 |  News13.07.2017 // An inside view on toy markets: The USAThe USA typically gets the most attention from toy companies looking to expand outside their home markets. There is no doubt that a few wins ‘over the pond’ can hugely ramp up sales. There are however some big risks and challenges associated with entering the American toy market. The US toy market has two distinct distribution channels: Mass & Specialty. The Mass channel features two prominent generalist retailers who drive huge volumes of sales: Walmart & Target. These two retail giants have nearly 7,000 stores between them. As is typical for generalist retailers, the space allocated to toys varies somewhat throughout the year, with a much bigger range for October-December peak season. A further example of the sheer scale of the US toy market is Toys R Us, this international stalwart of the global toy industry has more stores in the USA than it does in the rest of the world combined. Toys R Us has in the region of 800-900 stores in the USA, if we compare this with the approximate 60 stores in Germany for instance we can see the sheer scale difference. Think of it this way – if every store takes one master carton of a product i.e. 6 units of a product, that would add up to c. 360 units in Germany, whereas in the USA it would add up to somewhere around 5,000 units. Selling toys in the US mass market requires large numbers All of which sounds like a great opportunity…except that it takes a large amount of cash to cashflow a business supplying businesses operating on such a scale. Let’s look at it this way – if you do a deal to get 3 products listed by the largest retailer in the Netherlands for instance, you would do well to sell 30,000 units over the three products. If you get 3 products listed at Walmart or Target across the US, you would be looking at more like 300,000 - 500,000 units across 3 items on average performing products. So, presuming your manufacturing cost is around $3 per unit, you’re looking at $million cashflow just to manufacture stock. Clearly this starts to look like both a massive opportunity & a massive potential headache at the same time! Imagine if the product doesn’t sell through well & the retailer wants to cancel orders…there could be a large stock issue to manage. We might then want to sell on an FOB only basis i.e. the retailer takes the stock at the port in China, India, Vietnam, etc., and then it’s their responsibility…but retailers buy FOB when it suits them, not when it suits you! So, there is no guarantee those terms can be used to reduce your risk. The bottom line is that mass toy market in the USA can be a roller coaster ride for smaller toy companies with fewer hot or must list toys, because a good year of 5 or 6 listings might be followed by a bad year with only 2 listings or even de-listing. This is challenging to manage in terms of overhead commitments etc. Considering the specialty market is a reasonable approach For most new market entrants, the US Specialty market is a safer bet, with a more diversified and de-risked opportunity, which offers a more solid foundation for building a toy business with somewhat less of the roller coaster ride of mass market distribution. One of the least logical approaches I have observed many times is companies who won’t consider a US Specialty account which can sell 5 - 10,000 units of a product as being too small. The same companies will often fly half way round the world to pitch to the leading retailer in a small market with the same potential! The opportunity to sell to ‘small’ US accounts who can order thousands of units is vast. There are regional retail chains in America with stores across only a few states which have hundreds of stores, or even as many as a thousand stores. To put this in context – Argos, the UK’s highest volume per item toy retailer has c. 750 stores. There are so many retail opportunities in the US Specialty toy market that a prudent approach to building a business should surely focus on Specialty first & foremost. One further important point about the US toy market – it is very usual to sell to retail via reps. There are established sales rep groups turning over $millions. Even medium sized established toy companies will sometimes sell to Walmart or Toys R Us via reps. This rep tradition is partly a feature of the geography of the US – it’s a vast country. A good rep can open the door into retail accounts, but most importantly they can also maintain or grow listings once the account is up & running. Looking at the sprawling geography of the US, one further major challenge is distribution & logistics. While the opportunity is huge, so is the complexity of delivering products across the US. Walmart for instance has over 40 regional distribution centres just to cover the USA. Many a business has died a death due to failure to manage supply effectively/profitably. So – the USA undoubtedly offers vast opportunity, but beware of the challenges that come with that scale of opportunity. | 07.07.2017 // Spinning out: A look at the issues surrounding fidget toys Fidget spinners are the latest craze to sweep the toy biz, but they have also courted their fair share of controversy. Here, we take a look at the issues that have plagued this new trend. With every new craze that hits playgrounds the debate will begin anew – should toys be allowed inside school grounds? The easy answer is no – they provide a distraction and worse yet, can create arguments and jealousy amongst the students. However, things become a little more tricky when the toys in question can provide a genuine help to children that suffer with disorders and disabilities. The flavour of the month this time is fidget toys. Following the Kickstarter success story the Fidget cube, spinners allow kids to relieve stress and feel grounded in any situation. Supposedly devised by a mother to help her kids to relieve stress (this point has been contested), the pocket-money product has gone down a hit with people who suffer from ADHD, Autism and Anxiety, allowing people with issues such as this to distract themselves from uncomfortable situations with the aesthetically pleasing motion. The National Autism Society has made a statement in favour of the toys, stating that schools should consider allowing spinners and the like in certain cases. “Autism can affect each child differently, which is why it is so important that schools put the right support in place for each individual,” reads a statement from Carol Povey, director of the centre of Autism at the National Autistic Society. “It is vital that schools develop a proper understanding about autistic pupils so their specific sensory needs can be met,” adds Povey. “We therefore hope allowances are made for particular children if they find that a fidget spinner or similar toy helps them concentrate, relax and learn.” However, much to the chagrin of those that find the spinners genuinely helpful, the trend has now caught on with kids everywhere meaning that many schools were left with no choice but to ban the toys. Toymaker Grossmans has enjoyed tremendous success with their range of spinners but presents a reasoned approach to the issue of schoolyard bans. “It is a concern for each individual school,” commented Martin Grossman, MD of the firm. “I think spinners should be encouraged as they help focus and are good for concentration – but the bans have not harmed the business in any way.” Another reason spinners have courted controversy is the questionable safety of the ball bearing that form the basis of the product. Many have argued that this largely stems from disreputable suppliers selling sub-standard products via sites like unregulated Ebay. “Concerns over the safety of spinners are completely valid. There should be stricter controls at customs and through Trading Standards although they have been quick to respond to complaints,” adds Grossman. “It’s the bootleggers that are to blame for it. They are selling sub standard bearings and dodgy product. Our spinners are totally safe, of good quality and come in a great variety of designs.” A quick Google search will turn up a run of schools that have come under criticism for placing a ban on the ubiquitous plaything. One such school is Churchill Academy near Congresbury who issued a statement to parents after a pupil penned an eloquent letter lamenting the latest trend, labelling them as a distraction to the entire class. “If students try to claim it helps them concentrate, they are wrong,” read a statement to parents from the school’s headmaster Chris Hildrew. “Their use of a fidget spinner is not only distracting them, it is distracting others too. If students have specific concentration issues they need to be referred to a specialist for a full diagnosis and then appropriate strategies will be agreed with the individual.” The school declined to comment further on whether their policy towards fidget toys. A more logistical issue that has hit toymakers hoping to capitalise on the trend is the difficulty in procuring the most essential component of the product: the ball-bearing that allows the axis to spin so smoothly. Iain Morgan, CEO of Bladez Toys, a firm with their own line of licensed fidget spinners explained that with increased demand, problems are emerging with the production of the toys. "The wave of generic spinners on the market caused a flood of inferior products from various factories and assembly factories," explained Morgan. "Due to the high level of demand, this resulted in a shortage of bearings and we were finding that market testing of some products was showing how the quality was varying greatly. Some bearings were rusty, others recycled and some spinners even had a limited spin time of less than 30 seconds which was poor. Our spinners have a 2 minute spin time and will help drive the playground appeal even more." Bladez own line of fidget toys includes items with Barbie and Hot Wheels brading, thanks to a partnership with Mattel. Morgan went on to explain the success of spinners with kids across the world. "The fidget trend has happened and been driven by children rather than toy companies," added Morgan. "Speaking to our international customers, we have the view that this trend will continue but with a higher quality and more varied product range compared to the lower grade items seen on the market so far. The category of fidget toy has been around for a while but can now stand on its own as a more robust category. Equally, it can now fit within the pocket money sector." With new variations on the fidget toy hitting the market, including stackable spinners and even fidget apps, the trend shows no signs of slowing down just yet. Expect the debate to spin on… at least until the summer holidays. | 22.06.2017 // Playing instruments made easy with modern music & sound toysAs the interest in teaching music to children is increasing, so it is the quality and sophistication of the musical toys that are reaching the market. Music, the production of all sorts of sounds combined to create a melody, represents an amazing source of innovation for our industry. Some companies are developing toys based on traditional instruments. These toys are offering children the possibility to play with high-quality instruments in an easier way than playing the real ones but getting a sound almost as good. Check for instance Loog guitars, a three strings guitar that reduces chords to the basic triad. They are not only beautiful, well-designed guitars, the sound they produce is great as they use real guitar strings and standard guitar tuning. Accompanied with flashcards and an app with video-lessons, a tuner, and other features, kids can learn to play their favorite songs in a very playful way, getting a result quite similar to the music they would be able to get with a regular guitar. Innovative and surprising ways to produce music through toys Mainly new entrepreneurs are thinking about music in a broader manner, beyond traditional instruments. They are conceiving completely new products to create and compose music. Most of the times these are also toys that are simpler and more intuitive to play than regular instruments, which helps children get engaged with them right away. The toy Musicon is an excellent example. The company that develops it describes it as a new instrument for children 3 and up to learn composing and coding at the same time. A product that has received some of the most prestigious design recognitions such as the Red Dot Design Award, the Core 77 Design Award, the IF Design Award, et cetera. Another great product is BeatMoovz, a wearable that turns the movement of the player’s hands or feet into music. It simply works when the kid makes gestures, dances or does active exercise. Each movement generates a different musical beat. It can be combined with other player’s sounds in a fun and intuitive manner to create all sorts of fun melodies in collaboration. Actually, after seeing some of the innovations presented at the last Spielwarenmesse® it seems that everything can become an instrument, for instance "The new Elsa by Hasbro. A doll that presents a very creative way to generate melodies by touching different places on its dress. The areas touched light up while producing sounds, adding a charming effect to the whole play experience. Dolls can become instruments, but also all kinds of toys. For instance building blocks. Check the Lego Boost Guitar 4000, a kit for children to build their own guitar that afterwards can be coded through an app. A genius way to engage children into science and art! Let the music play Creating music, an activity that entertains while being also highly educative, is inspiring the toy industry for new playing experiences. Music can be produced in any number of ways, so toy companies, no matter what their category is, can really be innovative by adding adequate musical features to their toys. Think about producing music in an easier, more intuitive way. 
| 20.06.2017 // The Canadian toy market: a missed opportunity for distributing toys?Canada has been in the European news lately, with CETA (Comprehensive Economic And Trade Agreement) promising free trade as well as tariff reduction with Canada after eight years of gruelling negotiations. Canada offers significant opportunity for toy companies regardless of the new macro level political and legal framework. The more contentious legal aspect which potentially cedes local, national, and EU wide legal sovereignty and control over workers’ rights and other highly politicised issues to global corporations has attracted huge publicity & lead to public protests. When you add in the Trump administration’s apparently negative stance on NAFTA (North American Free Trade Organisation, allowing ‘free’ trade between the USA, Canada & Mexico), all the media noise could give the impression that trade with Canada is too difficult. But I believe that being deterred by all this ‘noise’ would be a mistake. Taking a look above the US Over the years, I’ve consulted with many toy companies seeking to establish or grow distribution in North America. Most often though, toy companies focus on the biggest wins of all – namely the US toy market. However, Canada is in itself a very significant toy market, and one which can offer significant incremental opportunities. The Canadian toy market is estimated at between $1.6bn-$2.5bn USD at retail value. This places Canada on a par with many European toy markets. While it may be smaller than the UK, France & Germany it is not that far behind. I am not aware of any other toy market in the world of such a size which is given so little focus by many toy companies. Covering Canada with toys individually The typical justification for paying little attention to Canada is that you can cover much of the market via the same retail chains. Walmart have a significant presence and market share, as do Toys R Us. However, both have separate buying offices and teams to cover the Canadian market. When we sell to Toys R Us in Germany do we expect to automatically get listings or sales from Toys R Us France or UK? Bearing in mind that it is often difficult to convince buyers within the same buying teams in the same locations to all support the same brand initiatives, why would we expect automatic uptake of our product lines from one buying office to another? In fact, it is very difficult for buying teams, even where the will exists, to co-ordinate product lines in an industry where there are over 1 million individual Stock Keeping Units (there are 1m+ SKUs on display at Spielwarenmesse® each year, with an estimated 100,000 new products each year). Clearly a robust commercial strategy cannot rely on cross border listings decisions being automatically passed on from one team to another. So then the question becomes is there significant enough opportunity to chase an opportunity with the Canadian buying teams versus the USA teams. The latest store count I can find for TRU in the UK is around 80 stores, while in Canada the count is c. 70. Yet because TRU USA is on the doorstep with over 850 stores, many companies I have dealt with would ignore TRU Canada. The same applies for Walmart Canada & nearly every other chain with stores in both countries. The same companies that might have a 10 strong team in the UK, would have no one or just 1 single sales person in Canada quite often. Many companies expect to pick up a sufficient degree of sales from these Canadian retail subsidiaries to not have to apply further management head space or resources to the opportunity. Yet this becomes even more illogical when you consider the local store chains in Canada. Giant Tiger, Chapters Indigo & Canadian Tire Corporation have c. 1,000 stores between them. Canadian Tire Corporation might not sound like a toy retailer, but we estimate they stock c. 900 toy lines. I would be surprised if a majority of people reading this have even heard of some of these major retailers! How to get access to the Canadian toy market Practically speaking – toy companies can increase focus & sales in Canada by recruiting a broader rep network, by working with a reputable Canadian distributor/wholesaler or by hiring staff. If you have a rep group covering North America, ensure they are taking Canada seriously and have access to on the ground sales resources either via their own staff or via another (Canadian rep group). If you go with a distributor, you need to ensure they are reputable, as it would be difficult to ensure product is not shipped from Canada to the USA causing issues there (although this is not much different to trading in Europe e.g. France & Belgium). If you want to hire staff, you may be able to begin with one member of staff – a country manager or head of sales who can link together a sales & distribution network for you before you invest any further in the Canadian market. One practical point – be aware that Canada has two official languages – English & French. Product packaging legally MUST feature all mandatories in both languages. This should not be too difficult for European companies to manage, as typically we are used to working with multiple languages, but we’d suggest not taking chances on this to avoid issues. While the current political environment is quite turbulent, and trade deals like NAFTA and CETA become political ‘footballs’ for politicians to kick around, there is a significant and likely under exploited opportunity in Canada’s toy market waiting for you. For more information on the Canadian toy market, the Canadian Toy Association is a good start point. | 16.06.2017 // Tactile play is all the rage againBoth adults and children have been under the spell of the retro trend for years. Or are the trends for creative pursuits and DIY just offshoots of individualisation? There is no doubt that many consumers find arts and crafts a good way to slow down and relax. Carletto CEO Peter Gygax thinks he knows why children also cannot help but let their creativity flow and use analogue play as a means of comprehending their world. Spielwarenmesse®: Mr Gygax, we might be forgiven for thinking that the Carletto range is geared more towards the fairer sex. At least, there are few “boy toys” for rambunctious play. Tell us, why is that? Peter Gygax: Carletto has been marketing its traditional and musical toys and successful games since 1986. You will very rarely find anything tech based with us. We don’t sell those kinds of out-and-out “boy toys”, but focus instead on exceptional brands offering analogue play fun and entertainment. Enthusiasm among adults for creative leisure pursuits remains undiminished. DIY stores encourage us almost daily to “do our thing”! Have you already your own allotment garden or are you more of a crocheting-and-colouring-books man? P.G.: There’s no competition, it’s macramé all the way! No, joking aside, I like to tinker with things. I try to repair whatever needs repairing with our children and have built a proper tree house in the forest with our boys. I have had no success to date with crocheting or colouring, perhaps I’m just talentless in those areas. The world is becoming increasingly complex, but also more analogue. You could trip over the colouring books in bookstores at railway stations. What’s up? Are we not living in the age of digital disruption? P.G.: We are caught up in the appeal of the tactile experience again! People are passionately collecting Pokémon cards now and restoring and trading old cars and motorbikes, while DIY, cooking and gardening are all the rage. The digital world is large and convoluted, while the analogue world is tangible and manageable. We are interested in whether this is rubbing off on children who have grown up with smartphones. What do you think? P.G.: Our generation discovered the digital world, while today’s “digital natives” are having fun discovering the analogue world. Even young people don’t have a clue how a smartphone really works, but everyone can understand what a bicycle does. So, analogue topics will be extremely popular in the future as well, because they are tangible and can be understood and experienced. And can you also tell us which “gizmos” children are big into at the moment? What are the current trends? P.G.: Fidget spinners are literally this summer’s hot movers! We will have to wait and see whether they also compensate for or enhance deficits in children. In terms of building things for themselves, you’ll find Slime and thinking putty in all schoolyards. You have launched Artista, a new creative line. Are you not a bit late to the party? We have found the new trend to be “make yourself beautiful!”. P.G.: We are just in time! Artista is bringing traditional activities in a high-quality format back to the stores. We actively look for special activities for young girls and boys, package them nicely and provide quality instruction booklets. Artista offers perfect gifts and analogue activities for a broad age range. Picasso was 51 when he painted Girl before a Mirror in the early thirties. You might think nowadays that this is the only motif out there because girls in primary school are already interested in makeovers. Is the toy sector fuelling this trend? This might have been the impression gained at the Spielwarenmesse. P.G.: The toy sector has come on in leaps and bounds in the area of cosmetics and styling in recent years. This is good, we have to serve this target group in an appealing and competent way and try to keep it in our sector for as long as possible. But this category is not without its issues. Once you get into the whole area of cosmetics, responsibility for quality and ingredients increases exponentially! You have described Carletto as a truffle hog, always unearthing something special. What can we expect after Artista? P.G.:Oh...but truffle season isn’t until autumn! We will certainly bring some delightful innovations to the next trade fair, but you’ll have to wait and see. This much I can tell you – there will be cool and creative fidget spinners that have already proven a hit with our grandparents! 
| 09.06.2017 // International Friendship Day!Life wouldn’t be the same without best friends. They’re the friends that can be counted on to be there at a moment’s notice. The ones who love, laugh, support, and cherish – in both good and bad times. Friends can be celebrated on any day of the year, but what better day than Best Friends Day? The day is largely unofficial, with no clear clue as to its origins, but that doesn’t stop the millions who mark the day each year from enjoying their best friends. Celebrations can be as low key or as flamboyant as desired. A picnic in the park, a get together over coffee, or a nice meal in a favourite restaurant are popular ways to celebrate a close friendship. Should distance keep best friends apart, it’s enough to pick up the phone to wish that special person a very happy Best Friends Day!!! 
| 01.06.2017 // The 1st of June is International Children’s Day!!!What the day is about, events and how people mark it around the world Today is International Children’s Day – a date dedicated to raising awareness about child rights and well being.
Hundreds of events are set to take place across the globe to celebrate childhood and get people talking about the issues affecting children at the moment – and how to solve them. Here is everything you need to know. What is International Childrens Day? International Children’s Day dates back to 1925 when the world community got together in Geneva, Switzerland to talk about the well being of children. The Soviet Union led the call for a date to draw attention to child issues and pushed for the publication of modern children’s books with illustrations.
A date that was finally decided was June 1, which is when much of the world marks the date, but some countries – including Britain – have their own national children days on separate dates as well. The date is also completely separate to Universal Children’s Day, which was established by the United Nations in 1956 for similar reasons but is held instead on November 20. It is also separate to International Missing Children’s Day, which was held a few days ago on May 25. How do people mark the date? Generally the date is dedicated to raising awareness of issues affecting children with speeches about child welfare, wellbeing and rights as well as many events celebrating childhood. In Ukraine, some communities hold baby races where babies crawl their way to the finish line. The races are usually part of the country’s ‘Baby Drive’. In Bulgaria there are musical parades with children encouraged to take part and play instruments, in North Korea children dress up to celebrate as well as children donning tradition dress in Afghanistan. Closer to home, in Cambridge, there is a fancy dress event with parachute play, crafts and sports. 
| 31.05.2017 // Boost your business on international Children’s DaysNational and international Children’s Days open up new sales opportunities for the toy sector. Anyone familiar with the customs for Children’s Day in the various countries can use promotions to generate good additional business. Following Christmas and Easter, Children’s Day is another official way to get children’s eyes gleaming with delight. Visitors to the Spielwarenmesse ® in 2015 are bound to have already seen the new symbol for International Children’s Day - the Captain Hat. The German Association of the Toy Industry (DVSI) is hoping to establish Children’s Day in Germany using the Captain Hat as its symbol. The children are in charge on this day. They decide what happens. Also, it’s quite easy to hide a gift under this simple-to-make paper hat. Long-standing tradition The United Nations came together with UNICEF to establish the Universal Children’s Day. Countries can decide for themselves the actual date. In some countries there are actually two Children’s Days. However, more than 30 countries celebrate International Children’s Day on 1 June. This goes back to the World Conference for the Well-Being of Children held in Geneva in 1925. The communist states in particular introduced Children’s Day after World War II. It was always traditional for little ones to get a small gift then as well. Nowadays, Children’s Day is still celebrated on 1 June in the Eastern European States, Portugal and many Asian countries in particular. While children enjoy free entry to all zoos and museums in Romania and Slovakia on the day, in Bulgaria drivers are requested to keep their lights on all day while driving so as to promote child safety. Parades to honour local children are even held in cities in Kosovo and Albania. All children under 13 years of age get the day off from school in China. And, of course, children in these countries still get a little something from their parents, as has long been the tradition. Besides International Children’s Day, there is also an International Children’s Rights Day, which is celebrated by the United Nations on 20 November. It originated from the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted on 20 November 1959 and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. More than 20 countries, including Canada, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates, have named this day Children’s Day. Some countries, including Pakistan, celebrate Children’s Day on both dates. DIY store decorations Of course, no toy store should be without special Children’s Day offerings. A Children’s Day discount of up to 20% is offered in many toy stores worldwide. Cheerful store decorations drawing attention to Children’s Day can be whipped up quickly and cost-effectively using the home-made Captain Hat. Furthermore, the German Association of Toy Retailers has also launched a wish list campaign. Retailers can make customers specifically aware about Children’s Day and provide information on it by integrating these wish lists into their own promotional material as well. And the children are in with a chance of winning the toy they want through this campaign. Children’s Day is also supported in New Zealand and falls in early March. Free templates for flyers and tips on how to hold successful Children’s Day events are also available there. Our monthly preview of events shows you when Children’s Days are held in the various countries. 
| 25.05.2017 // Why game recommendations are great for PRGame awards are welcome advertising for the games themselves and also help point consumers in the direction of the games that are trending at that moment. But what makes a good game? This question, looking at board games and other tabletop games, throws up very different answers depending on the point of view and interests. The criteria for a good tabletop game range from expert assessments and consumer and expert surveys through to empirical facts of market researchers. In between can be found a wealth of recommendations. Major retailers such as Toys “R” Us create a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy by recommending to consumers the products they believe will be that season’s best sellers. Industry associations draw up similar lists, which also regularly recommend tabletop games. In Germany, these are the German Association of Toy and Game Retailers (Bundesverband der Spielwareneinzelhändler - BVS) with its “Top 10 Toys” (compiled by a jury of experts from the trade) and the German Association of the Toy Industry (Deutscher Verband der Spielwarenindustrie - DVSI) with its “golden rocking horse” (decided upon together with readers of a parenting magazine). Other trade associations also provide similar recommendations, such as the “Genius of Play” initiative in the US. The ToyAward awarded each year by a team of experts at the Spielwarenmesse ® has also become a great success. This year’s nominees included another two tabletop games: Icecool from AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit and Sjoel de Boules from International Stationery. The market researchers referred to above use consumer and retail panels to gauge quite precisely how consumers feel about a game and whether or not they would buy it. As in the world of literature, where no critic would solely assess the quality of a book based on the number of units sold, you would be hard pressed to find a game critic who would use the mass-market appeal of a game as his sole criteria. Game critics have very often been right in their assessments, even in terms of how well an award-winning game will perform on the market in the long term. The games community has its say Of course, the online community has also contributed a lot in this area. People exchange views in forums, comments are left on blogs and in blogger networks and awards are meted out. One example is the Beeple blogger network, which considers itself the go-to place for people interested in board games. It wants to help strengthen the appeal of board games among the public. The bloggers share this sense of mission with the world’s most successful PR initiative for games: the “Spiel des Jahres” (German for “Game of the Year”). Back in 1978, a small band of game enthusiasts had the idea of enhancing the value of games, which they felt were under-appreciated by the public, by awarding the “Spiel des Jahres” title. Jochen Corts, Harald Fritz, Walter Luc Haas, Dieter Hasselblatt, Jürgen Herz, Bernward Thole and Tom Werneck formed the Spiel des Jahres e.V. association in a beer hall in Erlangen, Germany. Thus began a tremendous success story, which has taken even the founding members by surprise. The annual awards ceremonies in Berlin and Hamburg are now a huge event, with award winners usually making it into prime-time news bulletins. This gives publicity to award-winning games, which almost always go on to become runaway sales hits as well. Accordingly, all involved not only appreciate the honour but also the commercial success. Differentiation has certainly played a key role in the success story as well. With target groups so heterogeneous, it is difficult to award just one title. That is why the “Kinderspiel des Jahres” (“Children’s Game of the Year”) was added and is now awarded annually in Hamburg. After that came the “Kennerspiel des Jahres” (“Expert Game of the Year”), which looks to guide very active players. The shortlists and lists of nominees also help raise awareness of games that do not make it to first place but are still especially noteworthy in the eyes of the jury. Successful games adapted to local preferences These examples show that the games community in Germany is particularly active and diverse. There are similar initiatives in many other countries. Ultimately, games, more than other toys, have strong cultural and linguistic elements. The names of the games often vary in different languages. Sometimes, the stories behind the games, overlaying a particular game mechanism, are retold in different countries as well. Furthermore, many games are only published in a particular country. A multinational affair, in other words. There are actually very few truly global games. Monopoly, Cluedo, The Game of Life and The Settlers are the most prominent examples, not to mention the classics such as chess, Ludo (Pachisi) and backgammon. 
| 18.05.2017 // MAY 18 IS THE DAY OF UKRAINIAN VYSHYVANKA (EMBROIDERED SHIRT)Ukrainian Vyshyvanka - is the colloquial name of the traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt. History of Vyshyvanka, technician and methods of her implementation are by the world-wide type of art of the Ukrainian people. 
HISTORY OF UKRAINIAN VYSHYVANKAWhen exactly history of Ukrainian Vyshyvanka takes beginning, for certain not it is known. Her origin and development took place gradually, absorbing in itself various elements of patterns, decorative patterns that symbolized perception of the world and belief of Ukrainians. The history of the Ukrainian nation, its mentality and culture are inextricably linked especially with the work. One of the great works of our talented peoplehave embroidery that largely characterizes the material and spiritual culture of Ukraine. The fact that the embroidery has been known since time immemorial, according to stone "Scythian women", which is clearly seen in the schematic representations of embroidery in the insets, hem, cuffs of sleeves. Women's clothing Scythian times was like a long Ukrainian shirts, gathered at the neck and sleeves. Ukrainian Vyshyvanka had differences in different regions, which is achieved in particular by means of embroidery and sewing. In addition toshirts, have embroidery around the neck, on the sleeves, on the hem, embroidered apron decorated (hvartuh) - an integral part of women's clothing that protects the expectant mother from evil forces, etc. There is a long tradition of Ukrainian resist evil by beauty. That is what prompted the long winter evenings to embroider clothes yourself, family and loved ones, concluding in embroidered patterns heartfelt dreams and feelings. Future bride begins in childhood care for chest: clothes themselves, her husband and children - embroidery towel. Embroidered shirt Vyshyvanka done by the hands of loving mother or girl, provided with the unbelievable wave of cheerfulness and energy. Not for free, before wedding, fiancee had to embroider shirts to the darling and by the future to parents. Although wedding shirt and надягалась only one time in life, but she was careful to closing dates. If for Ukrainians since ancient times embroidered shirt was the traditional clothing in modern conditions embroidery has taken on special importance in many areas of human life, has become a means of expressing patriotism. DESIGNS OF UKRAINIAN EMBROIDERED SHIRTS
On reasons the decorative patterns of Ukrainian Vyshyvanka are divided into three groups: geometric, vegetable, animal and represent the elements of a symbolics of the ancient Ukrainian beliefs, cults. Separate embroidery guy-sutures are characteristic for those or other ethnographic districts of Ukraine. On Ukraine about one hundred is known various embroidery a technician. Geometric ornaments keeps many secret characters, closely intertwined from Slavic mythology. Geometric ornament- is one of the most common types ofembroidery. It is characterized by diamonds, circles, crosses, lines, zigzags. Also among geometric designs are very popular symbol "doodle" and the sign "beskonechnik" who came to us from the time of Tripoli culture.
The value of the secret symbols and geometric patterns to start with water and sun. Because these two elements are more likely to occur in the Ukrainianembroidery. Pattern depicted octagonal sun flower or rosette. But the pattern of water - like a twisted snake. Water and sun ornaments symbolize two elements. They are applied to children's shirts as guardian maternal and paternal power. Implemented cross patterns and featuring mini swastika is a movement of the sun, which symbolizes good and serve as protection against evil forces. Floral designs for embroidery were required to demonstrate the beauty of nature. These patterns represent the real-life forms in nature. The most commonplant ornaments in traditional Ukrainian Vyshyvanka motifs are considered "Kalina", "oak leaves", "grapes", "periwinkle", "hop" and many others. The third type of ornament Ukrainian embroidery - is zoomorphic or animal. Most often in the embroidery applied cuckoo, fish, rabbit, owl, butterfly or a rooster. Zoomoforic ornaments can be seen in conjunction with a variety ofbizarre plexus. So, Ukrainian Vyshyvanka has long played the role of a talisman against the dark forces. It was believed that the embroidery on the chest protects the human soul from destruction, decay and dying. Embroidery on the shoulders, especially in menswear, empower and defend against enemies. Cossacks were coded in embroidery military secrets: the number and composition of troops. Ukrainian Vyshyvanka is not only good clothes. In her pictures it is possible to see deep spiritual maintenance and touch to old history of Ukraine. 
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