The coolest thing a toy store could do is help promote another toy store. Many shops run by the idea that a rising tide lifts all ships, or more specifically a strong toy community lifts all Toy Stores.
Over the five years we have been building Toy Store Guide we have taken notice of a bunch of toy stores that go out of their way to lift up their fellow store owners. Whether it’s interacting on social media, hanging out with one another at a convention, or sending a customer their way, some toy stores embody the best of the toy community.
Let’s take a look at two Toy Stores that are known for sharing…
Known for their positive reputation, Toy de Jour was one of the first toy spots we reached out to when we started. When we explained to them what our idea for a toy store guide was, they shared a website they had already put together for the Chicago area.
chicagotoyhunting.weebly.com
“Early on with our store we knew we wanted to promote other shops in the area, because not only do we not consider ourselves competition, but we also really like visiting all the other shops because we are collectors ourselves.”
Sam Wells (Toy de Jour)
What started as scribbling down names and addresses on scraps of paper, turned into printed postcards of Chicagoland toy stores, then evolved to the website. Now when they notice a toy hunting tourist, they tell them to scan the framed QR code to keep the fun going.
You can really tell what kind of store you are dealing with when you tell a shop owner what you are looking for and they aim you to another store that may have it. That sense of community is strong with Danielle & Rob Eldridge who run Route 68 Vintage Toys and Collectibles and the Route 68 Vintage Toy Mall.
They also are responsible for The Great Ohio Toy Show. The giant toy show, held at the Greene County Expo Center in Xenia, boasts 7 buildings and over 700 tables of vintage and modern toys of all kinds.
The toy show hosts vendors from all over the United States, including toy stores from all over Ohio. At Toy Store Guide we still list Ohio as the toy collecting capital of the world, with quantity, quality, and community when it comes to Toy Stores. We got to visit Route 68 Vintage Toys on a road trip and were not disappointed. We chatted with Danielle & Rob about their toy show and the other amazing toy stores in the area. Sadly, we were in the area on a Monday when many shops are closed.
With all the toys I took away from Xenia, I am glad that I left something behind… The idea for them to make their own map, now known as the Ohio Toy Trail Map.
It is our mindset at Toy Store Guide that buying toys leads to buying more toys, hence visiting toy stores leads to visiting more toy stores. It makes sense for the toy stores to keep the momentum going. In a recent exchange, Sam from Toy de Jour put it best: “If the old way of thinking is ‘competition breeds excellence’, I’d like to suggest that ‘cooperation breeds community’. And that’s great for everyone.”
Article by: @toydelorean on Instagram