It's Not That I Forgot About You...

by Crazy Ivan

I feel terrible about my blogging record over the past few days.  Since I debuted this blog on Superbowl Sunday not a single day has gone by where I didn't add at least two new updates on this thing.  In fact, since it started, my average is closer to 3 than 2.

But unfortunately I've tainted my otherwise sparkling record with a terrible week.  Twice in the last week I've gone 24 hours between dropping posts.  The first time Blogspot's service was down so I couldn't exactly kick myself for that one (not to say that I couldn't still be seething and frustrated), but this time I have nobody to blame but myself.

Before I get to my de facto apology I should explain that it's not just that I got overtaken by a bout of laziness.  I didn't spend all day watching talk shows and brushing Cheeto dust off my pajamas or anything. Kid Myach and I went to Montclair, New Jersey where we rocked it out at the Watchung Elementary School and then at Aunt Jean's Toys & Treats (over on Willow Ave., check it out if you're in the area, it's an awesome little toy store and by all means, tell them Crazy Ivan sent you).

As fun as this was, it kept me away from my computer all day.  To beat morning Manhattan traffic and be there on time, Kid Myach and I had to leave at 6:00 in the morning and we didn't get home until after 7 pm.  I had a days worth of work to catch up on, of course, not the least of which was updating this blog.

So here I sit at a quarter of midnight, 18 hours after my workday started, polishing off a quick apology to all those people who might have checked up on us a few times today hoping for new content.  Normally in a situation like this one I would have written a few things in advance and scheduled them to drop during the day, but this came up kind of last minute and I had no idea that we wouldn't be getting home until after 7.  I figured we'd wrap at 2:30 or so and I'd be back home before 4 (it is my day off after all).

All that being said, it was great STWAKOJ.  We definitely inflated the number of maniacs on the opposite side of the Hudson there, not to mention the fact that we got to hang out all day at a school whose name sounds like a Myachi sound effect.  Seriously.  Sound it out: Watchung.  I got to say that all day today.

But more than that we got to help support a really cool little locally owned toy-store.  Don't get me wrong, I love the big boys too (they buy a lot of Myachis) and there's definitely a niche that only a Toys R Us could fill, but I think it's really important for us all to support our locally owned businesses as well. When you walk into a place like Aunt Jean's your going to get a toy buying experience that you'll never get from a big box corporate place.  You're going to deal with people who really know and care about their products.  You'll talk to people that can really answer your questions and respond to your needs.

But more than that, if it weren't for toy stores like Aunt Jean's, Myachi wouldn't exist.  Locally owned toy stores were our bread and butter for years while we were trying to get this company off the ground.  You can't just walk into your local Toys R Us and say "check out this cool toy I made.  You should put it on your shelves."  It really doesn't matter if the person you're talking to agrees or not.  They can't put it on the shelves if they wanted to and they can't even really put you in touch with the person that can.

In an independent toy store, on the other hand, they're always looking for something new and fun that the big boys won't have.  They're the place where good toys prove themselves to big box stores and franchises.  They're the only reason that new and original products can ever see the light of day.

That's not because the big stores are bad or anything.  It's just that if you've got 2000 stores across the country, even buying 10 or 12 of a product to test it out will cost you a ton of money if you do it in all the stores.  You can only afford to bet on stuff you know will sell.  You can't take a chance on something new and crazy like Myachi.  Unless, of course, Myachi can show you that their product sells in the locally owned stores.

So in closing, when you support your local toy (and everything) stores, you're also supporting the world's innovators and entrepreneurs.  And sorry I didn't update the blog today.