and we ask you to be careful…
As we enter month four of life with Covid-19 we are starting to see things open back up after being shuttered for so long. At toystoreguide.com we know you are as excited to visit toy, comic and collectible shops as much as we are. We hope that everyone takes whatever cautions necessary to help keep them open.
Some parts of the country are allowing toy stores to open with limited restrictions like low occupancy limits and mask requirements. Other sections of the country, like New York City which was hit hard by Covid-19, are now allowing curbside pick-up. Either way, it is a step in the right direction and hopefully we will not have to revert back and close up again.
As restrictions lax it is the most important time to stay vigilant in your safety precautions. Masks and gloves can go a long way.
It is now time to start to visit the toy stores again.
It will be exciting to our old friends again and see the new inventory stores have to offer. New displays showing off their creativity and the reorganization of our favorite places making them seem like we are discovering a new favorite toy store.
Be sure to check the store’s social media to learn about operational changes. Many stores have temporally adjusted their hours or are setting up appointments for customers.
The closest toy store to me is Rip N’ Run Collectibles. I plan on visiting them to see the new window displays they put together and to pick up my “toybox”. During the time they were closed they continued to add items to their store, posting everything to Facebook and Instagram. All items posted were available to ship or to be added to a customer’s “toybox”, which they keep in the store waiting to be picked up once the store is open. I am planning to stop by this week and grab my box with the RoboCop VCR game, Kenner Predator figure and whatever else I have in the box.
With stores opening up we are left to wonder if they will continue the live sales that have kept us busy while at home. Live sales and auctions have been a great way to spend time and a better way to see toy shops that we may never have a chance to visit in person. It has been nice to be able to virtually get together with the toy community and in a way get to know shop owners from all over the country.
During this time at home, I have been planning road trips. Partly because they will be the easiest way to start to travel, but mostly out of a want to visit some of the stores I learned about while building their microsites. The first and easiest trip would be a day trip across Long Island, New York. Then possibly up to Canada, apparently they still have a store up there called Toys R Us up there. Other trips that sound exciting would be to Ohio and Illinois, you need more than a day to see the collectible and toy spots in Chicago. Hopefully, things with Covid continue to get better and a drive to Florida can happen, stopping at any toy store within range of I95.
So let’s all safely get back to the hunt. See you out there!
Article by: @toydelorean on Instagram