Owner Candace Gooch of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, encourages her customers to play with the toys in her store and experience their craftsmanship. Here are the items she told TDmonthly Magazine shoppers want most.
Specially designed for bathtime fun, Tidoo is soft and posable and so light that it floats. It's filled with polystyrene "beads" that can dry. It has sleeping eyes and can even suck its thumb. 12" tall Tidoo baby dolls can wear any fashion from the Mon Premier collection. — “Corolle Calin and Tidoo dolls, and most recently Corolle’s Lia doll, are top sellers,” said Candace Gooch of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine in spring 2009.
This 7 cm Viking cheerfully watches over Baby while he sleeps. He features a helmet, shield and bright colors on his wooden frame. — Selecta’s push toys were listed as top sellers by Owner Candace Gooch at At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, in May 2009. “It’s a shame that Selecta decided to pull out of the USA market due to CSPIA’s testing requirements,” she told TDmonthly. “I figure if a product meets the EU’s testing standards, then it should be fine for the USA. There are so many fantastic and safe European toys that our children will miss out on.”
Do you remember the old romper stompers or upside-down coffee cans? These kid-friendly, low-rise stilts are colorful and designed to be ultra durable. They come in six colors, and the hand-held ropes are adjustable to fit any size child. — E-Z Steppers were listed as top sellers in spring 2009 by Owner Candace Gooch of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine.
German company Holztiger uses native maple and beech woods and water-based paints and sealants in the construction of its wooden toys, such as this giraffe that is one in a collection of many wildlife animal figurines. — Holztiger wooden animals were recognized as top sellers by Candace Gooch, owner of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, in spring 2009.
America’s No. 1 horse breed is one of 33 new animals available. It is extremely realistic and hand painted for a natural finish. "Schleich is the world’s leading designer of high-quality, realistic animal and historical figurines and fantasy play worlds for children and collectors of all ages," Martin Gour, marketing director for Schleich North America, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2009. — Schleich animals were listed as top sellers in spring 2009 at At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, by Storeowner Candace Gooch. “This June, my store will take part in a merchandising program with Schleich,” she told TDmonthly. “I will be putting in two, 4’ backlit Schleich displays for farm and wild animals.”
This 15-piece set includes a serving tray, teapot, four plates, four saucers and four cups. — "They offer good dating and reasonable amounts," Owner Katie Frederick of The Wooden Rainbow in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said of Schylling in fall 2008. Thirteen percent of 52 retailers named Schylling as a preferred supplier. — The Schylling Children’s Tea Set was listed as a best seller by Candace Gooch, owner of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, in spring 2009. “I love the fact that it looks like Fiesta Ware (for girls or boys),” she said. “It is a nice size, and easy to handle … even dads or grandfathers can pick up a tea cup with their big hands, but they need to learn to sip and not gulp.”
This lift-the-flap board book features colorful illustrations showing how different animals around the world walk, slide, hop and more. It is written by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Caroline Mockford. — Barefoot Books were listed as top sellers by Candace Gooch, owner of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, in spring 2009.
Writer's Bio: Brenda Ruggiero is a freelance writer from western Maryland. Read more articles by this author
