MONROE – Shake the newest version of Find It, and out of the mass of tiny plastic pellets a miniature panda bear appears, then a feather, then an ant.
The objects in Find It at the Zoo are different, including 39 toy animals and a penny, but the challenge remains the same: find them all just by shaking, turning and twisting the clear plastic tube.
Bob Knight, president of Find It Games, said he has high hopes for the newest version, based on its first few weeks in stores.
“It’s going to do fabulously well,” Knight said. “It hit the market absolutely screaming.”
Find It at the Zoo is the third Find It toy Knight has introduced over the past two years. In that relatively short time, his small company has shipped more than 100,000 of the toys, with sales expected to exceed $1 million this year. The games are sold by more than 2,500 stores in several countries.
“It’s gone very, very well. I feel blessed,” said Knight, who lives in Monroe, where his cramped manufacturing facility also is located.
While the Find It game pieces are made overseas, Knight said his is one of a “very few” games still assembled in the U.S. He believes that helps immeasurably in keeping his product quality good.
Julie Johnson, a 17-year-old who has worked part-time in recent years for Find It Games, said the production crew has noticed the games’ increasing popularity.
“When I started, we were working like two afternoons a week. Now we usually work every day,” she said, adding that she’s a fan of the newest game. “I like the newest version a lot. It’s probably my favorite one so far.”
Find It at the Zoo won’t be the last version. Knight said he plans to introduce two more games by early next year, if possible. His next goal is to increase sales from $1 million annually to $5 million.
First, Find It Games is gearing up for the holiday season, a period that usually generates two-thirds of its annual sales. Knight said he expects record sales at Christmastime.
At the Wild Birds Unlimited store on Evergreen Way in Everett, owner Michele McAllister said she sold “a zillion” of the games last Christmas.
“The game sells excellent. It’s wonderful for all ages, for families,” she said. “What I like about it is it’s a game without batteries.”
In the midst of his small office, with a pile of orders sitting on the desk and a frequently ringing phone, Knight said he hasn’t lost his enthusiasm for the business. It’s now a full-time endeavor, since he gave up running a commercial lighting firm and other businesses.
“It’s great fun; I love it. Leaving the other business was the best choice I ever made,” he said.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.
Kevin Nortz / The Herald
Heidi Likin of Monroe assembles cylinders for the Find It at the Zoo game.
The object of Find It at the Zoo is to find all the animal figures by shaking and turning the plastic tube.
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