Message from the Chair

chair TJ Simmons past chair Jeanie Crone 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

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

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.

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 ASTRA or its individual members. The information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Dear ASTRA Community,

Let’s focus on constants. Over the last two years, there has been a ton of uncertainty in our industry. The uncertainty has come with an ever-changing landscape involving rising costs, container delays, inventory issues, store closures, and a pandemic, to name a few. But I have good news: some key aspects of the success of our industry remain the same. Innovation, People, and Demand will continue forward even through the harshest of times.

Innovation in our community is constant. Every Holiday season we find products, gifts, and features that we’ve never seen before. Variations on classics even provide much needed modernization to evergreen product carried in our retail outlets. Our ability to navigate these rocky and uncertain waters is the innovation that has gotten us to where we are today and what will allow us to continue to be successful.

Innovation is what allows us to be forward thinking. There’s a reason we see curbside delivery in our toy stores and B2B direct sites from our sales representatives. It’s the same reason we get to attend an industry gathering like none that’s ever existed in ASTRA’s Toy Boat in February. It’s because the toy industry is and should be the leader in imaginative and experimental thinking.

As we continue to be forward thinking, now is the time to invest in our people. ASTRA is a community of amazing talent that feeds off of each other for continued success. It’s a model that only works in our industry where the success of others directly effects the success of our own business ventures. We have competitors sharing ideas and best practices in order to help the industry as a whole. It’s essential we apply that same model to our colleagues, employees, and those with career aspirations.

We have a steady flow of talented young individuals in our country, yearning to find a start to their career. These people come from colleges and high schools, and many are already working in retail toy stores or as interns with manufacturers but are unaware of all this industry has to offer. Our ASTRA community is the perfect source to mentor and cultivate this young talent because people are constant in this industry.

Lastly, Business 101 teaches us about supply and demand. The toy industry has a luxury that many others don’t, in that every Holiday season it’s expected that toys (above all other products) will be wrapped up for children to enjoy everywhere. New customers are being born every single day and that demand remains constant every single year especially around the holidays. We’re in a unique position with demand that allows us to be forward thinking and capitalize on our business every Q4.

Our industry has constants that we can rely on as we move forward. Let’s rally around those through this Holiday Season. Innovation, people, and demand will continue to illuminate and guide us through any path of uncertainty.

T.J. Simmons