Edplay SepOct 2017 by Fahy-Williams Publishing

September/October 2017

For People Who Sell Toys

Ready, Set, SELL! George Jones and the staff of Snoozy’s Kids are ready right now for the store’s 30th holiday season.

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wordPlay

by Kevin Fahy

Better Together

A recent survey indicated that the publishing industry in which I work is 78 percent female. I don’t know what the numbers were when I started out 40 years ago, but in my experience, there were always more women than men. I worked for a small subsidiary of a major company, the only male in a department of six editors. We all reported to the editorial director, who was a woman. Back in those days, at least, a lot of men in business had problems working for women, but I can honestly say that I never did. Perhaps it was the fact that I grew up around strong women, most notably my mother, and no one ever questioned their authority. Other divisions of the corporation also had females in high editorial positions, but rarely did a woman advance very far in other capacities. Sales managers, financial officers, manufacturing managers and senior executives were almost always men, which also seemed to be the case with our competitors. On balance, that still made publishing more female-friendly than any other industry that I know of. Coming from that background, in fact, it was sometimes quite a shock when I was exposed to a different corporate culture. Take the toy industry, for

example. The first time I went to Toy Fair, in 1985, I expected the toy business to be similar to educational publishing, only friendlier and more lighthearted. It was all about kids and play, right? Not exactly. The industry was far more serious than I had anticipated, and much more heavily male. Moreover, the males in question were not particularly friendly or playful. I’ll never forget the first time I walked into a showroom in the old “toy building,” where they used to have many of the exhibits. A gentleman asked me what my company did and I told him we were a trade magazine, to which he responded with two words, “Get out.” Nice to meet you as well. A lot has changed in the toy business since then, and now there are plenty of businesses owned by women, including manufacturers, retailers and rep groups. I can’t find any statistics regarding the percentage of females in the toy industry, but my guess is that it is at least as high as that of men. There is even an association for women employed in the industry, called Women in Toys. Its stated mission is to “support, promote, educate, and empower women working in the toy, licensing, and (continued on page 8) september/october 2017 • • • • • edplay.com 3

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For People Who Sell Toys

september/october 2017 Volume 24, No. 5

About the Cover Joining George are staffers (from left) Lucy Marks, his daughter Lillian Jones, Kathryn Reaves and Cathy Duggan.

Wordplay

Better Together by Kevin Fahy

28 retailers recommend Fabulous Products

Ready, Set, SELL!

Beautiful Retail

Recommending Pretending

Give Them the Full Package

Endcap

New and True

Industry News

Index of Advertisers

Learning to sell can change your life, says George Jones, owner of Snoozy’s Kids near Birmingham, Alabama. “For new hires, it’s a mind-blowing thing.”

Imagining helps children learn and grow in important areas. Here’s a list of them, along with some developmental milestones and the toys that help kids reach them.

Holiday Offers from our Advertisers

This holiday season – GO BIG

“The more you get into the spirit of the holidays, the more you make your store new, fresh, hip and happening,” says retail consultant Phil Wrzesinski.

A former builders’ showroom becomes a toy store fit for princes and princesses.

Good advice for creating wrapped-paper masterpieces

Fun, Magnified A look at My First Lab

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ZE BA-MA Q · E ENC A · SCI V E BOOKS K · · S G E N I M GA LEARN PLAY · iz E V EARLY I T lesale.b AC · .mw who w E w T w : iz A e .b CRE • Websit holesale fo@mw w

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PUBLISHER J. Kevin Fahy kfahy@fwpi.com

MARKETING ASSISTANT Amy Colburn amy@fwpi.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tim Braden tbraden@fwpi.com

ART Mark Stash Production Manager mstash@fwpi.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Tricia McKenna trish@fwpi.com E-NEWLETTER & ONLINE ADVERTISING Rick Kauder rkauder@fwpi.com ADVERTISING SALES Todd Crayton todd@fwpi.com EDITORIAL Tina Manzer, Director tmanzer@fwpi.com

Jennifer Srmack Senior Designer jsrmack@fwpi.com Maia VanOrman Designer maia@fwpi.com EDITORIAL OFFICES PO Box 1080 171 Reed Street Geneva, NY 14456 PH: 800-344-0559 315-789-0458 FAX: 315-789-4263 fwpi.com

Rebecca Carlson Assistant Editor rebecca@fwpi.com

A brand of Fahy-Williams Publishing Inc.

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Buyers’ Guide

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September 29

Toy Fair Preview

January

December

Fahy-Williams also publishes ASTRA Toy Times Magazine a publication of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association • • • Art Materials Retailer artmaterialsretailer.com • • • Gradient a publication of the Craft & Hobby Association craftandhobby.org

The Decorative Painter for the Society of Decorative Painters decorativepainters.org • • • Educational Dealer educationaldealermagazine.com • • • Life in the Finger Lakes lifeinthefingerlakes.com

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wordPlay

(continued from page 3)

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entertainment industries.” The fact that there is a need for such an organization tells you that we still have work to do, but we have made significant progress. The same cannot be said for certain other industries. Among them, ironically, is the technology industry, which is often referred to by its nickname of “Silicon Valley.” The reason I call it ironic is that the tech industry is widely thought to espouse progressive values, including diversity and gender equality, but its payroll doesn’t look that way. Microsoft is 74 percent male, Google is 69 percent, Apple is 68 percent, Facebook is 65 percent, and Amazon is 61 percent. Among their programmers, the male representation is closer to 80 percent. That imbalance, along with a lot of bad press around sexual harassment and pay disparity in recent years has caused the industry to take a hard look at its treatment of women. To their credit, tech leaders have tried to address discrimination, but like many others they have found that solutions can become very complicated. In August, for example, a Google software engineer named James Damore wrote a 10 page memo intended for internal consumption at the company, entitled “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber.” In it, he argued that much of the gender imbalance at the firm was the result of biological differences between men and women, and that company efforts to achieve equal representation were “unfair, divisive, and bad for business.” The response from the company was rapid and unequivocal. It’s “diversity officer,” Danielle Brown, said that Mr. Damore’s assumptions about gender were incorrect. Google CEO Sundar Pichai fired Damore, writing, “To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not okay.” If you read the memo, however, you will find that it did not really say that. Damore, who previously studied computational biology at Harvard, Princeton, and MIT, was very careful to make clear that he was talking about women’s tendencies, not their abilities. He also stressed that his assertions referred to populations, not individuals, among whom there would be considerable overlap. On the whole, he claimed, women are more interested in people while men are more interested in things. Men are driven more by a need to achieve status, and are more willing to tolerate stress in order to do so. Women empathize more than men, are less assertive and suffer more from anxiety. Damore does not oppose narrowing the gender gap in Silicon Valley, but he suggests that there are non-discriminatory ways to address the problem. Functions could

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be restructured, for example, to take better advantage of women’s strengths. Reaction to the memo was swift and loud, within the tech industry and throughout the culture. Pundits lined up on one side to praise Google for its rejection of discrimination, and on the other to condemn it for its surrender to political correctness. I am not a scientist, and am not about to offer you my opinion on the technical merits of James Damore’s argument. Having lived quite a long time, though, I do feel qualified to make the subjective observation that there are differences between men and women (beyond the obvious one about bearing children). I have never thought it was sexist to recognize those differences. We go wrong when we make value judgments about the differences, determining that some traits are good and others are bad. I also believe that diversity makes organizations, communities, and nations stronger, because different groups bring different qualities into the mix. I choose to live in a diverse community, not through any sense of moral altruism, but rather because I think it makes for a better place to live. Likewise, a mix of men and women makes a company stronger, and we bear that in mind whenever we are hiring. It’s not because I’m a feminist, it’s because I’m a capitalist.

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You can e-mail Kevin at kfahy@fwpi.com. september/october 2017 • • • • • edplay.com 9

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Ready, Set, SELL!

Storeowner George Jones is a shameless promoter of his 30-year-old store and its products. by Tina Manzer

t’s GO time for the holidays at Snoozy’s Kids near Birmingham, Alabama. “We need to do what we do, and do it really well in the upcoming months,” says owner George Jones. “I’m ready now.” He’s implementing a new strategy this year, his 30th holiday season. George and his staff have re-merchandised earlier than he has in the past 29 years, and brought in more product. Pictures taken in early September show a fully stocked store. It’s one of many changes resulting, in part, from a conversation George had this year with Steve Starobinsky, the toy-trend

guru from Diverse Insights. Steve maintains an office at AmericasMart, where he met with George and his buyer, Lucy Marks, during the Atlanta Gift Show. “We spent about 20 minutes together, and he gave us great advice on how to shop for Millennials. We hung on every word,” says George. Steve told them that while Millennials will buy their basics online, “going shopping” is in their DNA – they need and want to touch the merchandise. “They’re going to come to your store because it’s been there a long time and you’ve made a name for yourself,” Steve told them. “But you’ve got to have what

they want. Otherwise, they’ll consider it a waste of time. They could have shopped online instead.” Based on what he’d heard, George and his co-buyers – his wife, his 27-year-old daughter, and Lucy – worked hard to “buy better” this year. It worked. “I’m thrilled to be up for the year as we head into the holiday season,” he says. “And thank goodness for ASTRA and for other conventions where I am able to see the latest items. I feel like I’ve left no stone unturned.” Bookish beginnings Snoozy’s Kids opened in 1988; five years after George and his family – (continued on page 12)

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Ready, Set, SELL! (continued from page 10)

Feeling Smitten’s cupcake bath bombs are beautifully stacked on a tiered glass table. The giant cupcake pillows are from iscream. Wikki_EdPlay_usaFreePRS.pdf

8/10/17

including his dad, the original “Snoozy” – began Snoozy’s College Bookstore. Located in Birmingham proper, it serves the students, faculty and staff of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “The bookstore was extremely busy at the beginning of each semester, but during the other months it was extremely slow, and I like to stay busy,” he says. “There are a lot of young families in our area, but there was nowhere to buy toys or books at the time. We started Snoozy’s Kids, what I thought would be the neighborhood children’s bookstore, with an inventory of 75 percent 9:58 AM

books and 25 percent toys. We found ourselves ordering and reordering more and more toys, so we quickly reinvented it as the neighborhood toy store.” Today, he considers Snoozy’s Kids a gift store that specializes in toys and women’s accessories. It’s located in Crestline Village, a neighborhood in the Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook. It’s just a few miles from the city, but its atmosphere is strictly small town. The toy store is one of many specialty boutiques that line the streets. A majority of their owners, like George and his wife, live in (continued on page 14)

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Desserts are a theme – George expects squishies to sell big during the holidays.

Ready, Set, SELL!

(continued from page 12)

Crestline Village, so the sense of community runs deep. George divides his time between his two stores, but admits he’s at Snoozy’s Kids 99 percent of the time. “It’s a football weekend at the college, so I’ll sell shirts and other UAB gear tomorrow morning, but I’ll be back at the Kids in the afternoon,” he told me. Got to have “WOW” “I carry some Paw Patrol, and other items you’ll see in the mass market, like Hatchimals and Marvel action figures,” says George, about the product mix in his 3,500-squarefoot store. “I don’t have big sections of products; they are small but they

are good. Of course I buy from a lot of vendors we see only at ASTRA, and we embrace the manufacturers who try to stay with small retailers.” Among his current favorite products are Micro Scooters and new releases from LEGO, plus Zipes from NeatOh! Lazer X from Toy Smith, everything from Jellycat, and anything remote control. “We try to have durable, cool and ‘WOW’ toys, and always something different,” he says. George’s specialty is enthusiastically describing those WOW items in YouTube videos. “I’m not proud,” he told me. “I’ll do anything to promote the store, even dance on street corners with signs.” In addition to the videos, he

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George has a reputation for fashion. A few years ago, photographs of him and his wife appeared in a Birmingham magazine article called “Style Icons: George and Virginia Jones.” So it’s no surprise that within Snoozy’s kids, George has carved out a space for women’s accessories, including chic and affordable jewelry, scarves, wraps, purses and more. He sources products from about 25 small designers. Shoppers love it. “When you think about it, who are my customers? Moms. On a schedule,” he explains. “We started out with teen/tween accessories, but now we even carry diamond jewelry. We meet the needs of that mom who comes in to buy toys for her kids, something for her sister and something for herself.” One day a customer told him, “I love your bracelets but I don’t want to give them in a gift box that says ‘Snoozy’s.’ Today, he uses a small logo left over from an idea for another store. It says “george.” also posts images of products on Instagram, and that is about the extent of marketing for Snoozy’s. “And, if anyone asks me to speak at their event, I’ll bring my wares and do it.” It must be effective –

George is a local celebrity. “At church, kids point at me and smile. I love it,” he says. Everyone sells Snoozy’s Kids has 10 employees, including George, (continued on page 33)

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Recommending

Pretending by Tina Manzer

“I

magination is more important than knowledge,” said Albert Einstein, “for knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” We imagine every day. As adults, imagining helps us solve

problems, enjoy novels, understand how customers feel, and create ideas to promote our businesses. It’s a practice we have been honing since we were born. Our industry is made up of imaginers; we understand its importance and promote its development with positive products every day. For many of us,

encouraging a child’s imagination is not just a job, it’s a calling. When we watch kids imagine and play, the process looks simple, but it’s not. Through pretend play, children learn and grow in many different areas that help them thrive as adults.

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Children draw upon events at home, in school and in their communities when they pretend. The licensed John Deere products from Kettler help them role-play to find out how it feels to plow snow, for instance, or fix a tractor. The learning that happens is the basis of intellectual and social development. (The tractor is pedalpowered; supporting physical development, too.) toys@kettlerusa.com, 888-253-8853 16

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Here are just a few of the skills developed through imaginary play, outlined by Scholastic.

Social and emotional

Children who engage in pretend play are actively experimenting with the social and emotional roles of life. It helps them learn to take turns, share responsibility and creatively problem solve. When they pretend to be different characters, it helps them “walk in someone else’s shoes” and develop the moral skill of empathy. As kids mature, they begin to understand the feelings of others. Role-play also helps build self-esteem by helping them discover they can be anything they want to be, just by pretending.

Language

Children often “talk” to their toys and their friends when they engage in imaginative play. By listening closely, parents will hear their own words and phrases in the patter – words they didn’t know their children had heard and

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learned! Pretend play helps children understand the power of language, and that words give them the ability to reenact a story. All of it helps kids make the connection between spoken and written language, and will eventually help them learn to read.

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Pretending together offers children some problems to solve, like what to use to create the walls of a fort, or who is going to be the patient and who will be the nurse. The solutions require the same thinking skills they’ll use in every aspect of their lives now and forever.

Self-regulation

A bit of roughhousing among kids can look alarming, but some researchers in early brain development say that it’s actually good within a monitored situation. It helps develop the frontal lobe, the part of the brain that regulates behavior. Rather than teach children to act out or become aggressive, roughhouse play can help them know how and when this type of play is appropriate.

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“Children need toys that give them space to put their ideas into practice,” says Ines Frömelt, designer of HABA’s Little Friends. The bendable plastic characters look the same age as the kids who play with them, and provide them with an interactive world in which to role-play situations from their everyday lives. info@habausa, habausa.com

Pretend’s Progression

Language skills development is such an important by-product of pretend play that the Hanen Centre in Canada – a not-for-profit focused on helping children develop the best possible language/ social/literacy skills possible – trains parents, educators and speech-language pathologists on techniques to stimulate children’s pretend skills. The charitable organization’s global reach includes children who have or are at risk for language delays, those with developmental challenges such as autism, and those who are

developing typically. From “Learning Language and Loving It – The Hanen Program for Early Childhood Educators,” here is a list of the ages and stages through which pretend play progresses. (Children with developmental delays may progress through these stages at a slower rate, points out the Hanen Centre.) 12 to 18 months

Self-pretend

During this stage, children perform one pretend action at a time on themselves, such as pretending

The work trucks do – move earth, haul cars, dump gravel – is exciting and fun for kids to re-create. There’s a lot of skill-building going on there: language, sensory, problem-solving and more. Luke’s Toy Factory trucks support that imaginative play with their simple design and interchangeable parts. 212-598-4500, jim@lukestoyfactory.com

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to eat, drink, or sleep. They tend to use toys that look realistic, like plastic food, or real-life objects like a kitchen spoon. 18 to 24 months

Simple pretend

Here, they perform simple pretend actions on toys or people using realistic-looking toys. Examples include feeding a doll with a toy fork or making a toy airplane “fly.” Children also imitate familiar adult actions, such as pretending to talk on a toy telephone.

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24 to 30 months

Series of familiar actions

Children at this age are learning to combine words together to make little sentences, and to combine pretend actions together. By now, they can pretend to perform a series of actions related to a familiar routine, like the steps involved in eating or going to bed. For example, the children may pretend to pour cereal in a bowl, add milk, and serve it to a doll. They may use less realistic objects, as long as they perceive them to be similar to the real object. A toy ball could be used as a pretend apple to feed a doll. 30 to 36 months

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Series of less-familiar actions

At this stage they may pretend about going to the doctor or being a waiter at a restaurant. Children pretend without an object at this point, like their hand is a cup and they drink out of it. They can also substitute objects that do not resemble the “real thing,” like pretending a block is a garbage truck. 3 to 5 years

Role play with other children

Children pretend about

imaginary themes now – things that don’t really exist or that they haven’t experienced yet in real life. Themes may include pirates, castles, and superheroes. They start to pretend with other children; each one taking on different roles. Realistic objects and toys are not needed as children can now pretend using

gestures, mime, and unrealistic objects. Language often drives the play at this stage. Children explain their roles and use language to act it out. A child pretending to be a doctor might say, “I’m the doctor, you be the patient, okay? Where does it hurt?”

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edplay does not guarantee how long these special offers will last. Please reach out to the companies for further details.

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A Classic Swing

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Go Big This holiday season

by Phil Wrzesinski

ne of the best moves I ever made was putting my staff in charge of our special events and holiday decorations. I had a bunch of go-getters, and they wanted to go whole hog for everything. Don’t get me wrong: I loved in-store events and special holidays just as much as my staff did. I was just too busy to plan the details needed to make those activities shine. My staff, however, consistently blew

me away with their creativity. For National Train Day, for instance, we used duct tape to make railroad tracks around the store that led to each of our special play areas. We even made a Toy House Train backdrop for photo ops. For another in-store event, Breyer Horse Day, we created a hobby-horse jumping arena with striped fences, bales of hay, and even water jumps. During our “Frozen” Spectacular, there were glittery snowflakes

everywhere and Disney Princesses in every corner of the store. The local symphony sent us a Disney Quartet to play a Disney concert. We packed more than 500 people in the store that day! No detail was ever spared. It was “go-big-or-go-home!” every time out. Even the frosting on the sugar cookies we gave away was specific to the theme of the day. With a staff like that, you can guess how our store looked for Christmas.

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Go Big Create holiday emotion Have you ever walked into a shop in which the decorations looked “phoned in”? Like the staff put up whatever the corporate office sent them, and then moved on? You probably felt like they didn’t really care about the holiday – the garland and the lights were old, and hung without care. The seasonal merchandise displays were cluttered and messy. It was clear that the store and its staff never got into the spirit of the holiday. You felt it and it didn’t feel good. Contrast that idea to the stores that embrace the holidays fully. You can feel the energy. Yeah, it can be a little over-the-top sometimes, but only the true Scrooges walk out of those stores not feeling a little better

than when they came in. The most important element of branding is the feeling your store creates for customers when they enter and when they leave. You can control that feeling with the effort you put into the holidays and other special events. If you don’t embrace the holidays, your customers will feel it. If you fully embrace the holidays, your customers will feel that, too. Which feeling would you rather they experience? It’s show time This is the season all retailers have circled on their calendars. The next few months can make or break your year. You’re entering the holiday selling quarter and you only

get one shot at doing it right. First Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then the grand-daddy of them all – Christmas! You need to embrace them and go all in. Go all in to show customers you love this season as much – or more – than they do. Go all in so they realize you care about them and the children for whom they’re buying. You know that they’re special – show them! Go all in so shoppers see that you care about your business and want it to succeed. Go all in because when you do, customers get fired up and enthusiastic about the gifts they are buying, and they will buy more. Embracing the holidays is the minimum customers expect of a top-notch store like yours.

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Go Big Exceeding their expectations earns you loyalty, and the repeat and referral customers who go along with it. If you want this to be your best holiday season ever, go all in, and then do one more thing they didn’t expect, like,

• serve coffee or espresso, • give out bottled water, • distribute free clown noses, • have a costume parade with candy and prizes the Saturday before Halloween,

• add some gift labels to each purchase, • throw in free gift wrapping (if you aren’t already doing that), • play kids’ movies and cartoons in your store the week before Thanksgiving while their parents shop, • do an in-store turkey coloring activity, • decorate Christmas-tree ornaments, • host a food drive in early November, and offer 1 percent for every can up to 5 or even 10 percent, • have a Bring-Your-Pet-to-Shop day and give out treats, and • wear silly hats. The more you embrace the holidays and get into the spirit, the more you make your store new, fresh, hip and happening. Your customers will notice the effort you do (or don’t) put into this season. They will reward you in kind. If you have a staff like mine, give them free reign to do up the holiday right. Then, embrace everything they do and get into the spirit yourself. If you don’t have the staff to do that (yet), you’ll have to lead the charge. Be the holiday cheerleader. The more you embrace it, the more your staff and customers will, too. Remember: no one loved Scrooge until he became full of the holiday spirit. Be that person. This is your season – go big, bigger, the biggest. It pays off in the end. Phil is the former owner of Toy House and Baby Too in Jackson, Michigan, one of “The 25 best independent stores in America” says George Whalin in his book Retail Superstars. Now Phil takes the lessons he learned in a lifetime of retail to help other independent merchants and small businesses find their success. Learn more at PhilsForum.com.

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pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/

retailers recommend

Fabulous Products

by Rebecca Carlson

Jesse Smith from SockMonkey Junction in Arlington, Texas “Pokémon trading cards (1) are still selling really well in our store. They were first introduced in the ’90s, and have become a timeless classic. “SpinAgain (2) from Fat Brain Toys is one of our bestselling products right now. Natasha Loos from Cedarburg Toy Company in Cedarburg, Wisconsin “Our store recently did a demo with the Mischief Maker Slingshot (3) by Mighty Fun! and the kids loved it. It’s lightweight so it’s easy to carry around, and it can be used indoors or out. “The Greentoys Construction Trucks gift set (4) is a construction site in a box. It’s such a great value because the customer gets three trucks instead of one.

mighty-fun.com

Tracey Welp from Just a Trace in Jasper, Indiana “Workman Publishing’s Paint by Sticker (5) books in all assortments are selling really well to both kids and adults. It’s a new concept – instead using crayons, markers or colored pencils, each book comes with a large pack of stickers. The sticker colors coordinate to the numbers on the drawing outline.

fatbraintoys.com

greentoys.com

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thehandcrafted.com

5 workman.com unclegoose.com

6 10 unicornstudioinc.com

9 unicornstudioinc.com

8 techwillsaveus.com

Kristen Joy Laidig from Toybox Gifts & Wonder in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania “I absolutely love the blocks from Uncle Goose. They’re solid wood and colored with plant-based dyes so they’re safe if infants chew on them. The best part about them is all the laser-engraved texture. The Sight Word Blocks (6) seem to be the most popular. “Each metal statue (7) from

The Handcrafted is unique. They are made using reclaimed metal scraps, auto parts, nuts, bolts, and other hardware. We carry several different models from dogs and cats to warriors. “We’re one of only a few retailers in the U.S. right now to carry the high-end, do-it-yourself tech kits from Tech Will Save Us based in the UK. We think grandparents will love to

buy them as holiday gifts. The Synth Kit (8) for ages 12 and up includes all the parts for kids to build their own synthesizer and create electronic music. We carry merchandise that you can’t find just anywhere, like the steampunk figures from Unicorn Studio. The Steampunk Airship (9) is awesome, and I recently sold my sample Dragon Mask (10) to a customer who begged me.”

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Beautiful

Retail

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tres

add

Standard & Polyhedral Dice 8

10 12

be changed daily – or periodically on a larger scale – to reflect different seasons, or special events taking place here at Destination Kohler.” Ideas for new merchandise come from attending trade shows, reading magazines, and listening to customer requests. There’s a heavy emphasis on imaginary play products, in addition to science and musical toys. The mix is geared to an age range of infants to kids age 12. Destination Kohler is the hospitality arm of the legendary kitchen and bath company. In the factory-centered community just minutes from Sheboygan, Destination Kohler includes lodging and resorts, a spa, restaurants, retail and dining. Twenty-six years after it was founded in 1873, the Kohler Company outgrew its foundry in the city and moved to the village of Riverside in the country. It was “a typical unsightly industrial complex,” according to the Sheboygan Press, until 1905, when Walter Kohler Sr. became Kohler’s president. His dream was to create a company town that would serve as a model for others in terms of beauty and function. The Village of Kohler was incorporated in 1912. Walter enlisted

“K

ohler, Wisconsin, is like Disneyland, but real,” described Mandi Gubler on her popular blog Vintage Revivals. “Everything is thought-out and completely beautiful, and feels like it was plucked from a storybook.” What a great place for a toy store decorated like a scene from a fairytale. Movers & Shakers is one of the 20-plus Shops at Woodlake, an upscale strip mall on the grounds of Kohler’s American Club resort. The circular center of the 3,374-squarefoot store is its focal point. It’s castle-like, thanks to fieldstone walls, floors and perches, and Gothic pointedarch windows. Surrounding it is “a princess room of make-believe,” says senior store manager Cindy Benkowski. The entire space was originally designed as a builders’ showcase, she explains, pointing to the store’s stained glass and fancy wood molding. Both are perfect accoutrements for a shop filled with toys. Shelving and slatwall display seasonal merchandise that shifts and changes throughout the year, plus core merchandise like books, games, plush, puzzles and construction toys. “The Shop is rearranged weekly as new merchandise arrives,” Cindy adds. “Displays can

Math & Language Manipulatives

by Tina Manzer pictures courtesy the Kohler Company

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the help of prominent landscape architectural firm Olmstead Bros., the sons of Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmstead, to come up with the community’s master plan. Described as a garden industrial community, “the design of Kohler was on the cutting edge of what was considered good town planning at the time,” notes the Sheboygan Press. Its charter designated it a self-governing municipality – instead of being run by the company – with residents electing their own village officials. Kohler

Improvement Company built the first homes and sold them at cost. In 1916, residents started to move in. Today, the factories remain right in the center of the town, in beautiful ivy-covered brick buildings. Movers & Shakers serves local neighborhood children as well as visitors and guests staying at the five-star resort-hotel. “The high-quality, unique, fun and special selection of toys that we have is designed for everyday play, but also includes great gift ideas,” says Cindy Benkowski. “Movers & Shakers loves Christmas and its traditions,” says Destination Kohler retail manager Lora Blakenburg. “It’s a magical time of year here. Children are invited to send letters to Santa and visit with him in the shop. Parents finish their shopping experience with complimentary gift wrap.” Joining Movers & Shakers in Westlake are a coffee shop, a chocolatier, a golf shop, a maternity and children’s clothing boutique and other specialty stores, restaurants and services.

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Ready, Set, SELL! (continued from page 15)

Lucy and others who live nearby, mostly moms. “They have kids themselves, and they know a lot of folks in the community. That helps,” says George. “I’m very demanding in terms of customer service. The store has earned a great reputation and I need employees who can keep delivering it. “We do a lot of hand selling,” George continues. “Part of it is explaining why we stock the item in the first place. We tell our customers that we search for ‘the best’ for them, and it’s the truth. Sometimes I love a product but the packaging is poor. I’ll say, ‘Look: the box doesn’t do it justice, but I promise you that your kids will have the best time with this product.’ Parents and grandparents trust us, and that’s how we’ve built our audience. We’ve watched our original customers grow up and have kids of their own, and we love that they shop here today.” He also hires employees from the local high school’s co-op program. He looks for kids with enthusiasm and personality “because I can teach them to sell,” he says. George majored in history and minored in business, but at sales, he’s a natural. “Selling can be a mind-blowing thing for new hires. I tell them, ‘Learning this skill can change your whole life.’ We do some role-playing and sales simulations, and we teach them to engage with the products and to engage the customers. We teach them to ask questions that will always be answered in the affirmative, like ‘Don’t you love this color?’

or ‘Can’t you see your nephew playing with this?’ We never ask about budget or how much a customer wants to spend. We just start showing them the coolest things and that kind of does it for them, you know?” The Snoozy’s difference Service includes shipping to out-of-town locations, arranging for drop shipping, free gift wrapping, and fulfilling telephone orders like this one: “I live in Memphis but my grandson is having surgery there tomorrow. Can you drop off a care package at the hospital?” “We have a great children’s hospital here, so that happens a lot,” George explains. “We keep customer credit cards on file for birthday-party gifts, so parents can call us ahead of time. By the time they get here, it’s paid for, wrapped and waiting. We’ll even walk it out to their car. “We try to make everything fun and easy,” he adds. “We don’t want to be like Walmart, just pushing customers through and scanning bar codes. We want to be involved with the buying process.” In terms of the next 30 years, George remains optimistic about retail, especially independent retail. “We’re watching the decline of large department stores like Macy’s and the rebound of smaller stores. Stores like mine are attracting new customers. We just have to make sure we’re keeping people happy.” Evidently, he is. One of his favorite compliments occurs when locals bring their friends in from out of town and tell him, “We just had to show them Snoozy’s.”

In this card game, Wolves must work together to catch one agile bunny who only wants toget back to his comfy den!

2-5

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new and true

Codenames: Disney Family Edition from USAopoly combines the hit social word game with some of Disney’s most beloved properties from the past 90 years. Two Cluemasters give one-word clues to help their teammates identify the Disney characters, locations and items from a 25-card game grid. It’s family fun for Disney fans of all ages! usaopoly.com

Discover the past with STEM-focused AR Wonders Dinosaur DNA by 4M. Excavate a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur skeleton and bring it to life with Augmented Reality technology via the FREE downloadable app! Combine the real and virtual worlds to share an epic experience with friends and family. sales@toysmith.com, 800-356-0474

Make a statement with high-quality porcelain letters you paint with your own unique design. Each kit – Love, Peace or Wish – comes complete with five pieces of porcelain to decorate, 12 paints and two brushes. Just add creative style! For ages eight and up. mwwholesale.com

Rhino Hero Super Battle from HABA USA is a card-tower building game in which four superheroes battle to be at the top of the building, holding the medal, when the tower eventually collapses! A turn involves placing walls or floors, rolling dice to battle and maybe defeating a spider monkey! habausa.com

Mary, Mary, quite contrary How does your garden grow? In the summer it grows well, But in the winter, rather slow. Then take these Wacky Links made of flowers And add a bit of creativity. Soon you’ll have blooms galore And a wacky fun activity. 646-598-8210 wackylinks.com

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From ring to zing, mozi transforms into mystical entertainment when you take it out for a ride. Mozi spins continuously as it travels up and down, from one arm to another, or as you pass it to a friend. Get your groove on and feel the movement! Comes in green, silver and iridescent. 888-588-9908

Wikki Stix Create & Decorate is unique, creative and perfect for the fourth quarter. Finally – a new activity for the tween market that’s not jewelry, not weaving, and not nail polish! Order now! 800-869-4554

The EcoTruck Fire Truck from Luke’s Toy Factory is made in the USA using sawdust and safe, clean plastic pellets. The trucks are a favorite of parents looking for green prod ucts. Designed for kids age 3+, the trucks promote problem solving and fine motor skills. jim@lukestoyfactory.com

Fractiles Travel Edition includes little diamondshaped magnetic tiles that help kids build STEM skills as they create seven-fold snowflakes, starbursts, spirals, butterflies and more. fractiles.com

Fly, bounce, swing, spin and dance through the air with the Air Pogo – the most awarded swing ever! Unplug, get outside and test your strength and balance while rediscovering the fun and adventure in your own backyard. Proudly made in the USA for 25 years. airpogo.com

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new and true

Crozzit is the two-player game you almost always win! There are just three rules, two players, and one winner. Connect the two sides of the board with tiles in your own color. It’s a fast game for smart players! identitygames.com 877 346 3482

Turn any ride into a glow ride with Wheel Brightz! They’re a fun and safe way to make any bike a head-turner. The package includes one string of superbright battery-operated LEDs that really stand out in the dark. Available in eight vibrant colors! brightz-ltd.com/catalog 419-517-0049

Turn fluffs of wool into fuzzy, felted friends. WoolPets brings the craft of needle felting to life. A generous helping of wool roving, felting needles, and easy step-by-step instructions make learning this craft a snap. Woolpets kits are perfect for creating holiday ornaments, and make great gifts, too. 888-966-5738

The 180-piece Magnetic Tiles Deluxe Set fro Picasso Tiles is a m fun “shape build ing” set. The tiles embedded magne ’ ts immerse child ren and creative adults into craftin g 2-D and 3-D pr ojects. It’s a perfe choice for those ct who appreciate ST EM learning. 626-389-8864, su pport@picassot iles.com.

Saturnian 1’s Grip Zone footballs are made from a buckskintan, leather-composite-material with a patented mega-grip surface. Sizes 8.5 and 10.5-inch are easy for little hands to grasp, throw and catch. Safe and non-threatening in team sports for kids age 6 through 12 and up. 800-653-2719

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One of our best sellers! Easily turn any smartphone or tablet into a powerful microscope with the Smartphone Inspector from My First Lab! It features amazing 60x magnification and two lights – LED and UV. Kids of all ages can take pictures, zoom in, or capture video of any 3D object. 703-330-1413, myfirstlab.com

Bring your mini creations to life with TICO Mini Bricks from The Lazy Dog & Co.! Build each set with amazing detail to create realistic miniature models or works of art. Designed and made in Taiwan, TICO Mini Bricks come in a variety of colors and shapes. 201-771-0039

Mirari Shellby from orable snail PlayMonster is an ad balls into the op full of fun! Dr m pop out the tch wa d the shell an en you tap of Shellby’s mouth wh l Shellby rol u the tail, or when yo es four lud Inc or! along the flo lots of for lls ba ch -in nearly-2 ’ lin fun! For droppin’, poppin’, rol d older. an s children 9 month ster.com on ym pla , 800-524-4263

The Kiddi-o 6-in-1 Multi Trike adapts to your growing child with six different modes! The high-back seat, safety seatbelt and canopy help your little one stay comfortable. The rotating seat feature allows for child forward or rear facing. Includes a safety bar and infant or toddler footrests. Adjustable stroller handlebar makes maneuvering a breeze. 2016 Top Toy of the Year winner! 888-253-8853 The Brackitz Pulley Set includes 77 pieces and directions for eight contraptions – from a moving drawbridge to a 4-foot flying zip line to a bucket escalator. With pulleys, axes, hubs, hook, crank and string, engineers of all ages will have fun building and cranking contraptions that haul, lift, slide and move up/down. No hard hat required. brackitz.com

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new and true

Chemistry Fluxx is the perfect compound of chance and skill, where kids not only play with elements and molecules, but they’ll also learn about them! Use atoms and laboratory gear to match the current goal and win! Chemistry Fluxx is so much fun you’ll play more than “periodically.” looneylabs.com

Blurble from North Star Games is the hilarious game of blurting out surprisingly random words. Whether you’re playing with the family or at a party, you’ll stutter, stammer, and shout your way to a great time! sales@northstargames.com

gination, fine motor control and Help strengthen a child’s ima two e large building blocks of physical development with thes the ws allo nt eme interior reinforc different sizes from AMEP. The tive crea For n. ctio stru finished con child to climb onto his or her outdoor. Dishwasher safe. and oor ind h bot play amep.com

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There’s No Other City Like New York and No Other Show Like Toy Fair!

• More than 1,000 exhibitors • 150,000+ products including 7,000 world debuts • 4 days, 1 location – in the heart of New York City

Saturday–Tuesday, February 17–20, 2018 EPY_Sept/Oct_2017.indd 39

www.ToyFairNY.com

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industry news

• Pawns • Arrow Spinners • Dice • Poker Chips • Polyhedral Dice • Mini Chips • Sand Timers • Checkers And Much More!

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On September 7, news sources reported that Toys R Us hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis to advise it on restructuring the company’s $400 million debt, due in 2018. A bankruptcy filing is among those options, said CNBC. Tackling the debt load could help provide clarity to its vendors concerning the company’s long-term viability, points out CNBC – especially important this time of year, as the toy retailer continues to stock its shelves for the holidays. In a statement, a Toys R Us spokesperson told Retail Dive, “As we previously discussed on our first-quarter earnings call, Toys R Us is evaluating a range of alternatives to address our 2018 debt maturities, which may include the possibility of obtaining additional financing.” The company will offer

updates on September 26 during its second-quarter conference call. Like retailers in the specialty toy industry, Toys R Us has been battling competition from Walmart, Target, and Amazon for years. “Analysts with the debt-rating firm Fitch Ratings pointed out that the commodity-like and cyclical nature of toys – they don’t need much sales assistance – makes them attractive products for discounters and online players,” reports Retail Dive. “For a robust retailer, debt payments can be challenging,” Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, told Retail Dive. “For a retailer struggling to generate sales growth while, at the same time, trying to invest to remain relevant – it can be the difference between success and failure.”

JAX Games, begun nearly 40 years ago by legendary toy entrepreneur Zelman Levine, has been acquired by Goliath Games. Cindy, Kreg, and Debbie Levine will continue to lead JAX from its headquarters in Plymouth, Minnesota. “JAX will produce its own products and maintain its brand while enjoying the benefit of Goliath’s significant global resources, including R&D, logistics, TV and digital marketing campaigns,” said Goliath President David Norman.

“Our companies share similar origins,” said Adi Golad, Goliath’s founder. “We both used grassroots promotion to build games from the ground up. Globally, Sequence from JAX will be a great fit with our other evergreen titles.” Goliath, an international manufacturer and distributor of a broad range of products, including Rummikub, Rubik’s Cube, Tri-ominos, Wordsearch, Pop the Pig, Doggie Doo, Gooey Looey and Catch the Fox, was founded in 1980, the same year as JAX. It is one of the few

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remaining family-owned global toy and game companies.

Over the past 38 years, JAX has developed hundreds of critically acclaimed toys and games, and is best known for its Sequence brand of games, along with Doodle Dice, Kings in the Corner, and Solitaire Frenzy. For more information, visit jaxgames.com or goliathgames.com.

Little Colorado, a manufacturer of wooden toddler furniture based in Denver, recently unveiled a Kickstarter campaign to fund the launch of MyBox, a line of first-ofits-kind, custom printed toy boxes. The campaign seeks to raise $30,000 to help with the purchase of a digital flatbed printer that uses UV cured ink. “MyBox is wholly original, as no other manufacturer of toy boxes allows consumers to ‘design their own,’” says Richard Hare, company president and co-owner. “For the first time, parents will be able to add a picture of their toddler,

their child’s artwork, a design that matches their home decor, or a quotation or photo that holds real meaning for them.”

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industry news Founded in 1986, Little Colorado was purchased by Hare and his wife 18 months ago. They are committed to producing wooden toddler furniture – no toys, cribs, or changing tables – and to domestic manufacturing and employment. The 27,000square-foot plant in Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood employs approximately 20 Denver-area residents. A factory outlet and showroom will be opening this fall. For more information, contact Bill Hare at 303-964-3212, or bill@ littlecolorado.com.

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Learning Resources has launched a new marketing campaign to help parents nurture a love of learning in their children and give them the educational skills they need to take on the world. The campaign, called “Learning is Where We Play,” includes a 30-second TV spot, digital advertising, and a dedicated page at learningresources.com that features Danielle and Adam Busby and their all-female quintuplets from the television show “Outdaughtered.” A recent survey conducted by Learning Resources reveals that 66-percent of parents consider themselves primarily responsible for their children’s education. “Parents are taking the responsibility of educating their children more seriously than ever,” said Learning Resources CMO Marie LaPlante. “We feel a responsibility to show parents how to create moments of

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learning through play every day.” For more information and resources – like tips from the Busby’s and Spotify playlist designed to accompany playtime – visit learningresources.com/learnandplay.

The annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTag), North America’s largest open-to-the public event of its kind, will be held Thursday, November 16 through Sunday, November 19. Now in its 15th year, the fair has become the premier destination for experiencing the hottest toys and games for the holidays. Last year, the fair hosted its largest crowd ever: more than 33,000 consumers and social influencers, and media and trade professionals. Thousands of toys and games were exhibited by 160-plus companies. For more information, visit chitag.com.

Beverly Johnson, CEO and founder of Fractiles, based in Boulder, Colorado, died on August 19, after a brief illness. Her 20-year-old company produced an original STEM “toy” long before science, technology, engineering and math became today’s ubiquitous acronym. When STEM became STEAM with the addition of “art,” Fractiles fit in that category, too. The angles of its magnetic, diamond-shaped tiles are all based on the number 7, so when they are arranged on a board, the resulting designs are not only beautiful, they’re symmetrical. It’s geometry, “where art and math meet,” Beverly said in a recent interview. “You see it in the pattern of seeds in a sunflower, or the whorls of a seashell.” There are only three different diamond shapes in a Fractiles set, but literally billions of combinations you can make with them if you have enough tiles. Over the years, the product never changed. “The colors are the same because I have yet to find others as effective as these are,” she told me earlier this year. “Beverly was a force to be reckoned with, and was as strong as she was beautiful,” said her children. The company will continue to operate under the direction of Beverly’s son, Richard Montgomery. Visit fractiles.com for more information.

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Give them the

FULL PAC by Rebecca Carlson

Bärenpark challenges you to build your own bear park in this quick and fun puzzle adventure! Build enclosures, animal houses, shops, and majestic bear statues for the most points and the best bear park of them all!

2-4

30-45

or most mass-market, mall and department stores, the idea of free gift wrapping as a service during the holidays is a thing of the past. That’s fine with specialty toy retailers, who consider their gift decorations a hallmark of their service and a boost for their brand. It sets them apart, and helps build customer loyalty and overall satisfaction – especially when toy shoppers feel the pressure of holiday gift buying. Speaking of the holidays, are you gift-wrap ready? Here are some tips for creating wrapped-paper masterpieces quickly and easily.

Organize for speed Pretty packages take time to wrap. If the process is not efficient, it can stall your store’s holiday momentum. To avoid long lines at the register, set up a wrapping center somewhere else, preferably in a noticeable (for customers) and convenient (for you) location between the checkout counter and the door. That way, shoppers can go straight from payment to wrapping without disrupting the flow of your store. Using the right tools and keeping them handy can help cut down on customer wait time. Instead of using scissors, for instance, try a rotary cutter

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ACKAGE that glides across the paper. Just make sure the surface underneath is covered with a self-healing cutting mat to avoid damaging counters or tables. Use a T-square to quickly ensure straight angles and lines, especially if your paper is a print. Keep each wrapping tool, tape roll, and pen where you need it. Then, clearly label each FOR WRAPPING with a permanent marker. The label makes it harder for employees (or customers) to accidently walk away with them. Purchase backup sets of scissors, rulers, pens, and tape dispensers, and clearly mark them, too. You don’t want to waste time

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looking for materials that became mixed in with other store supplies. Who’s going to wrap? There are a few different options here, depending on your overall budget and store traffic. You can train everyone (use inexpensive newsprint for practice). Then, they can take turns on the sales floor, at the wrapping station, and the cash register. And yes, associates who are working the register can do double duty by wrapping right at the counter. Just keep neatness in mind. You don’t want the wrapping location, or the gift itself, to look messy.

Order now for the Holidays. Our trucks are ready to roll! To order, call Jim Barber at 212-598-4500 or email Jim@LukesToyFactory.com september/october 2017 • • • • • edplay.com 45

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the FULL PACKAGE

You could also bring in temporary help; employees whose sole task is to man the wrapping station. That way, you can hire based on skill and experience and it will save you the hassle of teaching every single staffer. Another option is to set up a DIY wrapping station for customers. Instead of letting the station run itself, especially on days when there are a lot of customers in the store, make it the responsibility of a staffer to keep track of the materials, replenish supplies, and step in to offer help when needed. Another time-saving DIY

solution that also minimizes paper waste is to provide customers with premade kits – consisting of a box, ribbon and a gift tag – which they can take home with them. It also give customers an opportunity to add their own personal and special touches to the present. Make it stand out Branding your gift wrap is the perfect way to advertise your store. It can be subtle or intricate, and you can be as creative as you want without breaking the bank. Your store’s name or logo can be printed on gift boxes, gift

tags, and even ribbon. It shows the gift recipient exactly where the gift came from. You know how effective that can be at kids’ birthday parties, but how about under a Christmas tree? Gift boxes and bags are gifts that keep on giving – for your store. Studies show that shoppers reuse them up to five times! Imagine how many people would see your logo, all because of one gift. Get inspired to do something unique by looking at packages and gift wrap other stores use. Many retailers coordinate their wrap, ribbons and other toppers to the color palette of their store’s

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Boxes and bags Paper isn’t your only option for putting finishing touches on gifts. Some stores offer boxes in different sizes, while others simply bag and tag. Finding a method that works best for your business can save you money in the long run. Gift bags can be fast and easy for fancying up odd-sized and hard-to-wrap products. Just add

tissue on top and a bow. They are covers the smallest item on your a great time-saving option during shelf to the largest, if possible. SET INCLUDES the holiday season; just make sure they’re eye-catching and appealing. Stock different colors Everyone talks about creating of tissue paper, different sizes retail experiences for shoppers, of bows, and bags that include but specialty toy storeowners holiday prints. live it. Your complimentary Gift boxes are great for gift-wrapping service certainly small and/or loose items like plays a role. Engage customers Pop Sockets, Schleich figures, by giving them choices – “Which 360° FLIPS RC CONTROL INDOOR/OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE LEVEL BONUS PARTS and open stock jewelry, but paper do you like best? How also for floppy, hard-to-wrap about this color ribbon?” – then items like Folkmanis puppets create some fun retail theater IN CHINA or plush. Compared to paper with the wrapping process itself. MADE Model No. ODY-1228 or bags, however, boxes are Make sure your customers Adult supervision is always Keep the know you’re creating a package recommended. more expensive. You’ll want quad at least 10ft. away from people when in use. masterpiece for them, and they’ll to purchase them in multiple come back for more. different sizes in a range that

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endcap (continued from page 50) Science is easier to understand when it is hands-on. In addition to building skills in science, using a microscope also helps kids with self-confidence and leadership. It makes them comfortable doing higher-level things. What are your bestsellers?

Currently it’s our Duo Scope. The two-in-one microscope comes with about 50 science accessories, including prepared slides, blank slides that kids can set up themselves, and some little experiments they can do. For a younger age group, our Duo Scope Starter Kit sells well. It comes with 40 different science accessories and a slightly lower price point. Our Smartphone Inspector is popular, too. It clips onto mobile phones and tablets to turn them into really powerful microscopes – it magnifies up to 60 times. It “mobilizes” science. You can literally take it out of your pocket and use it, which makes it really appealing to families on the go.

As a result, we intentionally partnered with online distributors and sellers who understand the value, quality and price of our products. After that, monitoring MAP became easier. I must say we get a lot of support from our retailer customers. It’s not uncommon for them to point out prices they see on other websites. When there is a violation, it’s very short-lived. We have processes in place to get them back up to MAP. We also support retailers with photos they can use on their websites, in-store signage that we customize for every store, and other resources that support the concept of STEM and sales of My First Lab products.

At what shows do you exhibit? Will we see something new from C & A in 2018?

We do Toy Fair, ASTRA, and multiple other tradeshows across the U.S. each year. We just debuted a concept for a new product, and we are taking preorders on it now. The STEM Starter Kit includes the Smartphone Inspector, along with 3-D slides of about 15 different specimens, including wool, crystals and insect legs. We know children, teens and adults are addicted to their phones. This kit is just another way to mobilize science, and grasp the connection between playing and learning.

How do you think My First Lab products will sell this fourth quarter?

Their holiday sales record has been really good in the past. This year, we expect them to be even better based on the expanded focus on STEM products all across the nation. A microscope is a special and unique gift; one that parents and grandparents are happy to give. How do you monitor MAP?

A couple of years ago, we began taking a more proactive approach to supporting specialty toy stores. We weighed that against an understanding of the needs of consumers and online purchasing. september/october 2017 • • • • • edplay.com 49

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endcap

Fun, Magnified by Rebecca Carlson and Tina Manzer

he work of noted research scientist Michael W. Davidson in the 1990s illustrates how fun it can be to “play” with a microscope. Dr. Davidson, well known for his contribution to Nobel Prize-honored research, also revealed to us the beauty in a drop of beer and the doodles engineers scribble on computer chips. By toying with magnification, and then figuring out a way to photograph what it revealed, he showed us tiny, amazing worlds that we never would have known existed. C & A Scientific, based in Manassas, Virginia, and China, understands the fun, but also the learning potential of playing with microscopes. That’s why the company added a children’s product line, called My First Lab, to its menu of supplies and equipment for medical and science professionals. In a recent interview with Matthew Swain, C & A’s director of marketing, we learned more about parents’ expectations in the era of STEM, and how My First Lab is meeting their needs. edplay: The My First Lab brand has been around for awhile, right?

Matthew Swain: Yes. Since 1998. C & A began five years earlier delivering microscope slides to medical product dealers. The company grew, and added professional, medical-grade

microscopes to its line, along with other lab equipment. When parents and schools started contacting us, we introduced My First Lab. We still maintain our presence in the medical market, and we use that expertise for manufacturing professional microscopes to create affordable, high-quality children’s microscopes. What are parents and teachers asking for?

In my opinion, it’s all about STEM. Parents are looking for high quality products that children can learn from while they’re having fun. In schools, teachers want to help children, no matter their background, foster critical skills for the future. Our microscopes are ideal for students who are on different learning levels, and our prepared specimen slides coincide with grade levels base on student learning.

We’re all about hands-on learning; we want kids to engage and interact with microscopes without being afraid to break them. Also, all of our optics are glass, not plastic, with the exclusion of one of our models that was designed for a specific application. Other children’s microscopes rely on mirrors to reflect light up to the stage where the specimen is for viewing. That’s not us. We have real optical light sources, not mirrors. We rely on LED bulbs for maximum illumination and long-lasting life. We also offer battery-operated and plug-in scopes depending on the application. Our products put the power of real-life products in kids’ hands. (continued on page 49)

How do My First Lab microscopes meet the demand?

Well they’re durable, so kids can take them outside and explore. The My First Lab Duo Scope

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