After four days of running (literally) from booth to booth, taking meetings, and soaking in the latest trends, I’m here to give you an inside look at what went down at New York Toy Fair 2025. If you missed New York Toy Fair or couldn’t see everything, check out this first episode of NY Toy Fair 2025 Exclusive Interview Series.

Over the next month and a half, I’ll be taking you inside the show floor for exclusive interviews with toy designers, licensors, CEO’s, entrepreneurs and inventors who are Making It In The Toy Industry!

In this episode, Jayson Esterow, President of License 2 Play Toys, shares how he turned a viral trend into a major licensing deal with Jeep. If you’ve ever heard of Jeep Ducking, you know how passionate Jeep owners are about their community. Jayson saw an opportunity to take this organic, fan-driven movement and transform it into an officially licensed toy line.

Gavin Lawler, Creator of Deddy Bears, fresh off his TOTY win for Collectible of the Year, opens up about the challenges of breaking into the toy industry and how he used his F.B.O. (First, Best, Only) formula to develop a product that stands out. Plus, we dive into his major collaboration with Liquid Death and why identifying white space in the market is the key to launching a toy brand that captures attention and drives sales.

Listen now for quick and in depth lessons on toy licensing, product innovation, and winning toy awards.

Listen for these Important Moments:

• [00:00] - My Toy Fair 2025 Experience
• [03:28] - Was New York Toy Fair 2025 a Hit or Miss?
• [08:47] - Licensing & White Space: The Key to Toy Fair Success
• [12:15] - Jayson Estro & The Jeep Ducking Toy Phenomenon
• [20:58] - Gavin Lawler & The Collectible TOTY Award Winner Deddy Bears
• [32:05] - Key Takeaways

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