Andy Musliner was sitting on the floor playing cars with his then-3-year-old son when it occurred to him that the cars needed roads.
"It's an obvious pairing — toy cars go with toy roads," Musliner said. "If you have a toy car, it needs a road to drive on, yet the toy industry had not created an opportunity for kids to make roads."
That idea led the Baltimore area resident on a quest to start a toy company and ultimately create a new category — tape as toy.
Musliner started InRoad Toys, which makes PlayTape, rolls of tape printed to resemble roads fit for tiny vehicles. The tape sticks to walls, floors, tables or any flat surface, and pulls up without damaging surfaces.
It appears to have filled a need, meeting demand from parents who want to encourage creativity and from retailers looking for something new in the toy category. It's also a twist on the consumer tape industry's growing decorative and crafting segment.
When PlayTape was introduced three years ago, it was sold at a few small toy stores. Now it's sold in 35 countries. Wal-Mart sells it at 3,500 stores and online. It's also available online at Toys 'R' Us, select Target stores and O'Reilly's Auto Parts.
"Vehicle play is an evergreen category that kids have naturally gravitated toward for generations," said Joe Contrino, a spokesman for Toys 'R' Us. PlayTape "takes a simple, but unique spin on the category."
InRoad projects sales this year of between $2.5 million and $5 million.
