The Happy Go Ducky Story

The Beginning…

After my husband Vojta and I ventured to his hometown of Prague in Czech Republic for the very first time together, to take in all the incredible sights and spend precious time with his loved ones, neither of us could have imagined that from that one trip, an idea would be born. One which would result in us creating something incredibly special and close to our hearts. That something special was Happy Go Ducky and here we are 6 years later with our 6 year old son who is also one of the main reasons why we started this amazing adventure.

We only wanted to source toys that were ethically and sustainably handmade...
When you become a parent for the first time, you realise how important it is to you to give your child the best start and for us that includes quality, educational toys. Our key focus from that very first conversation, was that we only wanted to source toys that were ethically and sustainably handmade…so of course that meant no plastic! We wanted each toy to tell a story so that they became more than just a child’s play thing…we wanted them to become a part of the family. When you treasure something as a child, you play with it often and memories that you never forget are created. These are the toys that don’t get thrown away. They are kept, cherished and passed on.

The Reality…

No one could have prepared us for the challenges that lay ahead. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy but the road was filled with hazards and road blocks, so much so, that there were several times where I thought we might not be able to make our dream a reality. Thankfully our passion and sheer determination spurred us on and eventually made us realise that we could actually do this. Our persistence certainly paid off and we are so incredibly grateful for the amount of support we received and for all the valuable lessons we’ve learnt along the way.

The Name…

Probably one of the most important elements of any business is the name and truthfully the idea for ours came about quite randomly. We had decided early on that we liked the idea of a duck being somehow a part of our name and branding and the reason being was that the first wooden toy I purchased for our Leo while we were exploring Prague together, was a pull along duck from Miva Vacov. After that it got a little harder! We had list after list of ideas, none of which we both really loved. Then one day while I was sitting in McDonald’s waiting for my car to be serviced, Vojta sent me text with another list of names and on that list was Happy Go Ducky. As corny as it sounds, I knew straight away that was what we would be called. It summed up perfectly our ‘happy go lucky’ nature, with a funny little twist that incorporated our happy little duck!

From The Heart…

That’s the only way we know how to operate! If we don’t believe in something wholeheartedly then we search for something better and that applies to anything. Whether it be a product, brand or the packaging we send your toys in. We only want to provide the best in everything we do because we know and understand that that’s what every parent wants for their child and that they want to purchase from brands and people they can trust. At the end of the day, if our customer isn’t happy then neither are we! We want to make our customers happy but also much more than that, we want to create an experience for them. One that’s just as special and unique as all of the lovingly handcrafted toys you’ll find in our store. That’s been our mission from the beginning and will always be the core of our business, no matter where the future takes us.

Where To Next…

We’re always dreaming big! With each year that passes, we feel so blessed that people love and support what we do and with that behind us, pushing us forward, we know the possibilities are endless. We have always wanted to have our own bricks and mortar store and hope to be able to expand our venture and achieve this goal in the very near future. We’re also incredibly passionate about our local community and love that we will be able to give back more and more as we grow to people and charities that need it the most.