Mattel is shrinking its Brick Shop building sets down to $4.99 Hot Wheels cars, TikTok's "Mrs. Bench" now has an official fidget-trading mat, and Bratz is honoring figure skater Alysa Liu with a doll that goes up for preorder Friday. Plus One Piece joins the TUBBZ rubber-duck line. Here are four toy stories worth knowing on Nov. 4, 2026.

1. Mattel Brick Shop Shrinks to $4.99 With Buildable 1:64 Hot Wheels Cars

Mattel announced the Mattel Brick Shop Hot Wheels Racer Series on Nov. 4. The buildable cars are built at the classic 1:64 Hot Wheels scale, with a suggested retail price of $4.99 each. Six cars come first: the '24 Camaro ZL1, '18 Audi TT RS, Maserati MCPura, '91 Acura NSX, '99 Honda S2000 and the Hot Wheels original Bone Shaker, at 27 to 29 pieces each. Every car has a metal base plate, metal axles with rolling wheels and rubber-like tires. Mattel says the line goes on sale in January 2027 and will grow to 20 models by the end of next year. On Mattel's own shop, each order is a blind purchase: the car you get is picked at random from the first six. The sets are rated ages 6 and up.

Pros: A $4.99 way into brick building for Hot Wheels fans; metal base and rolling axles, so the finished cars can actually roll; quick 27- to 29-piece builds.
Cons: Not on sale until January 2027; buying from Mattel's shop means you can't choose your car; collecting all 20 adds up.

Source: Mattel via Business Wire

2. TikTok's "Mrs. Bench" Gets an Official Fidget-Trading Mat and MOJIS Squishies

World Tech Toys said on Nov. 4 it is now the master toy partner for Faith Bench, the middle-school math teacher known online as "Mrs. Bench," whose videos made fidget trading a playground trend. In a trade, two kids lay their squishies on a shared mat and tap a plus sign to ask for more, a check mark to accept or an X to decline. The line, sold under World Tech Toys' MOJIS brand, starts with an official trading mat with a special squishy ($29.99, pink or blue). It also includes MOJIS Series 1 squishies ($6.99 to $14.99), a slime-making kit ($29.99), a trading clicker keychain ($9.99) and an oversized trade-clicker 2-pack ($49.99), all rated 3+. The mat is out now at TikTok Shop, Amazon, Walmart and other stores. World Tech Toys says the line reaches Five Below, TJ Maxx, Burlington and 7-Eleven stores in early 2027. On Amazon, the pink mat and blue mat were each $29.99 on Nov. 4, with fewer than 20 left of each. For more squishy toys, see our ORB Smushers Juicy Crew guide.

Pros: Gives trading kids a real mat instead of hand-drawn cardboard; comes with a mystery squishy and a roll-up storage tube; trading lets kids swap toys they already own.
Cons: $29.99 is a lot for a mat; Amazon stock was low on Nov. 4; parents may want house rules so younger kids don't trade away favorites.

Source: World Tech Toys via GlobeNewswire

3. Bratz Makes an Alysa Liu Doll, With Preorders Opening Nov. 6

MGA Entertainment's Bratz has a special-edition doll of figure skater Alysa Liu, in a recreation of her gold-medal skating outfit: a gold dress with sequins and layers of fringe, white ice skates and a gold medallion. The doll has her two-tone "halo" hair and freckles, and it comes with a hairbrush and a stand. It costs $35 on bratz.com. Five Bratziez x Alysa Liu blind-box plush charms, each in a different Liu look with a clip, cost $30. On Nov. 4, bratz.com said preorders open Nov. 6 at 8 a.m. PT and ship around Nov. 20.

Pros: A real athlete's winning look done in Bratz style; it comes with a display stand; a smaller Bratziez option for fans.
Cons: Preorder only for now, with shipping around Nov. 20; the Bratziez are blind boxes, so you can't pick the look; we found no Amazon listing yet.

Source: Bratz (MGA Entertainment)

4. One Piece Joins TUBBZ as Cosplaying Rubber Ducks

Numskull Designs has added One Piece to TUBBZ, its line of rubber ducks dressed as famous characters. The TUBBZ U.S. shop lists Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami and Usopp in three sizes: Mini Edition ($9.99), Boxed Edition ($19.99) and Collector's Edition ($24.99). The Collector's Edition comes in a bathtub-style display box. There is also a $29.99 Luffy TUBBZ plush. On Nov. 4, the ducks were listed as preorders for November 2026.

Pros: A low-cost anime collectible starting at $9.99; four main Straw Hat crew members; a plush option for younger fans.
Cons: Preorder only on Nov. 4; these are display collectibles more than bath toys; we found no age grade on the product page.

Source: TUBBZ (Numskull Designs)

Missed yesterday's news? Read LEGO's first Godzilla set, Pokemon starter dioramas and giant Wigglitz.

For the full weekly market brief: The ToyDirectory Intelligence Report

Sources:

• Business Wire: Mattel Brick Shop Makes Iconic Hot Wheels Cars Buildable with New Hot Wheels Racer Series (Nov. 4, 2026)
• Mattel Shop: Mattel Brick Shop Hot Wheels Racer Series 1
• GlobeNewswire: Mrs. Bench selects World Tech Toys as master toy partner (Nov. 4, 2026)
• Amazon: Mrs Bench Squishy Fidget Trading Mat (pink)
• Amazon: Mrs Bench Squishy Fidget Trading Mat (blue)
• Bratz: Bratz x Alysa Liu Special Edition Doll
• Bratz: Bratziez x Alysa Liu Blind Box
• TUBBZ US: One Piece collection
• TUBBZ US: Monkey D. Luffy Collector's Edition

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Writer's Bio: Laura N. Larsson covers toy news and trends for TDmonthly. She follows new launches, licensing deals and what retailers are putting on shelves, and she talks with toy manufacturers and store buyers about what is actually selling. Her roundups aim to give retailers, manufacturers and inventors a quick, practical read on where the toy business is heading, with links to the companies and products behind each story. Read more articles by this author