News

Actions

Amazing Toys closing as owner heads into retirement

Posted at 6:25 PM, Jun 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-03 20:25:13-04

Amazing Toys in downtown Great Falls will soon be closing permanently. They formally announced the closure on Facebook on Saturday evening.

On Sunday morning, owner Dave Campbell said that the store will be closed on Sunday (June 3), Monday (June 4), and Tuesday (June 5), and will re-open to begin its liquidation sale on Wednesday, June 6th.

He plans to close the store permanently at the end of July. All merchandise, fixtures, and supplies will be sold.

Campbell says that he and his wife Diana are retiring and plan to relocate. He also noted that he did try to find a buyer for the store, but has not been able to.

“We’ve been sort of a magnet for parents and kids, or grandparents and kids, just to come in and hang out,” Campbell said.

Campbell has worked in retail since he was a teenager. His passion for the business is clear as day when you walk through the doors at Amazing Toys.

“Owning my own store, merchandising, operation, dealing with customers…that’s all been really gratifying,” Campbell said.

But after 47 years in retail, he’s ready for retirement.

“I haven’t really spent the time with my family I would like, haven’t really been able to travel and do those kinds of things that our success here at the store might have allowed. So now is our chance to move on while we are still young,” Campbell said.

He noted, “It has been cool watching toys evolve. That’s been sort of the fun part of the business, finding new merchandise every year. Finding new merchandise has been really, really fun,” Campbell said.

“It’s been a really fun experience for me. I hope we’ve helped the kids of Great Falls and Montana develop and I hope we’ve provided a fun shopping experience and I hope people remember us kindly.” 

Amazing Toys, located at 515 Central Avenue, has been in business for more than 30 years. It was founded in 1987 by Bob Rechlin at 319 Central Avenue; he sold it to Campbell in 1999. Campbell moved the store to its current location in 2005.

div[data-mml-type=”relatedcategory”]{border: thin solid #e7e7e7;} .categories-right-icon{display: none;} .stories-area > hr{margin: 0px;} .stories-area > iframe {border: white;} div[data-mml-type]{ overflow: hidden; } div[data-mml-status=”draft”] {display: none !important;} div.fb-post span, div.fb-post span iframe{max-width: 100%;} div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].left, div[data-mml-type=”instagram”].left, div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].left{ float: left; position: relative; overflow:hidden; max-width:100%;}div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].right,div[data-mml-type=”instagram”].right,div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].right{ float: right; position: relative; overflow:hidden; max-width:100%;}div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].center,div[data-mml-type=”instagram”].center,div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].center{ width: 100% !important; overflow:hidden; text-align: center;}div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].center iframe,div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].center twitterwidget,div[data-mml-type=”instagram”].center iframe,div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].center iframe{ margin: auto !important;}div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].center > span{ margin: auto !important; display: block !important;} .mml-display-none{display: none !important;} div[data-mml-type=”gmaps”], div[data-mml-type=”youtube”] {position:relative; width:100%; padding-bottom:56.25%;} div[data-mml-type=”gmaps”] iframe, div[data-mml-type=”youtube”] iframe {position:absolute; left:0; top:0;} div[data-embed-type=”clip”],div[data-mml-type=”clip”]{position: relative;padding-bottom: 56.25%;width: 100%;box-sizing: border-box;} div[data-embed-type=”clip”] iframe { position: absolute;}}div[data-embed-type=”social”], {position: relative;padding-bottom: 56.25%;width: 100%;box-sizing: border-box;} div[data-embed-type=”social”] iframe,div[data-mml-type=”clip”] iframe { position: absolute;}}.frankly-img{max-width:100%;}.mce-item-table{word-break: break-all;}