Former Toymaker Raises Ruckus Of A Different Kind

EVANSTON, Ill. - Nov. 25, 2014 - PRLog -- When board and card game designer Dan Levy sold the rights to his game, Ruckus, to Imagination Games in 2009, he had no intention of remaining in the toy industry, let alone making it his business to sing the praises of his former competitors. So friends and family were surprised when, a few months later, he founded Tillywig, a company that evaluates and reviews new children's products.

"I was pretty burnt out," said Levy, now 57. "I felt like I never wanted to see another toy again. But I couldn't seem to say goodbye to the toy industry. It gets in your blood, and Tillywig was my way of taking what I'd learned in the business and applying it differently."

While considering his next move after selling Ruckus, Levy found himself repeatedly zeroing in on the very skills he had acquired while developing and marketing his own products. Years spent watching focus groups, tweaking products and packaging, rewriting instructions, and researching the competition had, he says, instilled in him a strong sense of discrimination.

"I know a good toy when I see one," said Levy. "More importantly, I can assess what works and doesn't work in a children's product by observing how others are experiencing it."

Levy founded the Tillywig Toy & Media Awards as a way to get the word out about what he sees as the "best of the best in children's products." On November 15, 2014, Tillywig launched their first ever Holiday Gift Guide (http://www.tillywig.com/Holiday/), an online publication that currently lists Dan's picks for the best children's and family gifts of 2014.