FEATURE/Exclusive Toy Products Targets Lucrative Collectible-Dolls Market With Entertainment-Oriented Nostalgia Products.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Sept. 16, 1997--

$1.7 Billion Industry Fueled by Baby Boomers,

New Collectors Seeking Distinctive, Affordable,

Limited-Edition Character Collectibles

The U.S. collectible-dolls market, led by character-collectibles manufacturers such as Exclusive Toy Products Inc., has exploded into a $1.7 billion-a-year industry, according to recently released collectibles-industry figures.

Considering that the overall collectibles sector generated more than $9.1 billion in consumer sales in 1996, it becomes apparent that collectibles, and especially collectible dolls, are hotter than ever.

The study also found that the increasing popularity of collectibles is being fueled by new collectors, especially in the baby-boomer category. The infusion of mature newcomers into an already-stable industry was cited as the primary reason for the solid 11.9 percent sales increase in 1996, up from $8.2 billion the previous year.

Moreover, 88 percent of the nation's dolls retailers pointed to new collectors as the top industry trend destined to impact store sales over the next five years.

It is precisely that industry optimism that prompted Los Angeles- based Exclusive Toy Products (ETP) to aggressively pursue the burgeoning collectible-dolls market by targeting mature collectors, specifically with character collectibles based on entertainment- nostalgia themes.

Founded in 1996 by toy-industry veteran and entrepreneur Allan Rigberg, ETP develops and markets high-profile, licensed and posable character collectibles on an exclusive basis through mass-market retailers, at affordable prices and in limited-edition quantities.

This sales-driven concept, coupled with the distribution of multiple series of dolls, will result in 17 product-line introductions in 1997 aimed primarily at the baby-boomer audience.

ETP's focused marketing and distribution strategy is a sound one, based on demographic findings substantiating the potential of this growing segment. The study found that collecting is a hobby pursued by more and more adults, with an estimated 31.3 million Americans in 1996 defining themselves as collectors.

``Current industry trends reveal that the principal years for collecting are from ages 35 to 64,'' stated Rigberg. ``With the continued maturity of the baby-boom generation, Exclusive Toy Products expects the collectibles industry to continue its dynamic growth as more and more of maturing boomers start collecting as a pastime.''

Not only is there an influx of adults into the collectible-dolls market, but also new collectors entering the marketplace are looking for new and distinctive products and themes.

``Similar to the entertainment industry, the collectibles industry focuses on catering to the desires, dreams and nostalgic recollections of consumers attempting to recapture the magic of a bygone era,'' Rigberg continued. ``Collecting is a means for adults to enjoy themselves while reminiscing about the past.''

Enter Exclusive Toy Products and its Exclusive Premiere line of collectible dolls based on classic television programs and films. Understanding that nostalgia is a prime motivator for collectors and one of the fastest-growing categories in the industry, Rigberg and the ETP management team set about acquiring high-profile licenses, including rights from such prestigious licensors as Sony Signatures, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Viacom Consumer Products to manufacture high-quality, affordable collectible dolls.

ETP next implemented a limited distribution strategy with retailers on an exclusive basis and an extensive advertising campaign in collectors' books to stimulate high consumer demand, while ensuring collectibility value among doll collectors.

As a result, ETP now offers character collectibles from six film properties and 12 television programs:

Film Properties                Television Programs

The Blues Brothers             ``Babylon 5''
Laurel and Hardy               ``The Beverly Hillbillies''
James Bond -- ``Dr. No''       ``Bewitched''
James Bond -- ``Tomorrow       ``Burns and Allen''
  Never Dies''                 ``The Dukes of Hazzard''
``It's a Wonderful Life''      ``Gilligan's Island''
The Three Stooges              ``Gunsmoke''
                               ``Happy Days''
                               ``The Honeymooners''
                               ``The Munsters'' (1998)
                               ``Rawhide''
                               ``Wild Wild West''

The strategy has paid off handsomely. The company's first offering, The Three Stooges, introduced at Target stores in January, has already sold out, and similar success is expected for the Laurel and Hardy series and other product introductions scheduled for the fall.

Furthermore, because of extensive consumer and retailer demand for contemporary collectible dolls, ETP has augmented its entertainment- nostalgia strategy with the recent acquisition of licenses to produce dolls based on the popular television series ``Babylon 5'' and a series of dolls based on the upcoming James Bond film ``Tomorrow Never Dies.'' Both lines will be released in November.

``Although nostalgia is certainly a critical component to success in the collectibles industry, it is also important to aggressively pursue additional licensing opportunities which possess solid potential in the marketplace,'' said Rigberg.

``Exclusive Toy Products recognizes the value, to both the company and to collectors, of securing popular contemporary and classic film and television character licenses, enabling the company to continually introduce high-quality, distinctive and limited- edition collectible dolls with strong sales and collectibility value.''

According to a 1996 Doll Reader magazine study, there are approximately 5.5 million households in the collectible-dolls market, with 44 percent of these describing themselves as ``doll- collector households.''

With its current portfolio of licenses and strong relationships with such major retailers as Target Stores, Toys R Us and FAO Schwarz, ETP is well positioned to gain an even greater foothold in an industry dominated by nostalgia and mature collectors.

Exclusive Toy Products Inc. is based in Los Angeles, with offices in New Jersey and Hong Kong. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about Exclusive Toy Products Inc. and the full line of Exclusive Premiere character collectibles, visit the company's Web site at http://www.exclusivepremiere.com . Digitized photos of each collectible series are also available for editorial reproduction at http://www.exclusivepremiere.com/photo/pressphotos.htm .

CONTACT: Smith Public Relations Inc., Los Angeles

Diana Soltesz or Keith R. Pillow, 310/788-0456

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