ASTRA Toy Times June 2019

J U N E 2019

magazine

Play Means Business in Pittsburgh

THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN SPECIALTY TOY RETAILING ASSOCIATION astratoy.org • June2019

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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE®

BEWARE and WARNING! This ASTRA Marketplace will be different from other years…

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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE and the Choose Your Own Adventure logo are registered trademarks of Chooseco LLC.

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features

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CO

K

departments

money matters

trending now

4 Contributors

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What Made it a Strong Q4 in the Toy Industry

24

Create an Exhibit that Gets Attention

6 President’s Report

26

Ready for My Closeup

7 Message from the Chair

12

Turning it Around

28

M&A: What to Expect

8 Ready, Set, Play

13

Letting an Employee Go

30

NTSD Date and CMSR Grad

14

Partnering with School Districts

34

Welcome New ASTRA Team Members

54 ASTRA Welcomes Its Newest Manufacturer Members

15

Have Toys? Will Travel.

astra news toy stories

36

58 New Members 62 Index of Advertisers

New Regional Group Model; Innovation Council Focused on 2030

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Making a Difference During Challenging Times

18

Before the Toy Industry

marketplace & academy

20

From the Desk Of

38

Keynote: Yancey Strickler

22

Keeping it Fresh

40

Education Sessions

46

Schedule at a Glance

47

Lightning Learning

48

Thank You to Our Partners

50

Giving Back in Pittsburgh

52

What’s New at Marketplace & Academy

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 welcome.

Please forward letters, comments, ideas, etc., to the ASTRA office at dmarsden@astratoy.org

®

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Board of Directors

chair Dee Farrell past chair Erik Quam chair-elect Christine Blumberg treasurer Kevin McGrath secretary Amy Saldanha directors Nicole Bortnick, Betty Skoke Burns, Cynthia Compton, Damien Crocker, Anita Demetropoulos, Jacqueline Killian, Tami Murphy, Nick Tarzia

Magazine

editor Tom Savage assistant editor Dee Marsden graphic artist Maia VanOrman

Editorial Advisory Committee

chair Tom Savage Jean Bailey, Consultant Ashley Browning, Specialty Marketing Group Roger Bildsten, Hip Hooray LLC Theresa Duncan, Villa Villekulla Toy Store Tami Murphy, Grand Prix International

ASTRA Staff

president Kimberly Mosley member relations director Sue Warfield business development director Ahren Hoffman meetings and events director Dina Velasquez marketing and communications manager Dee Marsden membership coordinator Robyn Foster office administrator Nicole Peavy education administrator Cora McCarron meetings and events administrator Clare McKeown Toy Times Magazine is published by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, 432 N Clark St., Suite 305, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-222-0984, info@astratoy.org, www.astratoy.org.

Copyright © 2019 American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.

All rights reserved.

Advertisements are accepted. For more information, contact Fahy-Williams Publishing, 800-344-0559.

All articles for Toy Times are supplied by ASTRA and its members, with Fahy-Williams assembling and editing the magazine, and managing the advertising sales function.

ASTRA reserves the right to accept, reject, or alter all editorial and advertising material submitted for publication. Advertising in ASTRA does not imply endorsement of products and services. Opinions expressed in articles contained herein are those of the authors, not necessarily of ASTRA or its individual members.

The information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.

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contributors Jean Bailey

Jean Bailey is a consultant to the toy industry and former director of the National Lekotek Center, a non-profit that works with children of all abilities utilizing toys and play. For the last decade she has promoted, studied, written articles and white papers and reviewed research on toys and play as it relates to child development. Bailey has presented on the subject of toys and play internationally and brings with her years of experience in marketing, communications and adult education.

Roger Bildsten

Roger Bildsten is the Founder and CEO of Hip Hooray LLC. He writes and speaks about kids and the grownups who care about them. Roger is the past CEO of two ASTRA manufacturing companies and curates the Grand Grandparent blog. He has served multiple terms on the ASTRA board and has long been active on many committees. Roger chairs the ASTRA Innovation Council.

Ashley Browning

Ashley Browning is a Sales Representative for Specialty Marketing Group, covering Minnesota, North and South Dakota. Her career in toys began with a chance meeting in 2012 with a “baseball mom”, who has now become her closest friend. Ashley recently joined a regional magazine’s advisory board in which she was featured highlighting holiday toy trends. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, running between various sporting events for both her son and daughter, and of course trying to stay warm during the long winter months in Minnesota.

Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis is President of Competitive Edge, a tradeshow productivity firm in Charlotte, NC. He created the award-winning Exhibitor Success & ROI Center and E3 Exhibiting Effectiveness Evaluation programs.

You can reach Jefferson at Jefferson@ tradeshowturnaround.com

Theresa Duncan

Theresa, along with her father Todd, owns Villa Villekulla Neighborhood Toy Store.

Through her background in youth development, Theresa saw first-hand the power of play in the development of children and their store, located on Amelia Island, Florida, reflects a passion for bringing quality play opportunities to the children and adults of their community.

Brice Elvington

Brice spent 10 years in chemical engineering and business development before joining his wife to build her pediatric dental practice. Feeling the MBA degree he pursued didn’t focus on small business, he dropped out and bought Toy Shop Florence from his parents to begin his “real world MBA”. In the six years since that endeavor, he and his wife have had four children and are excited to watch how their kids involvement in the store compounds their education

Tami Murphy

As an ASTRA member, Tami served as Chair of the Marketplace & Academy Planning Committee and participated on multiple subcommittees under the Planning Committee, including the Breakout Session Sub-Committee. Tami is the Director, Business Development Services at Grand Prix International. Prior to that she was the National Sales Manager of The Haywire Group. She volunteers her time to a local non-profit organization that The Haywire Group supports that provides services to foster children that the state doesn’t fund. In 2016, Tami was nominated for a Women In Toys’ Wonder Woman award. In her free time, Tami enjoys reading and spending time with her kids.

Kathleen Tomes

Kathleen Tomes is the president and founder of Brilliant PR & Marketing, the preeminent agency specialized in marketing to moms, dads and families. Brilliant leads public relations, social media, influencer relations and more for some of the finest brands in the industry, including ASTRA, Highlights for Children, Educational Insights, Learning Resources, HABA and more. Visit www. brilliantprm.com for more information.

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president’sreport

A

s I write today, we are sitting on the one-year anniversary of the end of Toys R Us. A lot has changed over the past year.

We experienced the ups and downs of the loss of that iconic business. We saw some mergers and acquisitions and we lost some businesses. Several big box retailers expanded their toy offerings and several new retailers dipped their toe in the toy business.

In the late fall of 2018, a holding company called Geoffrey LLC won an auction for Toys R Us’ assets and set up Geoffrey’s Toy Box pop-up stores in Kroger stores.

These changes are just examples of the ongoing changes of the toy industry and retailing in general. Change is nothing new for ASTRA members and we continue to be mighty together. We find support in the ASTRA community whether we are facing a new challenge or seeking new ideas. Because we use our small size to our advantage, nimbly changing our business practices to take advantage of all opportunities, independent retailing is not going anywhere.

This year’s Marketplace & Academy promises to be better than ever. Transformed from its past, Pittsburgh has emerged as one of the leading cities in the tech industry. These advancements have helped turn heads and bring Pittsburgh back to center stage. The city of Pittsburgh uses the tagline “Mighty.

Beautiful.” What a perfect home for the ASTRA community that is “Mighty Together.” Pittsburgh is not only defined by its skyline and its sports teams, but by its vibrant neighborhoods. While you are there, visit Lawrenceville to get an idea of that vibrancy.

Home to artists and designers, this trendy ‘ville is a neighborhood on the rise with one-of-a-kind shops and an awesome dining scene.

ASTRA Marketplace & Academy is four days jam-packed with networking, education and shopping crafted just for the specialty

toy industry. Join us in Pittsburgh, June 9 - 12, to connect with colleagues from across the country and around the world. With 30 hours of education to choose from delivered by experts and peers, you will leave with several actionable ideas. Take advantage of the session on driving foot traffic into your physical store. This panel will feature a Google representative providing advice on Google services to drive in-store sales.

This year’s keynoter can’t be missed. Kickstarter co-founder and former CEO, Yancey Strickler, will share his unique perspective on growing values both personally and professionally. Yancey tells the story of Kickstarter, from its humble beginnings to its innovative approach as a Public Benefit Corporation, revealing insights and lessons from the experience.

Kickstarter has helped independent creative people raise more than $4 billion to fund their ideas, from Cards Against Humanity, to Oculus Rift, to Oscar-winning movies.

Perhaps this is your year to raise the bar on your business approaches. Designed to meet the needs and challenges that independent sales representatives in toy industry face, the Certified Master Sales Representative Workshop is an opportunity for sales reps to invest in their professional development. After spending countless hours serving your customers, this is a chance to spend some time on you! Registrants will leave the workshop with the customer service component of certification complete and complete the remainder of the program online, covering topics on child development, B2B marketing, intellectual property and retirement planning. Order your next set of business cards with the CMSR credential next to your name.

ASTRA members know they can change the world through the power of play. ASTRA’s Certified Play Expert workshop, offered Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8, gives registrants in-depth knowledge on the science behind play, child development stages, and the language to better serve your customers. .

With one year under our belts, the demise of Toys R Us is still unfolding. And no matter the outcome, the next big challenge or opportunity is right around the corner. Despite the uncertainty, ASTRA forges ahead in our commitment to providing children with healthy, quality play materials that have high play value.

We know how important our mission is. We know that we can change the world through the power of play and that we are mighty together.

Kimberly Mosley, ASTRA

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message from the chair

W

ith my time as the chair on the board of directors coming to a close, I sat down to reflect back on this past year.

All of us in the toy industry faced down uncertainties and so many changes.

Our industry was in the spotlight and even featured on the evening news. Because of the closing of Toys R Us, there were interviews, articles, and reports offering advice about the best places to shop for toys.

Local and national press featured ASTRA retailers across the country as being THE place to find toys. While industry reports showed that toy sales in 2018 were down overall, those same reports also revealed that small independent stores grew on average by three percent.

The attention on our industry also opened the door for a larger conversation about the importance of play. Industry thought leaders, toy manufacturers, and child experts like pediatricians and social workers were all reinforcing the message that kids need play – screen-free play. As ASTRA members, we know that screen-free play is a necessary part of children’s learning and skill development.

We see every day how play helps kids unlock their creativity and free their imagination. Toy play, outdoor play, pretend play, and active play are all the kinds of play ASTRA retailers offer parents and their children.

Inside the ASTRA organization, we continued to grow and widen the type of members we include. In 2019, inventors and affiliates, such as toy influencers, marketers and play experts will be able to serve on the board of directors. Along with the manufacturers, retailers and sales representatives already serving, our organization’s leadership and membership as a whole will benefit from the additional insights and expertise these constituents bring to the table.

We’ve also been hard at work making

improvements to some of our processes. We established a Finance Committee to advise the Board and help us plan for our future. In an effort led by our Treasurer, we improved the process and timing of our yearly budgeting process. We’ve also taken steps to make sure that we stay true to our roots. We held an ASTRA Summit so we could benefit from a face-to-face conversation with some of our most longstanding and dedicated members.

As we come together in Pittsburgh for Marketplace & Academy, our organization remains strong. Someone recently asked me where I thought ASTRA would be in 2040. What a fun question this was to think about. How toys are bought and sold is changing. However, the need for children to play, the importance of play in development and learning will never change. I am excited about a future for ASTRA and to continue serving our mission to change the world through the power of play.

I imagine a future where ASTRA becomes one of the most important, if not most important, associations and sources of knowledge and community support in the toy industry. Let us remain mighty together and keep our focus on the mission as we serve our communities with the best resources and products to support play.

Visit us at Booth #1616

New Dee Farrell, Chair

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ready set play

The Science of Gift

Wrapping

by Jean Bailey, CPE

T

he American Academy of Neurology takes a playful approach to introducing itself on its website with these words, “Neuroscience is cool … The brain is your coolest organ. It is the boss of your other organs, your emotions, your movement, and much more. The brain is fun to study …”

The brain is fascinating, and for a student of child development, the study of the brain is more than fun, it is imperative.

The reason is that the brain is only one of five critical organs in the body (brain, lungs, heart, kidney and liver) that is not fully formed and functional when a child is born.

This was something child development thought leader Jean Piaget is credited with revealing. It was a secret hiding in plain sight. Prior to Piaget, most people believed that children were just mini-versions of adults, simply because that’s how they looked. Many of Piaget’s theories resulted from his powers of observation - just watching kids, especially his own children.

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“What we see changes what we know,” he once said. “What we know changes what we see.”

The brain is a big part of how child development progresses. Neuroscience is the study of the human brain and the nervous system. It’s a hot field of study right now, and researchers are learning more and more about how our brains influence and impact our behavior.

There are five brain chemicals that have a close relationship to play, because these neurotransmitters have a lot to do with happiness. They are dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. The study of these neurochemicals and how they work on the brain has playfully been called the “science of fun.”

We touch on this science in ASTRA’s two-day Certified Play Expert (CPE) workshop (a benefit of the in-person program) and we refer to these four neurochemicals by the acronym - DOSE.

In this article, we will discuss the first of these ‘happy chemicals.’ One thing

that neuroscientists have learned about humans is, there’s a lot going on under the hood. More accurately, in our brains, and some of our actions can be explained as chemical reactions.

To illustrate this, I will take an example from a book highly recommended for those interested in child psychology and why kids do what they do. It’s entitled, “The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives,” by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson.

In the chapter called, “Inner Drive,” these two authors describe a scene too often replicated in homes across the world—a child deeply committed to procrastination over doing (or more accurately, not doing) her homework.

The following is an excerpt from the book describing the dynamics of a girl and her parents who are frustrated by her behavior.

“It’s so frustrating because we know she can do it. It’s just that she chooses not to. There are times like last night, when her

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brother finished his work at seven thirty and Savannah still hadn’t started hers at seven forty-five. Her brother really wanted to go out for ice cream, and so we told Savannah that the three of us were going to Ben & Jerry’s and she could come too if she finished her work. She was done by 8:00. It took her fifteen minutes to do the work, and yet she’d chosen to avoid it for three hours.”

Then the authors get into what is going on in the inner pharmacy of Savannah’s brain. They explain that the neurochemical dopamine has a lot to do with two things – motivation and expectation. When Savannah sees a goal that she desires – ice cream – and the expectation begins to build, the brain releases a dose of dopamine. This dosage increases her ability to focus on the extremely unappealing task of doing her homework (motivation). In fact, ADHD (attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder) may, according to some researchers, be triggered in part by a lack of dopamine for which the prescription drug Ritalin is sometimes used to compensate for.

As we explain in the Certified Play Expert workshop, dopamine is not about getting something you want, it is all about expecting something good is coming.

We can apply this chemical reaction to something that happens often in the retail stores of so many ASTRA members, the art, and now the science, of gift wrapping.

Once you understand more about this feel-good chemical, you begin to comprehend some customs and practices with new understanding. Did you ever wonder why we expend the time, energy and cost of taking a gift and then disguising it behind a veil of paper, ribbons and bows before we give it to someone?

all those advent calendars counting down the days before Christmas about? Why do kids sit on Santa’s lap and share their secret wish list? Why do many of you retailers’ revel in your whimsical wrapping paper, sparkly ribbons and bursts of bows? Why struggle to wrap an incredibly hard-towrap product (balls for example) unless it delivers something of value to someone.

It’s all about the dopamine, baby.

Here are some other examples of toys that can push the dopamine button: • Blind bag toys are still trending where kids are surprised at what’s inside.

A great example is the popular LOL Surprise Dolls urging kids to open three or four accessories along with their doll, each with its own surprise factor.

• Being dealt a good hand in cards or anticipating being able to call out “Uno!” • Putting yet another hotel on your property as you count your money and build your Monopoly empire.

• Even Winnie the Pooh weighs in on the power of expectation when Christopher Robin asked him about his favorite things to do in The House at Pooh Corner.

“Well”, said Pooh, “What I like best...” and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.

Hey, Winnie, it’s called dopamine!

Our next Certified Play Expert workshop will be in Pittsburgh on Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8, 2019. We would love to have you join us and continue this conversation. It will be informative, and it will be fun; and if you sign up soon, we hope you have a few months of great expectation!

Learn more at: https://academy.astratoy. org/certified-play-expert

Why do we gift wrap?

When you see how neurochemicals work - and in this case, dopamine - it changes what you know. Unwrapping a gift extends the anticipation, adds to the surprise factor and makes the whole process of getting a gift last longer and generates the release of dopamine.

The whole experience revolves around expectation.

Think about it. Why put a tree up during the holidays, just begging to have a bunch of toys placed under it? What are astratoy.org • June2019

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moneymatters

Factors That Contributed to a

Strong Q4 for the Toy Industry

A

lot of emphasis is put on the fourth quarter in the retail business.

And rightfully so.

A major bulk of the annual revenue for companies in the toy industry is done between Halloween and Christmas. We talk a lot about the importance of Q4 at ASTRA and in this magazine, so we thought we’d go back and see how things went for the 2018 Q4 period for sales representatives, manufacturers and store owners.

Q4 was a unique one for those working in the toy industry in 2018.

First, there was a long stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas last year.

It was probably the biggest gap a toy retailer could hope for as the shopping was extremely extended.

There were 33 days between the holidays, and everyone in the toy industry seemed to take advantage.

“As far as Q4 goes, we had a great quarter. No complaints,” said Betsy Harney of Seattle-based Sugar B Sales. “I would say it was actually better than most Q4’s, but there’s no normal in this business. No one can predict anything in retail, and I think that’s one of the biggest gambles in business itself, is retail.”

But it wasn’t really a gamble at all for Brice Elvington of The Toy Shop Florence in South Carolina. His store has been around for 12 years, and he says Q4 of last year was a big one. He credits much of that success to the closing of Toys R Us.

With 2018 being the first year without the big box toy giant in the industry, Elvington says not only did his store see a significant bump in sales, it also opened their eyes to his store’s awareness in the community of nearly 40,000 people about an hour northwest of Myrtle Beach.

Top Photo: Things went so well in Q4 for Plus-Plus, that an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party broke out in December; Bottom Photo: From Sugar B Sales (left to right): Ash Goto-Webb, Wendy Enderle, Betsy Harney, Abbie Florence, Allison White.

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“It kind of taught us something. You just kind of live in these small circles of people that know about you,” he said.

“It was amazing how many people set foot for the first time in our store last Q4.

Almost in disbelief, people would say ‘Gosh, I can’t believe this store has been here the whole time. I would have been here sooner.’ It was kind of eye-opening for us.”

Elvington says not only did it get people into his store that were never aware, it also brought people in who knew about the store, but never shopped because of the perceived notion that his store was too expensive.

“So I guess if you don’t have Toys R Us and there’s something specific that you need, you come check it out,” he said.

“And it was never as bad as they thought.”

For Ryan Hamilton, head of operations for Plus-Plus USA, the long time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was a definite benefit. He says reorders for Plus-Plus products continued to come in through the second week of December.

He says they’ve noticed over the last several years that stores were being more conservative with ordering and reordering.

“Not last year. It was a very strong quarter for us,” Hamilton said. “That long gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas definitely helped us.”

Hamilton also says the Toys R Us situation also helped Plus-Plus as they were not selling to the big box company.

“I know it was a harder season for a lot of the bigger toy companies, but I feel like for the little guys, it was a pretty good,” he said. “A lot of stores are continuing to try and capitalize on that lost Toys R Us business, knowing there’s still a lot of kids out there.” ASTRA

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moneymatters

Turning It Around

By Brice Elvington

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O

ne thing I look forward to at the end of each year is running the annual item sales report, then scanning the list to see my overall top sellers, top selling lines, and items or lines I should consider dropping. Then there are always those items that did way better than I originally thought – the ones you feel you didn’t witness anyone buying, but they somehow all disappeared from the shelf and needed re-ordering.

In addition, this past year, I went ahead and ran the report for all of my item sales, just to see if anything else stood out, since my store, like many, are so dependent on the second half of the year, specifically fourth quarter.

When comparing the two reports, there was one item that leapt off the pages. Yoee Baby is a toy for new moms and their babies that our sales representative Kim Freeman encouraged us to try. Of the 48 we ordered, we sold two in the first half of 2018 and 26 the second half (being a small store, 26 is a good, and a 1200% increase is good for any size store).

While I hadn’t given it much thought before, I immediately made the connection of what caused the turnaround.

Just before Marketplace & Academy, I had the opportunity to speak with the owner and inventor of Yoee Baby on the phone and one of her coworkers in person, about why the product wasn’t doing as well in specialty stores as they had hoped. She mentioned they were working on new packaging, because the original packaging hid one of the key features of the toy, the teething ring at the bottom.

While this is easy for a shopper to notice online, it wasn’t noticeable in the store, especially if the store was counting on the package to do the selling for them.

Almost subconsciously, I naturally made sure to point this feature out to

customers to be sure they could see it, and then something crazy happened.

Customers stopped handing it back to me. It’s as if that was what made the customer feel that not only might this be a good toy to interact with their baby, it is also completely safe for their baby. They would then return and tell me how amazing the product was and how it is their favorite toy, giving me and my store instant credibility for customer that has the maximum ‘buying window’ in front of them for their newborn.

This is a product by all means that I should have already given up on, put on clearance, and freed up my shelf space for another item. Instead, one small change in how we showed it to customers turned it into a great selling item.

I’ve had similar experiences with products, where we open one up as a demo to try and move remaining inventory, and are surprised how quickly they go. I didn’t sell a single Boom Brick for two weeks, before we opened one up at our checkout counter, and then couldn’t get more inventory fast enough. Plus-Plus changed their packaging and did a complete 180 degree turnaround, too.

One of the most valuable assets to being a member of ASTRA is the ease of connecting with other retailers, reps, and manufacturers, and sharing our stories of success and failure. Now when I make a significant change in where I place an item, how I display it or show it to a customer, or if I learn the story behind it, I make a note of the date when it happened. Hopefully when I run the reports at the end of 2019, I’ll have a new success story to share.

What I look even more forward to is reading all the success stories from other members! ASTRA

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Letting an Employee Go

I

n theory, the idea of working in a toy store and selling items that light the faces of little ones should be one of the best ways to make a little extra cash.

But like any other place of employment, no matter the industry, that’s not always the case. And sometimes, there’s an employee that’s just not cutting it. You’re faced with needing to let them go, and that seems doubly hard to do in what’s supposed to be a fun, happy place.

How do you go about it?

First, remember that there are protocols to letting staff go. These include a 90-day probation performance period. At the end of the 90 days of hire, be sure and give a review of your employee. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad; the review needs to be done to set the foundation moving forward.

Document everything! If an employee is falling short of expectations, write it down and keep it in their employee file. You don’t have to share that information with the employee all of the time, but it’s a good idea to share periodic notes in their file, just so they

know they’re on notice. Meet with them and let them know the documentation is in their file, and that you need a better effort from them. Documenting everything will save you a mountain of headaches should you need to defend your decision if the former employee comes back with potential legal action.

There’s the Good-Bad-Good sandwich approach. It’s a style that Gene Caballero, co-founder of Green Pal and former hiring manager for a Fortune 50 tech company, has used many times.

Setting up the appointment to let someone go can be filled with anxiety. But, it’s best to get the appointment set, and begin the meeting with something good or flattering.

“You are doing a great job.”

Then, the bad news.

“We are making some cuts, and your role has been eliminated.”

Then, follow that up with another good attribute.

“But since you did so well, I am going to do my best to help you find another job.”

There’s also the approach of making things clear and setting defined expectations when hiring, especially if it’s around the holiday season when seasonal workers are hired.

You can almost make it seem scary when hiring an employee, letting them know the likelihood of the job ending. Bring it up in the job posting, during the interview and during the 30 or 90-day probation performance period. That will make it so engrained in the employee that if you do have to let them go, they won’t be surprised.

As for needing to let go a family member who works for you? That’s about as tough as it can get, but here, honesty is the best policy. The line that seems to work best is some variation of, “This move needs to happen; otherwise, it will start to affect our personal relationship. No job is worth that.”

In the end, it’s always a tough job when you have to let someone go. But if you adopt a caring mindset, letting people go is easier as they know you are acting on their behalf. That will always go a long way. ASTRA

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moneymatters

Partnering with School Districts is a

By Theresa Duncan

T

wenty years ago, when Connie Hoeft of CR Toys in Kearney, Nebraska was invited to sell toys at a nursing conference, she never could have guessed it would lead to a robust partnership with schools throughout the state.

“We realized the conference was good exposure for our store and what we offer,” Hoeft said.

Now Hoeft travels throughout the state, selling toys at teacher conferences and hosting in-school family game nights.

“We are on the road two to three nights a week, January through April,” she said.

When Hoeft travels to conferences, she tries to coordinate the trip with family game nights at schools in the area. She says that coordination limits the expense of traveling.

CR Toys brings these game nights to six to 10 schools per year, and donates a portion of the night’s sales back to the school.

“Preparation for these events is very time consuming,” she said. “We never know what product is going to be hot. It changes from place to place, so this requires constant review of the product.”

But all of that hard work seems to be paying off. School

14

conference and family game night sales contribute 10 to 15 percent of CR Toys’ annual sales.

There are numerous opportunities for toy stores to work with schools and teachers. In addition to fundraising activities, Peggy Wiegel of ABC & Toy Zone in Minnesota provides supplies to local schools.

“Normally the directors or teachers send me lists,” Wiegel said. “I also get a list of items to bid on from the district’s purchasing agents. In these cases I am given a form to fill out and return with our costs, including shipping direct to whichever school is in need of the products.”

She also says that this type of bidding is done only direct through the purchasing agents, and must be turned in by a specific date. After bidding closes, the numbers are reviewed by the purchasing agent before bids are awarded.

The processes for working with districts are as varied as the towns they are located in, but when a district works with a local business instead of using online retailers for procurement, those tax dollars stay in the community.

“We like to encourage the schools to shop locally with us so that the dollars stay within the Minnesota budget,” Wiegel said.

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Have Toys? Will Travel!

M

any of us in the toy industry hit the road on a frequent basis. It’s what makes the industry go.

Whether it’s sales representatives traveling with new product in tow or taking a brick and mortar store on the road to a fair or sidewalk sale – we are always on the move.

There are the obvious things that you need: business cards, pens and notepads. But outside of that, what additional things should you have with you? Here are a few things that Daneen Curley, a sales rep for Anne McGilvray & Company, you may not think of right away but can be a lifesaver when says the most important thing for her being on the road is you’re doing business outside of your normal headquarters. organization.

There’s an App for That

Having the proper apps on your phone to get around in a new environment is almost a must in today’s travel world.

Apps such as ‘AroundMe’ can help you locate the closest gas station, restaurant, post office, hotel or hospital.

Stay Charged

Having extra batteries in your bag can also be a huge lifesaver should the situation arise.

The Extra Credits

Don’t forget an umbrella, or any personal hygiene products. You’re not going to need all of these products all of the time, but you’ll be grateful when the situation arises, and you’re prepared.

Enter the Internet

One thing you’ll always need is good WiFi connectivity.

That’s something that has obviously changed over the years when it comes to taking your show on the road, but in today’s world, it’s vital.

In most cases when you’re out and about, public WiFi isn’t a problem. But not always, and many times, it’s not that strong, so having unlimited data on your mobile device is crucial. That mobile device can serve as a hotspot, which means you will always have WiFi.

Many school districts have recognized the benefits of working with small businesses and have policies, offices or programs in place to help small businesses seek and apply for procurement opportunities.

The State of New Jersey, The Los Angeles Unified School District, The Leon County School District in Tallahassee, Florida are among the many municipalities that have dedicated Small Business Enterprise offices that work with the district to promote small business participation in the schools.

While LaRoderick McQueen, director of the Leon County School District

Being connected can help you make the sales. A mobile Point of Sale system can help you make the sale at pop-up shops and street fairs. Consider looking into options for a mobile payment system such as Square. They connect to your mobile device, like a phone or tablet, and serves as a direct connection to your bank account.

“Square has been the way to go in the past, for just about everyone,” said independent IT contractor Robert Stroman.

“It’s the tried and true method and you literally plug in an adaptor to your phone. For a small business, it’s definitely the way to go.”

Not What, But How

For Daneen Curley, a sales representative for Anne McGilvray & Company, it’s not so much about what you have on the road, it’s about how you have it all organized.

Curley hits the road in her Toyota Highlander with product in-hand, and it’s never by chance. Before each sales trip, she organizes crates full of catalogs specific to each store, in alphabetical order. Longer road trips equals longer planning sessions before she takes off.

“In my car I have different totes in order in what cities and stores I’m going to see,” Curley said. “By the end of the week, my car looks way less organized because I’ve pulled things and dug through. But I can accept that. For me, organization is key when I hit the road.”

Department of Small Business Enterprise said, “we don’t typically purchase toys for our classrooms,” the same is not true for most school districts. Anyone who has been through ASTRA’s Certified Play Expert program knows that toys are as essential to learning as pencils. Whether toys are used to build creativity, reduce stress, increase focus, or just for fun during indoor resource, teachers know that toys are a key classroom supply.

ABC & Toy Zone supplies three school districts and numerous private centers and schools. And they supply a lot, including everything from furniture, to mats, to carpets and playground items,

to the basic classroom supplies such as role-play outfits, puzzles, manipulatives and building sets.

No matter what the partnership looks like, toy stores and school districts are a natural fit, and can have mutually beneficial relationships.

“Our store is benefited by the sales to help with cash flow and in the advertising. The schools get great games and products to use in the classroom and indoor recess,” Hoeft said.

It’s a common theme, and Wiegel agrees. “We enjoy our partnerships with the schools,” Wiegel said. “It’s a win-win for both of us.” ASTRA astratoy.org • June2019

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toystories

Making a Difference During Challenging Times

by Tami Murphy

C

ommunity. It’s all about community.

The community supports the independent retailer and the independent retailer supports the community. Thea Brown of World of Mirth, recently found herself compelled to help members of her community who were furloughed during the government shutdown. And in turn, others in her community stepped up and joined her in the effort.

“I woke up on the 31st day of the shutdown and just thought it was ridiculous that people were dealing with this through no fault of their own. When you say ‘government worker,’ you picture an automaton, not your neighbors, your friends, people with families,” Brown said. “I jumped online at lunchtime, read some more, and thought I have to do something. These families can’t afford many of their basic needs, what happens if any children involved have a birthday? I typed a very basic post for Instagram and Facebook, thinking only a few local folks would see it. Boy, was I wrong!”

Two members of Thea’s community who stepped up to help in providing birthday gifts for children of furloughed workers were fellow ASTRA retailer members, Ann Kienzle of *play and Claudia Towles of Amuse Toys.

“My dear friend Thea was my inspiration,” Towles said. “After seeing a post on Facebook I quickly emailed our management team and discussed hopping on board to help folks directly affected by the shutdown. I think

16

everyone was feeling frustrated with the situation and the ramifications of the shutdown. It was easy to be inspired with such a sincere and simple way to help families. We are all about celebrating childhood milestones and this was our way of being helpful.”

Kienzle also eagerly jumped on board.

“Thea needed help with someone who was closer to me in Chicago, then I asked if she minded if I would make the same offer to Chicago-area government workers,” Kienzle said.

Using social media to spread the word, each of the store owners were able to get their message out quickly. Once committed, Kienzle had her post up the next day.

She wasn’t the only one.

“Within hours our team had the systems in place to screen and ship to families,” Towles said.

For anyone who wants to implement a similar program in the future, Brown has a suggestion.

“When offering free gifts to a group, remember to put guidelines on the ‘who and what.’ I had hundreds of folks from across the country contact me. When two other shops (aMuse and Play) got involved, they smartly kept it to their local area.”

All three stores asked proof of government employment and then the name, birth date and interests of the

birthday child.

For Towles, organization of the requests was kept simple with existing tools.

“We didn’t need to implement any specific systems other than a spreadsheet of those who had submitted a request and the appropriate Federal ID,” she said. “Once a request was verified our management team processed the shipment with a handwritten note and wrapped in our staple yellow paper.”

For each store, pitching in to help those affected by the government shutdown was positive for both their staff and customers.

“(My staff ) was super excited to be able to help,” Towles said. “There was no need to even rally them!”

Brown said the support from the local community was amazing, and that they did not make money off of the venture.

“As soon as the news stories aired, we had folks coming in wanting to help,” she said. “They donated gift cards to the families, so we were able to use them from a good bit of the gifts. It went viral and I couldn’t be happier to be in the news for an act of kindness. People said they were awed to hear about something like this when the news can be so depressing. I was so happy I could affect people’s lives in such a little way. I know we created lifelong memories.” ASTRA

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toystories

Before I was in Toys Michael Keaton Toysmith What were you doing before you were in toys?

I wish I was one of those people who always knew their true calling. It took me quite a while before I knew that toys was the answer for me.

After graduating high school, I was a “professional musician,” meaning I worked really hard to get meaningful gigs as a musician, and mostly made my income as a waiter and bartender. College didn’t play into my dreams of playing trumpet in Wayne Newton’s band in Las Vegas, so I kept the dream alive, fueled by many different jobs to pay the bills.

The success I dreamed of was elusive, and I became distracted by some friends who were starting up a technology company in the late ‘80s. I joined them and became a computer guy, got very interested in business, and later attended college in my late 20s. After graduation, a friend told me about a role at The Coca-Cola Company that merged the technology aspect that I loved with Sales and Marketing. I joined at just the right time, and was able to help the National Sales Team move their top customer presentations from black and white overheads to electronic multimedia presentations.

This kicked off an eight-year career in sales and marketing – I was hooked. I wanted to work there forever, and through promotions, made my way up the corporate ladder. But just a few months into landing my “dream job”…everything changed for me.

© 2019 The Good Toy Group®

MARKETING PRINT DIGITAL SOCIAL MEDIA

ty-RIFIC! Twen ASTRA Marketplace Booth #1019 Heather Smith Heather@TheGoodToyGroup.net 401-284-0610 GoodToyGroup.com

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How did you get into the toy industry and what is your current role?

Some of my heroes at Coca-Cola moved to The LEGO Group in Enfield, Connecticut in 2002 and I jumped on board when an opportunity came up to join them.

Through the 13 years I worked there, I held four different roles on three continents, lived abroad for a decade, and had a tremendous ride. But the thing I didn’t expect was to know a feeling of “this is right for me” that I never knew before. In our industry, we contribute to a meaningful and important aspect of the business: play. Play is critical to children’s learning and development, and brings a joy to life for all ages. We do good things in this industry and I’m so proud to be a part of it.

My toy career and passionate calling has just taken another turn, as I have just begun my new role as CEO for Toysmith, the well-respected Sumner, Washington-based toy manufacturer and distributor. I am thrilled and humbled to serve as leader for this team, and I feel a huge responsibility to both maintain the aspects of Toysmith that retailers and stakeholders have come to trust and admire, and also help this loyal team and business adapt and flourish, through the turbulent challenges and opportunities the toy industry is experiencing these days.

Looking back and knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your pre-toy-industry self?

Be patient, work hard, invest in people, learn from your heroes, challenge yourself, take risks, stay humble, and enjoy the journey - not just the destination.

When people ask me what I do, I say (describe in one sentence): “I’m in the business of play.”

What motivates you to do what you do?

I love working with people, and then seeing the results. I always say that being in the toy industry is like watching a really good movie every year – you don’t know how it’s going to end.

You scan the environment, learn from others, make your plans, place your bets, and then you watch the year end with a bang. You win some and that feels great. You fail sometimes and you learn for next time. It’s an exciting ride each year, and working together with a team gives me a great sense of belonging.

But that’s the business side. On a personal side, I am infinitely grateful that I have found a calling that makes such a positive contribution to society. To see the joy on kids’ faces when they play, and know that they are learning at the same time, makes me happy. And I love to tell people what I do – it’s something for which I’m very proud.

What is one way ASTRA has helped you in your toy industry journey?

Learning. The great people at ASTRA have been so kind and caring to me since repatriating back to the US. After so long abroad, I was more than a little out of touch with the US Toy Specialty business.

But I found the team at ASTRA to be SO helpful – helping me to learn about the needs of the Specialty Retailer, offering connections to so many great people, and giving access to business opportunities.

These are the keys to making a difference in this segment of the toy industry, and the ASTRA team shows their dedication every day.

For this I’m sincerely grateful. ASTRA

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toy

toystories

From the Desk Of ....

Get to know Samantha Hubbard, owner of The Owl and the Octopus Toys in Wayzata, MN

C

M

First thing you do when you get to the office/store I usually don’t even have a chance to put my purse away or change shoes before a staff member is showing me new product that has arrived or I’m diving in helping to wrap or bag a customers purchase.

Ideally, my second task is to walk next door to the coffee shop to get a large hot crafted press.

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Favorite productivity tool We use Lightspeed. I did some reading on ASTRA and a few other sources when I was deciding on our POS system, but this was the fastest and most decisive decision I made during the establishment of the store. So far, I have not been disappointed.

Currently reading “The Life We Bury” Allen Eskens Three things on your desk/counter right now Catalogs, Manhattan Toys “Aviator Bear”, Colored Pens.

Best piece of advice you’ve received If you don’t really need it or want it, don’t purchase inventory just to get the free freight deal.

Most recent thing you did for your business (followed up with an order, came out of a design meeting, helped a customer pick out the perfect gift, etc.)

I’m just reaching my 4 month anniversary, this week and we are starting to really amp up our marketing so most of my time outside of the store is spent getting the word out about The Owl and The Octopus.

This last weekend I was sponsoring Easter Egg Hunts both Saturday and Sunday in my community and a neighboring town.

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toystories

Keeping It

Fresh

F

or much of the country, it was a long winter. Spring finally arrived in late March, and the summer season is upon us. As often happens at home, spring and summer is a great time to freshen things up in your brick and mortar store to keep things vibrant and fun.

For as important as it is, it doesn’t have to take a large investment to liven things up. There’s no doubt that the opportunity is there for new paint, new

signage, new wall mountings or new walls, and that can sometimes get pricey. But with some minor adjustments for very little money, things can change in a hurry.

First, move some things around. This can be done throughout the year to keep your repeat clientele excited about a new product and perhaps feature your less

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current items with a fresh eye. Moving merchandise around throughout the store and creating different looks not only catches the eye of frequent buyers, it can also help keep you out of an embarrassing situation.

“There’s nothing worse than coming across a piece of inventory Time for a fresh new look. with dust on it,” said Elie Katz, CEO and president

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of National Retail Solutions. “You need to keep things fresh, and move things around. Of course put the most popular items towards the front of the store, but change it up and keep things moving.”

Katz says lighting is another important item for retail stores. He goes so far as to call lighting a “special effect.”

“It’s not good going into a store that’s dark and dingy,” he said. “When you look up and see lighting from 1976, you don’t feel like you’re in a fresh place and people have a poor shopping experience.”

Customers are always looking for new things to try. Many stores around the country have had success with weekly story time readings, game demo nights or private parties. It’s always fun and effective to announce new programs for those hungry shoppers when offering what they desire.

Your storefront window is the obvious insight to the fun inside. It goes without saying that the importance of updating your storefront window is a must. Be aggressive with your front window and set the tone for what’s inside by telling a cohesive story across all touch points, including the store window, welcome tables and even at the checkout line. Keeping that cohesive message throughout the store will help introduce your customer to all of your new collections and merchandise.

And it’s not always the inside that matters. Allison Hester of eClean Magazine says it’s tough to get people inside to see all of the cool, new products you have for the summer, if the outside doesn’t look as nice.

“I just like to stress the importance

of cleaning up the outside of a retail store, as well as the interior,” Hester said.

“Having a professional wash done on the outside of the building, the roof, the walkways, and the windows can make a huge difference in creating an inviting storefront.”

If you’re willing and able to spend a little money, Katz says it’s vital to show that you’re keeping up with the times in technology.

“If you have an old Casio cash register, that gives the customer a feeling that they’re in an older, antiquated place,” he said. “If they feel like they’re in an older, antiquated place, they feel like they’re getting an older toy. For them, that’s another bad customer experience. A new system at your cash register gives your store a very nice, clean look.” ASTRA

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xhibiting at a trade show is a key part of the marketing strategy for manufacturers in the toy industry. Want a booth full of interested and engaged buyers ready to spend their valuable time with you versus the competition?

Think and Act Like a Retailer!

You’ve probably heard these sayings: “People like people who are like themselves”, and “People buy from people who they feel understand them.” This is sage advice for all exhibitors selling to retailers.

Here are seven ideas you can use to make your Marketplace & Academy exhibit a showstopper: 1. Window Shoppers Don’t Buy - Retailers know that to get the cash register ringing, they must first get buyers into their store. You would be amazed at how many exhibitors we see leaving potential buyers standing outside their exhibit by putting a large table across the front of the booth. Don’t be that exhibitor.

2. Avoid Clutter at All Cost - Retailers know the buyer’s in-store journey determines the ring at the register. They also know that less is more! This is why the best retailers do not clutter every nook and cranny with everything they can squeeze in. Having open space helps buyers focus. You should do the same.

3. Feature the Right Products - At tradeshows, the number one thing buyers look for is NEW products. They also want to know what your best sellers are. Be sure to prominently display your new products and best sellers.

4. Make it Easy to Find What You’re Looking For - If you have multiple products, it’s important to group them by category and have well-placed header signs to make navigating your booth quick and easy.

5. Let ‘em Play - Confucius said “I hear and I think, I see and I remember, I DO and I know.” By giving buyers the chance to physically engage with your products, you’ll create excitement and build desire. Be sure to have an interactive product demo in your booth.

6. Be Welcoming and Helpful - Smart retailers don’t pounce on visitors, nor do they leave them alone. They do welcome customers to the store and let them know they are available to answer any questions they may have. Give great advice for all exhibitors.

7. Make ‘em an Offer They Can’t Refuse - When buyer interest level is high, you don’t want them to walk out of your store. Show specials can give buyers that extra nudge they need to act now versus waiting. Free shipping, delayed payment terms, percentage off based on dollar amount of order, including POS and merchandising support and offering if it doesn’t sell, we’ll buy it back or replace it with another product, are all powerful ways to create urgency to buy now.

Now that you understand the key to a show stopper exhibit is to think and act like a retailer, which of these ideas will you apply at your next trade show? ASTRA

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trending now

I’m Ready for

My Close-up

How to Use PR to Enhance Your Business

By Kathleen Tomes

W

orking with the media can be exciting and adrenaline-producing, but at the same time, a little overwhelming if it’s not something that you’re used to doing. We all see the horror, cringe-worthy stories go viral of company spokespersons unprepared for an interview, but those are truly far and few between if you’re prepared and do the research.

Often, working with the media starts with a simple Google search, and the rest falls in place. Below are helpful hints to make sure that you and the media get exactly what you need when it comes time to pitch your company news!

Research

Start by making a list of media you’d like to cover your company news. We warn you, this is the heavy lifting as it requires a bit of sleuthing on your end. Get to really know your local media. Note the names of writers, editors and broadcasters who produce material that might appeal to your customers. Find out who they reach, how their content varies from day to day and section by section and, crucially, learn what their deadlines are. For example, some reporters have specific columns on a certain day of the week. Ask yourself: where does my story play into their reporting? Another example is if you want to report how your business is booming, contact the local business reporter. But, check to ensure that it’s not the national business reporter. Some publications will have a national and a local beat reporter.

To find contact information for media, go to their websites or their social media pages.

Typically you can find names and phone numbers under the contact us section. If you can’t find what you need, call the news desk or main number and explain what you’re looking for.

They’ll direct you to the right person. Email, as we know, is the best way to communicate in today’s age.

Utilize the contact lists in the ASTRA Resource Library. There, you’ll find contact lists by region and city to help you get a head start on developing your media contact list.

26

Find A Story

Creating “PR story” opportunities can feel like the most difficult part. It is always a slippery slope to determine what will interest the media, and what is self-promotion (even if you do think you have the best products around!) The media is wary of stories that feel self-promotional, so you will have to strategically lay out a story worth covering. This could mean, for example, teaming up with your local newspaper or radio station to run a competition or sweepstakes with a prize that relates to your business - such as a year’s supply of your product, a meal for two at your restaurant, and so on. Maximize publicity by tying it in with other events, such as a holiday or the launch of a new offer at your store.

Often, it will be up to you to feed stories to reporters as reporters are constantly juggling a ton of different hats (or, in this case, stories) and may not hear about yours unless you pitch it. If you have involvement in a local business issue, offer your opinion or write a letter to the newspaper or magazine. If a newsworthy event occurs that relates to your business, let reporters know about it. You could even offer to contribute a regular column or comment answering readers’ queries or offering an opinion on local business issues.

If you have something truly significant happening in your business (i.e. an expansion or something akin) learn to write newsworthy press releases - or, even better, hire a PR specialist to write it for you. Journalists respond to well-written and informative press releases. Give them a clear, descriptive headline that tells the story, use nontechnical language and write copy that explains the benefits of your offering to local customers.

Always include a quote, background notes, contact details and a good quality photo.

Take advantage of natural PR opportunities.

If it is your firm’s 20th anniversary, if you have just served your 100,000th customer, if you have won an award or a big contract, then tell your local media. Success stories that represent growth are very attractive to reporters and readers.

Pitching Your Story

Paint the story for the reporter. Tell them

why it’s important that they pay attention to your commentary, company growth or news event.

Keep pitches direct and to the point, but weave in any newsworthy themes as necessary to show timeliness of the pitch. For example, Toy Fair 2019 was in February. A good pitch for ASTRA prior to February was focused on “projected trends for Toy Fair 2019”, which resulted in several news placements for Kimberly Mosely, president of ASTRA. Follow Up

If you don’t hear back right away don’t get discouraged. Give it 24-48 hours and then send a follow up email. If you don’t hear back try to find someone else at either that outlet or another outlet. Reporters are busy. Try again after a month or two, and maybe you’ll have better luck.

Interview Request

If the media ask for an interview use your judgement. If you’re not comfortable talking oneon-one or being on camera, don’t accept. Or, find someone in your company who is comfortable.

If you do opt to conduct interviews or have press visit your organization, remember that the interview starts the moment a reporter/influencer walks into the business. If you don’t want the information to be public knowledge, don’t say it.

Look again to ensure that the reporter doesn’t have a history of writing negative articles that may counteract your story that you’re trying to tell. Research, again, is always key.

If you are asked a question that you don’t know the answer to, say “I don’t know, but I can find out.” Never lie or give false information. If you’re on camera, say I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know… and steer the conversation back to something you’re comfortable with.

Always avoid using the phrase “No comment.”

At the end of the day, with a little hard work on your end, working with the media is a surefire way to expose new audiences to your business.

It can feel like a game sometimes, tracking down reporters, but when you successfully place a piece of positive coverage for your company, the outcome will outweigh the effort! ASTRA

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trending now

Marketplace & Academy: What to expect

By Ashley Browning

W

ith ASTRA Marketplace and Academy quickly approaching, I had the opportunity to ask a few first-time retailer attendees from 2018 about their experiences with the show and format.

Scott C. Mazerall, CPE from Maziply Toys in Kingston, Mass., Leah Pickering from Kazoodles Toy Store in Vancouver, Wash., and Meghan Sahr, CPE from Off the Wagon in Kent, Ohio, shared their knowledge and opinions about the show.

What made you decide to attend the show in New Orleans in 2018? What types of expectations did you have?

“I decided to go because there was an in-person Certified Play Expert Certification program available,” Mazerall said. “The opportunity to build relationships at a show like this far surpassed my expectations.”

“I went into the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2018 unaware of what to expect,” Pickering said. “It more than met my expectations. I have since been to three additional trade shows and feel that ASTRA has done a fantastic job putting together an event for the industry professionals and businesses.”

What was your favorite part of the program/show?

“I enjoyed the opportunity to put faces to the names of the people in the industry,” Pickering said. “It was lovely to take a class from Phil Wrzesinski and talk directly with Corey from SmartMax.”

“The opportunity to have more time to build relationships with vendors and other retailers,” Mazerall said. “Not only at the show, but after hours as well.

“My favorite part of the convention was getting to meet and talk to new companies and people,” Sahr said.

“Interpersonal relations are normally some of my favorite parts of shows like these. I

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also enjoyed looking at all the new toys that are coming out soon.”

How would you compare this show to other shows/events that you attend?

“It was easy to walk the floor without running into people,” Sahr said. “The people you meet at these shows are also a lot more genuine and easy to speak with because they are quite passionate about what they do.”

“What’s nice about Marketplace & Academy is that it is busy enough where you’ll find a good amount of vendors, classes, and events, but not too busy where you can’t build solid relationships,” Mazerall said.

“Marketplace & Academy stands out among the trade shows I have had the opportunity to attend,” Pickering said. “It was clean, well laid out and well air-conditioned. The classes offered were varied. I could have done two weeks of just the classes and been satisfied.”

What advice would you give to first time attendees?

“Use this show as an opportunity to get to know people, build relationships, and make new friends,” Mazerall said.

“The knowledge that attendees have is amazing and they are more than willing to share and help. Attendees should take advantage of registering early. It benefits everyone. ASTRA has a better idea of the attendee count ahead of time and attendees save money. This show is the perfect opportunity to truly prepare for the holidays. The timing is perfect.”

“Wear comfortable shoes,” Pickering said emphatically. “And also take a different pair of comfortable shoes for each day.

Pack a larger suitcase than you need. You’ll have all sorts of paper and an occasional goody to take back home with you.”

“Take your time, and pace yourself,” Sahr said. “There’s a lot going on at these shows and you should make sure to only take on as much as you can handle.”

Stephen Medina, sales manager at Specialty Toy & Gift and Schylling Inc., along with Aaron Smith, sales manager at ThinkFun have attended many shows during their careers. They gave me some insight as to why this show is so important to their side of the business.

What are the benefits of attending as a vendor at ASTRA Marketplace?

“For a manufacturer, our focus at Marketplace & Academy is about listening to and learning from our customers,” Smith said. “ASTRA is like the “backyard BBQ” of trade shows. It has a much more laid-back atmosphere than most shows, and we feel more connected to our customers there. It is the show where we get the opportunity to truly engage with our customers in a productive way, and get to know them better in the process.”

“The ASTRA Marketplace has become the most important show to prepare our specialty toy stores for busy 4th quarter sales,” Medina said. “Shortly after the show we look at all the items ordered, as a way to help project our year-end inventory needs. Is also the first place where we launch our new Summer Supplement toys.

Feedback is important, but we also look at actual sales of the new items to help identify the best sellers.”

The schedule allows plenty of time to catch up with customers, colleagues, sales representatives and other vendor friends during the week and especially at the opening reception.

As a sales representative, I too love the laidback feeling of this show. I try to meet with customers prior to traveling and start their orders. That way, while we are there, we can take our time walking the trade show floor and adjust orders accordingly.

It’s fun to visit with everyone in a more causal way while still getting work done.

I look forward to seeing many members in Pittsburgh! ASTRA

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Congratulations

Be a part of the annual celebration of the specialty toy industry and the communities we serve! Pledge to celebrate Neighborhood Toy Store Day on Saturday, November 9, 2019. Stop by the My ASTRA Center at Marketplace & Academy or pledge online at ntsd.astratoy.org to make sure you’re on the list to receive important updates, resources and event ideas to help you celebrate and November 9, 2019 kick off the holiday shopping season.

to the First Certified Master Sales Representative Graduate We are excited to congratulate Ellen Shankman, CMSR, of ESP Sales – Toys and Gifts on being the first to complete the entire Certified Master Sales Rep program!

As a CMSR, Ellen represents the highest standard of excellence as a specialty toy sales rep and demonstrates her commitment to the specialty toy industry.

Congratulations, Ellen!

Interested in completing your Certified Master Sales Representative certification? Register for the in-person workshop to get a head start or visit academy.astratoy.org.

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Welcome to the Newest ASTRA Team Members Join us in welcoming the newest members of the ASTRA staff and say hello to them at Marketplace & Academy

Dina Velasquez, CMP Meetings and Events Director

Currently on Dina’s desk: Chicago Bears and Cubbies Party Animal Squeezymates Listening to: A Star is Born 2018 Film Soundtrack When she’s not work: Dina enjoys hanging out at her lake house

Clare McKeown

Cora McCarron Meetings and Events Administrator

Currently on Clare’s desk: A banana Listening to: “This Must be the Place” – The Talking Heads When she’s not at work: Clare enjoys seeing local live music

Education Administrator

Currently on Cora’s desk: Bullet journal with multicolored pens Listening to: “Summertime Magic” – Childish Gambino When she’s not at work: Cora is at a museum with friends and family

B

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ASTRA news

ASTRA Incubating New Regional Group Model

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his spring ASTRA is launching a test regional ASTRA group in the Twin Cities.

“ASTRA members consistently tell us the core reason they belong to ASTRA is the networking — the ability to form connections with other retailers, manufacturers and sales reps,” said Sue Warfield, CPE, member relations director at ASTRA. “The creation of a regional group is a natural extension of that value proposition, taken to a local level.”

The regional group structure allows ASTRA members to create a group that fits the needs of local members, and local members are able to decide everything from how often the group meets to the type of programming offered.

A marked characteristic of the new group structure is that regional meetings will be held on their own, not paired with buying shows or other industry events.

Local gatherings hosted around shows can be tricky, as members have to balance exhibiting and selling/buying with the regional gathering. Warfield, who has for years hosted many regional gatherings around the country, feels the new standalone approach will serve members better.

“By separating the regional meetings

from shows, we are creating a distraction-free event,” she said. “Members can attend with their sole attention focused on connecting with other members.”

The kickoff for the Twin Cities group was held in February, and included approximately 25 local retailers, reps and manufacturers, ranging from long-time ASTRA members (including five former ASTRA Chairs) to a new store owner.

Attendees brainstormed what they needed and wanted from a regional group. The group came up with a list that included employee trainings, game nights, new product demonstrations and a forum to regularly share ideas and challenges.

Other ideas included the possibility of coadvertising, a shared marketing campaign for Neighborhood Toy Store Day, and improving connectivity by creating a regional list serve community on the ASTRA site.

The energy of the ASTRA brain trust was alive and well at the meeting, and members left after extracting a promise for a future meeting date in May. “Owning a toy store can be a bit lonely

at times, as there are issues and concerns I’m not able to share with customers or employees,” said Amy Saldanha, owner of kiddywampus in Hopkins, MN. “But ASTRA members share a common experience that allows me to quickly connect with the collective wisdom of the group. I can get new ideas, solve problems, hopefully help others, and if nothing else, share a great laugh and remember that I am part of a community of smart, passionate people whom I admire and respect.

“These are the reasons I belong to ASTRA, and I’m thrilled that with this new regional group. I will have access to that brain trust more regularly and right in my own backyard.”

The Twin Cities group will ideally serve as a model for future groups around the country. If you are interested in forming a regional group in your area, contact Sue Warfield at Swarfield@astratoy.org. ASTRA

The Innovation Council Enters 2019 Focusing on ASTRA2030!

By Roger Bildsten

he ASTRA Innovation Council held inaugural meetings in 2018 and was able to head into 2019 with its eye on our future. The council is focused on building a vision for what we should look like in 2030 — and how we go about getting there!

T

Tech Matters — Sort Of We began this year with an examination of how ASTRA members manage their digital world — a fastmoving target for our entire society.

As an association of independent businesses, ASTRA members are free to make their own decisions about all aspects

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of their individual companies.

We’re able to share expertise and experience with fellow ASTRA members, which is one of the many advantages of our organization. However, it is clear that members are largely on their own when it comes to the difficult work of sourcing, selecting, and implementing technology tools. Some members are doing well with these challenges while many others struggle.

The council’s focus is on ASTRA’s future, but it became clear that with the important role technology plays for members and our customers, we need ways to help interested members find, vet, and implement some key tech platforms.

In March, the Innovation Council

proposed basic steps that might help more members get and stay current on key technologies. These ideas will be considered by the ASTRA board of directors at upcoming meetings.

And what about that headline that technology matters ‘sort of’? At its October meeting, the Innovation Council identified three core factors that are of critical importance to our customers — the people who seek quality play solutions for kids. Those core factors are: • Connection • Experience • Identity Wise use of technology in all of these areas can help us serve and build our customer base. But technology can’t do

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it alone. We need to also reinforce our fundamental strengths as independent businesses and tell the story of how we can help consumers who want connection, experience, and identity when they shop for kids. How we do just that to prepare for our future is the work that lies ahead.

So on the technology front, the Innovation Council will turn its focus from current technology challenges to future tech challenges — and opportunities.

ASTRA2030 Our next step has been to continue work on the ASTRA2025 vision outline we launched late last year. After consultation with ASTRA management, and thanks to leadership’s full support of the council taking the long view, we are now working on ASTRA2030.

Some key components of ASTRA2030 are: • What do we think toy retailing will look like in 2030?

• What milestones do ASTRA retailers, manufacturers and reps need to accomplish to experience continued success with this future vision?

• What is the timeline for accomplishing these milestones?

Here are the key areas where the council will focus: • People • Products • Technologies • Message We’ll be addressing these questions from the context of the core factors important to our independent toy retail customer base that I mentioned above: Connection. Experience. Identity.

To that end, the Innovation Council is beginning to identify instructive programs around the world that are fostering any or all of these core factors. We’re looking for inspiration from any industry, any organization, any nation so that we can synthesize best practices that can apply to the ASTRA ecosystem of retailers, manufacturers, and reps.

We aim to select some of the best solutions and implement real-life tests with ASTRA member companies and share the results with our broader member base.

We’re All In This Together!

As we’ve been saying all along, members of the ASTRA family of independent retailers, manufacturers, and reps are all in this together. The Innovation Council is working for you to provide a vision of how we’ll look in the future and how ASTRA members can get there - together. ASTRA

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Keynote: Yancey Strickler

Y

ancey Strickler co-founded Kickstarter, a public benefit corporation that has helped independent creative people raise more than $4 billion to their ideas.

He’s the keynote speaker at this year’s ASTRA Marketplace and Academy in Pittsburgh. He’s seen it all, from assisting humanitarian efforts to Oscar-winning movies. When it comes to professionals working in the independent toy industry, he’s got a clear message: keep doing what you’re doing.

During this time of economic uncertainty regarding the continual growth of online commerce, Strickler says the toy industry needs to recognize the change, but continue that special gift of genuine service. That special connection, he says, will never

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go out of style.

“I’m always drawn to events where I can speak to people who have a direct hand in the creative and culture industry,” Strickler said.

“I just believe so deeply in the importance of that work, and I’m very optimistic about its importance. I like to talk to people who I Yancey Strickler think are doing really important work.”

Strickler is the first to recognize that the online industry has changed, and continues to change, how people consume products in today’s economy.

But he also says it’s not limited to those of us involved in toys.

It’s a fact of life for anyone working in retail.

“Every industry has their own version of it,” he said. “I think those are areas worth thinking about, and worth having a plan for, rather than a hail mary or a ‘please-don’t-happen’ attitude.”

The current trend we’re in right now is a long time coming, Strickler says. The past 30-40 years have all been about everything getting bigger. The creation of big-box stores, the emergence of national chains and national retailers in the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s all set the current climate in motion.

Many of those same retailers that are now facing Amazon are in a bad way because they don’t offer any special service. If a product is just sitting on a shelf in a store, it’s only a matter of time.

“Those places are going to be decimated, and that is what’s happening,” Strickler said. “The stores that provide another sense of value beyond the best price - those places survive because there's a reason to go. Places that have a sense of purpose, have a real understanding of their audience, have a connection with the community, I think those places are going to do fine, and probably even thrive.”

Amazon is a monster, and Strickler says that trend is only going to continue, and get bigger, and faster, and more convenient, and be more efficient, with better selection and better prices. But that shouldn’t stray independent retailers - toys in particular - from breaking away from their plan.

“Even in a world of infinite Amazon-ese, which is just going

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to keep happening, places that have a reason, places that try and invest in a human connection, places that have a real connection to the community, the place they come from, I think will be fine,” he said.

Price is something that is always a challenge for an independent retailer.

The emergence of online commerce has certainly made it that much harder.

But Strickler says that the customer engaged in the independent store isn’t always stuck on the price tag.

“Build your brand through meaning, through creation of value, not just through price,” he said. “Cost is a strong value consideration for a customer - and for certain types of customers, maybe it’s the only consideration. But for a lot of people, it’s only a part of the picture. If you’re able to talk about the other values that come, or you get to experience them by the people that work there, or you know other people who go there, the cost clearly becomes less important because you can see what else you’re getting out of it. And that’s just an opportunity that every store, that every game maker, that everyone has.

Everyone has that opportunity to create that for people. Some people understand that. Some people don’t.”

The passion for assisting people in the creative and culture industry was launched for Strickler when he helped co-found Kickstarter in 2009. The world’s largest funding platform took Strickler to new heights. He was a music critic in New York for 20 years prior to Kickstarter,

and says he saw first-hand how streaming music and Napster began to put music stores out of business. But the last remaining music stores in Manhattan, he says, were the specialized ones that were able to offer something that no one else could.

He draws a comparison of what he experienced in the music industry, to

what’s currently happening in the retail industry around the world.

“It’s wrong to act like every part of every change is positive,” he said. “But I just want to do everything I can to be of assistance to people who are furthering the creation of culture and ideas in the world, rather than just the creation of money.” ASTRA astratoy.org • June2019

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Education Sessions Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8 8:00AM - 5:00PM

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP

Certified Play Expert Workshop Track: Children & Play

Master the science behind PLAY: Become a PLAYfessional at Marketplace & Academy!

You know play is powerful, but can you explain why? ASTRA’s Certified Play Expert Workshop gives you the research, language, and tools to support the science behind play. For the first time, you can become a Certified Play Expert at Marketplace & Academy. This preconference workshop will elevate your expertise in just two days.

ASTRA invites toy industry professionals, therapists, librarians, educators and anyone in the business of play to take part in this event. Become a Certified Play Expert at our first in-person, interactive 2-day preconference workshop!

Speakers: Jean Bailey & Kerry Bauer

Sunday, June 9 9:00AM - 10:00AM

OPENING SESSION Thom Singer of The Conference Catalyst will kick things off with an exciting Opening Session, including insights from five thought leaders. These experts will ignite learning with brief previews of their breakout sessions following the Opening Session: The Inner Secrets to Double Your Memory | Ron Rosenberg #NotARule: The Art of Winning at Life by Breaking Rules that Don’t Exist | Jason Kotecki The Case for Transition Planning: Retirement & Semi Retirement | Sameer Somal Compelling Connections: The Current of Influence | Tim Walsh Conquering the New World of Marketing Musts | Rieva Lesonsky

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10:15AM - 11:30AM

EXPERT LED WORKSHOPS

The Inner Secrets to Double Your Memory Track: Business Operations

Do you have trouble remembering people’s names and other important information? Learn four simple steps that will help you remember names and faces and discover five techniques to help you remember product and customer information. Unlock your memory potential and create lasting impressions on your customers, colleagues, family, and friends in this session.

Speakers: Ron Rosenberg, QualityTalk, Inc.

#NotARule: The Art of Winning at Life

by Breaking Rules That Don’t Exist Track: Children & Play

The world is moving faster than ever, and the only constant is change. What worked yesterday probably won’t work tomorrow, and we’re asked to do more with less. We need to see the world with new eyes and identify the old ways of thinking that are holding us back. In this session, uncover and annihilate so-called rules that don’t exist. Learn surprising principles that provide a powerful competitive advantage, foster breakthrough levels of innovation, and accomplish what was once thought impossible. You’ll walk away armed with tools for to help you identify the rules that don’t exist and tactics for breaking them with confidence.

Speakers: Jason Kotecki, Escape Adulthood

Compelling Connections: The Current of Influence Track: Industry Trends & Relations

Get a sneak peek at clips from the documentary film “OPERATION: Operation, The Power of Play” chronicling the classic American story of John Spinello, inventor of the iconic board game Operation. John sold the patent to the game for $500 and forfeited his rights to royalties. The game went on to sell 45 million copies. This film takes viewers on a journey of healing with John as he discovers how the game he invented touched millions of people in ways he could not have imagined.

Using the film clips as a springboard for discussion, you’ll discuss the themes of play along with the connection and influence that inspired it.

Speakers: Tim Walsh, Getta1Games *This session will be recorded.

Conquering the New World of Marketing Musts Track: Sales & Marketing

Independent businesses need to utilize old and new marketing methods in order to survive and thrive. Just when you think you’ve mastered SEO, along comes a new way to search for businesses like yours - and consumers are embracing it.

Voice search is still in the early stages, but its use is on the rise, as more and more consumers turn to their voice assistants (Alexa, Siri, Google Home, Cortana, etc.) to find a business or order a product. The growth of voice search means big changes in the way you write copy and marketing content for your business. In this session, learn the best tips, tricks and tactics to create loyal customers. You’ll come away knowing social media best practices, the secrets of email marketing and how you can conquer the new world of voice search.

Speakers: Rieva Lesonsky, GrowBiz Media

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The Case For Transition Planning: Retirement & Semi Retirement Track: Financial Management

Transition, retirement and succession planning are predicated on a series of proactive decisions. A comprehensive transition plan encompasses issues beyond the dollars—ongoing control, semi-retirement, ensuring that an entity remains with family, providing care for valued employees, valuation establishing a legacy and intangible capital, such as reputation. Many independent business owners hand over the reins too late or overlook the opportunity to plan.

Consequently, they may not maximize value, realize their intended vision or maintain their lifestyle in retirement. Learn to convey both the importance of being proactive and the risks associated with not having a transition plan and walk away armed with a more expansive decision making framework to take action and plan for an inevitable transition.

Speakers: Sameer Somal, Blue Ocean Global 11:45AM - 12:45PM | LUNCH & LEARN

Lemonade Stand 2.0: Secrets from Childhood for Succeeding in Business & Life Track: Children & Play

An entrepreneur since the day he graduated from college, Jason Kotecki has built a profitable business that is bolstered by a tribe of raving fans and has sparked a worldwide movement. Learn about the often-overlooked principles from Jason’s childhood that have contributed to his success. You’ll not only come away with tools to achieve bigger growth, but also insights on how you can design a life to achieve better balance from your small business. (Yes, it’s possible!)

Thank you to our Premier Partner

1:00PM - 2:00PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Development Through Delegation: How Letting Go Can Build Them Up Track: Business Operations

“It’s easier if I just do it myself.” “They won’t do it right, and I’ll have to redo it!” “They’re overwhelmed as it is. They don’t need extra work.”

When it comes to delegation, there are many things we tell ourselves, and most of them aren’t true. In fact, most employees are excited to have their leaders delegate to them, if it’s done the right way. When done well, delegation works as one of the most effective ways a leader can prepare team members for their next role. The trick is delegating the right tasks, to the right person, at the right level. In this session, you’ll learn how to delegate effectively so you can develop your team, increase engagement, and get a little time back for yourself!

Speakers: Courtney Ramsey, Courtney Ramsey Speaks *This session will be recorded.

STEAM Learning: Makerspace Toys & Tools Track: Children & Play

The latest New Media Consortium/ CoSN 2017 K-12 Edition report deemed makerspaces as an important factor in considering the future of EdTech.

Makerspaces have been predicted to be fully adopted by K-12 schools in the coming years. How do makerspaces, manufacturers and the toy industry shape a role in this new EdTech space? How will these industries intersect in unique ways to design and inspire play, learning and creativity? Get the answers to these questions and learn about the latest trends. You’ll come away equipped with information on the importance of bridging the opportunity gap in technology and how the toy industry can contribute to the toys and tools of makerspaces.

Tips & Tricks: Working with Social Media Influencers Track: Industry Trends & Relations

Social media influencers have established credibility and access to a large audience that can persuade others outside of your reach. Whether you are a retailer, manufacturer, sales representative or inventor, learn foundational tips and tricks to build a strong community through the support of influencers on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

You’ll leave this session understanding the basics for working with influencers, how to find the best fit for your store and/ or product and how to form a successful partnership.

Speakers: Kathleen Tomes & Alexa Vogue, Brilliant PR & Marketing

Vital Engagement: The Grandparent Track: Sales & Marketing

Explore the challenges and opportunities of the grandparent market pertinent to the independent toy industry ecosystem of retailers, sales representatives, manufacturers and inventors. This session will review grandparent market groups, examine grandparent consumer priorities and share key ways the independent toy industry can develop their own strategies for the vital engagement of the grandparent.

Speakers: Roger Bildsten, Hip Hooray, LLC

Speakers: Ronah Harris, Play Pattern, LLC Speakers: Jason Kotecki, Escape Adulthood astratoy.org • June2019

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Education Sessions Omni-Channel Retail & the Modern Marketplace

6 Steps to Creating & Executing a Profitable Social Media Plan

Track: Business Operations

Track: Sales & Marketing

Customers are inherently omni-channel shoppers – less than one-percent of customers shop the same way every time.

Understanding omni-channel retail and using adaptive strategies is critical to the survival of brick and mortar stores. Avoid channel conflict by offering a seamless transition from online to offline and offline to online. In this session, learn the tools designed to get shoppers into your store.

Not enough hours in the day to focus on your store’s social media? No problem! Get a crash-course in social media planning and do more than you thought was possible. You’ll learn about the proven step-by-step process that covers six specific areas critical to sales success from social media. Identify specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound (S.M.A.R.T.) goals and learn how to reverse engineer them to drive business results using social media and build a loyal social media audience and leads list.

Speakers: Kelly Nelson, Locally

Attract & Retain Customers All Year Long Track: Business Operations

Whether a holiday or a season, make the most of those times on the calendar that boost the fun in your store. Learn to leverage everything from the obvious like Halloween and Easter, to the obscure events like National Kazoo Day, World Juggling Day or International Talk-Like-aPirate Day. Come away from this session with a calendar of ideas to implement, and planning tools so you don’t miss a step in making sure your store is known as the fun place to be in town. You’ll gain new ideas to market events to bring customers in and give them lots to talk about.

Speakers: Mary Sisson, Kazoodles

Speakers: Crystal Vilkaitis, Social Edge

Financials Made Easy Track: Financial Management

Effective financial management underpins a thriving toy store enterprise. Successful business owners recognize that tracking a proven financial blueprint and taking a proactive approach provides clarity on profitability, productivity and affordability.

Financial management includes statements, projections, bookkeeping, financing and employee/owner retirement benefits. Entrepreneurs with financial understanding and awareness are generally more adaptable to change because they are empowered with knowledge to better navigate challenges.

Learn how to review a balance sheet, income statement, cash flows and utilize the data from ASTRA’s Retail Benchmarking Report. Walk away with strategies for improving the overall financial health of your independent business.

Speakers: Sameer Somal, Blue Ocean Global

2:15pm - 3:15pm

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

“I Need to Speak to the Manager!”

Track: Business Operations

Five store managers from across the country are joining forces (think Voltron) to share industry insight on the topics of hiring, retention, training and promotion.

This session will illuminate ideas for adjusting to hiring trends, curating an application process, creating a training process, and understanding customer engagement. You’ll have the opportunity to dialogue openly about your experiences (including both the successes and failures) and network with other store managers.

Moderator: Nick Guffey |The Toy Store Panelists: Cliff Moss | Fundamentally Toys, Kira Mattheson | The Toy Box, Leah Pickering | Kazoodles & Eliza Moriconi | Learning Tree

Make an Impact: Toys with Purpose Track: Children & Play

Get key insights and understanding about how working with children and their families can directly inform the design of a product. Sproutel, a patient-centered research and development company, will share the case study of developing the My Special Aflac Duck, a companion for children with cancer, and working with more than 100 patients and 35 doctors to bring the product to market. Discover how you can use the power of play to meet the specific and unique needs of children.

Speakers: Aaron Horowitz, Sproutel

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5 Easy Steps to Find the Hidden Cash in Your Business

3 Proven Ways to Drive Retail Foot Traffic

“The Inventor Lady” Presents: How Inventors Think

Track: Financial Management

Track: Industry Trends & Relations

Track: Sales & Marketing

Tweaking just a few analytics can help you find thousands of dollars in hidden cash in your business. Explore how easy it is to add profit to your bottom line by slightly adjusting your initial markup and planning for your markdowns. You’ll gain an understanding of the difference between cost of goods sold versus cost of purchases and learn how using cost of purchases can improve cash flow.

Customers are now more digital than ever which has dramatically changed the way they shop. Savvy brick & mortar retailers are realizing that, in order to survive and thrive, they need to adapt to the new retail landscape and identify where their strengths lie. Learn about the tools you can use to thrive in the new age of retail including access to a website grader tool, simple guide to setting up Google My Business and an introduction to Google Trends to track popular products.

Inventing is habit-forming, contagious and there is no cure. Join Rita Crompton, “The Inventor Lady”, to learn three key tactics to support the inventors that come through your door. You’ll learn about the challenges inventors face, gain insight on how to give good advice and explore how an inventor thinks. Gain new insight on how you can support the inventors who are the driving force of innovation and creativity in our industry.

Speakers: Jennifer Rust, Retail Centered

Speakers: Rita Crompton, The Inventor Lady

Speakers: Caroline Brady, Pointy

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Education Sessions In Real Life: Connecting with People in a Gadget Crazed World

Toy Safety 101: Safe Shopping Education for Families

Track: Sales & Marketing

Track: Children & Play

There is more to creating business relationships than a “like”, “link”, “share” or “follow”. While the popular social media tools can make it seem like we have countless friends and business associates, it is real human engagement that leads to opportunity. Get back to the basics on establishing connections that lead to more success in business, sales, and life.

Whether children are playing indoors or outdoors, enjoying their favorite toys or picking out new ones, caregivers want to make sure they stay safe while they play. Ensure your customers are shopping safely. Learn how to share common safety tips like age grading and toy storage with families while instilling confidence that the products you are selling are tested and regulated. You’ll come away with the confidence to talk with your customers about toy safety and the importance of safety at home.

Speakers: Thom Singer, The Conference Catalyst

Survival Strategies for Amazon

Speakers: Adrienne Appell, The Toy Association

Track: Business Operations

Business in the age of Amazon has disrupted time-tested practices used by manufacturers, distributors, retailers, marketing firms and consumers alike. It has created overnight millionaires and caused the demise of titans in all sectors.

You must know what successful businesses are doing. You must know what disastrous practices to avoid. You must know what has happened, what is currently happening and, most importantly, you must know what is coming. In an easy-tounderstand format, you’ll learn about the common best practices used by a wide range of businesses in various industries.

Through concrete examples and specific recommendations, you’ll learn how, and why, to apply these strategic concepts to your own business.

3:30PM - 5:00PM

CERTIFIED MASTER SALES REPRESENTATIVE WORKSHOP Track: Sales & Marketing

Join ASTRA for the Certified Master Sales Representative Workshop. This is your chance to expand your professional development on the topic of customer service. Registrants will walk out the door with the customer service component of CMSR complete and gain access to the remainder of the program to complete online and become fully credentialed. Preregistration required.

Speakers: TJ Simmons, Kahootz

Monday, June 10 8:00AM - 9:30AM

ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING & AWARDS PRESENTATION

Annual Business Meeting

Join ASTRA in an award ceremony to honor ASTRA Award and certification receipients.

Following the awards presentation, ASTRA will provide updates on the specialty toy industry and install the newest board of directors.

Wednesday, June 12 8:30AM - 10:00AM GENERAL SESSION & KEYNOTE

Creating Lasting Value

Kickstarter co-founder and former CEO, Yancey Strickler, shares a unique perspective on what it means to grow values in our organizations and in ourselves. Yancey tells the story of Kickstarter, from its humble beginnings to its innovative approach as a Public Benefit Corporation, revealing insights and lessons from the experience. Kickstarter has helped independent creative people raise more than $4 billion to fund their ideas, from Cards Against Humanity to Oculus Rift to Oscar-winning movies. Yancey also puts the Kickstarter story into the larger context of a world that’s dominated by bigger and bigger players. how can we better navigate this world, and find new ways of creating value?

Speakers: Yancey Strickler, Co-Founder of Kickstarter

Speakers: Ron Solomon, The Creditors Network/MAPP Trap *This session will be recorded.

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Schedule at-a-Glance All events will be held at the David L Lawrence Convention Center unless noted otherwise. Find the most up-to-date information at www.marketplaceandacademy.org.

Friday, June 7 8:00am – 5:00pm

Pre-Conference Workshop: Certified Play Expert (CPE) Day 1

Saturday, June 8 8:00am – 5:00pm

8:30am – 5:30pm 1:00pm – 5:00pm 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Pre-Conference Workshop: Certified Play Expert (CPE) Day 2 Registration Open Community Service Project Meet & Greet

Sunday, June 9 7:30am – 6:00pm Registration Open 8:00am – 8:45am Continental Breakfast 9:00am – 10:00am Opening Session 10:15am – 11:30am Expert-Led Workshops 11:45am - 12:45pm Networking Lunch & Learn 1:00pm - 2:00pm Breakout Sessions 2:15pm - 3:15pm Breakout Sessions 3:30pm – 5:30pm Kit Session (Full Conference

Retailers Only) 3:30pm – 5:30pm Certified Master Sales

Representative Workshop

(Registration Required) 7:00pm – 10:00pm Welcome Reception at PNC Park

Tickets *must* be purchased in advance for this event. Tickets will NOT be available for purchase at the door.

Monday, June 10 7:00am – 6:00pm Registration Open 7:30am – 8:00am Breakfast Buffet 8:00am – 9:30am Annual Business Meeting & Awards Presentation 9:30am – 5:00pm Trade Show Open 9:30am – 5:00pm Community Service Project |

Backpack Stuffing 11:30am – 1:30pm Lunch on the Trade Show Floor 5:00pm – 6:00pm Game Night Reception (Full

Conference Retailers Only) 6:00pm – 8:30pm Game Night (Full Conference

Retailers Only)

Tuesday, June 11 7:30am – 6:30pm 8:00am – 9:15am 8:00am – 9:15am

9:30am – 6:00pm 11:30am - 1:30pm 4:30pm - 6:30pm

Registration Open Continental Breakfast Share the Fair Continental Breakfast (Full Conference Retailers Only) Trade Show Open Lunch on the Trade Show Floor Happy Hour

Wednesday, June 12

Makers of potholder looms & loops, fiber art kits and weaving looms.

7:30am – 3:30pm 8:00am – 8:30am 8:30am – 10:00am

10:00am – 3:00pm 11:30am – 1:30pm 2:00pm – 2:30pm

Registration Open Continental Breakfast General Session & Keynote | Creating Lasting Value Trade Show Open Lunch on the Trade Show Floor Raffle Prize Drawing

To register for ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy visit www.marketplaceandacademy.org

Harrisville Designs • 1-800-338-9415 • harrisville.com • Harrisville, NH

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Lightning Learning Dream It! Dream Let your It! imagination Let your Dream It! run wild imagination Let your run wild

imagination run wild

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Lightning Learning Ready, set, learn! Lightning Learning brings education to the Marketplace show floor and features content in 15-minute segments. The learning continues with an additional 15-minutes of time for Q&A, giving you a chance to gain fresh insights and inspiration as you walk the Marketplace floor.

Monday, June 10 12:00PM - 12:15PM

Top 3 Trends of Spielwarenmesse Track: Industry Trends & Relations Speakers: Schylon Hofmann,

Spielwarenmesse eG 1:00PM - 1:15PM

Try New Things Track: Industry Trends & Relations Speakers: Thom Singer, The Conference

Catalyst 3:00PM - 3:15PM

Top 5 Website Mistakes Track: Sales & Marketing

Speakers: Tyler Rhoton, Rain POS

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Tuesday, June 11 10:00AM - 10:15AM

3 Mistakes You Can Fix Tomorrow Track: Sales & Marketing Speakers: Phil Wrzesinski, HABA USA

12:00PM - 12:15PM

Top 3 Trends of Spielwarenmesse Track: Industry Trends & Relations Speakers: Schylon Hofmann, Spielwarenmesse eG

1:00PM - 1:15PM

Try New Things Track: Industry Trends & Relations Speakers: Thom Singer, The Conference

Catalyst 3:00PM - 3:15PM

Top 5 Website Mistakes Track: Sales & Marketing Speakers: Tyler Rhoton, Rain POS

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FIND US AT ASTRA FIND US AT ASTRA

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@mychalkofthetown @mychalkofthetown www.chalk-of-the-town.com www.chalk-of-the-town.com @mychalkofthetown @mychalkofthetown @mychalkofthetown www.chalk-of-the-town.com www.chalk-of-the-town.com www.chalk-of-the-town.com @mychalkofthetown @mychalkofthetown @mychalkofthetown www.chalk-of-the-town.com

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Thank you to Our Partners PREMIER PARTNERS

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

EXPERIENCE PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNERS

water-based peel off nail polish

bursting with attitude and none of the bad stuff

ASTRA

Market Place & Academy 2019

Booth #744

Party Palette – 10 mini nail kit

Play Make Up Kit

12 Days of Christmas Set

Suncoat Products Inc. 290 Southgate Dr., Unit 5, Hanlon Business Park, Guelph, Ontario N1G 4P5 CANADA www.suncoatgirl.com

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ASTRA

COME SEE US AT ASTRA: BOOTH #1543

KA-SU-SUNSET SUNSET

KA-SU-SKULLS SUGAR SKULLS

KA-SU-TIEDYE TIE DYE

KA-SU-PEACE PEACE LOVE

KA-SU-MEHNDI MEHNDI

KA-SU-USA USA

COPPERFIELD'S BOOKS Our hometown independent bookstore in Petaluma, CA.

EACH ONE TELLS A STORY Each ukulele in the Kala Ukadelic Series features original artwork from artists all over the world. They are high-quality, water-resistant, durable, easy-to-clean, & come with a tote bag, FREE online lessons, a mini-quick start guide, and FREE tuning & songbook app.

These ukes sell fast and are great for in-store displays!

ASTRA-201903-Ukadelics-D1-lc.indd 1 2019_ASTRA_03_June.indd 49

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Giving Back in Pittsburgh

T

he Marketplace & Academy volunteer program aims to make an impact by supporting the local community of the host city. Join us in positively impacting the city of Pittsburgh by participating in the following volunteer activities:

with more than 10 items for back-to-school readiness on Monday and Tuesday of the tradeshow.

Park Clean Up

Duration of Show ASTRA and Marketplace & Academy will be partnering with the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to donate leftover food from meal functions to the local community.

Saturday, June 8 from 1:00-5:00pm Spend the afternoon with your peers revitalizing Pittsburgh.

Volunteers will be tasked with various activities, such as planting, invasive plant removal, trash removal from the stream and more.

Join industry peers in a rewarding afternoon of giving back.

Register in advance online at www.marketplaceandacademy.org.

Backpack Stuffing

Monday, June 10 and Tuesday, June 11 While you’re on the show floor, fill up a backpack with back-toschool supplies and an encouraging note for Pittsburgh-area students. Help ASTRA reach the goal of filling 1,000 backpacks

®

Meal Donation

Toys for Joy Toy Donation

Close of Show The holiday toy drive, Toys for Joy, will launch at the close of Marketplace & Academy. Exhibitors are invited to donate toys, games, school products and juvenile products to children and families in need. Help us kick off the ASTRA Toys for Joy holiday drive with a bang!

Welcome to the New World of Madame Alexander Madame Alexander’s beautiful dolls encourage little ones to love and nurture, teaching them empathy and kindness.

Visit us at ASTRA booth 717, and find out why it’s a new world at Madame Alexander!

www.madamealexander.com Retail enquiries call 833-MADAME A (833-623-2632)

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What’s New at Marketplace & Academy Play from Day One Zone

By the year 2035, the United States will have more people age 65+ than under the age of 18. Be a part of supporting play across the lifespan – from childhood to adulthood! Discover a selection of 50 products that support five key developmental areas – physical, sensory, social/emotional, communicative and cognitive – and gain new ideas on how you can highlight the important role toys play for kids and adults of all ages.

New Players Park

Head over to New Players Park to discover the new, first-time exhibitors at Marketplace & Academy. Get to know the story behind the products and meet the makers and entrepreneurs behind the companies and products that will be on display.

Best Toys for Kids Winners

The winners of this year’s Best Toys for Kids award will be revealed at the Annual Business Meeting and Awards Presentation on Monday, June 10. Don’t miss out on seeing what products retailers voted on as the best in the specialty toy industry! See the winning products on display in the Lightning Learning Zone on the show floor.

Toy Talks Lounge

Need a space for conversation? Head over to the Toy Talk Lounge, an area just outside of the show floor to hold impromptu meetings, take a quick phone call, or rest your feet for a minute before you head back in the exhibit hall.

COME SEE US AT ASTRA BOOTH #624 !

lty ialty Sp ia Spec Editio n: Contains 7 s! rds! rd bonus card

NSO R APP ROVAL IMAGE PEN DIN G LICE

WE’VE GOT HOT LICENSES AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL GAMES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! TM & © 2019 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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new manfacturer members

ASTRA Welcomes Its Newest Manufacturer Members Alliance Entertainment Across the Board Game LLC St. Louis, MO www.acrosstheboardgame.com Across the Board is a family owned and operated workshop specializing in high quality, handcrafted, unique wooden games. Our games are made with premium materials and assembled with the utmost care and precision. When you purchase a game, it should last—and our products are built for generations to enjoy!

Woodland, CA www.aent.com Alliance Entertainment is a top tier distributor of consumer electronics, toys, collectibles, video games, board games, novelties, music, movies, and other categories including Ncircle Entertainment children’s DVDs available. With more than thirty years of distribution experience, Alliance Entertainment serves customers of every size, providing a suite of services to retailers worldwide.

ertt Malvern, UK www.easyreadtimeteacher.com EasyRead Time Teacher (ERTT) make clocks, watches and teaching aids that help children age 4+ learn to tell the time.

Many children struggle with telling time on regular analog clocks. ERTT’s colorful clocks have a unique educational design - easy to read and simple to understand.

Time-telling success guaranteed!

CINEMOOD Adventerra Games North America East Boston, MA www.adventerragames.com/h-o-m-e-eng Compete and cooperate to save our planet! Adventerra board games are so much fun that they get played over and over again. As a player, you win by learning how to save resources to slow global warming. The more you work together as a team, the more exciting it gets!

Palo Alto, CA www.cinemood.com CINEMOOD Portable Movie Theater is a 3'' ultralight streaming content projector that brings the entertainment on the big screen - anytime, anywhere, all from the palm of your hand. CINEMOOD is absolutely noiseless and features easy to use directional buttons, large storage capacity, up to a 5-hour rechargeable battery life, and the ability to create up to a 12-foot projection on any flat surface, no outlet or WiFi required.

The Feelings Friends Winston-Salem, NC www.thefeelingsfriends.com The Feeling Friends is a consumer product company delivering cuttingedge educational products in the social-emotional learning industry. Our educational kit that includes a teacher’s guide, puppets, books, and music grow children emotionally stronger!

Fun Stuff Inc Afri-Imports Inc

Colour Creek

San Diego, CA www.fozzis.com

Hartford, CT www.colourcreek.com

Fozzi’s Foam and Paint is specially developed to have fun. The mild, foaming rich lather with gentle cleansers and added moisturizers is suitable for everyday use leaving skin soft, cleansed and smelling great. Make bath time fun every day of the week.

Colour Creek is a private label manufacturer of premium children’s toys and arts & crafts products. Our vision is to provide access to fun/educational toys to facilitate mental and motor development in children across the globe. Our products are created after years of research and confirm to global child safely standards.

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Hampton, VA www.funstuffinc.net Since 1993, Fun Stuff, Inc. has grown to be a top industry leader as an importer and distributor of toys and novelties.

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Mouse Loves Pig

Play-A-Maze

Winchester, VA www.mouselovespig.com

Gatneau, QC www.plmaze.com

Travel toys without the noise, organic cotton baby toys, and imaginative learning through play prompts.

Play-A-Maze is a family owned and operated company developing innovative puzzle toys. Our puzzles are based on intricately designed gearsets that introduce children to STEM, physics and engineering through fun and exciting gameplay.

MSE Enterprises Inc. dba YoYoSam Wholesale Fairview, PA www.mouselovespig.com YoyoSam Wholesale is a world leader in the skill toy marketplace. We specialize in all skill toys, e.g. Yo-Yos, Juggling, Diabolo and lots more. We have quality products that are in demand and are often on the front lines of the latest skill toy trends.

Pix Perfect LLC Macomb, MI www.pixperfect.com Pix Perfect™ is a new pixel art craft where vibrant sequins are arranged on a pixelboard to create shining masterpieces of favorite characters, animals and more. The reusable sequin pixels come in various colors to create as many works of art as your imagination can conceive- over & over again!

Ready Set & Co. LLC Los Angeles, CA

The Spark Innovations Lakewood, NJ www.thesparkinnovations.com Spark Cards are sequencing & storytelling picture cards that are beautifully illustrated and designed for children to work on many language skills, including problem solving, inferencing and answering questions.

Adapts to many levels and ages. Game box comes with 8 story sets and each story contains 6 sequencing cards.

Sunnylife LLC Los Angeles, CA www.sunnylife.com

It’s part stuffed animal, part extra storage, part pillow! With a large interior chamber to carry the matching blanket, pajamas, or secret treasure, it ‘s the perfect companion for sleepy heads around the house or for an adventure beyond! Blankets feature cape snaps, because Pillowie is so for Super Heroes!

From the backyard to the beach, and from friend’s pools to pint-sized parties, Sunnylife offers toys, games and juniorsized accessories that allow kids to live a life inspired by the sun.

Shmoji LLC

ToyHouse LLC

Sleepy Hollow, NY www.shmoji.com

Mystic, CT www.toyhousellc.com

Shmoji® is a fun fashion Brand with an emphasis of allowing children to Show their emotions! Our Launch product of Shoelace characters has over 100 designs to collect. Children can swap and share with their friends to collect all 100!

Toyhouse LLC is the exclusive distributor for smaller independent toy and specialty retailers for LEGO® Systems, Inc. Brian and Christina Specht have been a part of the LEGO company for over a combined 45 years and we are completely aligned with the LEGO® values and quality service.

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new manfacturer members

Starlux Games, LLC Los Angeles, CA www.starluxgames.com At Starlux Games, we create glow-inthe-dark experiences that pump up the excitement of any group gathering— from birthdays and sleepovers to family reunions. Our games are designed for all ages and make excellent gifts that get people outside and active. So grab a game and gather your friends—let’s GLOW!”

Underdog Games Twee Philadelphia, PA www.tweemade.com TWEE is a women owned maker's studio in Philadelphia, PA specializing in handmade, small batch, sidewalk chalk. All TWEE products are designed to perfectly fit little ones’ hands, helping to increase a child’s grip strength and fine motor skills while encouraging creative play and imaginative making. Besides, who wouldn't want to draw with a donut!

New York, NY www.underdoggames.com Underdog Games was created with the mission to bring people together by sharing the joy of board games with the world. We are a publisher of family friendly games such as Trekking the National Parks .

Wowwee Montreal, CA www.wowwee.com WowWee® is a 30-year global innovator and industry leader in developing, marketing, and distributing hi-tech consumer robotic, toy, and entertainment products. Products include the award-winning Fingerlings line, and master toy licensee for Pinkfong Baby Shark and The Wiggles.

Come check out our NEW titles!

M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm EST or email info@leemagicpen.com

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new members AFFILIATES BookingCommunity 1651 NW 1st CT Boca Raton, FL 33432 chaunsea.keller@bookingcommunity.com www.bookingcommunity.com/astratoy Hot Diggity Media 6520 Platt AVE Ste 529 West Hills, CA 91307 hello@HotDiggityMedia.com www.hotdiggityawards.com Pennsylvania Dutch Candies 1250 Slate Hill RD Camp Hill, PA 17011 ap@warrellcorp.com

MANUFACTURERS Across the Board Game LLC 9300 Watson Industrial PARK St. Louis, MO 63126 kim@atbgame.com www.acrosstheboardgame.com Adventerra Games North America 10 Putnam ST East Boston, MA 02128 Afri-Imports Inc 7950 Silverton AVE Ste 121 San Diego,CA 92126-6342 jo@afri-imports.com Alliance Entertainment 707 Main ST Woodland, CA 95695 bobby.miranda@aent.com

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

Beecrazee 2020 Camfield AVE Commerce, CA 90040 contact@beecrazee.com BizyBeez 310 E 650 S Kaysville, UT 84037 wade@bizybeez.com Cinewmood 530 Lytton AVE Palo Alto, CA 94301 usa@cinemood.com Colour Creek 3580 Main ST Bldg 11 Hartford, CT 06120 rgaiki@abexdistro.com Create A Castle PO Box 433 Bridgewater, CT 06752 info@createacastle.com www.createcastle.com Dexter Educational Play 2201 Midway RD Ste 209 Carrollton, TX 75006 kim@dexterplay.com Duncan Toys Co 15981 Valplast RD PO Box 97 Middlefield, OH 44062 mburke@flambeau.com ertt Unit 20 Link Business Centre Link Way Malvern Worcestershire WR14 1UQ, UK sue@easyreadtimeteacher.com www.easyreadtimeteacher.com

Amahi Ukuleles 7605 Production DR Cincinnati, OH 45237 autumnschear12@gmail.com www.amahiukuleles.com

Fireside Games PO Box 151164 Austin, TX 78715 anne-marie@firesidegames.com

Atwood Toys 2185 Refugee ST Millersport, OH 43046 info@atwoodtoys.com

FlairGameWorld LLC 3 Beachside CMN Westport, CT 06880 alli@flairfriends.com www.flairfriends.com

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Go Fun Face / University Outfitters LLC 830 Franklin ST Duxbury, MA 02332 kfotta@universityoutfitters.com

Mr. 15 Peacock DR Roslyn, NY 11576 marc@goldenbellstudios.com www.goldenbellstudios.com

Smarty Pants Builder’s Club 363 Ocean Forest DR Saint Augustine, FL 32080 customercare@smartypantsbc.com

Gridopolis Games 1119 Colorado AVE Ste 15 Santa Monica, CA 90401 dave@schultzeworks.com www.gridopolis.games

MSE Enterprises Inc 7794 W Ridge RD Fairview, PA 16415 www.skilltoysupply.com

Smudge Art 2432 S Dayton Lakeview RD New Carlisle, OH 45344

Gwen Austin Studios 15295 W Warren DR Lakewood, CO 80228 gaustin@gwenaustinstudios.com

NingBo YiQu Arts&Crafts Co., Ltd 109 Cloverly LN West Chester, PA 19380 lizhangnd@gmail.com

Harmoneez Inc 8560 Ward RD Whitesville, KY 42378-9575

Orchard Toys LTD Chestnut DR Wymondham, Norfolk nr18 9sb

Hornby America Inc 3900-C2 Industry DR East Fife, WA 98424 sales@hornby.us

Pix Perfect LLC 22200 Sandalwood DR Macomb, MI 48044 sales@pixperfect.com

I Gotta Go With LLC 3724 De Foe CT Naperville, IL 60564 julie@igottagowith.com

Placote / Editions Passe-Temps 2059 Branly Québec, Québec G1N 4C7 simon.tobin@passetemps.com

Jabuka Games INC 1137 Davenport RD Toronto, m6h2g4 sales@jabukagames.com www.jabukagames.com Life is Tech, Inc. 2-12-3, Minami Azabu Minato-ku Tokyo, 106-0047 keiri@lifeistech.co.jp Marble Genius 5885 Magnificent LN Indianapolis, IN 46234 jeff@globalfamilybrands.com Moby Products LTD 17 Wooden Building Exchange Upper Street Dublin, Dublin 2 ricardo@ycompany.co Mouse Loves Pig 265 Parkway ST Winchester,VA 22601 hello@mouselovespig.com

Play-A-Maze 23 Cousineau Gatneau, QC J8T3R7 lshafir@plmaze.com Publisher Services Inc (PSI) 2800 Vista Ridge DR Suwanee, GA 30024 info@pubservinc.com www.pubservinc.com Ready Set & Co. LLC PO Box 421576 Los Angeles, CA 90042 andrea@readysetandco.com Semper Smart Games 21 S Pershing DR Arlington,VA 22204 info@sempersmartgames.com www.sempersmartgames.com Silk Road Bazaar 180 Glenridge AVE Montclair, NJ 07042

Sproutel 60 Valley ST Apt 29 Providence, RI 02909 aaron@sproutel.com Starlux Games, LLC 4861 Buchanan ST Los Angeles, CA 90042 blueskyoptions@gmail.com Steve Spangler Science / Really Good Stuff 5 Research DR Shelton, CT 06484 jgarcia@reallygoodstuff.com www.stevespanglerscience.com Suncoat Products Inc. 290 Southgate DR Unit 5 Guelph, ON N1G 4P5 Sunnylife LLC 300 N Crescent Heights BLVD Los Angeles, CA 90048 www.sunnylife.com The Good Game Company PO Box 1612 Greenville, SC 29602 dyearick@aol.com The Spark Innovations 131 Rutgers DR Lakewood, NJ 08701 info@thesparkinnovations.com www.thesparkinnovations.com ToyHouse LLC 38 E Main ST Unit 6 Mystic, CT 06355 christina.specht@toyhousellc.com

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ToyLab LLC 415 Claremont AVE Apt 1B Montclair, NJ 07042 toylabus@gmail.com Twee 1241 Carpenter ST # B-01 Philadelphia, PA 19147 XM Works Inc. 2150 West Washington ST Suite 205 San Diego, CA 92110

RETAILERS 12 Yamilton Inc 131 Japanese Vlg Plz Los Angeles, CA 90012 myc@monkeypantsla.com BrainSTEM Toys 512 Bexley Bluff LN Cary, NC 27513 brainstemtoys@gmail.com www.brainstemtoys.com Curtis Orchard 3902 S Duncan RD Champaign, IL 61822 admin@curtisorchard.com www.curtisorchard.com D & D Merchants, LLC 7014 Fairfield Business Ctr Fairfield, OH 45014 michael@dibsies.com www.dibsies.com Eight Cousins 189 Main ST Falmouth, MA 02540 books@eightcousins.com www.eightcousins.com EJ Toys, LLC 100 E Main ST Charlottesville, VA 22902 alakazamtoysandgifts@gmail.com Emagine Toys 44 Atlantic AVE Oceanside, NY 11572 emaginetoys@msn.com

George’s Candies 710 Bridge BLVD Ocean City, NJ 08226 georgescandies@gmail.com

If your brand were a movie, what would it be called?

Girl Scouts of Nassau County 110 Ring RD W Garden City, NY 11530 bowerst@gsnc.org Glenwood Toys and Gifts 822 Grand AVE Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 glenwoodgifts@gmail.com Henry Bear’s Park 685 Mass AVE Arlington, MA 02476 invoices@henrybear.com Innisfree Bookshop 312 Daniel Webster HWY Meredith, NH 03253 ap.innisfree2017@gmail.com

Let MAPP Trap rewrite the story of your brand by monitoring the internet, identifying your merchants, and enforcing policy compliance.

Inside the Jelly Jar 2644 W 8th ST Erie, PA 16505 J & M’s Used Bookstore/ The Industry WV Game Center 926 Division ST Parkersburg, WV 26101 jandmbookstore@gmail.com Jack & Josie’s 1105 N Carbon ST Marion, IL 62959 brandon@stevensofmarion.com JapanLA 7320 1/2 Melrose AVE Los Angeles,CA 90046 jamie@japanla.com JR Family Inc 709 N Main ST Charles City, IA 50616 Just Kidding Around 507 Bloomfield AVE Montclair, NJ 07042 Kawaii Gifts 738 Copeland ST Pittsburgh, PA 15232 vickie@shopkawaii.com

GH ST SELLER BUSTERS Starring DamnGoodBrand Aykroyd WWW.MAPPTRAP.COM info@mapptrap.com 303.670.5111

Ken’s Educational Joys 1930 Division HWY Ephrata, PA 17522 kenmoose.4@juno.com

Lost Trading Post 494 Strait WAY Central Point, OR 97502 sales@losttradingpost.com

Looking Glass Toys & Games Inc 3025 Petawawa BLVD Petawawa, ON K8H 1X9 vince@lookingglasstoysandgames.ca

Nik Knax, Inc. 1990 Del Amo BLVD Ste D Torrance, CA 90501 niki@nikknax.com

Ninja’s Little Toy House 7 Kings HWY E Ninja’s Little Toy House Haddonfield, NJ 08033 ninjatoyhouse@gmail.com

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new members Pessano Variety LLC 801 3rd ST Ocean City, NJ 08226 apessano@gmail.com

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

R2K Direct 3112 Countryman CT Wake Forest, NC 27587 r2kdirect@gmail.com

Plush Friends 611 N Saluki DR Marion, IL 62959 dyana.stephens@plushfriends.com

Roberts Design Group, LLC 7340 N US Highway 27 #211 Ocala, FL 34482 info@roberts-design.com

Savvy Shopkeeper 15102 Camden CIR Strongsville, OH 44136 kathy@savvyshopkeeper.com Schmidt’s Bulk Pantry and More 1200 Queen’s Bush RD Wellesley, ON N0B 2T0 davidschmidt82@yahoo.com Sidekicks LLC 368 Commercial ST Unit A Provincetown, MA 02657 beckyb@sidekickstravel.com Smartickles Toys 986 Medina RD Medina, OH 44256 orders@smarticklestoys.com Smarty Pants Findlay 618 S Main ST Findlay, OH 45840 smartypantsjane@outlook.com Star Toys 130 S Barrington PL Los Angeles, CA 90049 Sugar & Paper, LLC 706 Front ST Ste B Louisville, CO 80027 assortedgoodsandcandy@gmail.com The 100 Games Project PO Box 2947 Carmel By The Sea, CA 93921 ambermcook@gmail.com The Fun Company 136 S Main ST Bellefontaine, OH 43311 The Fun Place PO Box 246 Lahaska, PA 18931 thefunplace@outlook.com

The Red Balloon Toy Shop 114 RT 6A Orleans, MA 02653 gm@rbtoyshop.com Tools 4 Teaching 401 S Green Riber BLVD Evansville, IN 47715 julie.burczyk@tools4teaching.biz www.tools4teaching.biz Town Center Toys 5 Carriage RD Wilton, CT 06897 jenfila@towncentertoys.com Toy Island 1305 Celebrity CIR Unit C118 Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 contact@toy-island.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS Chalais Associates 1127 15th ST Apt E Santa Monica, CA 90403 bchalais@gmail.com Dog & Pony Sales LLC 9625 W Center ST Milwaukee, WI 53222 sandra@dogandponysales.com TOTALToys, Inc 6012 State RTE B Hillsboro, MO 63050 customerservice@totaltoys.biz www.totaltoys.biz Zibbers, Inc 620 Supertest RD Units 13/14 Toronto, ON M3J 2M8 zibbers@on.aibn.com

The Mommy Packs 21092 Bake PKWY Ste 108 Lake Forest, CA 92630 info@themommypacks.com

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index of advertisers

ASTRA Toy Times Magazine, June 2019

All Baby & Child..........................................................theabcshow.com................................11

Ginger Fox.....................................................................gingerfox.co.uk....................................45

Barry-Owen Co., Inc.................................................barryowen.com...................................13

Gund, a Division of Spin Master Inc................gund.com...............................................51

Bigjigs Toys US LLP...................................................bigjigstoys.com...................................38

HABA / Habermaass Corp.....................................habausa.com........................................29

Boneyard Pets.............................................................boneyardpets.com.............................24

Harrisville Designs....................................................harrisville.com......................................46

Catalog Solutions......................................................catalogsolutions.com.......................31

JC Toys Group Incorporated................................jctoys.com..............................................43

Chalk of the Town.....................................................chalk-of-the-town.com....................47

Kala Brand Music Co................................................kalabrand.com.....................................49

Chooseco LLC..............................................................cyoa.com...................................................2

KidStuff Public Relations.......................................kidstuffpr.com......................................20

ciao! baby and Hoopman!....................................theportablehighchair.com.............24

Lee Publications.........................................................leemagicpen.com...............................56

Color Your Time LLC.................................................puttypeeps.com.....................................9

Looney Labs Inc.........................................................looneylabs.com...................................52

DeLano/EPI Printing Inc........................................delanoservice.com................................6

Madame Alexander Doll Company, LLC.......madamealexander.com...................50

Douglas Company....................................................douglastoys.com.................................63

Mapp Trap.....................................................................mapptrap.com.....................................59

edPlay..............................................................................edplay.com............................................62

Magformers LLC........................................................magformers.com................................27

Endless Games...........................................................endlessgames.com............................53

Mark-My-Time / Reading Time Gifts...............readingtimegifts.com.......................39

Fat Brain Toy Co..........................................................FatBrainToyCo.com...............................5

Mellow Militia LLC.....................................................playtikitoss.com ..................................22

Folkmanis......................................................................folkmanis.com......................................17

MukikiM LLC................................................................mukikim.com........................................35 MW Wholesale............................................................mindware.com.....................................25

6 ISSUES OVER 6,700 RETAILERS

Pink Poppy Inc. USA.................................................pinkpoppy-usa.com..........................60 SentoSphere USA.....................................................sentosphereusa.com............................7 SmartNoggin Toys....................................................smartnoggintoys.com......................20 Sophia’s..........................................................................shopsophias.com................................37 Suncoatgirl...................................................................suncoatgirl.com...................................48 The Good Toy Group...............................................goodtoygroup.com...........................18 The Lazy Dog & Co....................................................lightstax.com........................................23

The Magazine for People Who Sell Toys

The Original Toy Company...................................theoriginaltoycompany.com.........61 The Toy Network........................................................thetoynetwork.com...........................30 The Wooden Wagon Inc.........................................thewoodenwagon.com...................12 Toysmith........................................................................toysmith.com........................................57 USAopoly Inc...............................................................usaopoly.com.......................................19 What Do You Meme.................................................whatdoyoumeme.com............. 32-33 Wikki Stix.......................................................................wikkistix.com........................................34

To advertise, contact Todd Crayton todd@fwpi.com • (315) 789-6431 • 800-344-0559

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Winning Moves..........................................................winning-moves.com.........................64

ASTRA BOOTH 532

ASTRA • Atlanta • Boston • Dallas • Los Angeles • Las Vegas • Seattle • Denver • Toronto • Columbus • Minneapolis

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®

The Classic 90’s Game is Back Ready to Enchant a Whole New Generation!

Item #1222

New Puzzles From

Scattergories 30th Anniversary Edition Item #1229

800.664.7788 x101 or x103 wmsales@winning-moves.com @winningmovesusa

2019_ASTRA_03_June.indd 64

Rubik’s Edge

Rubik’s Junior Puppy

Rubik’s Color Blocks

Item #5040

Item #5038

Item #5041

RUBIK’S®, RUBIK’S® COLOR BLOCKS, RUBIK’S® JUNIOR PUPPY and RUBIK’S® EDGE are trademarks of RUBIK’S®.

Used under license Rubik’s Brand Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

PRETTY PRETTY PRINCESS and SCATTERGORIES are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2019 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. WINNING MOVES, WINNING MOVES GAMES, and CLASSIC, RETRO, COOL, & FUN, and Logos thereof, are registered trademarks of Winning Moves Inc. © 2019 Winning Moves Inc., 75 Sylvan Street, Suite C-104, Danvers, MA 01923 USA. All Rights Reserved.

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