A few of us from Amazing Station will be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for New York City to attend the 107th American International Toy Fair.  It’s a huge industry only event take takes up both levels of the Javitz Center in Manhattan.  This will be our second year going and hopefully it will be much more productive than last year.  We met a lot of great companies last year but it was all new to us and was all a bit overwhelming.

It’s a huge event that pulls in more than 1200 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees, most of whom are looking to buy product.  Every year, Toy Fair is the launching pad of new brands and new product lines that have never been seen before.  Some will never last the year, others will use Toy Fair as a spring board for launching their business.

We are very picky about the companies we are willing to work with and the toys that we will buy for AmazingChildhood.com.  The toys must be fun, safe, eco-friendly, manufactured responsibly and preferably, made in the USA.  Toy Fair gives us the chance to meet with new and current vendors face to face and make sure the products they produce are something we can be proud of.

AmazingChildhood.com continues to expand on it’s selection of Building Blocks as we add more inventory and more suppliers to our list. Few toys are played with more universally by young children than building blocks. We currently carry two types of building blocks, Giant Building Blocks and Classic Wooden Building Blocks

Giant Building Blocks from Smart Monkey Toys

We found this company at Toy Fair earlier this year and we were pretty impressed with their product and company philosophy. The giant blocks are made from cardboard and much sturdier than you would expect them to be. They are made from 100% recycled material and non-toxic ink so you can feel confident that these building block will be safe, fun to play with and will stand up to the abuse that they are sure to be put under. There are 5 different sets that come with different colors, block sizes and even some cool themes like Castle Building Blocks. You can check them out at Giant Building Blocks

Wooden Building Blocks from Holgate Toys

We have a great selection of wooden building blocks from a company that has been around forever and is actually pretty close to our office. The company is called Holgate Toys and they are one of the premiere wooden toy makers in the country. The wooden blocks have a natural and safe finish on them and the blocks are sanded and shaped to remove rough corners and edges. They come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Everything we carry from Holgate is Made in the USA. You can check them out at Wooden Building Blocks

When I was a kid, I LOVED Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. The show was on the air for so long and thankfully they still re-run it so I can introduce it to my children. My oldest son is just 3 years old and he has just gotten to the point of requesting Mr. Rogers. That’s high praise from a Thomas the Tank Engine fanatic. We have recently added some new Mr. Rogers merchandise to AmazingChildhood. Everything we have is made by the excellent toymakers at Holgate Toys so you know the quality is superb.

We have Trolleys, Toys, and a step stool up on the site. You can check them out at Mr. Rogers Merchandise.

Here are some samples of what we have up on our store:

AmazingChildhood.com is our first official store under the AmazingStation brand. It’s goal is to sell quality, reliable and SAFE toys at reasonable prices. It’s difficult to find that holy grail that hits all the points you would like it to hit and still be affordable but we do a pretty good job of digging up the best of what is available.

Some of the key elements we look for when selecting a manufacturer are:

• Where is the product made?
• What materials are used in the construction?
• Has it been thoroughly tested for lead and other harmful elements?
• Was it made with GREEN practices in mind?
• Have their been any previous recalls or issues with that particular company
• How closely does the company oversee the manufacturing process?
• Is the Product FUN!!!!

The list is endless. Our favorite products are products that are made right here in the USA with safety, the environment, reliability, and fun at the forefront of their production process. We are looking for manufacturers who have products that will last and can be enjoyed by multiple generations, toys that can stand up to the abuse that only a 1 year old can dish out day after day.

If you are interested in the childrens toys that we carry, check out our site at AmazingChildhood.com

5% of every sale we make is donated to children’s charities. We split the donation between the USMC’s Toys for Tots Program and Alex’s Lemonade Stand to help fight childhood cancer.