![]() ![]() He scored another 331 runs in the Clydesdale 40. Best batsmanĪlexei Kervezee Undoubtedly the best young batsman to come out of the Netherlands, Kervezee is only 21 but averaged 44 in 30 innings for Worcestershire in the county championship last year, making three centuries. Coaching Scotland in 2007, he moved on to the Netherlands in 2008. Peter Drinnen After playing first-class cricket in Queensland as a wicket-keeper from 1998-1990, his career was curtailed by a back injury. The natural all-rounder is nicknamed "Baldrick" by his team-mates after the Blackadder character and his chirpy nature. Peter Borren Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Borren was never seriously coached until joining the Dutch squad. Nat speaks very highly of all three, noting that Rocket Licensing is particularly discerning in the properties it represents – in itself a confidence booster.18 Mar v Ireland, Kolkata World Cup history Who is he dealing with? Who will he be working with on a regular basis? By all accounts, Marc Sach is an intelligent and passionate individual, and he’s obviously been heavily involved in dotting the Is and crossing the Ts on the deal, as have Rocket Licensing’s Charlie Donaldson and Rob Wijeratna. First and foremost, he says, he pays attention to the people. I asked him what it was about Fuzzballs that made him sit up and take notice, and ultimately decide to turn it into KAP Toys’ debut own-brand toy range. That said, I think we’ve got one here that we can sell in across the board.” It might be hard to pick the winners, but it’s fair to say that Nat and his team manage to, regardless. Rather than flash in the pan licences or toy ranges, we need to pick the ones that are most likely to stick around and become best-sellers – but that’s very tricky. We want good quality product to align with good quality content because that’s what produces stayers. It’s a brilliant licence, a huge property. It’s the 25th anniversary of the first book this year, and it’s still selling. ![]() “I know I’ve waxed lyrical about it before, but it’s why I love Harry Potter so much. “I’m also always looking at long term prospects,” Nat adds. Fuzzballs plush, while cute and cuddly and certainly far more appropriate for young kids than Stranger Things, will almost certainly appeal to teens and kidults too, offering retailers an addition to their plush ranges they can be very confident will sell across the generations. We saw this during the pandemic, during which consumers turned to toys in their droves as a means of escapism and relief from the challenges of day-to-day life, and the appetite for toys amongst non-kids hasn’t been sated yet. Kids are getting older faster now, says Dave, while adults are trying to stay younger for longer. Drawing on Dave Middleton at Midco Toys as an example, many of the most successful retailers are catering to a much wider assortment of consumers now, with a much broader range of products that appeal to people of all ages. Echoing the sentiments of many an open-minded industry insider, it’s all about adaptation and evolution for Nat. Draw a line through all the sales of Mystery Capsules in the past month, Nat says, and he’d be surprised if it dipped into the ‘Kids’ age bracket at all. ![]() So who’s been buying all these toys? Teens and kidults, that’s who. Anyone who’s ever watched it will know that for all its heart and underlying messages regarding the power of friendship and courage, it’s also dark, gruesome and genuinely quite scary. Stranger Things is a curious one, when it comes to toys. ![]()
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