Mary Boone - Ultimate Toy Collector: Shopkins

Copyright 2015 by Triumph Books LLC

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Triumph Books LLC, 814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, Illinois 60610.

This book is available in quantity at special discounts for your group or organization. For further information, contact:

Triumph Books LLC

814 North Franklin Street

Chicago, Illinois 60610

(312) 337-0747

www.triumphbooks.com

Printed in U.S.A.

ISBN: 978-1-62937-179-5

Content developed and packaged by Rockett Media, Inc.

Written by Mary Boone with Amy Bizzarri

Edited by Bob Baker

Design and page production by Patricia Frey

Cover design by Patricia Frey

Photography by Cait Lin Foto

This book is not authorized, approved or endorsed by Moose Creative Pty Ltd. It is not an official publication.

chapter one
Shopkins Take the Toy World by Storm

chapter two
Meet the Crew

chapter three
Exclusive, Rare and Limited Edition

chapter four
Lights, Camera, Action

chapter five
Playing with Your Shopkins

chapter six
Collecting Shopkins

chapter seven
Crafting with Shopkins

chapter eight
What Do You Know About Shopkins?

chapter nine
The Collectible Club

Do you re member your first mini-figurine collection? When I was a little girl, I collected Smurfs, small blue creatures who lived in mushroom-shaped homes. Today I love seeing my 5-year-old daughter, Chiara, delight in her Shopkins collection. Collecting toys is a hobby that offers hours of fun. Trading toys with friends, thinking of creative new ways to display your collection, and seeing your collection grow are some of the unforgettable joys of childhood.

Shopkins might be little in size but they bring big smiles to peoples faces! These colorful, cute and tiny characters are inspired by the everyday items you can find in your local grocery store. I share the secret joy when you open up the latest blind bag, hoping to reveal an ultra-rare, glittery Shopkin. You can set up a grocery store of your very own, where funny little Shopkins line the shelves: Dippy Avocado, Chloe Flower and Juicy Orange keep the fruit and vegetable department bright and cheery. Chee Zee and Spilt Milk bring their silly smiles to the dairy aisle. Waffle Sue, Minnie-Minty and Ice Cream Dream make us hungry for dessert!

And since the Shopkins family keeps growing and growing with Season Two bringing the tally up to over 150 new characters the fun is just getting started! I just keep hoping to find a glittery Cupcake Queen! From secretly carrying them around with you at school or play, to creating your own Shopkins video, to hosting a Shopkins-themed party, there is so much you can do with your Shopkins collection. So grab your favorite Shopkins and get ready to have a blast as you grow your sweet and cheerful collection!

amy

Super Shopkins Fan

One of the biggest toys in the world right now is so small you can fit a couple of them in your hand.

Shopkins are itty-bitty, super cute grocery-themed characters that have stolen the hearts of kids and adults all over the world.

Moose Toys, a company based in Melbourne, Australia, first introduced Shopkins in July 2014 with 150 different collectibles. At the same time, they began to release very short online videos featuring the Shopkins world. Those videos helped spread the Shopkins love in a big way. By February 2015, a dozen videos had been posted on Shopkins official YouTube channel; those videos had been viewed 26.2 million times.

Working with Toys

From toy inventore to store clerks, the toy industry supports approximately 615,350 full-time jobs in the United States.

Kids have fallen in love with Shopkins. In fact, the tiny, colorful toys were such an instant hit that they began to sell out in stores nationwide within a matter of weeks and online in as little as 24 hours. A second series of the miniatures was released in November 2014.

Shopkins come packaged with a shopping bag or shopping basket, which can be used to carry the characters. All packs of Shopkins come with at least one character you cannot see before you purchase. With the 12-pack, for example, kids can see 10 of the Shopkins in the package, along with four shopping bags and a basket, but inside the basket are two blind-packed characters. This packaging technique adds to the fun of collecting and opening the toys.

All Shopkins are grouped into teams by their location in the grocery store; categories include fruits and vegetables, dairy, bakery, sweet treats, party food, frozen foods and health and beauty. Beyond individual characters, children can add to their collections with a shopping cart that holds up to 60 Shopkins, or playsets such as the Fruit & Veg Stand, So Cool Fridge and Spin Mix Baking Stand.

Shopkins are obviously popular with kids, but adults also are beginning to see how great they are. The Toy Industry Association of America named Shopkins a finalist for one of its 2014 Toy of the Year Awards. The toy review site TTPM.com named Shopkins to its 2014 Holiday Most Wanted List, while Toy Insider, a website specializing in toy news and reviews, named Shopkins to its Hot 20 list for 2014.

We know that girls love all things miniature, so we created these cute collectible characters with intricate detailing,

I Want to Design Toys

Designing toys sounds like fun, but its actually a lot of hard work.

Toy designers often start projects by sketching ideas. They may draw hundreds of ideas before they land upon one they want to actually develop. Once the designers have a concept they like, they will design a prototype of the toy. A prototype is a model of the toy. It shows how the toy looks and moves, how durable it is, and what materials its made of. At this stage, when the toy can actually be held and operated, is a good time to make sure that its safe. If the prototype doesnt work the way the designer intended, they may adjust their plans and create another prototype.

When the designers have a prototype theyre happy with, they can try to sell their idea to a toy manufacturer.

Many toy designers specialize in a certain type of toy. For example, one designer might make dolls while another focuses on educational games or puzzles.