On October 17, 2005 Steve King and Janet Rosso started Caboodle! Toys LLC., and exactly 16 months later their first container of Noah’s Pals (lovingly sculpted, beautifully hand-painted animal figures, built to 1:24 scale) shipped from overseas — they were officially in the collectibles business.

Just a few weeks after the February 2007 Toy Fair, where they presented Noah’s Pals to toy lovers, I caught up with Janet and Steve and asked them some questions about their new animal collectibles.

You know I love the concept of animals (they’re cute, affordable, educational, and fun for generations), but why did you choose animals?

Steve: We started out by defining the things we’d like to see in a collection. We wanted it to be educational, optimistic, and non-violent. Then we decided to do some research by talking to collectors — but we never got to that point…

Janet: Steve asked me if I knew anybody that was really into collecting so we could interview them. I jokingly said, “Noah.” After all, he was the first and biggest collector of all time. And with that quick conversation, we decided on Noah’s Pals.

Steve: The beauty of the Noah’s Ark story, how it evokes the beauty in all animals, and its relevance to many of the popular religions in the world including Christianity, Judaism, and Islamism, it seemed like a natural.

It does inspire one to take stewardship of animals and the environment more seriously. But, I have to ask… Why isn’t there a Mrs. Noah?

Janet: Mrs. Noah is coming soon. We plan on introducing her in early 2008.

OK. I was afraid she had missed the ark! How many animals are currently on the ark — in the series?

Janet: Noah’s Pals is our premier collection. All forty pairs of animals, Noah with the doves, and the ark were released at the same time.

Just how does the collectability come into play? Will all 40 animal pair inventory just sell out and that’s that, or is there another plan?

Janet: We’ve noticed that some collectible companies suddenly ‘retire’ a product without warning. We find that this lacks integrity.

Steve: We think that it makes sense to fully disclose the quantity and availability of our collections. It’s the honest thing to do.

Janet: With Noah’s Pals, we’re creating limited editions of those animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. For example, five of our animal pairs are ‘endangered’ and we have decided to only make 10,000 editions. Another ten pairs are ‘vulnerable’ in the wild and we are making 20,000 editions of those. After we’ve produced all of those editions, they will officially become retired.

But there’s a reason to collect the non-endangered, not-so-limited animals too, right? You can register all/any animals to get that Caboodle! And I hear it involves some really rare animals…

Steve: The Caboodle! reward contains several great ‘bonus’ items for the avid Noah’s Pals collector. We decided to offer an ‘extinct’ species of animal with each series. For the first series of forty animals, the Caboodle! includes Derek + Delilah Dodo. They are not for sale, and the only way to earn the pair is to gather the rest of the collection.

So cool — you can only get the extinct species by saving the others. It’s like good karma!

Janet: The Caboodle! also includes a lunch box and a memory card matching game featuring our distinctive animal icons. Plus a few other special surprises too!

Please describe how the registration and reward system works, so folks know just how to get a Caboodle.

Steve: We’ve designed it to be simple as possible. Kids and parents need to first register as a member of Noah’s Crew on NOAHSPALS.com. After that, they just need to visit our online “Check-In Desk” and enter the full ID codes found on the back of their ID Cards. We also have an “offline” Redemption Form that comes with our Arks. Collectors can write the codes on a single sheet of paper and mail it to us to redeem their Caboodle!™

If folks register online, along with the interactive aspects of the website and earning the reward of a Caboodle!™ they can win prizes too. Will these items be limited in anyway and be collectibles themselves?

Janet: The raffle prizes are an extra thank you to our collectors, but they can also be purchased from our online shop. We would hope that the Caboodle! itself becomes a valued collectible.

And there’s interactive fun too — like games, downloads and animal information.

I know you’re still planning to expand the website for registered users… Any plans you can share?

Janet: We’ve compiled a long list of animals and it took us quite some time to decide on the first forty — we’d like to add twenty Noah’s Pals every year. We plan on working with our collectors to choose the animals that will be released in the next series.

Noah’s Pals are adorable and collectible, which I’m completely a fan of, but they are for children and well, kids will be kids… Are Noah’s Pals toys too? What are they made of? Are they fragile?

Janet: Yes, they are toys and meant to be enjoyed! They are made of PVC (stands for polyvinyl chloride), which is simply plastic in lay terms. Our plastic is hard, but not solid. Our products have been extensively tested and meet the safety standards of the United States, Canada, and Europe for children 3+.

I’m curious, what sort of feeback or comments did you receive at the Toy Fair?

Janet: We had several zoo buyers inspect our animals and they just loved the little details we added through sculpting and painting. For example, on our zebra, we added a shadow stripe on their hind quarters to distinguish the plains zebra from other species. They also loved our ID Cards and the educational focus of our line.

Steve: We found that everyone appreciates the “built to scale” aspect of the collection. We’re not the first company to offer animal figures, but apparently we’re one of the first to maintain scale across the animal kingdom.

They sure are beautiful — and I wish you much success!

Janet: We hope Noah’s Pals becomes popular in the collecting community so that we can continue to work together on Noah’s Pals and entirely brand new collections too.

Along with the links included in this interview, Noah’s Pals are found at specialty toy stores, gift boutiques, and zoo shops. If you can’t find them at your local store, contact Steve and Janet at their website and ask them to help you locate a retailer near you.

Just about two years ago Janet Rosso and Steve King, friends since college, were walking by a gift shop when they saw a window full of collectible toys which said, “Collect Them All!” (guess what toys those were Ha!) and Steve and Janet had a conversation which went a little something like this:

Steve: “So, if you ‘Collect Them All,’ what happens?”

Janet: “Nothing.”

Then the two began talking about the nature of collecting — how collectors put time and money into their collections, but to their knowledge, no company did anything special for collectors to reward them.

If you do in fact get them all, your satisfaction is your own and only reward — no one gives you something once you complete it.

Admittedly, satisfaction isn’t a small thing, but the two friends thought collectors deserved ’something’ rather than nothing from the companies which collectors support. Just several months later, both Steve and Janet quit their jobs and became Caboodle! Toys LLC, the first and only company to reward collectors. (Get the whole ‘kit’ and earn ‘caboodles!’)

It’s not just a clever name, folks; it’s a real company that rewards collectors!

Caboodle! Toys LLC. makes Noah’s Pals, a collection of animal toys which are not only cute but educational.

Sold in pairs, as one would expect with the whole ‘ark’ theme, these toys come complete with a collector ID card which provides animal facts — facts which have been confirmed by their philanthropic partner, the Wildlife Conservation Society (the organization receives 5% of net profits).

Noah’s Pals are true collectibles as well because there are limited quantity offerings.

The limited edition Noah’s Pals are of those animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. For example, only 10,000 endangered animal pairs and 20,000 vulnerable animal pairs are being made. Once they’ve produced all of those editions, those animals will officially become retired.

It’s a lesson for collectors to get them while they can, and another all-too-real lesson in our vanishing wildlife.

If you don’t think ‘educational’ is enough of a turn-on for your kids, how does online registration sound?

On the back of each animal’s ID Card, there’s a unique scratch-off code that can be used for online registration at their website which not only allows collectors to create a ‘boarding list’ of all their animals (proof of purchases to earn the free reward Caboodle!™), but the website also allows members to play a game, download a coloring book, and learn more about the animals.

Registered members are also eligible to win prizes. Anyone who registers a Noah’s Pal during a given month, gets a ‘virtual ticket’ in the raffle and becomes eligible for prizes in that month’s drawing. (Currently prizes include some of the goodies from the accessories shop.)

The company and its website are very new (the first toys have just been shipped to retailers) but the company has plans to add more interactivity — similar in addictive concept to Webkinz one imagines.

What I really like about this whole concept, aside from the free rewards (who doesn’t like free stuff?), is the fact that these are real animal toys.

I love that this sort of collecting can be shared by generations — as a mom I know that when I’ve tried to explain to grandparents what the kids want it’s a confusing mess. Grandparents and others can buy animals better because they understand — and can pronounce — ‘bear’ better than some Pokemon or Anime character. It makes for more fun too because everyone can talk about and understand animals and be involved in the collection itself & the collecting process.

And, these collectible animals are affordable — prices range from just $2 to $20 a pair. Now that’s a collection a child (and mom & dad) can afford.

Smitten with this whole idea of a company making collectible animals that engage and educate children and adults alike, I spoke with both Steve and Janet — but you’ll have to wait until Monday for that. *wink*