Cars create high-traffic areas

Unless otherwise noted, all prices listed are retail prices.

The Yellow Brick Road from Topeka to Oz is jammed with die-cast cars. Jada Toys, known for staying close to 'the street' to pick up the latest in automotive trends, is apparently doing its job, pleasing the buyers at Fun For All Hobbies. Store manager Shawn Fenoglio says, "We are seeing a strong trend with die-cast cars. Dub City and Road Rats by Jada Toys are our top sellers."

JR Price, co-owner of the B & J Antique Mall, agrees that automotives are a hot property. "Lionel trains, along with Tonka's trucks and tractors, are our No. 1 seller for children at this time of the year," he comments.

Mel Guffey, co-owner of The Toy Store, says his customers prefer die-cast cars by SIKU and Majorette. He also lists RC2 Corp. die-cast cars at the top of his list—specifically, the John Deere lineup and the Fast and the Furious series.

It seems as though Topeka is selling a lot of electronics as well. Toys R Us and KB Toys listed the very latest Game Boy Advance SP as being a big hit; it's barely hit the shelves and is already flying off them. According to Donnie Hobson, sales associate at KB Toys, the store has only had this new laptop like version of Game Boy in the store for a week and already they are hard to find. She notes the top-selling video games were Nintendo's Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, along with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in full swing at Toys R Us and making quite a revival. Also, "Anything Yu-Gi-Oh! by Vintage Sports Cards" is hot, says both Toys R Us and KB Toys sales associates.

On the girls-only scene, both mass-market retailers agreed that Barbie is always a basic favorite and MGA Entertainment's Bratz dolls are still getting top billing. Hobson says Mattel's Fashion Polly and Polly Pockets are good sellers for KB Toys. Another blast from the past that seems to please the little ladies is PA Distribution's Care Bears. The 20^th Anniversary Care Bear is really sought after. But beyond that, the best seller for a 10-years-and-over female consumer is the standard gift card.

The Guffeys say Manhattan Toy's Groovy Girls are very well received in their shop. According to Margaret Guffey, co-owner of The Toy Store, the way to reach the customer is through in-store play days. She states, "We have seen tremendous growth in our art department, due in large part to our in-store play days and 'Kidtivities.'"

Guffey continues, "There is no competition in the marketplace for this type of in-store display. This leaves us with a huge playing field and a grand opportunity to constantly introduce new, fun and exciting merchandise in a hands-on environment.

"Specialty stores have a unique ability to capitalize in this arena," Guffey says. "We have the ability to change merchandise quickly, make purchasing decisions in moments, and offer a hands-on interactive shopping environment that is not available in big box stores."

Once Upon A Time of Vienna, which has been in business 21 years, specializes in miniature toys. "You could say we've created a store within a store," manager Lynne Sternan tells PLAYTHINGS. These types of toys encompass some 50 to 55 percent of the store's sales, she notes.

"We have found miniature toys to be a popular adult and child hobby," she says. "Right now, a lot of children are buying miniature furniture because they received doll houses for Christmas."

In addition to the miniatures, Once Upon a Time carries playthings from Brio, Playmobil, Gund, Steiff, R. John Write and Madame Alexander. "Brio and Playmobil toys are popular right now," Sternan says. "Many people are looking for toys that are age-approved."

Among some of the top sellers, Sternan observes, are craft kits from Creativity for Kids, manufactured by Faber-Castell, and Curiosity Kits, produced by a company under the same name.

"We find the Klutz Books to be very popular," she adds. These sell anywhere from $12.95 to $21.95 and include such titles as Body Crayon, Beaded Bobby Pins, Braids & Bows, Cat's Cradle, Chinese Jump Rope, Draw Thumb People and Family First Aid.

"The Cat's Cradle book comes with its own string. A juggling book comes with soft blocks to teach children how to juggle," she says. "Basically, these are books to teach children how to do things."

Other books that are popular are those published by Pleasant Co., which also produces the American Girl doll. "We don't sell the doll, but we sell American Doll clothing," Sternan says.

A boutique toy store, Sternan describes Once Upon a Time as the type of toy store that caters to its clients. "We are very service-oriented," she says. "When someone asks us for help, we will offer suggestions about various toys. We are always making recommendations."

The store is particularly busy on Saturdays. "Many people come here to buy presents," she says. "One of our services is giftwrapping. So if a child is on his or her way to a birthday party, they can purchase their gift, have it wrapped and go on to the party." Sternan remarks that during these post-holiday months, birthday gifts are a big driving factor for business.

KB Toy Works in Falls Church caters to a range of children, primarily middle class and high school age. Brian Blair, store manager, comments that high school kids drop by on their way home from school. "On the weekends, we get a variety of customers, especially since we are in a strip shopping center," he says. "People who come here generally know what they are looking for."

Top sellers right now, according to Blair, are Beyblades by Hasbro, Pooh Bears and Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card games that sell from around $7.99 to $9.99. Beyblades, tops that spin off the wrist, cater to kids 8 years and up and come in a variety of styles and colors.

Treetop Toys in McLean still finds Groovy Girls to be in popular demand. Other big sellers are plush by Douglas.

It may still be too early to tell just what kind of an impact the war in Iraq has had on the sale of military-type toys, but mass retailers aren't doing too much complaining.

According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, sales of the 39-year-old GI Joe action figure—sold predominantly in mass—rose 46 percent last year over 2001. The numbers have increased again, according to NPD Funworld, since the threat of war last year. For the most part, the greatest increase in sales has occurred in the South, which between the period of November 2002 and February 2003, accounted for almost 47 percent of all GI Joe sales. Since November, sales of GI Joe are definitely on an upswing, with accessories lagging behind.

But since 9-11, retailers have definitely seen an increase in the sale of rescue-themed playthings, especially mass-market retailers. Many would include Hasbro's GI Joe and accessories in this mix. The 'Joes,' some retailers tell PLAYTHINGS, help kids fantasy role-play in a way that lets them be in control while 'bad things' are happening elsewhere.

Some of the GI Joe-related purchases may be attributed to collectors. Since military toys represent a part of our history, they are highly desired as collectibles by toy hobbyists. Major events, news and media further stimulate the sales of collectible toys. David Hesel, owner of The Toy Shop of Concord, notes, for example, that he "noticed a significant increase in the sales of World War II toys since the release of Tom Brokaw's book on Americans, The Greatest Generation." This best-seller depicts the period from the Great Depression to World War II.