One really clever way to get people to your booth is to ask Donny Osmond to stop by. Another, cheaper way is to give away something delicious to eat. Toy Fair has a lot of walking, and when it’s time for a break, nobody really wants to spend baseball stadium prices for a hot dog and a beer. So here’s our little tribute to our very favorite food bribes, and the often interesting products we found because of them.
Now, all kidding aside, we didn’t just walk around blogging about people who gave us candy. It takes a lot more than that to buy our love! But we did have a soft spot for the guys that the CStar table.
At a fair where everything is buzzing, beeping, flashing or moving, a telescope makes for a lonely table. Sure, there’s not a person alive who can hate on telescopes, they’re just not something you consider until you’re in the market for one. We felt bad for the two lonely table guys, and we took two pieces of their candy. Not because we really wanted two pieces, but in hopes so they wouldn’t have to suffer the shame of actually having to take candy home. Stay strong, CStar guys. We all know telescopes rock.
We didn’t expect to see a tray of very fancy cupcakes on the lower floor of Toy Fair. We had the Hostess-style mini-cupcake with the white squiggle. Then we asked the team at The Little Green Money Machine to explain what exactly they had going on in their booth.
The concept really surprised us. The lead investor (we’d assume this to be Mom and Dad, most likely) buys a kit that includes a book on the secrets of running a business and a pre-made stand, which comes ready-to-assemble and includes some pre-made graphics, as well as a dry erase board in case what you have to sell isn’t on the list. Long-time readers will no doubt chastise us for not writing “rubber dog turd humidor” on the dry erase board, and we accept this blame fully. There was just never a good moment for us to get away with it.
The Little Green Money Machine really does cover all the bases, though. There’s a solar powered calculator built right into the booth, and let’s face it, buying a kit will always be easier than hammering together old lumber. Wouldn’t you really rather drop a couple bucks and spend all of Sunday on the couch while the kid earns his or her keep? It’ll build character!
But it was the mountain of donuts we found at the Zoobies booth that really won us over. The Zoobies are animal shaped pillow and blanket sets, and they go from snuggly toys to a comfy comfy bed.
We especially enjoyed the Very Hungry Caterpillar which turned into a lovely butterfly blanket. Nice touch, Zoobies.
So remember the lessons here, future Toy Fair booth holders. If you’ve got an interesting product AND something for people to eat, you’re a lock for our 2011 coverage. No, no. Don’t all of you fight over us at once. There’s plenty of room in our bellies for all of you!
If you stole our Toy Fair 2010 coverage to feed your families, we would not consider it a crime. But a certain policeman would, and he would vow to pursue you until the end of his days. So it’s best you just keep reading and don’t even chance it. We hear he’s very stubborn about that sort of thing.