Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the game Think-ets made? Where do you get your trinkets from?
Think-ets is assembled in Lakewood, Colorado by people with developmental disabilities.

The miniature objects (or trinkets) are sourced from various places around the world. For instance, we get trinkets from local artisans in Mexico and India, rock quarries in Brazil, beaches in the Philippines, wood mills in the United States and China, and factories in India and China. We do our best to get products from a wide variety of sources. If you have suggestions for where we can get more cool miniatures, please let us know. We are always looking for new items to add to the Think-ets games to keep them interesting.

The majority of our game components are made in the U.S.A. (34%). The rest are made in Taiwan (20%), China (20%), Mexico (9%), Brazil (5%), Philippines (5%), India (2%) and Europe (2%).

Are your games made of renewable or recycled materials?
Yes. 70% of the Think-ets games are made of renewable or recyclable materials. We’re working on increasing this percentage so we all can feel good about taking care of our world. Some of our components are special items we found that are no longer being made, but are perfect for Think-ets. The card games are made using soy based inks and the printers recycle their waste. We are working on getting them to use recycled paper.

Believe it or not, the plastic used in the packaging of our Think-ets Genius games is recyclable. Like aluminum, this type of plastic (APET) can be recycled continuously and is much better than the plastic that disintegrates (RPET) but never decomposes.

Why can’t you sell if for $5.00 or something like that? After all, it’s just a handful of small items that couldn’t cost more than a few cents each?
Ahhh, good question. The short answer is that we could make the game for about $5.00. BUT, it would all be made out of cheap plastic items from China produced in possibly poor working conditions. Do we really need more plastic stuff in our lives? Are we willing to give all our business (i.e., money) to one country, instead of spreading it around? And, what happens in the long term to the games? Our intention is to produce a high quality toy that can be passed along for years to come.

We’re pleased to know that we’re doing our best to keep high quality games in our world—and we doubt that you would be able to make the game less expensive than it is already. Our profit margins aren’t very big for Think-ets and we’re counting on distributing many of these adorable games to make it workable for us.

Are your products safe?
Yes. All of our games have been tested by an independent laboratory and they meet the current and rigorous safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. We have Certificates of Compliance for each of our products.

We lost a trinket (or two). Can we get more?
Of course you can! Head back to the store where you bought Think-ets and buy another game. Each game has a different set of trinkets so with each differently-colored pouch you’ll get lots of new trinkets. Oh, you only wanted one or two? The exact ones you lost? Give us a call and we’ll see what we can work out. But do consider buying another game and adding to your collection. Or, use your imagination and find something tiny and cute from your toy collection, jewelry box, or the family junk drawer to add to your game.

Where can I buy your products?
Our products are sold in hundreds of stores and catalogs nationwide, from coast to coast. We’re adding new stores to our list of retailers each month, but if you don’t see it in your local toy or gift store and think it should be sold in a store in your town, let us know whom to call and we’ll see if we can get it in there.

Of course, you can always buy Think-ets at our on-line store, but we do support local, independent toy and gift stores because they are the heart and soul of our communities.

What is your philosophy of toys and games?
We believe in the power of the imagination and imaginative play. Our games, toys, books and puzzles all support this idea. We have created and gathered some of the best quality products available so you have a variety to choose from—and you can feel good about buying something that has lots of play value.

How did you decide to start your company?
It all started when Randy Compton ended one job and was figuring out what he was going to do next. His neighbor, Jeff Scott, was the co-inventor of a cool light up flying disc called Flashflight. Jeff had recently left his job to pursue creating his own line of play products, which are now very successful, and encouraged us to make a game with a budding idea that Randy came to him with.

Randy used to hike with his daughter in the mountains of Colorado. He loved to hike, and she loved to play. They used to play the classic game “What’s Missing?” at rest stops along the way. They would use twigs, rocks, moss, etc. as their items.

After realizing how much his 8 year old daughter loved playing the game “What’s Missing?”, Randy came up with the idea for Think-ets. Randy then decided to put miniature objects in a little mesh pouch since his daughter had dollhouse miniatures. This little idea was what launched the company.

Four of us, Jeff Scott, Jerry Moore and Julie Lake, became business partners and came up with the name Think-ets and then Think-a-lot Toys. Randy added some more games and soon the storytelling game became the most popular game in our list of games. Really, we developed Think-ets to keep kids entertained while getting them to use their brains and their imaginations at the same time.

Developing one game wasn’t enough and we soon began to create a whole line of “toys and games that make you think!” And, the story continues to unfold.

Jeff Scott and Jerry Moore later decided to focus on their own company and handed it over to Randy who now owns the company. We are indebted to Jeff and Jerry for their enthusiastic support in the early stages of the company.

Are you coming out with any new products?
We are always working on new products along the lines of ‘toys and games that make you think.’ As soon as they are ready to hit the market, we will let you know via our newsletter, our website, and our retailers. We often talk about soon-to-be released products on our Facebook page “Think-ets: Games of Imaginative Play” so if you’re curious, come join the conversation.

I have an idea for a game. Would you be interested?
Yes. We would love to hear your game idea. Send it in and we will consider it. If it is good enough and fits our needs, we will be in touch with you.

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"My 11 year old twin girls love the little pieces in this game. This game comes with us in the van and the girls dream up new stories all the time. Amazing that such a little thing could elicit so much creativity! I recommend buying a separate game for each child in your family, they will want their own set.”