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Wooden Sales Grow Stronger Classic Games Make a Comeback in Wood
In the 1950s, plastic was the “wave of the future.” It was cheap and easy to mold. It swept the toy industry like iron-age man wiping out the bronze agers. Then electronics came into vogue, and coupled with plastic, they were the answer to everything. But lately, wooden toys — some of which are reformulations of classic games — have made a comeback. TDmonthly Magazine talked to three distinct manufacturers about the return of wood. Why Wood?  Mark Asperheim, president of Mad Cave Bird Games (ToyDirectory) explained that “I think people are tired of lightweight plastics and cardboard, which tend to be easily breakable. Wood is very durable, and we use recycled wood [rubber wood] for the board, so there’s an environmental quality to the wood as well."“People are definitely sick of electronics and plastic,” Jim Ressler, owner of Ashley Reed Trading (ToyDirectory), concurred. “There’s a big backlash to go back to wood.” Ron Reyes, head of Wood Expressions (Gift Guide), put it more aesthetically: “Wood is beautiful, timeless and denotes a quality that can’t be matched. It also evokes a sense of nostalgia.” But Isn’t It More Expensive?  Ressler laughed: “Plastic is half the price, but my sales have quadrupled because [my products are] not plastic.” Plastic prices have been on the rise because of oil costs (both petroleum for making the material and rising fuel costs for shipping), and so what was once unthinkably dear has now evened out. Hasbro’s Monopoly Wood Nostalgia Series Game (one of the whole Nostalgia series: Scrabble, Sorry! and others) costs about 75 percent more to make with wood, but three years ago would have been 400 percent more expensive. Who Usually Buys a Wooden Game?  Reyes’ company has been selling traditional wooden board games for about 30 years, and he’s found that “They are generally purchased by adults for kids and other adults. They’re what today’s adults played with their parents and grandparents growing up; they relish reliving that with their children.”Asperheim and Ressler agree that adults buying for kids is the key. Asperheim told TDmonthly, “I think parents really like the quality of the wood product and are looking forward to being able to buy the game for their kids.” What’s in Store for the Future? Portable wood games ... with magnets! Asperheim wanted to have a “travel version of ColorKu using wood and magnets.” Ressler dreams of two versions of his game: “A travel one in metal and one in wood, with magnets inside.” The outlook for wood is good. Reyes has seen that “sales are surging,” particularly in boutique stores and toy stores, because these products are more difficult to find in big-box retailers such as Toys R Us, Target and Wal-Mart. In the end, Ressler summed it up best: “People just like the wood. Once they pick it up they say, ‘Oh my God, I gotta have it!’” Following are some of the high-quality wooden games that could grow your sales this Holiday season:
Writer's Bio: Mark Zaslove is an entertainment industry veteran in developing content (writing, directing and producing television and feature films) for the major studios, including Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. A two-time Emmy Award winner for writing and recipient of the Humanitas Prize (for writing uplifting human values in television and movies), Mark is also Head of Content Development for Nice Entertainment. Read more articles by this author
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