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 The History of Fat Brain Toys
The term "garage start-up" is often used to describe companies with humble beginnings - whether they really started in a garage or not. But in the case of Fat Brain Toys, the garage was actually a stepping stone from a mere subterranean beginning.
In the fall of 2002, then 10 year old Adam Carson received a magnetic building toy called Geomag for his birthday. Fascinated with the toy and looking to spend some additional birthday money, he went online to see if he could buy a larger set. Discovering how difficult it was to find it online, he suggested to his father, a web developer by trade, that they create their own online store to sell the specialty toy. The rest, as they say, is history!
Shipping the toys out of the basement of their home in the small community of Elkhorn, Nebraska, this unlikely online toy store managed to challenge the likes of ToysRUs and Walmart to become one of the largest online retailers of Geomag in the world. Quickly outgrowing the basement, the family moved the entire operation several times before finally settling into a commercial showroom and warehouse that they continue to operate from today.
The business has grown in other ways too. Beginning with a single online store focused exclusively on magnetic toys, the company now boasts thousands of toys and has recently begun development of their own original line of educational toys. Their first creation, Dado Cubes, has found a receptive market among consumers seeking quality toys that develop design and visual-spatial skills. Dado can be found at finer retailers coast-to-coast, including FAO Schwarz, SFMOMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Highlights catalog, Sparkability, Creative Kidstuff, and many others.
In an era where many toy companies have struggled and failed, Fat Brain Toys is proof that quality products, hard work, and Midwestern hospitality can be a truly powerful combination.
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