02/18/2010 (10:09 am)
Zhu Zhu Pets named top toy
Zhu Zhu Pets robotic hamsters, the must-have toy of Christmas 2009, were named Toy of the Year on Saturday by the Toy Industry Association, also winning two category awards.
The toys, a product of Clayton-based Cepia LLC, won the award for Girl Toy of the Year, for a toy developed for girls of any age, and for Innovative Toy of the Year, for an outstanding toy that combines innovation and play value.
Russell Hornsby is founder, owner and chief executive of Cepia, which has 15 employees.
The Toy of the Year Awards program in New York City is the kickoff to this week’s American International Toy Fair. The Toy Industry Association is a not-for-profit representing more than 500 producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America.
For a complete list of winners, go here.
Cepia created Zhu Zhu Pets (which means “little pig” in Chinese) with affordability in mind personal business card. The suggested retail price for each hamster is $7.99, and accessories range from $3.99 to $19.99.
Sean McGowan, a toy industry analyst with Needham & Co. in New York, projected sales of $300 million in 2010.
The robotic hamsters have a video game in the works.
A former Mattel designer, Russell Hornsby previously founded Trendmasters, a St. Louis toy company with $189 million in revenue that was best known for its Rumble Robots. Trendmasters sold its assets and products to Malibu, Calif.-based JAKKS Pacific Inc. for about $25 million in 2002.
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