Friday, May 31, 2013

Collectors of cars, here are cars to collect!

Earlier this year at our shop at 140 N. Larchmont, we brought in an absolutely wonderful die-cast car fixture.  We'd been looking for one for a while, so it was with great pride (and strength), that we triumphantly set it up near the Legos.  The only problem was, we didn't have any die-cast cars to put on it.  So there it languished, filled with non- die-cast cars, begging the question, "So where are the die-cast cars?".  It was a great question, and we're happy to announce that we have an answer now:  They are all on the die-cast car fixture!  Yes, we finally got in a shipment of die-cast cars at long last. 
Behold the beauty of detailed, sturdy, and sleek cars.  The doors even open!  Comprised primary of metal, not plastic, these vehicles are also pull-backs, so if you're not into pushing your car around, just pull these cars back on the ground and watch them zoom off.  We have everything from rescue vehicles to taxis to school buses to groovy cars with surfboards on top.  Plus some classic models as well!  You have to supply your own vroom-vroom sound, but we have a suspicion that won't be too difficult to achieve.

And for adults and/or 1980's film-savvy kids, we also have a line of iconic cars from iconic films in from Mattel.  Yes, that is a DeLorean.  And yes, it's okay to be excited about this no matter how old you are in years.



Like to walk on the sand but NOT play in it?

Well, never fear!  We have plenty of great ideas for a day at the beach that don't involve getting sand under your fingernails.  Planning for a trip to the beach involves thinking outside of your normal routine... comfort, portability of items brought, and of course, sun protection are all essential to enjoying your day!  Just because you've outgrown your sand shovel doesn't mean you can't have fun by the water. 

Rock Flower Paper is a brand new line for us at Landis' Labyrinth, seen in the upper photo on the left-hand side.  They make soft, lightweight scarfs perfect for both looking great as an accessory but also an easy way to give yourself just a bit of warmth when the breeze starts blowing.  They also make large canvas totes that can hold all of your beach necessities.

Another new line for us is All For Color, which as you can probably imagine, is quite colorful!  Their
items also happen to be extremely useful for when you're walking about.  Sunglasses, wrap-around wristwatches (so you don't have to risk losing your phone in the sand just to see what time it is!), nail files (for when you just can't resist joining in on the fun of building a sand castle and inevitably run your nails ragged), and pop-up hair brushes to de-snarl what the ocean air does to your hair are all great items to pop in your bag before heading out. 

One line that is not new for us is Karma Bags.  Their wallet-smart phone combo wristlets (see the photo up top) were a big hit last fall for us, so naturally, we had to make it available to you all again!  If you're really into paring down your essential items, this small wristlet is perfect for holding your cards and phone.  That way you can carry other goodies with your TWO free hands.  Yay for minimal organization!

And of course, if you're just going down to the beach to hang out along the boardwalk or pier, a little touch of jewelry is a simple but elegant way to dress up your beachwear.  B.U. be you Jewelry has a line of simple but beautifully wrought vermeil and sterling silver necklaces that come in a gift box and a card about the inspiration of the piece.  So whether it's a gift for a friend or something for yourself, these necklaces are sure to be appreciated.

Enjoy the beginning of summer and the end of the school year :)

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

And now for our favorite brand named after an extinct species of fish...

Okay, there are still two varieties of this fish still around, albeit in small numbers.  The brand, and fish, is named Coelacanth (pronounced See-luh-caanth).  The fish, let's face it, is pretty horrifying-looking, but the product line is adorable and great for both kids and adults.  They do everything from little notebooks to purses (we love the bicycle design above especially!), as well as coin/card purses, water bottles, and bags.  Their designs are whimsical, retro, and highly detailed, and truly do make people of all ages smile when they see them.  The robot has become a Landis' Labyrinth favorite around here, but of course, we have other designs in as well if robots aren't your thing.  So if you're looking for a unique but useful gift, consider netting (get it, netting...fish...netting...nevermind) yourself one of Coelacanth's neat-o products!

Friday, May 24, 2013

So you're a baby and you want something neat?

Well, crawl on over to Landis' Labyrinth and we'll show all there is in the way of awesome and fun.  We finally have a full selection of Rubbabu (squishy & fuzzy toys) back in stock.  These toys are great for younger kids because they are soft and texturally interesting, but be aware that they are not good for teething due to their flocked surfaces. 
If you haven't discovered this brand yet, come in and see why we love it so much!  We also just received a restock of some of our most popular Green Toys items, including the Tea Set, as well as a new item, the Ferry Boat (which looks way better in person than it does in this picture).  Made in the USA of recycled milk cartons, it's hard to go wrong with a Green Toys toy.

It was a great week for us shipment-wise, because we also had our Twilight Turtle and Sleep Sheep come in from Cloud B.  Parents swear by this brand to help them soothe their children to sleep.  The dark is a much less scary place when you've got a turtle nearby showing you the stars!  And just in time for summer, we have a whole array of ORE (ORE is pronounced oar-RAY so this is actually a cleverly rhyming sentence) in store.  You can buy a whole matching set, or if you can't choose which design you like the most, mix it us and get a sugar skull bag with an airplane apron.  The choice is yours! 

And last but not least, we have in the Pee-Pee Teepee, which is exactly what it sounds like.  Prevent a mess by putting one of these on your little boy and then change their diaper worry-free.

And on that note, we'd like to wish you all a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.  Landis' Labyrinth will be closed this Monday for Memorial Day, so stop by Saturday and Sunday for any last minute gifts you may need!

Landis' Labyrinth Loyalty Card Time!

As many of you loyal shoppers know, we generally start off our summer by handing out paper loyalty cards to our customers.  The response is, as you can imagine, pretty positive.  I mean, does it get any better than having a card that rewards you for spending money at your local toy shop by giving you a discount?

Well, now it does.

We're excited to announce that we are working with Fivestars to bring our loyalty cards into the digital age!  All you have to do is give us your name and phone number (email optional if you want to get occasional emails from us regarding events, special member deals, etc.), and we load your card with that info (which does not get sold!), and you're good to go and start rewarding yourself. 

You get 1 point for every $10 you spend, and once you get 10 points you can either use it toward a 15% off coupon, or save up to 25 points and get a free pair of Shwings!  The points don't expire, and if you lose your card, we can look it up via phone number, email or name! :) So, two big bonuses with this new card system.  Another bonus is that you can use this card at other Fivestars participants and start saving there as well.  We're thrilled that we can offer this to our customers, and we hope you'll love these cards as much if not more than our previous paper ones.  Come into any one of our shops to get set up :)

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere!



We might be just as excited as your child to have our bubble section restocked just in time for summer!  Pustefix is 'the' brand of bubbles out on the market (yes, just like Band-Aids are 'the' adhesive bandage and Tylenol is 'the' purveyor of acetaminophen , there is a brand of bubbles recognized as 'the' bubbles), so we're thrilled to not only have the regular tubes of bubbles with wands in stock, but also large refill bottles and a neat set of wands for the true bubble-enthusiast.

Of course, if you're looking for something a bit different from your average bubble, we also have restocked our Touch-A-Bubble tubes.  I can personally attest to the awesomeness of these bubbles... you blow them like a regular bubble (preferably in an area with little wind), but wait a few seconds and you can touch them without them bursting!  I tried them out at home, and a week later I was still finding unbroken bubbles lying around the room.  They really work, and this brand is the best of the ones we've tested.

And if you're really crazy about bubbles, we do have the Bubble Machine from Toysmith in stock.  So if you want tons of bubbles with little effort, this is the bubble machine for you.  So no matter what your bubble-need is, whether you want a few floating in the breeze or to be completely engulfed by them, we've got 'em at Landis' Labyrinth!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Twitter Promotion: MondayFunday!



Our Twitter (@landislabyrinth) has been growing by leaps and bounds the past few weeks, and we think it's high time we celebrate!  And what better way to celebrate than to have you all come in to the shop and save a bit of money on your favorite toys?

Find Landis’ Labyrinth on twitter and keep an eye out for our weekly #MondayFunday code word that you can mention at checkout to get 15% off all in-store purchases each Monday only*! And don’t forget, while you’re there, follow us for product updates, blog post mentions (yay!) and more!
 And now the fine print: 
*Code changes weekly, only found on twitter
*All discounted items are final sale
*Limit one per customer per week
*Not valid with any other promos or discounts

So join in on the fun and savings and follow us @landislabyrinth now :)

Friday, May 17, 2013

Two's Company... it draws a crowd!

Each season brings a whole new array of trinkets from Two's Company, a brand that ranges from home decor to jewelry to small gifts.  It's difficult to select which items from their catalogue we want to carry, but as soon as we saw the Chic Patisserie Macaron Gift Sets, we knew those were a must have.  We've carried the Macaron Trinket Boxes for a bit now, and those have a habit of just flying off the shelves (we actually just got a fresh shipment in!), so we knew that anything macaron would probably be a big hit.  These new sets are actually four macaron-shaped boxes with matching, round-ball earrings inside.  So you get four pairs of earrings in different colors, plus the adorable macaron boxes.  These would be excellent divided up as party favors, or perfect as a small "Thank You!" gift set for someone special.  Also back in stock are the beaded bracelets shown above, and the owl hand creams.  We also have our sparkle headbands back, as well as new goodies like neon bracelets, neon scarves, travel pop-up hair brushes, and two different styles of purse hooks that you can put in your purse and pull out when ever you're at a table and need a place to safely set your purse.  Our jewelry case is also full of new jewelry (hair pins, rings, etc.) from Two's Company, and if you must know what our absolute favorite item is, it's this guy:
You might not be able to read his tag, but you don't need to.  Just give him a small squeeze and out comes oinking and snorting that will have you giggling like a small child.  Small children tend to guffaw when they hear him, but hey, a laugh's a laugh.  Two's Company hit a home run with this little piggy!

Space: The Final Frontier...Use the Force!

At Landis' Labyrinth, you'll find that we can't just choose between DC or Marvel.  The same goes for Star Wars and Star Trek.  True, we have less in the way of Trekkie goodies, but just as with DC Comics products, it's simply because there are far less options for us to obtain out there.  So in honor of the release of the new Star Trek film, and in anticipation of the upcoming three new Star Wars films destined to come our in the next few years, we present to you... SPACE!!!

Of course, we have loads of Star Wars Lego sets, from galaxy-sized to Pluto-sized (you're still a planet to us, Pluto).  They have some great small sets that are hollow planets filled with the Legos to build one Star Wars Character and space vehicle, so it's a great set for a beginner or for an adult collector looking for the perfect desk toy.  As for Star Trek, we have some Kre-O sets from Hasbro in stock now.  Kre-O isn't as well known as Lego or Mega Bloks, but it's similar in that it is a brick-building toy.  Kre-O tends to veer more towards the collector side of construction rather than the building, so again, great for older collectors who yearn for a small, build-able replica of their favorite Star Trek ship.  Back over to Star Wars, we also just go in some Star Wars character ear buds, perfect for listening to a John Williams/Michael Giacchino score as you assemble your Lego/Kre-O sets.  Because we're assuming that when you play with movie tie-in toys that you're really going to go all out for it and listen to the accompanying music. 
And naturally, being the kind of shop we are, we must pay homage to the classic space-themed toys of yesteryear.  We were nearly overcome with joy and boxes last week when our Schylling Toys order came in, because not only were there a ton of boxes, many of them had space-themed toys within them.  Both the packaging and the toys themselves are retro-inspired, and we hope that they will inspire kids to get out and play this summer.
So stop on by and prepare to be dazzled by our retro and space-related toys!


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Beanie Boos, Ballz, and Monstaz, oh my (from Ty)!

We know how much you kiddies have been eagerly anticipating a restock of these guys, and we're just as excited that our Ty fixture is at full capacity again.  We have loads of the ever-popular Beanie Boos (those animals with the giant eyes) back, as well as the Beanie Ballz and Monstaz (the Monstaz even have a new saying.  Don't ask us what it is though, we don't understand Monstaz language either.).  We love that Ty has consistently great plush at an extremely reasonable price, something that makes everyone happy! 

You can never go wrong with classic Fisher Price Toys

Unless you're 12 and like Star Wars.  The TV Radio might not do the trick in that case.  But for the under 3 set, these toys are retro-reproductions as their best.  We just got a gigantic shipment in from one of our favorite retro toy companies, Schylling, and there's just too much classic goodness to be contained all in one post.  So before the classic Fisher Price toys sell out,  let's chat about them.

I actually had the Chatter Telephone when I was little, and it still makes me happy to see it when I come in to work.  It's probably one of the few opportunities kids today will get to even see a rotary phone!   The Music Box Record Player is the overall shop favorite.  It's a record player... for kids!  For the musically-inclined, we also have the Pull-A-Tune Xylophone to create wonderful or at least interesting melodies from.  For the slightly less musically-inclined there is also the Change-A-Tune Piano, for which no matter what key you press, you will be playing the 'right' note in the song.  And of course the Picture Camera and TV Radio never fail to bring smiles to both parents and children.  Carry on the tradition of owning a classic Fisher Price toy with your children!

Friday, May 3, 2013

Take a stroll through Apple Park

One of the most beautiful lines we've yet welcomed to our shop, Apple Park is more than just a lovely line of baby blankets, plush, teethers, and bags.  It's also one of the most eco-conscious plush lines around.  Made of internationally-certified organic materials, their products are free from insecticides, PVC, phthalates, mutagenic and carcinogenic dyes, chemical dyes, and polyester fillings.  Considering how attached children get to their blankets and plush toys, you can feel safe knowing that snuggling up to one of Apple Park's wonderfully soft creations will make your child happy and comfortable and not exposed to harmful toxins.  All of their products come in gift-giving-friendly packaging (we love the red hat boxes lined with scenery that some of their plush come in!), and we feel confident that whoever receives an Apple Park product will be charmed by it from the moment they see it.  So check out our selection at 144 N. Larchmont or Manhattan Beach next time you're in the neighborhood!

It's time for the Daily Breeze Reader's Choice nominations!

And like all good award nominees say, it's an honor just to be nominated, so help us get nominated!  Please help us out by going to Daily Breeze Reader's Choice and putting in our name under the Toys category.  It only takes a few minutes, and we'd love to have your vote of confidence.  Then if all goes well and we get nominated, we'd love to have your vote of support!  Primary voting ends May 5th, and if we get the nomination, you can be sure we'll tell you all about it here :)

Thanks!