Once upon a time, Gerardo Davila worked at Mattel, managing their commercial operations in Latin America. Today, he's a TCA Alumni who credits the program with keeping his toy dream alive and getting his products onto shelves. Gerardo shares his story of launching his toy on Episode #219 of the Making It In The toy Industry Podcast. Listen by clicking here.

But how exactly do you launch your own plush doll line? Most new toy creators assume they can only sell their toys in toy stores. That's not true.

In reality, there are so many more places available for you to sell your toys! 

Some places where your toys can be sold include:

• Bookstores, where you'll often find small displays of toys and giftables by the cash register.

• Museum Gift Shops are a great place to sell historical and educational toys.

• Play cafes are a gathering point for families, think about pitching a product to play cafe owners that will allow their customers to bring home a bonding experience.

• Board game cafes will usually welcome free game samples. Try walking in and asking what categories of games they don't have when customers ask for it, and try to fill that gap.

• Craft stores aren't just for crafters, they're a great place for collectible toys to be sold!

• Clothing boutiques much like book stores will have surprise displays of small toys and giftables.

After this revelation, you might be stuck on this question: How? How do you find these non-toy stores that will sell your toy products? It's actually quite simple!

The 2 Ways to Sell Your Toy Products in Non-Toy Stores

1. "The Burger King Method": Coined after Burger King's strategy of opening it's stores near McDonald's locations to piggyback off of their market research and compete with them directly for customers. This method is a great example of how you can leverage competitor market research to find customers. For a simple step-by-step of this method, visit this link to view a reel on The Toy Coach's Instagram page!

2. Join TCA and complete Module 9: This module of TCA, labeled "Monetizing Your Toy or Game by Getting Distribution, and Selling Wholesale," is just one of the great resources you'll have at your disposal to help you succeed in the toy industry. Click here to join The Toy Creators Academy now!

This isn't the end. You may think creating your toy itself is the most important part of your toy-creating journey, but it is just as important to build a sales outreach list and tracker for your toy brand. It is wise not to sleep on this task, and thus, below we've outlined the steps required to fulfill it.

Steps to Build a Sales Outreach List and Tracker for Your Toy Brand

First, you'll need to create a list of your top 5 competitors in the market.

Then, watch this Instagram reel on The Toy Coach's Instagram page, and follow its steps to correctly execute "The Burger King Method."

Next, build the list you have created into an Excel document with rows for each store. In the columns, you can track phone numbers, emails, and social media outreach.

Finally, get to work. This means you need to start calling, following up, and eventually selling your product. Call in favors whenever you can, request introductions, send samples, and remember, don't give up. Just one store placement will start that retail momentum!

Preferred Toy Vendor's

TheToyCoach.Com has recently launched our new Preferred Toy Vendor Network page. 

This Preferred Toy Vendor Network provides a network of vendors that are renowned for their commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

Whether you need a top-notch studio for your prototypes, specialized components for your designs, brainstorming new ideas, 3D modeling, or manufacturing partners to bring your creations to life, our Preferred Toy Vendor Network has got you covered!

Click here to view the network now!

Even though stepping out of the traditional, and conventional, toy store model may seem challenging, Gerardo Davila's story serves as a reminder that the risk is well worth it. He was able to leverage his knowledge from his time in The Toy Creator's Academy to bring his magical toy, "Angelicos Magicos" into a 100-year-old bookstore in Mexico City. You can achieve this too by clicking here and joining TCA today so you can unlock your potential in the toy and game industry!