March 2013 | Vol. XII - No. 3
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March 2013 | Vol. XII - No. 3
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| March 2013 | Vol. XII - No. 3 | |||||
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Children's World Grabs Public Eye With TDmonthly GiveawaysLocal Media Followed Their Moves Through Schools and Charities"We gave out packages of toys to a dozen schools and charities and the response has been amazing"
— Tim Holliday, Children's World Tim and Cynthia Holliday of Children's World in Sarasota Florida used their considerable expertise in publicity and marketing to capitalize on winning TDmonthly's 2012: A Year of Charity promotion.  Customer Won, Too "We involved the public, by giving them a chance to win a small selection of the toys, and get to name their favorite school or charity that we will donate a matching set to," explained Tim. Their local news station, SNN, covered both the TDmonthly win and the in-store drawing. Video that aired showed the tempting charity end-cap (see Figure 2) several times, with products by Moonjar, Douglas Cuddle Company, Safari Ltd. and Schoenhut Piano Company clearly visible.  "It's a charity that has no paid employees, and runs on volunteers to help fellow mothers," explained Tim. "Last year, they helped 2,700 families, representing 6,700 children."  Schools and Charities Are Thrilled Because Tim and Cynthia sell school uniforms as well as toys at Children's World, they donated a good portion of the educational items, such as the Conversation Starters, Moonjars, Safari Ltd. figurines and Schoenhut Piano Company instruments to local schools. It was a wonderful way, too, of extending publicity for the store and the manufacturers past the charity-crammed holiday season and into the next school term.  "Another school is planning on sharing the Conversation Starters, Moonjars and Safari Ltd. creatures between classes, and having students discuss and possibly even write about them."   The more than 200 toys and instruments have been distributed to all of the charities and schools, but the publicity keeps on coming, said Tim. Their local CBS station filmed the kids in the charities playing with donated toys. "We have a minute and a half as the featured story on the 'Making A Difference' segment of the 6PM news Friday [February 28]," concluded Tim. See the video here  And stay tuned for another Charity event – this one to help manufacturers before the ASTRA Marketplace and specialty toy stores before summer. This is a labor and resource-intensive program so we can manage no more than 10 manufacturers and four stores. If YOU want to be the next charity recipient, write to Alison@toydirectory.com and tell me WHY. Include when your store was founded, how many events you hold per year, how many of those are covered by the media, and what kinds of charities would benefit from the donors’ generosity. Good luck! The contest ends March 28.  Here are the amazing toys that Schoenhut Piano Company, Douglas Cuddle Toy, Safari Ltd. and Moonjar donated to brighten the lives of Sarasota’s needy kids: Our action packed swashbucklers will delight the imagination of any young matey. Sculpted by a leading American character sculptor, our pirates are so life-like that they will transport kids back to the days of pirate ships and sunken treasures. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 35619 (added 11/29/2012) . In celebration of our tenth anniversary, Moonjar has created a brand new Moneybox with a global twist. Each metallic section is wrapped in the words, "Save, Spend and Share" in languages from around the world. The boxes are gold, silver and copper colors to appeal to the tween set as well as their parents. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 35214 (added 10/5/2012) . Little rock star swill take center stage playing Schoenhut's “next generation” guitar. Schoenhut's innovative design incorporating a molded composite body with dual curves greatly enhances sound and durability. The birch soundboard which offers excellent tone and resonance, hardwood neck (for rigidity), and molded composite fretboard ensure proper height and spacing of the frets. Six steel strings permit a wide range of rich sounds. Available in several vibrant designs. Includes: Pick and Extra String. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 33480 (added 1/19/2012) . CONVERSATIONS to GO- the game that has everyone talking TRAVEL by MOONJAR Other products from MOONJAR
 This "to-go" box is one of our Conversation to Go options – there are three total. This box is filled with 100 unique conversation starters about Vacation and travel. It’s not about where you have been, it’s about where you are going with this conversation game. It will bring you to places you never dreamed of. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 7947 (added 5/23/2006) . Schoenhut® Twinkle Tunes by SCHOENHUT PIANO COMPANY Other products from SCHOENHUT PIANO COMPANY
 Twinkle Tunes features a 1-octave (8-note) keyboard that electronically produces lovely piano sounds, complete with a beautifully illustrated songbook containing a collection of 12 familiar tunes. Easily portable for young children, this unique toy provides hours of musical fun. Battery included. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 33481 (added 1/19/2012) . Schoenhut's Thumb Pianos are sure to be a hit with the young set. These percussion instruments, also known as Marimbas, emit warm, resonant tones by striking the ends of the tines with your thumbs. Simple tunes are easily tapped out, with unlimited possibilities for creating complex melodies. The new design incorporates a durable molded composite back, resulting in enhanced sound and durability. Easily portable and fun to play, a Schoenhut Thumb Piano is the perfect choice for encouraging children to enjoy music. Available in several vibrant designs. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 33478 (added 1/19/2012) . MSRP: $10.99 Age Range: 3 and up Gender: Boys And Girls
Our keepers are more than just "cleaner-uppers". They show nurturing in action. Each replica is finely hand painted and accurate down to the last detail. Educational information in five languages is included with each replica. All our products are phthalate-free and thoroughly safety tested to safeguard your child's health. Safari Ltd.® takes pride in providing breathtaking, innovative and value priced figures for now over three generations. Featured is our Safari Ltd.® People Joe & Aussie Zookeeper. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 35621 (added 11/29/2012) . MSRP: $4.19 Age Range: 3 and up Gender: Boys And Girls
Extra large, soft, playful, true-to-life vinyl replicas of some of the most amazing creatures in the world. Excellent learning tool to introduce young children to our delicate and often endangered inhabitants of our planet. A fun way to spark the innate curiosity of a child. Each replica is finely hand painted and accurate down to the last detail. Educational information in five languages is included with each replica. All our products are phthalate-free and thoroughly safety tested to safeguard children's health. ToyDirectory Product ID#: 35620 (added 11/29/2012) .
Catalog Request Form  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 won awards in festivals around the world and have been broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks. Her new web series, "Mugg's Movers," was sponsored by FlatRate Moving Systems LLC and was selected for an NYU webseries showcase at writerslabwest.org/webshowcase. Alison is also the writer of the 2011 Emmy-nominated PSA "Tell Someone," for the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. Read more articles by this author | |
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