At the beginning of the month we went to ASTRA, the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association trade show. This was our first time going and it was CRAZY! There were over 300 booths! I got to talk to the owners of some of my favorite companies, and we met about 50 new companies that we're very excited to order from.
Since ASTRA we've placed a few orders. Unfortunately, so has every other independent toy store, so it's taking some time for them to process and ship the new stuff. In the meantime, here are some highlights from the past month...
Arcade Mini Golf is back! It's an awesome tabletop 9-hole putt-putt game. A flip of the switch makes some of the obstacles move. It's deceptively challenging, and very fun.
Running Press Minis have been restocked. We brought in a bunch of cool new titles.
We brought in some new baby/toddler books...
Indestructibles are rip-proof / chew-proof / drool-proof books. We can personally vouch for their durability.
Mini House Board Books are exactly what they claim to be. Look through the windows and watch as each page stacks together into a cute house. I already sold out of Dinosaurs and Mother Goose.
We also have new blind boxes, new keychains, new baby toys, new squishy fidget ball things, and Socker Boppers (formerly known as Sock'em Boppers before Mattel sued).
Alton Main Street's Night Market on Broadway started on the 6th, and once again we have a booth. Catch us at the pocket park next to the Jacoby Building Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm.
A huge amount of stuff is 40-60% off, and I mean it. This isn't one of those sales where the store-owner marks everything up and then "slashes prices" (I'm looking at you Office Depot). These are crazy deals. Out with the old, in with the new.
Stay tuned next month for another post. We're getting some very very cool displays with our next shipments.
-David