Playing At Business - toy & game business podcast with Steve Reece

Today we're diving into one of the most exciting shifts happening in the toy and game industry right now – the rapid rise of micro brands. We'll explore how small, agile toy companies are successfully competing with, and in many cases outsmarting, the biggest Toy brands and companies. We'll look at what's changed in the market, why agility is beating scale in 2026, and share practical strategies t...

In this episode, host Steve Reece takes a deep dive into the long-term impact of the Covid pandemic on the Toy & Game industry. Five years since the first global lockdowns, the dust has settled—and the changes are here to stay. From pricing shifts and supply chain diversification to the evolution of trade shows and the rise of direct-to-consumer strategies, this episode explores how one black swan...

What makes a toy company last for generations? In this episode, we break down the eight essential characteristics that separate fleeting fads from industry legends. From unwavering brand identity to innovation that evolves with consumer trends, we uncover the secrets behind long-term success. Expect insights into adaptability, quality, nostalgia, and the magic of emotional connection. Whether you'...

It's been a wild start to 2025 with tariff tribulations abounding.  From supply chain disruptions to retail price rises, these developments have produced a complex landscape for Toy & Game companies to try to navigate. Join us as we unpack the challenges, explore strategic responses and offer some tips to help you navigate the current situation.

In this episode, board games business expert Steve Reece of www. KidsBrandInsight.com runs through the steps in completing a commercial launch of a board game (also includes a card game or other cardboard based Games).  If you are wondering what you need to do next after you came up with the idea of a Game and made a Gameplay mechanic, then this episode is for you.

Over the last decade and a half or so, we have advised 200+ Toy startups and Game startups. There have been a number of recurring Tips and bits of advice we have given. This podcast covers those Top Ten Tips for startups in this whacky world of Toys & Games.   This is a definite must listen for new entrants to the business of Play!

This episode reviews the Toy Biz trade show event in Delhi. This time round more than 400 exhibitors were at the show. Host Steve Reece runs through his experience at the event, and discusses the many opportunities for Toy & Game companies in India.

This is the question we get most often. There are a number of key trade shows in the Toy business, and historically there has been a commom complaint that we have too many of these shows and that the schedule is inefficient. The pandemic gave us a good opportunity to consider our show schedules and to reassess what makes most sense for our businesses. In this episode we run through the main shows...

In this latest episode host Steve Reece shares 10 Key Success Factors for Board Games based on decades working with and on some of the most iconic Games of all times, including Hasbro's stable of Family Games such as Monopoly. Clue/do, Risk, Game of Life and many more.  Unusually Steve also acknowledges working on the worst selling board game of all time, as well as the best. If you are in the bus...

Another Spielwarenmesse Toyfair in Nuremberg has been and gone. This episode reviews this years show, and based on conversations at the show and market data released at this time gives an analytical outlook on the key drivers and trends of the European Toy market for 2024.   Sign up for our free Email Newsletter here:  www. ToyIndustryJournal.com  

2020 and 2021 were unexpectedly boom years for the Toy business overall as locked down families invested out of season in play activities for their homebound children. 2022 and 2023 were significantly worse years for the Toy trade. The question now is what happens in 2024? Host Steve Reece talks through the factors affecting Toy market performance in 2024 in this latest episode.    For more Toy bu...

In this episode we take a look at how choosing the right products to launch is the fundamental success factor for Toy & Games companies. Host Steve Reece uses an example of when he turned down a now famous & massively successful product as an example of how sometimes turning away good products is necessary in order to focus on what will work best for your company and the business model and market...

Many companies in the Toy business grow via acquisition. Company owners often want to sell up and retire or move onto other pastures. In this episode we take a look at some of the biggest Toy acquisitions of all time, we look at why and how Toy Cos are bought and sold and we discuss the details of the process of buying or selling. Maybe you have a Toy business you want to buy or sell, or maybe you...

In this latest episode host Steve Reece talks to Kate Scott & Declan Fahy, the Founders of Holo Toyz. Their company aims to inspire creativity and imagination via augmented reality technology. Kate stated "At our core, we believe that children should be able to experiment, play and learn through emerging technologies in a kid-safe environment away from the open web, whilst not losing touch with th...

Join Steve Reece in a deep dive into the toy industry's recruitment nuances. Drawing from over a decade as a consultant, Steve unveils key strategies for companies to recruit effectively and tips for candidates to land their ideal roles. Whether you're hiring or job-hunting, discover invaluable insights to navigate the toy business world. Our business is a Consultancy to Toy & Games companies. We...

Guess what – people have been buying Toys for adults for a very long time. Even though the 'Kidult' thing is the big thing nowadays, hobbyits sand people buying Toyetic gifts for adults have been around for a long while. Listen in to Episode 99 as we look at these adjacent areas in more detail!   Our business is a Consultancy to Toy & Games companies. We have worked with more than half of the bigg...

A few episodes back we looked at why excess inventory is so dangerous - in this episode we move on to look at the practicalities of how our industry manages excess inventory, where they sell it, how it works and some major banana skins to watch out for when selling clearance stock!   Our business is a Consultancy to Toy & Games companies. We have worked with more than half of the biggest Toy compa...

We are living through times of massive change and disruption. Technology is advancing at a frighteningly quick rate, and the very fabric of society has been changed by our adoption and development of new technologies.  However, despite that there are 5 unchanging fundamentals of the Toy & Games business. In this podcast your host Steve Reece takes a look at what has not changed in his nearly 25 ye...

There are some recurring characteristics of best selling Toys & Games. In this episode we run through the 5 most important features. This is not so much creative inspiration as it is a ticklist for new Toy & Games products in development.   Our business is a Consultancy to Toy & Games companies. We have worked with more than half of the biggest Toy companies in the world, as well as 100+ startups...

Regardless of which country is your home market, the opportunity outside your borders is greater...in this episode we take a look at some simple ways to significantly increase your export sales of Toys & Games.   Our business is a Consultancy to Toy & Games companies. We have worked with more than half of the biggest Toy companies in the world, as well as 100+ startups and small businesses. Our ma...

Ep 94 - 5 Key Tips To Find & Validate New Toy Factories In this episode host Steve Reece talks about his experience helping more than 100 Toy & Game companies find manufacturing around the world, and he shares 5 key tips for finding & validating new Toy factories. We look at why most companies make a massive mistake by focusing on manufacturing cost as the primary assessment factor for a new Toy &...

Excess inventory bleeds Toy & Games companies to death, unless the company makes bold steps to reduce the size of the problem. In this episode we cover in detail the issues caused by excess inventory, why inventory represents a recurring challenge which needs to be constantly managed and we look at some case studies of best and worst practise.   Our business is a Consultancy to Toy & Games compani...

This episode reviews the 2023 Spielwarenmesse Toy Trade show in Nuremberg. This show is the biggest trade show covering the Toy business in the world. This show marked Steve's 21st visit, and in this episode he talks through how the show went, the outlook for the Toy business in 2023 and much more.   Our business is a Consultancy to Toy & Games companies. We have worked with more than half of the...

Report on UK Toyfair 2023, with a short UK Toy Market update based on newly available year end 2022 Toy market performance.   Our business is a Consultancy to Toy & Games companies. We have worked with more than half of the biggest Toy companies in the world, as well as 100+ startups and small businesses. Our main areas of business are: Export Sales Consultancy - let us help you sell more of your...

2022 was a tough year for the Toy business. But finally that's over...now we can look ahead to what 2023 will bring. In this podcast we look at the 4 key factors driving 2023's Toy market: 1. RETAIL INVENTORY LEVELS 2. CHINA'S RE-OPENING 3. INFLATION RATE & CONSUMER DISPOSABLE INCOME 4. TOYETIC MOVIE SLATE We explain in full detail on this episode of the podcast...   Our business is a Consultancy...