Riding High on Ride-Ons

“We’ve always consistently done well with Kettler trikes. They just have a great product.” — Tricia Cooper, Le Jouet Inc.

First we learn to crawl. Then we learn to walk. Then we learn … to ride! Since the invention of the wheel (or at least since the invention of the cart; the obuli were little wooden wagons that date back to ancient Greece), children have ridden. But it’s the 21st century: What are kids riding on now? TDmonthly Magazine talked to manufacturers and retailers to find out: What’s driving the new ride-ons?

“Plasmart Inc.’s (ToyShow) PlasmaCar,” according to Kevin Hart, co-owner and buyer for the Toy Store in Atlanta. He explained, “We found it last year at Toy Fair, and we were one of the first in Georgia to bring it in.”

By fourth quarter, the product had received a bit of press which boosted demand. Sales shot up. “We were the only place to get it, so we saw a huge increase in sales. It just blew out during the holidays.” The PlasmaCar is a multiple award winning product, and many other retailers cited it as an excellent seller.

Kevin Hart’s newest top sellers are Kettler International Inc. (ToyShow) tricycles (also on last year’s TDmonthly Top 10 list). Michelle Duetschmann of Kaleidoscope Toy in Falmouth, Mass. and Idanna Smith, of Juggles in Wakefield, R.I., both found the sales from Kettler trikes and scooters to be strong, particularly the Navigator.

Tricia Cooper, buyer for Le Jouet Inc. in Metairie, La., explained, “We’ve always consistently done well with Kettler trikes. They just have a great product.”

Cooper mentioned that the Mason Corporation’s (ToyShow) Flying Turtles have also been a steady seller, and Terry Myers, owner of Kaleidoscope Toys in Round Rock, Texas, added that these are tops at her store. Dee Dee Culotta, owner of Victoria’s Toy Station in Baton Rouge, La., found similar results.

“They’re so unique that once I get a kid to try,” explained Donna Westwood, manager of Branch Toys in Salt Lake City, “they want one.”

Radio Flyer trikes and wagons (such as the Twist Trike) continue their long-standing rolling ways, as Betty Nobles, buyer for the Village Toy Shop in Hartford, Conn., and Jeanne Orland, store manager of the Purple Bear in Guilford, Conn., told TDmonthly.

Sol-Effect Enterprises’ (ToyDirectory) Zoom Scooter has recently come to the market, and looks to be a competitor in the ride-on market. Another new item is the Asphalt Scooter by Fuzion, which takes ride-on to a whole new speed and daredevil-may-care attitude.

Rolli Rider LLC’s (ToyShow) Rolli-Rider has been cited as being a top-seller for many retailers, as well as in the business section of the New York Times, and the president of the company, Noel Eberhardt has “had a lot of feedback from customers commending us for fabricating in the U.S. By the way, we've started exporting to Japan for retail sales there. They appreciate and want the handcrafted Made in USA product!”

International Playthings Light & Flight Airplane made many retailers’ best selling lists. Trish Garlock, owner of Treasured Child in La Grange, Ky., had this to say about it: “It’s one of our big sellers. A child can walk behind and push it, or ride inside. It has wings, and the propellers spin. It’s really cute.”

Schylling’s retro Speedster and fire engine ride-ons hearken back to yesteryear, and kids, as well as grandparents, seem to go for them. “I remember when I had something just like this growing up,” said Jeremy Robertson, owner of Oldies But Goodies in Boston, as well as a grandparent of seven.

Hans and Patricia Masing, owners of Brain Station in Ann Arbor, Mich., found Peg Pérego’s (ToyShow) John Deere Might Tuff Trax tricycle to be their top seller. Susan Sellers, buyer for Tree Top Kids in Washington, D.C., sells “a lot of the John Deere Gators — or any of the John Deere ride-ons.” Gladys Griffin, owner of the Main Street Toy Shop in Columbus, Ga., agrees about the Gators.

Whether fast or slow, two wheels, three wheels or four, ride-on toys are selling well. Right on, ride-on.