From Playing ‘Store’ to Owning One: Tookie’s Toys

Growing up, Katherine Hodges favorite thing was to play “store” using her toy cash register. Her first job was working for a family owned specialty toy store when she was 15 years old. Katherine liked the store and the work so much she continued to work there through college and beyond. And in 2001, Katherine and her husband, John, bought the toy store and renamed it Tookie’s Toys after a nickname given to Katherine from her nephews. Clever Parents caught up with Katherine to learn more about how she selects the toys she sells, customer service and tips for non-parents who want to buy a toy for a child.

Clever Parents: How do you select the toys that you sell?

Katherine Hodges: The primary criteria I use in selecting toys are Quality and Play Value. Quality is pretty easy – is this a well made toy from a manufacturer that will stand behind their product?

Play Value is a little harder to measure – is the toy a good fit as a developmental tool for the child? We search for toys that encourage different types of play. These can be categorized by at least one of the following: active play, cooperative play, creative play, dramatic play, manipulative play and quiet play.

People often come into our store and ask for an “educational toy”. We believe all toys are educational! Every child learns through play. We know that play provides the foundation for basic life skills such as building relationships, cooperation, negotiation and compromise as well as providing opportunities for children to find out who they are and what they enjoy doing. Play offers an emotional outlet, develops the imagination and creativity, and cultivates problem-solving skills. And of course and above all, we pick toys that are FUN!

Clever Parents: Do you think parents ever waste money on toys? How can that be avoided?

Katherine Hodges: We often see customers who are seeking out the products with the most “bells and whistles” or the products they have seen on television and in magazines. Sometimes these products are good toys but other times - these products are simply the ones with the largest advertising budget or toys that have paid for an award or endorsement. However, when parents are making an investment in a toy that they will use to help their child develop important life skills, a bit of research and a trusted resource that knows and understands play can help make wise spending choices.

At Tookie’s Toys, we know and understand play and its importance in the development of children. We are here to help make those investments pay off for families. Many people shy away from specialty toy stores because they perceive them to be too expensive. In reality, when you factor in the quality of the products, their usefulness as a tool in the development of the child, and the resources available to help make the best selections, the toys sold at stores like ours are often better investments. On top of that, you get a level of customer service that you just can’t get in the big stores!

Clever Parents: What tips do you have for non-parents who are purchasing toys for children?

Katherine Hodges: Ask for help. Many non-parents (and parents) don’t realize that there are people who can help them select toys for the children in their lives. Also, the more information they know about the child – age, likes/dislikes, etc – the better we can help them.

Clever Parents: What tips do you have for grandparents when picking out toys for their grandchildren?

Katherine Hodges: Again, ask for help and know basic information about the children. Talk to the parents about types of things the children enjoy and any things that are off-limits (such as characters seen in television and videos, etc.) in their households. It is not uncommon for us to get the parents on the phone while the grandparents are shopping to get additional information and to make sure our selections will fit with their plans.

Visit Tookie’s Toys online at www.tookiestoys.com