ASTRA Toy Times June 2020

J U N E 2020

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magazine

Saves the Day!

New Normal Sparks Innovation Page 10

THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN SPECIALTY TOY RETAILING ASSOCIATION astratoy.org • June2020

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The Newest New

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Something Special from our Advertisers Advertiser Specials.................................................................... page 13 The Face Behind the Emails.....................pages 4, 18, 22, 24, 26

June 2020 • astratoy.org

features

departments

money matters

trending now

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President’s report

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BOPUS continues to grow in popularity

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I’ll take it from here: what it’s like to take over an established business

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Message from the chair

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Ready, set, play

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Close more sales with these two tools

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Maintaining a productive e-commerce site

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New members

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ASTRA welcomes its newest manufacturer members

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Index of advertisers

toy stories 14

Making the best of a difficult situation

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The toy industry: fabulous, fun and joyous

16 Taking the scheduling headaches online

astra news 22

Innovation in a time of pandemic

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Finalists: 2020 Best Toys for Kids

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The Certified Play Expert program

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ith the ever-changing world we’re currently living in, all of us at Toy Times Magazine recognize that the stories in this issue could be possibly outdated by the time this magazine hits mailboxes. We are always looking for ways to help our ASTRA partners with current information, and are open to any story ideas you may have moving forward. Here’s to a third and fourth quarter in 2020 that may bring you success and prosperity. We look forward to hearing from you.

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 astratoy.org • June2020

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Board of Directors

chair Christine Blumberg past chair Dee Farrell chair-elect Amy Saldanha treasurer Kevin McGrath (2020) secretary Nick Tarzia (2021) directors Melissa Beese (2021) Betty Skoke Burns (2021), Jeanie Crone (2022) Corey Funkey (2022), Jacqueline Killian (2021) Lisa Orman (2022), Brad Ruoho (2022) Tom Rushton (2022), Jenna Stirling (2022)

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 Lisa Orman, KidStuff PR Relations Phil Wrzesinski, HABA USA Kemi Tignor, Little Likes Kids LLC

ASTRA Staff

president Kimberly Mosley member relations director Sue Warfield business development director Ahren Hoffman marketing and communications manager Dee Marsden office administrator Nicole Peavy 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 © 2020 American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. All rights reserved.

Advertisements are accepted. For more information, contact Fahy-Williams Publishing, 315-789-0473.

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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president’sreport

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No one could have imagined it

n December 31, as we said goodbye to 2019 and rang in the new year, no one could have imagined that a mere three months later the world would stop spinning, the global economy would flatline and we would be in the middle of a Pandemic.

And so … here we are.

The world looks very different from where we sit today. So much has changed.

The financial impacts of closed doors and canceled events was a big blow for everyone, ASTRA included. But where there is change, there is opportunity for learning. And we have learned so much over the past few months.

We learned new words like Coronavirus, COVID-19 and serology testing. We learned about the importance of hospital bed counts, flattening the curve and the crucial, thankless role of first responders. We learned how to wash our hands for 20 seconds, do fist bumps instead of handshakes and don’t touch your face (no matter how much your nose is itching!).

We learned a lot but there was a lot we just didn’t know. All those unknowns felt unbearable at times creating anxiety and worry. We worried about our health, the health of our loved ones and about the children in our communities. We worried about those kiddos when the schools closed.

We worried they would be without education and a safety net that for some represented food, shelter and safety.

And in spite of the craziness of the

pandemic, play must happen, so we learned how to do online sales, curbside delivery, and leverage Facebook in new ways. We learned that kids will be kids and moms and dads will still celebrate even with social distancing and stay-at-home orders. To fill that void, we loaded up our cars and made local deliveries and left care packages. We reached out to one another to share ideas and support. We found that uncertainty a little more bearable when you are not facing it alone.

And, we are still learning.

We are learning how to connect using Zoom, make face masks and stand six feet apart. We are learning how to concentrate on the most important things like friends and family and let go of the little things. We are learning to say “thank you” a little more often.

We are learning “I love you” still mends the soul even though you are miles apart.

What’s Next?

As the economy slowly awakens from an induced coma, we are cautiously optimistic.

We are applying all those new skills we learned to help us navigate the new normal.

We know there is more to learn but we are ready to venture out into the our new normal with hope and optimism for the future because we are mighty together.

Kimberly Mosley, ASTRA

The Face Behind the Emails Ginger Fox

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June2020 • astratoy.org

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message from the chair

Never prouder of the ASTRA community

by Christine Blumberg

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ever in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be writing to you under these circumstances. Today is April 10. And as I write this article knowing it will be published in June, I have no idea what our country, our society or our industry will look like when you read this. Things are changing hourly in our country and we have no roadmap or blueprint to tell us which way to go. But, there is one thing that I am quite sure of, our industry and our members will have a new ‘normal’ that will encompass things we may or may not have ever imagined.

The way that customers shop and the way they buy merchandise will be new. But, new isn’t always bad…it’s just…different. And, we, as ASTRA members, will meet this new ‘different’ world. Why? Because we are scrappy. We are innovative.

We are resourceful. The ideas that have come out of our community are unparallelled. Can’t come to the store? We will deliver. Don’t know what you want? Facetime me and check out the goods. Don’t have a website? Utilize Facebook marketplace or other social media portals to sell goods. Our stores have never been more resourceful than they are right now. And, this holds true for manufacturers and sales reps. New ideas are emerging and transforming every day. We can’t look at this as

a negative but a new way of doing business. Our consumers are now discovering a new way to shop. Embrace it, find out what they want and implement it! We can do this! We can change, adapt and succeed for the future of our industry. The old adage is so true – Necessity is the Mother of Invention!

With all of the loss we have experienced – both personally and professionally – we will come out the other side stronger and wiser.

I could not be prouder of our ASTRA Community. They have been resourceful, innovative, smart, quick, thoughtful, empathetic with a stronger sense of community than ever before.

It has been my honor to be your President/Chair for the past year.

While this has been a very trying and difficult road, I want to thank my Executive Team, Amy Saldahna, Dee Farrell, Kevin McGrath and Nick Tarzia, the ASTRA Staff, our President , Kim Mosley and each and every member of the ASTRA Board. I could not have weathered this storm without each and every one of you!

Continued health and well being!

Christine Blumberg ASTRA Chair RBG Sales - Roberts Blumberg Giacobbe Sales Manufacturer Sales Reps – New England

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ready set play

A beautiful day to play

by Jean Bailey, Certified Play Expert

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t’s fair to assume that all members of ASTRA are play advocates, but not all advocates are equal. To take this role seriously, you should be able to answer the question, “Why is Play Important?”

That’s a dynamic question and the answers are ones that are constantly evolving based on research and advances in such subjects as neuroscience and brain architecture. Psychologists, academics, physicians, researchers and child development experts are constantly influencing scholarship on the subject of play. These influencers are sometimes famous and often obscure.

Looking at the famous first, many moviegoers loved “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Tom Hanks. It was based on a 1998 profile of Mr. Fred Rogers, a pioneer in children’s television programming, by Esquire magazine; and won the author, Tom Junod, the National Magazine Award. After viewing the movie, I searched out the article and my admiration for Mr. Rogers and his incredible comprehension of children was deepened even more.

The article revealed further insights on how this quiet, unassuming man had a keen understanding of the interior lives of children and how play was a window to their world. Once at a gathering, Rogers was

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confronted with a young boy who was wildly swinging a sword-like toy.

His mother was desperately trying to keep him from hitting anyone.

Without a hint of aggravation, Rogers stopped what he was doing, knelt and patiently focused on the child until he calmed down. Rogers then whispered something into the little boy’s ear, which instantly put a look of wonder on the child’s face. Later when asked about the incident Rogers explained, “Oh, I just knew that whenever you see a little boy carrying something like that, it means that he wants to show people that he’s strong on the outside. I just wanted to let him know that he was strong on the inside, too. And so that’s what I told him.”

Think of all the toys you are aware of that give children a feeling of being strong on the outside, like throwing balls and swinging bats. In the hands of a child, these toys and playthings might offer more than fun, but a little courage, too.

Trained as a theologian, Rogers knew early on he needed a mentor to help him competently navigate the world of child development and successfully relate to his audience of young children through his television programming. Driven by the desire to always do the right thing, like going to bed every night at 9:30 himself and exercising daily, he wanted his television show to reflect the best practices of child development.

Rogers found the perfect advisor when he met Margaret McFarland. He was so impressed that he brought her on as a consultant for the show where McFarland’s behind the scenes involvement continued until her death.

Although she remains obscure, some of her disciples like Rogers went on to make major inroads in child development.

McFarland was an established figure in child psychology before ever meeting Rogers. She co-founded the Arsenal Family and Children’s Center. Two of her associates, who unlike her claimed the fame and popularity McFarland seemed to shun, were Dr. Benjamin Spock, famous for his books on parenting and Erik Erikson who influenced the world of child psychology with his theory on the stages of child development.

MacFarland taught Rogers much about child development, such as attitudes aren’t taught, they’re caught. Learning depends on love, and how to really observe a child when interacting.

In a February 2018 interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey she asked Rogers, “What do you think is the biggest mistake parents make in raising their child?” Roger’s answer was quick and poignant, “Not to remember their own childhood.”

As retailers, manufacturers, sales representatives and inventors we should keep in mind that helping consumers remember their own childhood is a way for them to better understand and identify with the children they care for.

Learn more about play and perhaps about yourself with ASTRA’s Certified Play Expert program, https://academy.astratoy.org/ certified-play-expert and may you have a beautiful day in your neighborhood.

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moneymatters

BOPUS I

t’s a trend that’s become extremely popular in the past several years. The recent COVID-19 outbreak even forced more retailers to take advantage of it.

Buy Online, Pick Up in Store, or BOPUS, lets shoppers purchase their goods on the Internet, and then they can pick up the package - wrapped or unwrapped - on their way home from work, during a busy day of errands or whenever it’s most convenient for them.

It’s another sales avenue for retailers, and more and more are seeing its potential for more growth.

Grocery sales alone last year using the BOPUS model grew 23% to $22.63 billion. Grocery retailers like Walmart, Kroger and Target brought their collective number of click-and-collect locations from 2,451 in January of 2018 to 5,800 by December of 2019.

During the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year when many small retail stores were forced to close, BOPUS became one of the few effective streams for revenue.

“If we learn nothing else from this pandemic, it’s that we need a multichannel approach to our businesses online, in-store and on social media,” said Amy Saldanha, owner of Kiddywampus in Hopkins, Minn. “The silver lining through this whole thing is that it’s forced retailers to make these changes.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and it’s really inspiring to see people stretch themselves.”

But for as effective as it might be, there are certainly pitfalls as well.

Ne’er-do-wells have found their way to the BOPUS movement, and the concept has seen an increase in fraud and theft, which has lessened profitability and created recoil from consumers. The National Retail Federation said retail crime costs the industry $30 billion a year.

Although that number is staggering

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and a bit frightful, Monica Eaton-Cardone, the COO of Chargebacks911, says the practice of BOPUS offers convenience to consumers and a way for smaller merchants to effectively compete with giant online merchants to big-box retailers.

“It’s widely regarded in the industry as a win-win,” Eaton-Cardone said. “But we are also seeing BOPUS lead to more fraud in 2020, so you have to take precautions.”

Eaton-Cardone said nearly 67% of U.S. shoppers have now used BOPUS and by 2021, 90% of U.S. retailers will be offering it as an option. She said it’s estimated that BOPUS will represent 10% of all sales by 2025.

Part of the reason for the fraud numbers, Eaton-Cardone said, is many locations don’t require consumers to show identification or a payment card at the time of pickup. This could lead to a surge of different abuses - from fraudsters initiating legitimate buyers and eventually legitimate consumers being incorrectly labeled as cyber shoplifters.

Some advice from Eaton-Cardone to help curb the BOPUS fraud, and to defend against it in the future: • Request a photo ID at the time of pickup • Be proactive about the threats of fraud and adopt a dynamic, comprehensive fraud prevention strategy with components targeted at preventing BOPUS abuse • Limit BOPUS pickups to a certain distance from the ZIP code associated with the credit card

The biggest area where BOPUS has flourished is in the restaurant industry.

Chicago-based Grubhub estimated its 2018 revenue between $966 million and $983 million.

David Bakke, a retail expert at DollarSanity.com, said even though there is a potential downside to BOPUS

continues to grow in popularity because of the fraud aspects, it can be a windfall for small retailers. But, Bakke said, you have to implement a proper plan, or your strategy will likely fail before it really even begins.

Bakke said the first thing to look at is efficiency.

“You’ll most likely need to add another employee to man that area so customers don’t show up to an empty counter to pick up their item,” Bakke said.

Bakke said an updated and current inventory on your website is obviously crucial. Making sure you have the products in stock when people order online helps to make you look efficient and organized.

He said making sure all of your locations - if you have more than one can be selected to pick up an item.

“There’s nothing worse than someone trying to buy an item, only to not see the store near them listed,” he said. “Make sure the area where pickups take place is convenient for your customers and make sure there’s signage that directs them exactly where to go.”

It is a new world retailers are facing since the COVID-19 outbreak. It may be uncomfortable at first to make drastic changes such as BOPUS. But Saldanha said keeping it simple at first makes things less overwhelming.

If you’re not currently selling online, take small steps to start doing so. Put your most popular item on your website, or maybe just feature 10 toys at first. All of that, Saldanha said, helps in more ways than just sales.

“You need to be top-of-mind. You don’t want your customers to forget about you just because you’re gone for a little bit,” she said. “Selling through social media has helped our brand awareness. I can sustain a short-term loss. What I can’t sustain is everybody forgetting about me or thinking I’m closed and then starting from scratch. Right now everybody is home looking for content, and not capitalizing on that is just a mistake.” ASTRA

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moneymatters

The two tools your salespeople need to

Close More Sales

by Phil Wrzesinski

C

losing the sale is the most essential part of retail. Turning shoppers into customers sets the top retailers apart from the pack.

I asked several top-level toy retailers what is most important to closing more sales. Their answers fell into two categories – Relationships and Product Knowledge.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

“I really emphasize how relational we have to be.” -Rob Pickering, Snapdoodle Toys, Seattle

“Connecting with the customers one-on-one, which means looking them in their eyes when speaking, introducing yourself, using their name, gauging their mood and time they have to shop.” -Christine Osborne, Wonder Works, Charleston, SC

The one area where specialty toy retailers can always outshine the competition is the special bond and relationship we build with our customers. Long before you get to closing a sale, you must create trust to allow the sale to happen.

Start by getting to know your customers’ names. One way is to teach your staff how to start conversations with customers that have nothing to do with toys. Then in the middle of that conversation, they can introduce themselves. Often the customer will respond in kind. Then use that name often to help you remember it.

It may be time to bring back the Little Black Book for helping remember your customers. If you do, make it a communal one so all your team know all your customers.

Work on your listening skills, too. Too often we are so quick with our response that we never really hear the customer’s question. One way to combat that is to

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teach your staff to repeat back what the customer says. “So, your son is a LEGO addict and you want to buy him something other than LEGO, right?”

Repeating back what a customer says helps in four ways: - It tells the customer you are listening (Caring) - It helps you clarify what the customer is wanting (Understanding) - It shows you are present in the conversation (Authentic) - It gives you time to prepare a better answer (Time)

When you can greet a customer by name and build trust with that person, the sale is already mostly won.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

“The ability to quickly come up with an alternative product when out of the item the customer is specifically requesting.” -Jonny Girson, The Learning Tree, Kansas City

“We need to equip our staff with the child development/ product knowledge to pivot a customer who is looking for a LEGO-centric child to a STEM building science kit that builds on the building pattern while opening new passion for exploration.” -Candace Williams, The Toy Maven, Dallas

“The word ‘no’ should not be in our vocabulary.” -Kate Tanner, Kidstop Toys & Books, Scottsdale

Your team must know your products.

They must know what you have, what those items do, and most importantly,

how they benefit the child.

One way you can teach that to your team is to take a new item up front with a clipboard. At the top of the paper, write the word, “Benefits.” Then number the next 20 lines. Throughout the day, challenge your staff to think up 20 different ways that toy will benefit the child who plays with it.

If you have a creative, out-of-thebox-thinking team, they will give you 20 amazing answers including some fun and inspiring benefits that will go viral on your social media platforms. If your team is stuck, try offering a few off-the-wall benefits yourself like, “This construction toy will help a child grow taller because they’ll hold their head back beaming with pride when they build it.”

If you must, give your team incentives such as Donut Day Friday if they come up with 20 benefits each for 10 new products. (The number 20 is important. The first four or five are easy.

The rest require creativity, imagination, and a little bit of humor – all good traits in a salesperson.)

The big advantage from this exercise is your team quickly sees patterns of play in the toys you sell. The other gain is they also see the differences, which gives them the confidence to make new suggestions and steer customers in the proper direction.

Closing sales is not a technique or a gimmick. It is the result of building the relationship and knowing your products.

When your salespeople have these tools, ASTRA your closure rate will climb.

June2020 • astratoy.org

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astratoy.org • June2020

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toystories Aaron Muderick, owner of Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty (right), gives a shipment of hand sanitizer to the Plymouth Ambulance service of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Making the best of a difficult situation

by Theresa Duncan

A

s evidenced through ASTRA’s community service projects and backpack stuffing annually at Marketplace & Academy, and the incredible industry response after 2018 brought numerous devastating wildfires and hurricanes in different spots throughout the country, the toy industry is always willing to step up and help when needed.

When 2020 brought a global pandemic and disrupted nearly every life and business worldwide, the toy industry once again stood ready to help. In response to the myriad of needs the COVID-19 crisis brought, toy manufacturers did what they do best and found ways to innovate and help.

When Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty’s manufacturing was shut down by governor’s orders, they brainstormed ways they could help those most impacted by this crisis.

“Chemistry and formulas are what we do at Crazy Aaron’s,” said Aaron Muderick, the ‘crazy’ behind the name of the company he owns. “We have a smart team and quickly realized that we actually had many of the ingredients needed to produce hand sanitizer. We looked at this effort to create an FDA-approved hand sanitizer formula as the ultimate science project and quickly got to work.”

Work quickly they did as within 72 hours Crazy Aaron’s changed over their production line to produce hand sanitizer, obtained the necessary government approvals, and donated the first 100 gallons

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produced to local first responders.

The ORB Factory, parent company of ORB Toys, also shifted their compound production lines to increase output of their existing Cyber Clean brand of hand sanitizer and cleaning and disinfecting products.

“We chose to quickly partner with our overseas supplier to convert as many of our production facilities as we could from play compounds and putties to antibacterial compounds and sanitizers,” said ORB Factory President and Partner Michael Bianco. “We are in the midst of a global crisis like nothing experienced in our lifetime. Just as in World War II when auto manufacturers switched to Jeeps and tanks, ORB is sticking to its area of expertise.

Like Crazy Aaron’s and ORB Factory, MGA Entertainment drew upon their existing strengths to shift their business focus amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Engineers and designers in the Little Tikes division developed the Lev Love Care Provider Mask for doctors and Ventilator Mask for patients.

The Lev Love Care Provider Mask is designed to be reused and will allow frontline care providers to protect themselves for extended periods of time. The Ventilator Mask was created as an interim first step before a patient requires intubation, assisting patients with their own breathing.

“The creative design and engineering team worked day and night, and in coordination with the top doctors at UCLA to complete LEV LOVE™,” said Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment (MGAE), which owns Little Tikes. “It is a phenomenal effort and I am proud of the determination and effort that the team showed.”

The masks were created as part of MGAE’s Operation Pacman, a non-profit formed to assist with the crisis, which also air-freighted and distributed more than 100,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers in its first three weeks in operation.

Wild Republic procured and distributed PPE, and also sent hats, toys and other goodies to hospitals, health care workers and other “warriors” working on the frontlines of the crisis “to recognize their heroic efforts.”

Bunnies By The Bay provided adult and children’s masks (in their signature whimsical prints) to hospitals across the country.

Playmobil released a video to help explain the crisis to children, and Jazwares donated masks and cleaning supplies to hospitals and healthcare providers across the country.

These are only a few of the many toy companies who saw a need they could fill ASTRA and quickly jumped to action.

Left: Another delivery, this time to the Narberth Ambulance service in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

Right: Members of the Norristown Fire Department with their hand sanitizer from Crazy Aaron’s.

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The Toy Industry What a fabulous, fun and joyous arena to work in

I

t seems the term “toys” alone should bring customers to the door.

There will always be birthdays, holidays and special occasions where toys are appropriate. We all know this, but it’s worth repeating: there will always be a need for toys.

But holding on to toy consumers for multiple visits is the key to growing your business. Consumers eventually become parents, who become grandparents. Making sure your guest experience is top-notch makes all the difference.

Is your store clean?

Is it ADA compliant? Do you offer refreshments, or comfortable places to sit and relax? Do you have displays where children and parents can try out certain products?

More than 50 million Americans with disabilities are potential customers for retail businesses across the country. Those 50-million-plus customers, along with their families and friends, will frequent your business if they are accessible. That market will continue to grow even larger if the 78 million baby boomers in this country are included. Those 78 million are sure-to-buy grandparents.

Being ADA accessible makes good business sense. Accessible retail establishments bring in new customers, and they keep them coming back again and again.

Making toys and games accessible as demo products may be a tough practice at first because you’re obviously not making money on that product now that the package has been opened. But letting consumers have a hands-on experience increases the chance for a potential sale exponentially.

Parents are buying products in an attempt to entertain and educate their children.

According to Maria Bailey, author of ‘Marketing to Moms,’ many parents are finding what promises to be a toy that keeps their child busy for hours, disappoints.

“I believe beyond the cleanliness of a store, testing and experiencing the product before purchasing it is important,” she said. “Customers will want to not only test and try out products to ensure it’s fun, but also to ensure that it’s worth spending discretionary income on it.”

It’s all about creating the unforgettable experience. It’s a massive advantage that independent toy retailers have over bigbox stores. Toy testing tables, a play area for activities, story time with books, and just having toys off the shelf and available to play with either in the store, or at the point of sale makes all the difference.

“Those types of stores will always be the retailer of choice,” Bailey said.

Post pandemic lockdown will clearly bring shoppers back out into the marketplace. Parents will want to shop with retailers that are perceived to be clean, open and airy. Bright lighting, wide aisles and non-contact shopping tools will be a must. In fact, Bailey says, we may have seen the end of shopping carts in smaller retailers.

It’s all about long-term relationships.

Again, that’s something we all know as ASTRA members. Leonard Ang, an interior designer on the national level, said it’s also all about keeping your customers comfortable.

Ang suggests things like free WiFi in your place of business, complimentary drinking water, hand sanitizers and available, comfortable seating.

“You have to be able to provide enough space for your guests to sit and stay comfortable,” he said. “Provide super, comfortable seats. It’s can be annoying having to stand for a long time, so having enough seats will enhance their experience.”

To check to see if your place of business meets the standards set by the American Disabilities Act (ADA), visit www.ada.gov. ASTRA astratoy.org • June2020

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toystories

Taking the scheduling headaches online

R

unning a small business requires being an expert in many areas. You’re a salesperson, marketer, an influencer, a bookkeeper, a planner…and a scheduler.

Anytime there’s an opportunity to simplify one of those areas, we think it’s obviously worth it. Scheduling staff may not seem like an overwhelming task, but getting bogged down each week with schedules, sick days, vacations, and employees running late can become a daily nuisance that can be avoided.

It might be time to ditch the three-ring binder, chocked full old and future staff schedules. The days of hanging the newest schedule on the bathroom door in the backroom can easily become a thing of the past.

Several business in many areas of commerce are turning their scheduling efforts online. Employee scheduling software is much more efficient, lessconfusing, and makes communicating scheduling a breeze.

One of the biggest benefits of using scheduling software is the time it saves every week. Creating a schedule on paper can take hours, and maybe slightly less time by using a spreadsheet template. Accomplishing that same task with an online software can cut that down to just a few minutes.

Brittney Geleynse of Clover Toys in Seattle uses a software called Homebase, and she said it’s a simple fix to an otherwise cumbersome weekly task. And even more important for Geleynse, is that she uses a free version offered by Homebase. The software syncs with her Point of Sale software and Quickbooks, making it even more efficient.

When employees arrive to work at Clover Toys, they simply go to the POS and type in their last four digits of their social security number. That logs them in for their shift. At the end of their shift, it’s the same, simple routine.

“This is much more efficient and easier than a hand-written schedule,” Geleynse said. “Just having everyone being able to see everything in one simple place makes a huge difference. It makes asking for time off a breeze, and it makes coverage a breeze.”

Geleynse owned a small gift shop in Seattle before opening Clover. She used the same homebase software at the gift shop, and she said she’s now incorporated it at the toy store.

“It really meets all of my needs,” she said.

She said she uses it to create schedules far in advance. Employees at Clover can look at the schedule, communicate with each other if they’re looking to switch shifts, or let others at the store know if they’re running late.

Kelly Carpiac at San Marino Toy & Book Shoppe in San Marino, California uses a similar software called Sling. She also uses a free online version for her six-person staff.

“It’s easy to use and people can just access it on their phone,” Carpiac said.

“Employees trade shifts, and they can also send notes to each other for the next day if there are things to do around the store.”

San Marino Toy & Book has been in business for 44 years, but Carpiac just bought the store last year. The employee who had been doing the scheduling for the store for the past 20 years recently retired, so Cardiac said she felt the need to find things to make the store more efficient.

“I know our employees were taking pictures on their phone of the schedule that posted in the backroom, and then putting it in their calendars,” she said. “I was in a unique situation where I could make some changes. I thought this would make things more efficient, especially for the employees.”

Be it Homepage or Sling, there are several free options out there that companies can use to help with scheduling headaches.

“From the research I did, there’s nothing perfect, but this one seems ASTRA pretty good,” Carpiac said of Sling.

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I’ll take it from here!

New owners share their experience taking over established businesses

Left-to-right: Emily Drappi, Paul Drappi, Jim Demotropolus and Anita Demotropolus

O

pening a new business can be exhilarating, fun, thrilling, uplifting, invigorating, life changing…and at times, scary.

A new venture in the toy business is not different, but sometimes, new retailers ride the momentum of an already successful business. As storeowners move through life and find new challenges, and that sometimes includes even retirement, they’re ready for a new ownership group to come in and take over the reigns.

That’s been the case recently in Vancouver, Washington and in Maine where new owners have taken over established toy stores, and they both agree it’s been invigorating, satisfying, and sometimes, yes… challenging.

Leah Pickering recently purchased Kazoodles Toy Store in Vancouver from Mary and Bob Sisson. The store opened in 2006 and Pickering made the purchase in January. She worked there for six years prior to taking over as owner, and she said that experience has proven to be invaluable.

“Things have gone fantastic, and it’s pretty consistent to what I thought it would be,” Pickering said. “I’m very lucky to have had the last couple of years where Mary showed me what to do. To have had Mary to show me, to have had her to teach me, and to have had her to take me along to events and places to meet people to learn, I feel like I was as well-

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prepared as anyone could be to take over.”

Pickering traveled with Sisson to two ASTRA Marketplace & Academy events, and she said that definitely helped her make the transition from employee to owner.

“There’s still a learning curve, for sure,” Pickering said. “I think going to events like that with Mary just helped me learn so much.”

Sisson was also the editor of Toy Times Magazine while still maintaining ownership of Kazoodles. But it would seem she’s quite comfortable in the transition.

In her final Kazoodles newsletter, she said she felt great with Pickering taking over.

“We’ve always said we hope Kazoodles will be around for a long, long time,” Sisson wrote. “We know that our ‘baby’ is in good hands with Leah.”

For Paul and Emily Drappi, taking over ownership of Island Treasure Toys in the Portland, Maine area also meant taking on three times the fun and excitement, it also meant three times the anxiety.

Leah Pickering (left) is the new owner at Kazoodles Toy Store in Vancouver, Washignton.

She purchased the store from Mary Sisson (right).

Island Treasure Toys has locations in Bath, Freeport and Yarmouth, and Paul Drappi said if nothing else, he’s racked up miles on the car going back-and-forth between the stores.

The Drappi’s purchased the three stores from Jim and Anita Demotropolus who owned the stores for 18 years.

Paul Drappi said they knew they wanted to purchase the stores and that it was a

perfect fit for he and Emily, who also have two young sons. They frequented the store often with Leo and Marty, now seven five years old.

They purchased the stores in midOctober and were thrust directly into the heart of holiday shopping.

“It was introduction-by-fire, but I would say it was a great way to learn and understand what goes into running three different toy stores,” Paul Drappi said. “There’s certainly a lot to it, but Anita was there the whole holiday season being very supportive.

We couldn’t have done it without her, that’s for sure.

It’s a unique twist for both Paul and Emily Drappi, who worked at Wayfair, and E-commerce Company that sell furniture and home goods. Owning three, small retail toy stores is a long way from Wayfair, whose footprint includes 14 million items from more than 11,000 global suppliers.

“It was time to wrap that up. We rode the wave and when it was time to move on from that I wanted to do my own thing,” Paul Drappi said. “We wanted to be in retail, which is funny coming from e-commerce.

Everybody thinks ‘why would you want to buy a brick and mortar store.’

But we we’re excited about it and think there’s a good future for it.”

Now prepping for their second holiday season, Paul Drappi said they’ve got some experience and have a better feel for what to expect this coming holiday season.

“Now that the dust has settled, we’re able to put our own spin on things as we move through this year,” he said. “We’ve got a great team and it’s nice to get back to a small team after working for what turned out to be ASTRA a pretty big company.”

F

“

The Face Behind the Emails KALA

No one likes being at home so many days in a row, but we’ve all had to adapt and find the silver lining. This time has been a big reminder of the “power of play,” and staying creative in our house.

– Jon Russell, Sales Representative

June2020 • astratoy.org

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Maintaining a productive

e-commerce site I

f you’re one of the many in the toy industry who were actually fortunate enough to have a busy March while the world was in a midst of a pandemic, you saw first-hand how important having an e-commerce component on your website can be.

Many realized that beefing up their e-commerce site actually results in having an additional store. If not for the ability to sell products on their website, many retail owners would have been blanked during the pandemic.

Now that things have hopefully gotten back to a somewhat normal environment, now is the not the time to let up on you Internet sales. And if you haven’t taken advantage of online sales in the past, we’re hoping you can learn from some of the success stories that are out there.

So what does it take to keep an e-commerce site humming now that patrons are slowly making their way back outside and into toy stores? There are many factors, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

The thought of selling products on your website may seem daunting, and expensive.

But there are many platforms, like Specialty Toy Network or Shopify, that are much more costeffective and get your inventory up on your website quickly.

The pandemic has opened an entire new world of shopping for consumers of all products, especially for the local storeowner. There has been a real undercurrent of consumers who are doing their best to shop local during the crisis to keep local stores open. From vegetables, to furniture, to toys, buying online is the wave of the future for local storeowners.

It’s important to make sure your product inventory and pricing are accurate and any promotions you have are reflected on your website. Once that is set, you’re up and running.

One of the great things about selling online is that you’re never, ever closed. People can shop your store any time, day or night, and

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your store might not even be open.

“When maintaining a site, it is best to let consumers know straightaway that you are open for business and there are no disruptions,” said Rob Stand of SEOBetter.com. “You can do this with a large banner or alert sign at the footer of your website. Online sales are skyrocketing right now due to work-at-home situations. It is the best time for businesses to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Driving consumers to your website is the first key. Once they’re there, then you can dazzle them with great looking photos, content and sales. But to get them there, your social media presence has to be stronger than ever.

Invest in your online sales channel, weather that is blog posts, videos or any kind of unique content.

“By generating great content, the store can also obtain greater visibility on search engines and have the effect of attracting additional customers that the store would not otherwise have reached,” said Jessica Rose, an e-commerce website expert and the Chief Executive Officer of Copper H2O. “It must be acknowledged that online sales are currently very strong because most non-essential consumer purchases have shifted to the online environment. This level of demand for online purchases will not necessarily continue once normal retail operations resume. Accordingly, if toy stores wish to maintain a viable online sales channel, they need to take steps to invest in that channel.”

One thing has become clear since COVID-19 took its grip on the country in March: working from home is going to be a new normal for many. Online sales have been

growing by triple digits since social distancing went into effect and has upended the e-commerce landscape, according to Melon Technologies VP of Commerce Experience, Robbin Farrell.

All of this may sound daunting, but just digging in and getting started is the first step.

Once your site is viable, which many in our industry have discovered over the past several months, maintaining the site is key. That can sometimes get messy in a hurry when you’re talking about hundreds of products, fulfillment and distribution.

“To make managing an e-commerce site easier, you must spend the time to define clear processes and schedules,” said Brian Robben, CEO of Robben Media. “The more processes, up to a certain point, the better.”

Robben said as an example, on the first day of the last week of the month, go through inventory. Write out the step-by-step instructions for doing so. Then analyze what products will be removed from the current site and added. On the 10th of every month, maybe go through support forms and see each issue from customers so you can start resolving them. In the middle of the month, check site speed and uptime.

There’s no doubt that more consumers will be buying online in the new normal of the shopping experience. Embrace it and succeed.

Giving a discount or loyalty points if products are bought online is a good option to keep customers buying online. Make sure that every employee working in your store lets every customer know about such discounts, and let ASTRA the virtual buying fly!

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ASTRA news

INNOVATION

In a time of pandemic

by Roger Bildsten

A

s I write this in late March, many states, including mine, are in lockdown. Cases of Covid-19 are increasing rapidly and we don’t know when they will begin to decline.

I don’t pretend to know what will happen when the pandemic does subside, but I do know that our world will be different in many important ways. Our own ASTRA ecosystem will be different, too.

MARKET FOCUS

Organized to Address Change

So today I would like to assure you that the ASTRA Innovation Council is already beginning to consider what our “after corona” world might look like and what we should do about it. The council is organized and able to work together on a virtual basis. I don’t know of another group within the ASTRA ecosystem better able to quickly tackle big picture challenges and support the association’s effort.

Identify strategies to foster improved collaboration between retailers, reps, and manufacturers in order to enhance performance of the entire ASTRA ecosystem.

Between its regularly scheduled monthly conference calls, the Innovation Council held “working group” sessions to identify strategies and tactics to support both of the priorities.

By the time of our March conference call, the world was in full pandemic crisis management mode. Did these two priorities still apply? What should we do to update them? On that call we decided that even post-corona virus they are still on target. However, it was clear that our strategies were developed “before corona” and will require an “after corona” assessment.

We met the next week, on March 25. It felt good to be talking but everyone was still clearly in “during corona” mode. With the situation changing hourly we would need time to determine updated “after corona” strategies for

Before Corona and After Corona

The Innovation Council began 2020 by employing a series of confidential surveys to identify and select the top line priorities it would tackle first. In February two priorities were determined. One priority looks outward to our market and consumers. The other priority looks more inward to our association and its members. The two priorities are:

Identify strategies for improving consumer awareness of the experience, community, and identity advantages provided by independent toy retail members of the ASTRA ecosystem, and recommend tactics to drive consumers to those retailers.

ASSOCIATION FOCUS

the two priorities. The next Innovation Council working group conference call is already scheduled.

New Board Requests Following our March Conference Call

The ASTRA board tasked the Innovation Council with three needs: 1 - Provide “after corona” recommendations on the two MARKET and ASSOCIATION priorities described above. To the best of our ability during this fluid time we will try to submit those for the board’s April meeting.

2 - Prepare an “After Corona State-Of-Our-Industry” assessment for the board’s June meeting.

3 - Recommend questions that should be posed to ASTRA members during this year’s strategic planning work.

We’re All In This Together

As I write this in late March, events are moving rapidly. Many of us are caring for loved ones. Many cannot even be at our businesses.

During and after the corona virus pandemic we can be sure that important aspects of our lives are going to be different. The important challenge for the ASTRA ecosystem is to determine what we will do about it. Your ASTRA Innovation Council is dedicated to tackling ASTRA the challenge.

The Face Behind the Emails The Good Toy Group

We are extremely fortunate to work with Jane Lee, Jane Lee Design, LLC, who received the 2019 Vega Award for our Holiday Catalog. Her vision in creating print, social media, and marketing for our members is our win-win!

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Boogie Board Amber Osborne says, “For the past 12 years, it has been my honor to be a part of the ASTRA family. Families that play together, stay together, especially during these challenging times.

If you need anything from Boogie Board, please let us know. “

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The Face Behind the Emails

ASTRA news

Finalists: 2020 Best Toys for Kids Fat Brain

We miss you guys! Until the time we can be together again, we’re doubling down on what we do best... making really great toys. Hopefully soon, we can all get back to what we as a community do best…creating happiness and play together.

– Rachele Harmuth, VP of Sales

ARTS & CRAFTS Creatto Light-Up Crafting Kits | Thames & Kosmos Happy Monsters | DJECO Make Your Own Tiny Camper | Klutz Sketch Pals | Boogie Board Spirograph Scratch and Shimmer Set | PlayMonster World Colors How to Draw Faces | Faber-Castell USA Premium Children’s Art Products CLASSIC PLAY Classic Paddy Teddy Bear | Steiff North America Kwik Stix | The Pencil Grip, Inc. Labyrinth | Ravensburger North America, Inc. My First Train Set | PLAYMOBIL Palace House | Le Toy Van Sprite Deluxe | Micro Kickboard The Cool Tool PLAYmake | The Cool Tool CONSTRUCTION Clipstix | Popular Playthings Mechanics Challenge Strike | Geomagworld Plus-Plus GO! | Plus-Plus Terra Kids Cork Boat | HABA USA

Kidstuff PR

PR and Social Media Manager Matt Sweeny gets a shout-out as MVP for KidStuff PR. He’s worked at the boutique toy & game PR agency for 6 years and works the magic for the firm’s website, socials, images, influencer relations and more.

He invaluable so make that MIP!

Wikki Stix

She won’t actually deliver your order, but she does everything else to handle your orders and see that they ship! Meet Veronica Alvarez, head of Customer Service for the Wikki Stix Co. She is the voice on the phone and the face behind the emails !

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EARLY PLAY Blockaroo | Blue Marble Mirari SkillDillies | PlayMonster Petilou Sensory Shapes | Le Toy Van Shape Factory | Fat Brain Toy Co. Toniebox | Tonies ZIPPEE Activity Toy | Möbi GAMES: 7 AND UNDER Bear Down! Game | AMIGO Games Bull’s Eye | Roo Games Catch of the Day | Epoch Everlasting Play Drone Home | PlayMonster Hand Me a Candy Game | eeBoo SmartGames Froggit | Smart Toys and Games Tac Tac Jack | FoxMind Games Throw Throw Burrito | Exploding Kittens/ACD Distribution GAMES: 8+ BUILDZI | Carma Games Cover Your Kingdom | Grandpa Beck’s Games Cupcake Academy | Blue Orange Games Hues and Cues | Usaopoly | The Op Letter Jam | Czech Games Edition Pana Po’o | OUTSET MEDIA CORPORATION Shipshape | Calliope Games SmartGames Cube Duel | Smart Toys and Games The #UpsideDownChallenge Game | Vango Toys GAMES: TEENS & ADULTS Mystery House | Asmodee North America PANDO™ | Roots Family History TAG | PlayMonster Telestrations: Upside Drawn | Usaopoly | The Op

OUTDOOR & ACTIVE PLAY 4Fun ChangeUp | b4adventure Air Square | MukikiM AirFort | XM Works Inc. Birdie Golf | Hog Wild Capture the Flag REDUX | Starlux Games, LLC Plum BOWL Freebound Trampoline | b4Adventure Slackers Adventure Treehouse | b4Adventure Swingin’ Shoes | Fat Brain Toy Co. Whippet | Diggin Active, Inc. PRETEND PLAY Bird’s Nest Cafe | Tender Leaf Toys Doctor’s Bag | Le Toy Van Face Paintoos | PlayMonster Fun Fan Fryer | Hape International Inc. Janod Shaving Set | Juratoys US PRETEND PLAY: DOLLS & FIGURINES Adventure Tree House | Schleich USA Inc Fire Eagle | Schleich USA inc Large Horse Stable With House and Stable | Schleich USA Inc Lava Dragon | Schleich USA Inc Little Friends Camper | HABA USA Mermaid Cove with Illuminated Dome | PLAYMOBIL SCOOBY-DOO! Mystery Machine™ | PLAYMOBIL PRETEND PLAY: VEHICLES Drive & Blast | Odyssey Toys Railway Bucket Builder Set | Hape International Inc. Snap Ships | PlayMonster PUZZLES: EDUCATIONAL & MANIPULATIVE PLAY KARMAGAMI (calming sensory toy) | Fun In Motion Toys Monster Math Scale | Hape International Inc. STEM Blocks - K25 Super Mega Awesome! Kit | Kontu, Inc. SumBlox | SumBlox PUZZLES: JIGSAWS & BRAINTEASERS Carnovsky Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle | Ginger Fox Genius Star | MukikiM My First Rush Hour | ThinkFun Scratch Off Puzzles - History | 4D Cityscape Inc. SmartGames Jack & the Beanstalk Deluxe | Smart Toys and Games Votes for Women 100 Piece Puzzle | eeBoo SCIENCE & DISCOVERY Fuel ‘N Duel Rocket Racers | Be Amazing! Toys InterActive Human Body | Be Amazing! Toys KC3: Keypad Coding Robot | Elenco Electronics, Inc. Mega Cyborg Hand | Thames & Kosmos Robotics: Smart Machines - HoverBots with BalanceTech | Thames & Kosmos Smartivity Retroscope | Elenco Electronics, Inc. Snap Circuits: MyHome | Elenco Electronics, Inc. The Amazing Tightrope-Walking Gyrobot | Thames & Kosmos

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NOW is the time

ASTRA news

ATTENTION: MANUFACTURERS

by Lisa Orman

26 Years of Promoting Specialty Toys & Games Means We are Uniquely Experienced to Help You Now Contact Lisa Orman: 608-767-1102 • Lisa@KidStuffPR.com

M

any in ASTRA may find themselves with a different schedule, and maybe even some open time.

Perhaps they always intended to partake in ASTRA’s educational programs like the Certified Master Retailer, Certified Play Expert and Certified Master Sales Representative programs.

Right now, ASTRA has discounted its pricing on these certifications to make them even more accessible to members when they have the time and the need.

• The Certified Play Expert program was $259. It’s now $99.

• The Certified Master Retailer program was $149. It’s now $49.

• The Certified Master Sales Representative program was $149. It’s now $49.

Proud Member

Terra Kids –

Connecting Children to Nature!

And there are group discounts also available if you have multiple staff that

you’d like to get credentialed. Contact Ahren Hoffman (ahoffman@astratoy.org or 312-955-9047) for discounted group pricing.

As you can see, now is the time to take advantage of these classes.

I’ve been meaning to take the Certified Play Expert program, so I decided to take advantage of the discount because I’ve always intended to but never had or made the time. Several clients have taken the program and they said they really value what they learned and are proud of their certification. I’m hoping my team will take it, too!

The CPE program takes the attendees through five content areas: Child Development: This content area is used as a refresher/overview of the main areas of child development related to physical, sensory, communicative, cognitive and social/emotional milestones that will be referenced throughout the program.

Mental Faculties: This content area is used to share how the mind/brain performs various tasks and functions. Mental faculties are dormant at birth and discovered through play and growth as children explore the world around them.

As adults, we can influence our mental faculties to broaden their reach and influence on our everyday lives.

Research, Risks and Reports: This content area supports the societal strengths

The Face Behind the Emails HABA

$250 FFA

“My dog is happy to have me here in my home office. You will be, too, when you see all we are doing at HABA USA to help you succeed both today and in the future.” Phil Wrzesinski, HABA USA National Sales Manager

Visit HABA USA Booth 2301 to check out our new Terra Kids! info@HABAusa.com • www.HABAusa.com • 800-468-6837

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and opportunities we have to influence the power of play and understand the trends of the past and of the future on play across the lifespan and child development.

Types of Play: This content area supports the idea of theorist, Mildred Parten.

The six traditional types of play are explored and provide insights on the additional types of play that have transpired from Parten’s research.

The Power of Play Advocacy: This content area brings all of the information together and provides insights on how to be an advocate using CPE knowledge.

The CPE program includes about 10 hours of content with tests to ensure I retained the necessary information to become certified.

According to Hoffman, the Certified Play Expert program started as an online option for ASTRA members. The workshop came later and includes the content from the online course in ASTRA Academy along with additional information and resources.

“The CPE content is available on ASTRA Academy on-demand and at your convenience so it is up to you to work through it at a pace that makes the most sense for your learning style and capacity,” Hoffman said. “We have had people take one week to one year to complete it. As of right now, most people are finishing within the week of registering for the program.”

ASTRA Academy will keep track of your work and mark content complete as you work through the program. There are five content areas to move through and it takes people an average of about 10 hours to complete all the videos and tests.

The programs work, and many in the ASTRA community say it’s helped them in their career. Here’s what they had to say:

“I feel more confident in selling toys and relating to families in the importance of play.” – Megan Walsh, Shop Good Things in White Bear Lake, MN

“(CPE) gave me a lot of specific knowledge to share with my customers.” – Heather Mohorn, Momo’s Treehouse in Philadelphia.

“Becoming a Certified Play Expert recharged my resolve. It solidified my “why.” Why I put my energy into my business. Why I own a toy store. Why I get up every day and go to work. Encouraging healthy play will literally make the world a better place.”

–Kate Noreen, MudPuddles Toys & Books in Sherwood, OR.

“A big “a-ha” moment for me was that it’s not just about kids, but all people. Retirees need to play too and now that they no longer work, they may become easily bored. We need to be there for them as well. We all need to play, not just children.”

ASTRA - Scott Mazerall, Maziply of Kingston, MA.

Remembering Craig Whitley

Craig was part of the toy industry for more than 30 years.

Those who worked with Craig considered him much more than a work colleague. He was a friend, a mentor and a true gentleman. He leaves behind a large family, both personally and professionally. Craig was a very proud husband, father, and grandfather who was adored by his entire family. His face would light up when he spoke about any of his family members, especially when sharing about his two beautiful grandchildren, Kyler and Halsey. Craig found joy in helping others and could be found constantly tinkering on some kind of project for one of his four children. His willingness to help those around him also made him one of the best sales representatives, co-workers and friends anyone could ask for. In his spare time, Craig loved to watch the Oregon Ducks, attend outdoor music concerts with his wife Kathy and play golf or tennis with his friends. Craig Whitley, a true gentleman, will be greatly missed. astratoy.org • June2020

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

AFFILIATES Anita M Demetropoulos Small Business Consultant anitamd67@gmail.com Consumer Priority Services (CPS) 3101 Emmons Ave Brooklyn, NY 11235-1709 michaelryan143@gmail.com Creative Profit Planning 3 Wildwood Rd New Hartford, NY 13413-2708 jennifer@creativeprofitplanning.com EVO tom.lizzio@evopayments.com Island Hawk 999 Montauk Hwy Ste # 606 32 Shirley, NY 11967-2130 joe@islandhawk.com Strasmark, Inc. 2516 Waukegan Rd, Ste 203 Glenview, IL 60025-3059 dee@strasmark.com USAWoodTrick 3642 Country Place Blvd Sarasota, FL 34233-2116 reaylopez@gmail.com

INVENTORS KUBE Creations 618 Euclid Ave Lancaster, PA 17603-6839 mkubisen@gmail.com Poobah 2854 Hayne St Carmel, IN 46032-8394 poobah@playpoobah.com

Brighty Pals LLC 102 Brookside Ave Cresskill, NJ 07626-1411 ramseen@hotmail.com Charlie’s Toy Chest LLC PO Box 20473 Columbus, OH 43220-0473 orthodoc55@mac.com CreateOn 830 Seton Ct Wheeling, IL 60090-5772 clevatino@createon.com Evergreen (C.P.) USA Inc. ckkuchinski@gmail.com Grandpa Beck’s Games, Inc. 1573 Silver Fir DR Camans Island, WA 98282 grandpa@grandpabecksgames.com www.grandpabecksgames.com

Shadow Shifter, Inc. 26670 Belleair St Roseville, MI 48066-3578 karl@shadowshifter.us

Kaiserberge GmbH Martinstrasse 42-44 Kaiserberge GmbH Esslingen, 73728 wycoff@kaiserberge.de

Shore Buddies 415 Colima St, Apt 13 La Jolla, CA 92037-8028 malte@shore-buddies.com

kittd 5270 N Park Pl NE Ste 107 Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-6222 amber@kittd.com

Luma Games 1081 Rue Secant Local 140 Anjou, QC H1J 1S6 colin.young@lumagames.ca

WANDA’S WORLD 2609 Douglass Rd SE Apt 302 Washington, DC 20020-6540 tambra@iamwanda.org

Mavi Bandz 803 Diamond Head Dr W Shorewood, IL 60404-8128 sales@mavibandz.com

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R & R Games PO Box 130195 Tampa, FL 33681 fdd@rnrgames.com www.rnrgames.com

J’ADORE 13700 Van Ness Ave Gardena, CA 90249-2427 alyssa@mpatoys.com

Traxart Toys LLC 8309 Summerlin Dr Longmont, CO 80503-3902 www.traxarttoys.com

Boxine USA 4251 Los Palos Ave Palo Alto, CA 94306-4308

Playlearn USA Inc 1 S Liberty Dr Stony Point, NY 10980-1811 gabriel@playlearn.com

ROLE PLAY LLC 4506 SW 179th Way Miramar, FL 33029-6306 atul@roleplayllc.com

Sirius Enigmas

Boosted Play LLC 6507 Ocean Crest Dr Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275-5464 petemoff@gmail.com

Pando 1901 Wildwood St Boise, ID 83713-5148 thomas@playpando.com www.playpando.com

Island Genius 17 Kemp Drive Chatham, IL 62629

Lil Advents, LLC 2131 NE 12th St Renton, WA 98056-2917 mindy@liladvents.com www.liladvents.com

MANUFACTURERS

Notes & Queries 1405 Tangier Dr, Ste C Middle River, MD 21220-2891 vrharnik@gmail.com www.nandq.com

Memento USA Inc. 18 Bridge St, Ste 2A Brooklyn, NY 11201-1107 andreasambati@gmail.com www.memento-productions.eu merka 30 N Gould St Ste 5984 Sheridan, WY 82801-6317 adrian@merkastore.com

Story Time Chess 68 34th St, Ste B431 Brooklyn, NY 11232-2013 andrew@solveclinics.com Studiostone Creative 1760 Vernon Drive Vancouver, BC V6A 3T8 oliver@studiostonecreative.com

Zidac LLC 645 Cedar Bark Dr Aurora, OH 44202-7752 sr77north@gmail.com

HobbyTown Lubbock 5610 Frankford Ave Unit E Lubbock, TX 79424-1140 hobbytownlbk@gmail.com

SnapDragon 214 Middle ST New Bern, NC 28560 waycoolkidz@yahoo.com

Zomi Gems 1037 Amherst Dr Burbank, CA 91504-3005 info@zomigems.com

Kidstructive Fun 60 Smithfield Blvd Plattsburgh, NY 12901-2104 mary@kidstructivefun.com

AsSeenOnTVPeople LLC 625 Jersey Ave, Dock 6-A New Brunswick, NJ 09901 asseenontvpeople@gmail.com

Learn & Play Kids 33232 1st Ave Mission, BC V2V 1G6 learnandplaykids@shaw.ca

The Bees Knees Toys and Books 169 Silvery Ln Liberty, SC 29657-8802 buzz@thebeeskneestoysand books.com

Banner’s Hallmark lbanner@bannermgmt.com

Learning Express Toys 3804 Oleander Drive Wilmington, DE 28403 mark.fair5566@gmail.com

Better World Imaginarium Benefit LLC 924 Frederick Rd Catonsville, MD 21228-4599 lisasway@gmail.com

Meeples Games 3727 California Ave SW Ste 2B Seattle, WA 98116-4303 laura@meeplesgames.com

Bugg’s Place Toys 616 Main St Hyannis, MA 02601-5412 shannonbugg@buggsplacetoys.com

Nanni & Deeda’s Toys and Sweets PO Box 546 Santa Paula, CA 93061-0546 www.nannianddeeda.com

RETAILERS

Chattering Chimps lena@chatteringchimps.com Collectibles Everyday Deal susan@cedd.@biz Debby’s Hallmark 6116 Falls of Neuse Rd Raleigh, NC 27609-3528 eric@chamoff.com ENT Lest Brands LLC 370 Neff Ave, Ste U Harrisonburg, VA 22801-3439 ldavis@entlest.com

New Beginnings 178 Hillside Ave Williston Park, NY 11596-1743 Pittsboro Toys 15 Hillsboro St Pittsboro, NC 27312 sambirchard@gmail.com POP TOY co.

2355 Vanderbilt Beach Rd Ste 170 Naples, FL 34109 poptoyco@gmail.com www.poptoyco.com

The Flexdeck LLC 81 Palmer St Stamford, CT 06907-2035 mike@flexdeckplayingcards.com

Fairy God Mother 319 Seventh St SE Washington, DC 20003 roblanchard@fairygodmotherbooksandtoys.com

Tikiri 20 Tierney Rd Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849-2237 sales@tikiritoys.com www.tikiritoys.com

Game Giant 626 2nd Ave N Hawthorne Partners Llc Dba Game Giant Fargo, ND 58102-4711 gamegiantfargo@gmail.com

Princore LLC DBA Tic Tac Toys 4325 Glenwood Ave Ste 2118 Raleigh, NC 27612-4531 melanie@tic-tac-toys.com

TREND enterprises, Inc. 300 Ninth Ave SW New Brighton, MN 55112 pweibel@trendent.com

Harbor Light Toys & Candy 146 Front St Harbor Light Toys Scituate, MA 02066-1336 gmcgirr@harborlighttoys.com

Sassafras on Sutton 108 Sutton Ave Black Mountain, NC 28711-3421 susanne@sassafrasonsutton.com

HobbyTown Fairfield 847 Post Rd Hobbytown Fairfield Fairfield, CT 06824-6041 hobbytownfairfield@gmail.com

Sloan’s 1652 Mercer Ave West Palm Beach, FL 33401 AVOID6@AOL.COM www.sloansicecream.com

Woolpets 19566 Augusta Ave NE Suquamish, WA 98392 kevin@woolpets.com www.woolpets.com Yoto 70 White Lion Street London, N1 9PP

Prepared With Care LLC 240 Mustang Dr NW Charleston, TN 37310 messages.pwc@gmail.com

The Goven House 12865 SW 42nd St Miami, FL lisette@goven.com www.thegovenhouse.com The Hobby Corner 1606 Sycamore St Iowa City, IA 52240-6044 tim@hobbycorner.biz The Magical World of Toys LLC 1305 Barnard St # 64 Savannah, GA 31401-6746 boxingcomic@yahoo.com The Toy Shoppe, Inc. 431 Main Ave Northport, AL 35476 kkstrickland387@gmail.com Toy Space, Inc. 426 7th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215 lsimoncar@gmail.com www.toyspaceny.com Trusted!

385 Grooms Rd Greenleaf Investment Group Fayetteville, GA 30215-3066 robert@greenleafinvestment group.com MWBE Suppliers 11003 Chelsea Way Laurel, MD 20723-1096 mtucker@mwbesuppliers.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Tracy Sales 225 Kingston Rd Toronto, ON M4l 1t5 tracy@tracysales.ca TriAction Toys 100 Splendid Oak Ct Holly Springs, NC 27540-6174 ccofoni@gmail.com YOYO World 2438 47th St Astoria, NY 11103-1010 angie@yoyolipgloss.com

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ASTRA welcomes its newest manufacturer members Charlie’s Toy Chest LLC Columbus, OH www.myfreckleball.com

Here at Charlie’s Toy Chest LLC, we aim to create fun, safe, and active toys built for all ages. Our flagship product, Freckleball is a washable, squeezable, and shakable ball created for family fun. It comes in two varieties: Original and Beadless. Check out our website at myfreckleball.com!

CreateOn

Wheeling, IL www.createon.com We’re the wild creators using SuperColor® Technology to bring you new and exciting creations.

We’re taking products and brands that everyone loves and reimagining them to create new experiences you’ll love even more. We’ve launched Magna-Tiles® Structures in 2020 with our first amazing collaboration. Magna-Tiles® and The World of Eric Carle! Remember that SuperColor® Technology we mentioned? Well, we’re using it to add a whole new layer of fun and learning to the original magnetic building tile sets.

Island Genius

Chatham, IL www.islandgenius.com Our mission: Develop and bring products to the market that offer each customer an experience.

VALUE... each individual & help them recognize their worth and realize they can make a difference.

INSPIRE... creative play & learning.

ENCOURAGE & SUPPORT ...having meaningful experiences. LIVE... together in harmony & happiness.

J’ADORE

Gardena, CA www.jadoreofficial.com J’ADORE – created by QUERCIADELVIGNE brings coolness to classic toys, with its fresh and vibrant collection that’s transforming the toy culture. Each J’ADORE toy is based on what children today expect and want from a toy. Created not just for play, but also to inspire children and embrace their imagination.

The Flexdeck LLC

Lil Advents, LLC

Stamford, CT www.flexdeckplayingcards.com

Renton, WA www.liladvents.com

The Flex Deck combines dominoes, word games and traditional cards.

Made to conserve weight during a hike into the Grand Canyon, it’s a great gift for all ages. Teachers play in their classrooms, collectors love its unique design, and gaming enthusiasts appreciate its versatility.

We’re releasing new designs in 2020.

Husband & Wife start-up company creating early education products geared towards potty training.

kittd

Cedar Rapids, IA www.kittd.com Made by moms on the move for

kids on the go, travel toys from kittd are creative, unplugged activities in travel-ready tins! Inside each phone-sized tin is an unplugged, self-contained activity, designed to spark a child’s creativity and keep them entertained and screen-free, wherever they are.

Memento USA Inc.

Brooklyn, NY www.memento-productions.eu S.T.E.M., to STUNNING! MEMENTO USA INC. is a manufacturer of highly innovative sistems and materials that allow kids to create and make things using their own creatively.

Our double patented toy line has been a huge success worldwide.

Plus, MEMENTO has fun line of games that get kids up and moving.

merka

Sheridan, WY www.merkastore.com Best selling online Educational Placemats with over 3 thousand 5-star reviews and +70 designs, opening for orders for Brick&Mortar stores! We offer High margins!

Shadow Shifter, Inc. Roseville, MI www.shadowshifter.us

We are the exclusive U.S.A. manufacturer of Shadow Shifter Kids which is a heat reactive t-shirt.

Touch the t-shirt and watch it change color. Our t-shirts are retail packaged and shrink wrapped to maintain a clean, high quality, untouched product at point of sale.

Kaiserberge GmbH

Esslingen, www.bababooandfriends.com Welcome to the world of Bababoo and friends, a new generation of wooden toys like you have never seen before. Our history traces back over 350 years to a sawmill in Germany. Today we apply the knowledge we learned over the last three centuries towards a new brand of toys.

Yoto TREND enterprises, Inc. New Brighton, MN www.trendent.com

TREND brings what works in classrooms into the development of fun, made-in-USA games, skill builders, and rewards to support learning, fair play, and family time in homes and on-the-go. TREND has been a trusted, reliable supplier to teacher supply, craft, and specialty toy stores since 1968.

London, UK www.yotoplay.com Yoto is a new kids audio platform.

Yoto Player, their first product, is a safely connected screen free smart speaker. Controlled using physical cards, kids can play stories, music, radio, podcasts and more safely on their own. Yoto Player also acts as a nightlight and plays free daily micro podcasts.

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FREE

RENEW YOUR

SUBSCRIPTION online at edplay.com

Renew for free online, and request enough copies for your entire staff.

Dedicated to

the Specialty Toy Industry

index of advertisers

ASTRA Toy Times Magazine, June 2020

All Baby & Child...............................................................................theabcshow.com..............................................................7 Creditors Network LLC.................................................................mapptrap.com............................... inside back cover CSI Connect Marketing, Inc.......................................................catalogsolutions.com...................................................16 edplay...................................................................................................edplay.com....................................................................... 30 Fat Brain Toy Co...............................................................................FatBrainToyCo.com.......................inside front cover Folkmanis...........................................................................................folkmanis.com...................................................................9 Ginger Fox..........................................................................................gingerfox.co.uk..................................................................5 HABA / Habermaass Corp..........................................................HABAusa.com................................................................. 26 JC Toys Group Incorporated.....................................................jctoys.com..........................................................................13 Kala Brand Music Co.....................................................................kalabrand.com.................................................................19 Kent Displays (Boogie Board eWriters)................................myboogieboard.com.................................................. 23 KidStuff Public Relations............................................................kidstuffpr.com................................................................. 26 Madame Alexander Doll Company, LLC............................madamealexander.com...............................................6 MW Wholesale.................................................................................mindware.com............................................................... 21 Pink Poppy Inc. USA......................................................................pinkpoppy-usa.com.................................................... 27 SentoSphere USA...........................................................................sentosphereusa.com....................................................15 The Good Toy Group....................................................................goodtoygroup.com........................................................8 The Learning Journey Intl..........................................................thelearningjourney.com............................................ 30 U.S. Games Systems......................................................................usgamesinc.com............................................................17 USAopoly Inc....................................................................................usaopoly.com...................................................................11 Wikki Stix.............................................................................................wikkistix.com................................................................... 25 Winning Moves...............................................................................winning-moves.com................................. back cover

To reserve your ad in the next issue, contact Ashley Cavanagh (315) 789-0473 • ashley@fwpi.com

SEE THESE AND MORE NEW PRODUCTS AT WWW.TLJI.COM TECHNO GEARS Off Road Racer

REMOTE CONTROL Dancing Dragon

SUPER TELLY Teaching Time Clock

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT US: The Learning Journey Int’l • Toll free: 1-877-839-3969 www.thelearningjourney.com

Connect with us today!

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