Message from the Chair

chair Jeanie Crone past chair Amy Saldanha treasurer Corey Funkey directors Betty Burns, Lisa Orman, Brad Ruoho, Tom Rushton, Ron Solomon, Brice Elvington, Azhelle Wade, Patrick Holland, TJ Simmons, Theresa Duncan, Gene Murtha, Sari Wiaz

Magazine

editor Tom Savage assistant editor Briana White graphic artist Maia VanOrman

Editorial Advisory Committee

chair Tom Savage Jean Bailey, Consultant Theresa Duncan, Villa Villekulla Toy Store Tami Murphy, Grand Prix International Lisa Orman, KidStuff PR Kemi Tignor, Little Likes Kids LLC Allison White, Sugar B Sales Phil Wrzesinski, HABA USA

ASTRA Staff

president

Sue Warfield

membership specialist

Jenna Stirling

special projects and events manager

Michael Foldeak

communications and marketing coordinator

Briana White

administrative assistant

Ashlee Cammack

Toy Times Magazine is published by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, 312-222-0984, info@astratoy.org, www.astratoy.org. Copyright © 2022 American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. All rights reserved.

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All articles for Toy Times are supplied by ASTRA and its members, with Fahy-Williams assembling the magazine, and managing the advertising sales function.

ASTRA reserves the right to accept, reject, or alter all editorial and advertising material submitted for publication.

Advertising in ASTRA does not imply endorsement of products and services. Opinions expressed in articles contained herein are those of the authors, not necessarily of ASTRA or its individual members. The information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.

Celebrating ASTRA Marketplace & Academy

ASTRA Marketplace & Academy is right around the corner and this year it is one of only two in-person trade shows to date, and the only national trade show. I hope you will join us for what is sure to be an epic event.

June weather in Long Beach should be spectacular. The Long Beach Convention Center is a beautiful venue which allows us to host more exhibitors than last year, which is back to pre-COVID levels. This will allow you to see a much larger selection of products.

When I ask members to tell me what they like about M&A, I hear things like community, networking, seeing new products, finding new vendors, the Meet-and-Greet, the Opening Party, Share-the-Fair, the Toy Sync Battle, and the education sessions. If you are a new ASTRA member, I welcome you and encourage you to participate in all the events to enjoy the full ASTRA Marketplace & Academy experience. Introduce yourself to ASTRA staff and ASTRA Board Members. We want to get to know you!

For M&A veterans, you have likely attended our education sessions in past years. If you are new to M&A, I cannot stress enough the value of these sessions. You will have a unique opportunity to hear experts speak about real-life challenges in our industry. You can learn so much from their experience that you can take back to your own business.

ASTRA M&A is a great place to network and get to know people. The Meet-and-Greet, the Opening Party, Share-the-Fair, and the Toy Sync Battle are all great places to mingle and get to know people. I encourage you to do so. ASTRA is known for being a community, and these events draw people together, so become part of our community! I look forward to seeing you soon in Long Beach.

Jeanie Crone OjO Chair, ASTRA Board of Directors