Toy Joy

                                                                                    

Valentine’s Day is approaching, so my “mom errands” today were focused on the Valentine  theme. I was looking for a little something to give my kids because, of course, they need more stuff than they already have.

I decided to skip the Target-scene and opted for a store called Toy Joy.
It's an independently owned toy store near UT (that's The University of Texas, if you have the misfortune to live anywhere but Texas). Toy Joy is housed in a bright building with over a hundred plastic nuns (yes, nuns!) perched like gargoyles around the rooftop.  The exterior makes you want to go inside and see what this place is all about. So I did….

As you enter, you realize it's as much a store for grown-ups as it is for kids. It’s packed full of merchandise, and I do mean PACKED full.  Stacked boxes and bins approaching the ceiling and many items actually hanging from the ceiling . I saw things I hadn't seen in years.

They had a whole display of Troll dolls, and another "shrine" with more varieties of "Ugly Dolls" than I ever knew existed. They had wall hooks that looked like human fingers and ice cubes that looked like brains...a new take on brain freeze. I saw a lot of different types of Rubik's cube puzzles that seem to baffle our former president, George W. Bush.(at least according to the sign next to them).

They also carry Rody Pony, apparently this toy is a Japanese phenomenon. I'm out of the loop on this because my kids are too old for them.  Good thing, because if they weren’t I would have had the urge to buy one of these cute, but overpriced bouncers.  Instead, I carefully selected a few disgusting gag toys for him and a couple of Hello Kitty things for her. It was worth the trip out of suburbia to find a some unique things for my kids...because you know, they don't have enough stuff!


Happy Valentine's Day!

Toy Joy
2900 Guadalupe St Austin, TX 78705
(512) 320-0090