Article: TOY FAIR GETS BACK TO BASIC FUN OLD FAVORITES SPORT SOME NEW TWISTS.(BUSINESS)

Byline: SHERI PRASSO Associated Press

NEW YORK -- A larger-than-life Pink Panther, the real-life Bozo and a live baby bear were all part of the toy industry's hoopla at the official start of the annual product exposition known as Toy Fair.

Yet despite the attempts Monday to create a Mardi Gras atmosphere, retail buyers sizing up the offerings said they saw little that was truly new and different. Toymakers for the most part are returning to favorites of the past and juicing them up with high-tech advances.

``There's no excitement; it's a back-to-basics toy year,'' said James Bell, managing director of the Toys R Us Inc. franchise in South Africa ...

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