Games, Playthings and Plush

Sales of Children’s (From page 78)

the worst of its 13 years in Encino, Calif. “We’ve focused on our bread and butter merchandise, and I didn’t stock as much this year,” said Ron Sclar , who owns the store with his wife, Karen. Business is down about 80 percent from before the pandemic, so the Sclars are focused on moving inventory.

Over the holidays, Mattel, Fisher-Price and Bruder trucks were bright spots. “Schliech dinosaur figurines are pretty hot right now,” Sclar noted. “And we had hundreds of Pokémon cards and they all sold out, even without much traffic this year.”

Sclar said arts and crafts are traditionally a strong category for the store as well. But striking the right inventory balance is tricky while shoppers are nervous and supply is uncertain. “If I had more foot traffic, I’d sell a lot of puzzles,” said Sclar. But he never got the chance: “I ordered a whole bunch from Ravensburger, and they never did come in.”

At Thinker Toys in Honolulu, social media drives trends like Pop Its silicone bubble toys, which have been featured on TikTok and YouTube. Manager Anita Lastimosa credits social media sites for the popularity of LOL dolls, fidget spinners and other current best-sellers. “Kids really do follow the

What Is Your Top Display Tip?

Make a Clean Scene: “Cleanliness and visibility. If we had things sitting around in bins, they wouldn’t sell as well as in a brightly lit display case. Things always do better when they’re clean and organized and you can see them.” — Kenny Koepnik, manager, The Toy Department, Fairfield, Ohio

Keep Facing Forward: “You want to front face as much as you can, though especially with games, this can be challenging.” — Ron Sclar, owner, Karen’s Toys, Encino, California

Help Them Imagine the Fun at Home: “We have a very obvious aesthetic that appeals both to children and adults. It doesn’t hurt that if these toys are strewn around the kitchen the living room floor, they also look nice.” — Avi Kravitz, owner, Norman & Jules, Brooklyn

Let New Toys Shine: “Just have things out where people can see them. Anything new, we put right in the window.” — Anita Lastimosa, manager, Thinker Toys, Honolulu

Keep Changing: “We’ll do seasonal displays. Right now, it’s Easter. We’ll also cluster based on category — arts and crafts, building toys.” — Sandra Glichowski, owner, Blue Ridge Toys, Clayton, Ga. ❖ trends online, she said. “And then Pokémon cards — for some reason, that’s taking off again.”

Bruder trucks and monster trucks, especially for boys, have been in strong demand. “We’ve also sold a lot more arts and crafts during the pandemic, things kids can do at home,” Lastimosa added.

Sandra Glichowski , owner of Blue Ridge Toys in Clayton, Ga., isn’t surprised that fidget toys are hot. Fidgeting, she explained, is only natural for restless youngsters trapped in front of screens all day for remote learning. Rubik’s Cube and yo-yos are winners with that demographic, along with board games.

“They’re things that families can play while they’re all at home together,” Glichowski said. As the weather warmed up, Blue Ridge was also doing a brisk business in outdoor toys like hoppers, especially as gifts. “Anything they can do outside with a little sand and water,” Glichowski said. ❖