The comp is at the bottom, first comes the frothy business gush. You can skip it if you wish. 😆
Most regular readers of this blog will know that we’ve run an online toy business for 10 years; it’s not always had quite the same name, but PlayMerrily Toys is the core of what we do. It provides all our income (and a good few of our grey hairs) and is my pride and joy. I set it up in a cupboard when everyone believed people would never buy on the internet (hahahahahahahaha) and we’ve managed to keep it going through thick and thin. At the beginning of this year, after several tough personal years that coincided with a deep recession, I truly thought our number was up when 2 of our main suppliers (neither of them mentioned in this post though!) told us we had to remove all their products from all 3rd party selling systems – for a good while a large part of our sales came from the profit destroying, soul sucking warrior woman site. While competition there is fierce, it is exposure and my heart sunk. I couldn’t see how we could survive and as the early part of the year passed, I was sure it was all over.
I can live with many things but seeing my business go under because I refuse to sell at a loss and because of a tragedy that took all our attention was not something I wanted to happen. I needed to know we had given it everything before we admitted defeat. We are good traders; our customers love us and we almost never have to deal with upset ones, we sell gorgeous toys, we’ve never been in debt or failed to pay a supplier, we don’t let people down and we work very hard. But we needed to do more; I needed to know that I’d given it my all before I let it go.
So we made the tough decision to put Bene into nursery 2 days a week when the girls all went to school in September. It allowed Max and I to work together twice a week and focus on improvement and planning and meant that, along with the middle three days we could take it in turns to do, the business suddenly had much more of our time. I worked like a demon, filling in blanks that had been there too long after we didn’t replace leaving staff last year. Max created work for me to do, I did it. What a team – and the 3 of us, Max, me and E who packs and warehouse manages for us, set about being ready for Christmas. Everything hinged on it. With only 3 of us and 5 children to manage alongside, there isn’t time to do it all; I focused on making certain brands look better, blogging a bit, tweeting a bit, talking to customers on the phone and Max did all the things he does best – which is what keeps it all running as smoothly and problem free as it does. I’d love to be the super engaged social media type that some small companies can manage to be but we are sometimes caught in a tricky spot – too small to have lots of staff but big enough to need it to be all hands on deck most of the time.
Well.
What a Christmas. I’d love to tell you we will be flying off to the Bahamas next week but it has to be said the toy trade will never make people like us rich, but our work has paid off and we’ve lived to fight another year 🙂 We’ve got an inbox full of happy customers and we’ve been able to sell everyone the toys they’ve wanted from us. It’s been our best Christmas for years. And next year I sincerely hope we will be doing more of the stuff I want to do – blogging, tweeting, getting excited about our lovely toys and crafts and being more involved in the blogging community as a business, not just Merry.
In celebration, Le Toy Van have offered us a lovely competition to run as well as a lovely special offer.
Here’s the competition.
The items pictured (cake stand, 2x icecream sundaes and chocolate cake all from the Le Toy Van Honeybake range) will be sent to you in time for Christmas direct from PlayMerrily Toys (sponsored by LTV). ((Little girl not included!))
Terms & Conditions
This competition is open to UK entrants only.
This competition closes at midnight on 18th December.
The Rafflecopter widget has the final say and entry must be correct. To receive the items by Xmas, winner must send address on 19th December by 3pm.
There is no cash alternative and the prize is as listed and pictured above.
Email address will be used to contact the winner. No other information will be used to contact any entrants for any reason.
This competition is sponsored by Le Toy Van and PlayMerrily Toys. It is in no way linked to Facebook or any other Social Media channel.
In addition, there is currently a free Budkins doll available when you spend £75 on Le Toy Van items on our website. See more details here.
Finally, I want to say a big thank you to the customers, readers, bloggers and friends who have supported us with sales, tweets, emotional support and general love this year and in the last few years. We wouldn’t have made it without you. Now to keep making it.
Hello there, this competition price looks so cute. I shall keep me fingers crossed x
Hello 🙂 my boys are after the LTV pirate ship for Xmas! x
My daughter wants a dollshouse
My daughter would love this. She’s obsessed with her toy kitchen. Mummy would like cake and ice cream to eat too!
Think this would go well with the other stuff I bought from you!
My two want a wooden kitchen and puzzles from Father Christmas
Anna wants a doll and a cot – even though she already has dolls and at least one cot!
My little girl (age3) was asked by Santa what she wanted… Replied “a blue princess and a present to make daddy better”
Hi well done on keeping your beloved business afloat, in this economy a true achievement. Have a healthy and successful 2014.
Good to hear things are going well! Long may it continue! X
My children and I have a total obsession with wooden food, well, with wooden toys altogether but food in particular! 🙂
Probably be easier to list what they dont want! We have been all about the wooden toys this year and we’ve invested in a huge wooden kitchen and a bbq grill for them both to open Christmas day. Food for them is the only thing we’re missing now!
Remember the smiles on Oli’s face last year as he opened his wooden train accessories! Hugging them as if they were his best friends 😀
Lovely toys and good luck for 2014!
Hi! My 16 year old wants a chocolate orange and my 14 year old wants a watermelon. I think Santa can manage that!
Hello 🙂 Wooden food is well-loved here. My girl wants Hunger Games stuff and my boy wants something that doesn’t exist – Lego Marvel superheroes game for the wii or the DS – they only do it for the wiiU or the 3DS 🙁
they would like thomas sets
anna m
Mine want so much I have lost count!
Tigerboy wants a doll 🙂
Ben wants Lego
A wonderful competition in time for Christmas thank you x
I’m going to say Hi and thanks for the lovely comp 🙂 x
I was in the middle of something (well two somethings actually) but I followed the link to this post mainly because I was interested in the “frothy business gush” but I thought I might as well enter the competition too. Would be rude not to 😉 Well done for all your hard work xxx
But seriously, I LOVE Le Toy Van – what a great competition 🙂
Sol would be so chuffed to add this to his games – he loves pretend play and his play kitchen. He’d love this too! Other than that my girls are going to love the djeco kits that they are (hopefully) getting from grandparents this year!
Btw – I +1d you too 😉
Lovely prize
Lovely competition and such a wonderful toy collection on your site. Xx
skylanders
Personally, I want a kitten… I’m sure the kids would agree… 🙂
My three year old girl really wants a wooden train set like her little brothers! We love wooden toys in our house 🙂
a balance bike
A furby 🙂
fab comp my daughter wants the play mobile dinosaurs
My little boy wanted some wow toys
MERRY CHRISTMAS
The list is pretty huge but Erin wants more furniture for her dolls house!
Syd is after a stick insect!
hello my kids have asked for a furby this year and also more items for their play kitchen
My 4 year old’s list has been pretty constant – a princess castle, moshi monster toy and a minnie mouse bed. she’ll be getting two of the three and hopefully some wooden food too from granny and grandpa x
Fab competition – and thank you for staying in business for another year… I want to buy M’s first dolls house from you next year 😉
My little man has a wooden kitchen coming from Santa so these would be lovely to go with it. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed 🙂
hello
Hello! What a fab competition 🙂 My elder two are easy this year as they want money. Dd2 wants Moshi Monsters stuff and has already had a bike. Ds2 loves Spider-Man, Batman and anything with wheels!
Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a Fantastic New Year!
Hi, my daughter would like all sorts and my son just wants cars!
Hi, what a gorgeous lot of food would go so well with the kitchen we have bought our Granddaughter
My children dearly love the rag dolls we bought from you 18 months ago 🙂 Best things I ever bought for them.
Hi, brilliant competition! My big kid’s top thing on her Christmas list is a bag of salt and vinegar crisps 🙂
She wants a furby
my kids want everything on the adverts 😉 x
There is so much that the children want – I can’t wait to see my youngest’s face though when he find his wooden push along truck! Here’s to another year for PlayMerrily Toys! x
Hello, the only thing my little boy wants is some toy animals.
My daughter wants a dolls house
My daughter would love this. She’s all about pretend play at the mo!
My little man wants “everything”, he said he wants a scooter and a bike, I tried to fob him off saying that they’d get stuck in the chimney, so we agreed on books and stickers.