The New Product Evaluation Methodology
Since the Internet first began, The Toy Man® Product
Guide has strived to use a unique, as well as credible process
to review children's media and juvenile level products. This process
is handled in an objective manner to identify innovative new
products and provide them with the exposure they need to help
them establish strong marketing value.
In April 2007, the new design of The Toy ManT® Product
Guide debuted with it's new proprietary product induction
methodology for reviewing products. With the new process, a product
must pass some very strong evaluation
guidelines which will determine, whether or not a product will be
inducted into The Toy Man® Product Guide.
The Toy Man® Product Guide, now raises the bar for the entire
toy industry as well as other business industries. There is no resource on the globe that delivers
such a detailed and highly recognized resource as The Toy Man® Product
Guide. For those who question the validity of this statement,
the logic in it is quite simple...
- The Toy Man® Product
Guide is published in 16 different languages.
- Each review is an equivalent
to a 45 plus page written review at the very minimum.
- Due to the overwheming size of the product reviews, product
evaluation summaries are now published instead. These product
evaluation summaries are a summary of the actual reviews of the
products which have what it takes to pass our strict evaluation
process. Each product evaluation summary is roughly 4-7 pages
long.
- An unique, custom,
proprietary 1 to 5 point rating system is used in the evaluation process
to enhance the manufacturer's and public's interpretation
of the evaluation.
- The Toy Man® Product
Guide has actual hands-on evaluation of products in the
environment specific to what the product is designed
for, on an entirely random basis to ensure no redundancy.
- There are no fees of
any kind for the publishing of The Toy Man® Product
Guide product evaluation summaries and awards posted at http://www.thetoyman.com.
- We evaluate not just toys and games, but books, children's furniture,
apparel, specialty products, and so much more!
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Ensuring No Risks Of Implication Of Bias
There is no charge of any kind for publishing of our reviews and
any seals or awards in The Toy Man® Product Guide. If
an inductee desires to use a The Toy Man® seal for which
they have been awarded, an annual licensing fee of $95 USD is charged
for unlimited use of the seal, (specific to the year which it was
awarded or renewed), on a per per product basis. The
licensing is purely optional. The
awards and seal are published in The Toy Man® Product
Guide 24 hours before the recipient is notified of induction and remain
there permanently.
By using a methodology of product review such as this on a No
Fees=No Bias basis, then the logical assumption is that The Toy Man® Product
Guide is the superior product evaluation service to use. No money
is exchanged in the review process; thus there is no outside factor that
will have any influence on the evaluation process.
Our Guidelines For Submission of Products & Toys
All products are evaluated based upon strict guidelines originally
established by the International Parenting Institute™,
(IPi™), which are quite detailed
and have been carefully developed. Top professionals in every field for
every product we evaluate have donated their time to help establish these
guidelines. As government regulations and industry standards change,
our evluation guidelines evolve as well being adjusted immediately to
ensure nothing but the most current standards in our evaluation process.
The Toy Man® Product Guide Independent Organization Memberships
It is the policy of IPi™/CSI™ and
The Toy Man™ Product
Guide to
participate in the support of independent organizations that
uphold the values and concerns of IPi™/CSI™ staff
and active members.
Our staff are currently members in these organizations...
Our Commitment
The Toy Man® Product Guide holds a commitment to assisting
parents and business professionals in making selections of educationally
oriented, developmental / skill building products. Our online
coverage is International, with offices in Las Vegas, New
York, the UK, and Canada.
Product & Service Reviews
Product and service evaluation summaries are provided
on this web site. All summaries are archived and easily accessible to
review. Our summaries are structured in a format that unlike most others
and is exclusive. Six primary rating categories are featured in the evaluation
summary of a product with a 1-5 rating scale. The rating categories vary,
depending upon the type of product or service which has been inducted.
It is important to note that you cannot use the same rating catgeories for a baby bottle as you would for a tabletop game. For this specific reason, multiple evaluation catagory guidelines were created with the assistance of professionals in the industry for each type of product or service. This provides a far more defined and consistent evaluation format than a "test group" where personal opinion is a primary component of the evaluation process.
The ratings from all the categories, are used to compile
an overall rating average. Both the individual category ratings and the
overall rating are published with the product evaluation summaries,
as well as a link to the web site of the company which produces the product
featured.
Hands-On Consumer Evaluation
Unlike most award based systems, The Toy Man® Product Guide uses "blind" consumer evaluation. Products are brought to a public place with no announcement of arrival, for hands-on consumer evaluation of products. Participants sign up to participate in the product evaluation and fill out a consumer evaluation form which is submitted upon completion. Participants are notified that their participation provides no reward for their effort outside of knowing they contributed in our providing a fair and accurate review of each product / service. By signing the Consumer Evaluation Feedback Form we provide for the evaluation participants, they agree to allow us to use quotations from any participant in our reviews with a condition of no full name or private information included.
Safety / Quality Guuidelines
Safety and quaity guidelines are of the utmost importance to us. For this reason, our rveiews host a feature which is an exclusive feature which cannot be found anywhere else. With the assistance of top professionals from independent product lab testing companies wo volunteered their time to bring this to reality, The Toy Man® Product Guide now provides an outline of safety and quality information in each product review which is specific to each particlular product which has been inducted. Unlike other companies, this is not limited to just Lead and Phthalates levels but also Lead & Other Heavy Metals Level, Flammability - Solids, Flammability - Textiles, and Mechanical/Physical Tests.
PLEASE NOTE: It is of the highest importantance that you understand that there is no such thing as a toy or similar products being LEAD FREE or PHTHALATES FREE. That label implies that there is no lead or Phthalates in the materials used for a product. When it comes to LEAD, PHTHALATES, OTHER HEAVY METALS, and other harmful substances, there is always some percentage still within certain materials. The independent lab testing is used to verify that a product meets the specific percentage levels allowed according to State and Federal safety standards.
Who Is The Toy Man®?
Rev. James G.W. Fisher, ( a.k.a. The Toy Man® ), is CEO
and founder of the International
Parenting institute™ ( IPi™ ), and ChildSafe
International Corp. CSI™. He works
on the convergence and evolution of productive development
and marketing in reference to children's consumer products,
with a specialty in toys, games, and juvenile products. Rev.
Fisher has a diverse specialty background in multiple industries,
some of which are listed below:
- Toy, Game, and Juvenile Products Industry -
38+ years, with 2 years teaching in ChildHood Development, and additional
years of labor in other education levels.
- Journalism - 38+ years in journalism with experience
ranging from multiple industry product evaluation, celebrity
feature, and brief work with AP in Los Angeles, to current
primary specialty in infant and juvenile products and apparel.
- Behavioral Science - Ordained Baptist
evangelist since 2000, and 4 years+ in Crisis Management.
- Apparel Industry - Association with fashion
shows, footwear, and apparel shows since 1999.
- Misc. - Variety of experience ranging from National
Hot Rod Association (NHRA) event photo coverage, and NYPD
Special Services.
Bio information can be provided upon request.
Donations
The Toy Man® Product Guide is supported primarily by donations, sponsors, and advertising.. Donations
can be made via PayPal, business check or money order. For further information
in regard to how to make a donation or any other questions, please use our CONTACT form. We will respond to you promptly.
In Conclusion
The Toy Man® Product Guide provides a most exclusive product
guide which is here to serve the needs of educators, parents, and product
manufacturers at no charge. Through
our experience of well over 38 years in operation, when combined
with our being part of the International
Parenting Institute™, IPi™, we
provide an unbiased source you can depend upon. We will not make
claim to be anything but reliable. The Toy Man® Product
Guide is the only International product guide in the toy and
game industry in addition to being exclusive in hands-on evaluation
with new participants across the U.S.
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