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Below please find Richard Gottlieb's popular article, "What You Need to Know to Successfully Market Your Toys in the United States." It has appeared in Toys 'n Playthings in the UK, Giochi & Giocatto in Italy, Speelgoed+Hobby in the Netherlands.

As an American, when I go to trade shows, I always enjoy looking at toys made in Europe. There is something so fine about them. They seem far better made and better looking than those we find in the US. Your toys have what I like to call "conspicuous value" and "conspicuous quality."

Why, I always wonder, don't I see these toys for sale in the US? A few European companies are selling their products over here but not many. What is puzzling is that there are so many good reasons to do so.

First, a lot of children live in the United States. According to the US Census Bureau Population Pyramid, there are approximately 60 million plus children living in the United States between the ages of 0 and 14.

Secondly, we share a similar legal system, cultural heritage, values (except we Americans like to shoot each other), and a sheer love of fun. With that kind of background, it should be easy for you to sell your products in the US.

Well, it hasn't proved to be so easy.

Which makes it so odd that China, which has, you will have to admit, quite a different background than America, accounts for 75% of US toy imports. That's $17,844,052,000 US. That's a lot of toys.

What if the European Toy Industry were to set a modest goal of capturing just 1% of that figure by 2010? That insignificant percentage would amount to an impressive $178,440,520 US..

So, let's just agree for the sake of argument that selling toys in the United States is worthwhile. It can add a lot to your customer base, to your revenue, and, if done correctly, to your bottom line.

This raises the question: What do you need to know to successfully market your toys in the United States?

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