First Lionel Kiddie City. Now Toys R Us. Adults sure know how to ruin children’s dreams. Don’t get me wrong, I am an Amazon Prime shopper. But, I miss the short days where I could walk through the toy aisle to touch and get a live feel of a product before purchasing it – on Amazon. It was almost a rite growing up. Good grades – toy store. Lose a tooth – toy store. Score a few goals – toy store. Birthday – toy store. Now it’s Christmas, and no more toy store. Or so I thought.
I was introduced to Franklin’s Toys many years ago when I attended a private school in Severna Park. My family never wandered in there because of the Big Box stores that still existed. Vanesa now attends that same private school, and the school still collaborates with Franklin’s. Since I love a discount and a good cause, my mother and I decided to see what this little toy store was all about last Christmas. It is now my favorite (and not just because it is the only one) toy store on the planet.
When you walk in, you are greeted with a smile and warmth from the actual store owner. It’s like Chick-fil-A “my pleasure” served on a Willy Wonka platter. It feels small, but the atmosphere is large and inviting. In the store, you can find your regular hot toy items, but also outside the box items. Mr. Franklin clearly loves and has passion for his business that thrives on making our children happy.
*Mr. Franklin trying out new toys at the toy convention.
So, if you are in need of last minute Christmas gifts. Please shop local. We cannot afford to lose anymore businesses. Mr. Franklin hand picks every toy in his shop with the hopes of engaging our children’s creativity. He even goes the extra mile and trains his staff on these individual toys, so we – the customer – know what to buy, the age range to buy it for, and how it works. And if you aren’t sold yet on helping to sustain local businesses, Franklin’s Toys gift wraps for FREE. I repeat, Franklin’s wraps gifts for FREE because ain’t nobody got time for wrapping gifts.
Franklin’s Toys has two locations: one in Severna Park and another in Annapolis. Support our local businesses and help local schools in the process with your purchases. If you’re a procrastinator like me, then I’ll see you at crunch time!!
*2014 Winner of Best Toy Store.
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