Just out of curiosity how did the set already get a nomination for best toy when the darn thing was just released in the news. It has not even hit the market or been played with by any real world kids (like ourself's)
Hi Ras,
The nomination is for best new 'green' toy at the 2011 Nuernberg Toy Fair, which starts next week. The nominations and awards (in several different categories) were chosen by the directors of various toy manufacturers and, more importantly, toy retailers, as well as at least one researcher who works on 'what to kids buy and why'.
The awards in the different categories for 'best toy' are for those toys which get their 'premieres' at the Toy Fair. So like movies, there will be plenty of 'industry insiders' who will have seen the toys before they officially hit the markets. And it's those 'industry insiders' who pick the nominations and winners, not kids or their parents (or collectors like us).
I was trying hard to keep my cynicism in check writing this, and I don't think I've succeeded. Calling a spade a spade, so far as I can tell, these awards are really about 'which toys do the senior managers of major European toy retailers think have the best chance to sell the most (and therefore make the most money for them as retailers).' What you or I (as collectors) or children (as the people at whom the products are nominally targeted (it's really more their parents)) might think about them as
toys (e.g., are they fun and interesting to play with) are secondary considerations at best.
Sorry. Got up on the grumpy side of the bed this morning...
Cheers,
AndrewL
