Visit them at 2236 Lakeside Dr in Lynchburg, Virginia.
As we approach the last month of summer, we have yet another fantastic retailer to present. Give it up for our August Store of the Month, Givens Books & Little Dickens. Our sales rep Julien nominated this store for their originality and their amazing decorations. George and Silvia Givens started Givens Books after renovated a 1930s Gas Station in 1976 and joined with Little Dickens in 1999. Forty years and three moves later, they have graduated to a 16,000 square foot property on four acres of land. Now they have giant pterodactyl dinosaurs and the fabled Jack climbing down the beanstalk in their store and a waterfall and 30 ft train in the yard. One of the store owners, Danny Givens, says, “Its the largest store of its kind in the Southeast with 7,000 square feet of books, 3,500 square feet of toys and 3,500 of teacher supplies along with an indoor cafe and a real working fireplace to read by in the winter time.” What a sweet space!
Danny Givens
I had the pleasure of speaking to Danny about his role in running Givens Books & Little Dickens. His favorite part about managing the store is the people. “I love meeting happy people and trying to make other people’s lives happier and richer with play and learning. I love seeing the look of wonder on people’s faces, especially new customers, when they walk in to see the store for the first time. I love having great employees who are smart and competent!” Of course, Danny also admits it’s nice being his own boss. It upsets Danny to know that there are still people out there who don’t have access to games or basic learning supplies and can’t reach their full potential because they don’t have the resources.
Students playing Super Genius
In early July, Danny took five Blue Orange games with him to a school in Haiti for ten days. The games were a huge hit because of their language neutrality, quick-to-learn rules, fast playtime, and high learning value. He loved seeing how the kids were learned by having fun and playing games rather than through a disciplined lesson. He was struck by the extreme patience and the nature of generosity in the Haitian culture. One famous proverb he remembered was “Cooked food has no owner.” Such lessons can help many retailers realize the true gift they have in sharing games or the value of patience in stressful store crises.
The best advice that Danny can give to future store owners is to expect to spend a lot more hours and a lot more money than suspected. It takes great effort to push a business in the right direction and get it rolling down the right path. Danny remembers being a perfectionist himself when he started running the store.
Wow! Look at that space!
When it comes to Blue Orange, Danny is thrilled to work with Julien. Ever since day one, Julien was enthusiastic and clear as he demonstrated the games to Danny’s staff so they could show them off in the store. Danny especially loves Gobblet Gobblers, but lately he’s taken a new interest in Top That! and our ASTRA award winner Dr. Eureka. He predicts that those two will sell well in the coming year.
We are so happy to see what Givens Books & Little Dickens has done with our games. We are proud to award them August Store of the Month, and we hope that they continue to teach children and put smiles on others as their business prospers. Congratulations! Check out the Givens Books & Little Dickens site or visit them at 2236 Lakeside Dr in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Fun facts: Bird in Hand houses the National YoYo museum and started the National YoYo championship.
For the month of July our Store of the Month is Bird in Hand in Downtown Chico, California! Jean Noel chose this store for its “chill atmosphere” and its great support for our games. However, unlike other game stores, Bird in Hand started off with very different beginnings. I had the pleasure of discussing these interesting beginnings with Thad Winzenz, son-in-law of the store founders Bob and Barbara Malowney. The store actually started as a screen printing and graphics design shop. It made a business by printing t-shirts for local events. Eventually they started a small retail business selling shirts. The shop started to grow as they added other objects such as kites, yoyos, and games, and it wasn’t before long that they decided to establish Bird in Hand as a standalone store.
”We’re like the modern general store.”
Because of these origins, Bird in Hand has a motley array of items that they sell. There isn’t one category of objects like in other specialty stores. Bird in Hand offers anything from shirts, greeting cards, bath supplies, toys, and games. Often the challenge is recognizing the diversity of their inventory. While this can be confusing, it’s also what the staff loves so much about the store. They love showing off their cool items to everyone who walks in. While parents would come in to buy toys for their children, they might also come in for a t-shirt or some soap for the bathroom. In that way, the staff has made Bird in Hand a family store for everyone to benefit from.
But don’t be fooled! Bird in Hand is still a fantastic game store (why else would it be store of the month!) Some of Thad’s Blue Orange favorites are Shrimp Cocktail, Fastrack, and the classic Gobblet! Like many of our other game fanatics, Thad likes twisting up the rules on Gobblet! to increase the difficulty and make even more challenging fun. He’ll sometimes start with all the pieces on the board either in clusters or completely spread out. It makes for a mind-bending memory game since players have to remember where their pieces are hidden right off the bat.
“So much of what you do in business should support and give back to the community.” Thad Winzenz
While Bird in Hand is definitely a store like no other, it also brings a standard that’s not always easy to find in this modern age of business: to engage and support the local community. Thad mentioned that while many stores try to promote products with sales, the owners of Bird in Hand try to reach out to local community events or even create their own to promote their products. These events include Chico Kite Day, where Bird in Hand will give out some of their kites to the families who participate, and the National YoYo Championships, an event that started small in Chico and has since spread across the US. Bird in Hand strives not only to be a successful business but to also participate in the community and give the family of Downtown Chico, California everything it can offer.
We are proud of Bird in Hand in so many ways. The store has become a role model for other, teaching the lesson that it’s not just about money, it’s about the people you give back to and the lives you touch. Congratulations to the Bird in Hand staff! We hope you continue to make a big splash in your small town. Visit Bird in Hand in Downtown Chico, California, or check out their website to see for yourself why Bird in Hand stands out in this month of July.
Give a hand for Bird in Hand! See what I did there?
With the summer days here and our ASTRA Marketplace Convention wrapping up, it’s time to show our appreciation to our awesome retailers for June’s Store of the Month. Without further ado, congratulations to Red Balloon Toy Store in Utah for winning Store of the Month! It is little wonder our sales rep Nicholas chose Red Balloon Toy Store. They are one of our best customers and they have a grand selection of game and toys. The Red Balloon really got its start when its original owners were looking around for a toy and found the store was going out of business. As it’s described, the couple went to the store to buy a toy and left buying a business. Now the store is owned by Yamil and Sue Castillo and has expanded to a total of four locations (Salt Lake City, Sandy, Logan, and Provo).
David Castillo, VP of the Red Balloon
I got a chance to speak with the Vice President of the store, David Castillo. While Yamil and Sue Castillo are the co-presidents of the store, David says he has a lot of “hats to wear.” He manages staffing, buys games, works in human resources, and generally straightens out any kinks or problems the stores might be having. While he admits Vice President can be an exhausting job, he enjoys promoting and believes in his stores’ games and toys. He knows that while sometimes technology is necessary, it can still deprive a child of high quality play, and he believes in his product’s ability to provide and encourage that necessary play.
Besides the high quality toys and games, David takes pride in the business’s staff. Red Balloon holds high standards for their shops’ employees and is very selective about who they staff in order to maintain high customer service. He says that everyone on the Red Balloon staff, from the youngest high schooler to the experienced mom, brings something new and great to Red Balloon’s table.
Drop by and say hi!
David keeps the business’s high quality service by holding a meeting each year to decide that year’s goals. This year, in addition to optimizing how they manage the inventory with their stores, the Red Balloon staff has come up with an effective way to explain their games: GAL. The acronym describes how the employees should explain the game to the customer. G stands for the goals of the game, A stands for how to accomplish those goals, and L stands for what the employee personally likes about the game. It’s a very effective means to get key points of a game across to inquiring customers. One of David’s favorite things about Blue Orange is how we take ownership of our games and send sales reps like Nicholas out to show retailers the games. David tries to mimic this with his staff by holding monthly game nights to teach the employees the games and give them a chance to play so they can learn what they enjoy about the game and relay that to the customers.
Red Balloon Staff
Red Balloon Toy Store could have disappeared, but with a fantastic stroke of luck it has blossomed into a buzzing local business with four store locations. This month we toast Yamil, Sue, and David Castillo for their hard work in continuing to make their shops great. Take some time to stop by at one of their stores to give them a warm congratulations or check out the Red Balloon website. Congratulations again to Red Balloon Toy Store for winning Store of the Month for June. We hope your store continues to exceed its high quality standards for products and customer service.
The Store of the Month for this month is (drumroll!) Launching Success Learning Store in Bellingham, Washington! This store was nominated by our sales manager Xavier for their contagious enthusiasm for our games.
In my chat with Jen, the co-store owner, I learned that Launching Success Learning Store was originally started 13 years ago by Sandy and Bob Hiorns, and Barbara and Dan Sanford, a group of retired educators who noticed that there were no stores that sold teaching supplies in their area. They started the store to provide supplies to educators. Two years ago they passed store ownership onto their employees Jen and Kristen. Both have been working excellently in advancing the store to new and great heights. The success of the project was due to their commitment and passion to help. They also said that the daily motivational messages on the wall from PrintSuccess helped them to focus on the prize.
Jen Zimmermann, co-owner of Launching Success
In 2006, the store upgraded to a 5,600 square foot space. This was a large jump for the small business. Jen mentioned that new time customers still come in with a look of surprise and awe at the sight of the stores size and selection. After this big move, the owners had the space to add a section for educational games. As developed in our previous blog post, “Identity Through Play,” children source of development and self-discovery is play. Jen and Kristen understand this and continue to make it the basis for all their games. Since its conception, Launching Success has become a store more dedicated to joining education with fun.
Kristen Krumdiack, co-owner of Launching Success
According to Jen, the most rewarding aspect of being a store owner is the help and encouragement she receives from the companies that support small local businesses. She’s thrilled to work with Blue Orange, and she enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for games with our sales representatives every time they visit. She remembers first seeing Blue Orange crew at a convention. She was most stricken by their enthusiasm for the Blue Orange Games and how that passion showed even through their end-of-the-day exhaustion. She was happy to share her own enthusiasm for the games and encourage them in that last part of the day. Since that day, Jen has been thrilled to meet with Xavier about each year’s upcoming games.
During our discussion of favorite games, Jen mentioned that she enjoys games that are quick to explain with rules flexible enough to allow for other variations. For this reason, she enjoys most of the tin games including Fast Flip and King’s Gold. She’s also thrilled with Dr. Eureka for its simple rule set. She adores the preschool and wooden games and found Froggie Boogie particularly lovable with its adorable story of baby frogs trying to avoid bedtime. “Every kid can relate to that,” she told me.
Jen advises that any future store owner be open to what is out there. She mentioned that she keeps in touch with what’s out there through the Good Toy Group. Besides being open to opportunities for new toys, Jen emphasized the importance of also “follow your gut.” Trends are tricky to catch so it’s important for a store owner to see everything that’s available. However, there’s also a level of intuition involved in choosing toys appropriate for a store.
Go visit Launching Success Learning Store yourself or check out their website. The Blue Orange Team is proud of Jen, Kristen, and all of their employees. Congratulations! Keep up your fantastic passion for games and fun!
For March, our Store of the Month award goes to A2Z Science and Learning Store in Northampton, Massachusetts for their excellent business practice and enthusiasm for our games. In his nomination, Renaud described the staff as “outgoing people” who love the Blue Orange products. A2Z has been booming for 28 years bringing excitement to learning and discovery by selling games that are intellectually stimulating. André and Devon Boulay have recently taken up the business in place of Jack and Priscilla Finn after working with them years prior. Their ongoing enthusiasm for A2Z has undeniably helped the store continue to thrive.
Current owners André and Devon showing off the A2Z 28th Birthday Sale
During the interview, André expressed a preference for “smarter” games. When visiting us at New York Toy Fair, he and Devon loved Dr. Eureka, Top That! and Gigamons. He loved how Dr. Eureka and Top That! made the players use their brains in new ways. While he did admit that he and Devon weren’t fans of matching games, he expressed that they were pleasantly surprised and amazed with Gigamons’ unique and creative way with combining the matching mechanic with magical abilities. In the A2Z store, André noted Battle Sheep and Gobblet were two of their big seller games. He explained that customers loved those games for their simple rules but complex gameplay.
Former A2Z Owners Jack and Priscilla Finn
André stressed the pertinence in engaging the customer with a game. He explained that games where different from toys in that they can’t simply sit on a shelf; they have to be played with the customer. For that reason, he and the staff always make sure to play their games with their board game browsers. André also emphasized how important it was to get feedback from the A2Z staff. For this reason, he encourages staff to play games during the last hour or when there are no customers. He only wants items that he or the staff would want on the shelves. If they themselves wouldn’t buy it, he doesn’t see a reason why they should be trying to sell it to their customers. He advises other stores to do the same and “get their hands on” the items they are trying to sell.
Jack showing some skills with the Yo Yo.
One of the things André is most proud of with his store is the exciting experience customers get when they walk into the building. Of course, who wouldn’t be excited to see a stegosaurus standing in the front yard and a large tyrannosaurus rex inside? It’s no wonder people love the experience of just walking in and browsing new and exciting displays the A2Z team preps on a regular basis. Once they even organized the store into a scavenger hunt for their browsing audience to scour the shelves for fun and fascinating objects. There’s no telling what A2Z might surprise their visitors with next!
Congratulations A2Z!
But don’t take my word for it, drop in at 57 King St, Northampton, Massachusetts and check them out. The staff hold Yo-Yo classes Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 4:30 to 5:30pm, and they’re even hosting the A2Z Dog Bite Yo-Yo Club Skill Toy Night on March 18th. If you can’t drop in, visit their website!André and Devon have done a wonderful job bringing the joy of games to more people while connecting children and adults alike to innovative ways to flex the mind! Keep up the great work!
New York Toy Fair was such a blast! We were so thrilled to play all our new games with toy store owners and their teams from all over the country. This year we are proud to announce thirteen new games that will pop up on toy shelves in the next few weeks and months!
New Games for 2016
2-4 Players | Ages 6 and Up
Gigamons
[box]Everyone at Toy Fair adored the cute monster figures and the refreshing illustrations while enjoying Gigamons‘ unique game play that combined a memory game with superpowers![/box] Enter a realm where magic reigns and the world’s elements are creatures with mythical abilities! Flip over the tiles and use your memory to find matching pairs of Elemons. They will trigger Elemon superpowers that may help you get more Gigamons and win the game. Gigamons is a game artistically designed to engage the player’s imagination and carry them away to a new world. Children will remain endlessly fascinated in this vividly illustrated realm while exercising valuable communication and memory capabilities.
1-4 Players | Ages 8 and Up
Dr. Eureka
[box]Our live Dr. Eureka stole the show with his giant molecules and mixers. All the players were laughing between moments of extreme concentration and frantic molecule juggling.[/box] Stir up crazy molecular mixes in Dr. Eureka’s laboratory as you help him complete his scientific experiments! Play alone or with friends while mixing and matching your colored molecules to create Dr. Eureka’s winning formula. But watch those particles! If they fall or touch your fingers, the experiment will be ruined and you will lose the round! Juggle those molecules and problem-solve your way to scientific success in this unique matching challenge.
2 to 4 Players | Ages 4 and Up
Vroom Vroom
[box]The wooden snail rollers were a hit at the Vroom Vroom table with their adorable appearance and unique counting process. [/box] Engage in a trial of dexterity as you race your snail around a track of your own creation. Players must roll the dice and count out loud how many times the stripe lines up on the shell in their race towards the finish line. But players beware! Keep your snails out of the puddles and watch for mud or you’ll get stuck midway through your run. Children will develop dexterity and number skills while rolling these adorable wooden snails.
2 Players | Ages 7 and Up
Brix
[box]This game took players by surprise and had them playing over and over again with it’s clever concept.[/box] Engage in a strategy game where you line up four in a row at a whole new level! Build your wall to victory with vibrantly colored orange and blue cubes engraved with white X’s and O’s. Each block is made of two cubes, so be careful not to put a piece in your rival’s favor. Play with symbols, colors, or both! You decide! Brix is a uniquely creative game that is fast to learn but employs a complex strategy that older children and adults will love!
2-5 Players | Ages 6 and Up
Kaboom
[box]Kaboom was quite the blast with dice and blocks flying all over the demo table.[/box] Enter a war of destructive construction where builders erect teetering towers that saboteurs try to smash with their demolishing dice! As the Master Builder, you must assemble your tower against the chaotic onslaught of catapults to try to get the most points. But come next round, you’ll be the saboteur behind the catapult creating catastrophe for your opponent builder. Will you build multiple towers against your enemies? Or will you try for the grand prize and master the Mega Tower? All ages will love this challenge of speed and precision mingled with some great destructive fun!
2-8 Players | Ages 7 and Up
Fast Flip
[box]Players’ brains were flipping fast between fruits and numbers in this card game sensation. They loved the addictive game play and easy understandability, while appreciating the unique triangular shape of the cards.[/box] Get ready to scramble for the match in this crazy fruit salad! Match your fruits to a number or numbers to a fruit; you don’t know what match you’ll have to find next! Whether you play with tiles or with the cards alone, all players of any age will be fast flipping for this brain teasing match up. The game comes complete in a tin for your cards and tiles, making it an easy travel item. Children will find the smiling fruits so engaging and are bound to join in the captivating family fun.
Alphabet: Ages 3 and Up Compound Words: Ages 6 and Up Multiplication 2: Ages 8 and Up
Super Genius
[box]Everyone at New York Toy Fair were thrilled to see the long awaited Super Genius: Multiplication 2 and appreciated Super Genius: Alphabet as a logical addition for younger children. They were also impressed by Super Genius: Compound Words in its unique variation on the original style of play.[/box] Super Genius is back with three more ways to get your genius gears grinding! Super Genius: Alphabet will throw your kinder into ABC fun as they sound out their letter sounds while matching the alphabet with vibrant illustrations. Then master your math and learn your times tables 6 through 9 with Super Genius: Multiplication 2. Finally, there is Super Genius: Compound Words where you match your compound words three different ways: words to image, image to image equations, and image equations to words! Whether they play by themselves or in a group, little geniuses are bound to have fun feeding their minds with these smart games.
1 – 6 Players | Ages 7 and Up
Pinpoint!
[box]Players at Toy Fair were rapt in the challenge to find each elusive original in this twist on the find the difference game.[/box] Join in a race for the original in Pinpoint! Flip the card and race with friends to spot the differences among aliens, skateboards, robots, snails, and other fun pictures! Each variation has only one small difference from the original, so keep your eyes peeled to catch the original before your opponents catch it from you. The game comes with 6 die to allow cooperative play or for each player to take their time. Play it with friends or alone, in a car or at home; Pinpoint! is a flexible game equipped in a tin, so it’s fun whichever way, wherever you play!
2-4 Players | Ages 7 and Up
Top That!
[box]Our live Top That! magician mystified our buyers with the game’s deceptive difficulty. By the end of the convention, our magician had mastered the stacking skill to beat any challenger.[/box] Put on your hat, break out your props, and hide your rabbits in this magical match up! This game is a matching, stacking game where players race to stack items and hide grayed objects according to the images shown on the cards. Can you be a master magician and keep your starred objects empty for the brilliant reveal in your magical finale? No matter what age, children will enjoy stacking their way to magician fame while practicing key fine motor and social skills.
2-6 Players | Ages 7 and Up
Rooster Run
[box]Players had fun playing Rooster Run with the wacky barnyard atmosphere and commended the challenge in searching for specific details in each worm.[/box] Join your friends for some barn house mayhem! Rooster Run is a twist of a memory game where you are a strapping young rooster ready to peck your way to that dear hen’s prize worm and win her heart. Flip over earth tiles to find the perfect dinner. First one to find their worms cries “Cock-a-doodle-doo” and ends the round. But don’t be too hasty! If you call out too soon without your prize worm, prepare for heartbreak and lose your dinner! Rooster Run is a thrilling real time race where children can practice skills in memory and focus while having fun with family and friends.
Ages 8 and Up | 2 – 10 Players
Sold Out!
[box]Players commended this card game’s unique and energetic style of play and how perfect it is for sleepover parties![/box] Scour an imaginary store as you and your friends race to complete your shopping lists in this super sale scramble! Sold Out! is a fast pace card game where you and your friends literally get up and race to find your items. Each player is given a shopping list to memorize before dashing around the room, looking through piles of cards representing clothes racks. Sold Out! is a unique get-up-and-go card game perfect for birthday parties and sleepovers! Children will love exploring their space and running around in this energetic race to finish their lists before the store is Sold Out!
Visit Toys On The Square at 22 E Main Street, Hummelstown, PA 17036
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Blue Orange would like to show their love and appreciation to the February 2016 Store of the Month—Toys On The Square in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania! Congratulations to Steve, Grafton, and your team for your dedication to selling and playing the Blue Orange games.
Toys On The Square has been selling toys for over 25 years and has been buying games from Blue Orange since 2003. The store also doubles as a pottery painting studio to further inspire creativity in their customers. However, one of their greatest marvels is their toy selection. One might say that they have all the warmth and customer care of a family owned business while maintaining a vast arrangement of toys one would find in a larger company. Customers are known to walk in the store and gawk at the grand supply and variation of toys that stock their shelves.
Toys On The Square did a fantastic job in our Christmas Display Contest!
I had the pleasure of talking to Steve about his experience working at Toys On The Square. Grafton, Steve’s friend and Toys On The Square store owner, first hired Steve to work at Toys On The Square. Ten years later, he asked Steve to help him manage sales. Since his promotion, Steve has been meeting up up with our sales interns to test our games for the Toys On The Square shelves. He admires the Blue Orange Team’s way of meeting with the store owners in person and showing them how to play the games they are selling. Steve makes sure to also play the game with his customers so they know that they will enjoy what their buying.
Needless to say, Steve is an enthusiastic “game guru” who loves to throw out the manual after the first read and put his own twist on the game. His favorite Blue Orange games are Spot It! and Fastrack. He’s so good at Fastrack that he beat our previous sales intern, Max, at the game. Steve makes sure to know every game on the shelf. In fact, if he doesn’t know a game, he will break open the box and play it with a customer right there!
Meet the staff!
The best advice Steve can give to future toy store owners is to keep a wide variety of toys for all age groups. “You almost need a little bit of everything to be successful,” he said. However, he does understand the value of catching a child’s attention at a young age, before they get sucked into the technological tidal wave of the modern age. He believes that playing a physical board game gives “a broader range of experience” than just playing something on your phone. Rather than just tapping a screen, the player has to engage their senses and use their motor coordination while fully communicating with their opponent. Therefore, it’s important to show young children the value of a good physical game, so they can best develop those skills and facilitate human connection.
It is little wonder why Toys On The Square won February’s Store of the Month! Check out their site here or drop by their store in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. Congratulations again to Toys On The Square! Your dedication to Blue Orange and your customers is undeniable! We wish you the best of success in the future years to come!
