Things My Toy Garden friends whisper

Dear My Toy Garden friends!

It happens at least 3 x's a week. A customer pauses, averts their eyes to anywhere but my eyes and they confess. They always speak in hushed tones and hurry their words together. They inhale as they deliver the news. "I'm been to Toy Store X." they say. They feel as though they've somehow cheated on My Toy Garden by visiting and, oh my, purchasing something from another specialty store in the area.

My reply each time? "Great! Doesn't so and so have a great store?!" I do not perceive any of the other wonderful toy stores in the Indy area as competition. I see them as partners in the important work there is to be done in supporting families and building vibrant communities. I would love to see them all thrive and reach more families. I see the My Toy Garden competition much more in the big box stores and online sites like Amazon. Hmm...should I tell you how I really feel about Amazon? Nah, perhaps I'll leave it for another newsletter topic. All I'll say for now is I never, ever, never, ever, ever, ever shop on Amazon.com. Can't make me. Won't do it. Ever.

This Saturday is Small Business Saturday promoted by American Express and we are very excited to see this celebration growing every year! Small businesses make a huge difference in so very many ways and this week, we invite you to learn more AND we'll pay you to learn! As you know, we rarely offer coupons or discounts believing that our products are fairly priced as they are. So, if you're still reading...enjoy these 3 ways to save at My Toy Garden this holiday season!
1) Register your American Express card for Small Business Saturday. Once you register your card, you then go shop at a locally owned business that accepts American Express like My Toy Garden and spend at least $25! American Express will then credit $25 back on your statement within 6-8 weeks. Oh yeah! There are limited slots to register so grab one right now!
2) Shop at the other delightful specialty stores in the Indy Area! Pick out a few treasures and spend at least $20. When you show us your receipt dated from Nov. 23 - Dec. 16, we'll enter you in a drawing for one of 4 $40 gift certificates to My Toy Garden as our way of saying thank you for shopping local! 
Indy Area Toy Stores:
Earth Explorer Toys - Zionsville
For Kids Books and Toys - Zionsville
Imagination Station - Franklin
Kits and Kaboodles - Westfield
Mass Ave Toys - Downtown Indy
Mudsocks Books - Fishers
Wilbur's Lincolnwood Toys - Brownsburg
The Wild - Noblesville
3) Educate yourself about shopping local! Read any of the following articles, print off 1 page from any of them. Just one page, that's all. Any page from any of the articles below. You pick. That printed page will be your coupon for 20% off of any one item at My Toy Garden. You must have the printed page to receive the discount. Each small business purchase you make helps keep the local lights on!

Playfully,
Toylady Janet

Shop Local Articles:
Sustainable Connections - Why Shop Local?
Babble Blog - Where You Buy is as Important as What You Buy
Project 3/50 - A National Campaign we proudly support...why? Read on!
One Local Family - This blog is the adventures of a family who tried to shop only local for a full year. Great insights!

What?! I Only Clicked a Little!

Dear My Toy Garden friends!

Oh, that'd be great for Sam! Click! Love that for Grandma! Click! Awwww, that's sooo cute for Sophie! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! There, holiday shopping all done..whew! That sure was easy!

Zoom...off goes your dollars from your bank account to the online retailer's account in a bank far, far away never to be seen in your community ever again.

Or...if you will.....one stop shopping! Enter the mega world full of this, that and the other thing. You fill your cart with goodies for beneath the tree. No staff member acknowledges you or can be found when you need them. But no matter, you are done with your holiday shopping...whew...

Zoom...off goes your dollars from your bank account to the corporate office in the land of far, far away. Some of it trickles back to your community in the form of employee paychecks, sales tax paid to the state that funds community projects and offices, and property taxes paid in your community.

Or....one last trip with me if you will...you visit 3 locally owned stores who carry a wide variety of merchandise. You are greeted with a smile, by name. You are personally guided to just the perfect gifts...things only found in special stores like these. Your gifts are gift wrapped for free. You are helped to your car. Your shopping is done stress free. You know everyone will rave about their gifts.

Zoom...your dollars fly from your account to a local bank account that supports the local community. It goes to the retailer's account who lives in your neighborhood, pays community taxes, eats at the local restaurant, gets their haircut at the local salon, shops at the local grocery store, donates to the local charities, hires local employees who do the same local spending. It goes to pay taxes that pay for your schools, your fire department, your police staff, your library.

Where you spend your dollars matters...tremendously! With each local purchase, you send your dollars swirling around the other local businesses you drive past every day. With each local purchase you make, you keep the charm in your community. With each local purchase you make, you nurture a flicker of light that one day will shine brightly in what is now a vacant storefront. You make a difference one dollar at a time.

Playfully,
Toylady Janet