The newly opened Toy Shack in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights sells products not offered at big-box stores like Target or Walmart.
“We try to bring in more unique types of products that you cannot find if you are in a local store like Target or Walmart, any of the big-box stores,” Toy Shack owner Kenny Moore said on Sunday. “The only one really that’s in here that you can find is Funko. You can find that in Target, I believe.”
Some of the products at Toy Shack can also be found on Amazon, but Moore said the prices at his store are at or below Amazon’s prices. In addition, customers who order online from Toy Shack can pick up in the store or get free delivery within a four-mile radius. Some items will be delivered the same day if ordered before noon.
Moore said customers are impressed with the types of toys available, making comments like, “Wow! You have a lot of different, unique stuff that we don’t see anywhere else.”
Toy Shack is off to a good start in the Northeast Heights
Toy Shack is located next to Annie’s Soup Kitchen in Scottsdale Village, behind the McDonald’s on Candelaria Road. Moore said business is going good so far.
“We officially opened last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. That was our first day,” he said. “So, we had a few people that first day and then we opened Black Friday. I had a few people then, and then over the weekend it was busier.”
Moore runs the store with his wife Daonne and two sons, who also help with deliveries. Moore said he was born and raised in Albuquerque and went to Manzano High School, where he graduated in 1986. He traveled to Oklahoma for a year to go to school before returning to Albuquerque and attending the University of New Mexico.
“Then I actually got a job as an air traffic controller,” Moore said, adding that he lived close to Louisiana and Paseo del Norte while he worked at the nearby Federal Aviation Administration building. “I worked there for 21 years and then I retired back in 2009. So, I lived in that area basically that whole time. For about 15 years I lived in that area.”
Moore said he was selling products on Amazon and decided to open a brick-and-mortar shop after being approached by sales representatives.
“We had some sales reps coming in and were trying to talk us into opening a toy store just because there are no toy stores really in Albuquerque. We finally said, ‘OK, let’s try it out.’”
Moore was already familiar with Scottsdale Village from a prior business he had at the same location. “We kind of knew with Annie’s Soup Kitchen, the clientele that were in here — they stay pretty busy, so we had quite a few people that would walk by anyway,” Moore said. “So, we thought this might end up working. Put a sign up, ‘coming soon,’ and have had quite a bit of traffic coming by.”
Moore said the Northeast Heights is a good place to have a business and that in general Albuquerque is a great place to live and work.
“You know it’s funny, because I do hear complaints about this place and of people wanting to leave, but then you know both my older kids did leave and now they both want to come back,” Moore said. “I think it’s that whole grass is greener — you know, they think it’s better somewhere else but then they get there and they’re like ‘Wow! Albuquerque is a really friendly city and nice place.’ Nice weather. Great people. I mean, I went away for one year and I came back, and I’m not going anywhere because, yeah, I just love the mountains. Love the weather. Love the state.”
Unique products for all ages offered at Toy Shack
As for the toys, Moore has products geared toward all ages. There are magnetic Shashibo boxes for fidgety hands, Five Nights at Freddy’s keychains and plushies, a glow-in-the-dark Capture the Flag game, build your own bath bombs and potions, glow slime and many other toys even adults might find interesting.
Magnetic racetracks and Pokémon cards should be coming in soon, too. In addition, Moore will order different types of toys if they are unique and there is enough customer demand.
“Some people have asked for Legos, and we’re like, ‘Well we might carry some Legos,’ but I don’t know that we want to, because we don’t want to be another, we don’t want to be like Target or Walmart,” Moore said. “We want to get stuff here that you can’t really get at a lot of places.”
For “endless screen-free entertainment,” visit the Toy Shack at 3107 Eubank Blvd. NE and receive a $5 credit when registering for their rewards program. Online orders can be made at www.toyshackstore.com.
