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Read, Roll, or Kill

CHARMKINS WAS a clever collectible idea from Hasbro that fashioned little characters into wearable jewelry. The line was featured in the center of the Hasbro showroom at Toy Fair (the annual primary trade show for the industry) as the big new idea in girls’ toys for the year. On a table off in a corner in the same room was another clever idea from Hasbro. The company hoped that small, pastel-colored pony dolls would be received well by the trade—but they didn’t put any major emphasis on the product line. The big issue for the year was to be Charmkins. The trade supported both lines, and Charmkins was a modest success. But My Little Pony went on to become an absolute phenomenon.

Not all Big Ideas are created equal. Duh. ...

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