TLDR: The Toy Store Guide is made and maintained by a dedicated group of Toy Store Hunters and Enthusiasts.
The team strives to keep Toy Store info as accurate and current as possible. Small Businesses could have to change hours or even locations.
Be sure to check a store’s social media or online info for the most up to date information.
At Toy Store Guide our goal is to help toy collecting enthusiasts find local independent toy stores they can go visit in person. This singular goal has two distinct and equal functions. The guide helps collectors find cool retail shops they can visit in person rather than resort to buying online or at big box stores. At the same time, it helps bring attention and promote local small businesses that can always use all the help they can get. Toy Collectors get help finding cool stores, every one unique, that they can visit for a hit of nostalgia, and Toy Stores get help bringing in toy hunting customers that they need to stay open… Talk about two birds with one stone.
When we launched Toy Store Guide we had to find toy stores and explain our concept. Starting with stores we personally frequented, we moved to stores we could find online on sites like Facebook and Instagram. The cool thing about their algorithm is that finding a store will lead to them suggesting more toy stores. Eventually the guide caught some momentum and today most of our New Arrivals to the site come from the SUBMIT button from Toy Store Hunters.
Over the past five years we have grown to become a Travel Guide of Toy Stores all over the world. With somewhere around 500 Toy Stores featured, we have to make sure to carve out time to update store profiles while simultaneously adding new Toy Stores to the list. Truth be told, we spend more time updating profiles for previously featured toy stores than actually adding new stores. Our goal is to share as many Toy Stores as possible but it is important to make sure the profiles are and stay as accurate as possible.
They say anything worth doing is worth doing right, well any Toy Store worth sharing is with sharing right. (I don’t know who “they” are)
We recently heard from a well known and world renowned Toy Store that a would be customer was upset that they traveled to their store only to find it closed. The customer found out about the store from our guide, which is the point for Toy Store Guide existing. But the hours we had listed have changed since we last checked up on the toy store. The last thing we would want is for a customer to have a negative experience with a store because of outdated information on this resource. That would be our worst nightmare!
With that in mind, it is difficult to keep all of the Toy Store profiles up to date at all times. So be sure to check any store’s info and social media accounts before heading over, or even give them a call to make sure they are open. You hopefully noticed that the FaceBook and Instagram accounts are listed on the profiles, but did you know that if you tap the phone number it will call the store, or that if you tap the address it will take you to the store’s location on google maps?
Running any small business often comes with complications and toy stores are no different. Toy Stores could change their hours, either temporarily, permanently, or seasonally. Stores often extend their business hours during the holiday season. Over the last five years many stores have changed their location. Hopefully because the store has expanded but we have seen many examples of issues with leases at no fault of the toy store. Sadly, we can not ignore the reality that toy stores go out of business. It always stings when a toy store closes (our whole deal is helping to keep them open), but at least they got to live the dream for a little while.
At Toy Store Guide we are still steadfast in our goal is to help toy collecting enthusiasts find local independent toy stores they can go visit in person, but toy collecting is a team sport. We rely on help from the toy community and toy store hunters the world around.
If you know of an awesome toy store that we don’t have listed, let us know. Additionally, if you find any outdated information on the Toy Store Guide let us know so we can update the info for our fellow toy hunters.
Article by: @toydelorean on Instagram