The ToyBox
Owners: Gary & Misti Mussatto
Year Established: 1972
You could say Gary and Misti are in the business of having fun. After opening the first kids indoor play centre on the North Shore, followed by their own Toy Jungle, they purchased The Toybox, the oldest toy store in Western Canada, in 2009 and have been running both stores as a family to this day.
The Toybox has been a Kitsilano landmark since 1972. “Kitsilano customers are perfect for the specialty retail business,” says Gary. “They tend to care more about the quality and uniqueness of products and less about what’s popular on television.”
When the store moved across the street from its original location it underwent a transformation into a toy factory, complete with conveyor belts, painting and wrapping machines and even a secret tunnel. Your child can even become an “Official Toy Inspector” whose ‘job’ it is to play with all the toys and report their results!
We are happy to see that the Toybox remains a place that’s sure to put smiles on kids’ faces and let their imaginations run wild.
