"Calico Critters are still the favs among girls 9 to 12."

— Pat Selby, owner, Calico Cat Toys LLC, West Bainbridge Island, Wash., July 2006

www.calicocattoys.com

 

"Madame Alexander is always the best for collectible dolls for girls and adults."

— Daniel Janoska, manager, Talbot's Toyland, Seattle, Wash., November 2006

www.talbotstoyland.com

 

"I go to [Toy Fair] find new stuff. I love meeting inventors, trying to find good deals."

—Gini Wingard-Phillips, Math 'n' Stuff, Seattle, Wash., November 2006

 

"One [book] that's probably going to be good is the Personal Penguin by Workman. It ties in with Happy Feet. Workman does very well."

—Dan Willis, owner, Communique Toys, Seattle, Wash., December 2006

 

"I decided not to go to Toy Fair because it's so expensive and not geared to the specialty market."

—Jude Larene, owner, Izilla Toys, Seattle, Wash., November 2006

 

"A great part of it is believing that children with disabilities like to play … they just play with a toy a little differently than a normal child would."

—Joan Machlis, owner, Wind Up Here, Olympia, Wash., September 2005

 

"We're specialized. If it's something that I think might promote language or culture, or if it just looks interesting, I'll ask them if they have it in a language other than English. Lots of them say 'No.' For me, that makes it really simple."

—Becky Dolan, Magellan' s Toy Shop, Seattle, Wash., January 2007

 

""A new one out is a marble run by Hape. They call it Quadrilla. It's all wooden. It's good for a variety of ages. … It develops the creative side instead of just sitting in front of a television."

—Tara Friese, assistant manager, Tree Top Toys, Redmond, Wash., December 2006

 

"I sell best with Corolle Dolls. I just think they're wonderful, high quality. They smell like vanilla for the life of the dolls."

—Ann Walker, owner, Curious Kidstuff, Seattle, Wash., December 2006

 

"My No. 1 is the bead kits. They're huge. Bead Bazaar is my best-seller for girls that are into crafting and doing things like that."

—Christina Callan, owner, Interactive Toys, Crafts & More, Cle Elum, Wash., December 2006

 

"Naturally, Toy Fair in New York [is the trade show I attend]. That's the standard in the business. There's a good trade show in Pomona; those would probably be the two strongest toy shows, but we do go to the gift shows, specifically in L.A. and San Francicso."

—Valla Wagner, co-owner, Teaching Toys & Books, Tacoma, Wash., November 2006

 

"Neurosmith music blocks are always great."

—Breck Hewitt, co-owner, Dragon's Toy Box, Seattle, Wash., July 2006

 

"Playmobil probably does the best. It's just a well-made toy, and kids can play with it forever."

—Frances Finfrock, owner, Aunt Franny's Toys, Richland, Wash., December 2006

 

"Rattles from Manhattan Toy. They're colorful. The kids like them. Some of them play music. Some of them have a color scheme that involves primary colors. They're not pastels. They've won a lot of awards."

—Gerri Garniss, owner, Toys That Teach, Bothell, Wash., December 2006

 

"The Wee Wedgits from Imagibility are outstanding. They're very open ended, for any age. They can play with them, stack with them. … They're a pyramid shape and they're very easy to play with. You learn a lot of skills playing with them."

—Terri Soelter, owner, Teri's Toy Box, Edmonds, Wash., December 2006

 

"Rokenbok is a perennial favorite." 

—Kathie Dockstader, Top Ten Toys, Seattle, Wash., January 2007

www.toptentoys.com/

 

"We've got books about grandparents that are really cool — family-style books. There's one called 'The Gift of Being Grand.'"

—April Chambers, associate, Kazoodles, Vancouver, Wash., December 2006

www.kazoodlestoys.com