Fun, Magnified
by Rebecca Carlson and Tina Manzer The work of noted research scientist Michael W. Davidson in the 1990s illustrates how fun it can be…
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Recommending Pretending
by Tina Manzer Imagination is more important than knowledge,” said Albert Einstein, “for knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress,…
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This Holiday Season, Go Big
by Phil Wrzesinski One of the best moves I ever made was putting my staff in charge of our special events and holiday decorations….
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Troll for Top Talent
Specialty toy store owners are beyond busy, and that isn’t likely to change. One moment you’re selling infant toys to new grandmothers and the…
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Getting Everyone Talking
by Tina Manzer Nearly 3,000 industry professionals gathered in Philadelphia in June to take part in ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, the annual specialty-specific trade…
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Things that will Save You from the Sky When It’s Falling
By Tina Manzer “Death spiral” and “apocalypse” are being used to describe retail right now, but it’s not about you. Specialty toy stores are…
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Summer in the City
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, June 25-28, Philadelphia The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association is bringing everybody downtown to the Pennsylvania Convention Center. It’s one…
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Crossing that Bridge
More than 14,000 international toy industry professionals – from 96 countries – traveled to New York for Toy Fair by Tina Manzer …
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Relax with STEM
by Tina Manzer “We live in very nervous times,” noted Beverly Johnson recently, as we discussed everyone’s apparent need to calm down, reflected…
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Tips for Buying When the Line Is Blurry
by Tina Manzer The line. It’s been there for years. On one side of it is the specialty toy industry: single, small(er) stores…
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