Games, Playthings and Plush

Simple Pleasures (From page 129) eyes are not buttons, they’re sewn in. They’re mainly for the under-2-year-olds. For the older kids, Ganz is popular. For the longest time, unicorns were big, then it was narwhals for awhile. Some plush was pretty un-

“It’s comfort. It’s a hug. It’s the friend who’s always there for you. Sometimes kids will hug a few before they choose The One, but they definitely test the huggability [of each plush].” usual. Now customers like little chickens, and things like avocados. We also sell puppets by Folkmanis. It doesn’t matter what type of creature it is with puppets.”

- Leah Pickering, Kazoodles Toys, Vancouver, Wash.

Friedland said they haven’t had to do much target marketing for plush. “It’s one of those things that just sells for us. There is such an emotional connection— when you see a plush toy, you want to hold it and carry it. Other toys might take more explanation; plush kind of sells itself for us. It’s important to us to have brands [of plush] that are high quality. For us, it’s also important to have a variety of animals. We always have animals you can’t find in other places.” Brooks said as a toy and book shop, she and her team look for ways to cross-merchandise plush with literary characters. “We are often able to merchandise our plush with a great book or simply by type and brand. Hanging a

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What Is Your Current Best-Selling Game?

Games and puzzles have enjoyed a tremendous resurgence over the last year and a half. They were the perfect solution for parents looking to keep children entertained (and reduce their screen time) and for adults looking to pass the time and keep their own skills sharp while spending more time at home.

The sale of games and puzzles have leveled out a bit since the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns, but retailers say they are still strong sellers. “Our Number One best selling game is Charades Games for Kids,” said Scott Friedland, shopkeeper at Timeless Toys in Chicago, Ill. “We do well with mind puzzles like Rubik’s cube, one player puzzle games. The classics do really well—Battleship, Jenga. One that’s getting more popular is Storytime Chess. It’s a chess learning game—can start learning chess at age 3, and it comes with a storybook with different characters.”

Jeff Masterson, co-owner of Young Heart Books and Toys in Johnstown, Pa., said games with learning elements are selling best at the store. “We sell a lot of games from Learning Resources and MindWare. Both companies are very good at creating learning experiences for kids. They learn without knowing it. We also sell a lot of the throwbacks—Clue, Old Maid. Parents are doing more one-on-one with kids rather than all the electronics. We sell Tiddlywinks here—not a ton, but they do sell.”

“We do a fairly strong business in Smart Games—single-player logic games. We do well with Kaitan, Ticket to Ride, those familystyle games. Jump In from Smart Games and Sloth in a Hurry are our top two best-sellers,” said Leah Pickering, owner of Kazoodles Toys in Vancouver, Wash. “Games and puzzles have really slowed down for us vs. at the beginning of the pandemic. Puzzles were always very strong, especially for the adults. Not in bad shape, but they’re not quite as strong as they were a year ago.”

Games and puzzles have been extremely popular over the past year and make up a large section in our shop. Everything from Dungeons and Dragons, Catan Junior or the Camp Board Game to great old classics Scrabble and Operation have become very popular. It has been so nice to see so many families coming together to enjoy time around the table playing together,” said Clare Brooks, owner of Little Village Toy & Book Shop in Littleton, N.H. “The expansion of naughty and sarcastic adult games has been great too. People seem to be trying to enjoy more quality face to face time and a little less screen time, which is wonderful.”