Funtalking, Inc. designs, manufactures and wholesales the best quality talking gifts on the market. We take what’s hot in film, TV and music, and turn them into  cool talking products. See all of our product lines at: www.FunTalking.com

"When our products talk, your customers listen!"

• The Buzz
• News of the Strange
• Business Booster
• Hot Holiday Items from Funtalking  (below)
  

When this box sings
Your cash register rings

Our new singing gift boxes are selling out in all stores and they were a smash hit on QVC too. Two different styles for your holiday shoppers including Paul McCartney singing Wonderful Christmastime. This is the first time Sir Paul has ever licensed his voice for a commercial product!

There's still time for you to order these boxes and generate some holiday sales magic in your store. And it's not too early to reserve your Love boxes for Valentine's Day! Call Cathy Kamhi at 727-210-6142.

Your customers want Stewie in their Stocking Family Guy is the #1 syndicated show in the USA and everybody loves Stewie! Sell our Stewie Talking Pen for the holidays and fill YOUR stocking with profits. There's still time to order! Call today and we'll ship tomorrow!  Call Cathy at (727) 210-6142.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to others. Click to subscribe

Buyers: Every month our newsletter contains hot news you won't get elsewhere...news from our contacts in the entertainment industry and beyond. It's not just interesting - it's news we hope you can use to get a leg up on your competition and to increase your profits.

As the year comes to an end, I'd like to extend my warmest wishes for a Healthy and Happy Holidays. Thanks for reading this newsletter - I hope it has been helpful for your business. I intend to bring you some amazing new products in 2008 that will add fun and profits to your stores, so look out for our January issue... coming sooner than you think!

Jay Kamhi, President
Funtalking, Inc.

Nintendo announces record sales in week ending on Black Friday, with over 1 million DS and Wii systems sold in that week alone, not to mention millions of other products. They topped their own record, set in 2005, and are on track to being the largest game seller in the country again this year. You might want to consider buying Nintendo stock. For more info.

On-line sales start HOT for Xmas. The on-line season kicks-off on “Cyber Monday,” the Monday following Thanksgiving, and peaks about ten days before Christmas. Sales were up more than 20% on Cyber Monday this year from the same day last year.. If you don’t have an online store, maybe it’s time to start thinking about it.  Click for more info.

Did you open at 5 AM for Black Friday? Was it worth it? For years, retailers have been opening earlier and earlier, all the way back to midnight on Thanksgiving night.  The day after Thanksgiving accounts for as much as 40% of the season’s sales.  But there are pros and cons to opening early.  Click for more info.

How will customers buy movies five years from now? Blockbuster thinks it knows, and knows how to take advantage of it. Click for more info.

First pix of the new Batman, which is due out next July 18, can be seen here. It will be called Dark Knight. There’s also a trailer at the site, but no scenes. This is a typical advance-advance marketing trick: only show a little teaser, just voices and the Bat symbol disintegrating, in order to whet your appetite. Hey, it works for me.

Does your website measure up? Here’s one list of the best 100 retail websites. Sites were selected for visual and functional innovation, for finding ways to build customer relationships and sales.  The biggest retailers didn’t necessarily make the cut. At the very least, you’ll find ideas that you can apply to your site. Click for more info.

Don’t let a strange suitcase follow you home.  These days, Russian scientists are putting their minds to more important things than the downfall of the West. Like a suitcase with headlights and bumpers, that follows you around the airport, avoiding obstacles with built-in infrared and ultrasound sensors. Everyone needs one! Click to find out more.

You don’t need $25,000 to try this Chocolate Sundae, if you’re a mouse, a fly, or a roach. New York’s famous Serendipity 3, site of many film shoots and home of the $25,000 desert, was shut down by the NYC Health inspector for 41 code violations. This after being warned a month ago that the shop was in non-compliance. Owner Stephen Bruce introduced the stratospheric sweet about the same time the Health Department did its first inspection. Maybe there’s a connection here. If he’d sold just one, he could probably have afforded pest control. Click for the whole sad tail.

Gift cards as cash cows. Consumer Reports magazine is up in arms because studies show as many as one-quarter of all gift cards are unredeemed a year later. That’s $8 billion a year businesses collect with no product, no returns, no exchanges. The mag blames time-pressed shopping and lazy consumers, but the fact is, the cards remain highly popular with customers.

According to a survey by Deloitte, 69% of consumers plan to purchase at least one gift card this year. If the stores and their customers are happy, who is Consumer Reports to complain? In any case, make sure you have Gift Cards prominently displayed next to your registers.

That’s all for this issue. Our in-basket is still overflowing with hot skinny… so watch for our next issue.

Jay Kamhi, President
Funtalking, Inc.