Nolensville Toy Shop offers the best of new toys and old favorites
Who opens a toy store in a small town?
Heather Bell took a leap of faith and opened a terrific store in Nolensville filled with interesting toys for children of all ages.
“I can’t tell you how many times I have been faced with trying to find a toy for a birthday party one of my children was invited to,” Bell said. “Too often, I had to buy something on the run and then wrap it in the car.”
She opened the shop early in 2013, in a very old home situated on the corner of Old Clovercroft Road and Nolensville Road. Bell was determined to provide a unique experience, especially for shoppers who are usually on a busy schedule. “So many people stop in on the way to a party. We do a really good job of helping people find the right toy. Once that’s done, we’ll gift wrap it if it’s for a party and give them a blank card to sign.”
Walk into the store and be prepared to be wowed. Customers are greeted by tiny dolls, a four-foot-tall giraffe, games and costumes, just for starters. Kids love to run around and touch ... well, everything. One man, shopping with his wife and son said, “the toys remind me of my childhood.” His wife offered a different take. “It’s different from any toy store I’ve ever seen. I never heard of some of these toys. I love it.
Visitors to the toy shop can readily see that a great deal of thought was put into the kinds of toys Ms. Bell decided to carry. “Before we opened the store, my husband and I went to New York for the annual toy festival. It was very exciting. We came home with a bunch of catalogs and started shopping.”
Some of the more popular items these days are LumiPets nightlights and BlockaRoo blocks for kids 18 months and up. Slime and putty are always popular and fidget toys, the kind that click, seem to be making a comeback. “With the pandemic keeping people home for so long, we sold a lot of puzzles and board games for the whole family last year,” Heather said. Although you can’t shop online yet, the owner hopes to change that this spring. “We’re going to start with toys for toddlers,” she said.
Nolensville turned out to be a good place to open her store.
“We are very grateful to the people of Nolensville," Bell said. "The town has really supported us by shopping local. In turn, we try to give back when we can with contributions to various school events.” LEN SERAFINO