Discovery Toys or Usborne Books?

I would go with Usborne if you are going to choose either. I just became a consultant and like another person said I am having difficulty finding people to do shows, but when you do get a show, the sales are usually good. It is true that you have to spend money on the inventory to have at shows to demonstrate but you can get great deals as a consultant. I have compared prices of their books to full-price books in stores like Borders and such and they are about the same. Those who think they are pricey are the people (like me) who never pay full price for a book and always shop for bargains.

My opinion of Discovery Toys is that while they do have lots of great products, I think they are really over-priced. A lot of the games they sell you can now get at Target for $5-$10 less than they sell them and there are always similar products in stores for less (though not with the guarantee that I THINK Discovery Toys has). One thing I have found as a mother and preschool teacher is that their toys' appearance often does not match the age it is geared towards. I had a toy that was very babyish looking and was good developmentally for 10 mths and up but was labeled as being for 24 mths and up. There are several things that look they are for very young children but are too difficult for that age.

Hi Sara's mommy,

My advice is to be careful with your choices. My sister-in-law did Discovery Toys for years, and while they are terrific products and well-made, she had to invest in a lot of inventory. All her time was spent scheduling parties and she had trouble making money. She was a former teacher and she enjoyed being in front of groups, but it was hard to find people to attend when they knew they were expected to buy. The other problem is that the income is not steady - there are big sales times in October and November, for example, as people buy for Christmas, and there are a few sales through the year as people buy for birthdays or their own kids. But it's not predictable income, as people don't need the products every month.

I don't know anything about Usborne books but my guess is that people don't need them every month.

My suggestion is that you look for a company that makes a consumable product. It has to be something essential that people want and need on a regular basis. Toys, jewelry, books, etc don't usually meet those criteria. Make sure that the company is a member of the Direct Selling Association, which is a watchdog group for the network marketing industry, and which a company can only join after AN INVITATION and an investigation - based on their ethical business practices. (Only about 200 companies out of the 5000+ are members.) If the products are nutritional, make sure they are patented, meaning they are safe, effective and unique. Find out the distributor retention rate - how many distributors are still in the business after 2, 5, 10 years? If it's 20% or 30%, you may have a problem. If it's over 50%, you may have a good company that takes care of its distributors.

Is it a product and a company you can believe in? Will you have a passion for representing them? Will you be proud to say you are associated with this company and its products?

Check out the compensation plan. Is it well-regarded by the DSA? Can you go as "wide" as you want, or can you only bring in a set number of people under you? For example, if you can only bring in 2 people under you and then they have to build "down" in an even fashion, you may be stuck if one of them doesn't really work hard or can't achieve success for some other reason. That's called a binary system and you'll never make any money.

Look into start up costs, both from a fee standpoint and an inventory requirement. Do you need to keep a lot of stuff on hand? And is there a buy-back option - example, 90% buy-back for one year if you change your mind?

My company meets all of these requirements so it is possible! I just hate to see you get stuck so these are the questions you should ask and the type of investigating you should do.

If you have any questions about the things I've said, let me know!

I love those Usborne books! I would pick those. I've never sold either one but I'm more apt to spend my money on those, even though they're pricey. They have a ton of super cute, fun, books for all ages and I've thought that if I were to sell something, this might be it! Good luck!

I sell for Discovery Toys and I really enjoy it. I would love to have you join my team! Please feel free to contact me directly for more information.

My customers all love my toys - I hear great feedback about how much the kids enjoy them. They are high quality, all with lifetime guarantees. They aren't just junk either - each toy is educational and fun at the same time. I like being able to set my own hours, do parties and events when it works with my schedule, etc.

I've also met a lot of really great people doing it. It's the perfect job for a SAHM.

You can check out my site and join my team at http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao It's a great time to join - with the holidays coming, you'll have a pretty easy time meeting all of your sales goals for the first few months so you can get extra bonuses!

K.

Updated

I sell for Discovery Toys and I really enjoy it. I would love to have you join my team! Please feel free to contact me directly for more information.

My customers all love my toys - I hear great feedback about how much the kids enjoy them. They are high quality, all with lifetime guarantees. They aren't just junk either - each toy is educational and fun at the same time. I like being able to set my own hours, do parties and events when it works with my schedule, etc.

I've also met a lot of really great people doing it. It's the perfect job for a SAHM.

You can check out my site and join my team at http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao It's a great time to join - with the holidays coming, you'll have a pretty easy time meeting all of your sales goals for the first few months so you can get extra bonuses!

K.

I just started selling Usborne books at the end of August. For me personally it has been a challenge finding people to host parties (which is how the business gets going the most.) People love the books and will purchase them, which is great, but isn't very profitable w/o a party. However, if you have a large network of people or wouldn't mind selling to schools and organizations, then you should be able to succeed w/o any problem.

I love my Usborne business but I also like DT. My kids are 6 and 7 and have almost outgrown DT's line but have many years left enjoying our Usborne books.

I just talked to my DT rep and she is thinking about adding Usborne at some point. She wants the books at a discount and was thrilled that we have no minimums. Kids need new books as often as they need new shoes so there is always a need for books. Many of my customers come back every few months just like they would for a consumable product. Just glad that books aren't consumable. :)

Good luck and let me know if you have more questions. I am not a pressure recruiter. It is not worth my time to recruit and train you if you don't want to be. :) However, I do love talking to people and answering questions.
J.
usbornejen(at)gmail.com
www.facebook.com/funbookskidsread

I am an Usborne books consultant, and love it! I've been a consultant for almost 8 years, and am a SAHM. I started when my daughter was in preschool. The flexibility is great!! You can work on your own schedule, at your own pace. Plus, the sign up kit is very reasonably priced (only $50 right now), and there are no monthly minimums. There are also lots of different events that you can have, besides, home shows, if you want to branch out. I love being able to have the variety! I can give you more specifics if you want. My website is www.UsborneSarah.com.

we have lots of usborne books and puzzles, but we have no discovery toys.

neither.. i try to find books at a good price.. and these are a little pricey.. also the toys... i like the toys i can find in the store.. you have to always have parties... it's hard after a while... A friend just started selling AVON.. she leaves booklets at the hairdressers in the area, .... she posts on line.. she leaves booklets in the school for the teachers... she does fantastic.. she really makes a lot of money.. she also sets up a table in her driveway on the weekends... she really does good.. maybe try thhis out.. the investment is only ike 50.

Not to offend, but as a preschool teacher and mom, I'm a bit ambivalent on the Discovery toys and absolutely love/recommend highly the Usborne books. I think the books have a lot to offer and these are also very popular with the homeschool set. A few years ago I did purchase a couple of Discovery toys at a party and while they were good toys in concept, the plastic didn't hold up very well over time. (Perhaps they've changed since then.) I've moved to wooden toys for my preschool --brands like Guildcraft and Plan, Community Playthings, etc.. I'd also say that our Usborne books get a lot of use and are great for travel!

I sell Usborne Books -- contact me privately if you want information and help in getting started. I've put in minimal effort but have made some money from them. I'm not very good at trying to set up home shows (I find it difficult to ask friends and family to host parties, and that's really how you have to start), but what I love about selling the books is that it's so easy, even for a non-pushy, non-salesperson such as myself, to host a party because I love to read, and everyone at the parties loves books, and the Usborne books are so excellent! So they really sell themselves, and it's easy for me to talk about them because I love the books. Anyway, I have mostly sold books at craft fairs and school events, and that is much more comfortable for me. The only problem is that my area in Massachusetts is fairly saturated with Usborne reps, and there can only be one rep per fair, so it has been difficult to find fairs to go to.

The bottom line is that I highly reccommend selling Usborne Books. I find that in a tough economy, people don't buy as many toys, but people are always interested in books -- especially when they are educational, as the Usborne Books are.

Hi there!

I have been with Usborne Books over 9 years and absolutely love it. Because our books range from infant to teen/adult, you have a wider audience to appeal to. In addition our marketing program does not limit us to just the home party, as we can work directly with schools and libraries, too. Usborne is a wonderful company to work for with amazing home office and training! Low start-up costs, no monthly minimums to meet, and great contests are additional perks, too! I would love to hear if you have made a decision.
Wishing you the best in your search for the perfect fir for your family!
D. Lorch