My Grandfather's 1950's Toy Store
Gemmy10
Posts: 2,990 ✭
My grandfather (may he rest in peace) had a toy store in the 1950’s. The name of his store was Tops Toy Store. I kid you not. I am not sure if he picked Tops with one “p” because of the card company. I can not recall the exact dates but I was born in 1956 (probably a reason I should buy Topps Heritage this year) and I think he went out of business shortly after I was born. Anyway, my grandparents had a garage attached to their house which they never used and was bolted shut. It was an extension of their basement. My grandfather who was very handy made the garage a separate storage area in their basement and he enclosed it off from the rear of the basement by putting up a non-permanent wall by using a curtain and wicker.
During the 60’s when my sister, brother, and I were growing up we knew my grandfather had had a store in the 1950’s since my mother and grandmother used to tell use about it. Every once in awhile my papa would give us brand new toys from their former store, like Monopoly sets and Tonka trucks. Around Christmas time every year he would set up the Lionel trains which also came from the store. I used to love the smell of the smoke from those pellets that he would put in the train engine. I can never remember him giving us new packs of Topps baseball cards, but I often think what if… My cousins are about 7 years older than my sister, brother, and myself and I often wonder if they got the baseball card goodies. I remember we used to bug my grandfather all the time and ask him if we could go behind the magic curtain for new toys.
During the 60’s when my sister, brother, and I were growing up we knew my grandfather had had a store in the 1950’s since my mother and grandmother used to tell use about it. Every once in awhile my papa would give us brand new toys from their former store, like Monopoly sets and Tonka trucks. Around Christmas time every year he would set up the Lionel trains which also came from the store. I used to love the smell of the smoke from those pellets that he would put in the train engine. I can never remember him giving us new packs of Topps baseball cards, but I often think what if… My cousins are about 7 years older than my sister, brother, and myself and I often wonder if they got the baseball card goodies. I remember we used to bug my grandfather all the time and ask him if we could go behind the magic curtain for new toys.
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