Santa's Summer Shopping

Well that's it!  The first day of summer, the weather is slowly improving and later on today we head off to a trade fair to start looking at toys for....(deep breath)....Christmas!

We have already completed orders with some of our key suppliers.  By the end of January this year we had finalised our Advent Calender order from LEGO, and made sure that we'd picked out our top lines for the second half of the year.  We'd also had the chance to visit Toy Fair London - where many new lines and prototypes are showcased and we schmoozed with the whole Toy Industry.  

The trade fair we are going to this week is different!  It's focused purely on independent businesses, meaning we don't have to jostle for time and space against the big supermarket/catalogue/online retailers. The great news for us is that the suppliers will have the time to demonstrate all their fantastic new lines for Autumn/Winter 2012 and we'll have a chance to really play with the new toys and make the best decisions about which brands we think will be top of Santa's Wish List.  

We're also looking forward to chatting with other independent toy shops, and coming back brimming with ideas of how to make your shopping experience with us the best it can be!   So, although a heat wave is about to sweep the country, please don't think we're mad if you come into the shop to find us humming Christmas Carols - after all we are doing Santa's Summer Shopping!

And now for something completely different....

One of the big challenges we face as a toy shop is always trying to find products that set us aside from other toy retailers.  We think that we have done just that with our latest ranges from Djeco. 

This is a company that we've started dealing with in the past few weeks, as we love their exclusive design-led products and as an added bonus they don't supply them to large multiple retailers and grocers.  

Sometimes it's the simplest toys that have the biggest impact, and the marble range from Djeco does just that.  I played a lot with marbles as a child, but don't remember them having the wonderful array of colours and designs that we've found from Djeco.  With pinks, blues, blacks and reds as well as patterns from the traditional petal to spots, stripes, flowers and glitter these are no ordinary marbles.  Priced from £2.50, they come in fabulous little clear storage boxes - perfect to keep them tidy when not being played with!  There is also a complimentary range of marbles toys to inspire game play, each toy set comes with a few marbles and a handy carry pouch for fun-on-the-go!

 

In addition to the marbles collection we also stock other Djeco products including an inspiring collection of Magic Tricks and a design-led collection of collectable pirates, knights & superhero figures called "Arty Toys".  We love that Djeco have managed to turn very traditional toys into something completely different.  Their ranges offer a great modern twist on existing ideas, making them perfect for kids of all ages!

 

Good Deeds Get Rewarded!

Last week our son Jake turned into a local hero when he found someones lost caravan keys in the High Street.  Fortunately the rightful owners were found and they were returned to them, much to their delight and relief.  They were in such a tizz at the time and so pleased that they wouldn't have an expensive repair breaking into their holiday home, that they forgot to note the shop where they'd managed to get back their lost keys.

It was a wonderful surprise when they contacted us on our website via our virtual assistant, and managed to establish that The Hub was the shop where "the owners wee boy" had handed in the lost keys.  As he'd been such a hero, they wanted to say thank you and used the website and our free collect at store service to order some LEGO Hero Factory as a treat for him.  Needless to say, Jake was over the moon that his good deed was rewarded and of course next time the family are visiting their holiday home they'll be sure to take a spare set of keys with them everywhere!  

  

Scandalous Skylanders

Many of our regular customers will know that we have a policy in The Hub - we sell everything on our website and in store at the recommended selling price (or sometimes below).  Whether it's a large item like the LEGO Super Heroes Batcave or the latest collectable craze, such as Moshi Monster bracelets & charmlings we are careful to stay within manufacturer guidelines.  

LEGO Super Heroes 6860 Batcave

One of the latest, most desperately sought after toys of 2012 so far has been Skylanders.  We pre-ordered these a few months ago and finally received a  small shipment of wave 3 Skylanders earlier this week which we launched via our Facebook page.  They've been so hard to get hold of that in recent weeks we've seen other businesses selling them for scandalous prices way over the £7.99 & £19.99 suggested price points.  A pattern that we've seen repeat itself at various times of the year as the latest hot property gets snapped up.  As parents ourselves we empathise with the need to get your hands on the latest "must-have" toy, but also the desire to buy at a good price without feeling ripped off by someone trying to make a quick buck. 

Skylanders Triple Pack featuring Drobot, Flameslinger & Stump Smash - £19.99

One of our suppliers has commented recently that we are "the most ethical toy retailer they've ever dealt with" because of this policy.  This surprised us, we'd never really thought of this policy as being ethical - just an extension of our own core values as parents & consumers ourselves.  We guess this is one of things that sets us apart from some of the other places you can buy toys and will be one of the main reasons that our customers love coming back to see us again, and again, and again!

LEGO VIP Launch Event

As many of you will know we had a wee family holiday over the Christmas period heading off to sunnier climbs in Orlando, Florida.  Whilst we were away we really enjoyed the superb customer service offered by the various theme parks, restaurants and shops. 

This experience has really inspired us and we've made a number of changes straight away to our own business.  This has started with us organising our own wee "Thank You" event for our customers that have supported us over the past 20 months as we've expanded and grown.  On the 11th January we announced our first ever LEGO VIP event on Facebook and were delighted when the event sold out in less than 24hrs!  

On the 15th January we held our first invitation only LEGO VIP Event - with a resounding success!  Invitees got the chance to have hands on experience with some of the new LEGO sets, including LEGO Dino, LEGO Friends and LEGO Super Heroes.  Jake (chief toytester and No1 son) was in charge of the Ninjago demonstration area and delighted in showing everyone how to get the most out of the new green LEGO Ninjago spinners & booster packs.  We also has some competitions to win some great LEGO goodies and of course everyone left with a wee goodie bag to say thanks for coming!   

We had a fantastic day, and feedback so far shows that everyone who made it along had a great time (although we really do need more space).  It's spurred us on to do more of this kind of thing and keep changing and growing the products & services we offer.  It's also shown us that you never know where the next spark of inspiration will come from!

We want to make sure that you are delighted with your experience when you shop at The Hub, whether in-store or online.  So give us your feedback here, on our facebook page, on twitter or next time you are in store so we can keep giving you a local shop with customer service you love!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Welcome to the first post of 2012!  Happy New Year to everyone who reads our wee blog!

It's been the busiest Festive Season yet, and we had a marvellous time down at The Hub helping Santa to deliver all the finest toys and celebrating with the people of Dunblane.  It's hard to believe but later on this month we'll be heading off to the Toy Fair in London to start planning Christmas 2012!

To kick start the New Year we have some fantastic new ranges in store, including the latest designs from LEGO.  Their new play themes for 2012 include LEGO Dino, LEGO Super Heroes and LEGO Friends (girlie LEGO at long last!).  We also have new designs in existing themes including LEGO Star Wars, LEGO City, LEGO Creator & LEGO Duplo!

We've also got some great new themes in the Top Model range including Create your Fantasy Top Model & Design your own T-shirt.  The "Horses Dreams" range, also from Depesche, has  been expanded to include some gorgeous new pens & pencils as well as lovely new stationery sets.  As ever this is a beautiful range, perfect for birthday gifts and treats with prices starting at just £1.35.   

We're also expecting delivery of the latest collectables "Trashies" and "Bungees" any day now!  So there are lots of exciting new things to see in the shop for 2012.

Over the next year we'll be looking at expanding our existing toy & collectable ranges including growing our selection of baby toys.   We'll also be adding more gift wrap and card options over the year as well as expanding our gift voucher options.  It looks set to be an exciting time, but as ever we love getting your feedback on how we can provide the products and services you want to see.  Let us know on our Facebook page what other things you would like to see added to The Hub over 2012...

TOY TESTER REVIEW - Iball 3

Ruby has been fantastic at testing some of the best toys available from The Hub and creating incredible You Tube vidoes to help bring those toys to life!  This month we asked her to try out The Gadget Show's No1 toy for 2011 - The Iball3!  Here's what she had to say: 

Toy Tested - Iball 3 - £16.99

 

PLAY VALUE how much fun is the toy?

I am getting loads of fun from this Toy, and so is everyone else who has tried it. You can play with it just about anywhere and also while you are doing other stuff like watching telly or listening to music. It is good for car journeys and it is fun to help another person when they are playing. I play this all the time as I am really trying to pass level 2. The only thing is dont start playing just before you are to go to sleep, as you wont be able to put it down.  

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one-off or will you play with it lots?

This toy will keep you hooked for ages, and everyone else in the house. The idea is simple so you can pick it up and play at any time and play for as long or little as you want. You can put it on silent and play it on trains or waiting rooms. There are spare batteries included, which will make it last longer.

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly? 

The iBall just came in a carboard box which was easy to recycle  

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last? Is it built well?  

The iBall is made of really tough plastic and comes with its own stand, I have dropped it a few times and it has survived fine!

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

VALUE FOR MONEY - Looking at the price above, do you think it is value for money?

I think this is excellent value for money, as it will keep everyone in the family entertained for hours and hours. It would be a really fun challenge to do over Christmastime. The spare batteries are good as you wont have to pay for more when the first ones run out.

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

Really good fun, but can be very frustrating!  Is so addictive you will be dreaming about it. Think this will be the new craze.

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

Ruby has been a fantastic toy-tester and we'd love to thank her for all her hard work over the past few months.  In particular she's produced some excellent videos to really help you see how the toys work when being played with.  We've loved watching them and reading all her reviews and hope to bring her back for some guest appearances in the future as we discover more great toys at The Hub!  

TOY TESTER REVIEW - LEGO Star Wars Watches

As the last month for toy testing approached we wanted to make sure that each Toy Tester tried out something really fantastic that will give them long-term fun!  We knew that Archie was a HUGE fan of LEGO, but wanted him to try something LEGO based, but with a twist, so the LEGO Star Wars Watch seemed like the perfect thing!  We chose the R2D2 watch for him to try out last week (we also have a LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper design available).  Here's how he got on....

LEGO Star Wars R2D2 Watch - £16.99

 Toy Tested: LEGO Star Wars R2D2 Watch - £16.99

PLAY VALUE - how much fun is the toy?  

You can change the strap and switch the edges of the face. You have also got a choice of colours for the edge of the face. For a watch it is lots of fun. The R2D2 figure is an added bonus and adds to the amount of fun you can have. As well as having fun it will help me to improve my timekeeping and my telling the time skills!

Play Value- out of 10 (10 being top): 10

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one-off or will you play with it lots?

 

I really like looking at my watch and so do all my friends! I will put it on my wrist every day and expect to until I grow out of it (this won't be for a while because I still have lots of spare links for the watch strap.) I will also love switching the colours on the strap.

Longevity - out of 10 (10 being top): 10

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly? 

I am in an eco school so I am quite good at answering this question! The packaging was very easy to remove. The cardboard box is easy to recycle. Although there is a plastic box it is very useful for keeping the spare links and watch in so you do not need to throw it away.

PACKAGING - out of 10 (10 being top): 9

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last? Is it built well? 

I think the toy will last an awful long time. Once I had got the hang of how to put the links together it was easy for me to do myself - the instructions tell you clearly how to do this. I just needed a little bit of help to get the strap the right size for my wrist. You can put the R2D2 figure on the watch which is great but I don't do this at school as I would be a bit scared of losing the figure as I think it would be easy to knock off.

BUILD QUALITY - out of 10 (10 being top): 9

VALUE FOR MONEY - Looking at the price above, do you think it is value for money? 

The watch costs £16.99 so I would have to save up my pocket money for it but I definitely think it would be worth it.

VALUE FOR MONEY - out of 10 (10 being top): 9

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?:

 

I would recommend this watch to lots of my friends as I think it is really cool and you can do lots of things with it. You will look at it so much you will never be late for anything again and you will be great at telling the time.

OVERALL IMPRESSION - out of 10 (10 being top): 10

Archie has worked hard for us over the last 3 months testing a variety of Toys & Games.  You can find all of the toys he's tested on our website, and be confident that you are picking toys & gifts that real kids will really love.  We've enjoyed reading all his reviews and want to send a huge thanks to him from The Hub!  Merry Christmas Archie!

Must-Have Christmas Gift Guide

IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! This means one thing for all the good little boys and good little girls – Must-Have Toys! For Parents and Grandparents it can be a minefield trying to work out what our kids will want each year, and inevitably whatever they tell us, many will have a last minute change of mind on Christmas Eve. 

At The Hub we’ve been listening to the local children all year long about what their favourites are and have a great range of big brand toys, including LEGO, YooHoo & Friends, Moshi Monsters, Top Model and much, much more. We’ve even got our Toy Testers (Archie & Ruby) involved in reviewing the toys we sell and link to these reviews online...so you can find the toys children really love. 

We’ve updated our Top Toys Christmas list to show the toys available now, and the ones due to be released in the next week or so....

Boys Toys

1. Harry Potter Monster Book of Monsters - £26.99
2. LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon - £132.99
3. LEGO Star Wars Anakin Skywalker & Sebulba’s Podracers – £81.99
4. Pokemon Christmas Tins - £12.99
5. Iball 3 - £16.99

Girls Toys

1. Lite Sprites Prisma & Wand - £29.99
2. Xia-Xia Pets (due in 8th December)– Prices from £9.99
3. Moshi Monsters Moshling Treehouse - £19.99
4. Top Model Make Up Model - £11.99
5. Milky the Bunny - £59.95

 

Top Family Games

1. Pass the Pud– £14.99
2. Cars 2 Frustration - £15.99
3. Bananagrams – £14.99
4. LEGO Creationary – £24.99
5. Dobble - £12.99

Sensational Stocking Fillers

1. Moshi Monsters Gold Tins- £9.99
2. YooHoo & Friends Christmas Wannabe's & Keychains - from £3.99
3. LEGO Minifigures - £1.99
4. LEGO Star Wars Darth Vader Keylight - £6.99
5. Arctic Force Snow Fort Maker - £3.99

At The Hub we have Christmas all Wrapped Up – with our fantastic online ordering service at www.thehubdirect.co.uk , you can choose to have pressies delivered straight to your door, or arrange to pick up your order with our Free Collect At Store Service...we’ll even gift-wrap it for you if you want the ultimate stress free festive season!

That’s not all – we try to cater for the whole family at Christmas, and as well as some cool gifts for mum & dad, such as the Motormouse Wireless Mouse, we can also provide all your wines for the festive season from our varied selection of Independent Wines. We have specially selected Christmas Cases, available to view online at www.thewinehub.co.uk , as well as free local delivery when you order 6 or more bottles. 

So that’s The Hub Christmas All Wrapped Up for you, in one convenient independent local store! 

TOY TESTER REVIEW - LEGO Games Banana Balance

As we know, Christmas provides the opportunity for the whole family to get together.  Almost as traditional as the turkey itself, families gather after Christmas Lunch to try out the latest games.  LEGO have created some fantastic games this year and Banana Balance is reputed to be one of the best for beginners.  Archie, one of our Toy Testers agreed to try out with his younger brother to check that it really is as good as we think.

LEGO Games Banana Balance - £7.99

PLAY VALUE - how much fun is the game?  

It was good because I can play it with my whole family, including my little six year old brother.

There are different ways of playing the game which is good and keeps you interested. You can even make your own rules up!                                                     

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one off or will you play with it lots?

The game can last a very short time to a very long time. You will have to be a very skilled person to win this game! But it is a good bit of family entertainment.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly? 

There were only two bags in the box so it wasn\'t that bad.But they could have put cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags. They could have also provided a cloth bag to keep the bananas in  because they are VERY SMALL!!

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last?  Is it built well?   

I didn't need any help building this one. But it is quite hard getting all the bits of the tree in the right place. You can change how you build the tree though. The tree does fall over very easily which means my little brother gets frustrated with it but it is part of the fun of the game.

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

VALUE FOR MONEY - Looking at the price above, do you think it is value for money?

I think it is a very good price at £7.99. My Mum says it would be a great present for birthday parties.

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

IT IS ALL VERY GOOD!!!!

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

Banana Balance is just one in a whole series of different games produced by LEGO.  With prices starting at just £7.99 there is a varied range to suit all budgets and ages.  Our website shows some of the games we have in stock at The Hub, and we're pleased to say that looking at the January preview of new LEGO Games for 2012 the fun will keep on coming! 

The Toy Testers will soon be getting their December toys to review, so check back soon for more reviews. 

TOY TESTER REVIEW: Banangrams

We'd heard a lot about the game "Bananagrams", but wanted to know for sure that it was a great toy...so what better way to find out than to get our Toy Tester Ruby to try it out during November.  She's created the most amazing Youtube review, as well as the written one below.  Be sure to pause the video when she tells you to :)

Bananagrams - £14.99

PLAY VALUE how much fun is the toy?

I think this Toy is really good fun, but I have to say my Mum really enjoyed it. She is a Librarian and loves Scrabble.  I thought it was better than Scrabble though as you have other options, you make your own grid, so do not have to wait to see what the other players word is. You can also get other letters as you need them. It is good that you can take it anywhere as it is in a cute Banana pencil case, and just like Scrabble you can make your own rules if you want.

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one off or will you play with it lots?

I have played this several times in the last week. I usually just play one game at a time though. This toy is really good for any child or adult as long as you are old enough to spell! As it is similar to Scrabble it will last for ever, and there is several different ways you can play this game.

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

There was no packaging on this toy. It comes in a cloth pencil case which holds the tiles. Very eco-friendly!

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last?  Is it built well?   

The toy is very well made. Strong plastic scrabble tiles and a sturdy cloth pencil case to keep them in. There was a sheet of instructions in the case, which I read and understood. The game is easy to understand after one try.

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

VALUE FOR MONEY - Do you think the game is good value for money?

I think this is good value for money, as you will keep it for years and years and the whole family can enjoy it.

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

This is good for either a boy or girl. It is also good to take on holiday or visiting people. It is a game that you have to think about though, and you need to be good at spelling! A good christmas gift for either adults or children.

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

Games are so popular all year round, but particularly at Christmas and after reading this review we know it's a must-have for families.  We're in the process of adding all our Games & Toys onto our website, but in the meantime  you can contact us directly via our Facebook page to order. 

TOY TESTER REVIEW - Monster High Fashion Sketch Portfolio

We're delighted to publish our second Toy Tester Review of the month - this time from winner Ruby Ginoris (10).  We asked her to try out the Monster High Fashion Sketch Portfolio (£9.99), one of our top tips for a great birthday present for a girl aged 8+.  One of the things that impressed us about Ruby's application was her use of YouTube, and she's created a special YouTube video review for us (just click the link).  You can also read her comments below.  :

Monster High Fashion Sketch Portfolio - £9.99

PLAY VALUE - how much fun is the toy?

I think the idea of the sketch pad is really good, as it is more than just colouring in an outline, you can choose exactly what clothes you would like for your doll design. I enjoyed coming up with lots of cool and crazy outfits for the monsters, it is relaxing to do on a rainy day especially in caravan in Blackpool.

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

LONGEVITY – is the toy a one off or will you play with it lots?

I immediately designed 3 dolls outfits and enjoyed it. I have since been back and added more a few times. There are loads of pages to fill so it could last quite along time, but I suppose eventually it will be full, I think it is just for immediate fun not years.

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 5

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

There was only a little plastic seal round it. The book is made of cardboard and paper so could eventually be recycled, so really quite eco-friendly

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last?  Is it built well?   

This toy is not really designed to last forever but it is bound well and would not fall apart. I could work out exactly what to do myself from the instructions, but it was obvious what to do from the cover of the sketch pad.

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

VALUE FOR MONEY - Do you think the toy is good value for money?

I think £9.99 was good value for money. I would have to save up if I wanted to buy it myself, but I think it would make and ideal birthday or Christmas present for a friend.

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

I think the Fashion sketch portfolio is good fun. It does require some concentration though and you need to enjoy creative things in the first place. It would be good if some pencils or pens were also included.

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

You can view some of our toy range online at www.thehubdirect.co.uk or email us for more information if you can't find the specific toy you need.   Our November reviews will follow soon.....

TOY TESTER REVIEW - LEGO City Space Shuttle 3367

At The Hub we recently ran a competition to get some Toy Testers on board and give us real reviews from real children on real toys.  We do not alter their reviews in anyway - so here is the first review from our Toy Tester Archie MacKechnie, who was given the LEGO City Space Shuttle (3367) worth £26.99 to test during the month of October.  Here's what he thought of it....

LEGO City Space Shuttle - £26.99

PLAY VALUE - how much fun is the toy?

I've had lots of fun with the Lego City Space Shuttle. The shuttle would be a great addition to the Lego Airport. Although I don't have the airport I enjoyed making my own NASA space station out of mixed up Lego.

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one off or will you play with it lots?

I have played with it every day since I got it. I pretended putting the satellite into space for the weather forecast. I made up lots of fun games to play with the Shuttle. It comes with one figure but you can add other figures. (I bought mine at the Hub of course!)

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

There are some good, easy ways to open the box. There were four plastic bags in the cardboard box. It is great that Lego divide the pieces into bags but to be more eco-friendly they could use cardboard boxes 

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 7

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last & is it built well? 

The Shuttle is very stable. My  Lego plane is nowhere near as stable.It was quite easy to build.  It took me 75 minutes to build it all by myself.

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

VALUE FOR MONEY - Do you think the toy is good value for money?

It is quite a good price at £26.99. Not a pocket money price (without saving for weeks).

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

Suggestion for all Lego products, maybe put a tool in the set to get off pieces of Lego, to save me breaking my teeth or swallowing pieces! (Like the ones you get in Lego games)

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10