A new toy-focused crowdfunding site is going to make the toy market better, Click-A-Brick c
o-founders Georg de Gorostiza and Jason Smith say, as it will spur innovation and allow independent toy makers to turn their ideas into reality, which the pair believe will lead to the development of more learning toys for children. It will also enable parents to back the toys they want to see produced, meaning they will have a say in which ones are successful.
Created by Carlos Lopez and Jason Reilley, the ToyBacker is dedicated to 'toys, inventors, developers, start-ups and everyday people with extraordinary toy ideas'.
It works the same way as other crowdfunding sites, with people pitching ideas and setting funding goals for others to contribute to if they like the idea. While ToyBacker can be used for non-toy products and purposes, toy-related projects get top priority.
This has the Click-A-Brick crew excited, as they believe it will lead to more innovation in the toy industry.
“To be frank, it gets a little tiring year after year to see the biggest toy trends dominated by toys related to the biggest blockbuster movie or what the big brands think parents want,” Click-A-Brick co-founder and Brand Manager Georg de Gorostiza said. “With ToyBacker, parents can go and look at ideas and if they think someone has a good idea, they can actually help make that toy a reality. I think this will lead to the development of more learning toys because I think that’s what parents ultimately want. Not to make too big a deal out of it, but it’s democracy and capitalism at work in the toy industry. Parents no longer have to sit by idly and watch the toy shelves fill up with toys from ‘Movie X’. Now, they can actually have at least some say in what they want to see. There’s no guarantee a toy they back will be a success, but at least they can help get it off the ground.”
ToyBacker collects a four per cent fee, but only from successful crowdfunding campaigns, which Click-A-Brick co-founder Jason Smith says makes it fair for independent toy developers.
“As an independent company, we know how difficult procuring funding is and how daunting it can be to get started,” Smith said. “We also know that people don’t like to get involved if there is an undue amount of risk involved. The way ToyBacker is set up, it’s less risk for everyone involved. If a project doesn’t reach its goal, nobody is out any money. Crowdfunding is the ultimate way to put power into the hands of independent developers regardless of the industry and we’re glad to see someone has stepped up and done this specifically for the toy industry. We hope ToyBacker is a huge success and leads to some huge toy success stories.”
