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New Year, New Owner
But she has a familiar face
by Mary Sisson
After nearly 14 years as owners of Kazoodles, Bob and I are heading into retirement. But you can expect the Kazoodles mission of well-chosen, quality toys, customer service, and help from toy experts to continue.
That's because the new owner is a familiar face to anyone who's shopped at Kazoodles the last six years — our manager, Leah, Pickering.
Leah came to us with a background in retail management at Fred Meyer, and also a lot of experience and understanding of special needs. She home schools her son, Ike, who now works at Kazoodles, too. She leads Crafternoon each week and has a wonderful rapport with kids and parents alike.
Leah went early to the last American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) convention to take the Certified Play Expert course. She also was part of a panel on store management. She's worked closely with our sales reps and has made connections within the specialty toy industry, all of which will help make this transition as seamless as possible.
We've always said we hope Kazoodles will be around for a long, long time. We know that our "baby" is in good hands with Leah. (See below for memories.)
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Bob and Mary, heading to retirement
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Leah, ready to take on the store
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Winter Clearance Sale
Typically, after the holidays we end up with onesies and twosies of things, or seasonal items we'd rather not store. Here's your chance to score some bargains!
January 17-19 will be our Winter Clearance Sale to make room for all the great new toys we'll find at the Seattle Gift Show and from our sales reps.
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Crafternoon — Drop in Wednesdays between 3 and 5 p.m. $2
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Jan. 8: Snowman directed drawing
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Jan. 15: Snowy owl painting
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Jan. 22: Chinese New Year, Year of the Rat
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Jan. 29: Football in a box
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Financial Fitness for Kids
iQ Credit Union returns Feb. 8 with their excellent workshop to teach kids how to manage their money. Here's the schedule:
12:30-1:30 p.m.: Grades K-2
Noon-12:30: Free pizza party!
12:30-1:30 p.m.: Grades 3-6
New this time: We'll have some really fun money-related games in a separate part of the store, so kids can test their knowledge, and while some kids are in their workshops, siblings in the other age group can play the games.
Please pre-register here.
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Kazoodles turns 14!
Join us March 7 for a full day of fun, pirzes, games, and did we say fun? And prizes?
It's Kazoodles' 14th birthday party, and we're throwing it in honor of you, our customers. The theme is Art-y Party, so be prepared to get creative!
At this point, plans are still being made. One thing is for certain: Double Play Perks all day!
Coming in February: Assistance League Book Drive!
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Thanks for the memories!
Bob and I were driving up I-5 in December 2004, discussing how we needed to get to Toy Bear in Gresham to buy gifts for our grandchildren. "Too bad Vancouver doesn't have a toy store." "We could open one!" And with those words, the ideas poured out. We knew nothing about running a business, but we were willing to learn. Our daughter Sunny was in art college at the time. She suggested the name and designed our logo. We started visiting toy stores — more than 30 across the country — and talking to any toy store owner who was willing. We hooked up with a SCORE counselor and joined ASTRA. We met with sales reps around our dining room table and set up a receiving station in the family room with storage in the garage.
On March 1, 2006, Kazoodles opened its doors in a brand new space just west of Esther Short Park. We offered story times and activities on the patio behind the store. We became a regular stop for many families after the Vancouver Farmers Market.
Four years later we opened a second store in Cascade Park. After a year of two stores, we realized we were better suited to one store, and closed the one downtown. March will mark 10 years in the spot we're in now.
Some things we'll never forget...
• The time a little boy explored every toy in the store, then climbed into a box we'd just emptied and had the time of his life.
• The first time a mom told us that her child's first words that day were "I want to go to Kazoodles!"
• The time Jacob, about 5, kept asking how to play different games and I didn't know. I finally told him, "Jacob, my kids are grown and my husband works nights, so when I go home I don't have anyone to play with." His wisdom: "Miss Mary, you need to make some friends!" (Jacob came to work for us this holiday season.)
• The time when the sign had just gone up on our soon-to-be Cascade Park store, and a mom reported that her 4-year-old had said, "What's Kazoodles doing over here?"
• The day in late December when a mom called in a panic — out of the blue, her son had just told Santa he wanted an aircraft carrier. we were able to find one and get it here in time.
• Our customers. We have become friends with so many of our customers. We've watched kids grow up. We've heard family stories, laughed and cried with people who share their lives with us, and seen the incredible generosity of customers who shop for kids they don't even know through a toy drive or shoebox project. We've witnessed some fantastic parenting. We've seen the excitement of children with a gift certificate in hand. We've watched kids learn to shop for a friend or sibling while tempted by toys they'd like themselves.
• Our community. Vancouver has some hard-working, committed small business owners who get a vision and bring it to reality, enriching our community with their unique offerings (not to mention keeping your shopping dollars local). We've made friends with some incredible people in local businesses and nonprofits.
• Our employees. From our first employee and manager, April Chambers, to our current crew, we've gotten to know some amazing people who share our passion for healthy play. Each one has brought unique gifts to the store, and we've learned from every employee from high school age to grandparent age.
• The people in the toy industry. We'd only had our store two months when I took on editing the national magazine of ASTRA, our toy association. In 12 years as editor I got to interview people in the industry all over the country, and at our toy shows we made friends with vendors, sales reps and toy store owners alike. This is a fun and passionate group of people!
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10% OFF One Item
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Offer for all regular priced items only. Limited to one item per customer.
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Kazoodles
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Hours
Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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We're all about kid-powered toys at Kazoodles. We seek out toys, books and games that engage kids' brains, muscles, imaginations and creativity. If a toy grows with a child or lasts through several kids, that's value. Our toys range for kids from birth to 108 — classic and innovative, with quality and safety as top priorities. Lots of special events, plus play areas around the store, beckon kids to come and play. Local and independent! |
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