THE MAGAZINE OF THE RETAILINGSPECIALTYAMERICANTOYASSOCIATION magazine August 2022 Marketplace &Academy2022 Highlights
astratoy.org • August 2022 3 August 2022 • astratoy.org ASTRA Toy Times Magazine Mission Statement Our mission is to act as a channel of communication for the general membership of ASTRA and to provide information about current happenings and future goals as decided upon by the board of directors, various committees, and ASTRA Staff. We strive to provide useful and timely information and support for and about ASTRA members in accordance with the ASTRA mission statement. We are always looking for good articles and input for the magazine. Letters to the editor are welcome. Please forward letters, comments, ideas, etc., to the ASTRA office at info@astratoy.org featuresdepartments 4 President’s Repor t 6 Message from the Chair 38 Inde x of Advertisers 321812 8 The Benefits of Play for Childhood Development 12 Diversity in the Toy Industry Meet David Vonner 18 Marketplace & Academy Long Beach Show Recap 24 Minimizing the Effects of Inflation 28 Get on Board the ASTRA Toy Boat! 32 Save the Date for Marketplace & Academy 2023 34 Neighborhood Toy Store Day is now Neighborhood Toy Store MONTH!
• What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of ASTRA?
Long Beach, June 12-15, ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy 2022. Yes, we did it. Yes, we were back to our full schedule. Yes, it was great. And yes, we are still dealing with the variants of COVID and in many ways, things will never be exactly as they before. Whilewere some of the attendees did return home to discover they had COVID, for the most part they were back in their groove within a reasonable amount of time. Traveling to the show, dining out and attending the show – all were opportunities to contract COVID. It was a personal decision for those that chose to attend or not to attend. The decision was what was right for each person.As we look to future gatherings, it is inevitable that we will continue to see cases arise. This will be our new normal for quite some time. With that said, the response from the vast majority of those that joined us in Long Beach was that we were finally able to be together and enjoy the full schedule of Marketplace & Academy, and it felt fantastic! As we look to the future to see how we can improve all ASTRA gatherings, specifically Marketplace & Academy, I want to call out some very amazing volunteers that have given hours of time in meetings over the last four-plus years to look forward and consider how ASTRA can be the innovator within the toy industry. The Innovation Council was formed after focus groups of retailers, reps and manufacturers were held in 2017. Amongst the current volunteers, all major member categories are represented – reps, retailers, It’s a new beginning…
4 August 2022 • astratoy.org president’s report
• If you had a chance to sit down with the ASTRA board and give them a few words of advice about what they should do to create the ultimate trade show experience for you, what would you say? The answers were invaluable. The Innovation Council took the notes from all the sessions and met for an entire day working through the answers to come up with an amazing list of innovative ideas to put into action at future Marketplace & Academy gatherings. Some of these will be implemented in 2023 in Columbus, and many more in 2024 and beyond.
manufacturers and affiliates. While some in the group have left and new people have stepped in, there are many that have been active since the very beginning. When 2020 hit and COVID reared its ugly head, their focus had to change. The board of directors tasked the group over the last year to look at what the future of gatherings should look like to best serve our members and our specialty toy industry. Weekly – yes weekly – meetings have been held over the past year and in the last six months, this group put together a very detailed list of questions to ask our members. Round-table discussions were held via Zoom; each was facilitated by Jillian Lakritz. These were the seven groups that each had a 90-minute session: - Experienced, long-term retailers - Newer retailers - Experienced, long-term manufacturers - Newer manufacturers - Inventors - Regional Rep Group Principals - National Rep Group Principals
The ASTRA staff at Marketplace & Academy (from left-to-right): Ashlee Cammack, Michael Foldeak, Sue Warfield, Jenna Stirling, Briana White.
In addition, as staff, we always listen to what we hear from participants that attend, as well as what we know we need to improve upon from our experience at the show as we plan our next gatherings (including the Toy Boat Experience). I t’s a new beginning. New staff, new ideas, new world. Things will never be the same, but in change is growth and opportunity. Continue on the journey with us!
• What does success look like to you for ASTRA?
• What ’s working/not working with Marketplace & Academy?
Questions asked included these and so many more.
Jeanie Crone Chair,OjO ASTRA Board of Directors I’m a big believer in volunteering. Giving my time to worthy causes has always been a part of me. In fact, I volunteeringbegan in my teens. I have found that ofbecametheirgivingtheirsincerelyorganizationsappreciatevolunteers,unselfishlyoftime.WhenIfirstamemberASTRA,Iwasmore of a taker than a giver, but after seeing how much I got out of being a member, I realized that I had to do more to give back. I began to join committees where I thought I could make a difference with my expertise and time. I found it to be very fulfilling work, and I met new people whose friendships I value. I still serve with many of these people. There are many ways to volunteer within ASTRA. You can serve on temporary committees, or serve on our permanent committees. Your knowledge and skills will be matched to a committee that fits your expertise.
message from the chairBoard of Directors chair Jeanie Crone chair elect TJ Simmons treasurer Theresa Duncan secretary Tom Rushton directors Ron Solomon, Sari Wiaz, Gene Murtha, Azhelle Wade, Brice Elvington, Patrick Holland, Cassidy Smith, Darby Zahradnik, Maryam Al-Hammami, Sandra Malott, Rachel Jones Magazine editor Tom Savage assistant editor Briana White graphic artist Maia VanOrman
Editorial Advisory Committee chair Tom Savage Amanda Gummer, Genius Expert 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
Toy Times Magazine is published by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, 312-222-0984, info@astratoy.org, www.astratoy.org.
Calls for new board member applications normally open in December, so watch for that announcement! ASTRA is your organization. There can be no better cause than giving back to the organization that you belong to, making it better through your participation and valuable knowledge. I hope you will consider joining us in making ASTRA even better by volunteering. Please contact Sue Warfield or Michael Foldeak at ASTRA if you are interested in a volunteer role.
Advertisements are accepted. For more information, contact Rick Kauder, Fahy-Williams Publishing, rkauder@fwpi.com, 315-789-0458. 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 ASTR A or its individual members. The information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.
Join the volunteerASTRAarmy!
Some of us have enjoyed our committee work so much that we eventually applied to become board members, making an even stronger commitment to the organization that we love. If selected to be a board member, you will serve a three-year term and will be a part of the major decision-making and direction of the organization.
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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 education coordinator Katie Cooley
Copyright © 2022 American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. All rights reserved.
The findings have been summarized here, grouped into the three main areas of development: Physical, Cognitive and Social/emotional. Physical development We found that outdoor play equipment, sports and ride-on toys in particular, help develop gross motor skills like core, arm and leg muscles. We have also found that construction, arts & crafts, and tactile toys are commonly believed to improve fine motor control such as hand and finger strength, along with handeye coordination. Theuseofconstruction toys of different sizes that children can safely move either independently or cooperatively, including a range of materials and fixing methods such as magnetic, slotting, and twisting, also aid fine motor development. Hand-eyeand muscle coordination develop through the use of craft tools such as paint brushes and scissors.
My business, Fundamentally Children, has carried out a review of a wide range of toys and the play patterns they facilitate and sought to identify the specific skills they promote.
for Child Development The Benefits of
Social and emotional development By learning from their own mistakes, children gain confidence in their own ability to solve a problem leading to resilience and responsibility. Therefore, toys which give children a safe method of challenging their abilities may support personal development. This seems especially so for play where there is some risk involved. By Dr. Amanda Gummer
Toys which facilitate pretend play such as dress-up clothes, role-play props and small world play sets, support the development of self-regulation. Through imitation of emotions, children can learn to control them, and build a defense against negative situations. Pretend play has also been connected with coping and emotion regulation. Character toys such as dolls and soft toys are an important tool for imaginative play. Children can identify with dolls and absorb their characteristics, with dolls becoming an ‘alternative self.’ This means that children can go beyond the limits of reality and develop a wide range of skills.
The use of role-play props, dolls and puppets to tell stories about characters with diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities, challenge stereotypes. They help develop skills such as empathy and compassion.Self-awareness can be developed through arts and craft play by allowing children to make decisions about their activities. Drawing is recommended as a way for children to explore and describe their individual preferences and opinions. Board games also have a role in social development by encouraging interaction. This is particularly relevant in helping children learn social norms such as turn-taking, sharing and negotiating “house rules.’”
Cooperative games such as construction play and ball games encourage children to play alongside peers and adults, helping them develop relationships. Healthy relationships include effective communication, mutual respect, empathy and cooperation: all of which can be observed in collaborative play. Cognitive Development Pretend play has been linked to creativity, with imaginative play linked to better performance at divergent problem-solving tasks. Social-fantasy toys are important factors in the play that preschoolers initiate. Fantasy or creative play allows the individual to explore another reality. It allows them to generate, shape and reshape new ideas. Physical activity has been linked to improved concentration, planning and even academic achievement. Therefore it is possible that toys which promote physical activity such as sports equipment, or other outdoor play equipment including pretend play props, can support executive functioning.Toyssuch as bug safaris, toy magnifying glasses and microscopes can increase a child’s motivation to play outside. Toys such as bikes and scooters also increase the size of the area in which children play, which increases their exposure to, and time spent in, their local environment increasing their understanding of the world. Playing with educational toys, like those related to colors, numbers or letters,
astratoy.org • August 2022 9
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10 August 2022 • astratoy.org as well as real and toy musical instruments, is linked with thicker frontal and temporal cortices, an area associated with verbal comprehension. This suggests that such toys may give children an advantage in understanding speech. Toys that allow children to experiment and test scientific reasoning such as building blocks or bubbles, and allowing access to safe technology like electronic toys, contributes to their understanding of the world. Summary Toys and play are not only valuable for children’s development, I’d argue they are vital. There’s never been a more important time to be making and selling good toys for children, and the above is just a small overview of the benefits of play for children and their futures.
Amanda Gummer has over 20 years of experience working with children and families. Widely considered THE go-to expert on play, toys and child development, Gummer combines her theoretical knowledge with a refreshingly pragmatic approach to family life, which resonates both with parents and professionals. Her book Play was published in May 2015 and has already been translated into two different languages. Gummer is regularly in the media, and continues to take an active role in research.
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DIVERSITY in the Toy Industry
Even though that very ugly, and potentially explosive situation occurred, we carried ourselves with dignity and we mutually decided not to mention the situation to you, your staff, nor our B.I.G.G. (Black Inventors Got Game) comrades that would dampen the mood and put a bitter spin to such a beautiful and historic moment.”
ASTRA will continue working with these fabulous men who shared their stories at Marketplace & Academy, as well as with others to work towards great diversity, equity and inclusion in our industry. We will feature a section in each Toy Times Magazine on this subject as well as commentary in our Toy Times Digital Monthly. Our first contributor is David Vonner, one of our panelist. His story starts on the next page.
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“Kudos to ASTRA and its brilliant staff for taking the necessary steps to pull this panel and presentation together,” said Liz Rosenberg of The Toy Box in Amherst, Mass., on ASTRA’s Facebook page. “The ‘Black Inventors Got Game’ session was BY FAR the most impressive, impactful, and important session I’ve attended in my 19 years in the biz. We are all the wiser having attended this conference.” This is only the beginning in ASTRA’s efforts to bring about Unfortunately,change.
“Ironically, because situations like this are so normalized in our society, we were very upset at first, but quickly got over the situation due to the overwhelming joy of speaking to our peers just minutes before. In short, we’re used to racial profiling, even as seasoned toy-industry professionals.
The panel featured James Howard (founder of the Black Inventor’s Hall of Fame BIHOF), Mason Williams (Global Head of DEI at Mattel Inc.), David Vonner (Chief Creative Officer at The Nacelle Company), Charley Harrison (UCLA School of Music and son of Charles Harrison, designer of the View Master), Ken Johnson (Phase 10) and Joseph Jones (actor and BIHOF narrator).
It’s a long road ahead, but we start with one small step “Black Inventors Got Game” followed by a panel on diversity, equity and inclusion, was the highlight on Sunday, June 12 at Marketplace & Academy in Long Beach.
following the presentation, two of the presenters faced exactly what they so frequently encounter. The incident was reported as follows as two of the panelists approached the entry to the show “Uponfloor.going downstairs to enter the convention floor, a group ahead of us entered the floor unobstructed by security staff. In fact, the male security attendant smiled and greeted them with a wave. Literally the moment we stepped off the last set of stairs, the security guards demeanor physically changed and he gave an all-to-familiar gaze. “Once we approached the entrance of the floor, the guard quickly asked to see our badges, which were clearly visible with our names facing forward. He then stated that I could walk the floor, but my colleague couldn’t. Taken aback, I asked why. His response was because my colleague’s credentials didn’t allow him access to the floor. I told him that it’s ironic that he’d stop us to check our credentials, but didn’t do the same with the group that was directly ahead of us, and allowed access onto the showroom floor. When I further stated that we just spoke upstairs at a panel, and that my colleague is in fact a speaker, the guard again refused to allow entrance onto the floor. It wasn’t until we asked to speak with his supervisor, that the guard finally relinquished his stance, and allowed us both to enter the showroom floor. I shouldn’t have to go into detail of the racial dynamic of the situation, but yes the guard was White.
Greetings Toy Friends! I’m David Vonner, and I can’t tell you how much of an honor it is to meet so many new friends and share a few thoughts (and hopefully many more!) with the entire ASTRA Family. Being an only child, toys have always been an amazing ice-breaker for me, so I must say thank you to ASTRA and Toy Times Magazine for this amazing platform. There’s no better place to make new friends than here within the pages of TOY TIMES Magazine! So why, you may ask, am I writing this? Because of one thing: The Love of Toys!Not only have I played with toys my entire life (50 years,…and I still can’t believe it!), but for over 25 years I have had the amazing privilege of being a toy designer, playing in the most amazing sand boxes in the world, such as Toy Biz, Hasbro, and Mattel (to name a few), all while playing with amazing characters such as Spider-Man, Hulk and Thor, along with rock n roll legends KISS, and Ozzy Osbourne, and the amazing Superstars of the WWE Universe. I refer to brands and toy companies as “sand boxes” because for many of us, the playground sand box was where most of us met our very first friend, or friends, outside of the family. I’ve met many close and special friends within the confines of those sand boxes due to our mutual love of toys, and it is with great honor to meet even more new friends within the pages of this safe space of Toys & Play. Which brings me to why I’m writing this column. We are the gatekeepers of a child’s inspiration, aspirations, and imagination. We provide the tools for kids to have a safe space to laugh, be goofy, have fun and be a kid. With the recent and ongoing violence our youth face today, it’s important for me to constantly recognize who we do this for. Let’s face it, working and being a part of the toy world, while fun, can be rough and tumble at times. Daily concepting and developing ideas into product, creating marketing strategies, costing, shipping, buying and selling of toys can take its toll.
I t’s tougher than one would imagine. Long hours, late nights, tracking down invoices, constant travel, putting out fires, and finding new and innovative ways of communicating the same thing over, and over, and over again. It yields a different kind of “fun” all together. However, at the end of the day, for me, there’s no better feeling than seeing a kid’s reaction in the toy aisle: eyes wide, mouth on the floor with their little minds blown, begging their parents for cash. We all had that reaction. Toys are the through-line
(continued on page 16)
vonnerdavid
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D avid Vonner has designed some of your favorite toys, action figures, and collectibles for notable companies such as Spencer Gifts Inc., Marvel, Spinmaster, Hasbro, Mattel and Netflix, work that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in sales revenue. He also started the pop culture collectibles and apparels company Kasual Friday, as well as his very own VONNER Studios. As a 20-year toy industry veteran, Vonner was also involved with the design and development of the wildly popular 6-inch collector action figure line Marvel Legends, as well as the creation of the 3-3/4-inch Marvel Universe action figure line. Vonner has worked on various comic-book inspired toy and action figure lines that have led to the current superhero movie and toy boom many of us enjoy today.Having received various toy industry awards, Vonner currently serves as chief creative officer of physical product for The Nacelle Company, and is a pop culture fanatic who loves to be a kid at heart!
Vonner can also be seen discussing his love for pop culture and toys in the Netflix’s docuseries “The Toys That Made Us - Marvel 616 Unboxed,” currently streaming on Disney+, and is co-host of the For The Culture podcast. of our lives. No matter the time, location, or situation, toys connect us all, bringing comfort, joy, and at times hope to all kids and the kid at heart. As I carry that notion and feeling with me, let’s all remember who we do this for. As an industry, lets continue to create safe spaces for kids around the globe, and to continue to recognize the amazing honor and privilege we all have as big toy people to the little toy people of the world.
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I learned from a hero long ago that with great power comes great responsibility. Let us all keep in our heart and minds the great responsibility we have as gatekeepers of fun and imagination. We’re all in this together. We were them, and they will be us. So let’s keep pushing to make the world a much more fun and safe place for all of our kidsFor the Culture!
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“The ASTRA Crowd ROCKS! Big thanks to all who attended the The Toy Book’s first ASTRA panel! Maddie Michalik and I had a great time hanging with you today!” James Zahn – The Toy Book 18 August 2022 • astratoy.org
Highlights from a fantastic Marketplace & Academy in Long Beach “Thanks for making 2022 such an amazing show! Kudos to all the staff that worked so hard to make this a terrific event. Thank you especially to all the extraordinary humans who traveled far and wide to bring world class toys, games and art supplies to the children in your home town!” Alex Provda – The Pencil Grip Co. It was real, it was fun and it was packed with great new products! Here are some comments and photos on the next 4 pages shared on the Marketplace & Academy Facebook page that say it all.
Adam Hocherman, Glenn Drover, Mark Carson, Jay Esser, Dan Huter, Tres Patten, Cooper Yearick ASTRA President Sue Warfield sets the stage for the start of Marketplace & Academy.
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“Had a great time hanging out with old friends and new friends during the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy this week!”
“Thank you, Astra for another amazing, wonderful, fantastic show. Loved meeting so many new friends this time around, found some fabulous new vendors, had the BEST time performing in the lip sync battle. Can’t wait to do it all again next year. I did make a decent bit of social media content, if you’re on TikTok and would like to give us a follow, our handles are listed below. Wishing you all amazing holiday seasons filled with all the sales!” Neela Lingenfelter – Timbuk Toys @mrpaulsplace@timbuktoys @smurf_berries TikTok:
By Lisa Orman Here’s a completely unscientific survey of a bunch of people who attended the recent ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. It shows that people were overjoyed to meet, visit and do business with new and old toy friends alike. “My heart is full!” “I can’t stop smiling thinking about my time in Long Beach!” “I’m sooooo glad I went!”
Those comments weren’t uncommon throughout the week. For some, because of the pandemic, it had been three years since they attended an in-person trade show. Marketplace & Academy turned out to be a joyous reunion for many. It was also a time of learning, and for some first-timers, a chance to jumpstart their business as the COVID-19 pandemic made things tough for three “We’reyears.very happy with the show,” said Kevin Nelson, who exhibited his Spokester bicycle accessory with his son Adam for the first time at ASTRA. “Everyone was so friendly, we got to compare notes with other vendors and share ideas and resources with each other, and we wrote some good orders. The venue was Attendancegreat.”wasstrong as vendors reported steady traffic. Orders were written, and there were a lot of non-quantifiable benefits for attendees such as feedback on prototypes or concepts, networking, and feeling more connected to ASTRA as a Nextgroup.year,Marketplace & Academy is scheduled for Columbus, Ohio from June 11-14. On top of that, ASTRA will host the first-ever toy cruise on the Toy Boat from February 20-24 on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas as it sails to the Bahamas. It’s part trade show, part family vacation, and it’s sure to be a blast! in Long Beach was LIT But seriously, it was such a good time! “So good to be at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2022!”
Cassidy Smith, Uniche
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2022
See you in Columbus, Ohio, June2023!11-14, astratoy.org • August 2022 23 Lisa Orman at Marketplace & Academy in Long Beach.
Better Stock Position – more orders means you are able to stay on top of hot products and fast-moving items, meaning less out-of-stock positions and less lost sales.
LOOK FOR MORE MARGIN There are several ways you can increase your own prices to give you the margin necessary to cover your increased expenses. Here are some key places to look. Impulse Items – these items are never “shopped”. They are bought on an impulse,
CHANGE YOUR BUYING HABITS Order less, but order more often. You have heard this advice before. Now it is time to put it into practice. Smaller orders done more often has three huge benefits that will help you combat inflation.
Inflation is not only causing hardships and decreased earnings for your customers, it is having a huge effect on your bottom line. Here are some steps you can take to mitigate some of those effects.
Better Cash Flow – you will have more money available at the right time to pay those higher bills coming through.
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Better Merchandising – let’s be honest, every time an order comes in, the department gets a merchandising overhaul. More orders means more overhauls, which means better merchandising. That leads to more sales. Stick to buying what is already in stock from your manufacturers and you will have a better flow of products to keep your shelves full, which will lead to higher sales and better cashflow. The math also shows that even if you have to pay freight for smaller orders, if you make three or more orders per vendor per year, your cash flow is better than one or two big orders per year.
EFFECTSMIZINGMINI-THE By Phil Wrzesinski(continued
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Unlike gas or food, customers aren’t shopping for the same toys year after year. Most of your customers can tell you what they paid for gas six months or even a year ago, but none of them remember what your prices were two months ago on the item they want today.
Bad Numbers – the same can be said about the numbers 3 and 6 in the dollar slot. It is more subtle, but customers are not as comfortable with those numbers as we are with 4 and 7 respectively. You could find more dollars there.
26 August 2022 • astratoy.org
Although raising your prices may seem like you are adding to the inflation, if you do it right, most customers won’t notice.
Blind Items – items that are unique, such as art pieces, custom-made items, or products not found all over the Internet can also be good sources for extra margin.
Make sure your pricing matches the heart and desire of the customer
Plush – Your stuffed animals are bought with the heart, not the head. When someone falls in love with a piece of plush, the perceived worth of that item goes up dramatically.
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astratoy.org • August 2022 27 If you are making these smaller changes in the right spots, most customers won’t even notice the change at all. Even if they do, they get it. They know you need to make money to stay in business, too. TURN OLD STUFF INTO CASH The inventory that has been sitting on your shelf since before the pandemic is costing you money. It is dead weight. You need to get rid of it and replace it with something that sells. Here are some criteria you can use for identifying the dead inventory.
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Couldn’t Sell a Case Pack – If you bought a case of six and only sold four at Christmas, the other two are dead.
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Hasn’t Sold in Six Months – If the last sale was January (and it isn’t a sled), it is dead.
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Packaging Damaged or Changed – if you can’t get a new package from the manufacturer, mark it down and move it out. It is making your store look bad being on the shelf. If you have old fixtures you are not using, you can turn those into cash, too. Teachers love old book racks. Parents use spinner racks for many different reasons. Daycares can use old shelves and bins for storing toys not in use. Put a $20, $40, or $50 price sign on your old displays and turn them into handy cash. © 2022 UK UK
• Time to meet with vendors in a relaxed environment and work together on programs for the full year.
on page 30)
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• Entirely tax deductible
• Time to play. We all need this!
What can the Toy Boat offer that isn’t available at other shows?
• Time to build your relationships with vendors, with reps, with your retailers.
• Time to refresh and energize after a crazy 4th quarter and working the January gift shows.
• For RETAILERS: It’s a great time to prepare for Toy Fest. If you go to both the Toy Boat and Toy Fest, you will get one free night hotel in Columbus for ASTRA’s 2023 Marketplace & Academy, and one free night hotel for Toy Fest!
There are so many great reasons to join us on the upcoming Royal Carribean’s Liberty of the Seas Toy Boat for a totally new experience!
Plus Game Night and family-style toy sync battle. (continued
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30 August 2022 • astratoy.org It’s also an opportunity for retailers to really work with vendors and reps to set the course for 2023. There will be other retailers on the ship with whom you can network to share experiences and get new ideas from. People from Learning Express, The Good Toy Group and Toy Collection will be on board and conference room space is available for all during the cruise for meetings, gatherings or just networking. • REPS: Book a table to work with retailers on the lines you represent. • MANUFACTURERS: Book a table and even rent some conference room space for meeting with retailers to establish 2023 programs. Sign up for Game Nights – as one fee covers two nights. One for the ASTRA block of cruisers and one that is open to the public! The Toy Boat cruise departs from Fort Lauderdale on February 20 and returns on February 24, 2023. More details can be found at https://astra.glueup.com/event/ ahoy-mates-52830/ Call Michael Foldeak at 312-283-4255 or Sue Warfield at 312238-9393 to book your cabin! (continued from page 28)
We Had a Great Time Exhibiting at the ASTRA Toy Show! EMAIL: TOY@KENTDISPLAYS.COM Visit: myboogieboard.com | call: 1-855-224-0888Stay tuned for more updates fromBoard!Boogie Thank you whoeveryonetocheckedoutourbooth! SEE OUR NEW PRODUCTS
32 Make sure you mark your calendars for June 11-14, with events starting on the 10th. We will be in Columbus, Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center at 400 North High Street for next year’s Marketplace & Academy! Watch for details coming in the next few months as things are already starting to take shape. We are planning new educational offerings, and more things to see on the show floor. Opening ev Save the date for ASTRA’s 2023&MarketplaceAcademy
For those of you who have said, “Columbus? Really?” We’d like to remind you that we heard the same thing when we announced that we were headed to Pittsburgh in 2019. After the event, everyone raved about how GREAT Pittsburgh was! We do our research on all venues that we consider, including site visits, and Columbus surprised us with its
astratoy.org • August 2022 33 amazing restaurants and energetic vibe. We have taken all the suggestions and input from everyone that attended this year’s event in Long Beach to make sure we continually 2023!atCenter.fromHiltonforgetToyyeareverMarketplacethathappeningColumbusimprove.isaplace.Thecity’svibe,alongwitheverythingASTRAisplanning,willmake&Academy2023betterthanandamust-attendevent.Wewillhavemoretotellinthenewandremember:ifyoujoinusontheBoatandgotoToyFestin2023,you’llonefreehotelnightatourmainhotelMarketplace&Academy.The4-StarindowntownColumbusisstepstheGreaterColumbusConventionYou’llalsogetonefreehotelnighttheToyFesthotelofchoiceatToyFest
34 August 2022 • astratoy.org Neighborhood Toy Store Day is now Neighborhood Toy Store MONTH! We heard you! Trying to fit events, sales, promotions and demonstrations into one day in November is just too stressful and spreads manufacturers and reps too thin. That’s why we’ve made a change, and Neighborhood Toy Store Day is now Neighborhood Toy Store Month! What are we planning? There will be four different themed Saturdays throughout the month that will be supported with in-store activities, parent education materials, PR kits and of course, vendor specials. The four themes are: - STEM-sational Saturday - Family Game Night - All About Art Day - Make Way For Play Day mollybeekids.com Contact Us Today: 724-816-1596 Email: sales@mollybeekids.com Toddler & Preschool Activity Card Games MONTH (continued on page 36)
If you have any additional questions or are interested in being an advertised sponsor, contact Jenna Stirling at jstirling@astratoy.org
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Let’s show our communities that their neighborhood toy stores are the place to shop for all their family and friends when it comes to toys, games and play gifts – for all ages.
The goal is to reinforce the vital roles our retailers play in their communities via the power of play and all its developmental benefits. Of course, we also have the goal of driving traffic to support our retailers during the holidays. We are hiring a PR firm to do their magic and get us the press coverage that our independent retailers so deserve!
For manufacturers who would really like to show their support to our specialty retailers, sponsorships are available. In order to be an advertised sponsor, we are asking for a minimal buy-in from our retailers to make it accessible for even our smallest stores. Along with the minimal buy-in, the sponsorship is to be supported by playday kits, bag stuffers, and some type of special for customers.
36 August 2022 • astratoy.org
38 August 2022 • astratoy.org ASTRA Toy Times Magazine, August 2022 To reserve your ad in the next issue, contact Rick Kauder (315) 789-0458 • rkauder@fwpi.com our advertisers Amahi Ukuleles amahiukuleles.com 33 Crazy Aaron Enterprises Inc. crazyaarons.com 10 Dolphin Hat Games dolphinhat.com 5 Enchanted Moments Inc enchantedmoments.com 37 Fat Brain Toy Co. FatBrainToyCo.com inside front cover Five K Ltd./Northwest Synergy Inc ..... fivekwholesale.com .................................. 15 GENSMAK! ............................................. gensmak.com .............................................. 7 Harrisville Designs ................................ friendlyloom.com ..................................... 10 Kent Displays (Boogie Board eWriters) ..... myboogieboard.com................................ 31 Micro Kickboard....................................microkickboard.com ................................ 36 Mollybee Kids ........................................ mollybeekids.com .................................... 34 MukikiM LLC .......................................... mukikim.com ............................................ 17 MW Wholesale mwwholesale.biz 29 Plus-Plus USA plus-plus.us 25 The Learning Journey Intl tlji.com........................................................ 26 The Toy Network thetoynetwork.com 9 Tonies/Boxine USA tonies.com inside back cover Top Trumps toptrumps.us 27 ToyFest - WTHRA toyfestwest.com 35 U.S. TOY Company ustoyco.com 11 Wikki Stix wikkistix.com 16 Winning Moves Games winning-moves.com back cover Wonderful Jungle - Toobimals ............ wonderfuljungle.com ............................... 30 FREEMAGAZINESUBSCRIPTION online at edplay.com Subscribe for free online and request enough copies for your entire staff. Dedicated to the Specialty Toy Industry Thank you to our Marketplace & Academy 2022 sponsors Thank you to our sponsors
Listen, learn, and play with one huggable box. STORY TIME SLEEPY TIME TRAVEL TIME LEARNING TIME
