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March 2006 | Vol. V - No. 3

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Retailers Give Buying Strategies via Video

Integrity and "Guts" Help Choose the Right Toys

By: Alison Marek
Mar 8, 2006

Trade shows can be overwhelming, but a retailer with a plan can emerge from the chaos with the best products for her particular store. At the ASTRA Party With the Stars event at FAO Schwarz, held in conjunction with Toy Fair 2006, specialty retailers spoke with TDmonthly Magazine about strategies for stocking toy shelves.

FAO Schwarz CEO, Ed Schmults, talks about the role of mass merchandise in a specialty retail toy store.
Michael Ziegenhagen, 14-year owner of four stores called Playmatters, discusses the importance of using trade organizations as a means of learning and sharing information.
Michelle Deutschmann, owner of 2-year-old Kaleidoscope Toys, gives advice on scouring the aisles.
Idanna Smith, owner for 20 years of Juggles, touches on the need for "integrity" when deciding whether a toy is right for a store or not.
Long-term owner of Fundamentally Toys, Debbie Scholl, analyzes "hot" products and how to avoid getting hooked by the hype.

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Alison MarekWriter's Bio: ALISON MAREK is an award-winning writer, director and cartoonist whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks, and viewed worldwide in film festivals. See her short films and print work on www.alisonmarek.com. Watch her nefarious villains in the web series www.MuggsMovers.com. Get inspired by her cartoons "Daily ARFFirmations to Unleash Your Inner Fido" at www.ARFFirmations.com. Phew! And then ...  Read more articles by this author


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