Business & Tech
It’s a Toyland After All: Behind the Counter at Mumbles And Squeaks
In this new Patch series, we give you the people and the personalities behind those everyday store counters.
Name: Frank DiPietro
Title: Co-Owner, Mumbles And Squeaks
Fast Fact: The store will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Main Street on August 1.
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On the store’s name: The two cats of the previous owner were named Mumbles and Squeaks, and we thought it would be a good name for our shop.
Had you ever owned a toy business before you opened up this shop? No
Find out what's happening in Ellicott Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Why did you pick this spot? We liked the charm of Old Ellicott City. … We were visitors here and we found that there were lots of things for adults but there was nothing for kids. … The demographics supported our thinking. This was before the days of Target or Barnes & Noble when most communities had a specialty toy store.
When you were a kid, what was your favorite toy? I had a toy sailboat that was my favorite.
Were you the kid who had lots of toys? We were not spoiled but we never wanted for anything. We usually got toys at Christmas and birthdays.
How many types of toys do you think you sell here? Thousands
What’s been the key to your success? It’s getting harder and harder because our vendors are selling to the Targets. So there is a lot of duplication. … We have to rely on customer loyalty, and pricing, and finding new lines to beat the competition. … There are a lot of new lines coming out of Europe.
What’s the average amount of money a customer spends here? $25. At Christmas it’s more.
When people talk about Historic Ellicott City, at one point or another your toy store comes up in conversation. So many people are fans. How does that make you feel? Old (laughs). We’ve paid our dues. It is a compliment but it comes at a price. We’ve put 20 years into this. … Now we have part-timers, but for many years we worked seven days a week.
What’s your favorite part about working with toys? I enjoy the kids.
What makes a good toy? Playability. Good quality.
What’s your best-selling toy? Right now it is that game called “Spot It.” It’s a fast-paced matching game.
What’s trending in the toy market at the moment? Those rubber band bracelets. Erasures. Yo-yos go up and down.
What is your hope for the future? Continued success.
So that means you’ll be on Main Street another 20 years? Yeah. It will be proven.
