Here’s Your Chance
Inventors go toy-to-toy for development dollars.
Calling all toy inventors: On September 11, Haystack Toys will
start its second annual Great American Toy Hunt. St. Louis,
Missouri-based Haystack Toys Inc. will be hitting Dallas, Denver,
Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and St.
Louis in search of the next big idea.
Up to 10 winners will receive a 5 percent royalty, $5,000
advance and a commitment to spend $50,000 to help develop the idea.
Competition will be fierce: Dan Lauer, toy inventor and Haystack
Toys' founder, expects 12,000 entries. But here's a tip:
Lauer isn't looking for board or video games; he's on the
hunt for large, tactile toys that encourage imaginative play. One
of last year's winners was the CuddleFish, a stuffed toy
invented by Frank Young and Liz Farley of Mound, Minnesota, that
makes underwater noises.
Think you're up to the challenge? For complete competition
details, log on to www.haystacktoys.com.
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Don Debelak is a new-business marketing consultant and the
author of Bringing Your Product to Market (John Wiley &
Sons). Send him your invention questions at dondebelak@uswest.net.