Okay. So. Um. This is awkward. I promised to vlog about my Black Friday experience at Toys R Us, but my technology took a metaphorical dump on me. Not to mention, there wasn’t much to be observed. So I’ll make this quick. Things I noticed:

1. A disturbingly muscular “bouncer” was standing just inside the doorway (but I got in, so apparently I was on the list)
2. Employees were EVERYWHERE (yet none of them were extremely helpful when approached by inquisitive customers)
3. Dumb girl toys like Monster High dolls and such were selling fast
4. The stuffed animal aisle was completely deserted. No shoppers in sight. So sad…
5. People grabbed every on sale item they could find. Mindlessly. Meh.

I didn’t even see a fight. That would have made this failure worthwhile. Perhaps next year I’ll cut out on Thanksgiving early so I can wait in line with the rest of the crazies. Maybe that will produce more exciting results? (cough, cough, old women fighting)

Good news! I made an Instagram account today! I’ll be using it to take pictures of (isn’t it obvious?) TOYS. Toys that pile up in my room, interesting toys I discover, you get the point. (No selfies though, sorry guys.) And this gives me an excuse to build Lego stuff and snap pictures…. So feel free to follow, follow, follow! instagram.com/justforfunziestoys/

Random side note. I’ve had yet another quirky idea for the toy store. Any chairs in the store (whether they’re in an office, break room, storage area, behind the front counter) will have a whoopee cushion super glued to it. Why, you ask?? JUST FOR FUNZIES. No seriously, that’s my answer. How can the sound of flatulence not make you smile? Currently I keep a whoopee on my desk chair and it kills me every time I sit down! It makes me instantly happy so it must be a good idea. The kids might get a kick out of it too. I’ve got a hunch that that type of comedy is right up any tike’s alley.

That’s all for me today. Pardon my discombobulated brain. The end of the semester is coming fast and I’ll be so happy when it’s over… So bare with me. And thanks for reading! <3

With only a month left in the semester, I’m losing steam. Homework barely gets finished, and studying? Pssh… Why would I study? I have bigger fish to fry. For example, today I spent my Microcomputers class looking at toys and doing blog stuff. Because that’s what really matters. And it’s better than listening to my professor rant about how he hates the government. Dude, if you don’t like the ways things work, do you think yelling about it is going to help?

As long as I make it December 13, I’m golden. That marks the end of the term and the release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug which I will be seeing at midnight in IMAX (it’s also the day my youth group is having their advent church service, so it will be an awesome 24 hour period!). After all of this I can really start focusing on toy store things… oh yeah, and save money. I’ll need some of that in the future.

I’m taking classes online next term in order to save on gas (I commute to school 3 days a week) and cutting down to 9 credits (only 3 classes) to free up a little time. The way I see it, I’ll graduate when I graduate. No hurry… In order to keep myself from becoming a total recluse, I’ll make a little “field trip” about once a week and travel to toy stores/specialty stores in the general area. I’d really REALLY like to make a small documentary for every trip because who doesn’t love a good video? It’ll be great to see what other stores are doing and talk to the owners to start networking.

But that’s not all, folks.

Black Friday is coming soon. Very soon. I’m thinking that I should take advantage of some sales and begin Operation Modern-Day Toy Research. That’s right. Brianna’s gonna buy some toys. I’ll review them and give you guys my honest opinion. Be prepared, I can be ruthless. Just ask me how I feel about the newest Superman movie…………..

The plan is to familiarize myself with the industry, with what’s hot and what’s not. Because toys are important and they’re well worth the time.

As much as I try to deny it, I’m a people person. I love interacting with others and getting to know them… It’s the people I already know that I can’t stand…..

But in all seriousness, I love people. All people. Most of all I love helping people in any way I possibly can. It makes me feel good! I truly believe that God wants me to serve Him by serving others and I’m cool with that. It’s one of the reasons I love my job and I love going to school. Every day is a new chance to lend a hand to someone struggling and show them a little love, maybe even restore their faith in humanity. I don’t expect anything in return. In fact, I don’t WANT anything in return. That would cheapen the deal. I don’t buy into the “you scratch my back, I scratch your back” philosophy because that’s pretty low. If everyone had that mindset, would any problem get solved?

Charity is very important to me. It’s another major motivator behind my grand toy store scheme. I realize that I will witness many examples of “bad” parenting… You know those parents, the ones that yell at their kids to “behave because you’re embarrassing me!” Please, lady. You’re embarrassing yourself. Leave the kid alone. On the other hand, I’ll see lots of spoiled kids who will demand a new toy and demand it NOW. So how do we prevent this? Put an emphasis on giving back to others. I plan to partner with local organizations and donate toys to children in need. I’ll also encourage my customers to do the same… Sort of like a year-round Toys For Tots deal, with a drop-box in the store, but it wouldn’t be limited to Christmas time. No, we’re talking day in and day out. Some people would probably argue that donating toys is a waste, that that money could be spent on more useful things like food. I’m sorry, but a child who grows up below the poverty line is robbed of their childhood. They have to grow up quickly and miss out on so many things… but happiness should not be one of them. Everyone needs an escape, even a child.

So if a kid who is fortunate enough to live above the poverty line sees someone put a toy in the donation box, how might he or she react? “Mommy, what’s that box for?” “What do you mean they don’t have toys?” “Why are they so poor?” “Can we buy a toy and put it in the box?” or something along those lines. It would be really cool if I offered a discount with the purchase of a toy that you’re going to donate. I got this idea from TOMS, the wonderful shoe company that donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased…

Like I’ve said before, kids are the future. What happens to them today affects who they are tomorrow. One day these kids will be in control of the world, so why not teach them to use their powers for good?

When I tell people that I want to own a toy store, they immediately assume I mean antique toys. I’m thinking specialty toys. Stuff you can’t get just anywhere. Antique toys aren’t out of the question though…. Some specialty toys are super old, or they’re replicas of antiques. Some toys wouldn’t exist without them! Where am I going with this…?

Okay. So if you were looking for a unique toy, the PERFECT toy, where would you go? Duhh, the Internet. You can find ANYTHING online. That’s how I got my light-up R2-D2 lunchbox. Amazon is successful for a reason. But what if the toy you ordered isn’t what you were expecting? It could be in pieces, damaged from the gorilla-like hands of a savage postal worker. Maybe it’s just no fun, or not as fun as it seemed. OR, you have the same problem that comes with online dating: what you were expecting and what showed up on your doorstep were two completely different things. Sigh. Forever alone… Er, forever looking for legitimately cool toys.

The best toy stores let you play with a toy before buying it. You get to see how it works, get a feel for it, and make an educated decision. It’s like buying a car. You wouldn’t shell out 10 grand based on some crappy pictures a guy posted on Craigslist. At least, you shouldn’t… You’d want to see it in person, get a look under the hood, and take it for a test drive. So why not test drive a toy?? It would help reduce buyer’s remorse and ease parental hesitation.

“Billy, are you SURE you want Mr. Walk-and-Talk Teddy?”

“Yessss, mom! I HAVE TO HAVE HIM. Pleeeease?”

And then Billy discovers that Mr. Walk-and-Talk Teddy has a creepy satanic voice and moves unnaturally fast. If Billy had played with it before buying, he would have had one small emotionally scarring experience rather than developing a lifelong fear of teddy bears.

Also, encouraging in-store play would make the toy store environment more fun. Some parents might disapprove of the thought of children running around being HAPPY of all things, because back in their day they had to walk uphill both ways for 15 miles in a blizzard to be happy, and that was ONLY after they finished their dinner and respected their elders.

What kid wouldn’t want to go to a store that lets you touch the merchandise? It’s like a free Chuck E. Cheese, minus the pizza and robots. When I was a kid, there was a toy store in the mall that let you play with the toys. I remember going there just to play! Don’t get me wrong, we bought a ton of stuff there, some of our coolest toys to date! But eventually the store went out of business, which is sad. I find myself wishing that I could go back there and talk to the owner. This store is the main inspiration for my own store… the way a toy store should look and feel.

I don’t want to sell toys, I want to sell an experience.

Okay ladies and gremlins, it’s time for a status report. As much as I would like to rant about Gumby or Rubik’s Cubes or some toy-related, childhood memory of mine, it feels necessary. This is day #9 of my little quest and I’m very happy with my progress so far!

Yesterday I stumbled across The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, an organization that I can’t wait to join! I’ve contacted them with a few of the many, many, many, many, many, many, MANYYY questions I have, and hope to hear back from them soon. This feels like a big stepping stone, like, this is actually going to happen!

Also, I’m getting some amazing support from family and friends (and readers like YOU). It’s super cool to know that people believe in me and my dream. I can’t thank you enough. It will be a long road, but I’m prepared for it, especially if there are plenty of people who are watching my back.

On the other hand, I had a negative experience today, which is to be expected…. Not everyone is positive, right? I shared my toy store plans with a customer at work today. This guy was from out of town, I think he said he lives somewhere near Manhattan and apparently that’s a big deal. Don’t get me wrong, he was psyched about the whole toy store idea. But when I expressed my eagerness to stay in the community, he turned into the Incredible Hulk’s judgmental twin brother.

“If you run a toy store and you want to compete with Wal-Mart,” he said condescendingly, “you’ll have to jack up your prices… You’re going to need to be in an area that can afford it. If you start this business here, you will fail.”

“My main reason for staying here is to help kids in the community, because they are the future,” I replied.

“If you want to help the kids, become a therapist.”

Ummm, okay. Thank you, mysterious drifter who knows NOTHING about the area, who knows NOTHING about me, who knows NOTHING at all. Like really, what the heck? Can you please go away? Because you’re raining alllllll over my metaphorical parade and quite frankly, it’s as annoying as your tacky boot-cut jeans. Seriously, 50-year-old men shouldn’t shop at Buckle. No. Well sir, when the store opens, you’re entitled to a lifetime supply of “Eat Your Heart Out” coupons. Have a nice life.

I know it’s a risk. I know that. And I know I’m young. But this is what I’m supposed to do. This is my future. See ya there.