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Ninja skills that pay the bills: Plano mother-daughter team takes miniature creations to New York Toy Fair
Kelsey Kruzich / Staff Photo - Catherine Mitchell and daughter Mackenzie Mayer specialize in making HoboNinjas out of an idea sparked by a homemade birthday present and a love for all things ninja. The two took their wares to New York City, where the toy will be showcased at the 110th annual American International Toy Fair on Sunday.
By Kelley Chambers, kchambers@starlocalnews.com, @KelleyChambers7 on Twitter
When Plano resident Mackenzie Mayer crocheted a small ninja for her brother's birthday several years ago, she had no idea her creation would also become her business.
That is, until she and her mom, Catherine Mitchell, started posing the question, "What will you ninja for?"
They're small, round and full of personality, ready to help their owner ninjas for everything from food to coffee to hugs. But behind their fuzzy little faces and beanie bottoms also lies a hometown enterprise that has developed an ever-growing fan base over the past several years.
"We can now look at larger buyers who are looking to distribute to larger mass market - we're very excited," said Mitchell, president and CEO of NBG Ninja Inc. (also known as Will Ninja).
While the term "ninja" is traditionally equated to an assassin or mercenary trained in martial arts and sabotage that first came into practice in 14th century Japan, the word takes on an entirely new meaning in today's society.
For instance, as Mayer and Mitchell state on their website, willninja.com, "Ninja can refer to anyone highly effective at their job: web ninja, social media ninja, marketing ninja, family ninja, etc."
As a verb, they define it as, "To use the skills of a ninja, to accomplish a task in an almost invisible manner to steal in a very stealthy way."
"I had a friend in college and the word 'ninja' was her favorite verb," said Mayer, 23. "They're a little down on their luck, and this is an American HoboNinja. That's why they're a little plump. But they're still fierce, if bouncy, warriors."
Although HoboNinjas are now mass-made using a production company in Dallas, Mayer and Mitchell are still responsible for donning each with a little cardboard sign that hangs around its neck, indicated what each will ninja for.
"The response [among the public] is either one of two things," Mitchell said. "The first response is squealing because they know what it is. The second one is puzzlement and intrigue. Then once they know what we're using the verb to mean they go, 'Oh, I get that!'"
Although they do online sales and got their start at expos like AnimeFest in Dallas, the women also sell their wares at Frisco Mercantile, a large antique shop at 8980 Preston Road in Frisco.
"It's been interesting going from a completely handmade little project to trying to do it all on a larger scale," Mayer said. "You have to adjust. At that first AnimeFest [someone asked me], 'Can you crochet 50 of these?' [I thought], 'There go my fingers.'"
Despite the wide array of products among the Mercantile's 200-plus dealers, there's only one ninja under its roof, Mitchell said. The novelty line also includes pins and other accessories flaunting the peek-a-boo ninja logo. In the past two years, the pair has sold a total of nearly 1,000 of its trademark vagrants.
"We're still kind of experimenting," Mitchell said. "This spot is kind of where we learned everything we know about retail at this point."
Having never been to the Big Apple, Mitchell and Mayer were excited to be one of the hundreds of exhibitors at the tradeshow, eager to share their iconic brand with more who identify with the power of the ninja.
"We're so happy that we've found great manufacturers and vendors here in the USA to produce our HoboNinjas, as well as many of our new accessories, such as T-shirts and buttons," Mitchell said. "Now we're able to offer our WillNinja line to many more retailers."
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