eToys and KB
Toys are the same company, both owned by eToys
Direct, and their websites are virtually identical
with the same product  offerings, prices, and
shipping. Pricing is very good. The
website is laid out well with categories that are
based on age, type of toy, price range, and gender
with searches allowed inside these categories or
across the website. They carry practically every
popular brand and  type of toy and game. This
includes video games and consoles and it is surprising
that KB and eToys often have more availability of stock
on these than merchants which specialize in them,
especially during product launches when everyone else
is sold out. Taxes are only charged on orders
placed in Massachusetts and certain other
locales. Shipping is based on weight, with a
base fee of $4 plus 85 cents per pound (cheaper rates
for 20 lb and up). |
All
Aboard Toys features toys based on children's
shows including the wildly popular Thomas the Tank
Engine, and they carry not just a few offerings of
the tracks and various character trains, but pretty
much the entire selection of products including books,
bedding, backpacks, clothing, costumes, dinnerware,
puzzles, party supplies, videos, etc.  They
also feature products from other children's shows
including Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer,
Winnie the Pooh, Sesame Street, Clifford, Veggie
Tales, Madeline, and others. Website design
is cute with icon links representing the various
characters on top and category links on the left to
make navigation easy. Customer satisfaction is
high with the products and services from All Aboard
Toys. Shipping is based on the cost of the order
and is reasonable for standard delivery from $6 to $8
with free shipping for some large orders and both UPS
and USPS services available (see website for details
and current promotions). |
Are
You Game features a huge selection of games and
puzzles for all ages - everything from Candyland to
every version of Trivial Pursuit. Categories are
provided for types of games and range of ages and
broken  into games and puzzles. They have a good
offering of educational games and puzzles. Most
products are sold at a discount off list price.
A nice feature is a Demo Arcade that allows simple
stylized versions of a few games to be played online. |
Magic
Cabin features a unique selection of heirloom
quality dolls, toys, and crafts that harken to the
days when "batteries not included" was not
on nearly every toy label. They carry toys for
all ages, from babies to older kids, and have classic
games, puzzles, and toys, as well as some  modern
ones. Adults will love browsing the online
catalog to find some of the toys and games they played
with when they were children. Sales tax is
only charged in the five states in which Magic Cabin
has a retail outlet. Shipping charges range from
$5 to $20 based on the total order cost. Only
standard ground shipping is available. |
Wild
Games is a website that sells games for the
PC. Most games cost $20 and can be downloaded
immediately or a CD can instead be requested to be
shipped. There are package deals  where multiple
games can be purchased at a good discount. All
of the games have demo versions so they can be
reviewed before purchase. The games are divided
into categories Arcade, Action, Puzzle, and
Sports. Wild Games sponsors contests for some of
the games as well as posts high scores on their
website. Since most customers download the games
immediately upon purchase, there is no shipping
cost. |
The
Discovery Channel Store is known for their
educational toys, games, and videos but also carries
gadgets, travel gear, office tech products, and
electronics, including MP3 and MP4 players, digital
cameras and camcorders, compact stereos, portable DVD
players, etc.  They also carry varied products
including innovative fitness gear, clocks and watches,
and a full selection of Meade telescopes and
binoculars. The Discovery Channel Store has
excellent customer service and a good return policy
but shipping charges are a bit high, ranging from $6
to $29 based on the cost of the order for standard (3
- 5 business day) with lower charges for video, DVD,
or book only orders. Tax is charged on orders
where the DiscoveryStore has a retail presence, and
this is over half the states. |
Little Tykes is probably the best known merchant for toys for infants, toddlers, and young children. Their website details their entire collection of children's toys for all ages and categories. It is necessary to narrow selection down to the appropriate age and category to get a manageable  number of items to display, which is easy using the left sidebar menu with its unique and convenient selector, removing categories as others are chosen. The rest of the website is of excellent design, with the ability to view all products in a category or search. Prices are at list, and shipping is based only on the cost of the order, starting at around $7, and becoming substantial at $25 for orders between $80 and $120. |
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