Store Profiles

Workin’ on the Railroad May/June 2010 by Anya Harris and Tina Manzer The Cannon family has a monopoly on fun retail with their three stores - Discovery Depot, the Candy Caboose and Boxcar Books Click here to read this article.

Will We Be Jolly? September/October 2009 by Anya Harris Veteran toy retailers discuss the ways they're preparing for an uncertain holiday selling season Click here to read this article.

What Do You Do With a Pocket-Size Store? November/December 2005 by Tina Manzer and Deirdre Byrne The owner of One Two Kangaroo finds a solution to her space shortage Click here to read this article.

Trolling for Tourists September/October 2003 by Tina Manzer Donn Kreofsky created a whole retail/museum/entertainment complex around wooden toys he makes and sells. LARK Toys in Kellogg, Minnesota, is in the middle of nowhere, but people from across the country are flocking to it. Click here to read this article.

Tree Top Kids Sprouts New Store July/August 2005 by Tina Manzer The Washington D.C. toy store prepares to add a third location Click here to read this article.

Toy Store Owners Lead a Science Safari November/December 2006 by Stacy Majewicz Unique products and live animals get kids excited about science Click here to read this article.

Thinking Outside the Box March/April 2013 by Alyssa LaFaro California retailer Greg Kelly wasn’t born the retail sage that he is today. Click here to read this article.

There’s a Party in Here July/August 2006 by Stacy Majewicz Priscilla Moore, owner of the toy store Mr. Fub’s Party in Yellow Springs, Ohio, proves that it’s not the size of the store but the atmosphere and mix of products that keep customers coming back. Click here to read this article.

The Cat's Pajamas (and Robes) September/October 2004 by Tina Manzer The ever-changing product mix of this funky toy store keeps customers coming back Click here to read this article.

Stowed with Enchantment September/October 2012 by Alyssa LaFaro When Vermont retailer Nancy Teed was younger, she had a glimpse of her future. Like most of us, she didn’t realize it at the time. Click here to read this article.

Store Hopping for Fun and Profit September/October 2005 by Tina Manzer A California retailer talks about store expansion and the importance of moving forward Click here to read this article.

Stone Soup January/February 2011 by Anya Harris The owner of a toy store in Bar Harbor, Maine, discusses why filling her store with lots of products delights tourists and creates loyalty among the locals Click here to read this article.

Stay. And Sit. November/December 2007 by Tina Manzer An upstate New York store features an eclectic mix of products Click here to read this article.

Smooth Moves January/February 2004 by Tina Manzer The owners of two different toy stores make the move to new locations Click here to read this article.

Service with a Smile January/February 2003 by Tina Manzer The Foster family shares some secrets to specialty store survival Click here to read this article.

Send In The Clowns January/February 2002 by Tina Manzer The owner's of Piccadilly's Toy Store describe their fourth-quarter move to a new location Click here to read this article.

Retail Role Model Celebrates Specialty January/February 2002 by Tina Manzer Stanley Marcus of venerable Neiman-Marcus compares the retail present with the past, and talks to us about economy, war and specialty retailing Click here to read this article.

Purple Prose November/December 2011 by Anya Harris Pat Siegfried and Jane Hargrove took ownership of Black Forest Books & Toys just as the downturn hit hard. Three years later, they're looking to grow into a new, larger location. Click here to read this article.

Podcast March/April 2009 by Anya Harris The owners of Peapods Natural Toys grew their tiny home-based business into a blossoming retail store by catering to an expanding market Click here to read this article.

Playing Hard, Profitably July/August 2008 by Anya Harris The shopping experience at Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle’s in Tucson combines whimsy and fun with open-ended, creative-play toys for kids of all ages Click here to read this article.

Old-Fashioned Fun September/October 2011 by Anya Harris Click here to read this article.

New England Town Finds Gold in Old Building January/February 2010 by Tina Manzer Eureka! A Toy Store is one of many merchants and services experiencing success in a mixed-use, redeveloped industrial building. Click here to read this article.

Mary DeSilva: One Smart Kid January/February 2004 by Tina Manzer The former president of ASTRA talks about the evolution of her business and comments on the state of the industry Click here to read this article.

Managing Employees of All Ages January/February 2010 If you’re like most independent toy-store owners, you’re using this retail transition time to step back and look at your store with new eyes. Click here to read this article.

Learning Express Stays on Track March/April 2004 by Tina Manzer President Joe Diaz and corporate buyers reveal product selection strategies Click here to read this article.

Keep Kids Moving September/October 2006 by Stacy Majewicz With special events and a newly expanded outdoor section, this Indiana toy store encourages kids to be kids. Click here to read this article.

Jumpin' Ahead of the Competition May/June 2008 by Anya Harris With the addition of a party room with giant inflatable toys, The Lollipop Toy Store got a jump on the Big Box stores around them Click here to read this article.

It’s Never Too Late to Open a Toy Store May/June 2007 by Tina Manzer Two grandparents in Vancouver, Washington, describe how an offhand idea turned into a successful venture Click here to read this article.

In Her Dreams January/February 2005 by Tina Manzer Peg Scholtes turned her daydreams into reality when she opened Capitol Kids in Madison, Wisconsin Click here to read this article.

Hub Hobby: Big and Growing November/December 2008 by Anya Harris The owners’ dedication to advertising and marketing has made this Twin Cities toy store a success Click here to read this article.

Great Gifts, Naturally Mixed March/April 2008 by Anya Harris Welcome to Sundrees, a specialty shop that offers the best in local, handmade and "green" gifts. Click here to read this article.

Going Round and Round January/February 2007 by Stacy Majewicz With four toy stores and a bakery scattered throughout central Minnesota, entrepreneur Cathy Hughes is always on the go. When we caught up with her before the holidays, she talked to us about the advantages – and the craziness – of running multiple lo Click here to read this article.

FUNdamentally Different July/August 2009 by Anya Harris They do things a little differently at FUNdamentally Toys, and that’s the way owner Debbie Scholl likes it. Click here to read this article.

Fresh Faces From Kansas July/August 2011 by Anya Harris Gwen Ottenberg and her husband Albert own and operate Imagine That Toys in Wichita. Click here to read this article.

Expertly Chosen Toys for Children With Special Needs May/June 2006 by Tina Manzer Ariel's Child celebrates 20 years of serving kids with speech, language and sensory problems Click here to read this article.

Everything’s Bigger in Texas July/August 2012 by Anya Harris The Toy Maven did not just roll out of bed one day and open the doors... Click here to read this article.

ELLA’S DELI: Toy Collector Adds Whimsy to the Menu July/August 2007 by Kari Anderson One-of-a-kind toy displays make Ella's Deli more than a restaurant Click here to read this article.

Effective Messages, Creatively Delivered March/April 2010 by Anya Harris Pufferbellies Toys opened in historic downtown Staunton, Virginia, in 2006. Click here to read this article.

Delightful Dinosaur Hill March/April 2007 by Tina Manzer A toy retailer in New York's East Village discusses giving customers what they want Click here to read this article.

Cloudy, With a Chance of Fun May/June 2003 by Tina Manzer Instead of grabbing an umbrella when sales slowed to a drizzle, Joanne Farrugia made rain. In April, she talked to us about enticing customers to shop at jaZams, her three Princeton, New Jersey-area toy stores. Click here to read this article.

Building Support for her Neighborhood Toy Stores May/June 2009 by Anya Harris Throwing a community party and helping dozens of local organizations raise money are just a few of the ways Katherine McHenry, owner of two Chicago toy stores, plays an active role in the stores’ neighborhoods Click here to read this article.

Branded a Success November/December 2009 by Anya Harris Creative Kidstuff has grown from one tiny store to an independent toy powerhouse with seven locations, a lucrative licensing agreement and hundreds of employees. President and CEO Roberta Bonoff shares the company’s strategies for growth Click here to read this article.

Beyond A TreeHouse, the Sky’s the Limit September/October 2007 by Tina Manzer The owner of TreeHouse Toys & Books becomes a franchiser Click here to read this article.

Being Green When It's Not Easy May/June 2005 by Tina Manzer Top Ten Toys focuses on environmental stewardship and non-violent, educational toys Click here to read this article.

Bear Cub Brands Biggles January/February 2006 by Tina Manzer A Rhode Island toy retailer writes a book about a bear and turns it into his store's brand Click here to read this article.

“Everything Starts With a Trip to a Good Gift Show” July/August 2006 by Tina Manzer Today’s museum gift shop managers are creative shoppers on a mission: to find irresistible products that fit perfectly with their exhibits. Here’s how three museums tackle that issue. Click here to read this article.

An Affair to Remember January/February 2013 by Alyssa LaFaro Motivated by the magic of NYC toy stores, Cathy opened The Elephant's Trunk in South Carolina. Click here to read this article.

Always Aiming for More May/June 2012 by Anya Harris Forward-thinking merchandising and a unique pricing strategy keep Concord’s landmark toy shop right on target. Click here to read this article.

A Toy Store Tradition in Pittsburgh September/October 2010 by Anya Harris Venerable S.W. Randall Toyes and Gifts turns 40. Click here to read this article.

A Talk with the Twirl Ladies November/December 2012 by Alyssa LaFaro Seven years ago, a fantastic toy store in Taos, New Mexico, closed. A year later, five moms with eight preschool children among them decided to fill the gap in the market. Twirl Toy Store and Play Space was born. Click here to read this article.

A Straight-Up Toy Store In Oregon May/June 2011 by Anya Harris When Linda Hays buys products for her 2,200- square-foot toy store in McMinnville, she has only one rule: “I want what kids are excited about.” Click here to read this article.

A Little Luck and a Lot of Love March/April 2012 by Anya Harris Teaching Toys has been a fixture of Tacoma, Washington for three decades. Click here to read this article.

A Good Shop Tops Off Today’s Museum Experience March/April 2002 by Tina Manzer Meet Chris Dettman, the manager of Rochester, New York's Strong Museum Shop, who points out that having just the right toy, book or gift souvenir to take home is often the icing on a child's museum-experience cake. Click here to read this article.

A Good Joke November/December 2010 by Anya Harris Claudia Towles became a specialty toy retailer when a remark made in jest turned serious Click here to read this article.

A Focus on Fun September/October 2008 by Anya Harris Owners of Massachusetts toy store Where'd You Get That!? reveal the secrets of their success. Click here to read this article.

A Breakaway Success July/August 2010 by Anya Harris By offering free in-store yo-yo classes, award-winning retailers Jack and Priscilla Finn teach kids good sportsmanship, cooperation and diligence. Click here to read this article.

1 Cool Store March/April 2011 by Anya Harris Click here to read this article.

"Don't Forget Your Change" July/August 2002 by Tina Manzer An interview with store owner Jonny Girson reveals how his business philosophy has changed with the times Click here to read this article.