ASTRA August 2015

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E A M E R I C A N S P E C I A LT Y T O Y R E TA I L I N G A S S O C I AT I O N • A U G U S T 2 0 15

TOY TIMES MAGAZINE

Inspiration at Work and Play

CONNECT CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO THE TOYS ON YOUR SHELVES According to the US Census, 1 in 20 school-aged children or 2.8 million kids are reported as having a disability.

Children with disabilities are just like any other kids when it comes to learning through play. They just need a little help connecting.

ASTRA’s

Guide to Toys for Children with Special Needs is an electronic handbook for anyone who makes or sells toys.

It clearly explains the characteristics of common disabilities and types of toys that work well for children who have those disabilities.

Helps store staff understand common disabilities along with tips for communicating with parents who have children with special needs.

Builds your knowledge of toy features and gives you guidance when making selections on what play products to carry in your store.

The National Lekotek Center works to serve children with special needs through three main arteries: direct family services, training and the toy industry.

GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

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Supports you in working effectively with your customers and guiding them in their toy buying decisions.

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Visit www.astratoy.org or call 312-222-0984

MESSAGE From the Chair

Steady as She

Goes

by Dean May

So, for those who were either not able to attend Marketplace in Charlotte or have not been reading their ASTRA e-Bulletins or most all the industry journals of late, our very own ASTRA President, Kathleen McHugh, has announced her resignation as of October 6.

I chose the nautical title to this piece because for 15 years Kathleen has been the Captain of the “SS ASTRA,” capably and safely navigating our association through sometimes rough and challenging “waters,” but always charting a course that inevitably leads the association forward. As the chief staff officer, she kept us safely anchored … never drifting too far off course with our mission clearly in focus.

As Kathleen prepares to relinquish the helm, we can all proudly look back over her tour of duty and thank her for a job well done. During her “command,” ASTRA’s membership has quadrupled and Marketplace & Academy was created, nurtured and has become the premier specialty toy trade show.

Our member programs and benefits are more expansive and robust than ever in the history of the association. I am pleased to assure you ASTRA has never been more stable, vibrant, and progressive than it is today.

We enjoy the benefits of an amazing staff that will carry forward in our mission. In the meantime, we have enlisted the services of an executive search firm, specializing in the association management field, to perform an exhaustive search for Kathleen’s replacement. I look forward to sharing the results of their efforts with you at the earliest possible opportunity.

Please join with me in saluting Kathleen for an amazing “voyage.” The specialty toy industry and all of us who have had the pleasure and honor of knowing and working with her these many years are better because of who she is and what she has accomplished. We wish her “smooth sailing” in her next life journeys, wherever they may take her.

unique approach (can you say “interactive”?) to keynote and breakout sessions. From ASTRA-nauts to product exclusives, game play to connectivity, we changed it up.

We learned new ways to build and enhance our businesses and relationships (can you say NetWORTHing?) We broke bread together and shared a few drinks together. We reconnected with old friends and hopefully made lots of new friends. We hope you enjoyed your time in Charlotte as much as we did.

We can never say thank you enough to our generous sponsors, without whom we could never accomplish what you experienced. Mega kudos to our fabulous ASTRA staff, who make the whole process look easy (but trust me when I say it ain’t so). They work tirelessly to make it a flawlessly successful event for all of us.

Last, but not least, to our Convention Committee who generously volunteer their time to help plan, organize, and assist in carrying out our convention programs. Work is already underway on Denver 2016. Stay tuned.

Volunteers – we can never have enough. In Charlotte we had 18, yes 18, volunteer sign-ups. I know we can do better.

Why not make this year the year you step up and share your time and talents to continue moving ASTRA forward? Giving back only serves to make us all stronger and better. I can almost assure you that if you give a little, you’ll get a lot.

In closing, may I say that I am truly humbled and honored to serve as your board chair for the coming year. I look forward to working with you to make our association more vibrant and relevant to you and your businesses than ever before.

Marketplace & Academy 2015…not only the biggest, but the best ever.

Dean May Toys Unique!

5600 W. Lovers Lane, #130 Dallas, Texas 75209

We scored record attendance by a long shot, welcomed more new exhibiting vendors than ever, and offered a totally

Cheers,

astratoy.org • August 2015

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Board of Directors Chair Dean May Past Chair Michael Levins Chair-Elect Ann Kienzle

August 2015 • astratoy.org

Treasurer Tim Holliday

Features

18

Directors Todd Andersen Christine Blumberg Thea Brown Dee Farrell John Giacobbe Christine Osborne Gwen Ottenberg Jeff Pinsker Michelle Sahr

MONEY MATTERS 11 12

Secretary Erik Quam

Deadline Looms for Chip Card Shift Want Full Shelves in December?

Order Early, Order Often

TRENDING NOW 14 15

POS Primer New Education Initiative: CertiďŹ ed to Help You Grow

36

TOY STORIES 18 23

Magazine

23

Toy Stores of the Future Truth From the Booth: Three Lessons from Exhibitors

Assistant Editor Tina Manzer Graphic Artist Liz Pieniazek

ASTRA Staff

ASTRA NEWS 26 30 34 36

Editor Mary Sisson

Charlotte 2015: All About the Connections 2015 Best Toys for Kids Neighborhood Toy Store Day Farewell to Captain Kathleen

President Kathleen McHugh Director of Member Relations Sue WarďŹ eld Director, Meetings and Strategic Partnerships Amanda Zawad Director of Education Greg Choyke

Departments 5 7 8

Message from the Chair President’s Report Ready, Set, PLAY ‌ for Children with Disabilities 10 Focus On Member Relations

39 ASTRA Welcomes Its Newest Manufacturer Members 42 New Members 46 Index of Advertisers

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 ZHOFRPH 3OHDVH IRUZDUG OHWWHUV FRPPHQWV LGHDV HWF WR WKH $675$ RIÂżFH Âą ID[ email kmchugh@astratoy.org.

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Meetings and Exhibits Coordinator Laura Dann Marketing and Communications Coordinator Dee Marsden Membership and Programs Coordinator Katie Marso OfďŹ ce Administrator Maggie Bridger The ASTRA Toy Times Magazine is published by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, 432 N Clark St., Suite 305, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-222-0984, fax 312-222-0986, email info@astratoy.org.

Website: www.astratoy.org. Copyright Š 2015 American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. All rights reserved.

Advertisements are accepted. For more information, contact Rick Kauder, Fahy-Williams Publishing, 800-344-0559; email rkauder@fwpi.com.

All articles for the ASTRA Toy Times Magazine are supplied by ASTRA and its members, with Fahy-Williams assembling and editing the newsletter, 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.

PRESIDENT’S Report

A Time for

by Kathleen McHugh

Saying Goodbye

Effective October 6, 2015, I am resigning my position as President of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) to pursue new opportunities and experiences.

It is bittersweet to be moving on at a time when ASTRA is stronger, more financially stable, and more of a force in the toy industry than it has ever been. It will be difficult to leave an organization with such an important mission and so full of many valued friends, colleagues, and mentors.

However, ASTRA is well positioned to continue growing and to bring to fruition the business-strengthening programs we have worked together to create. I see my departure as a leave-at-the-top-of-your game proposition, and I’d like to thank all of you who supported me with your wise counsel, your fresh ideas, and your unwavering commitment to ASTRA’s work.

For over 15 years, ASTRA has provided me the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. It presented me daily with new and significant challenges that made my career interesting and helped me be successful. Working with you, our members, and supporting your entrepreneurship dreams with effective ASTRA programs has been my joy. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I have had to contribute to the success of the organization as well as to the sustainability of the industry.

I am proud to have contributed to the creation of ASTRA’s annual trade show and have been amazed at its growth in size and importance to the industry. It is now the largest specialty toy trade show in the industry. This year was the BIGGEST Marketplace in our history with nearly 1,000 retailers in attendance and 391 booths in the exhibit hall.

I am thrilled at the growth of our membership from just under 400 people in 1999 to more than 1,600 this year. ASTRA’s programs have expanded in size and scope to include a library of quality books, Neighborhood Toy Store Day and a respected award program, to name just a few of the programs.

My greatest satisfaction is that ASTRA is now the most important association in the specialty toy space. It has gained a reputation for quality, caring and community. It is a legacy that I am proud to leave behind.

I trust you know this was a difficult decision for me but I feel strongly that personal growth comes from taking chances and trying new things. It’s time for me to try something new and explore what makes me happy.

Thank you for all your support over the years as we tried new things together. You and my time at ASTRA will always have a special place in my heart. I wish you much success in the future.

My warmest regards,

Kathleen astratoy.org • August 2015

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READY,forSET, PLAY...

Children With Disabilities

A New Guide to

Make Way for Play

by Ahren Hoffman, Manager of Industry Relations & Partnerships, National Lekotek Center, ahoffman@lekotek.org

A

STRA’s Marketplace & Academy once again proved the value of attending the year’s biggest gathering of the specialty toy industry. This year, Lekotek had the pleasure of collaborating with ASTRA on a guide for retailers, “Make Way for Play: Brilliant Benefits of Toys.”

Toys are the tools that encourage stages of development and this guide shares insight into the emerging skills that kids of all abilities gain from play.

For those of you who attended ASTRA, you may have received and perused the guide. “Make Way for Play: Brilliant Benefits of Toys” tackles the task of explaining how toys are the teachers that can drive child development for children of all abilities. ASTRA and Lekotek are encouraging retailers to request their 50 free copies to share with shoppers and staff members! Order your copies via the “Resource” section at academy.astratoy.org.

What’s in the Guide?

The content of the guide can be broken down into two sections: areas of child development and the primary play benefits found in a store’s toy categories.

The first section explores the five main areas of child development: physical, sensory, communicative, cognitive and social/emotional. These critical milestone classifications are then connected with general toys found in specialty toy stores. Each category is defined and explains how toys facilitate growth, and also introduces what we consider to be integral information for early childhood and continued development.

The section focusing on toy categories of a store spotlights the developmental

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skills toys and play can target. Within each of the eight categories (games, puzzles, science/discovery, arts/crafts/music, outdoor/active, construction, pretend play, and books), we highlight the top three developmental areas the toys target, and explain the skills and emerging milestones these play products can advance.

This guide was designed as a tool for both sides of the counter, as a purchasing guide for customers and as a source of education on the merits of each toy category for staff. Understanding the hidden curricula of play helps match children with toys or games that will please their preferences and personalities.

Going Beyond the Guide The goal of the guide is to have the learning expand exponentially! “Make Way for Play” can serve audiences across the board, from manufacturers to retailers, and from sales reps to consumers. This tool reveals, verifies and publicizes what you already know – that play helps children grow, develop, learn and thrive – and gives you a means to share that message with the rest of the world as a play advocate.

With that at heart, ASTRA and Lekotek partnered earlier this year to produce a series of webinars called Child Development 101. These educational sessions further explain the five areas of child development and how physical, sensory, communicative, cognitive and social/emotional growth advance milestones through play. Each webinar dives deeper into a corresponding developmental area, explaining key concepts as well as providing supplemental information for further exploration. To

access the webinars and supplemental materials check out the “For Members” section under “Business Resources” in the “Resource Library” section at astratoy.org, then go to “Webinars.”

Lekotek welcomes any questions from retailers and manufacturers who would like more information on toys and skill development for children of all abilities.

Lekotek is a not-for-profit and leading authority on toys and play for children with disabilities. Lekotek is dedicated to providing children of all abilities access to the benefits of play experiences. Visit www.ableplay.org for a complete listing of toys and find us on Facebook!

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FOCUS On Member Relations

The Many Points of

ASTRA Connection

by Sue Warfield, Director of Member Relations, ASTRA

“Communication must be HOT. That’s Honest, Open, and Two-way.” — Dan Oswald

A

STRA has always been about connections, communication and community. As an organization, we work diligently to impart information on trends and current topics of interest as well as providing opportunities for all to share their own experiences.

In the opening session at Marketplace & Academy this year, keynote speaker Sarah Michel helped to facilitate a great “networthing” session in which our members were able to share their concerns and offer up some solutions to the very issues that were addressed as “the things that keep us up at night.” It was evident in observing the many groups and their discussions that we love to share and learn from one another.

As I continue in my position as director of member relations, my enthusiasm continues to grow as I talk with so many of our members, both new and seasoned members alike. We are a strong, energetic, creative and entrepreneurial group. Though we are at times fiercely independent, I see us opening up more and more to the understanding that we must also be dependent on one another to grow and succeed.

While I worked in our ASTRA Connection Center over the two days of Marketplace, many of you shared with me your thoughts and ideas, and gave me terrific feedback on how we share information and communicate. Bottom line, one single format is not enough. We all have different ways in which we seek out and absorb information, as well as means in which we prefer to provide input. ASTRA has always had many forms of communicating with our members and we are continuing to try new methods and refine existing ones.

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As the Dan Oswald quote notes, communication must be honest, open and two-way. The more members we hear from, the greater we can provide the best experience for all. With this in mind, let me recap the basic forms of communication we are using and how each one can be a tremendous resource for knowledge, as well as a format for your input.

1. The ASTRA Toy Times Magazine We often get the comment that this is one of our best benefits of membership. The content for each issue is often determined by the questions we see on our discussion boards, questions that come in to our office and current programs we are rolling out or that are seasonally current.

2. E-Bulletins Since these come out weekly, they offer the most current information on upcoming events, webinars, new members, and things in the news that directly affect the toy business. We are working to make these more concise with links to click for additional information.

3. Surveys These are a quick way for us to get input from you as we refine programs, determine what our members want and need, and get input on how we can improve. We purposely make them easy to complete and this is where your participation is absolutely vital to us. If you wonder what we base some of our decisions on regarding programs and offerings, it’s member survey results! We are here to serve our membership, but to do so, we need to

know what’s most important to you.

Please take the time to answer our surveys and your voice truly will be heard.

4. Discussion Boards Yes, these require you to log in to our website to post or respond to comments already posted, but this is a great platform in which to ask questions, post comments and engage with our ASTRA community.

The technology committee is working closely with our staff and IT professionals who run our website to improve these boards and make them more updated and easier to access. In the meantime, they still provide a great venue for sharing and learning from members, so join in!

5. ASTRA Blog This one is NEW! For those who like to learn even more, contribute more, or just see what others are talking about, we now have an ASTRA Blog. Check it out at blog.astratoy.org.

6. Want to simply talk to someone directly? No mouse clicks, Internet connection or typing required?

Give us a call. I love getting calls and sometimes, a direct conversation is the best way to get answers or provide input.

Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone!

All things are possible if we can work together, but working together requires participation. It is the participation of our members that has helped us become the great organization we are today. Get involved, chime in, tell us what you think, share your ideas, pay attention to what comes your way – connect. ASTRA is a ASTRA community. Join in!

MONEY Matters

Deadline Looms for Chip Card Shift

This article was provided by TSYS Merchant Solutions, an ASTRA affiliate.

E

MV or chip cards are making their debut in the United States. A chip card is a standard credit or debit card with a mini-computer or microprocessor embedded on the chip.

EMV/chip cards have been in use all over the globe for several years and have helped reduce card–present fraud.

Liability Shift Effective October 1, 2015, if a chip card is presented and a business is unable to read it as a chip card, and the transaction is later deemed fraudulent, the business will be out the cost of goods/services sold and will be required to reimburse the issuer of the card.

Why the Shift to Chip Cards?

• Chip cards help reduce card-present, counterfeit fraud by authenticating each transaction.

• Chip cards require cardholder verification through a PIN or signature, which reduces fraud through lost or stolen cards.

• Each transaction is dynamically authenticated when an EMV-capable credit card machine and a chip card are used to make a card-present payment.

• The chip secures data more effectively than a magnetic stripe.

credit card machine to be read. Some businesses may have already made this shift to accept Apple Pay or contactless payment methods.

Card companies offer several options 1. Rotating the credit card machine between the customer and the clerk.

2. Attaching a PIN pad to the credit card machine to place on the counter for customer use.

3. Support for Visa and MasterCard.

The security features in EMV/chip cards are designed to reduce lost or stolen and counterfeit fraud. To learn more about credit card machines and point-of-sale options to accept chip cards, contact TSYS Merchant Solutions or your merchant services provider. ASTRA

Dual Verification In EMV transactions, unlike traditional magnetic stripe read transactions, the credit card machine and chip-enabled card work together to validate the card and cardholder, sometimes referred to as dual verification.

The credit card machine validates or authenticates the card with dynamic information in the chip. While the card is still in the credit card machine, the cardholder validates with either a PIN or a signature that they are the cardholder.

Point-of-Sale Prompts for EMV When using an EMV-enabled credit card machine, the machine will prompt both you and the cardholder to insert the chip card if you attempt to swipe it. This protects your business from potential fraud. The credit card machine will also prompt the cardholder to either enter their PIN or sign for the transaction.

Updating Your Point-of-Sale (POS) The checkout or POS for most small businesses will need to be updated for chip card acceptance. Credit card machines or readers may need to be updated to accept chip cards, as the transaction involves interaction between the credit card machine, the chip card, cardholder and business.

Cardholders will need access to insert their card into the astratoy.org • August 2015

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MONEY Matters

Want Full Shelves in December?

Order Early, Order Often

by Mary Sisson, editor

W

hen is the optimal time to submit your orders for fourth quarter?

Oops! You missed it.

Unless you are an extremely well-organized retailer who knows your customers well enough to see into their future wants and needs and place orders in July, you’ve passed the deadline when most manufacturers need to have their holiday orders to the factories.

“It’s going to sound early, but July is the optimal time (for orders) because that gives manufacturers time to react,” said Lea Culliton, president of HABA USA. Mark Slusarz, vice president of sales for Schylling, agrees. “Most of our buying is done right after ASTRA,” he said. “We really like ASTRA because it gives us our final read.”

Schylling’s warehouse is completely maxed out and full around September 1, he said.

If all goes well, it can take about four months to get a product to market. “Once it gets past July, it gets really hard to get it in,” Slusarz said.

The exception is American-made toys.

“We’re still processing orders through Christmas,” said Kerri Orders, marketing director for Uncle Goose, which manufactures wooden blocks in Michigan. Reorders can be made all into fourth quarter, and if the item is out of stock, Uncle Goose can turn it around within a week or two.

For the 90 percent of toys that are made in China, here’s how it works.

The manufacturer places a product order, decides quantities, and reviews the order with the factory. The factory evaluates the order, comes back with a price, and buys the materials. (Materials, labor and other factors could change that price later.)

Most specialty producers don’t own their own factories, Culliton said. “You are one of many customers buying from that supplier. You have to get in a queue

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to get your toys made and your toys tested. If you’re a legitimate supplier, you test everything.”

Once production begins, it may take three weeks to produce the item. It’s freighted across the Pacific, which takes a month or more. Once it arrives, it has to be received and put on the floor racks before the warehouse crew can start picking and packing orders.

“Whether it’s a new item or continuing, once it gets past July, it gets really hard to get it in” before the holidays, Slusarz said.

Shipping to the West Coast can cut time, but unless it’s staying on the West Coast, trucking can add a pile of handling fees.

“We don’t want to have that happen twice,” commented Jeff Pinsker of Pressman.

The time involved in producing one of his games depends on the complexity of the game. The Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site game takes about 40 days, while another one such as Pop! the Panda might take 75.

“We have 175 items in our line. We can’t bring everything in in July and August. We don’t have the cash flow.”

Haba’s German-made toys need two weeks on the water to arrive in New York.

“Add time for customs,” Culliton said.

And then there are complications such as having enough product to fill a container when there are no containers to be found.

“Imagine ordering a UPS pickup and there are no trucks available,” Culliton said.

How do manufacturers predict quantities?

“The majority of things, we can pretty much gauge what we want to come in,” Slusarz said. “The highest risk is going to be new items because we don’t know.”

“You hedge your bets,” Culliton commented. “Say you’re going to sell 4,000 pieces, then you get orders for 5,000.

Manufacturers that run into problems bring in 20,000 pieces and have to sell to Zulilly, and their cash is tied up.”

Orders notes that manufacturing on one site is an advantage with the “particular nature of retail and the consumer.

You don’t know what’s going to be really popular.” Uncle Goose is able to be flexible. “We can produce on a weekend, if we have to,” she said. “It’s been done before.”

Retailers are on the front lines in spotting trends. “When we see some consistency in early orders, we can project,” Slusarz said.

“When you start to experience sell-through better than anticipated, let the rep know.

We’re both at the mercy of consumers.”

So how can retailers order to be sure their shelves are full in December?

“Ideally, do all your ordering at ASTRA,” Culliton suggested. Place three purchase orders, one for September 1, one for October 1, and a third for December 1.

“Any of those POs are cancelable. But it gives us that visibility.”

“If retailers aren’t placing orders until October or November, we have to guess,” Pinsker said. But, he added, he’ll take orders until December 20.

ASTRA

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TRENDING Now

POS Primer

by Dee Farrell

I

n this issue, the ASTRA technology committee discusses Point of Sale (POS) systems. A POS system helps you to track sales, customers, inventory, purchase orders and more. POS systems simplify (and speed up) the inventory receipt process and the customer checkout process. At a basic level, the item purchased, the price, the customer who purchased it and even how they paid are all saved in the system.

How can this help your business?

A POS automatically keeps track of customer purchases.

Over time you’ll collect a sizable amount of data about your customers, both individually and as a whole. You’ll be able spot trends, find buying patterns and focus your inventory purchases to bring in the items your customers actually want to buy.

You can even use the POS data to create personalized programs for your customers.

What a great way to build loyalty!

Stock levels are updated in the POS at every transaction. You’ll always have an up-to-the-minute understanding about which items are just sitting on a shelf and which ones you need to reorder – even before that shelf is empty. Over time, if you monitor what items are selling, when they are selling, and who is buying them, you can develop a more accurate sales and purchasing forecast. And of course, you might even decide to run a sale to clear out the slower moving items.

How does the technology work?

All of the information about each inventory item is set up in the POS before being put on the floor. This includes the most basic attributes, like price and cost, as well as other variables that you can selectively choose to track like brand, product category, color, etc. All of these pieces of information are tied together with an item’s Universal Product Code or UPC (also known as a barcode).

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Typically a wand or scanner reads the UPC at each checkout transaction and retrieves all of the prestored product information. When the transaction is complete, all details are recorded for each sale.

A similar type of information can also be stored for customers: name, email and other relevant data you want to track. Customer setup is typically one-time, perhaps tied to a phone number or other unique code.

Once product and customer data is stored, built-in reports provide summary information. Sales by item, sales by location, and sales by customer are some of the most basic reports you can expect.

A retailer’s perspective We interviewed Kay Hatch from Imaginuity Enterprises LLC. Kay and her daughter Jessica run two beautiful and successful stores in Rhinelander and Minocqua, Wisconsin. When Kay purchased the first store, the previous owner had not been using a POS system. Here’s what she told us.

“Converting to a POS system can seem overwhelming, but if you break it down into small pieces of information, which is what a database really is, the benefits far exceed the effort. When implementing a POS conversion, it’s important to know the areas you want to streamline. For me, with two store locations, I focused on inventory management – specifically more effective purchasing, and also tracking of product transfers between stores. I also wanted to use the POS system to increase sales and labor efficiency.

“Implementing the Multiflex Retail Management Software Solution (RMS) has delivered on all counts. My gross sales and profitability have increased, despite lowering my markup on certain product lines.

Basically, I’m purchasing proportionately less, and selling more, with less staff.

“I use performance reports as a guide for vendor orders. RMS Reorder Management allows for efficient and effective purchasing decisions, and facilitates stock transfers from one location to another. I can analyze sales history down to the hour, which helps determine required staffing levels. This is especially important during our peak season.

“Thanks to the efficiencies afforded

by RMS, I have fewer people on staff and I can pay higher wages. My staff can focus primarily on sales and customer service, which translates to less turnover and higher sales. Gone are the days of walking around with a clipboard doing physical inventories. An additional bonus of implementing the POS is we have fewer pricing and register errors.”

Wow! Kay’s experience absolutely confirms how a POS can be one of the most powerful technology tools you can implement to improve your business!

You’ll not only learn more about your customers and streamline processes, but sell more, with less staff at a higher profit.

To learn more As part of the new ASTRA Academy: Technology Track there is an online course available within the Certified Master Retailer program covering the details of POS System.

The course is one hour and 16 minutes in length, and covers in detail the features and functionality of a POS system using QuickBooks POS as the model. Visit academy.astratoy.org to learn more. ASTRA

New Education Initiative:

Certified to Help You Grow

I

f teachers and principals can earn their credentials online, certainly people in the toy industry can do the same.

The first to roll out is the ASTRA Certified Master Retailer, launched June 8 during the business meeting in Charlotte. It covers business and finance, merchandising, marketing, personnel management and coaching, customer service and vendor relations, technology, and children and play.

“The response at Marketplace was overwhelmingly positive,” said Greg Choyke, ASTRA’s director of education. “Many retailers I spoke to either registered onsite or plan to register when they return home. A great many people I spoke with were also excited about the prospect of a ‘play certification.’ and told me they would register the minute it was available.”

Why pay $149 ($699 for non-members) and spend the time studying and testing for a piece of paper that proclaims you’re a Master Retailer?

Simply put, it’s to build a better business.

“It adds a professional level of training to both newcomers to the industry and those who have been around for awhile,” said Jonny Girson, owner of The Learning Tree in Prairie Village and Leawood, Kansas, who served on the committee that shaped the program. “The certification also connotes a level of expertise that can be promoted to the general public. When customers come into our stores we can show them that we are truly qualified experts in the field of toys and play.”

A Certified Play Expert track is due at the end of summer, followed by Certified Toy Sales Representative by the end of the year and then Certified Manufacturer.

Already, Webinar Wednesdays have covered topics from

generating word-of-mouth to creating a service culture to the top tech tools to maximize ASTRA’s Marketplace. Some aim at one segment of the membership, while others are appropriate for all.

Members who miss the live webinars can catch them on demand on the ASTRA website under the Academy tab. The schedule of upcoming webinars is there, too, and announced on weekly ASTRA e-Bulletins.

Recorded Academy sessions from this year’s convention are available on the website for those who missed them or want a refresher.

A new publication, “Make Way for Play: Brilliant Benefits of Toys,” is free to ASTRA members. The booklet, written in conjunction with Lekotek, can be used to train staff on the important role toys play in child development, and also to give to customers as a guide to children, play and developmental stages. (See more on page 8.)

Volunteer committees Choyke, who joined the ASTRA staff in January, worked closely with a volunteer committee to create the Certified Master Retailer program. A new committee is picking up from there to develop the other certifications.

“As a group of independent small business owners, we all have different strengths and weaknesses,” commented Dee Farrell, who’s been with Neat Oh! International LLC for 10 years. “Sometimes it’s hard to find others in like situations who we can ask questions and learn from. ASTRA’s plan to bring subject matter experts in to share their knowledge is a great way to continue to grow and get input.

“A fantastic side benefit I expect to see is the sharing that will go on among those who take the training. ASTRA is setting the stage for us to keep on learning — from experts and from astratoy.org • August 2015

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TRENDING Now each other.”

Elizabeth Royall, director of operations and head buyer for Wonder Works, with four locations in Charleston, South Carolina, sees the benefit for staff.

“By being able to have your entire staff (from the owners to the sales clerks) take some of the courses or go through the entire program, they are sure to feel more ownership in your business, which in return will increase your bottom line.

What is learned through this program will keep more retailers in business and making a profit. That alone will reflect on the toy industry, as sales will be higher in toy stores, so purchases from vendors and reps will increase. This program has the potential to create a positive domino effect

within the toy industry!”

Michelle Sahr, owner of Off the Wagon in Kent, Ohio, also served on the committee. “Lack of knowledge is the largest barrier to success,” she said.

“I believe this program will both help improve existing retailers’ knowledge base (and thus success) and will give start-up toy shops the ability to create a successful business.”

Tim Holliday, 14-year owner of Children’s World Uniform Supply in Sarasota, Florida, doesn’t just believe so, he knows so from experience. “I think it can be a game changer for our industry,” he said. “Why do I say that? In another industry that my business is involved in, several years ago they put together

a similar program. I went through that, became certified, and have seen firsthand what that can do for you. It can be a great publicity item. It can differentiate you from your competitors. It can show you as a professional in your field.”

Others on the committee were Cynthia Compton, 4 Kids Books and Toys in Zionsville, Indiana; Betsy Ordemann, The Magic Box in New Orleans; Debbie Scholl, FUNdamentally Toys! in Houston; Michelle Smith, Piccolo Mondo Toys in Portland, Oregon; Claudia Towles, aMuse Toys in Baltimore; Margaret Warner, The Toy Store in Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas; and Phil Wrzesinski, Toy House and Baby Too in Jackson, Michigan.

ASTRA

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www.blueorangegames.com 415.252.0372

16 August 2015 • astratoy.org

TOY Stories

Toy Stores of the Future

by Mary Sisson, editor

J

ust what is the toy store of the future?

The words may conjure images of the Jetsons in their flying car, pushing buttons to have futuristic toys delivered by robotic arm. (Millennials may need to ask their elders about the cultural reference.)

But the toy store of the future is wrapped up in the issue of the future of toy stores, and that’s one that’s front and center on the collective ASTRA mind.

How do stores compete with the Internet? Or how do they use the Internet to fill a niche that’s too broad to support one store in one town? How do they draw in new generations of customers?

What experience do they offer to make customers choose to spend not only their money, but their time, with an independent toy store? How do they make themselves memorable?

Here we feature four ASTRA retailers, each with a different approach. At their heart is the spirit of entrepreneurship that makes each store an extension of the ideas, values and personalities of the people who created it.

Overseen by a Meme: Coffee, Toys and Variety Shows K.C. Bonker. He’s a meme. He’s a mystery. And whoever he is, he’s been attracting a lot of attention in Hancock, a small town on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

While K.C. Bonker’s Toys & Coffee just opened, K.C. has been sticking out nine feet from the front of the newly renovated historic building for a few months, pinwheel twirling on his black silhouette. He’s the provoker of curiosity about the new business, which pairs a coffee shop with a toy store in two connected storefronts.

“We’re hoping to create an alternate universe of sorts,” said Clay Hilman, who opened the store with his wife, Adrienne, and business partners Justin and Kelsey Carriere, who live nine

18 August 2015 • astratoy.org

K.C. Bonker’s combines a toy store and a coffee shop, where live entertainment is part of the business plan.

hours away in Minnesota. With the gentlemanly but childlike K.C. as the focal point, they can create a whole imaginary community of characters who live up to his last name of Bonker.

Not wanting the espresso cafe to feel like a preschool, K.C.’s humans used darker shades of wood and brown tones throughout the cafe and toy store. Even their Facebook page is all black and white.

The coffee bar wraps through both sides of the shop, and a wooden tree, pirate ship and circling train set lend fun to the toy side. All the cafe’s tabletops double as checkerboards, and the art on the walls is made of toys, such as cityscapes of dominoes and mounted stuffed animal heads.

Those heads will be spectators to a variety show four times a year on the coffee shop stage. The Hilmans and Carrieres did a test run in a neighboring town last

year with four shows of live music, poetry, homegrown videos, children’s stories set to music and more. The shows developed a following, including folks from Hancock.

Kids’ workshops at the store are expected to tap more talent for the variety shows, with shadow puppets, yo-yoing, juggling, and stop-motion videos in the plans. The Hilmans’ own kids, Irene, 12, and Oliver, 10, are already in the act.

“We have the luxury of being in a small pond,” Clay said. “Not a lot of people are doing things out of the box.”

Having moved from Oregon several years ago, he said they’re bringing a bit of Portland culture to the Upper Peninsula. “In Portland it’s so easy to find something weird.”

Clay Hilman’s background as a youth pastor helps, he said. “I preached in a lot of congregations around here in seminary,

T mysterious K.C. The B Bonker’s likeness g graces the piano in th combination toy the s store/coffee shop.

and I left the ministry on a high note. We have a solid customer base.”

They’re using Shopify as their point-of-sale. Originally only for web stores, Shopify has introduced an option to sell both online and in brick-andmortar stores. When they’re ready, K.C. Bonker can launch a web store with the click of a button, because everything is already inputted.

This isn’t the first common project for the four business partners. “It helps that we all get along,” Adrienne said. “We’ve worked on so many things together, and we come from a common place of grace.”

Kelsey Carriere is the business brain, while Clay Hilman is the main buyer to fill the 1,000-square-foot toy side with toys not available at their big box competition.

K.C. Bonker’s top hat will hang on a hook outside the office door – unless he’s off on an adventure, which will coincide with the store’s buying trips.

His mystique is at the heart of everything that happens there. Just who is this curious character? “If Mary Poppins and Willy Wonka got together and had a kid,” explained Adrienne, “he would be it.”

Just ask the families who waited for him to open for business in Hancock, Michigan.

have four different black dolls including a baby safe and a black boy doll?” asks Peter Laudin.

“We have over 75 black dolls, and another 50 or so that are ‘biracial.’”

And so Peter, with his wife Addie and their staff, have found their niche in the toy world: selling a diversity of dolls 100 percent online.

The Pattycake Doll Company, located in a small town in northern New York, helps customers find dolls that look just like their children, no matter the ethnicity.

Expanding their shopping community to anywhere people are online allows them to stock a range of dolls not practical in most brick-and-mortar stores.

“We have about 2,000 square feet

of space, and we worry about turns and profits and every other aspect of the toy business,” Peter said. “We blog and we have social media, and we have to think about traffic and advertising, and returns policies and good reps and bad reps and everything else that toy stores worry about. We sell to schools and day care centers. Our profits all come at the end of the year, so in many ways, we are a typical ASTRA member.”

While never envisioned as anything but an online store, Pattycake didn’t start out as a doll store. The Laudins were experimenting with a different product: adoption announcements and baby baskets for adopted children. They didn’t sell a single basket, so they decided to sell off the inventory and close their store.

To their surprise, the black rag dolls and Asian baby dolls sold, and they learned from their customers how hard it is to find black, Hispanic and Asian dolls.

“We were excited by the potential numbers – millions of people on the Internet,” Peter said. “It took us two years to evolve into our specialty doll store from there.”

They spend the majority of their marketing time and dollars on search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising

Filling a Need Online “Imagine a black mother walks into your store with three daughters aged 1, 3 and 5, as well as a 2-year-old nephew. She wants to buy each of them a doll. Do you

One day’s USPS shipments await pickup at the Pattycake Doll Company, which found a niche 100 percent online. astratoy.org • August 2015

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and their social media presence. It’s the search engines that draw people to their store. “We have designed our store to be as relevant as we can be to the incredibly complicated algorithms of the search engines,” Peter said.

“We are using the Internet’s ‘long tail’ business model to meet the needs of customers that the brick-and-mortar business model can’t support,” he said.

“But we don’t believe that we are the toy store of the future. We are just one of the ways that consumers can buy toys now and in the future.”

The Future Has Arrived in Rural Pennsylvania Imagine driving on a country road in Pennsylvania when you spot a giant B-2 Stealth bomber. The sign out front says “Playthings Etc.” The building is the embodiment of the term “toy store of the future.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” said Allen DiFrischia, who owns Playthings Etc., a family venture, with his in-laws. The closest main street is 8 miles away and the closest mall is 6 miles; Pittsburgh is an hour from there. “We had to really be a destination, an actual landmark,” he said.

The store was the dream of his fatherin-law, Todd Shingleton, whose field is safety and environmental regulations, not toys.

He first thought of building a Wild West city, with Main Street disappearing into the distance. Playing with the idea one evening, he threw down scraps of cardboard. The next morning it looked like a spaceship.

From that pile of scraps grew the design for a 5,500-square-foot store shaped like a Stealth bomber. The front door is the back of the ship; the nose of the building holds a play area where kids try out the toys. The building is angled to make it look as if the plane is taking off.

The ceiling rises from the front of the building, with vaulted walls leaning in.

It poses some merchandising challenges.

“We’ve adapted and made it work,” DiFrischia said. While inside it’s a lot more traditional than you’d expect it to be, “the shape of the building confuses people. It adds to the fun of it.”

Shingleton spent all his savings on

20 August 2015 • astratoy.org

Top: Enter if you dare to the toy store of the future, Playthings Etc. in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Bottom: Imagine driving on a rural Pennsylvania road and seeing this structure. The building is Playthings Etc., the neighborhood toy store.

the building, constructed by local, family-business contractors. From the concrete foundation to the 5 by 40-foot aluminum sheets welded to the frame, and to the special drywall tool that created meteors on the ceiling, the store gave builders a lot of new challenges to play with. For instance, the one-of-a-kind, energy efficient lighting can be controlled from one command center at the “bridge” of the ship.

Most of the fixtures, at least to start, were bought used from stores going out of business. Some had to be cut to fit, since retail fixtures are meant to fit in a rectangle. Over the years, some have been custom-built for style. “They add to the flavor of the store,” DiFrischia said. “It’s

always evolving.”

Playthings Etc. will celebrate 10 years in October. DiFrischia said 200709, during the recession, were some of the best years. “Most people spent money on their kids. They want to provide that childhood wonder.”

The store hosts lots of field trips, and not just for school kids. The Red Hat Society, senior citizen groups and others have as much fun. The staff members – they’re called “crew” – also give science demonstrations at local schools.

As for the toy store of the future, DiFrischia sees ASTRA stores with “flyby-wire ingenuity” as nimble enough to meet the challenges of fast-changing retail.

“Why are we even still here? Online stores do well at pricing; they even have videos that explain the toys.

“People are wanting a lot more for the same dollar. As shopping habits change, we continue to create value in people’s lives.

Families come in to spend time together.”

Upcoming Store Invites Play in the Big City Melanie Clark wants to give shoppers an experience they’ll never find on Amazon or in big box stores. Her city will not only be walkable, but also climbable, jumpable and definitely playable.

Clark aims to open Big City Toys in Mobile, Alabama, in October. As her community becomes more of a walking neighborhood, with the shop-local phenomenon catching on, she sees it as the perfect place for a neighborhood toy store.

22 August 2015 • astratoy.org

And not just a store with toys on gondolas or hanging on slatwall. Big City Toys will be filled with little storefronts – a series of modular play houses tall enough for adults to walk in and shop in peace while kids are busy playing in and around them.

Each play house will have a different theme: a pet store for plush and animal toys, a scientific observatory for science kits, an art store for arts and crafts, a clothing store for dress-up, a book nook fashioned like an outdoor reading area, and more. A hidden door will lead to an event room.

She got the inspiration from a couple of European stores, and found an architect, Robert McCown, to take her vision from ideas to plans. The modern look, with exposed rafters, ductwork and an overall industrial flavor, will reflect the “Big City” name. (The name came from a mentor in Clark’s field of radiology, who used to

wryly comment, “That’s life in the big city!”) Clark aims for life in her Big City Toys to be happy and fun.

As a radiologist married to a neurosurgeon, Clark said they’ve lived “serious lives. I just needed a change.”

She asked her 4-year-old daughter, “I know you like that mommy’s a doctor. What if I owned my own toy store?” The reaction was all the affirmation she needed to decide to bring magic to Mobile’s families.

When her kids started getting invited to birthday parties, she saw the Amazon boxes piling up and realized that it was “incredibly wasteful.” With only Walmart, Target and Toys“R”Us as options, she wanted to give her community a different experience and access to different kinds of toys.

“I might be crazy, but I keep telling people if I’m going to go down, I’m going to go down playing!”

ASTRA

TOY Stories

Truth from the Booth

Three Lessons for Exhibitors

by Julie Kerwin, Chief Elemental Officer, IAmElemental

O

ur company, IAmElemental, created the first female action figures designed specifically for girls – and this year was our debut at industry conferences and events. This February, we were a first-time exhibitor at Toy Fair in New York City. In June, we had a booth at ASTRA Marketplace in Charlotte, North Carolina. And we are thrilled to be exhibiting at New York ComicCon in October. Though the events are obviously different in many ways, we have already learned three rules that apply no matter where you unfurl your exhibitor’s booth.

One: Everyone Gets VIP Treatment As our first event in February approached, people kept asking me about my Toy Fair goals. I was so new to the game that I didn’t know what an appropriate objective might be. As a result, I set a goal I was comfortable with. Call me naïve, but I told the IAmElemental team that I wanted every single person who came by the booth to leave in a good mood and impressed with what they’d seen. As non-strategic as this agenda might appear, it ended up being the single best objective I could have possibly set.

As a new company at our first Toy Fair, it was impossible for us to know who all the players were. People would arrive at our booth and we wouldn’t know whether they were reporters, Kickstarter backers, potential retailers, company presidents, or just at the fair for the free Minion balloon. It didn’t matter. By greeting every single guest with energy and enthusiasm, we created a positive first impression. We could then respond to each individual guest appropriately, because we’d already made them feel welcome and wanted.

The added benefit? Many of these initial conversations continued long after Toy Fair was over. I recently shared a great update email with a reporter we met at Toy Fair. We had a big reorder from a retailer we first picked up at Toy Fair at our ASTRA booth. And I will be sitting on a panel next month at the invitation of one company I met back in February. Also at the table? Another business owner I met at Toy Fair. Despite reports to the contrary, earnestness, sincerity and kindness will never go out of fashion.

offered up by a consumer, retailer or fellow business owner, providing new perspective and advice – for free! That doesn’t mean that you have to take every bit of advice that comes your way. But, if you start conversations, patterns begin to emerge, the occasional flash of brilliance is revealed, and you just might find yourself with an opportunity to make small improvements to your business, product or packaging that can have long-lasting, positive results.

For example, at Toy Fair we were very excited to introduce our newest action figure: our 6.5-inch Courage Core Power Figure. She is fierce and fabulous, with over 30 points of articulation and a forward-thinking design and engineering. And I was madly in love with the modern tube packaging I’d created for her. However, as nice as the packaging was, it was flawed – and our booth visitors let me know it. The tube was cardboard, so it didn’t show the figure off. And, unbeknownst to me, tubes aren’t always popular with retailers. They take up too much shelf space and they don’t have hang tags. The feedback forced me to go back to the drawing board and redesign the packaging to satisfy both the consumers and our potential retail partners. And, you know what? I like it even better now.

Two: Ask For Feedback

Three: Make Friends in the Neighborhood

While people may visit your booth to learn about your product, it is equally important that you let them educate you as well. Feedback is not criticism. Rather, it is an educated opinion

Notwithstanding the fact that ASTRA was only our second time out on the toy-event circuit, it felt like a reunion because we saw so many old friends: exhibitors we’d met back in New York astratoy.org • August 2015

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in February. Between the old friends and the new ones we made in Charlotte, we were able to pick up an incredible amount of helpful information and advice from a whole host of experts who, combined, represent decades of experience. Not only that, but I am excited to announce that thanks to dedicated instruction by a fellow exhibitor, I can do around-the-world with a yo-yo again, despite the fact that my previous attempt ended in stitches. Never attempt around-the-world under a lamp.

IAmElemental is a small but mighty startup with just over a year of experience.

Want to know what makes us mighty?

We listen when people with experience talk. We can’t possibly know everything that there is to know about running and growing a business in such a short time.

So, we research like crazy, and we learn at the feet of the business owners who have come before us. Bonding with your

24 August 2015 • astratoy.org

neighbors at a conference is sort of like getting to know the person sitting next to you in a foxhole. We have nowhere else to go, we are all fighting the same battle, and the more experienced soldiers compare war stories to pass the time.

Besides, it’s just plain fun to get to know the people behind the wonderful products that you already know and love, as well as discover exciting new ones. At ASTRA, our young teenage intern was giddy when a true rock star visited our booth: the creator of the Rainbow Loom, who could not have been more gracious and kind.

One day, we will be among the seasoned professionals who have fistfuls of exhibitor lanyards to our credit. But for now, we hope that our experience as newbies can help you approach every show like it’s your first: with open minds, hope and optimism. And snacks.

Julie Kerwin is Chief Elemental Officer at IAmElemental, a privately held toy company creating the firstever action figures for girls. Founded in 2013, the company launched Series 1/Courage via Kickstarter, and was named by TIME Magazine as one of the “25 Best Inventions of 2014” and “Top 10 Toys of 2014.” Learn more at www.iamelemental.com.

Since 1976 An essential ingredient to every toybox, every childhood, every generation.

See a world of puppets at www.folkmanis.com 0r call 1-800-654-8922 for a free catalog.

Visit us at all major gift and toy shows. astratoy.org • August 2015

25

News

Charlotte 2015:

N

All About the Connections

etworking consistently tops the list of what attendees value in ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, so the 2015 convention in Charlotte took networking to a whole new level.

The opening session had attendees split into “neighborhoods” to migrate to discussion

topics, then share their ideas via outcome cards posted for people to peruse. (See below for some of the ideas shared.)

Keynote speaker Sarah Michel orchestrated the controlled chaos with a small army of volunteers. Networking started during two rounds of discussions

on topics raised by ASTRA members in prior surveys, and it continued throughout the convention as people reconnected with others from their groups.

But, Michel emphasized, “networking” wasn’t the goal; it was “networthing,” seeking to share something of value to the

A Sampling of Takeaways From the Opening Session Hot Topics Sales & Marketing Marketing Strategies • Try the same things in different ways. Focus on one item at a time.

Don’t give up if it doesn’t work the first time. Tweak it a bit and retry.

• Create YouTube videos using kids as actors to do “out of the box” videos.

Target Marketing • Target mother/daughter groups.

• Offer afterhours shopping events for VIP customers.

• Get local businesses together to create a “local” welcome basket to newhome buyers in the neighborhood and deliver it.

Low-cost marketing • Give free coloring sheets to local restaurants with store logo and events; labeled crayons and Wikki Stix for family restaurants.

Business Operations Time Management • Use unpaid interns to help with tasks, especially at busier times.

• Delegate, trust and train.

• Schedule specific times off the sales floor to do work.

• Make a monthly worksheet with what is happening and when, what needs to be done in preparation, day of, and follow-up.

26 August 2015 • astratoy.org

Management Strategies • Involve the staff: have them look through catalogs and say what they think looks fun, have times for them to take product out of the box, have company events to build relationships, let them bring fresh ideas and brainstorm in staff meetings.

Hiring • Have a probationary period for owner and employee to evaluate if the job and person are the right match.

• Be creative with interview questions to get a sense of personality fit to the toy environment. Have them find a toy and describe its benefits.

Staff Training • Have a manual, a poster of do’s and don’ts, a checklist for regular tasks, a training checklist, role-play.

• At meetings, have a staff member be in charge of presenting a new toy and its benefits, selling points and more.

Economic and Consumer Trends Webrooming/Showrooming • Interact with customers who seem to be showrooming to talk about what they’re looking for. If they leave, encourage them to come back. Tell them any events you might be having soon.

• Get involved with buy-local campaigns.

• Offer special services.

Fads and their Life Cycles • Look for products that work with a fad but have a longer lifespan, i.e. plush, galactic warrior items versus exactly Star Wars.

Millenials and Gen Y • Customers are already educated about brands, but you should go into the specific products further with their benefits, developmental stages, etc.

• Connect with Millennials, find out why they came in.

Financial Management Budgeting • Have a manual calendar of invoice amounts and when they’re due, as well as writing all expenses on a visual calendar.

• Use your reps. They can find specials available, swap inventory between retailers and provide a report that shows retailers how much vendors shipped versus how much was ordered.

Cash Flow • Use a bookkeeping firm to provide ease and time.

Find more at astramarketplace.org > “Academy” > Opening Keynote Information

Need a Refresh?

other person rather than looking for what that person can do for you.

TeamUp Networking got another jump start in a new program this year — TeamUp, which paired experienced convention goers with first-timers. They were to connect by email and phone before the convention and arrange to get together once in Charlotte.

This gave rookies a friend in a sea of strangers as well as valuable information for navigating the convention.

Advanced Retailer Workshop Ten retailers from all over the country took part in the second annual Advanced Retailer Workshop. They paid extra, arrived a day early and spent Saturday before the convention in a course that goes beyond

normal one-hour Academy sessions. This is the second year the Advanced Retailer Workshop has been offered.

All Academy sessions were recorded this year, so members can listen to ones they missed or take a refresher of sessions they want to repeat. They are available in the Academy section of the ASTRA website.

No Shortage of Networkers

Wrapping It Up

The 2015 convention was the most-attended ever, with 2,310 people total. The combination of member and non-member retailers totaled 458 for the full convention, with 932 from 516 retail stores at the trade show.

The exhibit hall held the biggest Marketplace yet, with 391 exhibitors of carefully curated items specifically for the specialty toy industry. Of those, 26 percent were new. And more companies offered ASTRA-only specials than ever before.

Across the board, from sales reps to exhibitors to affiliates and even children, attendance was the highest ever. Only the media was less represented than in previous years.

Bob Negen, founder of WhizBang!

Training, wrapped it up with some high energy advice. “How do you create magic?” he asked. He outlined how confidence, curiosity, generosity and making your business about the experience can carry a retailer a long way.

“WWMCW — What would my customer want? Make that the burning question in your store,” he said. “People have choices. Make them want you.

“Magic is where we separate ourselves. Magic is unexpected and extra.”

The magic of networking permeated the 2015 ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, enhancing the experience of all who chose to step out and connect.

Lifetime of Service Earns Award for Girson While the Lifetime Achievement Award often goes to someone who’s retired from the toy industry, this year’s went to a retailer very much still involved: Jonny Girson, owner of two toy stores in the Kansas City area.

Girson founded The Learning Tree in Prairie Village, Kansas in the mid-1990s and quickly became an ASTRA volunteer leader, serving on the board from 2000-2004, including a year as president. He headed the search team that hired Kathleen McHugh as executive director.

He was a driving force behind several early ASTRA initiatives that positioned the organization for increased growth and impact – including the transition of ASTRA’s yearly membership meeting into the highly successful annual Marketplace & Academy. Ironically, the idea for the Lifetime Achievement Award was Girson’s.

“He’s the kind of business owner you want in your neighborhood,” said Lillian Davis, one of Girson’s sales reps.

He’s chair of the board of The Good Toy Group and has served on the board of Faber-Castell, his local temple, and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City.

“He’s why we need to buy local,” Davis said.

Girson’s community outreach always benefits children: vans full of toy donations to Operation Breakthrough, offering child care to low-income families; Spofford House, giving therapeutic services to children; and Children’s SPOT, which helps developmentally delayed children.

“On top of all of these activities, he runs two of the most (continued on page 28) astratoy.org • August 2015

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News Lifetime of Service Earns Award for Girson (continued from page 27) fabulous toy stores in Kansas City,” Davis said. His staff appreciates his integrity and commitment to their development through hands-on training in the store as well as monthly staff meetings. He is an avid supporter of the Game Night area reps

host. Jonny started a local flea market seven years ago in his store, allowing kids to sell their gently used toys.

“He’s mentored many, many other store owners and employees,” Davis said. “He’s humble and a class act.”

ASTRA Excellence Award Winners Retailer of the Year: Katherine McHenry, Building Blocks “There are those who wait for opportunity to come, and then there are amazing people who help to create opportunity for others,” said Sari Wize, owner of Baby Paper. Katherine McHenry, owner of Building Blocks toy stores in Chicago, is a “champion for all who come in contact with her. She has drive, determination, and unending energy.”

McHenry said she’s been in retail since she was a 9-year-old with a Tupperware of candy. “I learned about price points, shrinkage, and bad debts,” she said. At 14 she worked at a gift store and learned that she loved to help people.

By 16 she and an uncle had opened a gift shop. “The flavor of entrepreneurship stayed with me.”

At 23, after a stint in the corporate world, opened her first retail store. Wize noted McHenry’s drive, determination, and unending energy, helping promote small businesses everywhere, from her Chicago neighborhoods to small manufacturers.

“She shows all of us that small fish can swim in a big pond,” she said.

“What a community,” McHenry added, looking at the ASTRA audience.

“We are champions for each other.”

Sales Representative of the Year: Sandy Ruben, Sandy Ruben & Associates Perhaps the best testament to Sandy Ruben’s passion for the toy business is his car. The Toyota Road Runner has clocked 500,000 miles.

“His energy level is unmatched.

Sandy puts all his customers first and does not second guess driving from Mississippi to Virginia to see a customer that needs to see him. He deserves to win this award because truly loves the toy industry, his customers and being a sales rep,” said the associates of Sandy Ruben & Associates, who nominated him.

“Sandy lives and breathes not only toys but helping his customers excel and become the best stores they can be.

His customer service is impeccable in the sense that he is always available to answer questions.”

Ruben recounted his early days as a rep, driving town to town selling Mexican Jumping Beans. “I didn’t realize they could actually go bad,” he said. Building his business from there over 16 years, he said, “I learned early on that having fun is good business.”

Manufacturer of the Year: Schylling Schylling excels at customer service and has been a leader in specialty toys for over 30 years, wrote nominator Greg Hardin

of Diverse Marketing.

Hardin shared a bit of Schylling history. Founder Jack Schylling had just completed his Harvard business degree and had a position with Harvard’s fund raising department. Gazing out his office window, evidently not so interested in his job, he saw a street vendor in Harvard Square demonstrating a flying bird. Fascinated, he went down on his lunch break and bought a bird. He loved this toy, and, finding a telex number on the bird, Jack contacted the factory and bought 1,000 birds.

“Don’t you know Jack’s parents were so proud that he had parlayed his Harvard education into becoming a street vendor,” Hardin said with a laugh.

“The year was 1977 and Schylling and Associates was born.”

In 1983 Jack’s brother Dave joined him.

They exhibited at New York’s Toy Fair for the first time in 1984.

“The real success at Schylling over the years has been their people, employees who truly care about the business,” Hardin said.

Mark Sluzar, vice president of sales, echoed that. “I came to Schylling for the toys, but ultimately I stayed for the people. The sense of family extends to reps and customers. When you call Schylling you get a live person on the phone. It’s important that we’re hearing you and we love that feedback.”

And yes, Tim the Bird is still in the line.

ASTRA

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News

2015 Best Toys For Kids B est Toys For Kids finalists were played with, examined and voted on at ASTRA Marketplace, and the winners announced two weeks later. They will be the centerpiece of ASTRA marketing for fourth quarter, with 500 mailers available free to each store, and more available to order through the ASTRA website.

The mailer this year features a new format, an eight-page, 4-1/4 by 5-1/2-inch catalog rather than the 8-1/2 by 11-inch flier.

While any ASTRA member could nominate a toy, retailers had the final say. They were asked to consider first of all the play value of the toys in each category. Except for the classic toys, each had to be new on the market by fall of 2014.

Although winners are usually announced at the closing

ACTIVE PLAY

The Swurfer • The ROB Company

convention session, committee chair Sari Powazek explained, “Quite a few people were concerned that they did not have enough information on the toys that were nominated. Having the samples available at the ASTRA Convention gave retailers the chance to see and play with them. They could vote on them there, or they had the opportunity to think about the toy they liked the best and vote from the comfort of their office.”

The committee is considering adding two new categories for next year. “We appreciate all of the members who took the time to research and nominate product,” commented Powazek. “It is growing every year.”

Here are the winners.

CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY

Modarri Surf & Turf Combo • Modarri/Thoughtfull Toys

CREATIVE ARTS PLAY

EARLY PLAY

Craft-tastic Yarn Tree Kit Ann Williams Group

3D PlushCraft Puppy The Orb Factory

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Rolligo Fat Brain Toy Co.

GAME PLAY 3-5 YEARS Three Little Piggies Smart Toys & Games

GAME PLAY 6+ YEARS Bugs in the Kitchen Ravensburger

Super Genius – First Words Blue Orange Games

GAME PLAY 8+ YEARS Lazer Maze Jr. ThinkFun Bellz Magnetic Game Wiggles 3D

PRETEND Role Play:

Fantasy Play:

Kidoozie Pop-Up Theater Tent International Playthings

Folkmanis’ Winged Dragon Puppet Folkmanis Inc.

Doll Play: Mon Premier Bebe Calin Ballerina Corolle Dolls astratoy.org • August 2015

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2015 Best Toys for Kids

CHOOSE YOUR OWN CATEGORY

CLASSIC PLAY 0-7 YEARS

Mixed by Me Thinking Putty Kit Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty

SCIENTIFIC PLAY

Snap Circuits Arcade Elenco

Pretend and Play Teaching Cash Register Learning Resources

CLASSIC PLAY 8+ YEARS Fashion Plates Deluxe Kit Kahootz

Mini Ogodisk • OgoSport, LLC ASTRA

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News

Neighborhood Toy Store Day 6th Annual is November 14

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ostumed characters, contests, Kendamas, that Claus couple – the ideas for a successful Neighborhood Toy Store Day are endless. The key to success is offering something fun and memorable for the neighborhood, whether that means the area around the store or an entire city and beyond as your market base.

This year, the sixth annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day falls on Saturday, November 14. It’s a great day to highlight Best Toys For Kids and to reach out to your community.

Support from manufacturers has grown

each year, with many offering play-day kits, giveaways and specials. This year, check ASTRA’s “Year-Round Specials” booklet to find manufacturers willing to add to the fun, and watch for more information in the coming weeks on specific NTSD specials and offerings. Retailers and sales representatives will also receive a NTSD packet in the mail with addtional resources to help plan for the big day.

“Having a character has been a big draw,” said Kate Noreen, owner of MudPuddles Toys & Books in Sherwood, Oregon. “We had Skippyjon Jones last

year. We read a story, played a game and gave everyone an opportunity to hug, high five (or for some, run scared with tears streaming) for a photo.”

Her store also has hosted the Makea-Plate craft for the past three years as a drop-in activity. “Our numbers continue to grow. I love the children’s creativity, there are literally no age restrictions, and they are guaranteed a second visit to the store to pick up their plates.”

Debora Smith of Toys That Teach in Richmond, Virginia, has had the Calico Critters mascot and Santa and Mrs. Claus.

In Zionsville, Indiana, Terri Bracken of Earth Explorer Toys does a Rock Zionsville scavenger hunt. Twelve large rocks painted by her staff are scattered around town with clues to each one. The hunt starts at 10 a.m. and lasts until all the rocks are turned in at the store for a prize valued at at least $10.

“We update Facebook and Twitter whenever a rock is turned in at the store,” she said. “It draws a nice crowd.” She learned through experience that doing a hunt for all the rocks doesn’t work as well, since busy families don’t have that much time.

Going for the active, Cynthia Wyatt of Totally Thomas’ Toy Depot brought in a Kendama pro last year.

Whether tapping the community for a magician, puppet show or musician, or just doing simple crafts and games at the store, the day’s success is measured not only by the till at the end of the day, but by the relationships built in this gift of fun for the neighborhood – however big that neighborhood is.

ASTRA

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News

Farewell to

by Mary Sisson, editor

S

he steered the ship through choppy waters. She helped ASTRA weather the storm. She kept the vessel upright.

Ask those who worked most closely with Kathleen McHugh over her 15-year tenure at ASTRA’s helm – the leaders of the board – and the image of a captain keeping the course comes up again and again.

Sometimes it seemed like a battleship, with this band of specialty toy professionals fighting the issues of the day. At other times it was more like a fishing boat as Kathleen and crew sought the bounty of the toy world for members. The captain has led by example and from the forefront – and always in the direction charted by the board of directors.

Setting Sail Jamie Seeley-Kreisman, president of Beka Inc., and Jonny Girson of The Learning Tree were on the search committee when ASTRA decided to hire an executive. “We were paying a management committee headquartered in Des Moines to provide services to trade associations,” Jamie said. “We felt we were outgrowing them a little bit. They were focused more on the status quo than on growth.”

In 2000 the board had signed a contract with Association Management Center of Chicago, which allocated a half-time executive, Kathleen McHugh, to manage ASTRA. She split her ASTRA time with a refrigeration association. “She loved working with toys, loved the whole concept of what we were talking about, all the things that made specialty different from mass,” Jamie said.

“She was thrilled to be assigned to the group and kept on commenting on how much fun it was compared to her other association,” Jonny added. “She was so impressed with how involved we were as a primarily volunteer organization.”

As the workload increased and Kathleen became more involved in the toy business, she was getting less and less support from her company to advance ASTRA, Jonny recalled. “She really was a visionary from the beginning and had great ideas for the organization – but not the tools to implement them … We had grown as an organization and really were an anomaly for AMC – we were really much too fun for them.”

By 2004, the board felt it was time for a full-time executive.

They hired a search company whose job was to produce a group of qualified candidates. With the management firm’s blessing,

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Kathleen was one of them.

“We did not just want to hand the job over to Kathleen. We really wanted to find the best person for the job,” Jonny said. “In the end it was evident that Kathleen was overwhelmingly the best person for the job.”

In July 2004 she became ASTRA’s first employee, tasked with putting together an office and a staff. “It felt like a huge leap of faith, to say ‘Now we’re going to actually run ourselves,’” Jamie said.

For a big-picture person, Kathleen had a lot of minutiae to deal with, Jonny said. She set up the ASTRA office from the ground up, finding a space, signing a lease and hiring her first employees.

Jonny spent a few days setting her up with Quickbooks, because financials and payables were now her responsibility.

Initially, Kathleen planned the convention. “It became clear that the way to plan a convention is to hire a convention planner,” Jamie recalled. “She would hire, supervise, oversee and tweak. Everything was hands-on; we provided a lot of our own speakers.”

Vendors had been encouraging the board to add a commercial component to the convention. “At the point at which I became president it was surprisingly controversial,” Jamie said. Retailers were afraid it would destroy the ethic of the trade association.

The Charleston convention in 2002 was the first with vendors. They could rent space at one of 10 or 12 8-foot tables.

Chicago in 2004 was the first year with a ballroom of exhibit booths. “People could bring and show product. ASTRA as a whole started generating income from that … prior to that it was donations from vendors. We felt we would benefit to have strong retailers,” Jamie said.

“Kathleen steered the ship through that period. The financial picture was dismal. She had to maneuver this very delicate balance.”

Calm in Choppy Waters “I remember the first time I met Kathleen. I was the ASTRA Newsletter editor at the time and it was Kathleen’s first convention,” said Debbie Scholl

of FUNdamentally Toys!, recalling Scottsdale in 2001. “She was all business; very corporate and efficient.

I recall that I was a bit intimidated by her take-charge manner. Over the years, Kathleen and I became good friends and I really got to know the professional and personal side of her.

“Running an organization has a lot of challenges: personalities, divided opinions, uncertain times, growth management and so much more. Kathleen was able to steer the ship through a lot of choppy waters and still keep her calm.

“The organization has blossomed, grown and matured under her leadership.

While ASTRA today is a far cry from the organization she took charge of 15 years ago, we still remain a solidified core of committed and connected individuals as we were founded to be.

“Kathleen leaves us,” Debbie continued, “knowing she left her mark, and we are grateful.”

Upright In Rough Seas Sue Warfield, now director of member relations, served on the board of directors for more than seven years. During that time, “we dealt with the full-force blowup of the toy safety issues, prompted by issues with lead paint and magnet ingestion, and the subsequent health problems with both.

For those in the toy business at that time, we all remember the consumers whose first question when walking in the door at our toy stores was, ‘Do you have any toys that are not made in China?’

“The frenzy that ensued, along with all the new regulations, were, quite frankly, a nightmare for all.”

Through all this, she said, ASTRA

not only survived but continued to build in membership and stature within the industry. “We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘The buck stops here,’ in reference to problems within an organization, but it is also true of when an organization grows and thrives.

The leader must also receive the praise when a ship stays upright in rough waters and sails ahead past the storm and into the smoother seas.

“Kathleen has been that leader,” Sue said. “She has built a staff of dedicated, highly professional individuals who work as a team and truly have passion for the industry. In doing so, she has assured the organization’s continued growth.”

Safety in a Storm “Our time together was not so fun,” recalled Kate Tanner of Kidstop Toys, chair in 2008-09. “As my year as chair started, the news came out about the new toy safety standards being instituted into our industry. At first we felt this storm would be weatherable, but we were wrong.”

Kathleen, ASTRA’s Executive Committee and the board decided quickly they needed to approve money for ASTRA to retain a law firm to represent members and make sure they could understand the hundreds of pages of regulations.

“Kathleen moved like lightning, and within days we had assembled our law team. Conference calls were long – headaches were pounders, and I remember several board members and I digesting pages upon pages and emailing each other very late at night compiling lists of questions that Kathleen would go and get answers to – answers that arrived within days, if not within hours of an email. astratoy.org • August 2015

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“At the end of the tenure, and our toy store members going through this with minimal damage to inventories, the term ‘bring it on, we can do anything’ was how many of us felt.”

In her four years on the board, the most valuable thing Kate learned from Kathleen was that ASTRA is so different from other associations; as chair, it was her responsibility to do this job with no blinders on. “We are a group of people existing to make it better for every member in this association.”

A Bigger Boat Bill Bordegon, national sales manager for The Orb Factory, has watched ASTRA grow under Kathleen’s leadership. Membership has swelled from about 400 in 1999 to over 1,600 today. Convention attendance has increased from about 30 retail stores in 2002 to more than 1,100 retailers, manufacturers and reps in 2015.

“We have great fourth-quarter marketing initiatives like Neighborhood Toy Store Day and Best Toys For Kids.

There are effective membership programs and benefits for all three membership segments,” he said.

With a budget of more than $2 million and processes in place for planning and

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managing the budget, ASTRA has a good cushion for days when rain batters the boat. “Kathleen is leaving ASTRA in excellent shape for future growth, and with an excellent board of directors and talented ASTRA staff,” Bill said. “I am thankful for her years of dedication in helping build ASTRA into the best and most important organization in the specialty toy industry.”

Keeping the Ship Balanced “What I admire most about Kathleen is her stewardship abilities,” said Linda Hays, president from 2012 to 2014. “She has a new board to work with every year. Every year she has a new boss, and we have all been very different people. She has worked with each of us, drawing out our strengths, being subjected to our weaknesses, and figuring out how to keep the ship of the association on course when the winds blow from very different directions.

“I have also watched her select and nurture many office staff, making sure she has a team that works together, is challenged and inspired to grow, and feels supported.”

Linda and Kathleen spent some intensive time together not only because she served two terms, but because the second year was a strategic planning year.

“We were working really hard to develop

new and meaningful programs to take the association to a new level, to find new ways to best serve our membership.

As you can imagine, there were a lot of concepts brought to the floor, and every one of them was given equal measure of respectful consideration.”

Kathleen has had to walk the line between being the one consistent person in the ASTRA boardroom year after year, knowing firsthand what has worked and what hasn’t, and being an employee contracted to develop and execute the programs the board determines would best serve the membership. “I think it would be an incredibly difficult balance to maintain, and she does so graciously with only a minimal amount of deep sighing.

“We have been so fortunate to have Kathleen’s hand on the rudder through these tumultuous years of growth and challenge,” Linda said. “I am grateful for what she has given us personally and professionally, and wish her much that is awesome in the next chapter of her life.”

Into the Sunset So after 15 years of steering the good ship ASTRA, Kathleen McHugh boards the cruise ship of change and sails to a place where she no longer directs the world of play, but will have time to play herself.

Welcomes Its Newest Manufacturer Members Biz in a Boxx Scottsdale, AZ bizinaboxx.com Biz in a Boxx is an award-winning entrepreneurship kit designed to teach kids, ages 7 to 18, how to start their own businesses. Since 2009, thousands of kids and teens across the globe have been learning how to take their ideas to the marketplace.

Blue Matrix Labs, LLC DBA Hydro Toys, LLC Austin, TX zorbzwaterballoons.com Hydro Toys, LLC strives to provide innovative and creative play by developing world-class products that solve existing customer problems. ZORBZ® and the new combat toy line create a new standard for the water balloon and the water toy industry and have already made a splash with major retailers.

BooKid Toys USA LLC Sugarcreek, OH bookidtoysusa.com Our line of toys consists of action toys featuring motorized trains, helicopters, and vehicles complete with building blocks to provide hours of entertainment while improving fine motor skills, communication ability, and creativity. Furthermore this great line features exceptional quality puzzles, educational activity books, and all new scented KiDough. brackitz Denver, CO brackitz.com Brackitz is the only construction toy that lets kids design any structure they can imagine – anything. Our unique, connect-anywhere brackitz enable kids to create large scale, portable, 3-D structures – with no instructions or limitations – all while learning real-life engineering and architecture skills.

Breaking Games LLC Netcong, NJ breakinggames.com Breaking Games publishes clever word & party games like Mensa winner Letter Tycoon and POOP in a bag. Using the LAYAR APP, buyers can scan our boxes in stores to see game contents or a round of play on their smartphones. Breakinggames.com features easy wholesale ordering and links to retailers.

Cooper’s Corner, LLC Highlands Ranch, CO northpolekidsclub.com Cooper’s Corner, LLC manufactures the award-winning North Pole Kids’ Club.

Anchored by an illustrated story, children join Santa’s team as a Jr. Elf, completing fun activities to earn their Elf Hat. Our line provides activities for the entire Christmas season and is a popular gift, especially from grandparents and aunts.

Decker Sisters, LLC Arlington, VA prettyprogame.com Decker Sisters launched an exciting award winning game that uses a fun topic to teach children an important message about what it means to have a pretty heart. PrettyPro sparks creative and imaginative play while teaching word recognition, counting and social skills. Manufactured in USA. Electric Rose Toys Inc. Ontario, CA electricrosetoys.com Electric Rose Toys manufactures educational toys.

Our toys are for everyone, but we focus on the special needs community. This is reflected in our 1-People Dolls, soft plush dolls that have crutches, common in people with cerebral palsy. We also always donate 5% of profits to support the special needs community.

Flycatcher Ltd New York, NY paintinglulu.com Painting Lulu is a Paper-to-Digital Coloring Pack that includes a paper coloring book, a digital crayon, and an app. Kids draw on paper with regular crayons, scan the pages using the free app on any mobile device, and continue to decorate, correct, and share their drawing digitally!

GirlznDollz.Inc Metuchen, NJ girlzndollz.com GirlznDollz is an importer and manufacturer of soft, unique rag dolls that are fun, highly fashionable, and come with a positive message to young girls: Be confident! Be Happy! Be you! We offer 2 doll sizes: a 14” size geared to infants and small toddlers, and an 18” size ideal for ages 3+. MSRP: $12.99 to $19.99

The Original Designer Noodle

By I Candy by JW LLC Old Westbury, NY designernoodle.com The Designer Noodle targets consumers who live and love the pool, beach water sports, recreational and leisure family lifestyle! Patented 2015. “The Water Never Looked So Cool.” Miami-New York-Los Angeles.

Indigo Pixies Bradford, MA indigopixies.com The Indigo Pixies are a family of multicultural fairies and forest friends who each possess a skill set that helps children transition through important milestones such as pacifier weaning and potty training. A fun and educational solution for parents that teaches children to make their own decisions and become independent.

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ASTRA Welcomes Its Newest Manufacturer Members

INVICTA Challenge Los Angeles, CA invictachallenge.com INVICTA Challenge combines video games, comics and collectible toys to tell true leadership stories. Our mission is to get kids reading, learning about history and developing basic leadership skills. Our first Leadership Decision Challenge game, about a Native American paratrooper’s incredible D-Day heroism, launches in November 2015.

Kiddopotamus Woonsocket, RI kiddopotamus.com At Kiddopotamus, we make toys that make play happen more. Easier. Together. Everything we create is mindfully designed to inspire interaction. To help build strong bonds between parents and children. To make more laughing, smiling, shrieking, sharing. To give families more moments, gigantic little moments, that matter.

LightUp, Inc. Menlo Park, CA lightup.io LightUp makes connected toys that teach kids how the world around them works. With our magnetic circuit blocks and augmented reality tutor app, anyone can learn how to code by building real projects! Be among the first to offer our Edison and Tesla Kits to your customers this fall.

Living Puppets USA, LLC Delray Beach, FL living-puppets-usa.com After nearly 20 successful years in Europe, Living Puppets® has crossed the ocean to bring its high quality, loveable and educational puppets to its American fans.

Discover our first selection of 28 puppets at living-puppets-usa.com and register to be among the first retailers to have the puppets on your shelves.

Lollaland Monrovia, CA lollaland.com Lollaland makes innovative and modern children’s goods that are functional and fun. Discerning parents and gift-givers love that Lollaland products are focused on high design, beautifully packaged, and ready-togift. Lollaland products are popular with the celebrity crowd as well as fans of ABC’s hit show, Shark Tank.

Mister Alphabet Los Angeles, CA Mister Alphabet™ is a Los Angeles-based company producing a figurine designed to bend into every letter of the alphabet. We strive to bring the alphabet to life through innovative interplay between figuration and letter formation, uniting parents with children and design with education. Mister Alphabet is manufactured in the USA.

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Pinblock Inc. Brooklyn, NY pinblock.com Pinblock is a new construction toy that just hit the market in 2015. One creative building block that doesn’t simply allow building 3D models but creating wearable gadgets and cool pixel artwork. Simplicity of a single piece that allows unlimited creative possibilities is the cornerstone of Pinblock.

Prodotto Seattle, WA prodotto-usa.com Prodotto is the exclusive distributor for the following Toy Brands: UK brands Little Bird Told Me (littlebirdtoldme.co.uk) and Indigo Jamm (indigojamm.com), Swedish brand Oskar + Ellen (oskarellen.com), fair-trade toy company Lanka Kade (lankakade.co.uk) and French brand Dou Dou et Compagnie (doudouetcompagnie.com).

Shore Creation Auburn, NY rampshot.com This exciting outdoor game keeps everyone on their toes and ready to make the big play. RampShot is the perfect game for friends and family gatherings. 3 out of 4 players are involved in every toss. RampShot is portable, lightweight, weather resistant, and made in the USA. The Magical Tales – Family Traditions New York, NY themagicaltales.com Begin NEW family traditions in your home. Help guide Santa and the Easter bunny to you door with The Magical Tale of Santa Dust - A Christmas Tradition and The Magical Tale of Easter Bunny Dust - An Easter Tradition and help your child discover Bravery with The Magical Tale of Halloween Dust - A Halloween Tradition.

The ROB Company LLC Charleston, SC swurfer.com The Swurfer reinvents the American backyard swing by giving it more power, more moves, and more fun. Great for a little one looking for a calm swing. Great for a bigger one looking for excitement. It’s not swinging, it’s Swurfing.

Upper Deck Carlsbad, CA upperdeck.com Upper Deck is a sports and entertainment collectibles company headquartered in Carlsbad, CA. From exciting dinosaur collectibles to award winning games, licensed novelties and sports & entertainment trading cards, Upper Deck offers fun and educational products for kids of all ages! Find out more at UpperDeckStore.com.

New Members If any of the information below is incorrect, ASTRA truly apologizes. Please contact us immediately at info@astratoy.org.

MANUFACTURERS Biz in a Boxx Melissa Rose 15560 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Ste. B4-124 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (480) 626-5165 melissa@bizinaboxx.com www.bizinaboxx.com Blue Matric Labs, LLC DBA Hydro Toys, LLC Wendy Harmon 13413 Galleria Circle, Ste. 250 Austin, TX 78738 (512) 814-2200 wendy@bluematrixlabs.com www.zorbzwaterballoons.com BooKid Toys USA LLC Joanna Schlabach 2881 State Rte. 93 Sugarcreek, OH 44681 (330) 852-0852 sales.bookidtoys@gmail.com www.bookidtoysusa.com BOSEbuild Joe Titlow The Mountain Framingham, MA 01701 (508) 766-6729 Joe_titlow@bose.com www.build.bose.com Box Creations LLC Kim Hammeren 10023 Brook Rd. Olmsted Falls, OH 44138 (216) 406-1089 boxcreations@cox.net www.boxcreations.com brackitz Robert Lubeck 1685 S. Colorado Blvd., Ste. S-133 Denver, CO 80222 (720) 446-5558 ext. 1003 rob.lubeck@brackitz.com www.brackitz.com Breaking Games LLC Shari Spiro 125 Main St. Netcong, NJ 07857 (973) 448-1766 shari@admagic.com www.breakinggames.com

Cooper’s Corner, LLC Colleen Nutter 3496 Meadow Creek Pl. Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 (720) 205-3456 colleen@cooperscornerllc.com www.northpolekidsclub.com Decker Sisters, LLC Debbie Decker 4004 20th Rd. N. Arlington, VA 22207 (703) 465-8891 prettyprogame@aol.com www.prettyprogame.com Electric Rose Toys Inc. Roberto Contreras 592 E. State St. Ontario, CA 91761 (949) 933-4496 info@electricrosetoys.com www.electricrosetoys.com Fascinations, Inc Gary Armstrong 19224 Des Moines Memorial Dr. Seattle, WA 98148 (206) 870-3000 gary@fascinations.com www.fascinations.com Fibre-Craft, LLC 6400 W. Howard St. Niles, IL 60714 (847) 929-5738 dmoll@fibrecraft.com www.fibrecraft.com Flycatcher Ltd Tal Zilberman 143 Varick 2nd Floor New York, NY 10013 (612) 293-8707 tal@paintinglulu.com www.paintlulu.com Future of Play, Inc. Ricardo Abundis 3441 Airport Dr., #4 Torrance, CA 90505 (562) 754-2748 ricardo@futureofplay.com www.futureofplay.com GirlznDollz.Inc Jessie Moghaddas PO Box 4642 Metuchen, NJ 08840 (908) 912-6955 girlzndollz@gmail.com www.girlzndollz.com

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I Candy By JW LLC dba Designer Noodle Matthew Ianniello PO Box 20 Old Westbury, NY 11568 (516) 754-8500 matty157@icandybyjw.com www.designernoodle.com Indigo Pixies Cheryl Hajjar 9 Baypoint Ln. Bradford, MA 01835 (978) 479-4899 info@indigopixies.com www.indigopixies.com INVICTA Challenge James Murphy 8377 Chase Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90045 (323) 327-2277 jfmurphy@invictachallenge.com www.invictachallenge.com Kiddopotamus Georgi Morin 1275 Park East Dr. Woonsocket, RI 02895 (401) 671-6579 gmorin@summerinfant.com www.kiddopotamus.com LightUp, Inc. Joshua Chan 945 Woodland Ave. Menlo Park, CA 94025 (804) 404-5678 founders@lightup.io www.lightup.io LiteBulb Group North America Martha Girard 950 N. Washington St., #219 Alexandria, VA 22314 (571) 386-2716 Martha.girard@litebulbgroup.com www.litebulbgroup.com Living Puppets USA, LLC Olaf Matthies 2388 Zeder Ave. Delray Beach, FL 33444 (561) 927-7171 office@living-puppets-usa.com www.living-puppets-usa.com Logo Loops, LLC Martha Sneider 8116 Pershing Ave. Saint Louis, MO 63105 (314) 359-0051 logoloops@yahoo.com www.logo-loops.com

Lollaland Mark Lim 237 W. Chestnut Ave. Monrovia, CA 91016 (310) 776-5655 mark@lollaland.com www.lollaland.com

Relaximals Jeremy Yoder 3285 W. Arrowleaf Ct. Castle Rock, CO 80109 (303) 746-5459 Jeremy@relaximals.com

Mister Alphabet Marshall Roemen 1815 Lemoyne St. Los Angeles, CA 90026 (323) 486-7956 hello@misteralphabet.com

Shore Creation Kevin Texeira 6449 Beech Rd. Auburn, NY 13021 (631) 524-4696 kevin@rampshot.com www.rampshot.com

MOJO Education, LLC Jevonne McRae PO Box 949 Clemmons, NC 97012 (888) 665-6929 ext. 701 jevonne@mojoeducation.com www.mojoeducation.com

Spikeball Inc Christofer Ruder PO Box 221375 Chicago, IL 60622 (312) 848-6407 chris@spikeball.com www.spikeball.com

Monocle Society Kyle Kinkade 7051 35th Ave. NE. Seattle, WA 98115 (206) 979-6855 dev@monoclesociety.com www.monoclesociety.com

Spray ‘Em Away Faye Tait 3370 North Hayden Rd., #123 PMB 792 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (602) 799-8482 ftait3@gmail.com www.sprayemaway.com

OTB Imports LLC | MoYou Nails Richard Atkins 4650 S. Arville St., Ste. A Las Vegas, NV 89103 (866) 662-6033 richard@moyou.us www.moyou.us Pinblock Inc. Shijun Xiao 7523 New Utrecht Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11214 (646) 520-5910 shijun@pinblock.com www.pinblock.com Play+Rooms by LeWonderment Peggy Pawloski 421 S. 11th St. Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 206-9928 peggyp@lewonderment.com www.playplusrooms.com Prodotto Lauren McFerrin 1633 5th Ave. W. Seattle, WA 98119 (206) 274-8188 lmcferrin@prodotto-usa.com www.prodotto-usa.com

Star From Afar LLC Natalie Ard 138 Megan Ct. Alamo, CA 94507 (925) 915-0715 natalieard@starfromafar.com www.starfromafar.com The Magical Tales – Family Traditions Patricia Cardello 200 North End Ave. New York, NY 10282 (212) 260-7075 pacardello@aol.com www.themagicaltales.com The ROB Company LLC Matt Ackerman PO Box 13801 Charleston, SC 29422 (917) 826-8222 matt@therobcompany.com www.swurfer.com Toyish Labs Inc Assaf Eshet 250 South 2nd St., Apt. 4a Brooklyn, NY 11211 (347) 567-3671 info@toyishlabs.com www.toyishlabs.com

Uncle Milton Industries, Inc. Hillary Fine 29209 Canwood St., Ste. 120 Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (818) 707-0800 ext. 107 h-fine@unclemilton.com www.unclemilton.com

Pete Cohen Cohen Sales, Co. 4016 H Battleground Ave., PMB #120 Greensboro, NC 27410 (336) 605-0403 pcsales927@aol.com

Tangie Hines 225 Unlimited, Inc. 317 Northlake Blvd., Ste. 1016 Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (732) 841-2508 thines@225unlimited.com www.225unlimited.com

Upper Deck Jodi Wasserman 2251 Rutherford Rd. Carlsbad, CA 92008 (760) 929-3500 jodi_wasserman@upperdeck.com www.upperdeck.com

Rennea Couttenye Español for Kids 681 Victoria St. San Francisco, CA 94127 (415) 425-8781 rennea@mac.com

Judy Kauffman 225 Unlimited, Inc. 317 Northlake Blvd., Ste. 1016 Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (770) 972-0807 jkauffman@225unlimited.com www.225unlimited.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Cherie Badanjek Endless Possibilities, Inc. 28475 Greenfield Rd., Ste. 120 Southfield, MI 48076 (248) 224-5107 cheriebadanjek@yahoo.com www.boinks.com Vickie Belmont Dream Big Science & Art 1603 North Benton Way Los Angeles, CA 90026 (818) 324-2843 dreambigscience@gmail.com dreambigimaginologystore.com Michael Bixby 225 Unlimited, Inc. 317 Northlake Blvd., Ste. 1016 Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (910) 508-2158 mbixby@225unlimited.com www.225unlimited.com Mina Blank Mad & Great Sales 95 Upminster Way Nepean, ON K2J 5G2 Canada (613) 617-4221 info@pwmpgettheedge.com www.madandgreatsalesinc.com Dayle Cambridge 225 Unlimited, Inc. 317 Northlake Blvd., Ste. 1016 Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (407) 894-6675 dcambridge@225unlimited.com www.225unlimited.com

Vickie Dadesky 225 Unlimited, Inc. 317 Northlake Blvd., Ste. 1016 Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (828) 894-9423 vdadesky@225unlimited.com www.225unlimited.com Tony Davis Enchanted Moments Southeast 1012 Creeds Hill Ct. Wake Forest, NC 27587 tonymdavis@gmail.com www.enchantedmomentsreps.com Stuart Fishman Phoenix Mktg.

570 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike Blue Bell, PA 19422 (215) 218-5176 fishtoyman@aol.com Gregg Goss Mad & Great Sales 95 Upminster Way Nepean ON K2J 5G2 Canada (613) 986-8656 sales@madandgreatsalesinc.com www.madandgreatsalesinc.com Laura Gravett Elisabeth Everly & Co. 885 Woodstock Rd., Ste. 430-171 Roswell, GA 30075 (404) 461-9333 info@eeverly.com www.eeverly.com Kim Higgins 225 Unlimited, Inc. 317 Northlake Blvd., Ste. 1016 Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (407) 894-6675 khiggins@225unlimited.com www.225unlimited.com

The Magazine for

People Who Sell Toys

Celebrating

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Scott Kempler Kempler Creative 2460 Dundee Rd. Northbrook, IL 60065 (773) 251-5852 scott@kemplercreative.com www.kemplercreative.com Kim Pailas Expert Exports LLC 10 Nottingham Way Randolph, NJ 07869 (973) 252-8583 kimpailas@expert-exports.com www.expert-exports.com Francois Perreten Omnigroupe 310 Victoria, Ste. 205 Westmount, QC H3Z 2M9 Canada (514) 419-9145 francois@omnigroupe.com Tanya Petroff Petroff Sales Inc. 133 - 1868 Glen Dr. Vancouver, BC V6A 4K4 Canada (604) 637-7878 sales@petroffsalesinc.com

Is Excited to announce a new division which will promote family-friendly tech and gear

Michael Sherman Sherman Associates 10 Louis W. Farley Dr. Framingham, MA 01702 (508) 879-1636 shermtoys@aol.com Marc Stein AJA Sales 3066 Timothy Rd. Bellmore, NY 11710 (516) 781-5014 steintime1@gmail.com

Η͙/ƚ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ Ă ǀĞƌLJ ůŽŶŐ ǁŝŶƚĞƌ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͕ ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJ ĨŽƌ ƚŚŽƐĞ ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ ǁŚŽ ŚĂǀĞ ƚƌŝĞĚ ƉƌĞƚƚLJ ŵƵĐŚ ĞǀĞƌLJƚŚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ŬĞĞƉ ƚŚĞ ŬŝĚ ĞŶƚĞƌƚĂŝŶĞĚ͘ tĞůů ŶŽǁ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ƉƌLJ ĂǁĂLJ ƚŚĞ ŝWĂĚ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ǀŝĚĞŽ ŐĂŵĞƐ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŽŵĞ ĨƵŶ ĂƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƌĂĨƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŽLJƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞLJΖƌĞ ŐŽŝŶŐ ƚŽ ůŽǀĞ͘ ,ĞƌĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ŝƐ >ĂƵƌŝĞ ^ĐŚĞĐƚ ĨƌŽŵ dŽLJ /ŶƐŝĚĞƌ͕ ŐŽŽĚ ŵŽƌŶŝŶŐ >ĂƵƌŝĞ͘ 'ŽŽĚ ŵŽƌŶŝŶŐ͊ ,ŝ͘ zŽƵ͛ƌĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞΖƐ ƐŽ ŵĂŶLJ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŽƵƌ ŬŝĚƐ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƚŽ ŐŽ ďĂĐŬ ƚŽ ŐŽŽĚ ŽůĚ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶĞĚ ƉůĂLJ ůŝŬĞ ĂƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƌĂĨƚƐ͘ /ƚ ŝŶƐƉŝƌĞƐ ĐƌĞĂƚŝǀŝƚLJ͕ ŬĞĞƉƐ ƚŚĞŵ ďƵƐLJ ĨŽƌ ŚŽƵƌƐ ĂŶĚ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞLJΖƌĞ ĚŽŶĞ͕ ƚŚĞLJ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞLJΖƌĞ ƌĞĂůůLJ ƉƌŽƵĚ ŽĨ͘ tĞ͛ƌĞ ŐŽŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƐƚĂƌƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƚƵĐŬ ŽŶ ĨƵŶ͘ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ ŽƵƌ dǁŝŶŬůĞ dŽƉ dƌĞĞ ,ŽƵƐĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ŬŝĚƐ ĂƐƐĞŵďůĞ ƚŚŝƐ ϯĚ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŶ ƚŚĞLJ ƉƵƚ ƐƚŝĐŬĞƌƐ ŽŶ ŝƚ͘ dŚĞLJ͛ƌĞ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŽǁŶ ƉůĂLJ ƐĞƚ͘ / ůŽǀĞ ƚŚĂƚ͘ /ƚ ƐŽƵŶĚƐ ǀĞƌLJ ďƵƐLJ ĚŽǁŶ ƚŚĞƌĞ͘ KŬ͊͘​͘​͘͟

Publicity That Counts!

“…the New York City toy fair is a glimpse into the future of the toys your kids will be begging for any minute now, and we're getting a sneak preview of the best stuff at this year's fair from toy expert, Elizabeth Werner. Elizabeth, thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. So, let's just start off, you got great stuff for the little ones, right? Yeah... …Now we normally do puppet shows but you got something that's taking puppet shows to a new level. That’s right. I know that Whoopi loves puppet shows. Now, this is real cool. It’s the magic forest theatre. This theatre is actually a puppet show that we do in the dark. So now if you notice, go ahead. And we’re going to shine our flashlight. Remember when you were little and you would use your hands on the wall. Now we don't have to use your hands. We have lots of characters, even dinosaurs. This is the only time you're going to get an elephant in a building. Haha. This is how we should do tomorrow's show! This is a lot of fun…”

Ask us how our 21 years of experience can be game-changing for your business.

Proud Member of

Call LIsa Orman, 608-767-1102 or email Lisa@kidstuffpr.com

astratoy.org • August 2015

43

Len Stubenfoll FSD Group LLC 8351 W. 185th St. Tinley Park, IL 60487 (630) 572-1313 fsd@fsdtoy.com fsdtoy.com

Christmas Ventures Inc. Kristine Rich 14001C Saint Germain Dr., Ste. 270 Centreville, VA 20121 (703) 801-0218 kristine@christmasventures.com www.thegiftmerchant.com

Lori Watson 225 Unlimited, Inc. 317 Northlake Blvd., Ste. 1016 Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 (843) 388-5807 lwatson@225unlimited.com www.225unlimited.com

Cowgirls & Lace Gene Bell 1111 Highway 290 W. Dripping Springs, TX 78620 (512) 858-4186 leragge@yahoo.com

RETAILERS A2Z Science & Learning Store Andre Boulay 57 King St. Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 586-1611 andre@a-two-z.com www.a-two-z.com Bolen Books Samantha Holmes 111-1644 Hillside Ave. Victoria, BC V8T2C5 (250) 595-4232 sholmes@bolen.bc.ca www.bole.bc.ca Brainstorm Margaret Wilson 825 N. Bridgeport Ter. Lindenhurst, IL 60046 (847) 265-0610 Margie@brainstorm-education.com Brilliant Sky Toys & Books Gabriela Stear 7301 S. Santa Fe Dr., Unit 345 Littleton, CO 80121 (720) 583-0081 gstear@brilliantskytoys.com www.toystoredenver.com

Duck Duck Goose Yvonne Stobie 43 River St. Milford, CT 06460 (203) 874-6206 yvonne@duckduckgoosect.com www.duckduckgoosect.com Enolar LLC Mr. Prashanth Srikanthan 20643 Smollet Ter. Ashburn, VA 20147 (703) 626-8662 Gammy & Gumpy’s John Daly 122 Main St. S. Stillwater, MN 55082 (651) 342-0144 gammyandgumpys@gmail.com www.gammyandgumpys.com Gymboreer Play & Music Coni Goudie 14109 W. Dixie Hwy. Miami, FL 33176 (305) 970-1551 coni544@aol.com Hampton Party Island Roberta Araujo 56 Hampton Rd. Southampton, NY 11968 (631) 375-2432 partyisland@hotmail.com

Chalk N More Mary Hefner 1674 Carl D Silver Pkwy.

Fredericksburg, VA 22401 (540) 642-0304 chalknmore@gmail.com www.chalknmore.com

Happily Ever After Edward Ferry 1010 Pine St. Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 627-5790 info@happily.com

Character World Linda Lim 3333 Buford Dr., #2068B Buford, GA 30519 (770) 310-2880 lydialim@comcast.net

Hedy’s Gift Liran Hirschkorn 93-29 170th St. Jamaica, NY 11433 (929) 244-4715 liran@hedys.com

44 August 2015 • astratoy.org

Hobbytown Sharon Steiner 3833 Ramsey St. Fayetteville, NC 28311 (910) 436-3700 hobbytown2010@gmail.com

Kidz Kupboard Nancy Blair PO Box 6842 Incline Village, NV 89450 (775) 881-8556 nancy@kidzkupboard.com

I Love Books, Inc. Melissa Steen 380 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054 (518) 478-0715 anovelady@aol.com

Kraynaks Dan Zippie 2525 E. State St. Hermitage, PA 16148 (724) 347-4511 info@kraynaks.com www.kraynaks.com

Imagination Emporium Anna Lee 4067 E. Gate Dr. Camilla, GA 31730 (229) 894-2850 ansav123@msn.com iSpark Toys Hande Buyuksahin 4633 NW Dresden Pl. Portland, OR 97229 (503) 332-7859 hande@isparktoys.com www.isparktoys.com Jackalope Toys Jackson Hole Maggie Gibson PO Box 651 Teton Village, WY 83025 (307) 413-0357 ma3gie@gmail.com Jennifer 4 Corp Wollheim, 49 Qunicy St. Medford, MA 02155 (781) 395-9807 martinezanddtrs@aol.com K.C. Bonker’s Clay Hilman 119 Quincy St. Hancock, MI 49930 (906) 481-1217 kcbtoysandcoffee@gmail.com Kidsbooks Kelly McKinnon 3083 W. Broadway Vancouver, BC V6K 2G9 Canada (604) 738-5335 kmckinnon@kidsbooks.ca Kidz Approved, Digital Media Associates LLC Ileen Lasko 776 Glen Park Rd. Boardman, OH 44512 (330) 366-2030 ilasko@kidzapproved.com www.kidzapproved.com

Level Up Studios LLC Shawn Handyside 25 Vatrano Rd. Albany, NY 12205 (603) 339-2376 shawn@levelupstudios.com www.levelupstudios.com Magpie Kids David Sakowski 95 Elm St. Somerville, MA 02144 (617) 764-4110 magpiekidsstore@gmail.com www.magpiekids.com Montessori N’ Such Inc Cathy Hatfield 5750 Zip Dr., Ste. 1 Ft. Myers, FL 33905 (512) 690-3010 info@montessori-n-such.com www.montessori-n-such.com Over The Rainbow Stanley Moore 2727 Exposition Blvd., Ste. 123 Austin, TX 78703 (512) 477-2954 Peanuts Toy Barn Mark Hansen 19892 W. Gale Ave. Galesville, WI 54630 (608) 582-1236 peanutstoybarn@gmail.com Penny Lane Kids Christy Leslie 1778 W. State St. Boise, ID 83702 (208) 344-5437 pennylanekids@live.com www.pennylanekids.com Pinwheels Toys & Games Kim Reid 41 Hebron Ave. Glastonbury, CT 06033 (860) 430-2954 pinwheelstoys@gmail.com

Playing for Keeps Toys and More Karen Richert 4815 50 Ave. Leduc, AB T9E 6X8 Canada (587) 412-0268 fun@playingforkeepstoys.ca www.playingforkeepstoys.ca RojoMojo Toys, dba Brilliant Sky Toys & Books Nancy Brislin 9882-G Rea Rd. Charlotte, NC 28277 (704) 542-5145 charlottenc@brilliantskytoys.com www.brilliantskytoysandbooks.com Rolly’s Melanie Barbee 272 S. Stratford Rd. Winston-Salem, NC 27103 (336) 722-6713 mel@rollysbabyboutique.com www.rollysbaby.com Sandy Run Marketing Debra Harrison 205 Cherokee Pond Trail Lexington, SC 29072 (803) 371-3881 the.debra.1@gmail.com Santa’s Magic Toy Bag LLP Farris Yawn 198 North St. Canton, GA 30114 (678) 880-1922 fyawn@yawnsbooks.com www.santasmagictoybag.com Scholar’s Choice Scott Webster 2323 Trafalgar St. London, ON N5Y 5S7 Canada (519) 452-4999 scottwebster@scholarschoice.ca www.scholarschoice.ca Smith’s Variety Steve Sudduth 2715 Culver Rd. Birmingham, AL 35223 (205) 871-0841 smithsvariety@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/smithsvariety SnapDragon Heather SinClair 214 Middle St. New Bern, NC 28560 (252) 514-6770 waycoolkidz@yahoo.com

South Bend Woodworks Michael Lindburg 707 S. Scott St. South Bend, IN 46601 mike@southbendwoodworks.com southbendwoodworks.com

The Toychest Company Kiran Khan 130/131 The Island Dr., Bldg. D2 Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 (865) 406-4506 toychest@live.com

Symphony of Toys Randall Smith 628 Cherokee St. Marietta, GA 30060 (770) 499-7939 symphonyoftoys@me.com www.symphonyoftoys.biz

The Tree House Naftaly Soifer 5210-16 Brooklyn, NY 11204 (718) 438-7258 ext. 201 info@thetreehousetoys.com

Teacher Stuff Nancy Fernander 756 Harvest Meadows Dr. Kodak, TN 37764 nancywfernander@gmail.com Teaching & Learning Stuff Bryan Bundgaard PO Box 12635 Glendale, AZ 85318 (623) 825-0168 bryanb@teachingstuff.com The Cross Eyed Owl Gift Shop Patricia Varga 3143 US Highway 9, Ste. 8 Valatie, NY 12184 (518) 758-6755 ceogiftshop@gmail.com crosseyedowl.com The Gigglebox, LLC Sarah R. Humphrey 221 N. Muckogee Ave. Tahlquah, OK 74464 (405) 664-3389 thegiggleboxkids@gmail.com The Little Toy Shop Linda Levy 230 SW Broad St. Southern Pines, NC 28387 (910) 692-2522 lindarose@prodigy.net www.facebook.com/ the_little_toy_shop The Rocking Horse Toy Co. Arielle Tracy 201 Howard St. Petoskey, MI 49740 (231) 347-0306 ari.rockinghorse@gmail.com

Tom’s Toys Ted Frankel 2281 Honolulu Ave. Montrose, CA 91020 (818) 368-0468 tomsltf@aol.com www.tomstoystore.com Toy Nation LLC Deborah Eyler 225 Bert Ridge Rd. Havana, FL 32333 (850) 445-0945 poacherdae@gmail.com

We are a manufacturer not a jobber!

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Complete

BOARD GAME & CARD GAME Production

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Toy Soup Lisa Boulianne 10 Frost St. St. Jacobs, ON N0B2N0 Canada (519) 664-0268 toysoup.ca@hotmail.com www.toysoup.ca Village Toy Shoppe Debbie Hughes 400 N. Main St. Milford, MI 48381 (248) 684-8697 villagetoyshoppe@gmail.com Wee Toys Margaret Swink 286 Chenery San Francisco, CA 94131 (415) 265-1231 margaret@weetoyshare.com www.weetoyshare.com whimsies Jessie Wright 2142 Barracks Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22903 (434) 977-8767 whimsieskids@gmail.com www.whimsieskids.com

The Toy Shop Carla Haskell 201 W. Napa St., Ste. 1 Sonoma, CA 95476 (707) 938-1197 carla_haskell@comcast.net

astratoy.org • August 2015

45

TOY TIMES MAGAZINE, August 2015 Index of Advertisers ALEX ................................................................alextoys.com.........................................17, 48

Jax Ltd Inc. ....................................................jaxgames.com .............................................. 3

Blue Orange Games ................................blueorangegames.com .........................21

KidStuff PR ...................................................kidstuffpr.com............................................43

DeLano/EPI Printing, Inc.......................epiinc.com...................................................45

The Orb Factory ........................................orbfactory.com ..........................................35

edplay Magazine ......................................edplay.com ..................................................43

Outset Media ..............................................outsetmedia.com ....................................... 2

Fat Brain Toy Co. ........................................fatbraintoys.com ......................................13

Safari Ltd.......................................................safariltd.com................................................. 9

Folkmanis .....................................................folkmanis.com ...........................................25

Sentosphere USA .....................................sentosphereusa.com ............................... 7

Franklin Fixtures .......................................franklinďŹ xtures.com ...............................24

Skullduggery ..............................................skullduggery.com.....................................41

GALT ................................................................galttoys.com.........................................21, 29

Stork Babies ................................................mystorkbabies.com ................................ 11

GUND..............................................................gund.com .....................................................47

Thames & Kosmos ...................................thamesandkosmos.com.......................22

Harrisville Designs ...................................harrisville.com ...........................................34

Winning Moves .........................................winning-moves.com...............................33

The Haywire Group.................................haywiregroup.com ..................................46

Zeenie Dollz ................................................zeeniedollz.com .......................................45 ASTRA

!

E R E H ARE

46 August 2015 • astratoy.org

N I G N I COM

!

R E B M E T P E

S

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