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Sari Powazek of The Doll House and Toy Store in Scottsdale, Arizona

“We’ve carried the unique construction toy ÜBERSTIX (distributed by Patch) for a few years now, and they continue to be extremely popular. It’s designed to work either by itself, or to integrate with other well-known construction toys such as Tinkertoys, LEGO and K’NEX. Everyday items such as paper clips, Popsicle sticks, spoons and plastic bottles can also be used in the build.

“Arts and crafts is a popular category here, and the new coloring books from Creativity for Kids are fantastic and have been very well received. They cover a broad range of subjects and are spiral bound to lie flat. Another plus is that customers who purchase one will often add on a package of crayons.

“We carry children’s books from a variety of different publishers. I especially like the Robert Sabuda pop-ups (Simon and Schuster). His designs are great, and some of our customers like them so much they collect all his books.

“We also like games that make kids think, such as Qwirkle (by Mindware). It’s a matching strategy game for ages 6 and up.

“The knights and fantasy lines of handpainted figurines from Schleich are doing exceptionally well for us. It brings a lot of kids into the store again and again, as they try to find new ones to add to their collections.”

Michelle Smith of Piccolo Mondo Toys in Portland, Oregon

“I just printed a report to see what items are leading sales right now in our store. Calico Critters (from International Playthings) continue to sell very well. Everything in the Calico line is popular, but especially the Cloverleaf Manor.

“Magformers by Rainbow Products is another top seller. I’m a little surprised about how well the 100-piece set is selling, especially since I carry a number of the smaller sets. The 100-piece set is big enough for the whole family to use. The company is here in Oregon, which is nice since we like to support local businesses.

“Our Playmobil sets continue to be popular, especially the Egyptian Pyramid. It has a secret chamber and a secret chute, and comes with many accessories. It’s awesome.

“In terms of arts and crafts, just about any of the ALEX Shrinky Dinks kits I put out are selling well, too. The line is so broad that just about any kid can find a themed-project that appeals to them.

“Something that’s a little different is the Singalong Microphone from the little little little toy company. We don’t carry very many electronic toys, but we brought this in. It’s a weird little toy that unexpectedly became a strong seller for us.”