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Article Excerpt
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Matt Nuccio's work is all about fun and games. Nuccio is a full-time toy designer: He brings toy ideas to life.
The toy industry is dynamic, interesting--and, say Nuccio and others, fun. It includes the creation, distribution, and sale of everything from infant toys to action figures to games. "People in this industry are in the business of making kids happy," says Adrienne Citrin of the Toy Industry Association. "And at the end of the day, that's what it's all about."
Many workers are responsible for creating toys and bringing them to consumers. For example, some workers develop ideas for toys; others arrange for their manufacture and importation. Still others sell and market them.
This article describes workers who advance a toy from concept to consumer. The first section discusses the industry. A second section profiles three toy-related occupations--toy designer, product or brand manager, and advertising account executive--and includes job descriptions, earnings, and required skills and education for each. Following these profiles are brief descriptions of additional employment options and a discussion of the fun--and frustrating--aspects of working in the toy business. A final section suggests sources for more information.
More than child's play
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were about 187,000 U.S. workers in toy-related industries in 2007. These data do not include the self-employed. Workers whose employers do not deal primarily with toys, such as those in advertising firms or at large retail stores, also are excluded.
Toy employers are of three basic types: hobby, toy, and game stores; doll, toy, and game manufacturers; and merchant wholesalers. Hobby, toy, and game stores employed nearly 80 percent of all workers in the toy industry in 2007, according to BLS. About 13 percent more worked for merchant wholesalers, the establishments that distribute toys to other wholesalers and to the stores that sell them to consumers. Fewer workers were employed by the manufacturing companies that create the ideas for toys and produce them.
The toy industry is often characterized as having a few large employers and many small ones. Workers at large toy companies often perform specialized tasks; those at small companies typically have a greater range of responsibilities. "At the smaller companies," says toy salesman Jeff Cepielik of Glendora, California, "you've got to wear multiple hats."
And this industry is subject to fads. "One of the things that's unique about the toy industry, as opposed to some other industries, is that it's sensitive to trends and fashion," says Jim Green, general counsel for a Wisconsin-based toy and game company. "Something will be popular for a short time, and then not, so you have to constantly come up with new ideas."
Citrin echoes that observation. "There is a constant influx of new products, new ideas," she says. This constant change can add an element of excitement to the work.
The toy industry is also competitive. According to industry insiders, there are frequently more jobseekers than available jobs, so even experienced workers sometimes have difficulty finding employment.
Employment growth may be limited for toy workers in some areas, but opportunities should arise as workers leave the industry, especially those who are retiring. And as Kathleen McHugh of the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association points out, demand should continue for the products that toy workers create. "People will always buy toys as gifts," she says. "Parents and grandparents will always buy toys for their kids and grandkids."
Toy careers for the young at heart
There are many jobs in the toy industry. But few are as integral to it as those jobs involving toy design, development and marketing, and advertising. Designers, product or brand managers, and advertising account workers all play a role in putting toys into the hands of consumers--especially the littlest ones--who will enjoy them most.
Designers
Toy designers help to create toys and toy packaging. Their specific tasks, however, may depend on where they work. Some designers work for toy companies, others work for toy design firms, and still others are self-employed.
Designers begin the creative process by determining the general characteristics that a toy will have--for example, its size and shape and the materials that it will be made from. During this phase, they also must consider the cost to manufacture the toy. They might be given specific requirements to work with, or they might come up with their own ideas.
Sometimes, designers research the type of toy, or user preferences for the toy, that they hope to produce. Research, for example, might help them to be sure that they're accurately representing a cartoon character or to verify that an idea hasn't...
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