'Toy Story' leads top ten movie merchandisers

Toy Story 3 was the box office winner last weekend around the world and the animated film is also tops in sales of movie toys and other film merchandise.

The third installment of the hit film franchise is the top-seller for games, scooters, apparel, toys and more. Even the US post office has boxes and mailers emblazoned with images of Woody, Buzz and the characters from Toy Story.

According to Panjiva, a firm that tracks international trade, 724 cargo containers shipped to the US from China, packed with Toy Story 3 materials, almost twice as many as the next in line.

From the 40 biggest box office hits over the past 18 months, Iron Man 2 was the second most popular toy and merchandise campaign.

Films that were not big at theaters can still prove to sell merchandise emblazoned with the name and likeness, such as G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra which came in third followed by The Princess and the Frog.

The remaining six films with big merchandise campaigns include (in order of popularity): Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Shrek Forever After, Monsters vs. Aliens, Avatar, How to Train Your Dragon, and Star Trek.

China is where the majority of movie-themed toys are manufactured, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Any items made in the US are not part of these estimates.

RC