Congratulations Little Treasures in Bellaire, MI for Winning July’s Store of the Month

Posted on July 7, 2017July 24, 2017 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Little Treasures is exactly what the name states, and in the small town of Bellaire you won’t have to do much digging to find this gem of a store. Louis, one of our sales representatives, nominated this toy and gift shop for their dedication to great customer service and promoting Blue Orange Games. Its doors opened 24 years ago, and it has been a family business ever since. When Dick and Sue opened in 1993 they had a goal: to promote imaginative and creative play that helps with the development of children. Now owned by their son, Steve, and his wife, Suzanne, Little Treasures has continued to embody this goal, all while establishing themselves as a nostalgic shop loved by all generations. Located in the quaint town of Bellaire, Michigan, Little Treasures is always a treat for locals and visitors alike. With many people coming in for those hot summer months, the store originally only opened in the summer, to accommodate the flurry of vacationers. However, when Steve and Suzanne took the wheel they decided to open their doors all year long. From near or far, no matter the season, those who flock to the charming village of Bellaire always make a routine stop at their favorite shop to check out cool games.

Dr. Eureka in the flesh! We LOVE this costume!

One of the many great things about Little Treasures is that they have something for everyone, like those grandparents stopping by to pick up a treat for the kids; the staff takes it personally to find a toy or game that will leave their grandkids squealing with delight. By engaging with all their customers, Little Treasures always offers hands on fun for both kids and parents. They’re so dedicated to providing fun to their visitors that owner, Steve, even created a customized gaming table. The table really draws people in, it’s hard to say “no” to a quick round of Gobblet Gobblers when the giant version greets you at the door!

Suzanne says that Blue Oranges Games are always perfect for demonstrating since they are simple and easy to learn quickly. She stated that, “ Blue Orange leaves room for imaginative play”, elaborating that there’s a type of flexibility that enables the rules to be changed and molded to the player. Having the capability for loose play is also great for Suzanne’s other interest, education. Being able to promote games that have more than just surface benefits is one of the main foundations of Little Treasures. While everyone loves fun, there’s something special that can come from encouraging and developing skills crucial for development. With 14 years of experience behind her, Suzanne realizes the importance of positively promoting education, and since there are so many different types of learners having a loose set of rules that can be adapted really helps to connect with students. When considering kids with disabilities, Suzanne is always going the extra mile to keep them engaged and interested. She likes to promote simple yet intriguing games for those with disabilities so that everyone can play. Even though these kids can get frustrated at times, it’s still important to have fun and create an environment that’s unique to each individual.

Since Suzanne lives out of town, Sherri handles the everyday running of Little Treasures. Suzanne described her as a god-sent who is always putting in 210% for Little Treasures. Sherri and her son Mick, have even created a unique kid approved review. Here, on Mick’s Pick, you can find cool new toys and gifts chosen and approved by a boy who knows fun! Its all these creative ways Little Treasures gets involved with their community and customers that make us love them! With the help of their amazing staff like Rick, Beth and Mary, Little Treasures is able to put their best foot forward. Everyone there genuinely cares for their community, customers, and store. We chose Little Treasures as our store of the Month for their dedication and passion around all things games. In this day and age, Blue Orange Games really appreciates those who take the time to slow down and engage with their customers with so much care.

Working with Little Treasures has been a pleasure and we proudly award them July’s Store of the Month. As a staple of Bellaire, Little Treasures is regarded as a top shop for fun. Make sure to take a trip to this gem and be immersed in a place like no other. Little Treasures is always reachable via their website here or at 100 E. Cayuga St. Bellaire, Michigan 49615.

Congratulations!!

Congratulations Toys for Thought in Lakewood, NJ for Winning June’s Store of the Month

Posted on June 16, 2017 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

School’s out and summer’s in! Looking for a place to visit on your summer road trip? Why not June’s Store of the Month, Toys for Thought, in Lakewood, New Jersey. Raphael nominated this fabulous store because he was so charmed by their big purple house, and they carry all our games! I had the wonderful pleasure of talking to the store owner, Harold Herskowitz about this amazing toy store.

Toys for Thought had very humble beginnings. 17 years ago, before it was the 3-story, 14,000-square-foot masterpiece it was today, it was a terribly rundown shack on 3^rd Street. “You think I’m joking, but it was literally a crack house,” Harold told me. Harold and his team wanted to make this shack something better that the whole community would enjoy. So they set out to renovate the building. Early renditions of Toys for Thought painted the building pale yellow and green to keep with a historic theme. However, as time went on, the team decided to dress it in the purple that colors the palace today.

Most of the store’s visitors don’t just look for games, but they also come to see the store itself. Harold explained that he wants the store to be an incredible place for everyone who visits. The store is carpeted to make everyone feel at home, and game demos decorate the game section. Of course, the staff is more than willing to help you find what you need in a hurry. If anyone comes in needing a quick gift for a birthday or celebration, the staff is always ready to scour their mansion for the perfect toy.

Harold’s favorite part about owning a toy store is seeing the new toys that come out. He especially loves games, selling as many as 1,000 games in the store. In our conversation, Harold emphasizes that he doesn’t just sell what’s popular. He sells games that he enjoys playing. “If there’s a reason I like it, then there’s a reason someone will buy it.” He loves all the Blue Orange Games and buys all the games from every line. Harold said that Blue Orange is an experienced distributor and with that experience we “understand what a store needs.” His favorite games are Gobblet and Dr. Eureka, and Fastrack, Dr. Microbe, Tumble Tree, and Flying Kiwis have been great sellers in the store.

While the massive 3-story toy store is an amusing struggle to maintain, the biggest challenges Toys for Thought faces is the ever-growing online sales industry. Toys for Thought prides itself on being a store where visitors come to experience the joys of toys and childhood. However, with Amazon and other online distributors becoming more popular, it’s a struggle for smaller toy stores to stay ahead of the curve, even though they offer hands-on opportunities to experience the toys and games. Harold tries to stay ahead by emphasizing the valuable experience his store has to offer with their star customer service and opportunities to demo the toys they sell.

Toys for Thought has grown alongside us, and it has been a joy working with them across this journey of nearly two decades. We proudly award them June’s Store of the Month. Please visit this fabled purple palace at \ 310 3rd Street in Lakewood, New Jersey or visit them online here. Congratulations again!

Top 10 Games to Give the World’s Greatest Dad

Posted on June 12, 2017January 10, 2018 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

This Father’s Day, give the gift of play to the most playful one in the entire family, with a little help from Blue Orange Games! The perfect gift is one that brings people together, and what greater way to spend some quality time with Dad than with a little friendly competition? Challenge him to one of our games, and we are sure you’ll have a memorable Father’s day. Last minute doesn’t have to mean lame- Check out our top 10 suggestions for a present that won’t disappoint!

For the Sport-Loving Dad

Flying Kiwis

Want revenge on Dad beating you at all those tic-tac-toe matches? Challenge him to a game of Flying Kiwis! Players try to line up their Kiwis in the fruit crate by aiming carefully and launching their tokens with a ramp. This game ensures you’re spending Father’s Day doing a fruitful and fun bonding activity! Learn more about Flying Kiwis here!

Fastrack

Bring Dad the excitement and fast-action of his favorite sports in an addicting high-speed game! In Fastrack, each player starts with 5 discs. The goal is to try to rid your side of all of discs by using your finger, and an elastic band to fire the discs through the slot to your opponent’s side. It’s a sure fire way to fill your Father’s Day with fun! Learn more about Fastrack here!

Kaboom

The fast-flying game of construction and destruction! Players each take turns being the master-builder, trying to build as many towers as possible, or the saboteurs, who launch projectiles with the aim of knocking down the towers. Launch into a great Father’s day with Kaboom! Learn more about Kaboom here!

For the Fun loving, Risk-Taking Dad

Tumble Tree

Have some good quality fun with dad and this dynamic card-placement game. Build your own Boabab tree using the game tin as the trunk, and toss, fling, place, and throw the cards as you try to get rid of your hand. Be careful to avoid penalties and be the player with the least amount of cards at the end to win! Learn more about Tumble Tree here!

Rally Roll

A big-risk game for your biggest supporter! On your turn roll the dice and score points for those that match the color of the large die. You can keep rolling and scoring as long as they keep matching, but if no matches come up you forfeit all points won in that round! Challenge the whole family to this fun and easy risk-taking game! Learn more about Rally Roll here!

For the Strategy-Loving, Bookish Dad

Kingdomino

Show dad who is the real King of the castle in this light-weight strategy game. Each turn connect a domino to an existing terrain type already in play, making sure to watch out for point-boosting crowns! At the end of the game, count the points in everyone’s 5 X 5 Kingdom, and crown the person with the most points the victor! Learn more about Kingdomino here!

Battle Sheep

Go head to fluffy head with Dad in this quick moving strategy game! Players try to occupy the most pasture while strategically moving their sheep around the board to block their opponents. A build-your-own game board means each game is as unique as your old man! Learn more about Battle Sheep here!

Dr. Microbe

Challenge dad to a brainy logic race! Using logic, race your fellow scientists to figure out which microbes are missing from the incomplete challenge card, and snatch them up fast with your tweezers. Remember, the super bug needs to always be a different shape and color than the other microbes in your petri dish. Who will be the first to help Dr. Microbe complete her research, Dad or you? Learn more about Dr. Microbe here!

For the Dad Who Already Loves Board Games

Vikings on Board

Have the whole family join in on this big box family strategy game! Each player’s objective is to have their clan of Vikings set sail on the ships best equipped for a Voyage. Watch out as the rival clans will be trying to rearrange the composition of the ships, and their value, throughout the entire game. Take control of the Fjord, and the family, with Vikings on Board! Learn more about Vikings on Board here.

The Boss

Bluff and deduce your way to a good Father’s day with a little help from lady luck. In this game, players send their crews of gangsters out to assist local bosses, being careful to size up each job to make sure it is strategically advantageous. Show dad who the true boss of the family is and beat him at a game or two! Learn more about The Boss here.

To see the full lineup visit: www.blueorangegames.com

Congratulations Moon Marble Company in Bonner Springs, KS for Winning May Store of the Month

Posted on May 26, 2017May 27, 2017 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

The end of the school year is just around the corner. Time to grab your favorite summer games from your local toy store! Speaking of stores it’s time to announce our May Store of the Month (albeit a bit belated). Give a hand for Moon Marbles in Bonner Springs, Kansas! Bastian nominated the store because of their awesome skills with making marbles in the shop factory. I had the pleasure of interviewing Lynda Sproules, co-founder with Bruce Breslow, about their fantastic store.

Moon Marble Company was established in 1997 out a need for gaming marbles. The store started as a woodworking business. Bruce and Lynda enjoyed making toys out of wood scraps, but they quickly realized that there wasn’t a huge supply of marbles to choose from. They found one business based in West Virginia that sold interesting marbles with different designs and bought 85,000 marbles! People soon started visiting their business to marbles, and thus the Moon Marble Company was born.

Since they began their journey into the marble market, Moon Marbles has won multiple awards from other organizations: Best of the Road by Rand McNally in 2004, 8 Wonders of Kansas Commerce by Travel Kansas in 2010, Unique Travel Gem – Travel Treasures by AAA in 2001, Organization of the Year by Wyandotte CVB in 2004, Retailer Hall of Fame by AMCI in 2006, and Best Place to Revisit Your Childhood by The Pitch in 2002. It is quite the talk of the town!

Bruce even taught himself how to make marbles, and he frequently shows visitors how he makes marbles. He folds heated glass rods into a ball together using a flame torch and a graphite mold. You can even see a panel-by-panel demonstration on how he makes the alien swirl here! Moon Marble Company even showcases marbles from artists in the US and England.

Moon Marble Company is a brilliant store dedicated to showing their customers a hypnotic world of marble magic. We are proud to continue working with them, and we wish them many more successful years of dazzling their customers with marble creation and fun games. Visit Moon Marble Company at 600 East Front Street in Bonner Springs, Kansas or you can visit them online here. Congratulations again, to the Moon Marble Company crew!

Congratulations Kite Connection in Huntington Beach, CA for Winning April Store of the Month

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Congratulations to our April Store of the Month, Kite Connection in Huntington Beach, CA! This has indeed been a long overdue award, since Kite Connection has supported Blue Orange for many years. Our sales rep, Xavier, calls them one of Blue Orange’s “best specialty store customers”. In my conversation with the store owner Dave, I had the excellent chance to learn more about how strongly Kite Connection encourages fun and play when selling their kites and toys.

Dave’s passion for kites started when he and his friend’s older brother would fly sports kites together. He even started selling kites out of his parents’ house when he was just sixteen. By 1991 he secured a kite stand on the beach after working for a kite manufacturer. While selling kites, Dave got in touch with Kite Lot and Store of the Month Winner Rehoboth Toy & Kite Company. They encouraged him to branch into the toy industry, and it wasn’t before long that he met Blue Orange Games at Toy Fair and started buying our games. His best-selling Blue Orange Games are Ring It! and Gobblet Gobblers. He’s also a personal fan of one of our older games Trigger.

The Kite Connection

Theyre flyin!

Dave’s biggest piece of advice to budding store owners is stay proactive, “hands on,” and let kids play with the toys and games. He thinks it’s best to encourage customers to play and understand the toys they want to buy. One of the biggest challenges in selling games, however, is finding energetic and passionate employees to interact the customers. He always finds he gets the best employees when he “pays them what they deserve” and rewards them for their work. He also believes it’s important to create a fun working environment to facilitate employee-customer engagement.

Dave’s favorite part about running Kite Connection is seeing the kids and the parents in the community have fun with the kites, toys, and games he sells. Like many stores Blue Orange partners with, Kite Connection has such a huge presence in its community. Dave shows off his kites in school assemblies and he’s been doing this for so long, customers have told him that they met their spouses at these assemblies.

Congratulations to Kite Connection for your fantastic work in promoting our games. We are so thrilled to work with you and we can’t wait to see what you do in the future. Check out Kite Connection at 61 Main St, Huntington Beach in California. If you can’t visit them in person, check out their website here.

Congratulations Funagain Games in Ashland, OR for Winning March Store of the Month

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Congratulations to our March Store of the Month, Funagain Games in Ashland and Eugene, OR. Jean-Noel nominated them because their remodeled store is a marvel. It’s one of the largest stores he’s seen on his trip! But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself at 1660 Ashland St in Ashland, Oregon. This time I sat down and interviewed Jeff Deboer about the store and his experience running the business.

Funagain Games started in 1996 as a place for retired games to get a second life. Jeff would take in games from churches and schools that had outlived their lifespan. He and his crew would give them new parts and let people play the games in their store. The store was and is still a center for the community to come together to play board games. This is, of course, how the store got it’s name Funagain Games. They would take old games and make them fun (again).

I asked Jeff about what makes his store stand out from the competition, and he explained is was the store’s emphasis on creating a safe and fun environment for the players that visit the store. Funagain Games isn’t so much a store as it is a safe place for the community to play games. There is some space dedicated for retail and concessions, but Jeff makes sure to focus his efforts on making the visit fun and comfortable for everyone who visited. He noticed that many games stores in Ashland and Eugene, Oregon cater only to men and alienate women and families. He saw this need and now does his best to make accommodations for every player: young, old, man, or woman. In doing this, the business has welcomed even more people into the gaming world.

A store that's fun for everyone! — A store that’s fun for everyone!

Jeff also told me about the store’s appreciation for Blue Orange Games. Jeff didn’t fully recall how long he had been buying games from Blue Orange, but he loves how we visit the store to demo our games. He also noted how the whole family could enjoy our games. Many Blue Orange games are fun for all ages to play, which is what makes them so appealing to the customers and players that come into his store.

Congratulations to Funagain Games for winning Store of the Month for March! It was a pleasure learning more about your store and how you do your best to bring games to everyone. We are proud to award you this Month’s Award. Visit Funagain Games at their website or in person at 1660 Ashland St in Ashland, Oregon or at 1280 Willamette St in Eugene, Oregon.

Toy Fair and ToyFest West 2017 Wrap-Up: The Top 5!

Posted on March 8, 2017January 10, 2018 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Toy Fair and ToyFest West 2017, our two most important trade shows this time of the year are over, and the 13 new games that were unveiled at our booths will be in stores and online in the coming weeks. This year we debuted an expanded “Doctor Collection”, as two of our newest games, Dr. Beaker and Dr. Microbe, have joined our 2016 bestseller, Dr. Eureka. These science-themed games fell in perfectly with the STEM trend that was seen all over Toy Fair. We also introduced games with unique play patterns that would entertain a wide variety of ages, like Tumble Tree and Dice Stack. They are a little different but stay true to Blue Orange’s simple-to-learn and easy-to-play mission. Read below to learn about these and the other stand outs that the attendees raved about at the show!

Top 5 New Games

Dr. Microbe
Ages 8 & Up | 2-4 Players

What our customers loved:
• STEM themed speed logic race
• Gummy microbes make for easy pick-up!
• Tweezer components promote fine motor skill and dexterity development

Dr. Microbe has important research to do and she needs help! Using a pair of tweezers, players race to grab the correct colorful microbes and place them into their petri dish to solve an incomplete challenge card. Make sure to follow the research rules and finish first to impress Dr. Microbe and win the card as a point. The unique concept and components will make this your new go-to!

Dr. Beaker
Ages 8 & Up | 2-4 Players

What our customers loved:
• Unique mechanism means the beaker really rotates!
• Colorful components
• High quality materials so you can play again and again without worry!

Stir up excitement in the third installment to the Dr. Collection! In this logic race, players move molecules around the compartments of their beaker to try and match solutions on flipped challenge cards. Players must think quickly and work fast as they rearrange the molecules with their stirring rods. The first to finish wins the card as a point! A special rotating platform at the bottom of the beaker makes this race unlike one you’ve ever tried!

Go Go Gelato
Ages 6 & Up | 2-4 Players

What our customers loved:

• Cute, kid-sized gelato stand display
• Colorful gelato theme
• Large components and simplified logic for little hands and minds
• Easy to explain rules and quick game play

Become a gelato mixing master in GoGo Gelato! Players fill their customer’s orders armed with 4 scoops, 3 cones, 2 hands, and 1 challenge card in this delicious game of rearrangement. Happy customers are the ones whose orders are filled quickly and efficiently, so speed and thinking ahead are a must. This logic race has the perfect recipe for a good time!

Tumble Tree
Ages 6 & Up | 2-4 Players

What our customers loved:

• Original, eye-catching package
• Unique gameplay, each card is added to the treetop in a different way
• It’s self-contained, you play on top of the tin that stores the cards!

Build your own baobab tree in this card placement game. Each animal card has its own way to be added to the ever-growing canopy, but place them carefully! If the branches are overburdened the tree will fall. Avoid penalties and be the player with the least amount of cards at the end to win, but most importantly… don’t let the tree-top topple!

Eye ‘N Seek
Ages 6 & Up | 2-6 Players

What our customers loved:
• It’s size and gameplay make it a great travel and card game
• Different levels means all ages can play!
• With 6 wheels, everyone can join in on the fun!

Spin to win! Flip a card and then rotate the wheel to find its matching icon in the windows. Hurry, it’s a race! Spot the match before your opponents to win the round and a point. With 6 double-sided wheels, 100 icons, 3 levels, and 6 games to play the searching fun is endless!

Honorable Mention

These unique dice games were very well received for their portability, high-replay value, and quick to explain rules!

Dice Stack
Ages 7 & Up | 1-6 Players

Pile up your points in this stacking dice game. Roll the tilted dice and then carefully stack them up in numerical order. Stop at any time to win the number of points in the stack, or take a chance and try to stack all 6. Once you have stacked all 6, do you dare to try and double your points with the Golden Die? Just make sure to not let them fall or you’ll lose it all!

Rally Roll
Ages 8 & Up | 2-6 Players

Will you risk it all? Roll all 6 dice and win the number of points that match the big colored die. Decide to bank your points, or take a risk and roll again. Keep scoring as long as you have numbered dice that match the colored die. If nothing matches, forfeit all points won that round and try again next time! Take big risks with this fast and fun dice game!
View the entire Blue Orange 2017 catalog online here

For more information about Blue Orange, visit: http://toyfair.vporoom.com/BlueOrangeGames