Why Wood? It's Not Cheap and It's Not Modern

... manufacturers of quality wooden items have found a niche with the recycling, anti-plastic, anti-gas-guzzling crowd.

Wooden toys may not always fit mass market needs, but there is a niche of quality-seeking, nostalgic and environmentally friendly shoppers that search for unique pieces, especially when choosing a gift. Retailers would do well to join the hunt.

Quality counts, according to Dave Kessler, owner of Little Wonderland, a successful online retailer of wooden toys. “People are not always into plastic and batteries and bells and whistles. They want something that will last 40 years.”

Rosie Morris, store manager at Whiz Kids in San Luis Obispo, Calif., agrees that many of her customers are anti-plastic. “They are also drawn to items that remind them of their childhood, especially grandparents.” And Kessler concurs, “A lot of my customers are grandparents.”

Rob Wilson, director of marketing at Challenge & Fun Inc. (ToyShow), notes that specialty toy stores talk about the need to differentiate themselves, but they often don’t take the courageous steps to do that. “More and more we sell [wooden toys] into the specialty gift stores rather than toy stores.”

Mike Rainville, president of Maple Landmark Woodcraft (ToyDirectory), a successful manufacturer of American-made quality wooden toys, sees the same trends. “In general, we have devalued toys, where they are something to entertain or keep kids busy for a while rather than something of value to save.”

Quality wooden toys are giftable items for children and adults. At Bobbi’s Hallmark in Hanford, Calif., quality wooden nostalgic games from Front Porch Classics (ToyShow) were a relatively new item over the holidays. The baseball and pirate items were the only games in the store.

Rainville added, “Most toy stores won’t have much in nice wooden games. Stores with upscale clientele or a cross-section of customers carry the products.” Rainville conceded there is still junk in the wooden toy category. “People are looking for a nice set to have where they won’t lose all the pieces, something they can pull out for the family.”

Patrick Calello, CEO of Automoblox (ToyShow), purposely branded his product as an upscale, high-quality, heirloom toy. “And, wood is a logical foundation for that. We took the old fashioned wooden car and reinvented it, classic and modern.” Automoblox has the combination of giftable and collectible on its side. “We definitely market to parents and grandparents.”

Quality wooden toys make great gifts for adults and collectors as well as children. It’s about aesthetics for gift givers. The look and feel of well-made and often collectible wooden items appeals to the customers. Wilson reported, “Many times we sell to stores with a natural accent to their products.” Wilson and other manufacturers of quality wooden items have found a niche with the recycling, anti-plastic, anti-gas-guzzling crowd.

Whether parents or grandparents choose a wooden toy for the memories it generates for them, its aesthetic or its environmental friendliness merit, clearly they appreciate that it will last. Wood may not be the cheapest way to build a toy, but creative manufacturers are using technology to continue to bring unique, innovative items to the market for gift searchers.

The following wooden products sell well at specialty stores.