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Magnolia Floats Above the Competition Chinese Hacky Sacks Offer Twist on Classic Toy
“I got my masters in English literature,” she said. But “I grew up in China, so I grew up kicking Chinese hacky sacks.” That personal experience helped Qi carve out a niche in the novelty toy market. OPPORTUNITIES FROM OVERSEAS  Looking for a new opportunity, Qi was reminded of Chinese hacky sacks while talking to an old high school classmate. When she researched the toys on the Internet a little over a year ago, she found that organizations such as the USA Shuttlecock Federation were promoting the sport in the United States. Believing there was opportunity for growth, Liu spent two months converting her idea into a business. Already a popular sport for centuries in China and recognized throughout Europe, Chinese hacky sack is also known as Jianzi or Chinese shuttlecock. The game itself is similar to the U.S. version, where a player uses his or her feet to kick a small ball and perform tricks. But while the sport may be similar, the actual hacky sack is not. LIGHT AS A FEATHER  Unlike U.S. hacky sacks, which are small knitted bags stuffed with beans or beads, the Chinese versions are brightly colored and adorned with feathers. “Compared to regular hacky sacks, it floats much better … [and] you can do lots of tricks,” Qi told TDmonthly. Competition-style hacky sacks are the lightest, designed to travel long distances as they are kicked between players. The slightly heavier freestyle versions are better suited for learning artistic tricks. KICKING DOWN BARRIERS Qi mentioned that exposure has been her biggest obstacle. “This is like a novelty item. When you talk about Chinese hacky sacks, people don’t have any idea what it is,” she said. To counter that unfamiliarity, Qi has taken a hands-on approach by traveling to fairs and concerts and demonstrating them herself, since describing the toy still leaves listeners puzzled. “It’s better to go out and do demonstrations,” she said. When you are marketing your own company and product, “you have to do everything on your own.”  With the largest collection of Chinese hacky sacks in the U.S. and 1,000 units sold from the last order alone, Qi has encountered very few setbacks. MOVING FORWARD “When we first started … it was costly to buy them from the agents,” she told TDmonthly. So now she buys directly from the manufacturers in China, importing the products to her home office to avoid overhead costs. Those just starting out in the toy industry “need to find the right product,” she advised. See the products Qi has found to be “right” below:
 Writer's Bio: Lewis Helfand is a freelance writer based in Narberth, Pennsylvania. A contributing feature writer and columnist for a number of national magazines and websites, Helfand is also the writer and creator of a comic book series, "Wasted Minute," and an upcoming comic mini-series, "4320." Read more articles by this author |
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