Branding Expert
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Jay is an accomplished toy industry veteran and businessman with over three decades of experience. His accomplishments include being a founding member of Play By Play, in the early 90’s, culminating in a successful IPO in 1995. He later went on to work for Galoob Toys, where he created the Spice Girls doll line in 1997. In 1999, he co-founded Play Along Toys, selling it to JAKKS Pacific in 2004. Prominent lines included Britney Spears dolls and toys, the successful re-launches of both Care Bears and Cabbage Patch Kids, Hannah Montana dolls and toys, and Doodle Bear. In 2009 he founded The Bridge Direct, which had a variety of popular toy lines from classics like Strawberry Shortcake, Mini Arcade Games, Fisher-Price Classics, and Lite-Brite, to on-trend entertainment licenses including Justin Bieber dolls and The Hobbit action figures. In 2013 he acquired the Good Stuff Company which also owned Basic Fun then a small toy company selling novelty keychains. In 2017, the company purchased Uncle Milton and shortly after merged with smaller Tech4Kids, later rebranding to become the entire company Basic Fun! In 2018, Basic Fun! acquired K'NEX and Playhut. Basic Fun! is the licensee for some of the industry's biggest classic brands including TONKA, Pound Puppies, Care Bears and Littlest Pet Shop, and has created proprietary brands such as Cutetitos and Misfittens. Jay has sat on the board of directors of the Toy Association, as well as the Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association, and currently is chairman of the Toy Association’s trade show committee which manages all the TA’s trade shows and events, including New York Toy Fair. He also is one of the leading voices of the toy industry frequently appearing on CNBC, Fox Business and NBC News along with being featured in The NY Times, Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, Associated Press and The Washington Post. He also publishes a high regarded blog about the toy industry.