Occasionally, I feel as if I’m the self-appointed elder statesman of our little hobby. I’ve been in the business for more years than I care to remember, getting my start in the early 80s as a store manager for a local toy chain. I’ve since worn the hat of buyer, salesman, merchandise manager, and, yes, owner, and have witnessed all sorts of comings and goings in the business, some good and some, well, not so good.

Lately there seems to be a disturbing trend of manufacturers not supplying distributors and retailers with the proper information to help sell their merchandise. Now I fully recognize that in many instances there are all sorts of reasons for this issue to occur, from differences in time zones between the US and Asian shores to language barriers. However, its 2019 folks. This isn’t the early 80s where US-based companies went over to China to open a new factory only to discover a litany of hurdles they first had to overcome before they could hit the ground running.

Let’s look at some of the latest irritations I currently see. For some strange reason, one manufacturer likes to show their latest wares on a day-glow green background instead of the traditional white, transparent background. Not only is this the preferred means of showing a new item but companies such as Amazon now frown on any images uploaded that do not meet this criteria. Taking a photo is a relatively simple endeavor. Facebook typically runs a number of ads for inexpensive light boxes, complete with turn tables and tear down instructions. Couple that with a smart phone and voila, you become a photographic tyro overnight. Then, of course, there are the companies that refuse to provide photographs at all, even when the product is finished, all boxed up and ready for transport for all the world to see. That, I simply do not understand. It literally takes just a few minutes to take a handful of winning photographs, which, after spending months developing and producing an item, should be a snap to pull off.

Second, there is the issue of the International Article Number, which are supposed to be included below the vertical bar code to help identify the product. For the uninformed, the International Article Number is a standard describing a barcode symbology and numbering system used in global trade to identify a specific retail product type, in a specific packaging configuration, from a specific manufacturer.

You do not place an SKU here, toss in some baby photos or post a recipe for cream puffs — it is meant for the 12-digit International Article Number, which is designed to identify both the manufacturer and the product code on standardized global terms, so that it can then be properly added to the product portfolio of several leading marketplace venues.

Folks. Chinese New Year is over and I certainly hope this little soapbox rant doesn’t fall on deaf ears now that everyone is back to work and busy working on their 2019 line up. Work with your supply chain to provide the best possible product you can, not only in terms of physical appearance but in terms of background information too. It will help everyone concerned and you may find that it will even lead to greatly increased sales