HIC Clear Signals Briefs
Week of November 24, 2025
A Season of Support for America’s Hobby Shops
As the holiday season gets underway, the Hobby Industry Coalition wants to extend our warmest wishes to every toy and hobby store across the country. We know this is the most important—and often the most challenging—time of year for your business. We also know many of you are facing an impossible combination of higher import costs, reduced pre-orders, nervous customers, and shrinking margins.
You are not alone in this.
HIC was founded to make sure your voice is represented in Washington, and that your role in America’s small-business fabric is never overlooked. While the federal tariff picture remains uncertain, we remain fully engaged with the Administration, USTR, and industry partners to push for responsible, targeted relief for the small-business segments of HTS 9503.
New: Holiday Flyers to Support Your Business
To help you communicate the challenges facing small hobby shops—without causing friction with customers or suppliers—we’ve created three optional flyers:
A warm, emotional message highlighting the importance of local stores and the impact of tariffication on communities.
A clear but respectful reminder that this holiday season is tougher than usual for small toy and hobby retailers.
A stronger message emphasizing that without relief, many long-standing shops may not survive into next year.
These flyers are free to download, share, print, and use in-store or online. You can choose whichever tone best fits your business and your customers.
Why We’re Providing This Now
Hobby shops are the backbone of our industry. COVID weakened the network of specialty retailers; tariffs are now squeezing the survivors. Many of you have told us directly that you are carrying more expensive inventory, seeing drops in pre-orders, and working harder than ever to keep your doors open through December.
HIC will continue doing everything within our reach to advocate for fair treatment of small businesses, targeted relief for specialty hobby sectors, and recognition of the economic fragility facing this part of 9503. That work continues—quietly and consistently—regardless of recent signals from Washington.
A Message of Thanks
We also want to say thank you.
Thank you for being the face of this hobby in your communities.
Thank you for keeping the doors open through a difficult year.
And thank you for supporting the Coalition’s effort to ensure the industry’s long-term survival.
We are here to support you—and we will continue pushing for the solutions you deserve.
Wishing you a strong season, successful sales, and a bright holiday ahead.
Join now and be recognized on hobbycoalition.org and in official materials as one of the founding companies that helped secure the hobby industry's future.