Toyjobs Blog

This note will be short and sweet (Thank God, you say) and with good reason. Normally, at this time, I would be giving you a review of the LA Fall Preview but I’m afraid this year I can’t do a very good job at that. The reason is that I had to cancel my trip to the show. Toy Industry hiring has been fast and furious. I had so much work to do that I couldn’t afford the time to go to LA and drum up more work.

I also knew from experience that after a trade show companies head back to the office and count numbers and crunch beans (did I say that right?) for about two weeks and then – all hell breaks loose. Companies press the go button on spending that was dependent on the results of the show. I didn’t want to be all backed up when that wave hit. Fortunately, I am now caught up or will be by Friday – just as the second wave is starting to arrive.

Toy Industry hiring tends to follow an annual cycle but this year that pattern has been disturbed – primarily by tariffs. Think of it as a hiring El Niño. The Year started off with a bang. Companies were hiring hand over fist. Then, Liberation Day arrived. On the day, the thing that was liberated most was company profit margins. Spending and hiring quickly dropped off a cliff. Even job offers that had already been made were quickly pulled back. The entire industry became deer in the headlights.

The fact that there was going to be tariffs was bad enough. The bigger problem was having no idea what they were going to be. Tariff numbers and proclamations changed every day. It was nearly impossible to even begin to plan.

In late July, the picture began to solidify. The outlook for 2025 isn’t good but at least we know what it is. And so here we are. All the spending for the year is happening at once and happening fast. The toy industry, after all, does have an annual sell by date. So, it’s get moving or get trampled.

Getting back to my “review” of the LA Fall Toy Preview, I hear it went quite well. Most people I spoke with had full dance cards and business was getting done. I’m told that the new Toy Building is fantastic. I’m looking forward to seeing it in April.

There were two places that people suggested that there was room for improvement. First, there needs to be shuttle buses. The buildings are pretty close but… a couple of shuttles doing endless loops would greatly improve things and make for less scrambling. Secondly, while the show “was” shorter and the Toy Association did get it down from 6 weeks to 5… If there’s any way to keep it to three weeks that would be a blessing. I know, I know we have to lay that at the feet of the retailers but – the only ones who seem to benefit are the overpriced hotel laundry services.

In closing – Make hay while the sun shines – or at least when there’s not a hailstorm – and squirrel it away – at least until the next crisis which is surely just around the corner.

All the best,

Tom Keoughan