Making It in The Toy Industry | Start A Toy Business – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Is it time to stop manufacturing overseas? Or are these tariffs just temporary chaos?

In this episode we're talking about the massive new tariffs shaking up the toy industry and what they mean for your bottom line. With import costs from China jumping up to 54% April 2nd, and a potential 104% threat looming over the horizon, toy creators everywhere are wondering what to do next. Should you absorb the cost? Raise prices? Cancel a launch? Shift production? I’ll walk you through what’s really happening, what’s coming next, and how to make a smart move without panicking.

On April 4th, I held a Tariff Toy Talk for Toy & Game Creators where we could get together and discuss what to do in light of the Trump administration's tariffs that are decimating our economy, and threatening the life of the toy industry. 

Since so many of you reached out wanting to hear the recording, I thought it would be best to make this talk readily available on this podcast.

Tune in to hear from other toy people just like you—creators, inventors, and business owners—who joined me to share their questions, insights, and real-life experiences going through this rollercoaster. From surprise $9K tariff bills to last-minute Kickstarter cancellations and creative shipping workarounds, you’ll get insights from the front lines.

Listen For These Important Moments!

• [00:01:16] — A quick look back at how the 2025 tariff news hit the toy industry starting right after Toy Fair wrapped. 
• [00:04:27] — Several indie toy brands start to feel the heat. From canceled Kickstarters to massive clearance sales, the early ripple effects are real and painful.
• [00:08:11] — A few creators share the gut-punch of getting charged thousands of dollars on orders they thought were already squared away.
• [00:28:03] — Innovative responses begin to surface. 3D printing, fulfillment shifts, and DTC models come up as small brands brainstorm ways to stay afloat.
• [00:43:20] — The big manufacturing question gets unpacked. Can U.S. factories really step up for toy makers or is that just a hopeful dream for now?

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Have I ever told you that I’m allergic to cats? Well, lucky for me I recently met Katharine Burke, the creator of PurryFuls, a purring plush cat that is designed for on demand comfort that only a purring cat can provide.

Katharine left a high-stress tech job to build Purryfuls, and in today’s episode she shares exactly how she went from zero toy product experience to debuting her brand at New York Toy Fair and getting featured in Forbes!

In this episode we go into detail about the skills that Katharine had to develop to create her first prototype, and why those skills likely saved her thousands of dollars. If you’re interested in hearing a case study of a fellow startup toy entrepreneur taking a leap of faith on their toy product, give this episode a listen.

Listen for These Important Moments:

• [02:23] – Burned out from a high-pressure tech job, Katharine made a bold decision that completely changed her life. She walked away to follow her toy dream.
• [05:21] – When she couldn’t find a plush that mimicked a cat’s purr, she realized something big: this product didn’t exist yet… and she was going to make it.
• [07:02] – No sewing skills? No problem. Katharine taught herself everything from scratch (including coding) to bring her purring plush to life.
• [17:15] – Just one day into Toy Fair, her brand was already featured in Forbes. This unexpected media moment changed everything.
• [22:51] – Instead of diving straight into retail, Katharine took a smarter path that gave her more control, and it's one you might want to follow too.

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Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
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Let’s face it: toy brands get almost ALL the glory, but the inventors behind the product—people like you—deserve the spotlight too. In this episode of Making It in the Toy Industry, I’m sharing 5 lessons to take you from hidden genius to rising star, inspired by my own experience and my recent convo with Tim Walsh, inventor of ‘Blurt!’.

We’re talking about why advocating for yourself matters (yes, you can request your name on the box), how to time your ideas to ride the perfect trend wave, and why pitching just one idea is a rookie mistake. (Spoiler: you need a whole pipeline of concepts.)

I’ll also give some insight into how to spot the white space in the market, using data-focused tools and cross-industry trends. 

Hit play if you agree with me and Tim Walsh that toy and game inventors are criminally unrecognized. 🙂


Listen For These Important Moments:

• [00:01:46] - Recognition for Toy Creators
• [00:07:27] - Collaborating with the Industry
• [00:10:55] - Designing for Connection
• [00:12:25] - Playtesting in Real-World Environments
• [00:14:10] - Timing and Persistence
• [00:18:23] - Pitching Multiple Ideas
• [00:20:50] - Finding White Space
• [00:23:28] - Drawing Inspiration from Other Industries

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Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
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Did you know that you can turn everyday experiences into great toy ideas? Today’s podcast guest noticed that her toddler loved to play with pretend food toys. However, she saw that the food toys on the market didn’t represent what was popular in Hawai’i, where she lives. So, she created a toy company that started with Hawai’ian food toy sets and has now branched out with toys that represent other cuisines found in Hawai’i like Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese.

April Hail has lived in Hawai’i for between 20 and 30 years of her life. There, she started Keiki KauKau, after being inspired by her kids’ play patterns and the popular foods in Hawai’i. April shares about the struggles of being a parent and being an entrepreneur who is running a small one-person company. Her kids inspired her to create the business, but she also seeks to have balance so she can spend plenty of time with them. You’ll also learn about the unique struggles of importing from China to Hawai’i while also selling to the mainland US, which shipping platform you may want to try to save money, and advice on how to market a niche toy.


EPISODE CLIFF NOTES:

• Find out the benefits of starting a niche company in a small community.  [00:06:26]
• Find out which products are often cheaper: online or in-store. [00:10:32]
• Learn why shipping international products to Hawai’i is particularly costly and difficult. [00:11:51]
• Find out about an easy shipping website that could help you save money on shipping costs. [00:17:10] 
• Learn when you should hire someone to do your marketing for you. [00:20:54]
• Find out about the unique history of Hawai’i that has led it to become the most multicultural state. [00:22:29]
• Learn the value of offering niche products that people can relate to. [00:26:55]
• Find out what April finds difficult about being a solo entrepreneur. [00:28:01]
• Learn April’s best piece of advice for getting started with a niche product in the toy industry. [00:37:09]
• Find out how to target layered niches for even more specialization in the toy industry. [00:40:14]

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at https://www.thetoycoach.com/166

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Popular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy Ideas
Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
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Today’s podcast episode touches on a subject we haven’t covered yet: faith. Today’s guest shares how her faith not only inspired her to create what became a popular product but also kept her going during challenging moments. My guest today believes that everyone has a God-given purpose and that finding that will help each person find the most fulfillment in life.

Angie Cella is a mom of four children, a Christian author, and the inventor and chief dreamer of Blinger, an amazing tool for both kids and adults that you can use to add crystals to your hair. Her incredible and unique story starts with a prayer and a dream. However, it wasn’t a metaphorical dream that led Angie to create Blinger. It was a literal nighttime dream that gave her inspiration. Listen to today’s podcast episode to learn how she made her dream into reality over the next four years, how she made it work financially with four children, and how her faith kept her going through it all. You’ll also learn why she first licensed her toy but then decided to get her license back after a few years, and about the miracle that helped her write her book, Blinger: An Entrepreneur's Faith-Based Journey.

EPISODE CLIFF NOTES:

• Learn about Angie’s dream that led her to create Blinger. [00:05:44]
• Find out how Angie handled the difficult moments in the development process using a technique she learned from her work with Arbonne. [00:13:49]
• Learn how and why Angie’s strong faith has led her to where she is today. [00:15:57]
• Find out about the miracle that helped Angie write her most recent book. [00:20:34]
• Learn about the overall mission of Blinger. [00:30:10]
• Find out why Angie says you really can’t actually “mess it up.” [00:31:54]
• Learn how Angie’s faith kept her going during financially difficult moments and what she did to keep her dream going during those times. [00:34:10]
• Find out how Angie’s toy, Blinger, seemed to explode overnight at the Toy Fair. [00:37:42]
• Learn where you can find more information about the Women in Toys event that helped Angie’s product become more well-known. [00:42:50]
• Find out why Angie decided to become the manufacturer of Blinger after working with a licensing company. [00:46:47]

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at https://www.thetoycoach.com/165

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Popular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy Ideas
Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
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MESH is NOT the new STEAM. MESH is a solution that utilizes toys as an answer to the mental health crisis among children and teens today.  The development of MESH skills is important to help kids learn how to navigate strong emotions and difficult experiences. So what is MESH?  MESH is an acronym for Mental, Emotional and Social Health. Developing MESH skills can help protect kids from the risky behaviors and self-harm that are too often the result of their mental distress.

Today’s podcast episode is a Masterclass on MESH with Rachel Harmuth, the Head of ThinkFun. MESH products are products that build skills like problem solving, perseverance, adaptation, conflict resolution, self-regulation, self-advocacy, cognitive skills, and communication strategies.

If you have a toy or game product that could potentially fit into the MESH category, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. In this episode you’ll learn all about the MESH movement, who is behind it, and you’ll uncover how you can get involved.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at https://www.thetoycoach.com/164

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Popular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy Ideas
Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
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This week on the Making It In The Toy Industry Podcast, learn the steps on how to create a Successful Buyer Presentation with help from expert Marie Nastasi. You’ll learn what buyers are looking for, how to research product categories and research your competition, and how to craft an amazing retail presentation.

This episode is packed with valuable information for developing a successful buyer presentation. Learn the 5 Keys to a Successful Buyer Presentation as developed by today’s guest Marie Nastasi. She brings a wealth of experience and advice from her roles as both a buyer and a manufacturers’ representative for companies large and small. 

Marie is on the show today to serve up a mini toy sales masterclass. She explains the importance of extensive and in-depth consumer research, price-to-value relationships, price point play, vendor of record, and exactly what you should include in that PowerPoint deck for buyers. We’ll also take an in-depth look at what these toy industry terms mean. Get ready for a toy conversation that’s filled with valuable, actionable, and toyspirational advice.

EPISODE CLIFF NOTES:

• Research your consumer. There are so many ways to do this. In this episode, learn how.
• Understand product categories inside and out. Forwards and backwards. It’s what your competition is doing.
• Learn why it’s so important to visit a variety of retail stores and visit them often. 
• Are you a vendor of record? Learn what that means and how to become one. 
• Learn important industry terms so you can be successful with key buyers 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at https://www.thetoycoach.com/163

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Popular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy Ideas
Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
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How do you go from a dreamer with comic book aspirations to a toy industry legend and award-winning toy designer? Today’s guest shares his incredible journey as an artist, parent, and toy designer from the 1990s until now. His toy journey will inspire you to take a risk, put in your all, and go that extra mile.

David Vonner’s original dream was to be an illustrator for Marvel Comics. However, his family and those surrounding him encouraged him to go down a path that would ensure a good career. After attending the Art Institute of Philadelphia, David got his first design job at Spencer’s, and then went through a slew of creative toy jobs that led him to work at Marvel as a toy designer for 5-6 years, before moving on to Hasbro to work on their Marvel-licensed products. 

In today’s episode you will learn how connections helped David to advance in the toy industry, how he went from traditional employment to starting his own company, and his best piece of advice for people in the toy industry today. His toy story is captivating, informative, and inspirational!

EPISODE CLIFF NOTES:

• Learn how David’s love of comics helped him to develop drawing skills in childhood. [00:08:47]
• Find out the surprising connections that led David to think of a career outside of comics. [00:19:09]
• Learn about the difficult and shocking event that delayed David’s college experience by 3 years and made him even more determined to succeed. [00:22:44]
• Find out why David redid his entire portfolio the weekend before a job interview. [00:28:11]
• Learn the first product that David designed at his first job. [00:35:05]
• Hear the heart racing tale of how David lost the address to the new Marvel offices on his way to the interview! You’ll be surprised where he was able to find it. [00:49:44]
• Learn the advice that helped David not only survive but thrive while working on the Marvel team at Hasbro. [00:59:55]
• Find out how David took care of his mental health after a difficult time in the toy industry. [01:22:53]
• Learn how David started his own studio, Vonner Studios [01:33:51]

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/162

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Popular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy Ideas
Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
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Think of a time when you were shopping for a product and just thought to yourself, “Ugh, all of the options are boring, or not that cute, or they don’t work the way I need them to.” You’re creative, so you probably thought of a great way to improve that product at that moment. But, maybe you wondered if you could really do everything that goes into creating a successful product in the toy industry. Keep listening to learn the inspiring story of someone who did just that. 

Josh White is an award-winning innovator who combines strategy, branding, marketing, packaging design, manufacturing, and toy creation at his creative agency, OffWhite Co. He created a line of kid-friendly measuring tapes called Handy Famm after a dissatisfying trip to the hardware store with his daughter. This is a great example of how the best toy ideas come from the world around us and our everyday lives. In today’s episode, you will learn how sticking with the “box” of what you know can actually help you to get started with your ideas. You’ll also learn how Josh’s product is toyetic, the importance of safety in toy design, and how Josh deals with challenges that come his way in the toy development process.

EPISODE CLIFF NOTES

• Learn about the first time Josh got to innovate in the toy industry. [00:05:38]
• Find out the story behind Handy Famm’s inspiration. [00:10:44]
• Learn the toyetic properties included in Handy Famm’s products and ideas. [00:13:58]
• Find out how Josh used Kickstarter to see if his product could be successful. [00:16:00]
• Learn what safety considerations went into creating the tape measures. [00:18:27]
• Find out how challenges can actually be a good thing. [00:21:20]
• Learn what Handy Famm did to become the number one measuring tool on Amazon. [00:23:57]
• Find out how Josh takes the steps to bring his ideas to life. [00:29:27]
• Learn how using what you know can help you to start on your ideas. [00:32:16]
• Find out where to get a special promo code for Handy Famm. [00:36:59]

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/161

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

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Popular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy Ideas
Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
>> https://learn.thetoycoach.com/masterclass <<

Have you ever dreamed of creating your own neighborhood toy store? Even if that’s not your toy industry dream, today’s episode is full of valuable tips for any toy industry entrepreneur. Today’s guest started a toy store in her local community with her dad, and turned into a successful family business over the eight years it has been open. Listen to the episode to find out about the differences between starting a digital business and a brick-and-mortar business and how a business plan can give you a solid framework for success.

Today’s guest, Theresa Duncan, started her career in non-profit work, developing programs for at-risk youth. Now, she is the owner of Villa Villekulla Toys in Amelia Island, Florida. In today’s episode, she tells how she got the idea to quit her job and start a neighborhood toy store in the first place, how focusing on the community can help you to market your small business, and valuable tips for getting your toy into a neighborhood toy store. Listen to the full episode for these essential pieces of toy industry information and more!


EPISODE CLIFF NOTES

• Learn how Theresa’s work with kids inspired her toy store idea. [00:01:45]
• Find out how having a business plan helped Theresa and her father start their toy store. [00:08:46]
• Learn about the startup differences between digital and brick-and-mortar toy stores. [00:09:54]
• Learn about the five stages of entrepreneurship and how they relate to your business. [00:13:32]
• Ever heard of Neighborhood Toy Store Month? It’s something you need to learn about even if you don’t own a toy store! [00:21:34]
• Find out the benefits of shopping locally. [00:22:37]
• Explore clever ways to market your toy or game products to independent toy stores. [00:32:31]
• We even dive into tips on Google Ads! Find out how to save money on Google Ads with the negative keywords list. [00:33:35]
• Learn why Theresa got comfortable being the face of her store and how it helped her business. [00:39:19]
• Find out the “secret sauce” of Theresa’s toy store. [00:40:40]

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

For the links and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the episode page at www.thetoycoach.com/160

Send The Toy Coach Fan Mail!

Support the show

Popular Masterclass! How To Make & Sell Your Toy Ideas
Your Low-Stress, Start-To-Finish Playful Product Launch In 5 Steps
>> https://learn.thetoycoach.com/masterclass <<