Madison Originals Magazine Madison Originals Magazine February 2012 | Page 15
MadisonOriginalsMagazine.com | 15 While the managers share the role of
purchasing, receiving, merchandising,
staff management, computer and
Internet management, and customer
service, each have individual
responsibilities as well. Kelly covers
the apparel and gear lines, and uses her
artistic talents for advertising, webpage,
Facebook, and Twitter. Nancy Burger is
the �merchandising queen� as she can
magically design and create space for
whatever product put on the oor�she
especially likes the puzzle category.
Tyson Varney is the �go-to guy� for
computer and software upgrade
problems, and he likes the Lego category.
�What�s unique is that since the three of
us are in three different age categories, we
can keep our eyes on specic things that
appeal to us,� explains Nancy Burger.
Nancy and her managers are kept
very busy meeting with toy company
representatives, and traveling to trade shows especially because of the expanded product mix. �I believe these shows are the best way to nd new and unusual products. My favorite show is the International Toy Fair, which I haven�t missed in 25 years.� Nancy and her crew also attend Astra Marketplace, which is sponsored by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, and the ABC show, which covers a lot of the apparel and gear lines. They additionally go to many smaller regional shows in Chicago and Minneapolis.Playthings is bright and colorful, and is well stocked with clothing, gear, and classic and sure-to-become classic toys for all ages. And for additional information, you can also visit playthingstoystore.com. Jill Carlson is a freelance writer.