Page 9 - Toy & Hobby Dec-Jan 2020

Sheila and Gus welcomed to Ikea’s plush line
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4THE ATO IS CRACKING DOWN ON THIS $6 BILLION PROBLEM
Moves by the Australian Tax Office to go after employers not paying their staff super has been welcomed
by Industry Super Australia. Although welcoming the action, Industry Super Australia (ISA) said that the action needs to go further. According to its analysis, ISA data shows that one in three workers – approximately 2.85 million people – are being undercut by close to $6 billion in super by employers.
SWEDISH home furniture company Ikea introduced its first-ever Australian animal – the koala – to its soft toy assortment in October. The Ikea Sötast koalas, Sheila and Gus, were designed in Sweden and had just recently made their way to Australia upon launch. To celebrate their arrival, Ikea Australia opened a competition via social media where Aussies were encouraged to share photos of their own Sheila
and Gus koalas in places that make Australia beautiful. Those who shared photos went into the running to win one of five Ikea gift cards.
In a statement, Ikea said that it was thrilled to welcome the Sötast koalas to its range.
“As Ikea continue to explore
the importance of play for both children and adults, the Ikea koalas are a perfect option for playtime in the home as even smaller children can enjoy playing with the koalas as the eyes are sewn on for safety.”
The competition opened on 29 October and closed on 12 November. ❉
5
Colorific was inducted into the Family Business Australia (FBA) Hall of Fame on National Family Business day on 19 September.
COLORIFIC INDUCTED
INTO FAMILY BUSINESS
AUSTRALIA HALL OF FAME
Australian family toy business
Ikea Sotast koalas Sheila and baby Gus at Circular Quay, Sydney.
Piece of Mattel history discovered in Victoria
MattelHotWheels‘Sizzler’carsfoundinVictoria. (StoryandimagebyNicRiviera)
IN 1969 Mattel began producing Hot Wheels ‘Sizzlers’ – a Hot Wheels spin-off with a built- in motor and tiny recharable battery that ran on a regular Hot Wheels track.
Mattel created special race sets with banked curves, U-turns, multi-level spirals and loops to take advantage of the cars’ electric motor. The cars were made under licence by Cipsa in Mexico while the track was made in California.
At that time, Mattel Australia was located on St Kilda Rd Melbourne. Cipsa sent the cars and the USA sent the track to Mattel Australia who then made the packaging and put the sets together, then distributing them around Australia.
Somehow Mattel Australia had two Cipsa factory boxes full of cars left over, which have since been found in a country town in Victoria.
All packed in trays, the four series one Sizzler cars – two Ford GT40s and two Firebird Trans- Ams – were only made for the race sets.
Now exactly 50 years later, they are on display at Modelmania in Melbourne. ❉
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER / JANUARY 2020 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER 9