Michelle Smith

Michelle is the owner of Piccolo Mondo Toys in Portland, OR.

I started my adventure in the specialty toy industry in 2006 when my husband and I opened our first store, Piccolo Mondo Toys in Portland, OR. Prior to that, I set out to conquer the corporate world after graduating with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. Although I had the opportunity to work for some great companies and gain valuable business experience, I realized that I wanted to chart my own course after having children. My love of travel, learning about other cultures, and advocating for children in developing countries fueled my desire to create a business around those passions.
Piccolo Mondo Toys means “small world” in Italian. From the start, my goal has been to not only provide a fun experience for children to play, but also to encourage cultural awareness by highlighting different countries each month through the toys and books we carry. Our first store was only 1300 square feet, but after a few short months of being open, we expanded the store to 2,700 square feet. We also joined The Good Toy Group in 2007 after attending our first Toy Fair and meeting Terry Gannon. Throughout my life, one of my motto’s has always been to work with/surround yourself with the people who make you a better version of you. TGTG is a great example of that and joining the group has proven to be one of the smartest decisions that I’ve made so far.
Since then, Piccolo Mondo has expanded to three stores including one in a historic Main Street location of Hillsboro, OR. I currently serve on the board of their Downtown Business Partnership as the promotions committee liaison. While learning about inventory management, cash flow, and human resources has been interesting, I’m so glad that I’ve been able to utilize my background in marketing and retail merchandising to help serve and grow my business as well as others in my local community. It’s so rewarding!
I’m also proud to say that I’m a past TGTG board member and member of the product team. Those were two experiences that I still cherish today. I’m incredibly thankful for the many friendships that I’ve formed over the years. We all continue to lift each other up, even in times of uncertainty. I’m looking forward to the prospect of serving on the board again. I hope that I can continue to contribute to the group and to the toy industry in a positive way. Thank you again for this opportunity.

Lindsay Jones

Lindsay is the owner of Growing Tree Toys in State College, PA. It’s me, hi! I’m on the Board, it’s me. It is my 12th year in the industry and it has been a journey beyond my Wildest Dreams. I started with purchasing and running a children’s boutique in 2012. Then I purchased Growing Tree Toys in 2019 from Kay Emigh, one of The Good Toy Group’s founding members and the Product Director for many, many years. I have found this Era of my life to be like an Invisible String. It’s hard to put Karma into words, really. But TGTG, You Belong With Me. My business and my team have grown immensely since joining. I have found this group of people to be the most supportive and genuine of colleagues-turned-friends. It has been an honor to have served on the Board these last three years among other Masterminds of the industry. They are a Fearless group and they know All Too Well how to lead, inspire and successfully represent the membership. I would be so Enchanted to continue this work alongside them. The future is bright, Are You Ready For It? Lindsay resides with her husband, Matt, and her daughter, Saoirse, with their two cats and dog.

Bradley Ishii

Brad is the owner of Thinker Toys and Thinker Things in Honolulu, HI

As we greet close friends and family “ Aloha Nui loa “. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be with a with such a wonderful group. You’ve been very kind to me and I really appreciate it.

I’ve been in the toy and gift industry for over 25 years. I started as a gift/toy rep, covering the state of Hawaii for the first 15 years, and decided to move to the other side as a toy store owner. I increased the number of stores to 5 through expansion and acquisition. I hope to bring my knowledge and experience to make TGTG the best toy group in North America. Although some of my applications are somewhat non-traditional, I’m confident that we will be able to apply ideas and steward the responsibilities for the betterment of the group. I look forward to working with each and every one of you and bring this “Ohana” (family) much happiness and success for the future.

Mahalo and Aloha!

Casey Sartain

Casey Sartain is the owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, UT.

I feel privileged to be volunteering to serve The Good Toy Group’s Board of Directors for a second 6-year commitment. Our store, The Tutoring Toy opened 35 years ago. At the time, I was 9 years old and looking forward to a career in John Grisham style Law / professional rock climbing. Fast forward to 18, and I was off to Washington for majors in Chemistry, Biology and Asian Studies. After that, back to Utah, where I continued to avoid the Toy Store and family business, opting instead for a future in the culinary arts. I worked in kitchens around town, cooking up a storm, until finally enrolling for a spring semester @ the Culinary Institute of America in NYC. It was funnily at that moment when I finally agreed to work in the store, ONLY for the holidays, of course! That was 20 years ago now, and I was hooked. My first Toy Fair, we battled elevators in the toy building, but I loved it. I came home and decided to put my culinary admission on hold, redirect my passion for learning and pour it into toys and my customers ever since.

As founding Members of The Good Toy Group, I’ve served 7+ years on the Product Team, two terms on the board (6 years) and a partial term as Board Chair before stepping down when my daughter was born. I loved every moment of my time serving and really hoped I’d get the chance to be as involved again at some point. I had my son 2 years after my daughter and tried my best to spend as much time as I could with them in those early years. Now my daughter is in 1st grade, and I dropped my son off this September for his first day of preschool. I haven’t had free time in almost 7 years. So, with that, I am beyond thrilled at the chance to serve again. I still thirst for knowledge and look to understand what the future of this industry will be, except now as a father of a 4-year old boy and an almost 7 year old daughter, I hope to share my parental perspective, time in the industry and researching prowess with the Board again as we continue to grow and evolve. I was a key contributor to our Be Even More Amazing Strategic Plan and very much look forward to years to come serving our Membership and mission together.

Amy Saldanha

Amy is the owner of kiddywampus in Hopkins, MN.

It is my pleasure and honor to be nominated to serve on The Good Toy Group’s Board of Directors! I am the owner of kiddywampus with 2 stores in Minnesota. I have had the opportunity to serve on boards before and proudly served ASTRA through the pivotal time of COVID.

I am excited to help steward the future of The Good Toy Group. TGTG represents the best of specialty toy retailing, and our future in the specialty toy market is limitless. I appreciate our highly relational and resourceful culture and am continually astounded by the “brain trust” that is our Membership.

On a personal note, I am deeply grateful to TGTG for the role it has played in strengthening my business in so many ways. From new products to buying strategies, marketing and social media to the ideation that occurs whenever we’re together (virtually and in person), I love being a part of this group. I am thrilled to be a part of determining, along with all of you, what’s possible for us in the future and helping to navigate our pathways forward.

Shawntá Ray

Shawnta’ is the owner of Happy Up in St Louis, MO and Edwardsville, IL. I started my Independent Toy Store Journey in 1995 while in college. I had been waiting tables for a few years and needed to find a job that I didn’t have to work until 2am. I had a friend who worked at a toy store and my love affair with the toy industry started. I worked for another Toy Store owner for 10 years and helped him grow to 3 large store fronts. In 2005 he started to entertain the idea of selling his stores. By 2006 we were able to buy his 3 locations. The recession of 2009 to 2013 kicked us in the teeth but we learned a lot and we feel very fortunate to have survived it. That said, the Bright spots and positivity of my life in the toy industry far outweigh the dark days we made it through. A few spots on NPR, a Patent and a 14ft fiberglass Rubber Chicken later I still get energized by my Toy stores and our customers. I never hate to go to work, not many people can say that. My previous work with the TGTG board was an honor and relevant to my own stores and to the lives of other toy store owners and I found the TGTG to be ultimately thoughtful and always striving to do the best they can for all members. I love to talk about toys and I cannot believe my luck at finding friends and peers that also love to talk about toys 18 hours out of the day!

Elizabeth Skinner

Elizabeth Skinner is the owner of Turner Toys in Williston, VT.

Since joining The Good Toy Group, I’ve been so impressed by the wisdom, generosity, and collaboration within this community. It’s truly an honor to serve on the board. My path to the toy world hasn’t been a straight line. After college, I helped open a French art gallery in New York City, where I learned that retail isn’t just a transaction—it’s a meaningful exchange, a chance to discover what makes someone happy. Travels abroad inspired me to start an import business selling Guatemalan folk art to boutiques and museum shops, and I even ended up showing at the Javits Center Gift Show. I can say with confidence that I much prefer being a buyer! In 2011, my husband Peter Sloan and I bought Turner Toys, which was then an online-only business. As I became more involved, we opened a pop-up store in a local shopping mall. Even though I worked with children nearly every day, I was wowed by the magic that happened in the store and the role we played in the community. Our pop-up was so successful that we eventually outgrew the space and moved to our current location in Williston, VT. Through ASTRA and The Good Toy Group, I’ve seen how powerful it is when people share knowledge and lift each other up. We’ve learned so much from TGTG—about running our business, making connections, and building community—and I’d love to give back to that community as a board member.

Sam Rickenbaugh

Sam Rickenbaugh is the owner of The Great Rocky Mountain Toy Company in Bozeman, MT.

I am beyond excited to serve on this board. The Good Toy Group has been instrumental in my career in the toy Industry and I would like to pass down my experience to all members. I graduated college with a degree in finance and was well on my way to a life in this world when I saw that my childhood toy store was for sale. With a family background in retail I thought that purchasing this store would be a great five year stepping stone to something more. I am now in year five with two stores and no plans of leaving this incredible industry. I instantly fell in love with the toy world and all of the amazing people involved. I see The Good Toy Group as a major asset to the industry and an entity that can continue to be a steward of how important independent retail is to the economy and their individual communities.