It's Melissa and Doug month at Mastermind Toys (September 2009)! We have a lot of great things going on for this (check out our monthly special) so you'll definitely want to stay tuned to this blog, or sign up for our eUpdates to not miss out on the coupons.

OK: so "Melissa & Doug"... great toys, right? They make high-quality wooden toys, and all sorts of other toys as well, like costumes, puzzles, and more. In fact, when we visit the New York Toy Fair in the Spring each year, the Melissa and Doug Toys booth is a BEHEMOTH. Filled with toys, and packed with fun people. It's a highlight each and every year. But why are they called "Melissa & Doug"? And have they always been a massive toy company like they are today?

Well, here's the thing: there really is a Melissa and a Doug. AND they started a little toy company years and years ago (originally called "Lights, Camera, Interaction!") with some folding tables at the toy fair and a bunch of cool puzzles. AND... they're married! With a bunch of kids (when you meet them, they totally strike you as the types of people who must always have kids hanging off of them and just be so comfortable with it. Definitely the right kind of people to be making toys!). AND they're really funny too... this is the best part. Sometimes people can get a little bit... serious... about the toy business (this is a business after all, and many people depend on it to make their living and provide for their families). Melissa and Doug are two people who give the impression that they haven't forgotten what the business is all about... toys! Fun toys! Silly toys! Having fun! Refreshing, right?

Here's a good example: check out the "about us" portion of the Melissa and Doug website (see? I told you there really is a Melissa and a Doug).

And another: recently, there's been a lot of gloomy-type talk about the recession... Melissa and Doug, on the back of their catalogue (which they issue to retailers like us so that we can choose the toys that we want in our stores) had a little fun with the whole concept, and put down some ideas of how they were planning to keep costs down during the tough times:


So there you have it: a real Melissa and Doug, and very cool toy people at that!

-- Toy Buyin' Ryan (a much better name for me, don't you think?)