When Toymakers Retire

It's no secret that we've always loved handmade toys. They have a kind of integrity that mass-produced toys lack. The personality and values of the toymaker shows through.

Part of that integrity is what happens when a toymaker retires. They don't sell out to a bigger toy company with a marketing plan to move production overseas and start selling to Walmart. No, when a toymaker retires, they just stop making toys.

Recently, two of our favorite toymakers have retired and we'd like to take a moment to say thanks for so many years of great toys.

Mike Spikes, owner of the American Toy Company in Oregon, has been making Ping Pong Catapults and Marble Shooter Toys for us since 1999.  We've always loved his toys for their simple design, durability, and incredible play value--all powered by rubber bands. Luckily, we were able to buy his remaining stock, but they'll soon be gone.

Soon to be gone: The Ping Pong Catapult by The American Toy Company

Also retiring are the toymakers at Mossy Creek Woodworks, makers of one of our all-time favorite baby rattles, which we've also carried since 1999.  Its crazy to think about how many hundreds of babies were welcomed into this world with a gift of a Mossy Creek rattle--all from a business in rural Arkansas that never had a website, Mossy Creek was old school, harvesting wood from their land and drying it in a solar kiln. We've got lots of other wonderful wooden rattles to choose from, but we're sadly all sold out of one-of-a-kind Mossy Creek Rattles.

All gone: Mossy Creek Woodworks

Thank you to American Toy Company and Mossy Creek Woodworks for so many years of wonderful toys. We've been proud to stock them in our store.

Do you have a child who's enjoyed these either of these toys? We'd love to hear your stories!