Some Southern California Toy Facts
There are more than 500 toy firms in Los Angeles County, employing some 6,000 Angelinos with $4.3 billion in sales.
Mattel alone employs nearly 2,000 Angelinos followed by Woodland Hills-based Applause, Inc. – A leader in stuffed animals – that boasts 600 employees.
One of the hottest kid shows, Mighty Morphin Power Randers, distributes its toys through Bandai America based in Cerritos.
The Otis College of Art and Design, a Los Angeles institution since 1918, will offer the only bachelor degree of fine arts in toy design on the West Coast. It will accept “toy majors” in the Fall of 1996. Students will start with a year of design fundamentals, moving into a three-year toy design program.
Mattel, celebrating its 50th anniversary, began when founders Harold Matson and Elliot Handler used scrap materials to make doll furniture in a garage in Southern California. Last year Mattel, creator of Barbie, earned worldwide sales of $1.1 billion for that brand name alone.
Downtown Los Angeles is home to the Toy District, a burgeoning district of almost 100 toy wholesalers and import-export businesses found around 4th and Wall Street.
Los Angeles County Toy Industry – Locations
Los Angeles County Toy Industry Comparison
Manufacturing
Firms Employment
Sales
Dolls and Stuffed Toys (SIC 3942)
33 211 $8,473,000
Toys and Games (SIC 3944)
91 2,842 $3,386,612,819
Subtotal
124 3,053 $3,395,085,819
Wholesale
Toys and hobby goods (SIC 5092)
399 2,973 $985,212,884
Subtotal
399 2,973 $985,212,884
Totals 523 6,026 $4,380,298,703
Los Angeles County Toy Industry Profile
Los Angeles County Manufacturing Wholesale Total
Firms 124 399 523
Employment 3,053 2,973 6,026
Sales $3,395,085,819 $985,212,884 $4,380,298,703
Mattel Manufacturing Wholesale Total
Firms 4 4 8
Employment 1706 71 1777
Sales $3,205,025,000 $60,800,000 $3,265,825,000
LA County without Mattel Manufacturing Wholesale Total
Firms 120 395 515
Employment 1,347 2,902 4,249
More statistics
Firms by product category
Firms by size and product category
Firms by sales product category
Employment by size and product category
Sales by size and product category