LOS ANGELES COULD BECOME CITY OF TOYS.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Executives usually attend the American International Toy Fair hoping to bring back some business, but Dave Schwartz hopes to bring back the industry.

Schwartz, 45, works as senior vice president of marketing for One Stop Toy Co., a tiny Northridge-based operation that makes most of its money supplying fairs and carnivals. The company isn't even a member of the Toy Industry Association, which sponsors the storied annual trade show in New York City.

But Schwartz, who's put in 20 years in the industry and counted many of its major manufacturers as his boss, aims to change things.

As the industry debates the future of Toy Fair, Schwartz and his allies will propose today that the TIA relocate both the show and its permanent headquarters to Los Angeles. Though he concedes it could be a long shot, his pitch has attracted the interest of toy executives and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

``We have to be constantly vigilant, thinking of ways to keep ourselves front and center,'' said Schwartz, who put in time at Hasbro, MGA Entertainment Inc. and Funrise Toy Corp. before taking his current job with One Stop. ``It's an old-line industry that needs a lift.

``A move to L.A., in addition to the economic benefits, is a way to give the industry a greater profile in the minds of its consumers.''

Relocating the weeklong show to Los Angeles could bring at least $13 million in annual revenue, said Michael Krouse, vice president of convention sales for LA Inc., the city's convention and visitors bureau.

Eager to attract the 28,000 room-nights he estimates the show would generate for Los Angeles hotels, Krouse assembled a team and brought a letter from Villaraigosa to pitch to the TIA's board of directors. He touts the merits of the city's entertainment business ties, proximity to Asian manufacturers and location near industry heavyweights such as El Segundo-based Mattel Inc., North Hills' MGA Entertainment Inc. and Malibu's Jakks Pacific Inc.

Talk of pulling out of New York, the ceremonial home to the industry for more than a century, has reverberated throughout the tightly knit industry for more than a year, with the sale and impending conversion of the International Toy Center in Manhattan to condominiums.

After a year of searching, the board has yet to find a suitable New York replacement, bringing proposals from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta and others.

``We need to make a decision soon,'' said Arnie Rubin, TIA chairman and head of Woodland Hills-based Funrise. ``People have lost their leases, the Toy Center is emptying out and the industry is looking to us for direction. We've been working as hard as we possibly can to give it to them.''

Rubin, like many in the industry, supports keeping the industry where it is. But given the frustrations of finding affordable commercial real estate in New York - he notes that even the United Nations is having trouble locating temporary quarters while remodeling - he said Los Angeles would be an acceptable alternative.

Rubin expects a decision soon, but couldn't provide a definite deadline.

``Our opinion in general is the best place for the industry and for us is in New York,'' said Jay Foreman, president of Jakks' Play Along division. ``But if enough people want to move out of New York, we'd obviously want L.A. to be the home. It makes sense as the next-best place.''

Peter Tiger and Art Hirsch, co-owners of the downtown-based Imperial Toy Corp. also expressed support for a Los Angeles relocation, as did Isaac Larian, MGA's maverick chief executive officer.

Larian, whose upstart company manufactures the tremendously popular Bratz dolls, suggested that the industry consolidate its slew of shows in Nuremberg, Hong Kong and New York into one single location - preferably in his backyard.

This famously fractious industry, which fights for both market share and bragging rights, will likely continue to bicker for some time. Once a decision is reached, however, industry observer Brent Felgner of Playthings Magazine thinks the companies will eventually fall into line.

``L.A. does have a fair shot at it, but I'd be careful about putting my money on it,'' said Felgner, a contributing editor to the New York-based trade magazine. ``Most of the companies would prefer to stay in New York. But if the industry were to move out of town, most of them would go.''

Brent Hopkins, [phone]

brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com