US availability of IMPS in the 90s

[clover]

Right?? I desperately need a time machine like, yesterday! ;__;
And aw, thanks! =] We had another Bradlees in my grandma's town (across from our then-regular supermarket that provided me with tons of great 90s-kid books and other lovely things--including the original version of the Trapper-Keeper I had to repurchase from eBay and now keep the IMP cards in.) I'd occasionally go to that one. It wasn't as awesome as the one in my hometown, but I do remember getting one particular favorite Polly Pocket building there.
Too funny how we all had the same Zsa Zsa experience! XD "What kind of a name is 'Zissa Zissa?!" "It's 'jhah-jhah,' like Zsa Zsa Gabor." "Ohhhhhh!"

And I'm glad links for y'all, because for me they all still turn into a mess like "http:// redirect.viglink.com/ ?key=71fe2139a887ad501313cd8cce3053c5&subId=5415238&u=," which naturally leads to an error page. 8\ (I added spaces in case the site didn't want to allow something that totally looks like a spam link...)

(And I always thought those little companies were manufacturers that licensed brands and sold the toys to retailers? But also maybe had brands of their own? I don't know either, it is a little confusing as to what exactly the distinction is. I've often wondered as well.)

[shaz]

I don't know anything about IMP in the US (I'm in England!) but I just wanted to add that I've been baffled by the whole MEG/Hasbro/Irwin/Vivid Imaginations thing too. (Vivid Imaginations were the company on the UK packaging.) Since I've been thinking about it, I've sort of assumed that MEG invented the concept and designed the toys, but didn't have their own factory, so the brand was licensed out (is that the proper terminology?) to these other companies and then they made, packaged and distributed the toys. Kind of like how Hasbro and Mattel have made toys of characters that belong to Disney.

I did some Googling and found MEG's website: www.megtoys.com/#about-us
They say that they've 'partnered with an outstanding roster of toy, entertainment and consumer products companies', which is a bit vague.

I find the ways of toy production and distribution interesting, but it can be so difficult to find out about! Good luck in your quest for more US info!

[piddy]

I think they call it a franchise, MEG issued instructions of how things should be produced and the chosen companies could use their logos etc as part of the large brand of in my pockets, I do happen to have a style guide that was issued to manufacturers, which shows what colours to paint each animal and you had the freedom to choose what name they wanted to name the puppy etc. Although when it came to the Japanese producer they did not seem to understand that part and every puppy from 1 to 25 is just called "Name" on all of the cards! Even that collectafile shows them as as just name.

[Jenna]

That style guide! 😍😍😍😍

[clover]

Wow, that is so cool, Piddy! =D xDD

[radish]

Oh that style guide is so cool! Where did you get it?? I had assumed the Japanese cards just said "name" so that kids could write in their own names, but that's interesting that it's also on the collectafiles and makes it seem more like an error. Hmm.

[piddy]

I managed to get it off Ebay many years ago, a surprise find!

[Jenna]

If you ever feel like you want to a bunch of scanning, I wouldn't mind seeing the whole thing!

[Manouk]

I would like to see it too. What a great find Piddy! I love it!