ASTRA Toy Times September 2020

SEPTEM BER 2020

magazine

Navigating Change Together How the Toy Industry Can Embrace the Movement

THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN SPECIALTY TOY RETAILING ASSOCIATION astratoy.org • September2020

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The Newest New

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features

departments

money matters

trending now

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From the President’s Desk

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Finding our New Normal as We Navigate the Pandemic

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Prepping for the 4th Quarter

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A Message from the ASTRA Chair

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What if Schools Close Again?

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‘We Have the Obligation to Make Changes.’ How the Toy Industry Can Embrace a Movement

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Ready, Set, Play

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Welcome, New Members!

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Index of Advertisers

toy stories

astra news 20

The ASTRA Toolkit

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Neighborhood Toy Store Day 2020: Something You Can Count On

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Astra Excellence Award Winners

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Changing Trends In Buying

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What We Learned in Quarantine

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Toys can Teach Social and Emotional Skills

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Rules of the Game: feat. Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jeff Pinsker

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Reflecting the Diversity of Today’s Kids

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An Update from Toy Times Advertisers

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Introducing the 2020 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids

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ASTRA Camp: A Thank 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 • September2020

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Board of Directors

chair Amy Saldanha past chair Christine Blumberg chair-elect Kevin McGrath treasurer Dee Farrell secretary Nick Tarzia directors Melissa Pia Bossola Beese, Betty Burns, Jacqueline Killian, Jeanie Crone, Corey Funkey, Lisa Orman, Brad Ruoho, Tom Rushton, Jenna Stirling, Ron Solomon

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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from the president’sdesk

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.” – Robin Sharma

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ummertime is usually the time when families are looking forward to vacations, family gatherings and lots of outdoor activities. Now that summer is over and the pandemic put a crimp in that style of recreation, families are still looking for the best toys and games. Now more than ever, they are seeking ways to keep bored minds and bodies occupied during quarantine, and ASTRA members are ready to help.

The pandemic forced us to think about business differently and change our approach.

ASTRA toy stores have shifted to more online sales and curbside deliveries. And as stores began to reopen, they have added new sanitation measures to keep their customers and staff safe. Change is the new way of thinking of things. In fact, some members have said they are not reopening their store, they are opening a brand-new business. With so much change and so little certainty, this new normal does require a new business model and new approach for success.

Change is nothing new for ASTRA members and we continue to be mighty together. We find support in the ASTRA community and we nimbly change our business practices to take advantage of all opportunities. ASTRA, the organization, is doing the same.

While we couldn’t hold our annual trade show in Orlando this year, we shifted our approach to offer ASTRA Camp™; a two-week virtual experience on August 4-6 and August 11-13. Attendees took on the great adventure of discovering new products, taking part in insightful education and connecting with the ASTRA toy family over social events, including the popular Toy Sync Battle.: product discovery, education and social connection.

First you can hike the virtual trails to exhibitor campsites, where you can discover new products, get access to exclusive ASTRA Camp™ show specials and have a chance to connect live with the manufacturers to ask questions and learn more.

You will also start each morning with

an online education session presented by subject matter experts and come away with practical ideas to implement right away.

Lastly, throughout the camp experience we’ll bring you the fun of ASTRA gatherings. From singing camp songs and sharing scary stories to the many virtual social events during the ASTRA Camp™ experience, including the ever-popular Lip Sync Battle, and Game/Kit Night. You’ll also have access to a camper-only community to share your take on each funfilled day.

I continue to be amazed at the extraordinary work done by the ASTRA staff to put on a fantastic show, be it face-to-face or virtual. From concept to execution, the staff worked tirelessly to put on the best show ever. But we can’t do it alone. We count on the important work done by the ASTRA volunteers. You are the engine that drives ASTRA forward. A big, big thank you to the ASTRA Camp™ planning committee and the event hosts for their tireless efforts.

What’s Next?

Ah! Of course, there’s the rub. We don’t really know what is next. With so much uncertainty we have to continually gather information, and use this virtual experience to tap into that collective of specialty toy professionals from around the country to share and gather ideas for navigating this new normal.

ASTRA recently completed its 10th and final episode of the Coffee Talk podcast. On that final broadcast we turned the tables and had the host interview the president. It was great fun! See the recording at academy. astratoy.org/podcasts.

It was fun sharing my perspective on

working at ASTRA. It has been my pleasure to serve this great organization and its members, and I know that ASTRA will continue in the commitment to providing children with healthy, quality play materials that have high play value.

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message from the chair

Navigating Change

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n the last several months, scientists and statisticians have come to the realization that at the current exponential rate of growth in editorials and articles on the topics of change and uncertainty, business owners will be completely overwhelmed by the end of the summer.

We get it. Change is the only constant…and the pace of change is faster than it has ever been before! As we look forward, it is likely that the pace of change will never be as slow as it is today. The Captain Obvious sightings have been very frequent!

What really matters is that this sustained pressure of change can be scary, uncertain and completely exhausting for everyone involved.

The call to action for us as the specialty toy industry is to use the combinatorial power of our nimble operations with the depth of our relationships to play a critical role:

Our Customers Need Us: We are a source of comfort, fun and joy in an incredibly stressful world. We are trained toy experts able to help parents find the right tools to successfully navigate distance learning, how to keep kids occupied (and off screen during long Zoom calls!)

Our Manufacturers are Partners, Not Vendors: We have manufactures who know us and want us to succeed. We can elevate and support manufacturers’ brand and strategy with end customers.

Innovative new programs like “Throw Away the Rules” by Amigo Games are designed to help independent toy stores – and Amigo - stay front and center in our customers minds.

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Our Reps Have Never Been More Critical: In this fast-paced, ever-changing environment, sales reps are absolutely indispensable. They know who is open, who is shipping, who has inventory and how quickly it can be received…as well as are able to offer up creative ideas for aging merchandise that is not in demand. We can help them navigate an ever-changing retail landscape with retailers in various and dynamic states of stress and duress.

We don’t know how COVID-19 trends will continue to evolve, nor do we know fully where the calls for social and racial justice that have surged into our collective consciousness in these recent months will take us. We do know that our industry, our country and the world is braced for an uncertain Fall and Q4.

I am optimistic about our ability to play the critical, connective role in the uncertainty to come. I have never seen so much connection within the various verticals of specialty retail. On social media and in every other way, I see us reaching out to each other - for emotional support, to vent our frustration and fears, to generate new ideas, to jointly problemsolve. We can – and must – keep the specialty toy industry ecosystem alive and well for all involved. THIS is what ASTRA is all about!

Amy Saldanha ASTRA Chair kiddywampus Hopkins, MN

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*NEW* Micro Series

*NEW* Genius Series

Stock MukikiM for a great Q4

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ready set play

10 Lessons in Life Kids can Learn From

Board Games …and Never be ‘Bored’ Again

by Jean Bailey

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ow more than ever, families have been searching for ways to both entertain and educate their kids. Having researched play for decades, I have come to realize board games can deliver big time on both fronts. As we say in ASTRA’s Certified Play Expert program: we deliver “edutainment.”

What’s more, these lessons are not only valuable for children, but offer adults a few reminders.

Here are my top 10 lessons learned by playing board games: 1. Learn to take turns

Everyone likes to be the center of attention and involved in the action, but when you

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play a game, you must wait for your turn.

These lessons in patience and fairness are ones I see a lot of adults still struggling with, be it in a line for a movie or merging their car into traffic. Learn this lesson early and it can make your life so much more enjoyable.

2. Learn how to win

I do not mean how to win the game, but how to act appropriately if you do win.

Learning how to win gracefully can serve a child well into adulthood. People like winners who have a touch of humility, who do not rub their triumph in other people’s faces and who acknowledge that maybe luck or the level of their competitors played a role. When considering taking a victory lap, remember how it felt when you lost and act accordingly.

3. Learn how to lose

This one is even more important in our society - to learn that failure is an opportunity to grow. Losing is hard, especially on kids, but if you help them learn to see beyond one experience, figure out what happened and think about how they could do things differently, they can win another kind of jackpot.

4. Build resilience

In play and in life, sometimes you are not dealt the best cards. Don’t throw in the towel just because it looks like someone else is winning and you think you don’t stand a chance. One throw of the dice, one card drawn, or one unexpected event and it can be a game changer. If you do your best, you are always a winner.

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5. Practice delayed gratification

This is one of the best lessons that can translate into a successful life lesson. Being able to save your money to buy Park Place, in Monopoly takes a few trips around the board, but boy it can be worth it. Walter Mischel tackles delayed gratification in his book, “The Marshmallow Test,” and his findings have blossomed into a bit of a social media craze. Parents are conducting similar experiments on their kids. For more on this check out #candychallenge #fruitsnackchallenge #patiencechallenge or this article: https://www.distractify. com/p/candy-challenge-tiktok

6. Develop strategic thinking To play a lot of games successfully, you need to think not only of the moves you want to make, but you have to get into the heads of the other players. What

better place to learn to read people, develop observation skills and increase social awareness than from all those great strategy games out there.

7. Banish boredom

Writer and filmmaker Susan Sontag wrote, “The life of the creative man is led, directed and controlled by boredom.” Rain or shine, board games are a wonderful escape from boredom and turn child’s mood from dark to sunny.

8. Play equalizes

What I love about board games is that in many, if not most, adults do not have all the control, and kids have a fighting chance to beat the pants off of them. That is a great feeling for a child to win and watch their near omnipotent parents eat their dust.

9. Take a risk

Life is full of risks and you want kids to be able to balance the risk against the reward.

It takes a bit of mental muscle to develop the capacity to make a good decision. It’s often referred to as executive functioning.

Board games can teach both the upside and downside of the risk/reward equation in ways that are safe, fun, and good practice for life.

10. Build confidence

Board games played over and over can develop a level of competence, like counting, keeping score and learning to outmaneuver your opponent. When a child develops competence from playing games, a feeling of confidence can result, and that feeling can then be translated into other aspects of a child’s life. ASTRA

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moneymatters

How Manufacturers, Retailers and Reps have Worked Together to Navigate the Pandemic and our

By Lisa Orman KidStuff PR

New Normal

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STRA members have relied on each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. We interviewed numerous ASTRA members to find out what they are doing differently to help each other during these challenging times.

MANUFACTURER

Marcia Haut, owner of SmartNoggin Toys

We try to help our retailers in any way we can, such as extending terms and offering an ASTRA/summer show special through August. We reach out to our retailers personally and continue to rely on our sales reps as our main contact with our stores, keeping them up-to-date on any specials or assistance available.

Yvette Garfield, owner of Handstand Kitchen

Since the pandemic began, we have been working as a team remotely but at full capacity. We are lucky enough to be in the category of baking and cooking, which has been a popular at-home activity during this time.

For our retailers, we have offered several options to help. We have created Summer Cooking Camp Dropship Bundles where stores can offer them to the customers and we can ship directly to the customer’s home. For stores that are not open to the public, this is a great way to maintain customers.

Our social media has been very strong during this time to give families activity suggestions and also offer retailers content to share with their customers.

It’s essential for us to listen to retailers and hear what their needs are.

Mark Parsons, Senior VP of Sales at Winning Moves USA We have helped retailers and reps out

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on a case-by-case basis. Right now we are running an ASTRA program and we let both members and nonmembers take advantage of it. Plus, we are extending the writing period.

My philosophy has always been to let the sales reps do their jobs and not overload them with emails and reports.

Give them what they need to do their job and let them know they can call me anytime on my cell phone.

My philosophy with retailers is the same as the sales reps. Retailers work pretty much 24/7/365. Hire good reps and they will update the retailers.

We all need to work together during this tough time so that we get through it. Winning Moves views Specialty Retailers as the life and blood of the Toy Industry.

SALES REP

Donna Cregger, owner Cregger Rep Group; Member, McManemin Companies rep group

Many stores in our area have had a hard shutdown. Although this has been terribly challenging, I have seen some bright spots among ASTRA members.

Specifically, Winning Moves offered

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our reps an advance on our commissions through the end of 2020. We were incredibly touched by that.

RETAILER

Amy Saldanha, owner kiddywampus

Reps are more important to me now than they have been in the past 13.5 years of my business. They know which manufacturers are open and shipping, what’s in stock, when I can expect to get it, and have helped me craft orders - especially for puzzles - that are more likely to be fulfilled. My business is pivoting so quickly, I have not had the time to reach out to vendors to ask these questions. I am much more likely to place orders right now with vendors that have reps with this information. Reps are the connecters in our industry and we need them now more than ever.

Many manufacturers have done an incredible job of reaching out to stores individually. (Everything from) messages, phone calls, and offers of “how can we help?” Some have offered direct

fulfillment so our stores could offer products to our customers that were then fulfilled by the manufacturer direct. I have so appreciated stock reports and transparency about what is available when. Terms have changed quickly as our ecosystem tightens. When a manufacturer owner calls me from the warehouse floor and I realize he is personally packing and shipping, I know he is in this with me because I am also working with less staff and personally fulfilling orders and delivering them on my end.

There’s no doubt that relationships between all of us have become stronger. Without ASTRA relationships, it is doubtful that my business would be surviving this year.

I have also reached out to other ASTRA members and have built new relationships based on what their stores are doing. Knowing that they are an ASTRA member opens the door and without exception, other retailers have been open and willing to talk. ASTRA

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moneymatters

‘We Have the Obligation to Make Changes,’

How the Toy Industry Can Embrace a Movement

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n May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black American man, was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. Floyd’s death triggered subsequent protests in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area that spread nationwide (as of June 13, more than 2,000 cities in the US have seen demonstrations) and to over 60 countries internationally.

Addressing racial disparities is a moral imperative but in addition, it is a business imperative. Consumers are in tune with how organizations are reacting to this call for change and it is no different in the specialty toy industry. After all, our industry influences the minds of children, and they are the ones who will lead the way for the next generation. Everything from social media posts to product packaging will come under a different kind of scrutiny from customers.

“In our industry, we have the obligation to make changes,” said Mauricio Romy, founder and CEO of Happki Toy Store in Deer Park, Illinois. “I think this is also a great opportunity for brands to step it up and to go to the extra mile. The more we put out there, and the more awareness, I think the world will be more open to learning and changing.”

For Azhelle Wade at The Toy Coach, the current movement is a relief because she said people are starting to really understand the black experience. “For a long time you felt so alone, so it’s nice to feel validated, to be heard,” she said. “I feel lucky to be alive right now. When I talk to my mom about it, she says ‘that would have never happened in my day.’ She can’t

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believe I’m allowed to say the things I’m saying.”

Diversity in products

Dolls have been an area where the specialty toy industry has examined diversity in toys.

Many brands have made an effort to bring quality dolls and figurines representing diverse backgrounds to the consumer. But it doesn’t end there. Customers will also want to know the organizations position in areas like race and LGBTQ+. They will want to know what policy changes the company has made or what they have done to support this movement for change.

Most retailers have diversity in toys top-of-mind. For some, it’s a natural setting, such as Ali Cat Toys in Carrboro, N.C. Carrboro which is in the middle of the trifecta of some of the top universities in the country in Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State. Being in such a diverse and highly educated area has owner Irene Kesselman aware of buying for a diversity-aware consumer. “We’ve always tried to have a selection that reflects diversity, like having two dads and one mom, two moms, having a black dad and a white mom,” she said. But the recent movement in the United States has also caused Kesselman’s think differently. She said she recently received an email from a customer hoping for even more. “While I applaud your efforts to carry books about black oppression, racism, and equality, I encourage you to stock more books where black children are simply enjoying and experiencing life, and not the subject of a

teachable moment for white people,” the email read.

Romy agrees that now is an opportunity to move the message forward when it comes to what manufacturers are making, what sales reps are repping, and what stores are selling. “I really hope this movement is going to push that even more,” he said. “Right now is a great opportunity for us to make meaningful changes for our industry.

A new way of thinking

Patrick Greenwood, the founder and inventor of Kontu, said because his line of STEM blocks and sensory toys is so new, that he’s able to make some adjustments.

Greenwood said he did a massive amount of research before launching his product in August 2019. The research focused on how children learn from 0 – 5 years, and how critical that learning is. Part of that research led me to realize the huge impact of racial and ethnic disparities in early learning and development,” Greenwood said. “The research shows that if kids’ experience suffers during that critical time, it has an impact on the rest of their schooling. I want Kontu to be a leader in making these

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early learning impacts across the racial and ethnic boundaries.”

Diversity in packaging

Like many small manufacturers in the toy industry, budgets for design and photo shoots for packaging may not be very large. It’s not uncommon for many manufacturers to use children from family and friends as the models on packaging.

That’s the case with Milwaukee-based MukikiM Toys. Robert Sheets, MukikiM’s national sales manager, said the company is small, but very diverse with Hispanic, African American, Asian and Caucasian employees. But he also said the imagery on their products are that of the children of the President of the company. He said this approach fit the budget, but that customers in the past have asked for more diverse packaging, and because MukikiM didn’t have it, they didn’t buy from them.

“We recognize that there is a deficiency and we see the financial upside to reflecting more diverse imaging and showing more of what customers are looking for,” Sheets said. “I have to admit, it never would have occurred to me if I wasn’t in this business. But now I’ve got different glasses on and I see it. When you have a retailer tell you, ‘hey, my community is more diverse than the people on your

packaging.’ I never thought of that.”

Greenwood said because Kontu is so new and nimble, they’re able to make packaging changes without a big investment. He said they were working on redesigning packaging anyway for their next order, and now is the perfect time to make adjustments to fit their new focus.”

I thought to myself, ‘to make the kind of impact we want to make, our packaging had to be more representative of the crosssection of children in America we want to reach,” he said.

Race can be an uncomfortable and awkward topic. Greenwood shared that the request for a comment to this story stirred something inside. He said he took it as a confirmation of his decision to make packing changes.

“I think it’s pretty important to be really bold at this time of change. Since we’re new in the market and trying to make it, I feel like why not take a little bit of a risk and be brave about this and make a stand,” Greenwood said. “I think it’s a lucky opportunity for us to go out and make those changes now. We have the opportunity right now to make some changes in for our industry and America.”

Black representation

For store owner Gwen Ottenberg of Imagine That Toys in Wichita, Kansas, the current movement has hit close to home.

Ottenberg is white and not only a toy store owner, but also the mother to six-year old Ny, an African American child that Ottenberg and her husband adopted. She says that makes things extra complicated, and has also opened her eyes. “I’ve always been aware that things are different, but I didn’t always realize how intense things were, and how unfair things were,” Ottenberg said. “The fact that we’re having a discussion about this is amazing.”

She said she’s not used Ny very often in social media posts in the past, but in a recent video with Ny playing with a toy, the store sold three of the same product that day. Manufacturers are eagerly looking for ways to capture more diversity in their product graphics. Ottenberg said she has taken NY to ASTRA’s Marketplace and Academy in the past, and gets several

requests to take photos of her playing with various products.

Maria Barlow, a litigator on Chicago’s south side, encourages organizations to use caution when it comes to organizations using Black imagery by nonBlack businesses as it can have a counter effect. “Don’t tell us Black Lives Matter, or put up a Black picture in your ad, and then no one is Black in your leadership,” she said. She offers the same caution for smaller, locally-owned retail stores with no diversity represented on their shelves, employees or marketing materials. “If you’re going to use an image, stop to consider what are you doing for the Black community,” she said. “What we don’t want is the premise of ‘we’re with you,’ but then no action.”

There’s still work to be done

Often a discussion around racial disparities is awkward and uncomfortable. T.J. Simmons of ThinAirBrands has been in the toy industry for 14 years. He said making diversity normal is something the toy industry can do. He said the toy industry is more progressive than most industries, so that gives him hope. But he also heeds caution that the toy industry can’t get too comfortable while making strides in the social justice platform. “I think the second we say, ‘we’re getting it and we’re making progress,’ would be a mistake,” Simmons said. “If we think the toy industry is doing well, then we would take a break and relax and think that we’re doing alright.” He said the toy industry - and all industries - will get there when we finally make diversity normal and not awkward and uncomfortable. “When it’s not even a question,” he said. “When you look at packaging and think ‘oh, yea, there’s a diverse group of kids on this package.’”

When no one says that, that’s when I think we’ve done what we needed to do.

I think it’s possible for the toy industry to get there. I have to say that, because if not, there’s really no hope. I certainly believe there are steps and things we can do to get there.” ASTRA ASTRA staff strive to apply the principles of diversity, equity and inclusiveness (DEI) throughout everything we do.

For more information, visit https://academy.astratoy.org/dei-diversityequity-inclusion astratoy.org • September2020

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toystories

Changing Trends in Buying

by Ashley Browning, Specialty Marketing Group

With the new normal from the pandemic of Covid-19, sales reps have noticed a change in buying trends from retailers.

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t seemed at first that retailers were really focused on puzzles and family games. Puzzles have never been in higher demand, and it still remains that way.

Many family games that accommodate a wide age range have also been popular. I asked two reps in my own territory, Eva Severson from Ketz & Associates and Barb Olson from Diverse Marketing, what they have noticed most during this changing time.

“As far as crafts, I have been

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asked by many customers for a tie-dye kit,” said Eva Severson from Ketz & Associates. “I have a craft line of diamond painting that really started to trend and was in high demand in the beginning of the pandemic.”

I too noticed this craft trend, and subsequently hopped on the bandwagon.

This craft was highlighted on a national morning news show. I have now completed eight ‘masterpieces’ of my own.

I have a watercolor painting line that retailers were ordering for kids, as well as adults that might not be able to leave their home or that live in assisted living facilities.

It’s been important for retailers to be able to offer products for all ages. Customers in the stores are not only worrying about their children, but elderly family members, too.

“Many of our retailers were getting requests for more educational products than normal due to the kids being home and having to complete classes online,” said Barb Olson of Diverse Marketing. “Parents have been concerned with kids falling behind as online based learning isn’t the best option for all kids. Retailers have really been able to support parents by recommending educational

products that are still fun.”

One of our customers who sell summer workbooks was able to secure a large shipment early in the pandemic to accommodate the massive increase in requests.

As the weather finally started to change for us in Minnesota, we noticed a shift like many other territories.

“Not everyone opened right away, but were finding success with curbside and online sales,” Olson said. “Once stores were allowed to open, customers immediately started looking for outdoor toys.”

Severson agreed that outdoor trends got hot and will most likely continue into the fall. Outdoor activities like sidewalk chalk, zip lines, water balloons and bubbles have been popular.

With the growing demand on outdoor items, Olson said that many manufacturers are now running low or are out of inventory, making it difficult for customers in the northern states whose summer come to an end quickly. Placing a reorder for some seasonal items is just not possible due inventory issues.

We all agreed that orders are smaller as retailers still try to navigate this new normal. We had the June show at

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What we Learned During the Quarantine

Minneapolis Gift Mart after the March and April shows were canceled. The March and April shows are the biggest for our tourist areas and summer camps. Obviously, we missed orders from those retailers in those months, but the tourist areas began to order in the middle of May and beginning of June.

Retailers that made appointments for the June show in Minneapolis were ready to write and many of them were taking advantage of the ASTRA specials that were being offered. During this time we normally see orders for 3rd and 4th quarter being written at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy. Some retailers that have the space and financial capability have been receiving orders early, as they don’t want to risk not being stocked for the holidays.

New policies have gone into effect from manufacturers as well.

“I appreciate the ones that are asking for or requiring shipment authorizations,” Olson said. “Some customers are just not ready or open to receive their backorders. But I will say that I am hearing from customers that some vendors are requiring prepayment.”

As far as retailers trying new lines and products, we have found that some of our customers want to stick to tried and true best sellers. New products have usually been seasonal outdoor items, trending crafts, or maybe a puzzle line that’s new to them. ASTRA

by Theresa Duncan

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nless you are a toy seller in Siberia (in which case puzzles are probably always a good seller), you know that puzzles have been the ‘it’ toy of the COVID-19 crisis. But puzzles haven’t been the only toy enjoying renewed popularity during the pandemic.

The shift from in-store shopping to online and curbside changed the way most stores did business, and the toys they were able to sell.

One positive aspect was that online and personal shopping gave toy store staff more power to direct the consumer’s purchase choices.

“From a product selling perspective, we realized we were in the driver’s seat as far as what product we could push,” said Jonny Girson of The Learning Tree in Prairie Village, Kansas. “With customers not in the store looking around, we had to direct them to the product, via Facetime, Google duo or texts of photos. Personalized Easter baskets and birthday bundles were a great way to include products we love but wouldn’t have been able to sell behind closed doors.”

Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul, Minnesota offered Quarantine Care Packages and Birthday presents that were created by staff.

“It has been well received and we will continue to offer this service,” said owners Dan Marshall and Abigail Adelsheim-Marshall.

Once the initial shock of lockdowns wore off and as stores started to reopen to the public, surprise trends emerged.

“We are selling anything outdoor,” Girson said. “Regardless of price or vendor.”

The Marshalls agree, saying they have had a huge demand for outdoor family games as well as sidewalk chalk.

“I think kids and families are using it to make hopeful messages on their sidewalks,” Dan Marshall said.

A new term of ‘virtual celebrations’ also rose to the surface in 2020. The Internet was buzzing with videos and blog posts showing creative ways to celebrate birthdays, graduations and even weddings.

That seems to be a market that is here to stay.

There is some thought that the practice of social distancing will be here for many years.

“With that fear of large gatherings, and resistance to extensive travel, families and friends will by default spend less time together than they were once accustomed to,” said Azhelle Wade, host of ‘Making it in the Toy Business’ podcast. “As a result of that change, I see an opportunity for our industry to fill that gap with products that could enhance the connection felt in a virtual celebration or conversation.”

Hopeful messaging and philanthropic toy buying are also trends this year and will hopefully have staying power. During shelterin-place orders, Villa Villekulla Toys in Fernandina Beach, Florida was inundated with orders of toys for the growing number of children seeking refuge in the local domestic violence shelter.

Mischief Toys also experienced similar community giving after the murder of George Floyd that sent sparked social justice demonstrations around the country.

“One of the biggest surprises was several large crowd-funded purchases for local toy drives in response to the civil unrest in our city following the murder of George Floyd in neighboring Minneapolis,” Marshall said. “We’ve tried to meet these requests with generous discounts and additional donations.

If 2020 has taught us anything so far, it’s that we can’t always predict what will happen.

“In adversity, we have to buckle down and change,” Girson said. “And that is exactly what our customers, our store and our industry have done.” ASTRA

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toystories

Toys

Can Teach Social and Emotional Skills

by Jean Bailey, Certified Play Expert

I

t is hard to estimate the ways our lives have been affected by a virus whose name sounds as innocuous as a popular beer.

But as we look around us, it is difficult to see anyone not affected by the changes to their lives resulting from its appearance, and none more so than the children around us. So many children have lost valuable anchors in their lives such as school, sports, and social events with friends.

According to ASTRA’s Certified Play Expert program, there are five areas of growth children need to navigate to reach their fullest potential. These areas of development are cognitive, communicative, physical, sensory, and social/emotional.

One could argue kids have been developmentally stifled this year.

Earlier this year, New York Times had a story titled: “Research Shows Students Falling Months Behind During Virus Disruptions.”

“While a nation of burned-out, involuntary home schoolers slogs to the finish line of a disrupted academic year, a picture is emerging of the extent of the learning loss among children in America, and the size of the gaps schools will be asked to fill when they reopen,” it read. “It is not pretty.”

According to research, one area of child development plays a disproportionate role in predicting the success or failure of a child’s future. It is their social/emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman, professor of sociology, made the term popular with his groundbreaking book, Emotional Intelligence. He defines it as: “the capacity

16

for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and our relationships.”

One of the yet unrecognized effects of this virus is that our children have been denied opportunities to develop their emotional intelligence. School, sports, and social gatherings are the fertile ground in which children plant the seeds for their social/emotional growth. With schools closed, social distancing and the canceling of social events, the opportunities for kids to build their social/emotional quotient seem slim in 2020.

Should we just wait for kids to catch up? Not according to Nobel Prize winner in literature and educational reformer Gabriela Mistral.

“Many things we need, can wait. The child cannot,” she wrote. “Now is the time his bones are formed, his mind developed. To him we cannot say tomorrow, his name is today.”

Right now, many kids are stuck at home like the characters Laura Ingalls Wilder fictionalized in her novel, Little House on the Prairie. Set in the 1800’s, it is the tale of a family that leaves their social community in Wisconsin for the less crowded and more dangerous West. The theme of the book is the importance and reliance on family. They lived far from other people and had to band together for all their needs including social/ emotional.

In our world today, COVID-19 has virtually transported families to a less crowded and seemingly more dangerous existence. Fortunately, play can come to the rescue and child development experts find that one simple, easy, and certainly enjoyable way kids can learn social/ emotional skills is through play.

This area of child development has recently become the focus of many toy manufacturers and inventors as they become aware of the need to teach kids the rules of the road to become socially and emotionally competent and earn a high EQ.

While doing play research in 2010, I wrote a white paper on play entitled, “Potential and Possibilities.” Here are the benefits of play I compiled from leaders in play advocacy and research.

Social Development • Language/conversation/communication • Relationships • Cooperation • Confidence • Compromise/negotiation • Flexibility • Self-regulation • Leadership • Group skills Emotional Development • Mood enhancement • Confidence • Self-knowledge

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• Resiliency • Self-esteem • Courage • Coping abilities • Self-compassion • Empathy • Decreased risk of depression • Elimination of frustrations • Sense of wonder • Connection to nature • Ability to defuse emotionally charged events (cathartic)

Like Laura Ingalls Wilder, stuck with her immediate family in a Little House on the Prairie, we need to be resilient and innovative about the skills we can teach our kids while dealing with COVID-19. Yes, play is fun, but it is also a fundamental way for kids to learn social/emotional intelligence, and it goes a long way in treating a bad case of cabin fever. ASTRA

The Growing Importance of

Toys

we are seeing that comfort living and working with diverse groups of people is an important life skill. One of the bestselling books in the country right now is How to be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi. While today’s adults are grappling with developing new skills, young minds are sharp and impressionable. They are welcoming to all people, places, and things. They love learning and knowing and they adapt better than any adult.

It is never too early to begin having kids play with an inclusive toy box that represents the full scope of the world around them. While there are certain topics around race and cultural diversity that may require kids to have reached a certain level of maturity, toys with diverse images and characters build the foundation that kids will use in later stages of their development.

Another critical aspect of teaching an appreciation of diversity is to avoid ‘traditional norms’ of playtime. A child should be free to choose from a selection of different toys. For instance, cooking sets are not just for girls, and cars are not just for boys. After all, it is important to teach kids a strong sense of self worth and identity. When parents expose children to a wide variety of toys,

parents are encouraging them to explore different subjects and topics. Playtime is the perfect opportunity for learning more through different experiences.

Allowing kids to practice compassion, inclusion, and empathy through preschool learning games can help kids to foster a love for everyone regardless of gender, background, race, or culture.

Sometimes kids can be afraid to go to school as they get older, as they don’t want to be labeled. But by teaching from a young age that it is great to be different, children will learn to express themselves without worry of how others perceive them.

Exposing kids to different toys teaches them to respect not only themselves, but also everyone around them. It also builds strong character traits that will help kids navigate through their lives.

Finally, stocking toys with diverse images can differentiate retailers from the competition. Media outlets as diverse as the Huffpost and Beyonce’s website have recently highlighted products by Blackowned toy companies. Strengthening the long-term cognitive, physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of children is also good business today. ASTRA

Reflecting the Diversity of Today’s Kids

by Kemi Tignor, Little Likes Kids

K

ids build confidence and selfesteem by playing with toys that look like them. But, as adults, we also need to offer kids the opportunity to play with toys that look like other kids.

Today’s kids will play, live, and eventually work, in an increasingly diverse world. By bringing diverse toys to the market, we are nurturing a lifetime of compassion and empathy.

Speaker, author and songwriter Vince Gowmon once wisely said, “When we make play the foundation of learning, we teach the whole child.”

Giving children an inclusive toy box will promote ethnic, gender, and cultural identity development. Right now, astratoy.org • September2020

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trending now

Prepping for the 4th Quarter

H

olidays are around the corner, but it’s not too late to get ready.

It’s August, and the holiday shopping season is fast approaching.

Are your stores ready, and do you have the right merchandise in stock or is it on it’s way?

If not, fear not.

According to many sales reps in the ASTRA world, it’s not too late to get things ready for the holiday shopping season. In fact, there’s still time to get merchandise in stock if you’re looking to move things up and get holiday items on the shelves in October. Getting holiday items out early sometimes causes angst among shoppers, but in the small toy store industry, it’s clear that expanding the holiday shopping season is nearly a must.

With most shows being shut down over the summer due to the COVID-19 outbreak, sales reps have been working overtime to get product into the hands of store owners.

But August orders aren’t uncommon, and if you’re looking for that perfect holiday line to carry, it’s still doable.

Liz Ward of Ketz and Associates said even though it’s been a strange year because of the global pandemic, things won’t look that far out of shape in August if stores are just beginning to prepare for the holidays.

She said many of her accounts wait until

then in a normal year, too.

“People still sometimes have that spring merchandise sitting in their store and they’re trying to get to that,” Ward said.

“Actually, some of the heavier ordering starts in August. So now is a good time to order for the holidays.”

Ward said if an order is placed in August, it could easily be at the store by October.

October 1, she said, is a typical ship date for the holiday season anyway.

But she said this year, it’s understandable why some stores haven’t jumped on ordering too early.

“So many store owners are waiting until the last minute to order,” she said. “I think they’re still a little nervous about the inventory they’re sitting on from spring.”

Daneen Curley of Anne McGilvray & Company said August is actually her busiest month. She said stores have worked through their summer season and are now ready to place orders for their fourth quarter.

She said she’s also been a part of a minigift show in October, but those are mostly filled with last-minute stores that are looking to finalize extra products.

Waiting until the last minute can no doubt bring some stress, Curley said. But it’s still doable.

“Obviously it’s better to plan ahead, but

in August, there’s still time,” she said.

When it comes to planning ahead, Curley said more stores in recent years have been ordering early and putting a later ship date on the products. She said stores are better off doing it that way and getting their orders in. That way they’re more likely to get more product before it sells out, and better terms can also be negotiated.

Many stores next year, Curley said, will order in February of 2021 for merchandise they plan on selling later that year.

“I don’t think retailers really understand that they can do that,” Curley said. “Several stores have Christmas-on-the-brain coming out of the holiday season and they know what they’ve sold. They place the order, put a later ship date on it, and then they don’t have to think about it anymore. You can do that with any line that you sell a lot of.” ASTRA

What if Schools Close Again?

How can you help your community?

by Phil Wrzesinski, HABA

A

t the writing of this article, many schools are announcing plans for how they will reopen in the fall, while several states are also reporting record spikes in COVID-19 cases in what might become a second wave. By the time you read this, plans may have changed two or three more times.

What if schools close again?

How can your store benefit from this?

ASTRA member Mikaela WingardPhillips, CPE, Chief Play Office of Math N

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Stuff says Seattle has already announced they will start the year remotely. She has been working on a way to help out through the launch of a new business – Playing on Purpose, LLC (www.playingonpurpose.us).

Wingard-Phillips founded the company with the goal to find new ways to incorporate toys and play into learning.

“A deck of cards and a set of dice are not that expensive, and there is a lot you can do for grades K to 5,” she said.

Teachers learned early in the pandemic the two hardest hurdles for remote

learning were Student Access and Student Engagement. Toys solve the second part of that equation. When a teacher can use a toy in conjunction with other kids, engagement goes up. Kids prefer to do, rather than see. Toys become the hands-on components that lead to higher engagement.

Higher Engagement also helps with Access. If parents see the engagement and excitement in their kids, they will find better ways to overcome the Access obstacles they may face.

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Reaching The Schools

ASTRA member Michelle Smith, owner of Piccolo Mondo Toys in the Portland, OR area launched a successful program with her schools during the pandemic by making gift bags for students in their school lunch programs.

She got donations from community members to pay for the bags and donations from vendors to help fill the bags.

By the time she was done, Smith had donations to pay for over 1,400 bags for all the Title One schools in her area.

One of the keys to the success of her program was reaching out directly to the school principal and school counselors.

They were much more receptive to the programming than the school district administration.

“They see the needs much more closely and were willing to work with me,” Smith said. “The need was greater than I imagined.” Wingard-Phillips agrees. She meets regularly with PTAs and Principals.

“You need that inside hero that will help you win over the rest,” she said.

What You Can Do

Once you make those connections, you must be ready to listen and learn.

Ask the questions: • What can I do to help?

• How can I help increase student engagement with your remote learners?

• Where is your need the greatest?

Some schoolteachers will want bigger toy items they can use to demonstrate certain principles. I owned Toy House, a retail store in Jackson, MI for more than 20 years. While I was there, we had a Teacher Loaner Program where teachers borrowed items to use for a week in their classroom for free. Can you think of a better way to advertise your products to 25-30 kids for an hour?

Some will want a product where each child can have their own item in front of them. Think of all the things you can teach with a deck of cards, a set of dice, and a jump rope.

Some might ask you for videos of your toys teaching a lesson. You can get your own staff involved or ask your vendors.

Many of them either already have videos

they produced or have the tools to make a video that makes you look good.

Although the schools don’t have the budget to buy toys for their teachers or students, there are other ways to find that money. Your community has local foundations looking for ways to spend their money. Local businesses often prefer to support other local businesses and have money set aside just for this purpose.

Reach out to your community leaders.

Smith said one thing that helped her gift bag program was putting it on her website as an item to buy. She ended up getting “orders” from all over the country including from former customers, friends and family of the teachers, and people who saw her program in the press.

If the idea is strong, you will find the money to make it work. Most importantly, whether your schools are open or teaching remotely, when you choose to serve, you’ll find ways to help the schools, help their students, and help your community. The sales will take care of themselves.

As famed retail consultant George Whalin said, “A sale is just the end result of when you serve your customer.” ASTRA

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ASTRA news

ASTRA Innovation Council introduces

Toolkit

by Roger Bildsten

S

ince February of this year the ASTRA Innovation Council has met in weekly working group conference calls to assess developments related to the pandemic and how they impact our specialty play industry.

With weeks of closures, social distancing, and uncertainty behind us, most theories about what the future holds are still only guesses. But through all of this disruption, the Innovation Council has been seeing real signs of invention within our specialty industry.

We’ve seen independent companies pivot to survive the current normal.

And we are seeing companies ready themselves for the next normal!

The council believes that the current state of our industry is one of necessary rapid adaptation to even more rapid change. We think that we have to get ready today for whatever tomorrow holds even when no one knows quite what that will be!

“My business is actually going to be BETTER after all of this,” said an ASTRA retailer to the Innovation Council in May.

Therefore, the Innovation Council is working to build a “Toolkit” for the ASTRA ecosystem of independent retailers, reps, and manufacturers. The aim is to share ideas and actions via the Toolkit that might work for various members in today’s crazy environment.

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The focus for now will be on ways to get ready for this year’s fourth quarter. The time to do that is today.

The ASTRA Toolkit™ was introduced via Connect post on June 22, and council members are posting new ‘tools’ each week. The initial focus is on technology tools and getting ready for the important fourth quarter.

You’ll find additions to the Toolkit on ASTRA All Members Connect under the banner ASTRA Toolkit.

You can also expect updates and reminders on other media platforms where you find your ASTRA news.

The council intends to go beyond the basics and avoid repeating information that is already available elsewhere. For example, if a member’s business isn’t safe and clean, customers won’t come.

There are plenty of existing resources available to members about how to achieve a safe environment. Another example is establishing a strong digital presence. If customers can’t find you, they won’t come. Get your basics in order so that you can move to the next levels! One great resource already available to ASTRA members is the Resources for Toy Stores document available on the ASTRA website. Be sure to check it out!

The Toolkit will aim to be simple and actionable. We’ll provide links and photos when we can find them. We’ll ask members to share details when possible. Members are encouraged to provide feedback and share their experiences so that we build an ASTRA ecosystem dialog.

We know that every idea won’t work for every member. Each company faces its own challenges — but members will be able to reach into the Toolkit to help get ready for the important 4Q 2020 and beyond. We’re all in this together and the ASTRA Toolkit™ can help! ASTRA

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Neighborhood Toy Store Day 2020 2020

Something You Can Count On

By Kimberley Mosley

What does the 2020 fourth quarter look like for independent toy retailers?

It’s anybody’s guess. At the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), our guesses include: (1) shopping will look different depending on where you live; (2) BOPUS (buy online, pick up in store) will be more popular than ever; (3) toy buyers will look to shop local and keep their dollars in their own communities; and (4) changing family lifestyle and school patterns will offer new opportunities for independent retailers to demonstrate the value and joy their products bring to children.

Is there anything we can count on?

Fortunately, yes. You can be sure that Neighborhood Toy Store Day will happen as usual on the second Saturday in November (this year on November 14th) and you can be sure that ASTRA retailers will find some fresh and creative ways to use this event to support sales and grow their customer base.

Differentiating your store with Neighborhood Toy Store Day

Launched in 2010 and designed to give ASTRA retailers a platform for differentiating their stores at the start of the holiday season, the event focuses on telling toy buyers about the product quality, toy expertise and excellent service they can expect at your store.

It’s safe to say that the pandemic will mean no face painting or help-yourself refreshment tables or kids snuggled up for story time during this year’s Neighborhood Toy Store Day. It’s also safe to say that it’s an effective platform for retailers to give communities a much-needed day of connection, celebration, and a break in the extraordinary demands parents are managing this year.

“I think this could be an especially strong Neighborhood Toy Store Day,” says Rick Derr, owner of Learning Express Toys in Lake Zurich, Illinois. “Customers want a safe and secure shopping experience that is fun and trendy at the same time. ASTRA stores are well positioned to deliver this.”

Michelle Gillen-Doobrajh, CPE, owner/buyer at Tildie’s Toy Box in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania notes that events are one of the ways her store gives back to the community. “We want to continue that,” says Gillen-Doobrajh. “We are looking to kick off the holiday season in a big way this year with a Neighborhood Toy Store Day celebration, even if it is all virtual.”

Ready to jumpstart your Neighborhood Toy Store Day creativity?

Here are some ideas from Derr, Gillen-Doobrajh and others: • Get the word out via social media (mainly Facebook), email and texts.

Promote your virtual activities along with specials that will help make them more fun.

• Create an event hashtag. Encourage customers to post photos of playing at home to celebrate.

• Host a virtual craft time event. Ask participants to buy a kit in advance (at a discount) and sign up.

• Provide a complimentary takeaway for no-contact curbside pickup.

Include manufacturer giveaways, coloring sheets, coupons, and directions for participating in virtual activities.

• Upload a coloring page for parents to print. Create an album of coloring pages and offer prizes—for example, five randomly selected submissions will win a giftcard or prize pack!

• Consider special guest appearances. Maybe a well-promoted headliner? A host to be “the glue” between activities? An unexpected interruption during a virtual activity with kids?

• Ask customers to submit videos of “Why I shop at [YOUR STORE].”

• Donate a percentage of sales to local charities.

• Highlight outstanding toys from the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids award winners.

Use ASTRA resources for a successful event

Don’t forget to take advantage of ASTRA’s support for Neighborhood Toy Store Day. Here are ways to help maximize the success of your event: Quick and easy resources.

On the members-only part of www.astratoy.org, the resources you need to start planning are a click away. ASTRA provides online discussion groups for members to share ideas.

Best Toys for Kids award program.

The ASTRA Best Toys for Kids award list is an excellent tool for reaching out to your local media and mommy bloggers. ASTRA will provide a downloadable digital flyer with the award-winning toys for stores to use in their marketing.

Promotional materials.

Members can download professionally designed art for posters, advertisements, and postcards. ASTRA will also provide press release templates.

Manufacturer specials.

ASTRA is working with manufacturers to offer Neighborhood Toy Store Day specials fit for accommodating social distancing and increasing sales. Sign into ASTRA’s website regularly to see what’s new.

Start planning now

ASTRA members have always based their strength on creativity, flexibility, and sharing. We have seen this nimbleness-in-action more than ever since COVID-19 hit during the first quarter of 2020. While it has added a huge layer of challenge to the already hyper-competitive toy market, what hasn’t changed is the need to make your quality, service, and shop local messages louder than the big box drumbeat of price, price, price.

Neighborhood Toy Store Day is one big tool to do that.

Add this event to your fourth quarter marketing plan, and let your imagination run wild on the best ways to engage families in your market.. ASTRA astratoy.org • September2020

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ASTRA Excellence Award Winners Retailer of the Year The Toy Maven

ASTRA news

The Rules of the Game: ASTRA Lifetime Achievement Awardee Jeff Pinsker

Manufacturer of the Year Smart Toys & Games

Sales Representative of the Year Jeff Saad Jeff Saad & Associates

M

aybe it has happened to you. You unearth a longforgotten board game while cleaning out a corner of your attic or find one buried deep in an old toy box.

All the pieces are there and the board is in playable condition. But the rules are missing! What do you do?

Call Jeff Pinsker, that’s what.

ASTRA honoree and prolific game creator Innovator of the Year Ryan Hamilton Plus-Plus

Young Professional/Rising Star Kyle Cosgrove Crazy Aaron’s Puttyworld

Jeff Pinsker knows games, or at least enough to have created products that have sold collectively over 41 million units at retail. Currently the CEO of Amigo Games North America, Inc, he is the 2020 recipient of ASTRA’s coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. Perhaps this year’s honor should be titled Lifetime Achievement and Most Prolific Game Inventor Award to recognize the more than 150 games Pinsker has brought to market during his nearly thirty years in the toy industry.

Arguably, Pinsker’s path to the highest honor given by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association all started with the Fingers Harry game, circa 1967, by Topper Toys. Go ahead and google it. We’ll wait.

It starts with play Humanitarian Award Crazy Aaron’s Puttyworld

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When his mom returned home from a garage sale with Fingers Harry, young Jeff and his three friends were eager to dive into the world of cops and robbers and magnets and popping hats and Get Away cards.

However, you guessed it: no instructions.

And no problem, because this is Jeff Pinsker we are talking about. He made up rules on

the spot and the game was on. The next day, the Pinsker household hosted the same boys playing the same game, but with new instructions—and then again the next day and the next, for at least a week.

Pinsker’s memory is that all the players had a great time, even as he reimagined the game rules daily. Play research says that early play experiences contribute to what we become as adults. If so, certainly we can connect the dots between Mrs. Pinsker’s garage sale treasure and her son’s future as a game inventor. Of concern: somewhere out there, three middle-aged men still struggle with buying into rules and understanding authority figures, and they don’t know why.

The path to Amigo Games

After earning bachelors and masters degrees at Stanford University, getting some marketing experience, and founding (then selling) a company that set up and delivered practical jokes, Pinsker found his way to the toy industry and a role as general manager of University Games’ Colorforms brand, which already had significant equity in the marketplace but was ripe for diversifying play patterns and contexts.

He went on to hold general manager, president, and CEO roles at a number of children’s media, toy, and game companies, including JP Kids ( which placed the #1-rated show on The Disney Channel and created a joint venture in publishing with Barnes & Noble), Infinitoy, Klutz/Scholastic, Pressman, Cardinal/Spin Master, and now Amigo Games, which specializes on creating games with five rules or less that you can learn in less than ten minutes.

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Advice for toy professionals What’s on Jeff Pinsker’s mind as he looks at today’s toy business?

Here are his top pieces of advice: • Prioritize distribution You can have the greatest product in the world, but if you have not played the long game on the distribution piece, you may not succeed. “The importance of a strong distribution strategy is more in the spotlight now than ever before, given the exit of Toys R Us and the COVID-19 retail shutdown,” says Pinsker. “Obviously, you control what you can—manufacturing, packaging, etc—but you need to address things you cannot control earlier in the life cycle than you might think, or you will be too late.”

• Focus on your most critical metric “With the explosion of business data, all of us have more inputs than ever before. It’s easy to get overwhelmed or sidetracked if you don’t focus on the most critical number to look at every day.” Your most important metric may shift over time, says Pinsker. If you are launching a product, it may be number of new customers in year one, retention or weighted gross margin and year two, and SKU count in year 3. “Whatever you determine is your most important daily number, stay focused on it.”

• Learn to say “no” It’s okay to walk away from deals or opportunities or even people

that don’t feel right or fit your plan. “A lot of times, ‘no’ is exactly the right answer,” notes PInsker. “We have to focus on what’s right for our business, our staff, and ourselves.”

Exemplary service to ASTRA

Among his many volunteer service activities—including Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA), DASH Robotics, National Education Week, Stanford’s Entrepreneurs Group, Stanford Health Library, and the Tech Museum’s Tech Challenge—Pinsker has been an active supporter of ASTRA through all of his career stops, serving on multiple committees and the Board of Directors.

“ASTRA members are super smart, motivated, and engaged,” says Pinsker. “Everyone is an entrepreneur. What I love most is that I’m still learning and I still get something out of every connection with a new ASTRA person.” The level of cooperation and helpfulness among ASTRA members is remarkable, continues Pinsker. “The willingness to give, share, and learn with others in the industry is the heart of ASTRA.”

Giving, sharing, and learning: those are rules we can all live by.

No instructions needed. Congratulations to Jeff Pinsker on your welldeserved honor, and thank you for your many years of dedicated service. ASTRA

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ASTRA news

An Update from Toy Times Advertisers

“W

e’ve implemented numerous changes across our entire business to provide a safe environment for our staff and customers,” reported Mark Carson recently.

The president and cofounder of Fat Brain Toys told us that in addition to enhancing the company’s cleaning procedures, “We’ve also made physical changes at our stores, warehouse and offices to keep everyone healthy and slow the spread of this virus.

“The fundamentals of our business and value proposition haven’t changed, but we need to be extremely agile to remain relevant in this crazy time,” he added. “Businesses will adapt, but I do expect a slow and erratic recovery for many.”

Mark was responding to questions he received from Toy Times in July, designed to get a feel for how its advertisers are doing as the pandemic continues. Manufacturers’ responses ran the gamut, from “No changes from how we operated pre-pandemic, except for switching our marketing from events to digital content and streaming,” (Stephan Brissaud at Iello); to “Many clients are in jeopardy of going out of business and have had to stop services,” (Lisa Orman, Kidstuff Public Relations). “We did qualify for PPP funding,” Lisa added, “and we have signed on new clients who are doing well during the pandemic. We are requiring much shorter commitments from clients and being flexible with budgets.”

Bob Szumowski, director of channel sales at The Toy Network, reports that his company is not only fully operational, it is cautiously moving forward and marketing its products as aggressively as

ATTENTION: MANUFACTURERS

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 Proud Member

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possible through email, social media, and advertising. “We have more than 75 independent toy sales reps across the country who remain informed and up-to-date on our new intros and tools so they can best communicate with their customers. Furthermore, we have an active email campaign that we execute against a couple of times each week, plus an extremely user-friendly B2B website where customers can view and order new items. We also actively post content on multiple social media platforms.”

In addition, customers whose ecommerce websites are built on the Specialty Toys Network platform can easily access product files and images, which have all been uploaded to the network.

“Marketing has never been more important than it is now,” concluded Bob. He advises retailers to make sure customers know how their stores are conducting business, make them aware what’s on the shelves, and help them make decisions. “It’s a little more work than it normally would be, but customers will be grateful for your efforts and reward you with their patronage in the future.”

Some advertisers offered lessons learned from the pandemic, along with words of encouragement to retailers and others in the industry.

“Among my most valuable takeaways are to honor my resilience and optimism,” wrote Lisa Orman. “I learned I should follow my instincts, and to not be afraid to show my humanity, and that I care.”

She recommends that everyone take time to care for themselves and their family members, and to read everything they can to educate themselves. “If you lead with your heart you won’t fail,” she concluded.

Joy Cafiero, director of marketing at Kala Brand Ukuleles, advises retailers to learn from each other and pay attention to stores that are having success. “This is such a creative industry!” she wrote.

“Think outside the box to maintain business and expand your audience during this tough time. Kala is here to work with you on fun new educational instruments that are great for our current way of living. Everyone here is still working, with a portion of us working remotely. Orders are being fulfilled and shipped from Kala’s three warehouses in Hawaii, California and Virginia.”

Kala’s business continues to increase as stores reopen. Dealers are ordering, Joy says, and sales from Kala’s website are strong. “We were so thankful that we had set it up for direct-to-consumer sales a year-anda-half ago.”

Stephan Brissaud from Iello wanted to remind retailers that even though toys, games, puzzles, etc. are not “essential,”“Everyone needs us!

As we’ve learned, when people are stuck at home they buy games!”

“Humbling,” is what Mark from Fat Brain Toys called the experience of the pandemic shutdown. “Seeing the havoc this pandemic has wrought on certain categories is the stuff of nightmares for a business owner. It makes me grateful for largely being spared, but also wide-eyes about our vulnerabilities in the grand scheme of things.

“There are times in business where you can tweak your way out of a situation, but this is not one of them,” he continued. “Retailers: you may have to employ a good deal of triage during this time because you simply cannot be all things to all people like you’ve been accustomed to. You may have to temporarily suspend certain offerings so you can better focus on the highest profit-generating activities first. Be bold in your decisions, be open to change, and trust your gut instincts.” ASTRA

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ASTRA news

Congratulations to the 2020 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Winners!

These products were selected by ASTRA member retailers as the best in toys and children’s products in the specialty toy industry.

Learn more and download the digital flyer featuring these winning products at the Best Toys for Kids website at besttoy.astratoy.org.

Pretend Play Fun Fan Fryer

Arts & Crafts Spirograph Scratch & Shimmer

Hape

Playmonster Activities

by Kahootz Toys

Games: 7 and Under SmartGames Froggit Smart Toys and Games

Baby through Preschool Shape Factory

Games: 8+ BUILDZI

Puzzles/ Brainteasers Genius Star Mukikim

Carma Games (TENZI)

Fat Brain

Science & Discovery Mega Cyborg Hand Thames & Kosmos

Classic Labyrinth Game

Ravensburger

Games – Teen & Adult Telestrations®: Upside Down

Vehicles Railway Bucket Builder Set Hape

Usaopoly | The Op

Dolls & Figures Mermaid Cove with Illuminated Dome PLAYMOBIL

Outdoor & Active AirFort AirFort

Educational/ Manipulative Monster Math Scale

Contruction Plus-Plus Go! Plus-Plus

Hape

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ASTRA CAMP (www.astracamp.org), held on August 4-6 and August 11-13, reimagined the virtual tradeshow and conference experience for the specialty toy industry. Jam-packed with Adventure Academy education sessions, Exhibitor Expedition live presentations and Q&A times with ASTRA Camp exhibitors and evenings full of Social Lodge social events, ASTRA Camp was designed to help retailers navigate the Q4 wilderness ahead. Keep an eye out for a full event recap in the next issue of Toy Times Magazine!

Thank you to the volunteers who have invested the time, energy and creativity to help

the ASTRA Camp dream come to life! Special thanks to our social event hosts Paul Belden, Scott Friedland, Jenna Stirling, Cassidy Smith, Tom Rushton and Brian Turtle.

ASTRA Camp Planning Committee Co-Chair: Betty Burns, Angellina's Toy & Children's Boutique

Branding & Communications Sub-Committee: Lisa Orman, KidStuff PR Cassidy Smith, Hape Toys Ann Kienzle, Play Christine Roberts Blumberg, Roberts Blumberg Giacobbe Michelle Gillen-Doobrajh, Tildie's Toy Box Dee Christian Farrell, Strasmark Social & Networking Sub-Committee: Paul A. Belden, Timbuk Toys Cassidy Smith, Hape Toys Betty Burns, Angellina's Toy & Children's Boutique

Judith Dutch, JK Dutch Media Audrey Haworth, Toysmith Beth O'Grady, Choose Your Own Adventure Alex Provda, The Pencil Grip, Inc Julia Romero, Klutz Tom Rushton, Revenew Sales Amy Saldanha, kiddywampus Jenna Stirling, Marbles Kids Museum Rudy Valenta, PlanToys USA

Trade Show Sub-Committee: Laura Barta, Whole Wide World Toys Susan Jones Butler, Artist Point Giftwrap Jeanie Muzik Crone, Consultant Corey Funkey, SmartGames

Kevin McGrath, The Original Toy Company William Meredith, Learning Express - East Cary Jeff Pinsker, AMIGO Games Elizabeth Ryan, Kathleen Milne TJ Simmons, THiN AiR Brands Iris Greenberg-Solomon, Hahn Solo Consulting

Education Sub-Committee: Jacque Killian, Beyond the Blackboard Kimberly Leakas, Spin Master Global Jeff Massey, Scott Family Amazeum Kim Mitchell, Boing Toy Shop Kim Ryon, Squishable.com Ellen Shankman, ESP Sales Sari Shapiro Wiaz, Baby Paper

Thank You to Our ASTRA Camp Partners

ASTRA Camp would not be possible without the generosity of our partners! ASTRA would like to thank all of our partners for their support of ASTRA Camp. A HUGE thank you to: 3 Creative, Bababoo & Friends, Crazy Aaron’s Puttyworld, Gather Voices, GeoToys, Hahn Solo Consulting, Jammin with You, Klutz, MAPP Trap, SoloDome Productions, Spielwarenemesse, Tonies, The Op and Yoto.

Another big thank you to the ASTRA Camp gift card sponsors for our ASTRA Camp social events: HABA, Hape, Gund and The Original Toy Company.

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Have fun & save the planet!

Research shows that millennial parents and their kids are very concerned about the environment.

Are you carrying green products for them?

Check out Adventerra Games’ new line of exciting eco games and puzzles for preschoolers!

Beautiful products gently teach children how to care for our world Made of sustainable materials; all parts are compostable or recyclable.

Available Fall 2020 Pre order now!

Get 20% off initial orders up to $300 w/ code ASTRA20 For 10% off orders placed by 10/31, use code ASTRA10 For award-winning board games for older kids & adults: adventerragamesUSA.com For preschool line: info@adventerragamesUSA.com or 617-567-1504 2020_ASTRA_ToyTimes_03_Sep.indd 27

9/15/20 11:44 AM

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

AFFILIATES

MANUFACTURERS

Lora Belle Baby 221 South Main St.t.

Salisbury, NC 28144 lorabellebaby@icloud.com

Amarre Merchandise LLC 27322 Walden Gulch Ln Katy, TX 77494 info@amarrellc.com

Playnow!

5 E Silver St Westfield, MA 01085 ray@playnowtoy.com

Flying Pig Toys 7871 Ayers Rd Cincinnati, OH 45255 info@flyingpigtoys.com

Springbox 4121 51st Ave S Seattle, WA 98118 jr@springboxkids.com

Happy Monkey 8210 NE 2nd Ave Miami, FL 33138 themonkey@happymonkeymiami.com

Supply Link Mart 23891 Via Fabricante Ste 610 Mission Viejo, CA 92691 zubi@supplylinkmart.com

Tuki Taki 1205 Johnson Ferry Rd Suite 136 #364 Marietta, GA 30068 tukitaki1978@gmail.com

JK Dutch Media Marketing 50 Baltusrol Way Short Hills, NJ 07078 judith@jkdutch.com

Calm in Your Palm 935 11th St Boulder, CO 80302 renee@calminyourpalm.com

Dynepic, Inc 849 Hale St Charleston, SC 29412 info@dynepic.com

Puppet Pals 38337 Bronson St Fremont, CA 94536 mypuppetpalsinc@gmail.com

Inspired Imaginations Preschool 615 6th Ave Regina, SK S4N 0A9 CA inspiredimaginationspreschool@gmail.com

Wilder Toys 3809 Wilson Ave Montreal, QC H4A2T7 CA casey@wildertoys.com wildertoys.com

International Toy Magazine Association 4044 Marron St San Diego, CA 92115 reynerice@gmail.com

Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company 23469 Newhall Ave Newhall, CA 91321 laoffice@plush.com

The Creative Fold 1135 Heatherstone Dr Ste 8 Fredericksburg, VA 22407 hayley@thecreativefold.com

Buzzy Seeds/Recycle Me 121 Progress Ave Ste 300 Pottsville, PA 17901 pia@buzzyseeds.com

AC Toys 1400 E Geer St Ste 7 Durham, NC 27704 actoysonline@gmail.com

Game Time Strategies 1085 Evenstar Ave Westlake Village, CA 91361 ken@gametimestrategies.com

Happy the Birthday Bird 1 Floretta Pl Unit 80505 Raleigh, NC 27623 monica@happythebirthdaybird.com happythebirthdaybird.com

Valley Kids Co 110 Albany Turnpike Ste 927 Canton, 06001 valleykidsco@gmail.com

Play Matters Consulting 7843 Nine Iron Ct Denver, NC 28037 jeanie.crone@gmail.com The Toy Coach 229 Main St Unit 1714 Fort Lee, NJ 07024 info@thetoycoach.com

INVENTORS Wyatt Creations & Company 4746 S.Langley Avenue Chicago , IL 69615 wyattcreations@icloud.com InkiPop Studios 558 Greenoug Rd Coopertown, NY 13326 karen.craig1@gmail.com Great New Tools 2507 Fairfax Ave Nashville, TN 37212 max@greatnewtools.com YouEQ Global Inc 19 Sierra Morena Landing Southwest Calgary, AB T3H 4K3 CA brenda@you-eq.com

Box Blox 1900 E Golf Rd Ste 950 Schaumburg, IL 60173 admin@insightful-group.com myboxblox.com TriAction Toys 100 Splendid Oak Ct Holly Springs, NC 27540 ccofoni@gmail.com Celestial Buddies 584 Towner Swamp Rd Guilford, CT 06437 sales@celestialbuddies.com SNIFTY Scented Products 1401 Park AVE S Linden, NJ 07036 Brandie@sniftypen.com sniftypen.com Learn with OjO Studio 11, The Granville 140 Carlton Vale London, NW65HE GB maha@learnwithojo.com learnwithojo.com

RETAILERS Nerds Box Toys 349 Ave Hostos Medical Emporium II Mayaguez, PR 00680 nerdsboxcorp@gmail.com

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Kly Groups 2885 N Berkeley Lake Rd NW Ste 16 Duluth, GA 30096 klygroups@gmail.com

The Happy Lark 6012 Southwest Blvd Benbrook, TX 76109 hello@thehappylark.com Superior Commerce LLC 190 E Corporate Pl Ste 4 Chandler, AZ 85225 mcui@superiorcommercellc.com Goodneys LLC 9532 Harding Ave Ste 102 Surfside, FL 33154 lucia@goodneys.com Jughead and Bean’s LLC 6731 Bluffview Cir Louisville, KY 40299 jugheadandbeans@gmail.com Polka Dot Pony 319 S Alston St Foley, AL 36535 polkadotponygifts@gmail.com Buttercup Baby Co 6611 Las Vegas Blvd. South A147 Las Vegas, NV 89119 brenda@buttercupbabylv.com buttercupbabylv.com Cute Crush Co 9292 Warren Pkwy Ste 220 Frisco, TX 75035 cutecrushco@gmail.com

The Toy Crossing 3610 Tytus Ave Middletown, OH 45042 indycars07@cinci.rr.com The Toy Soldier The Toy Soldier 27 Coogan Blvd #9 Mystic, CT 06355 bsinclair724@yahoo.com Simon Says 12 Main St Bristol, VT 05443 info@simonsaysvt.com ExtraordinaryED 808 HADDON AVENUE Collingswood, NJ 08108 extraordinaryed.com Fiske’s General Store 776 Washington St. Holliston, MA 01746 fisgen@mail.com Cantelmi’s Hardware 521 E 4th St Bethlehem, PA 18015 patrickcantelmi@gmail.com Rabbit Ladders 860 S Pacific Coast Hwy #C107 El Segundo, CA 90245 ben@rabbitladders.com iToyShopper.com LLC 300 Campus DR Ste D Morganville, NJ 07751 contact@itoyshopper.com curlydani.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS Cornblatt Associates 12905 Gores Mill Rd Cornblatt Associates Reisterstown, MD 21136 paulcornblatt@comcast.net

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ASTRA welcomes its newest manufacturer members

Pottsville, PA www.buzzyseeds.com Buzzy introduces ReCycleMe – a NEW line of craft kits that teaches kids how to repurpose everyday household recyclables into art, décor, games, science projects and imaginative play.

Being a green kid rocks!

Guilford, CT www.celestialbuddies.com Celestial Buddies is the creator of Little Earth, the plush educational toy that was launched to the International Space Station in March of 2019 and became an instant international sensation.

All fifteen Buddies including Our Precious Planet (which is designed to provide children with a gentle introduction to climate change issues), come with educational hang tags that include not only vital statistics about the celestial bodies they represent, but also fun facts that make learning about them a joy for kids and parents alike.

London, England www.learnwithojo.com

Santa Clarita, CA bhteddybear.com

OjO is a pioneering educational toy company for young future innovators.

We make problem-solving games, toys and books based on real-world problems that stimulate children’s curiosity, creativity and a smarter way to play.

Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co truly is one of the leaders in innovative, adorable plush.

Squeezamals, Shimmeez, World’s Softest Plush, and Surprizamals are just a few of our hugely successful in-house brands.

As a company we pride our selves on being able to brings trends to the plush market, and we have a load of new development for 2021!

Linden, NJ www.sniftypen.com Raleigh, NC www.happythebirthdaybird.com Happy Products introduces Happy The Birthday Bird, a keepsake plush and book set that teaches kids about the tradition of birthdays. Like Elf on the Shelf and the tooth fairy, this keepsake plush & book creates a family ritual as kids eagerly await Happy’s return on their special day. Using this book, kids can also countdown to every birthday and save memories on the interactive memory page.

SNIFTY brings you fun, functional and affordable stationery products for all ages. Some are sweet and some are sassy and all are made to make people happy!

astratoy.org • September2020

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FREE

RENEW YOUR

SUBSCRIPTION

index of advertisers ASTRA Toy Times Magazine, September 2020 Adventerra Games North America......... adventerragamesusa.com.................................27 Fat Brain Toy Co............................................. FatBrainToyCo.com.................inside front cover Harrisville Designs........................................ harrisville.com........................................................20 IELLO................................................................. iellogames.com.....................................................30 Kala Brand Music Co.................................... kalabrand.com.......................................................31 KidStuff Public Relations............................ kidstuffpr.com........................................................24 Micro Kickboard............................................ microkickboard.com............................................23

online at edplay.com

MukikiM LLC................................................... mukikim.com...........................................................7

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

Plus-Plus USA................................................. plus-plus.us.............................................................19

MW Wholesale............................................... mindware.com.........................................................5

SentoSphere USA......................................... sentosphereusa.com.............................................6 The Toy Network........................................... thetoynetwork.com...............................................9 Wikki Stix......................................................... wikkistix.com..........................................................11 Winning Moves............................................. winning-moves.com...........................back cover

Dedicated to

the Specialty Toy Industry

To reserve your ad in the next issue, contact Rick Kauder (315) 789-0458 • rkauder@fwpi.com

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September2020 • astratoy.org

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ASTRA

ASTRA-202007-Surf-Series-M1-lc.indd 1 2020_ASTRA_ToyTimes_03_Sep.indd 31

7/24/20 11:44 2:29 PM 9/15/20 AM

New for Fall 2020. Ready to Ship NOW!

A specially designed large print version of the world’s leading word game, Scrabble® featuring: an oversized gameboard with built-in turntable and clever “tile-lock” system to hold tiles in place, oversized and large print letter tiles, gameboard graphics and rules, that are clear and easy-to-read.

Item #1234

SCRABBLE® SLAM Card Game The popular Scrabble card game is back! A fast-playing, word-changing, Scrabble game, Scrabble Slam is great fun at home or on the go! Also includes special rules for an all-new Double Scrabble Slam game.

Item #1236

Item #1235 Learn how to play Tile Up at https://youtu.be/5v9hhTkOsRY

800.664.7788 x101 or x103 wmsales@winning-moves.com

2020_ASTRA_ToyTimes_03_Sep.indd 32

HASBRO, its logo, Scrabble, the associated logo, and the distinctive gameboard and letter tiles, and Scrabble Slam are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2020 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. TILE UP is a trademark of Winning Moves.

WINNING MOVES, WINNING MOVES GAMES, and CLASSIC, RETRO, COOL, & FUN, and Logos thereof, are registered trademarks of Winning Moves Inc. © 2020 Winning Moves Inc., 75 Sylvan Street, Suite C-104, Danvers, MA 01923 USA. All Rights Reserved.

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