Business & Tech
Tons of Toys Caters to the Kid at Heart
Beyblades and the Fijit are the 'it' toys for the season, according to the store's owner-manager.
“It’s just fun to come in here,” Madison resident Alice Schreier says of Tons of Toys, as she eyes the toys stacked from floor to almost ceiling. “It’s a very alive store.”
Plus, it makes you feel like a kid again.
This year, owner-manager Chris Brinkofski says the hottest item on the shelves is the Fijit. The what? For the uninformed, the Fijit is an interactive foot-high semi-squishy robot that will respond to a few spoken commands.
Tell it to go to sleep, and it will close its eyes and snore. Tickle the Fijit and it will laugh. Ask the Fijit to tell a joke and you’ll get a joke.The price? $59.99.
Schreier’s 12-year-old daughter has been longing for something similar, the GoGo, a remote-controlled dog that will go for a walk and bark. The cuddly "pet" sells for around $75.
Made by My Playful Pup, there is also a battery-operated cat named Lulu that Brinkofsky describes as a “lap kind of animal” that will roll over. Also available is Cookie, a dog that wags its tail.
Schreier’s 9-year-old son would be happy with all the latest Beyblades, a spinoff of the Japanese television series "Beyblade Metal Fusion." A century ago, children got spinning tops in their stockings; these days the spinning tops are part of the Beyblades battles and tournaments, spinning inside a plastic stadium that has the look of extreme sports. The customized tops are collected at $15 a pop.
Of course, you can always fall back on Lego and Playmobil, the two anchors of plastic toys that have been pleasing generations of children and–truth be told–adults.
If this is all too much to take in, feast your eyes on the stuffed animal menagerie always on display outside the store at the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue. Made by a company called Melissa & Doug, there’s hardly an animal from the creature kingdom missing. Prices range from $20-$25 for a small dog to a giraffe that costs $100.
Check out the store on Facebook, Twitter or www.tonsoftoys.com or call 973-507-9774. Tons of Toys is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and closed Sunday. Giftwrapping and shipping are available.
