It happens very often. A customer (often an aunt or uncle) comes in and asks for an “educational toy for a 2-year-old.” My staff prefers it’s not me they ask, because they know this is one of my “buttons.” Depending on the length of my fuse, I may or may not spare them the lecture on why there is no such animal as an “educational” toy for a 2-year-old. But who wants a lecture? So I show them something that has the alphabet printed on it, or involves numbers …

I have been a member of ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) for six years now. There are many benefits of membership, as any convert will tell you. The one benefit that has saved my reputation time and time again is ASTRATRAXX. ASTRATRAXX is a program through ASTRA that enables toy stores to buy and sell products from each other, usually at cost plus shipping to fill those nagging customer requests. The manufacturer may be out of what you need, or you aren’t ready to place a full order, or …