It’s the late 1940s and two small toymakers are taking their first uneasy steps. The names of these young hopefuls are Hasbro and Mattel. One’s an offshoot of a pencil manufacturer. The other a husband-and-wife garage start-up. But toy-making, they soon discover, is an unexpectedly cutthroat business. If either of these companies hopes to survive--let alone ... Show More
Dec 2020
Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | The House of Cards | 3
Sizzlers, Mattel’s new motorized Hot Wheels, were supposed to be the top toy this Christmas. But sales have fizzled, leaving Mattel $30 million below target. For the last ten years, Mattel’s done exceptionally well by its investors, but now the toymaker is facing a stock price co ... Show More
24m 28s
Aug 2023
Building Lego | Out of the Ashes | 1
A small Danish toy company survives World War Two thanks to its quality craftsmanship, but behind the scenes all is not well. Despite its good reputation, Lego teeters on the edge of bankruptcy, and a choice to change production methods threatens to tear the family-owned company ... Show More
35m 40s
Sep 2025
S20E11: Labubu Dolls and the Business of Scarcity (September 24, 2025)
Send us Fan MailLabubu dolls are the latest global craze... but what makes them so irresistible?In this episode of Market Outsiders, Jenny Rae and Namaan break down the business model behind Labubu’s rise, from blind box marketing to luxury brand tie-ins. They explore:How scarcit ... Show More
32m 5s
Apr 2023
The Amazing History of Japanese Toys, Part One: A Serious Business
When most of us think of toys, we fondly recall moments from childhood, or think of toys we gifted to loved ones over the years. Yet toys are a serious, big business -- and, more than once, they played a vital role in Japan's postwar economy. In part one of this week's special tw ... Show More
32m 3s
May 2023
We Got Super Into Toy Cars, Part Two: Rivalry and Nostalgia
As the toy car industry exploded, new companies entered the market -- but the Matchbox/Hot Wheels rivalry remained front and center for collectors and distributors alike. In the second part of this special two-part episode, we explore what happened to all those old toy car compan ... Show More
29m 44s
Jul 2023
The Barbie Tapes: When Girls--and Barbie--Could Do Anything
In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics. It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing ... Show More
32m 26s