Posted February 25, 2010

There have been many great innovators, entrepreneurs, inventors, and business leaders honored in our Toy Industry Hall of Fame, and there are many others who deserve consideration for the honor of inclusion. In the past we have honored inventors such as Reuben Klamer and Eddy Goldfarb. How about other inventors and creators of enduring and influential products such as Mike Bowling of Pound Puppies fame or Mr. Xavier Roberts who created the Cabbage Patch Kids? Perhaps Dan Lauer, inventor of Water Babies? Mr. Rubik who invented the cube, perhaps? Maybe Mel Taft should be recognized, who during his long and influential career at Milton Bradley first saw an electric mining game from Marvin Glass that he turned into the classic game of Operation? What about Burt Meyer, who is credited with creating the Lite Brite and other toys now considered classics? These are individuals whose products have sold billions of dollars at retail and have made an indelible impact on our industry. 

            

 

We should not only induct inventors, of course, though I may be partial. Who else deserves recognition in our Toy industry Hall of Fame? How about those long-forgotten entrepreneurs who started companies that once dominated the industry such as Remco, Topper Toys, Schaper Toys, Gabriel, Lakeside, or Ideal, just to name a few? These companies were the toy industry. Their founders and CEOs built our industry.

            

 

Louie Marx, Milton Bradley, George Parker have been recognized in the past. How about some of our current company founders and CEOs, such as Jack Friedman of LJN and currently Jakks Pacific fame? Russell Hornsby comes to mind, having built Trendmasters in the 90’s and having done it all over again with Cepia?

 

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