The toy industry sure isn't helping itself with some of the news stories that have taken place lately. Aside from the lead paint issues with Chinese factories, it's now reported that toys will cost more next year due to added safety measures – in addition to the usual markup from year to year.

Right now, analysts expect a 10 percent jump in retail prices after the holiday season. This is more than twice the government's measure of consumer inflation of 4.7 percent during the first seven months of this year.

If this is all in the name of safety, you really can't argue with the price hikes. Should these measures to ensure low levels of lead been taken of well beforehand? Of course. But it is what it is, and now we'll all be paying more. If you want a good grasp about why this lead fiasco started in the first place, Merry Dudley, editor of our sister publication Toy Cars & Models, has written a great editorial in the upcoming November 2007 edition. I'll get her to post it online so I can provide a link because I think she raises some good points.

And the holiday are fast approaching. There are some really cool toys already making a push to throw Elmo off the top of the list this year. We'll have our annual Christmas preview online in the coming weeks. I'll let you know when it's live.

I received a letter the other day from Richard Geschwind, who has corressponded in the past regarding a toy display he organzies for a local library. In this display, he shows off some of his personal collection, while also providing information on toys in hopes of passing along the interest to a younger generation.

This time, he also suggested something to enhance the Toy Shop experience. Geschwind said in some of the other toy-related publications be used to read, they would feature a full-page photo of a toy, sort of like a pull-out poster in Sports Illustrated for Kids. Geschwind said he used these photos as backdrops for displays.

Would readers be interested in a full-page toy photo page, or even a two-page spread that could be pulled out of the magazine? I know we've had requests for our magazine covers, but I'm interested to know if readers would like a poster page, as well.

In other news, I'd like to mention that the December issue is currently taking shape. The featured theme is superheroes, but we'll also have a good portion of the magazine related to farm toys, as this will be the issue that rides down with Karen O'Brien to the National Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa. Word has it that Karen will also be bringing down the third edition of the Standard Catalog of Farm Toys. And that's good news for everyone.