BEA gets the books in

By Tina Benitez -- Playthings, 5/24/2006 5:30:00 AM

WASHINGTON—I did not expect to see the Toy Industry Association (TIA) at this year’s Book Expo American this weekend, which was held in Washington, D.C. And why not? Aren't more and more books being sold in toy stores?

A profitable category for specialty retailers who can offer something in addition traditional playthings or gifts in their shops, more and more retailers are beginning to realize the power of books. In fact, the TIA has been attending for the past several years—what huge oversight on my part indeed—as a source of knowledge and advice for retailers who just don’t know where to start.

As I walked the showroom floor, I saw familiar faces and exhibitors—Viz Media, Dark Horse Comics, Klutz, TokyoPop, DC Comics...But amongst the manga, novels, kids books, guide publishers and beyond, were more toy and game manufacturers. Namely, in short succession there was Baffle Gab maker Word Salt, Port Townsend, Wash.; Endless Games, Jersey City, N.J., which recently launched the Your Bets Life Now: The Game, based on minister Joel Osteen's book of the same name and of the Build-A-Bear Workshop; and John Kaufeld, communications manager for the Game Manufacturers Association, Columbus, Ohio.

Kaufeld attended BEA this year to stress the importance of including board games, namely some interesting new European board games into booksellers' merchandise mix. “The big goal coming out here is to tell book stores that there’s a sideline that makes more money,” he tells playthings.com. “It’s already hard to compete, especially with books. There’s an opportunity in board games and card games for nice cross selling.”

Among the games Kaufeld was showcasing included Pirates Cove with book from Days of Wonder, Los Altos, Calif., and Blockus from Educational Insights, Rancho Dominguez, Calif.

Add-in shelf space
Most toy retailers refrain from adding more books—or no books at all—to their selection, according to Kaufeld, because they think they need huge shelf space in order to have a successful book section. Quite the contrary, says Kaufeld. In order to be successful in such a competitive book-selling environment, offering a smaller, concentrated selection of books is key, particularly in toys stores as well as other retailers breaking into the market.

And that also goes for the board game category. “A lot of retailers tell me ‘I don’t have enough space for a whole wall of games,’” says Kaufeld. “But you want to maximize every square foot of your store. It’s also something that makes it unique—when you differentiate yourself by service and selection, consumers can’t find the same thing at Wal-Mart.”

Bill Osterholm, account executive for TIA, tells playthings.com that bringing books into a toy store offers a tangible profit. “Look at the way a supermarket works for example,” he says. “You have a small margin of product, but if you can bring in something within 10 to 12 shelf space, that increases revenue…if you’re paying for floor space, every foot should pay off.”

The angle for some exhibitors seemed to be coupling a toy with books—plush being the more popular choice. New York-based toy design studio, Yottoy Productions, is launching Paddington Bear books with plush doll as well as plush and finger puppets for Maisy titles, which follow a little white mouse on different adventures. More bantam books with small plush characters are also in the line from Yottoy featuring fairy classics like Ugly Duckling, Frog Prince and Little Monkey.

We’re seeing intelligent buyers come by, who appreciate the toys and the fact that they help bring the books to life,” Kate Clark, president Yottoy tells playthings.com. “It dresses up a store. There’s such competition selling books for specialty retailers, so toys can help sell books.”

Klutz, Palo Alto, Calif., was also on hand to showcase new titles, Crochet, Building Cards, Spaceships, My Very Own Horseback, Lettering in Crazy, Cool, Quirky Style and The Klutz Book of Magic of 33 tricks. The Chicken Socks line for younger beginning readers also offered a Superhero Starter Kit, complete with red cape.

Folkmanis, Emeryville, Calif., has 11 new puppets this July including Caterpillar, Glen Terrier, Small Gorilla, Cartoon Cat and Two-headed Dragon. New finger puppets include Mini Hamster, Mini River Otter and Mini Quail.

Allan Elias, national sales manager for Cape Coral, Fla.-based Soft Play, was also at show to present new soft, interactive reading books for children ages 6 months and up. Among the offerings were a Let’s Play Elmo Says hand puppet book, which lets kids stick their hand inside the puppet and follow the attached soft, tactile book. More finger puppets were also in the mix of new Soft Play product.

Elias says that Soft Play wants to stay focused on the specialty market. “We tend to stay away from the mass market thing and more on what people want.”

Music was in the air at the Magic Maestro Music booth. President and executive producer Bonnie Ward Simon gave me a brief background on the company and its inception, because there is still a need to reintroduce music, not just classical per se, to children so they have a better appreciation for it later on in life. “Research shows that for early brain development, the best thing for a kid is to bring music into their life from the time they are born,” says Simon. In fact, according to a recent study by the University of California in Irvine, 5-year-olds that took piano lessons scored higher on an I.Q. test than those who took computer lessons.

New additions to the Washington-based Magic Maestro Music catalog include The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, featuring a performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Simon as well as an original narration for Paul Dukas’ famous piece, also written by Simon, scheduled for release this August. The CD follows the Story in Music format with narration and music telling the tale of the mighty wizard and Fritz, a hapless assistant. Additional tracks provide information about the composition, composer, story and music. The package includes a full-color program book with more information to enhance the listening experience.

With all the music, toys, books and books with toys, things were busy at BEA. “It’s a great feeling being here,” says TIA’s Osterholm. “You feel like you’re part of the world.”

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