Job Lot: The toy shop owner

By AIDAN RASSMUSSEN

Forty-eight-year-old Dianne McCallum owns Mainly Toys. The former kindergarten teacher has owned the Mt Eden educational toy shop for 12 years and is gearing up for the Christmas rush.

Why did you get into toys?

I used to work as a kindergarten teacher and have always enjoyed dealing with kids and I also like the educational, teaching aspect of working in this store and providing a service. When I worked as a kindergarten teacher I looked after kids, so now I'm looking after the adults so that they can look after their kids. I really enjoy dealing with people and offering them something that will last a little bit longer than the Barbie dolls and other throwaway toys that are advertised on TV.

Do you enjoy it?

Yes, I love what I do.

Why?

For those reasons I've just mentioned. You kind of feel like you're making a difference in these kids' lives.

What does your job involve?

I look after the shop; my husband looks after the financial side of things. I don't really know what we make or what I earn - I just keep buying more stock. I order in all the toys and educational books and materials. We have six staff, who job share, and I pretty much look after the day-to-day running of things.

What sort of qualities do you need to be a successful toy seller?

You need to be able to understand people and like dealing with people. You have a great deal of patience, especially at this time of the year - the customer is always right. I guess it pays to also like kids and be able to get on with them. And you have to really believe in the product.

Do you believe in your product?

Absolutely. I wholeheartedly believe in what I sell.

And what do you sell?

The kind of stuff you'd find in educational places like kindergarten - puzzles, books, toys made out of wood that are built to last. That sort of thing.

How busy does it get over Christmas?

That's our busiest time of the year. It's pretty crazy. It gets busy from round October, when all the orders start coming in, and then we prepare ourselves for two really hectic months, November and December.

How do things change round this time of the year?

Well, people get a bit more demanding and expect a bit more. But that's okay because I'm there to provide a service for them. Without them I don't exist. You get your Christmas shoppers who come in early and manage to beat the rush and avoid the stress. Then you get those ones that leave it to the last minute, who have their big, long lists and rush around, trying to get everything done in a few days.

Are you looking forward to the Christmas rush?

Yeah ... but I'm looking forward to when it's all over a bit more, though.

Why?

Because it's really busy and hard. And by the time you get to Christmas Day you're really tired. So I'm looking forward to a break afterwards. And I do get a little stressed with things.

What do you do if a customer is being a little unreasonable and you do get stressed?

I just take a deep breath and just get on with it. There's no point really in getting worked up.

What stresses you out?

It's not so much the customers, it's things like: have I ordered enough stuff, and will it all fit in the shop? It's also round this time of year that I wish I had a bigger shop.

Do you try to alleviate your customers' stress?

Yeah, kind of. I try to go as out of the way as I can to help my customers. An example would be if they're looking for something and I don't have it, or we've run out of stock. I try to pass them on to someone that might have what they're looking for. I belong to a loose organisation of educational toy retailers called Educational Experience Stores and I try to direct them to one of these shops.

What sort of advice would you give parents looking to buy some toys for their kids?

Take your time, buy something that is both educational and entertaining for your kids. And be a discerning buyer - look for something that's unique and that will last for a while, not only physically but also in the minds of kids, longer than the stuff you see on the TV. You won't find any of that here.