Results tagged “toys”

Toys R Us has announced its purchase of FAO Schwarz. According to the AP, "Toys R Us will operate FAO Schwarz's flagship store in New York City and a second store at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. FAO Schwarz's Web site and catalog will continue to use the company's name." Toys R Us chairman and CEO Jerry Storch said, "We will work tirelessly to preserve the distinctiveness and integrity of the FAO Schwarz stores and brand as we grow the business and, indeed, take the brand to even greater heights." However, Storch did not details the financial agreement. FAO Schwarz has filed for bankruptcy protection twice and last year announced it would sell toys in Macy's stores.

Toy manufacturer Ty is getting ready to ship its new "Marvelous Malia" and "Sweet Sasha" dolls to retailers eager to cash in on Obama fever. While Ty claims the dolls are not in any way related to the Obama daughters, the owner of Source, an Upper East Side toy and party store, told Crain's New York, “They’ll definitely sell, everybody’s Obama crazy." First Lady Michelle Obama's office was perturbed enough to tell Crain's Chicago, "We believe it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes," but Ty says, "There's nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls. It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls. They are not." The dolls are part of the TyGirlz Collection which sort of seem like Beanie versions of less slutty Bratz dolls. And we'll await the TyGirlz mix of Rick Warren's "Malia and Sasha" hit.

Nine people were arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine inside children's toy packaging. NY1 reports that "four kilograms of cocaine, four handguns, and more than $86,000" during the investigation. The suspects pleaded not guilty to charges including drug possession and money laundering; a prosecutor said, "We're investigating whether they were paid in cocaine." One employee worked in a check-cashing facility, and it's believed he laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars there, and the ringleader allegedly wired the money back to Puerto Rico. As for the smuggling, the DEA says kilos of coke were "concealed inside children’s toy tool boxes and large building toy container boxes" and then "the organization used United States Postal Service Express Mail to make deliveries to drop off addresses in Manhattan and the Bronx."

        

The farewell party for the famous "Toy Tower" at the Avenue B and 6th Street community garden took place yesterday. Vanishing New York estimates about 100 well-wishers were in attendance to eulogize the found object art tower, which rose to a height of 65 feet over the course of two decades. The eclectic structure is the work of the colorful East Village character Eddie Boros, who passed away one year ago this month.

A tipster tells Vanishing New York that the iconic found object “Tower of Toys” that began rising out of the Avenue B and 6th Street Community Garden in the mid-80s will be demolished by the Parks Department. According to the garden's executive committee, the 65-foot tower has been deemed unsafe. And, let’s face it, it’s just not in keeping with the city’s ever-expanding ‘generic and soulless’ real estate trend.