Discovery Toys is a 34-year-old direct sales company specializing in educational toys. It functions with the typical direct sales model using party plan marketing, offering incentive trips and the earning of free merchandise. Its products are sold in the U.S. and Canada, and its headquarters are in Livermore, California.
Discovery Toys is a member of the Direct Selling Association.[1]
Discovery Toys was founded by early childhood educator, Lane Nemeth, in 1978 with a $5,000 family loan.[2] By 1982, the company had $4.6 million in revenue and 2,500 sales "consultants."[3] Ms. Nemeth grew the company to a $100 million in annual revenue by 1997 then sold the company to Avon[4] who sold it in 2002 to a private equity group. DT was again purchased in 2008 by Draupnir, LLC and is led by its Chairman and CEO, Jeremy W. Hobbs.
One of the company's top selling toys is Marbleworks. Released in 1982 it consists of colorful, sloped, plastic half-pipes of different designs. The individual pieces interlock, creating a track on which marbles are run. Marbleworks was included in Discovery's product line when Discovery Toys expanded into China in 2003.[5]
Most of its product line is exclusive to Discovery Toys, and many of the products have garnered awards from Dr. Toy, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and other independent reviewers.
The company's website makes it easy for consumers to find an Educational Consultant in their locale simply by entering their zip code (U.S.) or postal code (Canada).