Clik here to view.
The Oasis in Paradise
Sari and Sam Powazek, “toy experts” in Arizona, have been married for 46 years. For most of that time, they’ve been toy store owners. Over the decades, there have been a lot of changes in the toy...
View ArticleAt Once All Agog
With Halloween on the horizon, specialty toy retailer Candace Gooch was feeling the pressure. Her holiday window display was still “all up here” (index finger tapping head), but it soon had to be front...
View ArticleThe Big Idea
Fifteen years ago, Harold Herskowitz came up with a plan “to open the coolest toy store anyone had ever seen.” Why toys? The father of five, including a set of quadruplets, was going broke buying his...
View ArticleSpecializing in Delight
To enchant its guests, Salt Lake City’s luxurious Grand America hotel added a toy store to its lineup of onsite shops. Called JouJou, the four-year-old retail space reflects the same spare-no-expense...
View ArticleThinking Out Loud
“We’re like the Cheers of toy stores,” says Joan Steinbach, who owns Thinker Toys with her husband Tye. Kids and adults love spending time in the 4,000-square-foot store in Portland, Oregon. The happy...
View ArticleWelcome to the Fun House
“Big Fun is what would happen if Dr. Seuss took Willy Wonka to Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” Steve Presser by Jenn Bergin On April Fool’s Day, new and vintage-toy store Big Fun celebrates its 25th...
View ArticleService Obsession
Shelves full of shiny new products won’t matter if you fail to focus on service by Tina Manzer After struggling through years of turmoil and uncertainty, the last thing most specialty toy retailers...
View ArticleA Blossoming Business
Learning Sprout Toys Celebrates 20 Years by Jenn Bergin Rose Calvin is in the business of making kids happy, and she’s a busy lady. She’s the owner of Learning Sprout, a 20-year-old toy store in...
View ArticleNext Stop, Fun and Games
by Jenn Bergin Faith and Walter Gil love welcoming kids into Lollipop Station, their toy and candy store in Culpeper, Virginia. And they sure know what kids like – the couple has a blended family...
View ArticleSeason Opener
by Jenn Bergin Each year, North Carolina-based Toys & Co. kicks off the fourth-quarter selling season early. During the first week of October, the family-owned chain of four stores holds a...
View ArticleTreasure Island
by Jenn Bergin Overflowing with toys and trinkets, 35-year-old Calico Toy Shoppe is considered a community gem. Located on Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound, the family-owned business has been there...
View ArticleThe Shops Keeper
by Jenn Bergin In 2003, Stacy Smith, a former interior designer, opened an eclectic gift boutique in Marietta, Georgia, one of Atlanta’s largest suburbs. She filled it to the brim with “wit and...
View ArticleStores Like Yours
Traveling to ASTRA’s Marketplace? Use it as an opportunity to shop the stores like yours – the independents whose unique and ever-changing product mix keeps customers wanting more, who generate happy...
View ArticlePlay MAINE-iacs
by Jenn Bergin photo by Nanette Saye, Saye Photography Rainbow Toys was a “sweet, sleepy little shop” when Juliette Steinbach first discovered it more than 25 years ago. Located in the small coastal...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ready, Set, SELL!
by Tina Manzer It’s GO time for the holidays at Snoozy’s Kids near Birmingham, Alabama. “We need to do what we do, and do it really well in the upcoming months,” says owner George Jones. “I’m ready...
View ArticleThe Little Shop Around the Corner Gets Bigger
by Tina Manzer There are more than 70 specialty toy stores scattered throughout New York State, says ASTRA’s 2017 Membership Directory, but only one is fewer than 20 miles away from edplay’s...
View ArticleLet the Good Times Roll
By Maria Bucci Travel down the old Airline Highway in Metairie, Louisiana, and you can’t help but notice the brightly painted yellow and blue building with toys in the windows. But you probably won’t...
View ArticleThe Coolest Toy Store on the Planet
03.20.2018 by Maria Bucci “Coolest” is just one of many superlatives people use to describe O.P. Taylor’s, the independent toy retail business established by John Taylor 30 years ago. Imagination rules...
View ArticleSetting You Straight About Kattywompus
05/16/2018 by Tina Manzer Kattywompus is a specialty toy store that focuses on retro and classic toys, but it also sells gifts and baked goods. And, if you want to learn how to play the guitar,...
View ArticleClassic, Fun, and Beautiful
07/17/2018 story by Maria Bucci photos by Cisco Gamez It’s been 40 years since Rinalda and Charles Edwards opened Terra Toys in Austin, Texas. When asked to name the secret behind the store’s...
View Article