are selling in the US. I suspect this is a lot to do with the Hasbro licensing agreement.

I have however found some UK based sellers who will ship to the US, selling via Amazon.com.

And if you check out the One Direction online store, they will display prices in US dollars, and ship to the US too.

William and Kate Barbie Dolls – Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wedding recreated by Mattel

Laura — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:44:43 +0000

It seems like just yesterday that we all gathered round our TV to watch the Royal Wedding, but the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are already celebrating their first wedding anniversary.

To mark the occassion, Mattel have immortalized the couple in a Royal Wedding Barbie Collector gift set of William and Kate in their wedding outfits.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Barbie Dolls

Priced at around $150, these dolls are most certainly not toys for kids. The gift set is part of the Gold Label Barbie range, and was designed by Robert Best.

The dolls are wearing detailed replicas of their wedding day outfits. The Catherine doll wears an elegant, yet contemporary, gown inspired by the original and features lovely ivory taffeta trimmed with lace and faux pearl buttons. She also comes with a wedding bouquet, silvery tiara, earrings and engagement ring.

William is dressed in the brilliant scarlet uniform of the Colonel of the Irish Guards, proudly decorated with royal blue sash, metallic cummerbund with bow trimmed in golden fringe, golden buttons and medallions.

Kate Middleton Doll from Arklu

Those looking for a cheaper alternative, should look at the dolls from Arklu, which you should be able to pick up fro around $70 for the two dolls. These are described as collector’s dolls but come at a much lower price, so you are more likely to let a child play with them.

Where to buy Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dolls
You can find both the Mattel and Arklu gift sets of Kate and William dolls online now at Amazon.

The dolls on British News:

Make your own Monstro City

Laura — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:22:53 +0000

Are you looking for Moshi Monsters LEGO?

Have you seen Moshi construction sets advertised on TV but now you can’t find them to buy anywhere.

Have no fear, Toy Tattle is here.

If the product you are looking for looks a lot like the picture over there on the right >>>

…then you are looking for Moshi Monsters Mega Bloks sets.

There are currently 5 sets in the range:

Ooh La Lane – includes 90+ pieces and a Katsuma and Giuseppe Gelato figures, plus a surprise Moshling, and two codes to use with the online game – costs around $30
Buildable Moshi House – 70+ pieces including special indoor and outdoor accessories that let you customize your house however you want, Poppet buildable figurine and an online code to unlock an in-game item – costs around $20
Grossery Store – 50+ pieces including special food and drink blocks to set up as a display just like the real Gross-ery Store, a Snozzle Wobbleson buildable figurine and an online code to unlock an in-game item – costs $15
Bizarre Bazaar – 50+ pieces including special Bizarre oddity items to set up as a display just like the real Bizarre Bazaar, Shopkeeper buildable figurine and an online code to unlock an in-game item – costs $15.

Moshi Monsters Mega Bloks Demo Video

More Product Info

The sets are fully compatible with each other so and other Mega Bloks bricks, so you can connect them together and create your very own unique Monstro City.

Currently the buildable Moshi figures are available exclusively with the playsets, you cannot buy them individually.

The Moshi Monsters Mega Bloks playsets are also available to buy in the UK.

My Hands On Review

When I visited Toy Fair 2012 in London, I got my hands on one of these playsets before they were even on sale in the shops. I loved the vibrant colours and the Moshi figures look just like the characters from the online game. The bricks slotted together easily and once constructed the buildings felt really sturdy. I especially love how this is a gender-neutral construction set- not especially geared towards boys or girls.

Doctor Who Toys

Laura — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:45:06 +0000

For Doctor Who fans young and old, there are a huge number of role play toys, action figures and playsets to help you recreate the Doctor’s adventures from Series 5 and Series 6.

Whilst they are not widely available in the US, you can find Doctor Who toys at some specialist retailers.

Read this guide so you know what toys to search for, and how much you can expect to pay.

To buy Doctor Who toys and merchandise in the US, check out ThinkGeek and The BBC America Shop. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for try eBay, but be careful about how much you pay for items.

Minifigures

These 4.2cm figures are have a chunky, cartoon-like styling. They are priced at £2 each ($3) and sold in individual packs, or as collector’s sets. There are mini-figure versions of all 11 Doctor’s, plus favorite side-kicks an enemies from the more recent series.

Eleven Doctor’s Action Figure Collection

5 inch action figure versions of all 11 Doctor’s. Cost £50 in the UK, approx $80.

5 inch Doctor Who Action Figures

5 inch action figures of The Doctor in various costumes, and character seen in Series 5 and 6. These are priced between £5-£7, so you should exect to pay around $10 per figure.

Electronic Flight Control TARDIS

9 inch electronic toy TARDIS which is in scale with the Doctor Who action figure range. It includes eight motion activated interactive sound effects, flashing TARDIS Lantern, opening doors and telephone door. Priced at £15 ($24).

Build Your Own Sonic Screwdriver

Also known as Personalize Your Sonic Screwdriver Set. Consists of 3 Sonic Screwdrivers, that can be taken apart, and reassmebled in up to 80 combinations. Includes a core to provide lights and sound effects in whichever screwdriver you create. Priced at £20 ($30).

11th Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver

Copy of the Doctor’s trusty sonic device has spring loaded extending action , simply press a button on the side, to extend the head and open the claws. Pressing the other button activates the flashing LED light and four different sound effects . Flip open the cap at the end of the Screwdriver to reveal an additional light and sound effects button. Costs £15, $24.

Sonic Screwdriver Projector

Styled to look like the 11th Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver, this projector will display images on any flat surface in a darkened room. Comes with 3 discs, each contating 5 images, so there are 15 images in total. Price at £10, approx $16.

Time Lord Psychic Container

Replica of the Time Lord psychic container used to send a message to the Doctor in The Doctors Wife. Changes color over time, or can be activated by touch. Priced at £15, approx £24.

Bump N Go Cybermat

Propelled by a motorised tail, this Cybermat changes direction if it bumps into anything. Costs £15 ($24).

The Doctor’s Nano Recorder

Pull the trigger to record up to ten seconds of sound.Also features light and sound effects. Priced at £15 ($24).

Silurian Crystal Lab

Grow your own Silurian Crystals and display in a Silurian pod.

UK product guidelines state this is suitable for kids aged 10 years and over.

Priced at £22, around $35.

11th Doctor TARDIS Console Room Playset

Detailed reproduction of the 11th Doctor’s control room. Scaled to be compatible with 5″ action figures, although there are no figures included with the playset. Priced at £40, approx $64.

Ride In Dalek

Motorized Dalek with inflatable body, and soft bumper to protect furniture. Includes Dalek phrases and sound effects. In the UK this is stated as being suitable for ages 3 – 6 years. Priced at £200 ($300).

The Flesh Figure Creator Set

Place skeleton in to Flesh vat and create your own Ganger figure. Costs £30 ($48).

Dalek Identifier

Dalek equipment used to idenitfy their enemies. If you can master the Dalek Enemy Identifier and recognise the Dalek targets, you can help the Doctor stop their plans. Includes: Dalek Enemy Identifier Slides, tweezers, pippete Spare bulb, slide covers, two specimen vials Stickers, training manual and Investigation gloves. Costs £20 ($32).

Did you find this article helpful?

Then spread the love by sharing with your friends on Facebook or Tweeting this link. Thanks.

Octonauts Octopod Playset Review

Laura — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:20:08 +0000

My boys received an Octonauts Octopod playset for Christmas 2011, and they love it.

Check out my hands on review before you buy it.

+ It was easy to put together. There are a few stickers, but they were easy enough to place correctly.

+ The ‘Octo Alert’ is a round red box that attaches to the Octopod, but can also be taken off and attached to clothing. It sounds great, just like on TV, and the kids love running around with it and pretending they are Kwazzi and Peso.

+ The figures and animals that are included are well proportioned, and robust.

- Besides the Ocot-Alert, everything on the playset is manual. This saves on batteries, but your little one might be disappointed that they have to winch up the rescue tools by hand.

- The Gup vehicle that comes with it is terrible. It just looks like a tiny plastic tea cup, and is nothing like the Gups you can buy seperately.

My Verdict This is a well loved, well played with toy, so it’s not been a waste of money, but I would have been disappointed if I had paid the full price. I definitely want to buy some additional vehicles as these look great, and hope they release the other characters soon.

Where to buy the Octonauts Ocotpod Playset in the US

In the UK this toy is priced at £35, which is around $56 at today’s exchange rate. You will need to pay extra to account for the cost of shipping over from Europe.

The only places I have found the Octopod playset on sale in the US is on Amazon and eBay.

Check out the rest of the Octonauts toy range>>>

Octonauts Toys

Laura — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:09:32 +0000

The Octonauts were a firm favorite with my boys as soon as they first appeared in the UK on the kids channel CBeebies, and now they are prooving just as popular in the US.

The Octonauts toys were released in the UK in time for Christmas 2011, so I can bring you a round up of the toys that are available, and an insight into what parents have said about them.

Below I’ve outlined the toys in the range, and their UK prices to help you set your budget and decide which toys you want to spend your money on.

Where to buy Octonauts toys

Check out Amazon.com and eBay for Octonauts toys available to buy in the US now.

I will update this post, tweet and share on Facebook when they come out on general release.

After reading this post you’ll know the names of the toys to search for, and how much you can expect to pay.

Octopod Playset

The central playset in the Octonauts toy range is the Octopod. We were lucky enough to get one for Christmas, so I’ve posted up a hands on review here.

THE TOY
The Octopod is open at the back, so the action figures can access multiple decks, incluing the control room, sleeping quarters and a sick bay.

The set comes with Captain Barnacles and Kwazii figures, 3 sea creatures and rescue equipment. My favorite part of this playset is the removeable Octo-Alert button. You can attach it to the Octopod or clip it to your clothes. When pressed it will play the Octonauts theme tune and other phrases from the show.

THE PRICE
In the UK, this toy usually sells for £35, which is around $58.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS
This playset was a big hit at Christmas, and across UK toy retailers like Toys R Us and Amazon, it has received average ratings of 4 stars from a possible 5.

Octonauts Plush Figures

THE TOY
8 inch tall, soft and snuggly plush toys.

Available as Kwazii, Barnacles or Peso.

No sound effects – just a cute and cuddly character for bedtime.

THE PRICE
£9.99 each, which is around $16.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS
These toys were newly released Spring 2012, so there are no customer ratings online yet.

Deluxe Gup-A Vehicle

THE TOY
This set includes Barnacles, an angler fish and a rescue net.

If you crank the propeller the Gup-A will move across land or swim through water – great for bath time fun.

The top of the vehicle is hinged so you can open it out to see the controls.

THE PRICE
Sells in the UK for £20 – approx $32.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS
As of March 2012, there were 12 reviews on the UK Toys R Us site, giving this toy an average 4 stars from a possible 5.

Gup B Vehicle Playset

THE TOY

Comes with articulated Kwazii figure, red shark, and rescue loop.

Open the dome and put Kwazii into his favourite undersea vehicle.

Roll the GUP-B across the floor and push the fin to see the vehicle’s jaws open and close.

In water, push the fin to see GUP-B chomp and squirt water.

THE PRICE
Priced at £15, which is around $24.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Across the UK Amazon and Toys R Us sites, this toy scores and average 4 out of 5 stars.

Gup D Vehicle with Captain Barnacles

THE TOY
Open the dome and put Barnacles into his favourite undersea vehicle.

Roll the GUP-D across the floor and push the fin to launch the rescue net.

In water, GUP-D floats and you can connect the air hose to Barnacles scuba tank to make him go up and down in the water.

Includes Gup A, barnacles, manta ray, net, and scuba diving breathing tube.

THE PRICE
Priced at £15, about $24.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS
This scores and average 3 out of 5 stars.

Rescue Kits

THE TOY
Include action figure, a sea creature and rescue equipment.

Each set includes 7 pieces.

Available as:

Kwazii – Kwazii figure, underwater dive hemlmet, rescue net, sea snail that changes color in water, slime eel, sea urchin and treasure chest. Treasure chest sinks in water then opens to allow slim eel to escape.
Barnacles: Barnacles figure, dive helmet, Tunip, clam, conga eel, starfish, and fishing rod. Clam sinks then opens up to reveal Tunip.
Peso – Peso, Narwhal, starfish whose spots change color in water, iceberg that opens at bottom of water, dive helmet, rescue scoop and medical bag.

THE PRICE
Each rescue set costs £10, around $16.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS
These sets are new to UK so not many reviews.

Figure and Creature Sets

THE TOY
Includes one articulated Octonaut action figure and a sea creature.

Available as:

Barnacles and Octopus
Kwazii and Vampire Squid
Peso and Giant Comb Jelly
Shellington and Sea Urchin
Tweak and Giant Squid

THE PRICE
£5 pet set, which is about $8.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS
These toys have been out for a few months, so there are plenty of reviws on them. On average parents rate them as 4 out of 5 stars.

Best Value Octonauts Toys

When shopping for Octonauts toys, consider that the Octopod playset comes with two figures, and a rather uninspiring miniature Gup vehicle. You may decide that you can get maximumplay value from your budget by buying multiple rescue and vehicle sets instead.

Octonauts toys are hard to find, but Toy Tattle is here to help – spread the word by sharing this post.

Christmas

Laura — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:09:41 +0000

Coming soon ….. Toy Tattle’s predictions for the must-have toys of Christmas 2012.

Lalaloopsy Dolls Guide | What’s hot, new, and coming soon

Laura — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:04:34 +0000

If you have a little girl who loves all things Lalas, and you need a little help choosing the perfect gift, or keeping up to date with the latest releases, you are in the right place.

The Lalaloopsy Back-Story

This incredibly popular toy range was released Autumn 2010, with just 8 full-size dolls. Each doll stood at just short of 12-inches tall, and came with her own pet, personality, and cute fashion outfit.

Since then 20 new characters have been launched, plus clothes to change your dolls into, mini dolls and playsets.

Where to buy Lalaloopsy dolls

The best place to buy your doll depends entirely on which toy you are looking for. Some dolls are released exclusively to one retailer, others are more widely available. They usually show up in stores before becoming available online, which is why you can see them listed on eBay for inflated prices.

As a guide, you should expect to pay around $25-$30 for a 12-inch doll, and $6-$10 for a mini figure.

Amazon is a good place to start your online search.

Lalaloopsy Littles – Baby Sister Dolls

These little cuties are the toddler sisters of Mittens, Bea, Crumbs and Peanut Big Top.

Bundles Snuggle Stuff, Specs Reads-a-lot, Sprinkle Spice Cookie and Lil’ Top will all be available from Toys R Us from the beginning of December – so don’t blow all your Christmas shopping budget before then.

Each doll is plastic with a fabric outfit just like the originals, but naturally these are a bit shorter – at 8-inches tall.

They are available now for $21.99 each.

Look out for Matey Anchors, Marina’s baby brother, due for release soon.

Lalaloopsy Plush Soft Rag Dolls

The original plastic dolls are great to play with, but they’re a little tough for cuddling up next too.

So for bedtime hugs and sofa snuggles, check out the four new soft Lala dolls, available as Crumbs, Bea, Mittens and Pillow.

They are out now, priced at $14.99 each, and available from Walmart and Amazon.

Lalaloopsy RC Cruiser – Remote Control Car

Girls are often overlooked in this toy genre, so its great to ser a super-cute RC car just for girls. Playing around with these toys offers more than just fun – it is a chance to develop hand-eye co-ordination and spatial awareness, skills where girls often fall behind boys.

This car comes with a mini Lala include – Charlotte Charades. Her mini-inspired styling may not be to everyone’s taste but you could switch her with one of your favorite dolls if you want.

This toy is out now in Target stores and priced at around $35-$40.

Lalaloopsy Fairytales Dolls – New For 2012

There are 8 dolls in this range, each based on a classic children’s fairytale.

The doll pictured is Muffet Miss Tuffet – no prizes for guessing which nursery rhyme inspired her creation.

The dolls are priced at $29.99, and are the same size (11.5″) as the regular Lalas.

Prarie Dusty Trails – a western cowgirl Lalaloopsy doll

This little lady is due out early 2012, so if your little girl gets some spending money for Christmas, she might want to hang onto it and use it for this gorgeous doll.

Prarie was sewn on Annie Oakley’s birthday, August 13th, from a cowgirls vest.

She can do clever rope tricks, loves square dancing and enjoys riding off into the sunset in a cowboy-film-style.

And she has the most adorable pet cactus to keep her company.

Coming Soon in 2012

New Silly Hair Dolls: Full size dolls with twisty, bendy, crazy hair.
Micro Figurines: Teeny, tiny, stylished figures, based on the original characters.

Lalaloopsy TV Show | Webisodes

There isn’t a TV show available yet, but you can watch short stories about the Lala dolls on webisdoes screened from the official Lalaloopsy website, and available on their YouTube channel.

List of webisodes released so far:

1. Jewels Sparkles un-birthday party

2. Mittens Fluff N Stuff wants a snow day

3. Peanut Big Top learns to ride the unicycle

4. Pillow Featherbed up all night

5. Bea Spells-A-Lot and the pet talent show

From March 2012 you will be able to buy a feature length DVD, called Adventures in Lalaloopsy Land.

More toys for girls>>>

LeapPad Explorer vs VTech InnoTab – What’s the difference?

Laura — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:32:43 +0000

New Handheld Tablet Gamers For Kids

At first glance the only difference between the VTech InnoTab (aka InnoPad) and the LeapPad Explorer is the color.

Both are styled like tablets, but have the construction and durability you would expect from these kid-toy specialists.

The 5 inch color touch screens can be operated by fingertips or with the stylus provided, and the systems are built for gaming, video playback and can be used as an e-reader.

Plus these educational gamers going beyond the usual numeracy and literacy skills, to cover topics like health, science, geography and creativity.

So which should you buy for your child – the InnoTab or LeapPad?

Score for VTech InnoTab:

*SD slot – allows for expandable memory, especially useful for storing downloadable apps. This puts it one up on the LeapPad and the iPad.
*Headphone port – Slap a pair of headphones on your child and they can enjoy the full gaming experience while you enjoy the peace and quiet.
*Integrated media player – load up the tablet with music and your kid’s favorite movies and they will have their very own portable entertainment center.
*Calculator, clock, alarm clock, calendar, notepad and address book functions, just like your smart phone.
*The price – at just $79.99, it’s a full $20 cheaper than the LeapPad.

Score for Leapfrog LeapPad:

*Built-in camera and video recorder – cool no? Just like a Nintendo DS or your cellphone.
*The built-in memory is 2GB so plenty of storage for apps, photos and home movies.
*Educational games adapt to your child’s ability to provide the right level of challenge.

And The Winner Is…..

Well it depends on your budget, and previous loyalties really. Many families develop a favoritism for Leapfrog or VTech based on their experience of their other electronic toys.

The LeapPad proudly boasts extra features, but you’ll pay an extra $20 for those. However, kids know that cellphones, laptops and tablet PCs come with camera’s attached so they will expect their newest gadget to carry the same technology.

In the UK?

Check out our sister site, Toy Tattle UK, for pricing and stockists of the VTech InnoTab and LeapPad Explorer.

You might also like:

More info on VTech InnoTab

More info on LeapPad Explorer

New Kids Digital Cameras: Kidizoom Spin N Smile vs KidTough See Yourself

Toys for Teenagers | How to make your moody teen smile

Laura — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:27:43 +0000

Being a teenager doesn’t mean your kid no longer wants to play with toys – its just that they start pretending they are far too grown up for it all.

Christmas and birthday wish lists submitted to parents of teenagers are all too predictable – money, gift certificate, iPod, video games.

Sure you should buy them what they want, but put some of the magic back into their birthday by splashing out on an unexpected toy.

Including a toy among their gifts is the equivalent of giving your teen permission to relax and have fun.

And they’ll enjoy it even more if you join in too.

Remote Control Action

No need to get off the couch, just stay slumped on your butt, and direct the fun with these remote control toys.

Lazer Stunt Chasers – it’s all in the name.

These are super-fast RC cars that you direct using a lazer light that they chase.

There are two frequency settings so you and a friend / family member can play alongside each other without interference.

The wheels light up to give added wow facor, and a ramp is included for pulling stunts.

And the cars are double-sided so even if they flip over they just carry on racing about.

These cost around $50 each.

Air Swimmers are an altogether slower, more peaceful toy.

Giant helium balloons with infra-red remote control – these beasts glide around your home just like they are really swimming in the air (hence the name).

They are made from a durable nylon, so when they deflate (after a couple of weeks) you can simply refill them and keep up the fun.

Cost around $40 each.

Get UP – Get Grooving

If you’d rather get up and get active, then take a look at these dance-inspiring toys.

The I Am T-Pain Mic takes the popular iPhone App, that turns any voice into T-Pains voice, and makes it into a real mic.

Record your voice with instant playback or apply the T-Pain Effect as you sing.

You can also add back beats.

Expect to pay around $25 for this.

And while you are up and dancing, you might appreciate this little guy.

This is My Keepon.

He can dance, and is sound and touch sensitive.

With Beat Recognition technology he can bop along in time to the music you are listening too, or switch to touch-mode and he can respond with movement, and by expressing different emotions.

He costs around $50, but he can be tricky to track down.

I’ve got one and he keeps me company while I am wokring. He sits on my desk dancing around while I tap away on my keyboard listening to my favorite music.

1, 2, 3, 4 I delcare a Nerf War

Vortex is the latest series of weapons from Nerf.

Instead of the familiar orange darts, these beasts launch fast, spinning, bright green discs.

Too much fun for even the sulkiest teen to resist joining in.

For the best family participation, buy a few of the smaller Vigilion guns ($18) and plenty of spare ammo.

Go Cute and Girly

Lalaloopsy dolls are meant to be a rag-doll substitute for younger girls, but its pretty clear from the Lala-dedicated blogs that litter the Web, that plenty of older girls and fully-grown women are colleting these too.

But check before you buy – if this isn’t something your daughter is into, she may be offended by receiving a child’s dolly.

Need more inspiration

I’ve put together two Listmania lists at Amazon packed with ideas for your teens. The lists includes, toys, gadgets, treats and more.

Gifts for Teen Boys

Gifts for Teen Girls