Barney is the kinder, gentler dinosaur of the "Jurassic Park" summer. If the more savage, man-eating creatures have kept audiences fixated for weeks at movie theaters, it is the quirky-looking purple dinosaur that has captivated the hearts of children.
So it was inevitable that Barney, already the star of home videos and his own show on public television, would evolve yet again: a Talking Barney stuffed animal is being shipped to stores nationwide.Playskool, a division of Hasbro Inc., the world's largest toy manufacturer, said the new toy, which will retail for $34.99, is part of its broad-based licensing agreement signed earlier this year with the Lyons Group, the company that created the Barney character.
Wayne Charness, vice president at Hasbro, declined to release figures on sales of its Barney line of products but said the Talking Barney "is doing extremely well right now."
Robert McMath, a new products consultant at the New Product Showcase and Learning Center in Ithaca, said the current popularity of dinosaurs could add a boost to sales of Barney products, "especially for children too young to see the movie, but who know what it's about."
But with his likeness on clothing, children's games, bed sheets and even magazine covers, some in the industry caution that Barney and other dinosaur toys could soon become extinct.
McMath said that he does not see much potential for dinosaurs - including Barney - past the Christmas season when, he says, "most people will be dinosaured out."
When Talking Barney's hand is squeezed, a recording is activated.