Online toys get back to basics Sunday, May 17, 2009 By Catherine O’Mahony The only Irish online retailer specialising in wooden toys has seen his sales increase significantly in the past year. Engineer Jody Dillon, the owner of Woodentoys.ie, says his online sales are three to four times higher each month this year than they were in 2008.
The toys on his site might not be particularly cheap - wooden train sets cost around €50 and upward - but Dillon said they were investment pieces that would last for years and, unlike plastic toys, could be repaired if they broke.
The range covers all ages, from baby rattles through to dolls houses and outdoor toys, such as swing sets. It includes items such as starter bikes that don’t have pedals, to encourage young children to learn balance.
‘‘These toys are made from sustainable timber sources, so there is a premium on them. Often they are handcrafted too. Too many toys are merchandising based and brand driven.
These are not: they are all about the child’s enjoyment,” said Dillon.
Dillon and his wife Mélanie started Woodentoys.ie in 2007, having spent several years testing demand for the products on eBay.
The idea for the shop arose out of Dillon’s frustration with the sort of toys that were easily available to his own children, the first of whom was born in 2003. Dillon was interested in child psychology and wanted his children to play with ‘‘traditional developmental toys’’, but found them hard to locate in Ireland.
Eventually, he started sourcing the toys from Germany and Scandinavia, and the idea grew into an online shop. He worked on the site development himself and initially stored the toys in the attic. He continued working part time as an engineer, focused on sustainable development projects, and continues to do so while Mélanie works full time on the toys business.
These days, Woodentoys.ie has its own warehouse and has also developed a small number of spin-off sites, such as Soft and Cuddly. ie (for soft toys) and ToysOnline. ie (for construction toys).
Dillon says this was a recognition of the existence of toys that are useful for kids but are not wooden, such as Lego. All the toys he sold, he said, were there on their own merits, not because of who made them or their links to any characters.
His business had grown organically, he said, with a high level of repeat business.
‘‘We would be foolish to think we won’t be affected at all by the downturn, but the thing is, a euro spent on a wooden toy is a euro better invested,” he said.
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