European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Dollar watch shown below Are the highest Dollar Exchange rates for the week of july 14-20 compared with Dollar rates for the same period one year and five years ago. British Pound one Pound would Cost you $1.65 $1.62 a $1.48 1991 i 1990 i 1986 German mark4 one Dollar would buy you 1.77 1.62 2.17 1991 i 1990 1980 a military Exchange rate turkish lira one Dollar would buy you 4,381 i 2,669 675 1991 1990 1986. A amps the Dollar continued to slide last week falling five pfennig in Germany Over the past five Days As the German Mark got a boost from the economic Summit in London. The six Point Aid package offered to soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev by Western Powers helped the Mark gain ground against the Dollar. Currency analysts said the package although modest in scope should take some pressure off Gorbachev at Home. A the g-7 outcome appears to have reduced Gorbachev a problems. The tensions Are a Little bit reduced a said Petra Ott economist with Citibank in Frankfurt Germany. A not everyone is convinced this is enough a she added but the package of technical assistance food distribution help and improved Access for soviet goods to Western markets is better than nothing. In Germany the military Exchange rate for the weekend was set Friday afternoon at 1.72 Marks Down five pfennig compared with the military rate the previous weekend. The military rate in the drifted kingdom is also bad news for serv ice members. One week ago one British Pound was Selling for $1.67. This weekend one Pound costs $1.72. Ott said she expects the Dollar to continue trading near its current level in the week ahead. One thing that could Wank against the Mark near the end of next week though is a prelim Nav report on Germany s rate it it a m a july. If inflation o i Peus. It on an h i. Might get i id. A Al l s sunday. July 21, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 15 s Ltd sys v \ so a a. So Vav xxv cafes bets super grip will lose hold on toy buyers by Randy Mcclain financial writer super grip Ball a velcro covered pitch and Eatch game that a making Waves As one of the hottest Selling toys in the United states probably wont get a Chance to be a hit in military department stores this summer. Cafes toy buyers in Europe and the United states say the Flat mitts and velcro Ball popular with kids Back Home Are a fad that could fade by the fall and theve re reluctant to buy. A i done to see this As an item taking the whole country by storm a said Alexander Mackenzie assistant toy buyer at a fest a worldwide Headquarters in Dallas. The product which is being marketed by Paliafito America inc., a Small toy company in Walnut Creek calif., is expected to reach 3 million in sales by year end. Toy Industry observers say that san exceptionally Strong total for a new toy that Sells for a somewhat expensive $20 by comparison the popular slap wraps wrist bands made by main Street toy co. Of Simsbury conn., sold 3.5 million units last year at a relatively cheap Price of $1.99. Slap wraps Are Long thin pieces of steel covered in colourful fabric. They re worn around the wrist like bracelets. Mackenzie and Ken Warden an cafes Europe toy buyer in Munich Germany remain sceptical despite super grip balls big numbers. They say it May already be too late to capitalize on the toys unexpected popularity. A a you be got to ask yourself a How Long is the fad going to last Are you too late already a a Warden asked. The debate within cafes about whether to buy illustrates the difficulty that military and civilian toy buyers face when trying to figure out what kids will like. A a it a kind of like the fashion business a Mackenzie said. A sometimes you hit it and sometimes you done to. If you buy 10 items you la be Lucky if one makes deciding whether to buy the super grip Ball is not an easy matter although everyone agrees its a neat concept. One southwestern toy distributor familiar with the game said it has taken off in the United states because it gives younger children a can to miss feeling when playing pitch and catch. A kids like the sensation of catching a Ball even if it lands there by Accident a said Larry Carlson a toy manufacturers representative in Dallas. A it gives children a sense of accomplishment. A look dad i did catch i think that a what makes it so but Mackenzie and Warden said the Small size of the firm marketing the product might Handicap sales. Paliafito America inc., a relatively unknown toy company has struck it big with the super grip Ball but Success has come at a Price. Like Many Small toy makers with a Fla shopping in Europe one in an occasional series shy. New product Paliafito America is having trouble keeping up with demand according to a report in the Wall Street journal. The firm simply Isnit being paid for its pitch and catch games quickly enough to turn that Cash around into More production capacity. When a toy store Chain or department store buys a product it typically has several weeks to pay the Bill. In this Case Paliafito America is finding that the payment Cycle is too slow. The company is being asked to pay Cash up front by manufacturers when it a a needs More super grip Ball games produced. But its hard to come up with that Cash when retail outlets checks for games already sold Are still in the mail. A a it a a typical problem for a Small company a said Carlson who is familiar with the firms situation. A a it a a question of Cash flow. Sales outstrip a company a capital and its ability to manufacture More cafes buyers said the production difficulties add to their reluctance to order the product. A when a fad comes from a Small company it can take them a while to respond in production a Warden said. A the company gets caught unprepared. Once you learn of the fad and try to make a Purchase they May be sold another minus is super grip balls Price. Carlson said the $z0 game May be too expensive for the average military family a a it a a very Good idea but not a lot of people will spend that much for a Spring and summer toy a Carlson said. Several Large discount stores in the United states have shied away from the game because of its Price he said. On top of it All Alexander said he a not convinced that super grip Ball will turn out to be the next Hula hoop. He sees it More As a craze entered on the West coast and he expects it to dissipate. A essentially there Are bigger fish to Fry a he said. The Dallas toy buyers alternative picks for items that will remain Strong Sellers Well into next year include baseball and football cards of any kind and roller Blade Road surfing skates. Roller Blade skates manufactured by roller Blade inc. Of Minneapolis arc already popular in major . Cities and they re catching on in Europe he said. A this is something that a going to stay around a while. Next year you re going to see tons of those skates in Europe a he said. Warden the cafes toy buyer in Munich said the Exchange service has had virtually no Luck getting roller Blade skates into european exchanges so far. A we got a few into some of our sports departments but nothing of any significance a he said. The skates which feature rollers lined up in a Row sell for Between $150 and $400 depending on the design. Roller Blade inc. Is sold out of the skates for the rest of this year and its sole european distributor is out of Stock too Warden said. Cafes Hopes to secure a Supply by next Spring. One added problem for toy buyers is that most manufacturers ask them to place orders six to 12 months in Advance especially for Christmas toys. When a new toy is released buyers Are forced to make an educated guess about whether it will be a Winner before kids have even seen it. Last Christmas cafes scored big by ordering a Large Quantity of Hasbro go go my walking pups a 1-foot-High Battery powered toy dog for kids Ages 3 and up. The $40 pooches totalled sales of 49,000 units Between september and december in . Exchanges ranking them among a fest top five Christmas Sellers Mackenzie said. On the other hand cafes almost missed the boat on slap wraps by failing to order the Snappy wrist bands until february this year Long after the wraps were popular in the United states. The persian Gulf War helped make a fest late buy decision the right one though. Patriotic colors and yellow ribbon slap wraps proved to be big Sellers. The Exchange service virtually sold out its order of 26,000 units worldwide by the end of May. A a in la take 26,000 units any Lime i can get it a Mackenzie said. A it was a Good Quick toy makers Aren t in a playful mood new York apr the summer of 1991 is turning out to be a season of uncertainty for to makers. The products they introduced at toy fair the Industry a major annual Trade show Are just now making their Way into stores. But no one knows yet if score with children. Even if the kids like the new toys their parents Are showing few signs of going on spending sprees anytime soon. To throw a few More unknowns in Nintendo and teenage mutant ninja Turtle vibe test Ket the past few years look like they re beginning to fade. Other toy makers Are hoping to pick up some of the business these two giants Are losing but there Are no guarantees. No matter How it turns out Industry analysts Are not predicting a Banner year. John Taylor an analyst with . Alton amp co., said sales of traditional toys a excluding video games a will probably be somewhat lower this year. All is not Bleak. Earnings for the nations second largest toy maker Mattel inc., were up 20 percent during the first Quarter while no. 1 Hasbro inc. Posted a 5 percent gain. But there Are plenty of others struggling like Lewis Galoob toys inc., whose chairman was forced to resign last month. Have been Hurt for two reasons the recession and the huge Success of Nintendo and the teenage mutant ninja turtles. The recession taught toy companies and retailers a hard lesson their Busi Ness is not exempt from hard economic times. No one thought parents would scrimp on their children but toy sales were sluggish at Christmas and have stayed that Way. The nations largest specially toy retailer toys r us inc., had a disappointing Holiday season and first Quarter. Nintendo and the turtles drained billions of dollars of sales from other toys. Nintendo rang up $3.4 billion in sales in 1990, while playmates toys inc. Sold More than $500 million of the Turtle figures. There also were hundreds of millions of dollars in sales of Turtle clothes books and games. But these Phenomena May have peaked. Last year while Nintendo sales were up 26 percent from 1989, they failed to reach the $4.1 billion the company projected. A
