The Future: In 2017, my parents were ready to retire after 31 years. After lots of thought, Shane and I decided that we would purchase the store from my parents. Another no-brainer. So here we are, a few years into our journey and the start of a new era of toys in Fairbanks along with a new generation of toy store kids! We have spent the first two years on a mission to put our own flair on it. First by remodeling (still in progress!) and by having in-store events like craft days and Santa with his reindeer during the holidays. And now, by embracing the digital marketplace, mostly to make it easy for loved-ones out of state shop for Fairbanks kiddos during the holidays but now to keep us all entertained during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Name and the Logo: Brainstorming names and logos for the toy store in the winter of 1986 The Toy Cache was suggested. My uncle Lyle drew a cache with a very non-husky pup pulling a dog sled. We liked the dog and sled but were not that fond of the Cache name. As The Yukon Quest, the 1,000-mile dog sled race from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehouse, Yukon was underway it inspired our name, The Toy Quest.
What We Carry and Why: Every spring, we head to Las Vegas in search of new and different toys at an annual toy show. We try to select a variety of toys, something for everyone approach. We aim for a selection of unique and novel toys you may not be able to find elsewhere. Toys that encourage kids to create, explore, and imagine.