Sports & outdoors →Toys & baby →
Prepare dealer pricing, size and color availability and delivery windows, then contact specialty outfitters, bike and ski shops and team dealers. Buyers care about whether product arrives before their season starts.
Stores commit to quantities months ahead of the selling season, and you ship in agreed windows. Give a modest incentive for early orders and set a firm cutoff so you can plan production.
Lead with a few strong items, a clear opening order and the safety documentation. Independent toy stores buy unique products that big retailers do not carry, and most of their buying happens before the holiday season.
In the United States, children's products generally need testing and a Children's Product Certificate, and toys carry additional requirements. Requirements depend on the product and age group, so confirm them with a testing lab or your counsel. Keep reports downloadable for buyers.
Start well before the buying window, since many stores place holiday orders by early to mid year. Confirm the dates with each buyer instead of assuming.
A demo program lends or sells a few units at a reduced price so a store's staff can try them and talk about them. It works best for products that need explaining. Cap the number of units and say whether they are returnable.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act sets safety requirements for products made for children 12 and under. A Children's Product Certificate, issued by the manufacturer or importer based on testing by an accepted lab, states that the product meets them. Buyers ask for it, so keep a current copy for each product.
Some do. Certain durable infant products, such as cribs, are covered by specific federal safety standards, and others have their own testing and registration rules. Confirm which rules apply to each product with a qualified testing lab or consultant before you sell.
Team dealers buy in volume with customization, so quote by quantity and show lead times for decoration. Collect size and color needs up front, set clear order deadlines for each season and keep one contact for each school or league.
Toy buyers look at how a product looks on a shelf, whether shoppers can see what is inside and whether it fits their fixtures. Include age grading, a clear safety label and a case pack that matches how stores restock. A product that is easy to display gets shelf space more easily.
Compliance answers are general information, not legal advice, and rules vary by product and state.
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