HOUSTON — If you’ve started your holiday shopping, you may have already noticed it: toys are more expensive this year. And shop owners say tariffs are a big reason why.

At Big Blue Whale, a popular toy store in Houston’s Heights, the holiday season is everything. Manager Angela Cook calls it their Super Bowl, the most important time of the year.

She says getting to December hasn’t been easy.

“It’s very much a roller coaster ride,” Cook said. “We just have to ride, and we can’t get off.”

Nearly 80% of toys sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China, and at one point this year, tariffs on some Chinese goods surged as high as 145%. Those increases have put serious pressure on small toy shops like hers.

“Nothing is the same price as it was last year,” Cook said. “Everyone knows it’s affec

See Full Page