Mad For Toys is a new search engine that uses Google’s Co-op service to do a niche search on the UK’s 250 toy stores which are online. Toys are grouped into four categories, Traditional, Contemporary, Collectibles and Models (like model cars etc), although a lot of the shops have been hand-picked. Mad For Toys is produced by the Internet creative consultancy Futurescape.
It works pretty well, but without being too unkind to Futurescape, it’s clearly a bit of punt (hey, good luck) and it’s no surprise they have launched it in time for Christmas. I should think we’re going to see a lot more of these attempts to create a brand around a simple implementation of Google Co-op, and this is one of the first in the UK that we are aware of (although there are probably more).
Update: The TechCrunch UK site search is powered by Google Coop but unlike Mad for Toys it has no commercial aspirations.