Hot Games, Cool Planet...

The first booth we visited this year at Toy Fair was the booth for Blue Orange Games. I was wearing my brand spanking new YoYo Joe's hat and the first thing someone at the booth said to me was, "I like your hat." I was flattered, as he obviously appreciated our wonderful logo. It took me a couple seconds to realize that our store colors are blue & orange and it was our colors he was referring to. C'est la vie.

Today, Bertrand, from Blue Orange games paid us a visit. Each year, someone from Blue Orange travels coast to coast - from San Francisco to Maine - visiting each of their retailers. It's hundreds of stores and takes them weeks, but I think it's a great idea as it gives them a chance to explain how to play any games that we don't know and also to address any questions we might have about their products. Plus, he dropped off an awesome Blue Orange games t-shirt (That's Bertrand wearing one above) and he also dropped off a HUGE Chickyboom game for us to demo. (That's the Chickyboom game demo below next to the actual size of the game.)

Blue Orange makes awesome games. Their games are made of wood, and built to last. They're also environmentally aware, having been awarded the 'Green Toy Company' award thanks to their policy to plant two trees for each tree they use in production of their toys. And, last but not least, their games ROCK!
As a matter of fact, four of their games will be in YoYo Joe's holiday catalog. Two of their newest games - Yamslam and Chickyboom as well as their advanced 'Shut the Box' game called 'Double Shutter' and their new twist on their old classic 'Gobblet Gobblers.'

Tell Me a Story...

Know what feeling I love? When I find an item I love, and our customers love it too! Sometimes, I find something that I think is awesome, and it doesn't sell very well. Other times, I have mixed feelings about something and it flies off the shelves. Every once in a while, it's the magic mix of finding something that's awesome, and it sells wonderfully.

That's the case for something I found at the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association (ASTRA) Show in June. At the eeBoo booth, I found something they'd introduced at Toy Fair in February, but I missed. The product is called Tell Me a Story Cards. They're 36 beautifully illustrated cards that revolve around a theme. All of the cards have illustrations, but no words. The words are up to the storyteller. String together a set of cards and tell a story. Great for helping children explore their imagination and creativity. Also great for parents who want to tell children a bedtime story and could use illustrations for their stories. Available in four different themes - Circus Animals Adventures, Fairytale Mix-Up, Mystery in the Forest and Little Robot's Mission. All are $9.99.

It's a win-win situation!