My husband is a self-described nerd and, with a Master's in Popular Culture from Bowling Green State University, he's especially into the cultural significance of toys. (Or so he says... I think he just wants an excuse to buy our kids vintage action figures...) He's especially into Kenner, a now-retired toy company founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a resume that includes several highly recognizable toys and merch from the original "Star Wars," "Jurassic Park," and "Batman" franchises. For him, nothing beats a day perusing a vintage toy store, and there's one in particular he could happily spend hours browsing. In Fairfield, Ohio, The Toy Department is known for its extensive selection of toys and collectibles, all affordably priced so toy lovers of all ages can buy, collect, and play to their heart's content.
There's something about getting older that makes me incredibly nostalgic.
As a kid growing up in the '80s and '90s, my childhood was filled with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Super Mario, with many afternoons spent challenging my brothers to epic Mario marathons. When we encountered technical trouble, we'd pull out the game cartridges and blow on them, convinced that would fix the problem. (It mainly did.)
I'm not alone in my nostalgia for these "ancient" times (my kids love pointing out how OLD I am); The Toy Department was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2018, after four friends realized how much the area lacked the presence of a great toy store.
So they did what needed to be done, creating a brick-and-mortar store stocked with the highest quality, largest variety, and most affordable toys and collectibles around.
Clearly, these guys were onto something, because The Toy Department has since moved twice, upgrading to more space each time.
In a nod to the area's famous Kenner Toys -- a titan of the toy industry for over 50 years -- The Toy Department carries a wide array of vintage Kenner figures, including
You'll also find entire walls of Hot Wheels, Transformers, Pokemon, Magic Cards (remember those?!), and pretty much every action figure you played with as a kid.
The only caveat? You'll have to visit the store in person. The Toy Department doesn't offer shipping.
That's okay, though. Any true toy enthusiast (or partner of a true toy enthusiast) would happily jump on the opportunity to peruse 20,000 square feet of total toy bliss!
Have you visited The Toy Department before? Whether you're a vintage toy nerd, casual collector, or simply in the market for a unique and nostalgic gift, this story store in Fairfield, Ohio, is worth checking out!
Just down the road from The Toy Department, there's an international grocery store that provides an equally engaging shopping experience, complete with 1,500 varieties of hot sauce and 1,400 kinds of cheese!
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