Carolyn from EarlyWhirly helps you through the minefield of Christmas shopping & giving for Toys!

1 ) Don’t leave it late! If you want the best selection and prices get shopping as soon as possible.  Retailers and manufacturers are being more careful than ever with stock levels and the most popular items will sell out quickly.

2 ) always get toys that need assembly, such as dolls houses, bikes etc out of the box and build them before the big day.  Now is the time to find any faults or missing pieces!
3 ) Consider the actual play value you are getting for your money, what does the toy actually offer and how long will it last?  Will your child learn anything; will it hold their attention and spark their imagination?

4 ) Many plastic boxed toys are held in their packaging with what we call ‘fiddly bits’ so it’s a good idea to get them opened and all these little bits removed and then put them back in their pack, a great chance to get any batteries installed too!
5 ) If shopping online, consider having large items delivered to a friend or relative as most retailers do not conceal the details on large products and could spoil the surprise.
6 ) For expensive items it is always worth asking independent retailers ahead of the big day if you can secure an item with a deposit and pay it off weekly or monthly to spread the cost in time for Christmas delivery.  EarlyWhirly is happy to do this and I am sure others will too.
7 ) Bear in mind that licensed toys from films & TV have to pay to use that character or brand, you may find the same toy unlicensed much cheaper. You may be paying more for the license than the toy, so always check what quality you are getting for your money.
8 ) Don’t be embarrassed to let friends & relatives know what your children actually want, most people prefer to buy something really wanted rather than guessing! If you’re the relative buying for children, do ask what they would like, parents generally appreciate being asked.
9 ) If you are buying something that has lots of accessories, friends & family can add to this to really bring the toy to life.  For example a shop play set could be added to in many ways with food accessories, shopping basket, costume, till etc., play kitchens, dolls houses, train sets and bikes are other great examples of building around their main present with other presents & stocking fillers.
 10 ) Consider the possibilities for other children in the family and friends to play together.  A toy that can be played with by one child or by many at the same time often provides great value for money.  This also applies to toys that can be used both indoors & outdoors – the more it is played with the better value for money you are getting!
11 ) Save time, money and the environment when wrapping large presents – a sheet or blanket placed over a large toy works a treat, use a few layers to make it even more exciting and festoon the whole thing with tinsel, ribbon and even some fairy lights!

12 ) Don’t forget that toys which last have a second-hand value! If you are going to spend your hard earned cash on a fabulous present, think whether it will stand the test of time and get you some money back in a few years time. There are superb ways to sell good quality used toys including places such as Ebay, local papers and boot sales.

Content © C J Strand Ltd 2011

Business over the past couple of weeks has been fantastic, we’ve been really busy.  This is usually a really quiet time for us, when I usually focus on the marketing side of things, but this year I have just had no time.  I think it is because we’ve had some new suppliers on the garden and outdoor from, and we’ve just hit the right price points with them.  Easter and Royal Wedding has maybe had an effect in terms of people getting together and having more parties outside in the nice weather.  Because of this, they look to get more outdoor and garden products.  We don’t have any specific easter or royal wedding merchandise.

The Weather has contributed in a mjor way.  As we have an online presence, it usually drops a little bit because people are outside, but people seem to be going on and ordering in the evening, so we have a big list of orders in the morning.

Pre-school is very important to us, and under-pins what we do really.  We market ourselves as a pre-school place to shop.  We are at the quality end of the market, with Pin-Toys performing well.  We sekk the kind of things that nurseries and play-school buy, so parents see and want these kind of things at home.

We’re not going to Toymaster, we never do.  We don’t tend to sell things from the companies there.  We, as a shop are unlikely to sell anything that say Argos would sell for example, as we simply wouldn’t be able to compete.  If we sold things that you could get in most retailers, then we simply wouldn’t have a business.  We sell high-end specialised products.

Carolyn was talking to Kris Pace

Toy retailers were asked in an independent survey how they felt about such situations – rating from ‘I like it’ through to ‘I totally disagree with it’.

Carolyn contributed her thoughts:

I totally disagree with it.

I really have a problem getting my head around why a wholesale or distribution business would go down the retail route.  Naturally, being a retailer I am not going to like the idea to start with, but even looking objectively it just doesn’t make good business sense to me.  If you have a business geared up for importing, dispatching large orders and all your backoffice operations set up for it, why on earth start dealing with small orders, returns, dealing with the public and everything that goes with a retail business?  I would have though that if a supplier can organise themselves to deal with small orders, they would do better to use that capability to expand their core business, perhaps bringing on board smaller toy retailers, maybe less specific retailers or offering drop-shipping to their existing customer base allowing businesses to expand their range.  On top of this there is a misconception that selling online is easy, it’s not if you are doing it properly.  A retail website shouldn’t be entered into lightly as they require a whole host of resources, expertise and costs which may not already exist within an organisation.  Get it wrong and you could bring your entire brand to its knees, especially if you are not able to provide the level of service and attention the public demands.

See the full feature on P30-P31 of Toys N Playthings June 2010 Issue

Tradeshows are great for seeing everything that’s out there, meeting up with suppliers and generally doing business but I feel many of the big names view it as an exercise in branding.  They can be dismissive and even downright rude if you are not from the press or a buyer for a very large organisation.  Many never follow up enquiries, so the only reason they can be there is for their brand to be seen and not to actually network and do business.  If it is not possible for vendors to attend all the big shows, I would like to see more toy and toy-related business at toy specific shows such as Toy Fair, rather than the all encompassing ones like Spring Fair and Autumn Fair.

As published on P32 in Toys & Playthings May 2010 Issue – See the full issue here

WOW TOYS

There are so many great things about the WOW Toys range!  They are a fine example of great British design, incorporating superb play value features that children love and play with for years.  A huge bonus is that NO BATTERIES ARE REQUIRED.  WOW Toys are extremely durable and made from hygenic NON-PVC plastic.  Different sets and individual toys can interact together, there are no small parts and the range covers themes from racing and farming to rescue and holidays. Always innovative, with development of key learning skills incorporated in every toy, WOW Toys represent great value for money. From single toys such as Stanley the Sweeper, through to favourites such as Flip n Tip Fred and comprehensive play sets such as Robins Medical Resuce, WOW toys are always packed with imaginative & innovate play features.

See our complete WOW Toys Range Here

KidKraft

 KidKraft is one of the leading manufacturers of wooden toys and room accessories in the United States, and the opening of its first European offices signals another step in the company’s constant growth. Earlywhirly is delighted to partner with KidKraft Europe to now allow more families across the globe to discover the quality & design of some of their biggest bestsellers.  KidKraft offer a wide range of wooden kitchens, pretend play sets such as their Deluxe Garage, Firestation, Explorers Submarine and Explorers Space Rocket, and some great value wooden railway sets.  This range is further complemented by their children friendly furniture, play tables and storage solutions.

See our new complete KidKraft Range of Wooden Toys Here

So why not stop by www.earlywhirly.com and check out these love products!

 Melissa & Doug products are the latest addition to our range of quality toys.

 In the USA, twenty years ago, Melissa & Doug started their company in the garage of the home where Doug grew up — they had to be careful not to disturb Doug’s parents who were still living there! Thanks to their customers support, they’ve been able to move into a real office down the road, a building that actually has separate ladies and men’s bathrooms! Their philosophy has remained the same over the years–to make each and every customer a happy and permanent member of the Melissa & Doug family, while offering products with tremendous value, quality and design. They’ve always welcomed customer suggestions, and continually strive to make improvements to Melissa & Doug products. Their approach is so close to our own we just had to include their products in Earlywhirly!

TRAVIS DESIGNS FANCY DRESS

We looked at literally hundreds of childrens costumes before choosing Travis Designs to work with. Their costumes have the highest quality finish which lasts and stands up to plenty of parties, wearing and washing. The designs are devine and so good that many of the costumes can just as easily be used for formal occasions such as weddings as they can for parties and dancing.

All their outfits can be machine washed, come in a good variety of sizes and with the new additions to their range this year, they offer a wide range of tasteful, fun, quality fancy dress costumes for boys & girls alike.  So that we are able to offer their entire range of costumes and accessories, all Travis Designs costumes are sent to our customers direct from their head office in Hemel Hempstead, UK.

All Earlywhirly products have been selected for exceptional high quality, innovation and what we like to call playability.  Playability is what we call products that stand up to the rigours of being played with time and time again without fading, falling apart or looking old before their time!  You may find cheaper versions or similar products, but not of the same high quality.  We aim to keep our prices as low as possible and we believe we offer the best value – highest quality at the lowest price around.

 About some of our Product Suppliers & Manufacturers

 STEP2

 Step2 is Americas largest toddler toy manufacturer of high quality plastic products. Thomas G. Murdough, Jr., the founder and former president (1969-1989) of The Little Tikes Company founded Step2®. He launched Step2® on a basic philosophy of quality, value and service backed by a commitment to customer satisfaction. Step2® strives to go A Step Beyond in the quest to become the leader in developing innovative products for the family and home

All Step2 products come to us from the USA where they are manufactured to the highest standards.  All the main bodies of their products are made using rotational molding, a process that founder Tom Murdough pioneered for use in the consumer products market. Step2 is ranked #1 as the largest rotational molder of plastics in the world.   All the plastics used have a high content of UV stabilisers which prevent fading often found with lower quality products, allowing the colours to remain clear and bright year after year.

 With a high Playability factor, Step2 products are of very high quality and will stand up to whatever is thrown at them.  Cleaning and maintenance needs are minimal and you don’t need a degree to put them together.  From a safety point of view, all Step2 products available from Earlywhirly meet European Standard EN71 for outdoor play equipment.

 In the products themselves you will find that special attention has been put into creative and imaginative play, skills development and encouragement for social interaction.  Every product has those little extras not found elsewhere, such as solid floors in many of the play houses, play food and utensils with the kitchens and storage compartments in the buggies and wagons.

 SANTOYS

 Our Santoys products are made in Thailand by Santa Factory Co Ltd, one of the largest and longest established wood toy manufacturers in Thailand.  All products adhere to European standard EN71 and are made from rubber woods which no longer provide latex.  Santoys use the wood from non-productive trees that need to be cleared to make way for new plantations. This provides a high quality, durable, safe and renewable wood.  Santoys is positioned at the high-end of wooden toy manufacture for quality and innovation along with traditional play themes.

 BIGJIGS

 We particularly chose Bigjigs for their excellent wooden railway products. There are many different wooden railway suppliers, but as ever we were looking for top quality imaginative play at a reasonable price.  All Bigjigs rail tracks, trains and accessories are compatible with other leading brands, including Brio and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.  The range includes everything for your wooden railway – from single engines (even a battery powered one) and a huge range of accessories through to complete sets, some in their own wooden storage boxes.  As their name suggests, we also stock selected Bigjigs wooden puzzles and other wooden toys.

 PINTOY

 The PINTOY® brand covers a wide range of products for children and families, including toys, baby products, children’s games, gift items and children’s furniture. Designed to combine beauty, educational value, enjoyment, safety, functionality and durability, PINTOY® toys are tested against the European toy safety standard EN71 to ensure physical and mechanical safety, and freedom from hazardous lead and heavy metal migration.

 PINTOY® products are manufactured in Thailand using rubberwood from latex plantations. The trees are cut for replanting when they no longer produce enough latex, then the wood is recovered as a by-product. Studies show that rubber plantations can be as efficient as natural forest in removing carbon-dioxide from the air, by converting it into rubber latex, soil and wood – making rubberwood an environmentally friendly choice.

It is usually when a child is around 4 years old when parents start to get their little ones onto two wheels.  This invariably involves stabilisers and then hours in the park for parents running behind holding the back of the bike hoping beyond hope that their pride and joy will not fall off.

A common mistake is buying a bike that is too big for the child under the misconception that once the stabilisers are gone, they will have grown into it.  The overall skill required to successfully and safely ride a bike is that of balance and for this, the child must be able to put their feet flat on the ground.

So, what if there was a way to get your child started early, safely developing and achieving their balance around 2-3 years of age?

Well there is such a way, and we have tried and tested it!  The answer is balance bikes - simple bikes without pedals which children propel along with their feet.  Previously only available at around £100 each, we are now able to offer a range of top quality wooden balance bikes at less than half that price.

Having researched the products available on the market, we found that the most important factors when selecting a balance bike are:

Adjustable, padded seat.

Good grippy hand grips

Inflated tyres for comfort

Meets UK/European Safety Standards

Our toddler loves his balance bike  and we have had so many ‘wow look at him’, comments that we felt we had to include balance bikes in our range.   At two and a half our little man is zipping along, balancing, steering, stopping and starting all on his own.  His four year old cousin has just progressed from her balance bike to a pedal bike, hurtling along with no stabilisers!

Children find these bikes very easy to ride and their confidence builds very quickly. As they can always use their feet to power along, balance and stop, they do not develop a fear of falling off.

As with all bikes, protective headwear should be worn.   Before you know it, you will find you are taking your little ones balance bike everywhere (they fit easily into most car boots or hatch-backs)!

We researched the market fully, looking for the right products at the right price (as we do with everything we sell).  So far we have selected balance bikes from John Crane - my first bike and Kidcool by Gelert – both very reliable and well reknown quality toy and leisure specialists.  All our bikes meet the necessary safety standards.  Unlike some balance bikes available, all ours have adjustable padded seats, easy handlebar grips and pneumatic tyres for a comfortable ride.

The other great news about our bikes is that they are so durable and sought after that once your child has mastered their balance and is off on a pedal bike, you should have no problem selling it second hand, recouping a good proportion of the purchase price.

There is not one time we have been out with our Son on his balance bike that he hasn’t turned heads or people have stopped to ask us about the bike!

So, the answer to stress-free two wheeling for your children is here and affordable, a great way to get your kids active outdoors and developing their balance and riding skills from an early age!

Based in Littlehampton in sunny West Sussex, they provide toys and playtime purchasing services to organisations and individuals within the UK and Europe.  As parents themselves, the people at Earlywhirly know only too well what children can do to toys and how rapidly too many toys quickly fall apart or wear out.

Earlywhirly sells carefully selected toys that will endure being played with everyday, developing skills and imagination that will last from one child to the next.  Offering a mix of suppliers including Step2, Pintoy, BigJigs, Alex, Santoys and Travis Designs, customers do not pay extra for licensed products that make their way to the back of the toy box once a particular character is no longer in favour.

Covering some great categories, this Littlehampton toy shop offers wooden railways, travel games, musical toys, fancy dress, science toys and much more! Every item is accompanied with a well detailed description – and many of the images can be enlarged for extra detail. All Earlywhirly customers can expect great customer service with a personal touch not found from many other internet shops or major chains.