New Store Opens for 'Kids at Heart'

Rows of Hot Wheels, glitzy Barbies, fuzzy Elmos and the Incredible Hulk are just a few of Lonnie Ledbetter’s stock in trade. The owner of a new Eureka store, Trey’s Toy Box, Ledbetter is a Dittmer, MO, native. He and his wife named the store after their son, Lonnie Ray, who is nicknamed Trey.

“Cristin and I noticed that Trey had so many toys, you couldn't see the floor,” said Ledbetter.

“This gave me the idea of selling some of the toys, and things just developed from there. These are hard-to-find toys—you just can't walk into and buy these collectors' items. After a TV show or a movie, the related toys sell well for a while. Then the big stores discontinue them or put them on clearance. Whatever isn’t sold at that point is sent back to the manufacturers, who make some of them available to stores like mine.“

Located at 86 Hilltop Village Center Dr., the store specializes in toy cars. Ledbetter is a dealer for Mattel and Hot Wheels. He also carries the Johnny Lightning brand of toy cars. 

“There are many people who collect Hot Wheels,” said Ledbetter. “People bring in their collections and consign them. Some people are looking for certain cars and others want collections of cars. Another really hot item are Fisher Price toys from the 1960s and '70s. The little people with all of their related vehicles and toy sets—everybody's wanting those. Also, G.I. Joe, Legos, Star Wars figures and Barbies are also very highly sought after.”

Collectors who are getting rid of duplicates in their collections consign some of the items. Others are sold by people who kept them when their kids grew up and moved away. “We're unique when it comes to consignment shops, because we give our customer more of the sale price. The seller gets 70 percent of the price and we get 30 percent. The customer can decide on the price, but of course, I usually offer advice as to what price the toy will bring,” said Ledbetter.

This store is not just for kids. There are many gag gifts in the shop, and Ledbetter also can order many other items for a special occasion or event. For example, if you give him a picture, he can order a Bobble Head character that looks just like the person in the photo. You can choose from many costumes, poses and styles of Bobble Heads. This custom service comes at a price, of course:  $99 per Bobble Head. 

In addition to being a toy merchant, Ledbetter is also a toy broker.  After several years of being in this business, Ledbetter has gotten to know his best customers well. He knows what they're looking for and what they'll pay, so that when he finds something in that category, he sets it aside for them and gives them a call. “That's one of the things I really like about my business,” said Ledbetter. “It’s a challenge to find these old toys, and it’s also rewarding, getting to know my customers and helping them find what they want.”

“I've always been drawn to vintage, hard to find toys,” said Ledbetter.

“Take these Incredible Hulk figures, for example,” he said, pointing to the bright green character from the TV show of the same name. “It was decades ago when the show was aired, and yet some collectors still love these. I have the tiny cast iron Hulk figure, and also the largest one that is made of plastic. Look, it even talks.”

He pushed a button on the back to demonstrate it and the figure boomed, “Oh, you pitiful humans!" Ledbetter looked up with a grin. “Isn’t that a hoot?”

Store hours at Trey’s Toy Box are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, the hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call the store at 636-587-2138.