fao schwarz

The Limited Edition Barbie Foosball Table

Filed under: Holiday Guides, Luxury Shopping

FAO Schwarz has the perfect gift for the ultimate Barbie lover just in time for the holidays.

The Bonzini Babyfoot Barbie Foosball Table is the most extravagant item from Mattel's limited-edition, privately commisioned, "The Plastic Collection" of carefully curated Barbie items from around the world.

Only an exclusive few of Barbie's biggest fans now have the opportunity to purchase the limited edition foosball table, as only eight tables of this type will be commissioned.

From the imagination of young french designer Chloé Ruchon, a student at Decorative Arts School in Strausburg, comes the ultra-pink Barbie foosball table. It was created in partnership with Mattel and the Bonzini group, the worldwide leader of foosball tables.

Tags: barbie, barbie doll, FAO Schwarz, Foosball table, limited edition, mattel, toys

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FAO Schwartz Offers Once-in-A-Lifetime Experiences at Auction

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Luxury Shopping

FAO Schwarz, the renowned luxury toy store which is known for providing one-of-kind shopping experiences, is building upon that legacy by launching the "Experiences of a Lifetime" online auction.

Four "Experiences of a Lifetime," auction items will be offered on FAO.com with 100% of the proceeds donated to Toys for Tots. The auction items are sure to delight die-hard enthusiasts of Disney, Nickelodeon, Smurf and FAO Schwarz alike as they are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that bring the brands they love to life. Bids can be placed now through December 1. Each of the packages would make a unique holiday gift.

The one-of-a-kind prize packages include:

Disney On Ice Party Package Extravaganza!
Offering the ultimate party for Disney fans, the winner of this auction package will have the opportunity to invite up to 25 children and 25 adults to a Disney On Ice show in any city where the tour is scheduled to stop! The winning child and family will be publicly acknowledged at the beginning of the show as special guests, and each child who attends will receive a Disney costume to wear during the show that they can take home as a keepsake along with a special Disney On Ice gift bag. The one and a half hour party package extravaganza includes catering and photo opportunities with a star from Disney On Ice.

Gallery: FAO Schwarz's "Experiences of a Lifetime" auction

Paint the town Blue at The Smurf's Premier

Tags: auctions, Disney, FAO Schwarz, holiday shopping, Nickelodeon, Toys for Tots

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Brands Share Space To Save Money, Boost Sales

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Everywhere I go I see signs that stores are going out of business. Part of the problem is that declining sales make it harder and harder to pay the rent. One of the solutions that some brands might be embracing in 2009 is the concept of sharing space. It's hardly a new concept but it's one that has fallen out of vogue recently as stores each mounted their own massive flagship enterprises. Mike Duff of BNET reported recently on two such collaborations. Danish silver seller, Georg Jensen recently refurbished its Manhattan store and asked 25 Danish companies to distribute their products through its store in a barter arrangement. The store was outfitted with the products, which are not sold in the store but Georg Jensen showcases the brands such as Bang & Olufsen and provides details how to buy them.

Another closer arrangement involves Macy's and FAO Schwarz. Macy's is adding FAO Schwarz shops to more of its department stores. All the stores that have space will get one of the new toy stores, a full 675 stores. The arrangement works well for Macy's which gets the prestige of the FAO Schwarz name and the distinctive traditional toys FAO Schwarz develops for its stores like giant stuffed animals. The Macy's selection includes a mix of private-label toys with "some of the best-sellers" from other sources that customers would find at the New York FAO Schwarz store.

I anticipate that we will be seeing more deals like these as well as other arrangements in the coming months as stores try to find ways to boost sales and trim the bottom line.

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Tags: fao schwarz, FaoSchwarz, georg jensen, GeorgJensen, macys

Create Your Own Muppet Whatnot

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Children

Forget Elmo, what the kids might be craving this season is their own custom Muppet Whatnot. What's a Whatnot? It's basically a Muppet extra, one of the background Muppets. Manhattan's FAO Schwarz has created a Muppet Whatnot Workshop which turns out the puppets which have moveable mouths, and hand-rods. You can specify color, eyes, nose, hair color and outfit to create your own creation either at the store or online. The Whatnot is $90.

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Tags: fao schwarz, FaoSchwarz, muppets, puppet, whatnot

Variety Power Of Youth Auction Offers A Night Alone In A Toy Store

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Charity

One of the interesting things about charity auctions is seeing what lots are the most popular and which ones languish at the bottom (I always feel a little bad for the lots with low bids). Variety is doing an auction with Charity Folks to benefit St. Jude children's hospital. The auction includes walk-on roles on hot TV shows like Shark and Mad Men (and set visit to Heroes) and tickets to events like the Survivor finale and the Grammys. One of the hottest lots though is one for the kiddies, or perhaps the kid in all of us. It's a late night party at FAO Schwarz toy store for 12 guests (just like Tom Cruise did for Katie Holmes). The private party lasts from 9PM-3AM with activities including dancing on the Big Piano, a scavenger hunt, face painting and entertainment by costumed characters. The next bid on this prize is $10,000. And if you are looking for a low bid auction you could always bid on the memorabilia from Corbin Bleu, most famous for his role as "Chad" in Disney's High School musical...

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Tags: auction, charity, fao schwarz, st. jude, toys, variety