Oompa Toys Blog

Have you seen our new chat feature?  Check the upper left hand corner of our webpage.  There’s our chat button.  With a click of a mouse, you can contact one of our knowledgeable, friendly Customer Service Representatives without even having to pick up a phone.  

Speaking of phones and chatting, I got to thinking about my grandma, who passed away a few years ago.  She and my grandpa lived on Washington Island, a small community off the tip of Door County in Lake Michigan.  She was the switchboard operator for the Island up until the late 1950’s or early 1960’s, when they got a direct-dial phone system.  The switchboard was in her house, and she was responsible for relaying calls pretty much 24/7.  The technology has changed, but even then the world operated around the clock.  Her switchboard is now housed in the Jacobsen Museum.

I still remember the telephone on my grandma’s wall.  It had an earpiece and a crank, and no dial (or for you really young people, no touch pad.)  I called it a “Timmy and Lassie” phone because it looked like the one Timmy used on the TV show “Lassie.”

No matter how technologically savvy we all become, we’ll still value the human component to our online shopping experience.  I won’t be here to answer your chat 24/7 like my grandma, but I’ll be logged in to chat frequently along with our other Customer Service Reps.  Feel free to click in anytime.  We’ll be happy to give you information and suggestions, or if you want, we can simply chat.

-Erin

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Here’s a quick glimpse inside the Oompa video world and the process of how the video goes from planning to completion.

Before we shoot Milanie, Rebecca, and I brainstorm ideas. We discuss the goals for the shoot, how many children we need and their ideal age range. After the major planning points are set in stone, we go through a simple storyboard process. Rebecca posts a casting call online, sends flyers to a couple of preschools and contacts the parents of children we’ve filmed in the past.  After parents confirm she creates the shoot schedule.

For the past year we’ve done a lot of improvisation for the set. Now, thanks to Mike, our photo/video room is up and running. We have a set with movable walls and lights! Inspiration taken from the studio at Haba in Bad Rodach, Germany.

Finally, it’s time to shoot. Murphy’s Law in action. If it can go wrong, it will. Parents cancel, children are dressed improperly, cry, break things. Ah, kids will be kids. Getting children to play with toys in front of a camera is not as easy as it sounds. Needless to say, with a little patience and help from mom and dad, things usually turn out alright.

After the shoot, it’s time for post production “magic”. I’m responsible for all of the editing, color correcting and graphic work for all of the videos.

In the next few weeks expect to see new videos on the site. Stay tuned for videos on this blog, our brand landing pages and the main video page!

Thanks for reading and watching our videos!

-Ben

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Ah, May. The time of year when our thoughts turn to warmer weather, farmer’s markets, and young love. Oh, and also stimulus checks. I’ve pretty much been looking forward to mine for the past four months. Sadly, since I graduated from college a short time ago, most of mine is going towards paying off school related debts. But I still enjoy thinking, in an abstract way, about what I would do with those six hundred dollars if they were mine to spend on anything I want. Pulling from my own Oompa wishlist, I could easily spend all the money right here. And I don’t even have kids! Here’s a collection of $600 worth of Oompa merchandise that I could easily see myself dropping that entire check on. If I weren’t, you know, a responsible adult with tuition payments.

Garden Canvas, Set of 3 from Wee Gallery (WG0704) - $59.99

I’ve got an empty wall in my apartment that cries out for these prints. It says, “decorate me!”

Anne Tent from Lucy and Michael – LM0007 -$299.99

This is so much cooler than the sad little pup tent I had as a child. I love the contemporary prints and tee-pee design. Plus, it goes up in seconds.

Pirate Joe from Haba $11.99

This game looks awesome. You get to draw on your friend’s faces. What could be more fun?

Ball Track Construction Set from Haba - $69.99

I want to just set this up as a permanent centerpiece on the coffee table in my living room. Better than magazines!

Truffles Dog Huge – Jellycat $149.99

One thing I’ve definitely never heard—“the huge truffles dog isn’t as big as it looks on the website.” This dog is every bit as big as it looks.

Well folks, there’s my Stimulus Package Wishlist. What would you put on your wishlist?

-Rebecca D

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We’re opening an Oompa Toys store! Though we’re still in the early stages of getting things up and running, a summer opening looks likely. There’s so much to do. Demo, construction, permits, the list goes on. First and foremost in my mind is making the first Oompa store special.

Because so much of having a positive retail experience is tied directly to store design, I’ve been searching for interesting and inspiring store architecture, design and layout. On a recent trip to Germany I paid a visit to some friends at Haba, a company that continues to inspire me creatively and professionally, and went on to visit few stores that carry Haba products.

First stop, the mother of all German children’s stores (owned by Haba!), Jako-o.

The entrance to the Jako-o store in Erlangen, Germany. One side for adults, the other for smaller customers.

It’s not surprising that Jako-o (pronounced “yak-oo”) had the most inspiring design and layout. Despite offering a variety of other brands, the fixtures, lighting and layout brought everything together harmoniously.

Next top, Thalia.de, Borders’ German cousin.

The answer to displaying a variety of brands in a potentially chaotic environment seems to be summed up in one word: space. Leave ample space between fixtures and displays.

Next on the itinerary, the German version of Toys R Us + (the now defunct) Babies R Us, Rabattz/BabyOne.

The confusing signage and cluttered entrance was enough to tip me off to the product offering - lots of plastic. Even so, I went inside.

Near the entrance, two sad shelves of Haba - lit by flourescent lights and easily missed. Mental note: keep the shelves stocked and pay attention to lighting design!

Hope you enjoyed this mini jaunt through a few toy stores in Erlangen, Germany!

- Milanie

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Recently my cat Sputnik turned 21.  That’s 21 in people years.  In dog years she’d be dead!  She is sassy, occasionally breaks out into a trot, and bosses around my German Shepherd.  Sputnik is built to last.  Anyway, I got to thinking about about things that last and things that don’t. 

 My first car was a 1975 AMC Pacer.  Remember those little terrariums on wheels?  You could have six kids and they woudn’t have to fight for a window seat.  It was a contender for Motor Trend’s Car of the Year when it first came out.  Alas, it didn’t even last long enough for the loan to be paid off!  I haven’t seen one on the road since 1984 when mine hit the junkyard.  Obviously, that car was not built to last. 

What about toys?  I was doing some spring cleaning and found my cache of toys that I had saved from my kids’ earlier years.  Besides stuffed toys, I had saved three things:  1) a wooden animal sorting box, 2) a small wooden race car, and 3) a wooden train set.  Nothing plastic, nothing with batteries, nothing with a cartoon theme.  Simple, classic, wood toys.  Much like the toys that Oompa carries.  Toys that were made to last.

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-Erin

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