Oct. 20, 2010 -
PRLog -- On the heels of the successful introduction of several European toy products, including the Deglingos stuffed animals from France (2009 Toy of the Year Nominee), GFI has worked for over a year to bring this innovative product to market. The three Topozoo™ ‘custom creature playsets’ – Safari, Dinosaurs and Monsters – are equal parts puzzle, room décor and craft project. Each set contains three animals and each animal is made of five wooden parts. Kids can assemble these parts in their own imaginative ways, creating over 1,200 unique animal hybrids. In addition, Topozoo™ is completely eco-friendly, featuring formaldehyde-
free, recycled MDF wood; water-based, non-toxic color stains and recycled packaging.
GFI has partnered with Cleveland-area wood craftsmen Bryan and Rick Chmura of Chmura Custom Woodworks to bring Topozoo™ to life. Each animal is hand-finished in the Chmura family’s woodshop in Independence, Ohio.
“We are thrilled to be introducing Topozoo™ just in time for the holiday shopping season,” commented Ryan Hamilton, President of GFI and creator of Topozoo™. “This product was designed specifically to be made in Ohio. Bringing ‘eco-friendly’
and ‘made in the USA’ together is a winning combination for kids’ products.” To celebrate Topozoo’s Ohio heritage, GFI has partnered with local toy store Playmatters to host the official product launch party on October 30th at 11.00 a.m. in Mentor and Solon, Ohio. The activity-based celebration will give kids the chance to design and take home their own Topozoo™ creature using custom ‘topo-layers’
that include wings, spikes, tails and more.
Topozoo™ will be featured in several catalogs and national press outlets this holiday season, including the Real Simple magazine 2010 holiday gift guide. Each playset (designed for ages 3 and up) retails for $29.99. Topozoo™
will be found at gift and toy shops across the United States beginning in late October. More details and photos can be found at
http://www.topozoo.com.
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About Geared For Imagination:
Geared For Imagination is a provider of unique toys and accessories for young audiences. It holds the exclusive US distribution rights for The Deglingos (2009 TIA Toy of the Year nominee in the Specialty category) and Ze Super Zeros from France, Woodours and Crazy Cuddly Wolf from France. Geared For Imagination – Driven by design, powered by play.
