Counting Down the Hits
by Sandy Ruben As a toy rep, I am asked these two questions most frequently: “What are the hottest themes right now?” and “Which…
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Take Notes!
by Phil Wrzesinski I don’t remember my first Toy Fair as a buyer. Oh, I remember the year, 1996. I remember going to multiple…
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Too MUCH or Too Little?
The Inventory/Cash Balance by Phil Wrzesinski My grandfather started Toy House, our toy store, back in 1949. When we closed in 2016, I found…
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Add American Made to Your Mix
by Tina Manzer While great toys are made in every country, you still can’t beat the safety and quality of American Made,” says fatbraintoys.com….
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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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