Toys

A decade ago they were close to bankrupt. Now, everything is awesome.

Owner Steve Presser fights online shopping and price checking with kindness.

Kai Ryssdal talks with Phil Edwards from Vox about the money behind those cranes.

Hasbro has long been known for brands like Nerf and G.I. Joe.

Listeners of a certain age will remember viewfinders, those binocular-like things you hold up and look through with the circular discs of slides that flip around. Yeah, well, could you be more old fashioned? Mattel and Google are coming out with an update, including virtual reality and augmented reality. Also, there’ll be a slot where you can […]

Answering the question of why a toy company would want to own a movie studio.

Alex Shlaferman founded his multi-million-dollar company at the age of 16

For less than $10, you can order Ebola online and take it home — not the disease itself but rather, a cuddly, worm-shaped mock up of the virus. “GIANT Microbes” are stuffed animals that resemble tiny microbes, only at one million times their actual size. The website says the characters are designed to be “appealing personalities” […]

We went behind the scenes with Jean McKenzie, executive vice president for American Girl.

Lonnie Johnson dreamed of inventing, but never knew he'd be famous for a toy.