Discovery Toys
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Toy industry, Multi-level marketing |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Lane Nemeth |
| Headquarters | Livermore, California , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, China |
Key people | Lane Nemeth (founder) |
| Products | Educational toys, including Marbleworks |
| Parent | Eos International, Inc. (since 2001) |
| Website | www |
Discovery Toys operates as a multi-level marketing enterprise focused on educational playthings, with its headquarters located in Livermore, California. Its merchandise is distributed throughout both the United States and Canada.
The company was established in 1978 by Lane Nemeth, who previously managed a daycare center. Nemeth launched Discovery Toys with an initial family loan of $5,000, motivated by the scarcity of educational toys for her own children. By 1982, the business had expanded to include 2,500 sales "consultants" and achieved revenues of $4.6 million. Under Nemeth’s guidance, annual revenue escalated to $100 million by 1997, the year the company was acquired by Avon Products. Avon subsequently divested Discovery Toys in 2002, selling it to a private equity firm. In July 2001, Discovery Toys became a fully owned subsidiary of Eos International, Inc.
One of the company’s signature offerings is Marbleworks, introduced in 1982. This product consists of brightly colored, interlocking plastic half-pipes designed to assemble marble tracks. Marbleworks was also instrumental in Discovery Toys’ market entry into China in 2003.