Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Figpickels Toy Emporium
Sarah Radmer
The Communicator
The horse is white with a red, blue and gold saddle on its back. The music starts and he’s off, circling in a blur of motion to the whimsical melody.
This horse is one of three that b elong to the miniature carousel which greets customers as they walk in the door of Figpickels Toy Emporium in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho.
Brett and Susan Sommer opened the business five years ago after noticing the area lacked a toy store, especially a unique one.
A composer and musician, Brett travels with his company, Music Arts, performing in musicals around the world.
The couple wanted to open a store like some of the shops that carried hand crafted toys which they had seen while traveling around Europe.
“I wouldn’t call Toys R’ Us the anti-model, but we wanted to create a specialty toy store like the ones we had so much fun at,” he said.
The store is full of intricate handmade toys from around the globe. The couple personally pick them out during their travels.
There are two- foot-tall wooden pirate ships with sails and Ugly stuffed animals with cyclopes eyes and ragged teeth.
The name, Figpickels, was inspired from a recipe in an old cookbook that belonged to Susan’s grandmother for pickled figs.
“We thought, ‘wouldn’t that be a great name,’” Brett said. “It’s unforgettable.”
The shop’s atmosphere is warm and bright, with a circus theme running from the striped tent overhang outside to the giant stuffed bears and walking dinosaurs inside. The building itself is nearly 100 years old.
General Manager Russell Frazier offers toy advice to customers as he mans the till, a red dragon bursting through the “cashier” sign, observing customers playing with the various toys.
“We pride ourselves on our customer service; (we offer) the same respect for all of our customers,” Frazier said.
The Figpickels staff play as much as the customers, often giving first hand tutorials.
Rob Clamp of Post Falls wanders the isles of knicknacks while his daughter Elliot plays. Elliot, 4, in a pink tutu and polka dot pajama pants, teams up with Fraizer on a miniature version of Whack-a-mole.
“(Figpickels) is very kid-friendly with lots of toys out for touching,” Clamp said.
It isn’t just the customers that have fallen in love with Figpickels. The store has been singled out as one of the best. It was named the 2009 Best Toy Store in Idaho by the Spokane and Coeur d’alene Living magazine.
Frazier said the downside of carrying handmade toys is that they tend to cost more than popular manufactured toys.
Consequently, Figpickels did feel some economic pressures but has recovered from it, Brett said.
“We noticed a change in buying patterns, people didn’t want to spend a lot of money on high-end toys,” Brett said. “So we got a lot of cool items for under $20.”
As the day’s end nears, customers begin to trickle out of the store. Some are giggling from an afternoon spent playing with different toys, others clutching a new purchase for a grandson’s birthday, Just a few reach up to pull a string next to the door, blowing a train’s whistle, to signal their farewell.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
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