Kingston toy store at the centre of Blue Jays ‘home run dragon’ craze

A children's toy, the 'Flaming Dragon Ride-On,' has unexpectedly become a sensation among Toronto Blue Jays fans, driving a significant surge in demand for a Kingston-based toy store. The plush dragon, mounted on a stick, first appeared in the Blue Jays' dugout during a series in San Francisco, quickly evolving into the team's unofficial good-luck charm.

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We were completely shocked at first. We’ve always had this dragon around, but then there was a peak of interest just in one evening.

Lyn Wattam, a sales assistant at The Rocking Horse toy store in Kingston, described the sudden popularity as shocking. Initially unaware of the dragon's connection to the baseball team, the store staff realized the trend's magnitude when a local customer explained its significance. The Blue Jays reportedly introduced the dragon into their dugout during a slump, hoping to energize their offense, and fans quickly adopted it as a symbol of team spirit.

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I think that it really tapped into something deeper in people, which is just this nostalgia and this desire to be a part of a bigger community that follows the Toronto Blue Jays.

Wattam believes the dragon tapped into a deeper sense of nostalgia and a desire for community among Blue Jays followers. This unexpected connection has drawn a new demographic to the toy store, people who might not typically show interest in such businesses. The Rocking Horse has become the sole online retailer selling the dragon, further fueling its nationwide appeal.

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Over the past few weeks we have been the only store online that has had these available for purchase, which has added a lot to the traction that we’ve been getting.

The store has received online orders from coast to coast in Canada, from Prince Edward Island to Vancouver Island. A recent shipment of 124 dragons arrived to meet demand, with over a thousand website visits attributed to the dragon craze. For $39.99, fans are hoping this quirky mascot will indeed breathe fire into the Blue Jays' performance.

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There’s been a lot of traction. We’ve seen over a thousand people visit our website because of this dragon, and they span from coast to coast in Canada. We’ve actually sold over a hundred just in online orders alone, so it really has taken hold and created quite a frenzy.