Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy Kaskey.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I founded Kaskey Kids in 2002 to create a toy that I thought would entertain my kids. None of the many toys we had acquired over the years held their attention long enough for me to make dinner. I knew that if I could design classic, “Old School” action figures with a sports themed twist, similar to the super heroes and army men action figures that have entertained children for generations, my children would be happy.
I spent a few months thinking about all of the things I loved about iconic toys and then asked friends, neighbors, teachers, neighborhood children and my own, what they loved about their favorite toys. I came away with the exact vision for what I wanted to create. Focusing on using quality materials that would withstand rough play, including all of the accessories necessary to make the toy fun rather than requiring families to purchase additional pieces and packaging it all in a sturdy container to help kids & families stay organized were the three things I focused on. 15 years later, the first toy I introduced is our best seller and we have used the same process to design the five additional sports we offer.
I am not a designer, and had no experience in the toy industry but believed that envisioning the product must be the most difficult part and everything after that could be researched and figured out. I did graduate from Boston College with a degree in marketing and had a few years of sales and marketing experience when I worked for both Nestle and J&J after graduating, so I did feel comfortable on the business side which was a big plus. After finding a designer to create a prototype, I was able to arrange a meeting with toy buyers at a national chain, who were immediately interested and placed an order for the holiday season. With that order in hand, my first toy hit mall stores across the country, Having placement in a familiar toy chain I was able to begin presenting the toy myself, to every buyer or owner of any toy store I came across.
Currently we are sold in specialty toy, gift and sport stores across the US and Canada and on the ever growing Amazon marketplace. We continue to attend toy shows throughout the year to reach out to new customers and use independent toy reps to promote our line in certain areas across the country.
It is a great feeling to be able to offer young kids an alternative to electronics. All kids need a few go to toys that capture their imagination and inspire their creativity. Our toys allow them to create their own rules, play on their own time and at their own pace. As a company we are going to continue to promote the important job parents and caregivers have at helping their kids find a few non-electronic toy options that will spark their imagination. Encouraging children to play creatively each day is essential and is much easier when the adults in their lives are involved in the process.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been fairly smooth. The largest challenge has been seeing so many of our customers go out of business or downsize because of the shift to online purchasing on Amazon and other sites. Some of our largest customers over the years have gone out of business or have decided to sell less toys because they cannot compete on price.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We specialize in selling sports action figures for children, ages 3-7 years old. We are known as the only company on the market offering a full set of sports action figures.
Each of our sets contains 2 full teams and all the accessories a child needs to be able to play for hours. Other sports figures on the market are individual collectible figures. We are most proud that we are making a difference in the lives of children that love sports and truly enjoy playing creatively with action figures. We receive emails from families every week thanking us for making our GUYS, sharing why their kids love our GUYS and including photos showing us the amazing set-ups their children make when they are playing with our toys. We are so thrilled to receive these photos that we include many of them on our website. What sets us apart from others is that our toys are focused on sports and are non-electronic. If you walk down the aisles of any toy store, there are not many toys or action figures that have a sports theme and focus. With the love of Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and Soccer all over the world, there should be so many more sporty toy options on the market.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in Scarsdale, NY with two younger brothers who loved playing with action figures like army men, super heroes and Cowboys & Indians. I am sure that their love of creative play was one of the main reasons I wanted my kids to have a toy that would inspire the same excitement and interest.
Although I did not play with action figures, I was very active in sports my entire life. I played all the traditional sports – Soccer, Softball and Basketball before high school and focused on Field Hockey, Lacrosse and Basketball in High school. The neighborhood we grew up in was filled with kids. Until we were old enough to be in organized sports after school, the entire neighborhood played outside together every day – Kick the Can, Relay Races, Flash light tag etc… until our parents rang the cowbell, blew the whistle or hit the drum alerting us to head home for dinner. After high school, I went to Boston College and stayed in the New York area until moving out to Chicago 1997.
Pricing:
- $24.99 – $26.99 – All of our classic toys retail for this price. 30 Pieces are included in each set.
- $28.99-$31.99 – Our licensed line of NHL Hockey Guys retails for this price.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KaskeyKids.com
- Phone: 866-527-5437
- Email: Customercare@KaskeyKids.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaskeyKids
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaskeyKids
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/ckaskey/
Image Credit:
Kaskey Kids
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