Ohio toy store becoming one of the largest in the country

FAIRFIELD, Ohio — Visiting the toy store as a kid is a nostalgic memory for many- which is why five years ago a few friends sought to create that nostalgic experience for others.

Now, five years later, they’re celebrating becoming one of the biggest toy stores in the country- in the middle of ‘Smalltown Ohio.’

Taking a look around The Toy Department, it’s hard not to remember the good old days.

“‘When I was a kid,'" said Kenneth Koepnick, the manager of The Toy Department. "That’s probably the number one line said in the store.”

The toy store in Fairfield just outside of Cincinnati started just five years ago by a few child-at-heart friends, including Koepnick.

“Couple of buddies who were like, 'Oh we should open up this place, we’ll be able to buy some toys,' and now it’s become full-time jobs for multiple people," he said.

Now the store has turned into a destination, people traveling all over the world to visit.

What makes the store unique is that nearly every item in the store is resale- people bringing in their old treasures to find new homes.

But the store is nearly filled to the brim.

“Everything’s packed to the ceiling," Koepnick said. "There’s stuff piling up in the back room. We need more space.”

Which is why they decided to move from their 3,000 square foot location to a nearly 20,000 square feet storefront just down the road. Making them one of the largest toy stores in the country.

“When you factor in square footage and density, we’re going to be towards the top of the list," Kopenick said.

The new location, opening in July, will be a welcome change.

“A little bit of an upgrade," Koepnick said.

For Koepnick- what started as a dream is now something he said is a dream come true.

“Travel back to myself as a teenager and say not only am I going to be a toy collector but I’m going to have a daily hand in one of the coolest toys stores on the planet is insane," he said.

The new location for The Toy Department is in Fairfield. While an opening date has not been announced yet, the hope is to open in early July.