Jim Silver Quotations

There are lots of things that need to be done to revive Barbie.

There is no comparison. 'Star Wars' is on an entirely different level.

His return is a big positive for the industry. It will spur everyone on, especially in terms of pushing the limits of technology,

Hasbro isn't in the learning category, so Lego is a perfect candidate for them, ... Both companies aren't strong in educational' family entertainment, so Leapfrog also is attractive.

Hasbro has other new Star Wars toys coming out in the fall timed to the release of the Star Wars DVD.

I think the empty box will appeal strictly to the collectors rather than the 7-year-old kid who wants to leave the store with a Star Wars toy.

I think Toys R Us will continue to run some kind of toy operation in the future. But in order to still be competitive, it will need to slim down considerably and run probably around 450 to 500 stores.

Parents and kids still love the retailer because it still sells three times as many toys as a Wal-Mart or a Target. It still has the best selection of toys and games out there. The toy manufacturers certainly want to see it around and that's why many are giving it more exclusive deals to sell a number of their toys.

Over $500 million last year was spent on Harry Potter toys and this year is expected to be even bigger.

Spider-Man 2 will be huge for the toy industry. I expect hundreds of thousands of licensed merchandise (items) to be sold in the first nine months of the year,

When you're looking for hot items this year, you're really looking at electronics,

Toy manufacturers are redefining themselves as family entertainment companies rather than just toymakers,

What kids really want to do is become the hero.

Even though holiday sales account for 65 percent of the industry's overall sales, the first nine months of the year can determine whether the Christmas season will be good or bad for retailers. I'm very excited about the new products for the summer.

Electronic entertainment geared for kids is especially big this year.

The whole point is to get people interested in playing games again. If you get them into the game aisle and a family enjoys playing a game, they'll return to the game aisle. It's reintroducing them to a play that's fun and everybody in the category benefits.

The way I see it, the toy industry is no longer just about toys per se. I call it the family entertainment business.

The split with Ken was a great publicity gimmick. It brought Barbie lots of attention. The attempt is to reposition Barbie as a single, independent woman and to make her attractive to an older demographic,

Room decor is a hot trend right now and several toymakers are expanding into it, ... But I don't think toymakers should try to become experts in every area. That's going to be very difficult. Maybe with consumer electronics, it could make sense to have a licensing relationship with another manufacturer instead of keeping it in-house.

Oil prices are particularly important to toy manufacturers because they impact the cost of resin and plastic used to make toys,

Companies are really pushing the boundaries with innovation. We'll see things that you might not typically consider to be a toy. That's because the whole shape of what kids are playing with now has changed dramatically.

You see a girl like Barbie, and you judge her by the guy she dates. And Ken looked boring and old-fashioned.

American Girl had done it strictly catalog and online, before they built the three stores. They developed this brand throughout the years, they have a loyal following and it's very hard to do.

It was a tough year, ... We didn't have a hot toy and we didn't have a big movie to push sales of licensed products.

It is very tough for products to get into Wal-Mart and if they don't perform well, they're out.

It's going to be extremely competitive to draw customers to their stores.

The biggest trend in 2005 is the growth of the tech toys.

They could either go to Target or try to find another toy retailer like K-B Toys. You would think Target first, since it is already their partner, but the one problem with that is Target has its own Web site where it sells toys -- and how much will Target want to give up?

The February show has really transformed over the last three years.

In order for the toy industry to survive, companies will have to deal with Wal-Mart. It has to be understood that Wal-Mart doesn't make deals with everyone who approaches them. Ultimately it's Wal-Mart who chooses who will be in their stores.

The key to this movie is Darth Vader, ... He is the best-selling villain of all time.

The key to this movie is Darth Vader,

The industry is not yet done with the retro trend,

The dominant trend this year is more toys based on technology.

The first reaction I had was, 'Where are the wires?' Because I didn't think anything like that could move on its own.