New York International Gift Fair 2010 – Impressions

We knew it would be a whirlwind when we went to our first New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) so that we could take a look at the newly minted Baby & Child section in Hall 1E.  It put some real classy as well as function products in one area of the NYIGF for us to investigate.  We were only going to be able to attend for one day due to other engagements, so we had to make the most of it.  The fact that the whole show was not going to open up until Sunday did not deter us, either, but more on that later.  While there we also walked over to Piers 92 and 94, where the show had been extended.

In the main hall we got introduced to a bunch of new companies that had some interesting products.  While there were some very high-end clothes that were stunning, I will be sticking to the other products for this piece. 

Calafant is a company that has recycled cardboard playsets for the children.  I was partial to the castle that they were showing.  It is also nice that the children can color and paint on the peices before playing with them.  Makes for a craft project first and a toy second.  Some of them were even big enough that the child could get inside and play.  No glue or tools are needed for this product.

I love stacking toys, and P’kolino has this real nice Puzzle Stacker that I had a chance to get my hands on.  It is a nice high-end stacker in wood that I thought would be great for a baby to play with.  Cloud B also had their 2010 product line, which includes the Twilight Turtle that I had admired at Toy Fair–here I had the opportunity to see it in a little more detail.  I think this is a great product for a child’s room and would love to see how it looks in one; plus you can also identify constellations and make it a learning experience.  Cloud B also has some very nice soothing Sounds sleepers that are like an adult sound machines, only inside of a nice plush animal.  I was already familiar with Kid O Products, as my kids have two Bilibo toys and love them.  When we saw that they were there, we wanted to find out what other cool things they might have.  Well, they have a lot of neat products, but the one that stood out for us was the A to Z Magnatab, which allows children to learn how to write their letters in a very tactile way.  We will be looking to query them on a review piece.

Resnackit, the reusable and washable sandwich and snack bag, was also there.  We use tons of plastic bags, and this is a great way to be able to help the environment while saving some time and money by not having to purchase Ziploc bags for snacks all the time.  Now, these are not air-tight like a Ziploc bag, so you do have to keep that in mind.  Also you will have to make an initial investment, as you will need a bunch of these if you have a large family.  The best part, though, is they are not just machine-washable, but you can also actually dry them in your dryer.  They also have a bunch of fabrics that let your toddler or school-age student find something that makes them happy.

I also got a chance to visit the North area of the Javits Center, which has not been open for any of the other trade shows I have attended.  It is nice and bright, and that was good because there were a lot of jewelry and sculpture vendors here.  I had my eye on one sculpture, but it will have to wait until we move, I think.  Cate and Levi had some nice Wall art that was made from reclaimed wool and a natural cotton canvas.  Not only are they very “green,” but the wall art was also really cool-looking.  Plus it allowed the child to have something very nice and soft to touch without fear of any glass hurting them.  A great idea.  Christmas Stockings & Sock Hooks from Christmas Cove Designs were needed in my house.  I know that the metal heavy ones have almost hurt our kids and have already made dents in our floor.  This product line eliminates that because they hold a lot of weight and will not injure your floor or your child if someone pulls the stocking.  I will be making sure to purchase these for the holiday season!

One piece that I did not see the booth for was the Little Packrats’ Super Heroes, which are non-licensed masked super heroes that have a kid-sized backpack and also a mast.  Well, the mast was in the press room, so we brought one home for the kids, and they had a blast.  It was very interesting how they used their imagination, because they were not locked into some licensed hero where they felt they had to act like the character.  They became Super Bear and Super Mouse and played very well for over an hour with just the masks. 

Fiesta Products has the Head Chefs line, which are cooking tools for the kids, and they also have a cookbook story-based series.  I think this is a great idea as it allows your kids that extra amount of playtime while cooking, so things do not get boring in the down times.  The utensils are bendable, and who doesn’t like a bit of help in the kitchen?  Magnificent Baby is an idea I am surprised hasn’t been thought of sooner.  Instead of buttons and snaps and all those things that make baby clothes so hard to change, especially in the middle of the night, Magnificent Baby has a magnetic closure system–magnets to hold the clothes shut.  We saw the sleepers and were instant fans.  Baby deedee sleep nest also solves another problem that we have.  They have a sleep nest (baby duvet sleeping bag) that has a glow-in-the-dark-zipper.  My wife has to have a little night light in the baby’s room, but this sleeper would probably eliminate that.

We saw some really neat hats by 32 Degrees, which were adjustable sizes as well as having a a nice lining and being fun to wear.  The snowmen ones and polite penguins were my favorites.  They come in infant, baby, toddler, and one size fits most.  The adjustable clip means that you will be able to get more than one winter out of the hats in the baby and toddler sizes, which is another bonus.  We tried one on, and they are put together real nice.  My boys would go crazy for these.  This will be a company we follow up with come the cold weather.  Wooli are toy boxes that are made of wool and felt so your child does not get hurt.  The other benefit is that you can fold them flat and take them with you on vacation. 

I am getting old enough that I am past the point of caring what people think when I am carrying around the diaper bag.  That is, until I saw Diaper Dude products.  Why can’t I look like a cool dude when I have the baby with me?  I can if I use some of the Diaper Dude “cool,hip, funky diaper bags.”  They are all so neat I don’t know if I would want the Navy Skull, Grey Dragon, Camo bag, or Orange Lion.  The choices are diverse, and I felt the product and it is solid.  They also make some accessories like changing station, blanket, pacifier holder, bottle holder, etc.  I was also able to see some of their book bags.  They also have a very nice dad check list screen-printed on them.  Don’t forget the baby!  I will have to get with them, as well.

Pier 92 had some interesting items, too.  Purse Keyper allows you to hook your purse or bag to your baby stroller or shopping carts.  I would see it being very nice for the person who is shopping at the food store or going to an amusement park with your bag and stroller.  The Cali Bowl was on display, but they were not very talkative, to be honest.  Instabol was also here, and we got a chance to see a instabol which is billed as “The most portable, lighweight & convenient bowl in the world.”  It turns any quart-size ziploc bag into a bowl.  For snacks in the car for the kids this would keep our car a heck of a lot cleaner, that is for sure.  It also is great for food and water for pets on a trip or walk.  For travel it is great for your toiletries, as well.  Another good idea.  My Little Cupcake is a no-bake cupcake-pop mold.  Seems like it would be a neat idea for a birthday party.  Do you have a refrigerator that is full of your children’s artwork?  Well ours has gone from just the fridge to the fridge and dishwasher.  Wexel Art has a way to handle that.  “The Wexel Art collection features a single panel of crystal clear acrylic and brushed silver hardware that projects the frames off the wall to allow access behind them.  The beauty of the design is that simple magnets hold artwork and more behind the clean lines of the acrylic.”  This not only displays the artwork in a nicer setting but keeps the artwork from getting damaged, as well.  Plus they are something different, and I like that.  Also a way to show off your kids’ artwork and test scores, if you wanted to, which might help boost your child’s confidence, is my thought.  They also make magnets that are a little bigger if you have babies in the house or if you want your children to be able to change them by themselves.  This show is full of good ideas, and Wexel Art is in that group.

At Pier 94 we had the opportunity to see the products from Beetling Design, which are 3D Wall Sculptures for Children.  I could see them being used at a day care or pre-school for sure, but if you wanted to really give your kid’s room that super-cool look, these are the thing.  I was a fan of the Safari set, but the Dinosaurs were just awesome.  They also have a Princess set, as well as a Space Set to match the style to the room.  The rest of Pier 94 had a lot of material and furniture that was quite interesting.

Two companies that I want to give their own post to when I get back are BabyLegs and 7 A.M. Enfant, as they both took some time to talk to us while we were at the show.  I am exteremly excited to work with 7 A.M. Enfant in the future and will be reaching out to them when I get back.

Two items I wanted to talk about that fall into the Mommy’s Corner category are the Pillo1 and linday phillips shoes.  My wife tested out the Pillo1 and seemed to like it; she thought it would help reduce her shoulder stress.  This is one of those products you would have to use for a while, though, to actually give an informed opinion on.  It looked like an interesting concept, and they had a lot of info on it to support the fact it helps you sleep better.  My wife was drooling while looking at the new Ida flop and SwitchFlop by lindsay phillips.  I hope we can work with them on a project for a Mommy’s Corner post here at the site.

Since some of the show was not open yet, and we would not be able to attend more than one day, we were let behind the scenes of the show to walk around the area as the exhibitors set up for their launch on Monday.  It was pretty interesting to see how things work at the Javits for setting up booths, and we were also able to at least get a glimpse of what we would be missing the next day. We have to make it a point to spend two days at this show, as well, it seems.  Thank goodness it is a show that is two times a year; I look forward to attending again.