Every day is full of adventure for Ed and Dina Evans, owners of West Berlin, N.J.’s All Things Fun!, where action toys, games and comics are the focus. The Evanses have carried nine of the store’s 10 best sellers in some capacity since the store’s opening in 2004, they told TDmonthly Magazine. Here are the items at the top of their list:
Carcassonne is a clever tile-laying game. The southern French city of Carcassonne is famous for its distinctive Roman and Medieval fortifications. The players develop the area around Carcassonne and deploy their followers on the roads, in the cities, in the cloisters and in the fields. The skill of the players to develop the area will determine who is victorious. ― “Carcassonne is a classic tile-laying game, great for families, with several expansions,” Ed Evans, owner of All Things Fun! in West Berlin, N.J., told TDmonthly. “Carcassonne has only entered our top-10 in the last year or so. It’s considered an evergreen title in the game industry.”
World of Warcraft Series 1: Orc Shaman: Rehgar Earthfury by DC UNLIMITED
The savage, green-skinned orcs are one of the most prolific races of Azeroth. They are commonly believed to be brutal and mindless, possessing no humanity or empathy for other races. Born on the hellish world of Draenor, the orcs were brought into the kingdom of Stormwind through the dimensional gateway known as the Dark Portal and forced to wage war on the Humans. Now they stand ready to fight not for the sake of conquest, but for their right to survive in their adopted world. Each 7.75"-tall figure features points of articulation. Rehgar includes an additional Wolf Head accessory. The final product may differ from image shown. Launch date: October 24, 2007. ― DC Direct action figures have been a best seller at All Things Fun! in West Berlin, N.J., since 3Q 2005, stated owner Ed Evans.
The card game with ever changing rules. It starts out simple, with just the Basic Rule card: draw one card and play one card during each player's turn. But New Rule cards quickly make things chaotic. Even the object of the game will often change, as players swap out one Goal card for another. ― “Fluxx: A card game from Looney Labs. A game where the rules and win condition[s] are always in 'flux.' Fluxx had been a best seller since we opened [in 2004],” said Ed Evans, owner of All Things Fun! in West Berlin, N.J., in March 2007.
Harry Potter Invisible With Drawer Box by CALIFORNIA CARD COMPANY
The Invisible deck is a classic in magic. But this deck of cards stands out because it features images from the first Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.” The deck comes with a drawer box for the magician's accessibility. ― Ed Evans, owner of All Things Fun! in West Berlin, N.J., told TDmonthly that Harry Potter items are among his best sellers: “Wands, robes, hats, games and, of course, books. We restock this line in waves and we’ve had Harry Potter merchandise in our top-10 since our opening in 2004. We host large-scale release events for the books and are recognized as a headquarters for all things Harry Potter.”
Kids can now build one of the most famous ships of the Star Wars saga. In the hands of the Rebel Alliance’s brave pilots, the X-wing starfighter helped to destroy two massive Death Stars. With S-foil wings that open to attack position, folding landing gear, a cargo hold and lots of authentic details, the starfighter can be customized as either Luke Skywalker’s Red Five or Wedge’s Red Three X-wing. The set includes Wedge Antilles, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and R2-D2 minifigures. Launch date: Sept. 12, 2006. — “I wish that LEGO didn’t run out … particularly the Star Wars LEGO. … Their warehouse was empty,” commented Lori Hershman, owner of Evan’s Toy Shoppe in Hamden, Conn., about the holidays 2006. — “LEGOs were in short supply,” agreed Stan Giliberto, owner of Over the Rainbow in Glastonbury, Conn. “LEGO Star Destroyer was the one they really wanted.” — Jordan Walden, store manager for Finnegan's Toys and Gifts in Portland, Ore., told TDmonthlyin spring 2007, "We don't do a lot of licensed stuff," but "Star Wars LEGO is probably our best-seller" in the category. Finnegan's sells about 50 a month.
Star Wars Bounty Hunters Booster Packs by WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Children can take their quarry alive with the greatest collection of fearless and inventive bounty hunters (and other scum and villainy) from across all eras of the Star Wars saga. These lawless characters — including new huge figures — add another dimension to battles for the galaxy. Each pack includes seven randomized pre-painted plastic miniatures with statistics cards, including one huge figure. Launch date: September 2006. ― “Star Wars action figures and collectible miniature games lead the charge,” Ed Evans, owner of All Things Fun! in West Berlin, N.J., assured TDmonthly. “Individual SKUs come and go, but the category has been a top seller for us since the day we opened our doors [in 2004].”
STIKFAS Action Figure Kits allow enthusiasts and collectors of all ages to express their individual personality and interests through posing and customizing. Armed with incredible interchangeability and poseability, these Action Figure Kits are leading the way in a whole new toy revolution. STIKFAS combines creativity and playability, and is an open medium for children, toy collectors and hobbyists alike. ― “These action figure construction sets with an attitude are great for young boys and adult collectors,” said Ed Evans, owner of All Things Fun! in West Berlin, N.J. “We only started stocking the full line in 4Q 2006, but this line has quickly become a top seller.”
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Duelist Packs by UPPER DECK ENTERTAINMENT
Duelists can now create their own decks based on the top-rated Yu-Gi-Oh! GX animated series and comic book. With Jaden Yuki and Chazz Princeton Duelists Packs, their moves and fighting combos are at every player’s fingertips. The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG is a game of strategy, in which players create individual decks of cards collected from starter sets and booster packs. Two players engage in a Duel while using cards that represent powerful Monsters, magical Spells and surprising Traps. Duelists with well-constructed Decks, dominating monsters, solid strategy and good fortune are the victors in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Set years ahead in a land inaccessible to the rest of the world at the premiere dueling high school Duel Academy, the stories follow Jaden and his friends as they Duel their way to become the next “King of Games.” ― “Yu-Gi-Oh!, the collectible card game, is still very popular, and our sanctioned events only help to support sales,” commented Ed Evans, owner of All Things Fun! in West Berlin, N.J., in March 2007. “We still enjoy a strong base for this game, and it broke into our top sellers during 4Q 2005.”
Zombies!!! Second Edition by TWILIGHT CREATIONS INC.
Five years of input from retailers and fans have been combined into this updated and expanded Zombies!!! Game, designed by Todd Breitenstein. There’s brand-new art on all Map tiles and revised or new art on all Event cards. New to the pack are red heart tokens and a brand new female zombie. Launch date: April 2007. ― “Zombies is an amusing map-placement game with a B-Movie Zombie theme,” Ed Evans, owner of All Things Fun! in West Berlin, N.J., told TDmonthly. “It’s a strong seller that has been on our best-sellers list since we opened in 2004.”
Writer's Bio: Brenda Ruggiero is a freelance writer from western Maryland. Read more articles by this author
