The Resilient Spirit of Play: Toy Companies Share Their Journeys

Grandpa Beck’s Games: From Pilot to Playmaker

For Brent Beck, known affectionately as “Chief Executive Grandpa,” the world of tabletop gaming began as a family adventure.

“In 2012, my wife and I took our first games to Toy Fair New York,” Beck recalls. “It has been a long, slow ride, as I was doing it as a side thing while I was an airline pilot—and now I’ve retired from that.”

Despite its humble beginnings, Grandpa Beck’s Games has blossomed into a beloved brand, selling over 3 million games in as many as 17 languages. Their products are produced by Fabryka Kart, a trusted factory in Kraków, Poland. “We tried U.S. production once,” Beck explains, “but it was just too expensive to be practical. They are a great partner, and we feel great helping out the economy and people of Poland.”

From family card games like Cover Your Assets to the fan-favorite Skull King, Grandpa Beck’s Games exemplifies how creativity and connection can transcend borders. As Beck puts it, “I applaud your efforts. Thank you.”

More about their games can be found at grandpabecksgames.com.

NJ Croce: Always Flexible, Always Fun

Few toy makers can claim to have bent as many characters—literally—as N.J. Croce Co. The company, founded by Nick Croce, has been producing bendable figures for decades, including classics like Gumby, Popeye, and Mr. Bill.

“Yes, I am the maker of your Gumbys and most likely, your Popeyes!” Croce laughs.

Croce’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. “To survive the Great Recession, the pandemic, and the tariff war of 2025, it’s been total Semper Gumby time—as the Marines say—always flexible!” he quips. “They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. True, but can I show off my scars?”

Through it all, Gumby has been “a true blue (green) friend” since 1983. Croce’s Jesus of Nazareth Bendable, introduced in 2012, reflects the company’s diverse portfolio and enduring respect for meaningful storytelling in toys. “Bendables are my first love,” Croce concludes, “and will continue to be so for as long as I am in the toy biz.”

Learn more at njcroce.com.

TENZI: Rolling Through Challenges

For Steve Mark, Executive Dice President at TENZI, timing was everything. “We started our business in 2012, so TENZI wasn’t around for the Great Recession,” he notes.

However, the company faced its own set of global challenges. During the pandemic, stay-at-home life unexpectedly boosted sales.

“Like most game companies, the global quarantine increased our business substantially,” Mark says. “We wish we hadn’t had to experience the awfulness of COVID, but the net result was: sales went up.”

Then came tariffs. “Yikes,” Mark admits. “Painful all the way around—from writing $95,000 checks to the U.S. Government to holding shipments in China due to threatened 135% tariffs.” TENZI ultimately found creative ways to cope—including writing a “tariff song” to release the tension. (You can watch it here.)

The company continues to embody playfulness and innovation, proving that even dice can tell a story when rolled with resilience.

Tot Talk: Learning at the Table

Sara Danzelaud’s journey to founding Tot Talk in 2006 began not in early childhood education, but in mechanical engineering and tech startups. After successfully selling her tech venture and having children, she shifted her focus, driven by a love of starting businesses and a desire to be involved in her kids' learning.

Danzelaud is a huge believer in education, noting that in an environment where both parents often work, products that foster discussion and attention at home are vital. Inspired by cultural themes (her husband is French), initial educational placemat designs—starting with basics like ABCs and Numbers—quickly expanded to cover a wide variety of themes.

“It takes a little kid a good three years to learn ABCs and then how to write,” Danzelaud explains, underscoring the need for quality. “Our products are the thickest and highest quality. They work with dry-erase markers, clean easily, and are long-lasting.”

From the start, the deliberate choice was made to manufacture entirely in the USA, a decision Danzelaud acknowledges was "HARD" due to the difficulty of finding the right manufacturer and competing with cheaper imports. While this commitment helped them weather some storms, cost increases hit substantially in recent years, driven by factors beyond tariffs, such as the rising price of lumber and paper products—a ripple effect of global sourcing shifts.

“We’ve experimented with AI-assisted product design,” Danzelaud says, “but we had valuable feedback from a wholesaler who preferred non-AI designs. It’s an emerging and fascinating topic.”

Learn more at tottalk.com.

The Enduring Power of Play

From the skies to the classroom, from clay to dice, these stories reflect a shared truth: play is more than a pastime—it’s a resilient force that adapts, evolves, and connects people across generations.

Just as PLAY ON! Will the Fun Survive? captures the creativity and grit behind toy-making, these creators remind us that the joy of play endures, no matter the challenges.