Part II of our month-long series!
Part 2: The Aebersolds
For those of you that have never had the chance to walk the aisles of a vendor expo, let me tell you something… the toy industry is chock-full of family businesses. Just think of some of the major brands we sell at Learning Express—Melissa and Doug, ALEX, and Pretty Ugly are all owned by husband-and-wife teams. I think we often lose track of the moms and dads in light of the kid-inventor phenomenons (see KIDS IN THE TOY BUSINESS Part I: Maddie Bradshaw), but there’s something very meaningful about a family tradition that inspires a bestseller. I am speaking, of course, of Carol Aebersold, her daughters Chanda and Christa, and The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition®.
There was an old tradition in Carol’s family of welcoming a Scout Elf from the North Pole into their home every Thanksgiving. He would watch by day and report to Santa each night. The particular elf that Carol became acquainted with in her childhood was named Fisbee, and, when she was married and had children of her own, he continued to visit. The Aebersold kids (Chanda, Christa, and Brandon, pictured below) attribute some of their fondest family memories to Fisbee, and clearly the tradition is still cherished today.
In 2005, grown-up Chanda decided it was high time to share the story of the North Pole scout elf with others. She and Carol penned the Elf on the Shelf book together, teamed up with illustrator Coë Steinwart, and established their own publishing company, CCA and B, to print the title and manufacture the accompanying pixie elf. For two years now, the Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition®, has been the bestselling holiday product at Learning Express and its popularity hasn’t yet reached its peak. At the 2008 Annual Learning Express Convention, Elf on the Shelf was named the Best New Book as voted by the Learning Express franchise owners. The interactive website www.elfontheshelf.com has also won several industry awards for its innovation. In addition to games, activities, and recipes, children can explore the North Pole and register the name of their elf online to receive their official elf adoption certificate and a special response from Santa.
CCA and B continues as a family-owned business with Carol and Chanda traveling extensively during the winter season for book signings and other appearances. Chanda also manages the marketing and new product development (the company released a new item earlier this year called A Light in the Night™, which we will feature in our Holiday Catalog). Her sister and business partner Christa serves as the company’s co-CEO.
“It’s truly a joy and a blessing to come to work every day with my mother, sister and even sometimes my dad,” Chanda said. “Each day presents a new adventure, and we are all loving every minute of it.”
This kind of story is what I really love about the toy business—families coming together to build something that has meaning. Many Learning Express stores will host author book signings later this year so contact your local store for information.
For more photos and videos, see below. Feeling inspired? Stay tuned for next week’s installment in our KIDS IN THE TOY BUSINESS series!
