by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Richard Stoecklein has been in the retail toy business Downtown ever since the Landing opened more than 22 years ago, but his career in the business actually started before then.
“I met my wife, Beth, in Philadelphia and she was managing a toy store,” he recalled. “After we got married I realized we could run a store, so we went up and down the East Coast looking at locations in malls.”
The couple settled in Savannah, Ga. and established a simple toy kiosk called “Fun ‘N Games” at Oglethorpe Mall. The inventory started out limited to games and stickers, but they soon discovered that being a smaller operation than the “big box” discounters allowed them to react faster to changing trends in toys.
“That’s a strategy we still use today,” said Stoecklein.
They operated the kiosk for four years until they heard about the new Landing about to open in Jacksonville. The store’s only location has been Downtown ever since. The Stoeckleins won awards in 1989 and 1990 from the trade publication “Playthings Magazine” for Store Design and Store Promotion and in 1994 moved into a new space at the Landing three times larger than their original store.
The name changed to “The Toy Factory” 15 years ago as a nod to the conveyor belt that moves toys through the store near the ceiling.
“We have established a reputation for having toys you can’t find anywhere else and we have things for ages birth to grownups,” said Stoecklein.
He described the business as a “specialty toy store” that really doesn’t consider discount stores as competition. A member of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association for 14 years, Stoecklein said it’s a group of about 300 owners of similar stores who share ideas and information about what toys are currently most popular and will be soon.
“Kids are kids no matter where they live,” he added.
The store’s best-selling puzzle game is called “Tantrix.” it’s a set of 10 tiles that look deceptively simple. Stoecklein said you begin with three tiles and try to match the colors on each side, but every time you add a tile the game becomes more difficult.
He predicted one of this season’s hottest-selling toys will be a series of miniature cars called “Tracksters.”
“It looks like a toy car but it’s really a computer program. You can go on-line and race against other Tracksters. For $15 you can compete in an international motor sports league.”
When asked if there are any toys in the store that he also sold the day it opened, Stoecklein thought for a second then rattled off a list that included plush toys, historical simulation games, Rubik’s Cube and Playmobil, a German toy line. There’s an entire section of The Toy Factory devoted to it.
“We carry more Playmobil than any other store in North Florida,” said Stoecklein.
Another top seller is a set of two CDs that is always playing in the store. It’s called “The 100 Best TV Themes.”
That includes title music from The Muppet Show, Gilligan’s Island, The Addams Family and 97 more.
“People are always singing along to the music and they kept asking where we got it. It’s one of our bestsellers,” said Stoecklein.
Running a toy store for more than 25 years has been rewarding, he added.
“They come in the store and spend 45 minutes or an hour just browsing what we have on the shelves. That makes me feel good even if they don’t buy anything.
“We get a lot of business from tourists and conventioneers. They often tell me they wish they had a store like this back home,” said Stoecklein.
Stoecklein predicts this will be one of this season’s most sought-after toys. “It looks like a toy car but it’s actually a computer program,” he said.
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