Dallas Toy Fair Continues to be Vital for Toy Buyers and Manufacturers

October 16, 2018 | Toy and game buyers and exhibitors alike expressed how crucial and valuable Fall Toy Preview continues to be for their businesses. The show took place earlier this month at the Dallas Market Center in Dallas, TX.

As the place where mass, long-lead, and high volume specialty retailers came to see and place orders for next year's all-important holiday season, the show has a global reputation for being the place to view new innovations in toys and play. And, according to many buyers and toy manufacturers, this year’s Dallas toy fair didn’t disappoint.

Here’s what attendees said about this year’s show:

Josh Loerzel, vice president of sales, Zing

“The Toy Association’s Fall Toy Preview is an incredible opportunity for us to meet with key buyers and have one-on-one time to show our new line-up for next year! This show is a key strategy in our retail sell-in approach, plus it gives us a great chance to build upon our relationships and begin discussing our marketing initiates for the next year with buyers to get insight and feedback.”

Sara Loiselle, buyer, IT'SUGAR

“I really loved the show! I think it came at a great time of year where we were able to get a good feel on what will be coming for spring. There was a good mix of big and small vendors, so I was able to set meetings with current partners and also meet with some potential new partners as well. I am really happy that we made the trip.”

Ellen Henry, merchandise manager, kids-baby-licensed collections, Hallmark

“I really get a lot out of Fall Toy Preview! It is an easy way to meet up with multiple vendors within a three-day span. It is convenient and fairly inexpensive to travel to Dallas too. I keep hearing more and more about the LA show and am so appreciative that Dallas is still available to me. Spending hours in a car going from appointment to appointment does not sound like the best use of my time or money. I hope I will have the opportunity to continue to come to this show for years to come.”

Laura Mansdorf, category manager, Rubie’s Costume Co. / Imagine by Rubie's

“It was a fantastic experience to be able to display our product and receive crucial feedback.”

Stacey Burnett, senior category manager, preschool toys and kid’s lifestyle, Indigo Books and Music

“Dallas Toy Fall preview is always an exciting time to see a showcase and first glimpse at the next big toys and trends for 2019. The show offers a convenient setting to meet with a variety of vendor partners, whether already existing or new. I like the relaxed environment of the showrooms, they allow for productive meetings, with decisions that can be made on the spot if needed. In terms of timing, the show is great, because I can accomplish both short-lead assortments as well as plan for a year out. In the never-ending-cycle of buying having the ability to be agile is always important. (Dallas is pretty cool city too!)”

Jay Foreman, CEO, Basic Fun 

“The show continues to be a ‘must do’ for Basic Fun. We see our most important customers including their buyers and senior management in a three-day period in addition to many other important accounts. If only one of them showed up it would still be worthwhile, but they all show up and it’s fantastic for us.”

“Instead of camping out in Los Angeles for four weeks to ‘maybe’ see the same people, we spend three days in Dallas and see them all and have quality time with [buyers]. Unless your company is based in LA, I can’t see how it makes any sense to spend more than the last week in September there unless you really like hanging out in a hotel and showroom in LA for four weeks or flying back and forth from where you live four or five times in September.”

To see more testimonials about the Dallas show, visit The Toy Association on Facebook and Twitter.

And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the return of the show in 2019, Wednesday, October 2, to Friday, October 4 (note: new date pattern) at the Dallas Market Center. Registration and more information will be provided in the coming months.