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The Toy Box
Classic toys, games, and puzzles your
children will never forget.
Tired of mass-market toy
stores, where bright lights and boxes piled in
row after row leave little to the imagination?
There is a place where toys come to life in
cozy, imaginatively decorated rooms, and the
simple joys of childhood are evident in every
corner. The Toy Box, located just off the square
in Ligonier, PA, occupies 6 rooms of a Civil War
era building. As you approach the store, you may
see hopscotch squares freshly chalked on the
sidewalk, giving warning that you are entering a
zone where old-fashioned play is alive and well.
Here tin drums, sock monkeys, and push puppets
share quarters with nostalgic favorites such as
Jacob’s ladder, metal jacks, and wooden Yo Yos.
The rooms themselves are intimate, comfortable
spaces, with new treasures on every shelf or
waiting discovery around the corner. In a one
room, the Indoor Forest, cuddly stuffed lions
and a menagerie of other fearsomely cute beasts
(frogs, turtles, raccoons, bears, and more) live
happily under a butterfly-filled sky.
The Toy Box has been the passion of Cathy and
Jim Crawford since 1987, and it has been growing
in popularity ever since. After completing her
Bachelor’s Degree at the University of
Pittsburgh, and with two young sons still at
home, Cathy decided to create a fantasy world
for children out of an 1800s Victorian house in
the picturesque mountain community of Ligonier.
To complete her mission, she soon enlisted the
help of her husband, two sons, and an Italian
exchange student! The six rooms of the house
became:
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The Indoor Forest:
puppets, large plush, and wind chimes.
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Train Room: Brio, Thomas,
and Maple Landmark.
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Doll Room: Middleton &
Madame Alexander.
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The Nursery: Preschool
items from Bio, Lamaze, Holgate, Tiny Love, and
Schylling.
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The Game Room: Gamewright,
Binary Arts, and Great American Trading.
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The Play Room: Rokenbok
and Robotix.
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Closets became caves and
a train board covers the old bathtub.
People from all over the
world have come to see The Toy Box, with regular
visitors from the Washington DC, Maryland, and
Cleveland areas. Once having visited The Toy
Box, the friendly atmosphere and remarkable
selection keep people coming back again and
again.
“Don’t be fooled by our size,” Jim Crawford
explained, “we have an extensive selection of
quality toys, many of them retro, or nostalgic
in nature. Classic toys. And if you don’t see
it, ask. We’ll try to find it for you.” In fact,
this small store has a big presence on the
Internet. The Toy Box boasts loyal customers as
far away as California, Texas, and even England!
“Our largest seller over the Internet is Red
Farm Studio’s large format coloring book. Each
book has only six scenes, but invalids and
shut-ins will paint them or use water markers to
turn out beautiful, salable items.” The Toy Box
website can be found at
www.toyboxligonier.com.
A distinctive store in the picturesque town of
Ligonier, The Toy Box is well worth the trip.
Bring your kids, or the kid in your own heart.
This fantasy toy store has something to please
the child in all of us.
Come visit us during Fort Ligonier Days
October 10, 11, and 12 in 2003
For more information,
call Cathy or Jim at 724-238-6233,
or visit the website at
www.toyboxligonier.com
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