Toyworld - A World of Toys

WORDS: Irena Brooks PHOTOS: Roger Richardson

Walking into TOYWORLD is like visiting ‘the good old days’ – from being greeted by the ‘mom and pop’ owners to the knowledgeable and friendly service they and their extended family offer – but you don’t have to time travel to get there.  

The TOYWORLD shop in Strandon specialises in one thing — TOYS!!! Twenty thousand of them, with a total value of over $1 million, including many that were popular 40 years ago (or more) and are still coveted by kids and adults of today. But along with various Barbies and the latest Lego, you’ll also find Squishmallows, Bluey merchandise, crafted wooden toys from Hape (made from sustainable bamboo) and all sortsof modern board and card games — as well as the old classics. Behind the counter are owners Glenn and Kate Demchy, who have owned the business since it opened in Strandon in 1997. “We make our shop look like its Christmas every day, with plenty of stock and shelves packed with different toy options. We want our customers to walk in the door and go ‘Wow!’ The couple has had 40 great years in retail — first as owners of Mitchell Cycles from 1984 and then Toyworld as well from 1997. After running both business for 11 years Mitchell Cycles was sold to Blair Cox in 2008 and the Demchys kept Toyworld as a lifestyle business, opening six days a week for nine months of the year.

“Half of our turnover is done from October to December and we open on Sundays during that period.” Stock ordering however starts 12 – 15 months ahead of Christmas, with a lot of crystal ball gazing. “After 27 years we are now stocking toys for kids of kids of kids. “We’re the only stable thing in some people’s lives,” Glenn jokes. “A lot of people come in and they may have been in Australia for ten years and they go ‘Thank God there’s someone here I still know!’” He remembers when he and Kate first opened Toyworld. 

“The Toyworld people wouldn’t take our full joining fee as they didn’t think we’d succeed out here because there’s no foot traffic,” he says of their Strandon location. “But six months later they came back for the other half. “I look back and think we were probably trailblazers because in 2006 when the Valley started opening, we became the centre of town — it’s 2k out there and it’s 2k to the centre of town, so we’re literally the heart of New Plymouth retail.” The abundance of free parking —seven out the front and 22 more out the back — means their customers can relax and take their time shopping and exploring the stock, even at Christmas. And if they’re in a hurry they can get a park right outside and leave with the perfect gift in no more than 5 minutes. A true family business, Glenn, Kate and two of their four children, Kevin and Nadia, all work in the store along with niece Katrina and 2nd cousin Raewyn. They all like a laugh and having fun with people when they come in and are great believers in old fashioned service. “We come out from behind the counter and actually serve people. “We pride ourselves on being tidy, clean, you can walk up and down the aisles without banging into anyone with your pushchair or pram.”

They have seen a lot of toys come and go over the years but the toys that people really went crazy over were Teletubbies back in the 1990s. People queued before opening and there’d even be arguments between customers over who was going to buy the last Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-laa or Po. “We’d open the doors, they’d swarm in and all the Teletubbies would just be gone.” There are many other popular toys from yesteryear that have made a comeback … My Little Pony, Polly Pocket, Care Bears – that’s into the fourth generation. TOYWORLD also still sells hula hoops, yo-yos and knucklebones —and they’re still made in Christchurch and still heavy, but no longer coated with lead. “Lego has evolved from a kid’s toy to an adult’s toy, which has brought a totally different clientele into the shop – especially over Covid. The concentration needed is a great way to put all the distractions and stressors out of your mind and be able to relax. “AI has taken Lego to a whole new sphere … you’ve even got Lego Transformers now,” says Glenn. “Originally Lego was never designed to move or bend. Also the detailed Lego like little flowers,” which reminds Glenn of one of the most popular gift options for Valentines Day this year … a Lego bunch of roses. A TV driven aisle offers toys from Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Bluey, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Sylvanian Families, dolls and more dolls, Pokemon and more. They stock a great assortment of soft toys, like monkeys and nine-foot long snakes, plus the Wild Republic range featuring turtles, octopi, whales and more. There’s toys to assemble in the craft and science aisle, including the perennial rock painting kits, plus other indoor toys like Play-Doh, Duplo, books, Crayola, Spirograph, Holdson Jigsaw puzzles, Wasjig, along with a great range of kitsets and boardgames. A pre-school aisle, where all the toys have learning elements incorporated into them, features Siku, Bruder, Tonka and John Deere trucks, trailers and tractors. An outdoor section has ride-ons, water guns, Nerf guns, frisbees and mega howlers ,remote control cars, helicopters, planes and drones.

Right by the front door is the shop’s go-to ‘Specials’ area where they offer an ever-changing array of discounted goods. “It’s all genuine specials — 60 to 70% off — and they’re ideal for a kid’s birthday party you only found out about that morning and is happening that afternoon. You can get something for about $20, we can gift-wrap it for you and away you go.” Now open every day until Christmas, the Toyworld team is unpacking new stock daily. If you want to see a Toyshop that specialises in toys, pop in and have a look.