J. Grant Prather is the owner of JGP Toys, a Mandarin-based, licensed online toy store for adult collectors with a penchant for cartoons.
WHAT IS HIS ROLE?
“I do everything: merchandising, web maintenance, handling customer inquiries, purchasing, [bookkeeping], packing and shipping. I process orders, make sure they are packaged in good condition and send them.”
WHAT DOES HE SELL?
Pop culture collectible toys. Most of his merchandise is from claymation or animated television shows such as “The Simpsons,” “Futurama,” “King of the Hill” and “Gumby.”
WHAT IS HIS TARGET MARKET?
“Mostly male adults of all ages, collectors that are 18 or older. They don’t play with them [the toys].”
WHAT IS HIS ANGLE?
“There are some stores on the Internet that sell the same type of things, but I try to sell things that you can’t find. Sometimes I do see things in stores so I keep my prices competitive.”
WHAT ARE HIS HARD-TO-FIND SPECIALITIES?
“Retro wind-up toys, Gumby and friends bendable toys, Simpsons inflatable punching bags and mini ceramic mugs in sets of 10, capsule figures.”
WHAT ARE CAPSULE FIGURES?
“You see them in vending machines at movie theaters or the mall, but they’re not very common. Inside there are items like character figures or mini keychains. It’s hit or miss to get what you want.”
WILL HE DIVERSIFY HIS SELECTION?
“I’m not sure. There are other character themes and puzzles. I have been thinking of doing these if the others decline in
popularity. I may start a second site for puzzles and games, but I’m not going to stay with something that won’t sell. For example, ‘Futurama’ was canceled and ‘The Simpsons’ are approaching an end so the product line will dwindle, but I don’t think it will fade out.”
WHY START THE BUSINESS?
“For a long time I wanted to be an architect but you have to be good at math. Plus, my health prevented me from working before. I needed something where my job security could be controlled in case I got ill. I can do everything from home except go to the post office and I can use a laptop from the hospital.”
HOMETOWN
A Jacksonville native, Prather lives with his parents.
ANY COLLEGE?
“I’m taking business classes at FCCJ. I would like to get a four-year degree. I have been looking into Stetson, but I can’t afford it.”
WHAT’S MOST CHALLENGING?
“Keeping up with orders. Plus, it’s cyclical so I don’t have a steady income.”
HAPPY ACCIDENT
The whole concept for his business stems from his personal interest in collectible pop culture and his health condition. Prather has cystic fibrosis, which makes it difficult to maintain a conventional job. When he was recovering from a double lung transplant at home a few years back, he spent a lot of time on the Internet searching for collectibles. His business evolved from there.
HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN IN BUSINESS?
Since mid-2000.“I started out on e-Bay. It was making money for me. I was already selling some of my own collection and other collectors had their own website, so I taught myself how to set one up. I started full force with the business when I was 18. It was successful from the start.”
HOW MANY ITEMS DOES HE SELL?
“An average of 75 a month. Business is increasing slowly.”
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
“CF is a chronic disease where thick mucous scars the lungs and shuts them down. There is no cure. It is fatal in most cases due to the ways it affects your body, especially the respiratory and digestive systems. Life expectancy varies per person. Some die when they are kids, some when they are teens. The median age is 35-40, but it goes up every year because of research. CF affects people at varying degrees. I was healthy until middle school.”
HOW HARD IS IT TO LIVE WITH?
“Life wasn’t very livable before because I was on oxygen. My life now is a complete 180 degrees from what it was five years ago. It’s fairly normal. I don’t feel sick although I am. I do things that most others my age do.”
— by Monica Tsai