Page 6 - 2015 Small Shops of Sonoma County Holiday Guide

WHY Buy from Locally- owned Toy Stores?
By Vesta Copestakes
The single most important reason to purchase toys from our locally-owned
toy stores has nothing to do with supporting our local economy. It has everything to do with nurturing our children. These stores are FAR superior to Big Box toy stores in MANY ways.
What each and every one has in common is that they exist to NURTURE children...not just entertain them. You won’t find aisles divided into boy toys filled with primary colors and trucks, monsters, war and machines. Girl aisles filled with pink and pastel clothes...dolls and doll houses, cooking kits, cheap jewelry and make-up.
In our small toy stores, girl and
boy toys are mixed together. They divide by category of play...games, art, learning, crafting, building, stuffed animals, puzzles, science, etc. They also divide by age group so you can go to the tiny kid section and know that there will be age-appropriate toys on up to big kid toys and games.
The best thing is to take kids with you. You won’t find them pulling
toys off shelves and dumping them into the aisles because these local toy stores have play areas. Shelves and aisles open up to a table with puzzles, a sitting area with books, a train set, building blocks, a rolling or bouncing toy that let’s kids ride around the store while you shop. You can test-drive some of these toys to see if there’s more than ten minutes of play before they lose interest.
Mixing learning and imagination
with play is a huge part of the toy
selection. Fantasy is encouraged.
Dress-up isn’t wrapped in a box that you can’t open to see what’s inside before you purchase it. Clothes and accessories are on hangers and shelves so you SEE
Kids come to play at The Toy Shop
what’s available, touch it to feel if it’s scratchy, check out the quality before you buy.
How much money have we spent buying a poorly made toy that kids break when we get it home. How often do we not take it back for a refund because it’s such a pain to do so? Our local toy stores sell quality goods. They don’t carry cheap stuff that falls apart because it’s not sensible
to do so. They don’t need customers returning goods, they need customers returning for more.
Inspiring imagination at Circle of Hands, Sebastopol
As a grandparent I have to consider not just what I want for my grandchildren, but also what my grand kids’
parents want for their children. Mom and Dad have rules I need to consider. In my case, the kids also live in a small house that can easily get cluttered with toys. If I’m going to buy it for their house, it had better be good. And if I’m going to buy it for my house for when they visit, I want it to be special.
6 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - SS-12/15
TOYS cont’d on page 7