Tons of Toys Takes on the Giants

Tons of Toys packs playthings from floor to ceiling over 2,000 square feet in Wyckoff's Rockledge Shopping Center. The store may not match everything on the shelves at big box stores such as Toys "R" Us, but there are gifts galore for children of every age.

And there are a few things that you'll find at Tons of Toys that you may not find at the big retailers. "Our biggest way to compete is with service," says Ken Maietta, who took over the store in 2004 from his father, Gerry, who founded it with his wife, Robin, 21 years ago.

Ken Maietta ticks off a list of the ways he beats the competition: "We have experts who can help you find the appropriate toy. We gift wrap. We put things together. We deliver. We really do know what we are talking about."

A customer is quick to agree, saying, "It's really true about service. I went in there on the way to a birthday party and described the gender and age of the kid, and one of them gave me five suggestions right off the bat." 

Maietta, who went to Wyckoff schools and graduated from Drew University with a degree in economics, really began his career when he was just 7 years old and came to the store, then located in the Cedar Hill mall, right after school.

He insists, "I wasn't interested in the toys, I liked the cash register and the price stickers."

But as a 23-year-old college graduate, he was interested in toys. He wanted to see them stacked to the ceiling. "We needed to match our name," he says. He also began a marketing campaign and now has a mailing list of 2,000 regular customers.

There's also an easy-to-navigate Web site, tonsoftoys.com, where customers can shop online.

And despite the economic slowdown, business has remained brisk. "People will cut back on themselves, but not their kids," Maietta says. 

To improve profitability, Maietta stopped buying toys from distributors and began buying them directly from manufacturers. "It is a pain, and you have to buy a lot more, but there is a big different in the margins," he said.

The Maiettas opened a second, smaller (1000-square-foot) store in Chatham five years ago and are about to open a third in Madison. Chris Brinkofski, who has worked in the Wyckoff store for the past seven years, has bought into the company and will take over the Madison store. The Maiettas will retain majority ownership of the third outlet, with Brinkofski, a graduate of William Paterson University, getting a 20 percent share.

Gerry Maietta, who now runs the company's wholesale operation, says the new store will be in a prime location in downtown Madison. He also praised the Madison Town Council and the Chamber of Commerce. "They support and take care of businesses," he said.  "Everybody pulls together there."  

Wyckoff, however, is a good place to be, according to the Maiettas, and Ken stresses the need to buy local. The store's discount coupons carry this message:

"When you shop at Tons of Toys you support your community.  We donate to all local schools, churches, synagogues and many other fundraising organizations.  We give back to the community. Save gas. Shop locally."

And when you visit the store, you'll notice a heart behind the cash register with the inscription Ken & Michelle, 7/9.  Ken Maietta will marry Michelle DenBlaker, a teacher at Washington Elementary School, on July 9.