Giddyup!
Toy horses never go out of style. You may remember little horse-and-rider combinations in the ’60s and ’70s, when shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” “Big Valley” and “The Wild Wild West” were popular. Even though television Westerns are no longer in style, children’s fascination with horses has held strong. In fact, this year at Toy Fair, the award for Girls Toy of the Year went to Playmobil’s Horse Farm. Read More
Building Support for Her Neighborhood Toy Stores
Katherine McHenry tasted retail success when she was only 10 years old. By buying candy in bulk and marking it up to retail, she could sell it to her cousins and siblings for a profit. Later, Katherine earned spending money in high school and put herself through college by working in retail.
“Young people are not necessarily encouraged to grow up to be retailers, and my degree is in accounting,” she told us. “But I realized I enjoyed retail more and I wanted to make a career out of it.”
In 1996 she opened Building Blocks Toy Store in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Last October, she opened a second location in Wicker Park. Katherine appreciates Chicagoland’s big city – but family friendly – atmosphere, and counts them as definite pluses for her toy business. Much of her success comes from her active role of each store’s community. Read More
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