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October 2009 | Vol. VIII - No. 10

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Supplier of the Month: b. dazzle, inc.

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How a 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® Trumps Challenging Times

Scrambles Squares® Puzzles Offer Elegance and Economy

By Alison Marek
October 2009

On the prowl for a product that meets the needs of the times, TDmonthly Magazine and TOYDIRECTORY took a trip to Redondo Beach to visit Kathie and Marshall Gavin, founders of b. dazzle, inc. and makers of Scramble Squares® brain-teaser puzzles.

View the video of our fascinating and fun visit:

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The nine-piece Scramble Squares® puzzles retail for just under $10 and intrigue players of all ages and backgrounds with their deceptively simple design and original artwork. The concept of the puzzle is easy to grasp — line up three rows of three puzzle pieces each — but the number of possible non-solutions is so vast that players rarely discover the one pattern that will solve each puzzle. As Kathie put it, “The average time to solve a Scramble Squares® puzzle is 2-1/2 hours to never!”Because the solution seems intuitive and yet remains elusive, the Gavins designed an in-store display that challenges players to work out the correct pattern in five minutes or less. Those who win the 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® are rewarded with a free puzzle of their choice, and the sponsoring store receives a replacement puzzle of its choice from b. dazzle, inc.

View the video of the many varied 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® display options:

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The Gavins designed a number of different 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® displays to suit the varied needs of both large and small retailers, including those with limited or challenging space. Having a 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® display vastly increases the sales of Scramble Squares®, Marshall told TDmonthly, as players not only buy a puzzle for themselves to solve at home, but can’t resist choosing more puzzles for friends and family from the dozens of themed designs. The fact that Scramble Squares® are made in America is a big selling point, too, he added. As an extra bonus, the back of each package gives educational information on that puzzle’s theme.

Watch TDmonthly’s video of Kathie and Marshall describing what a Scramble Squares® puzzle is and how and the 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® works (first video, at top), and then see them demonstrate how some of their most popular 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® displays increase sales of Scramble Squares® (second video, above).

Finally, below are some of b. dazzle, inc.’s newest Scramble Squares®, for your viewing pleasure:

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Butterflies Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Watch the Butterflies Scramble Squares® Video
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Butterflies are beautiful and fascinating creatures, and the Butterflies Scramble Squares® puzzle is always among the most popular of the Scramble Squares® styles, enjoyed by men, women, children, adults and senior citizens. 2/27/2005 (Price: $8.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Symphony Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Watch the Symphony Scramble Squares® Video
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A surprise best seller, the Symphony Scramble Squares® has hit a responsive chord as a gift for children learning to play musical instruments and music lovers and concert goers of all ages. 2/27/2005 (Price: $8.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Tropical Fish Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Watch the Tropical Fish Scramble Squares® Video
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Always one of the very best selling Scramble Squares® puzzles in virtually every geographic region, the Tropical Fish Scramble Squares® puzzle beautifully portrays the ecology of the coral reef, gorgeous species of fish and exotic places in paradise. 9/1/2004 (Price: $8.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Chili Today, Hot Tamale Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Watch the Chili Today, Hot Tamale Scramble Squares® Video
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Scramble Squares puzzles look easy, but are difficult to solve. Players of all ages can play together or alone, challenging their brains to find the single pattern that will solve the puzzle. Interesting fact:
The spicy heat of chili peppers is measured in Scoville Units, an index developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. Scoville Units measure chili pepper heat in multiples of 100, with bell peppers at 0 and the habanero at over 300,000 Scoville Units. 9/8/2009 (Price: $9.95; Age: 4 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Puppies Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Watch the Puppies Scramble Squares® Video
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The adorable cocker spaniel, dalmation, german shepherd, and shar-pei puppies illustrated on the Puppies Scrambles Squares puzzle, make this puzzle among the most popular styles among children, as well as with adults! 2/27/2005 (Price: $8.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Outer Banks' Lighthouses Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Watch the Outer Banks' Lighthouses Scramble Squares® Video
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These little brain teaser puzzles are easy to play, but hard to solve. Each puzzle has nine 4"x 4" pieces with excellent artwork that will keep everyone in the family entertained. Scramble Square puzzles are easy to carry, beautifully produced and perfect for using at home or taking along on travel. Each of the 91 different puzzle packages includes a panel of fascinating facts, trivia questions and hidden answers. 9/8/2009 (Price: $9.95; Age: 4 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Vintage Airplanes Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

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This beautiful "Vintage Airplanes" 9-piece brain teaser puzzle, features the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Red Baron´s bi-plane from World War I and the famous B-17 of World War II. It is one of ten Scramble Squares® puzzles honored with Dr. Toy´s Smart Play/Smart Toys Award for 2004 from the Institute for Childhood Resources in San Francisco. Over 100 different styles of Scramble Squares® puzzles are available for collecting and for educational fun for young and old alike. 9/1/2004 (Price: $9.95; Age: 4 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

WASHINGTON, D.C. Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

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Discover details about the history of the United States´ capital through play while trying to solve this gorgeous "Washington D.C." Scramble Squares® 9-piece brain teaser puzzle. Among ten Scramble Squares® puzzles honored with Dr. Toy´s Smart Play/Smart Toys Award for 2004 from the Institute for Childhood Resources in San Francisco, this Scramble Squares® puzzle may be played either as a solitaire game or as a cooperative family activity that will keep everyone in the family constructively entertained for hours.
9/1/2004 (Price: $8.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Football Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Watch the Football Scramble Squares® Video
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Scramble Squares® are nine-piece puzzles that feature original art and only one solution. They're great for everyone from age 4 to 104. Interesting fact: Modern football had its start in the mid 1800s, when Webb Ellis of England’s Rugby School scored a goal in a game of English soccer football by picking up the ball and running it over the goal line in a desperate attempt to win the game before the school’s five o’clock curfew bell. From that day forward, English football divided into two distinct games: the “handling game,” rugby, where the ball could be advanced by carrying it, and the “dribbling game,” soccer, where the ball must be advanced by kicking it. 9/10/2009 (Price: $9.95; Age: 4 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Classic Cars Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Watch the Classic Cars Scramble Squares® Video
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These nine-piece puzzles are easy to play, but hard to solve. They feature original artwork, plus educational facts on the back of the travel-size package. Interesting fact: In 1964, the general manager of Pontiac, John DeLorean, created the first “muscle car” by approving the installation of 389 cubic inch, 6.3-liter engine in the Pontiac LeMans, adding the designation “GTO” that had been a name first used by Ferrari, Europe’s leading sports car company. 9/10/2009 (Price: $9.95; Age: 4 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Catalog Request Form

Read what more than 400 retailers have told TDmonthly about toys since 2005 in Toy-Store Owners Talk to TDmonthly.

Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is a writer/artist/filmmaker whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), among others. Her short films have played in festivals around the world and have been broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks. She recently completed a short comedy sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, titled "The Three-Body Solution." For the past four years, Alison has been documenting the specialty toy industry with a series of articles and videos for TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author

by Kay Steen, Wingdoodle LLC on October 12, 2009

Great idea. Could Wingdoodle have your catalog, please?

by Alison on October 27, 2009

I contacted b. dazzle on your behalf and a catalog is on its way. You can always use your INQUIRY BASKET to contact manufacturers for more info on TDmonthly!