New West Street Store Brings 'Fun for All' Ages

A stroll through Fun for All! Toys, the new toy store on Inner West Street, may prove to be just as fun for parents as it is for kids.

The store, which is owned by Mark and Jessica Clampitt, opened in early October. Offering a unique selection of both modern and classic toys, the shop is located where used to be.

When visitors first walk into the store, they’ll see an array of classic candies, including Mary Janes, Charleston Chews, candy necklaces and more. The store also includes a section for novelty and classic toys, pranks and gags, magic and games and puzzles.

Adults may be surprised to find some of their childhood favorites, including the 1960's Mystery Date Game and the classic Wooly Willy magnetic toy.

“What’s also been real fun to watch is that the adults come in and totally enjoy themselves in here,” Mark Clampitt said, adding that “the parents have more fun than the kids at times.”

He said that while it’s easy to bring joy to children with a toy, adults are often bogged down with the stress of today’s economy and other things.

“When they walk in here they forget that. They look at the store, they look at items, they see an item or a candy, a toy or a game that they remember from their childhood and it totally reverts them back to that time, and that is the biggest kick I get out of this toy store,” Clampitt said.

Another kick he gets from running the store is seeing adults buy toys for themselves.

“The funny part is you usually see a parent or a grandparent come in here and say ‘Oh yeah, I’m gonna get this for my son or grandson,’ and you can tell that they’re buying it for themselves because they remember it from their childhood, that they can’t wait to bring it home and either play with their child with it or share a candy that they remember from their childhood,” he said.

Annapolis is the store’s second location. Mark Clampitt said they opened the original store in Rehobeth Beach, DE in 1998.

He said they wanted to open a second store and first started thinking about Annapolis a while back. He and his wife take turns running each shop.

Originally from Queen Anne, MD, Clampitt said he first started working in a toy store when he was 15 years old.

“Ever since I had a job, I worked in toy stores,” he said.

He got the idea for opening up a shop such as Fun for All! Toys by listening to customers. He said he would watch adults get excited about classic toys and that became the inspiration for the store.