Brad's Toy Room Closes, Internet Sales Continue

Just six days after Christmas, the Haddon Avenue-based closed its doors on Dec. 31, 2011—but maybe not for good.

left its downtown storefront one year and three months after its original , on Oct. 1, 2010.

"For foot traffic, (the 807 Haddon Ave. shop) just didn't do for us what we needed it to do," said Mandi Bricker, who co-owned the shop with her husband, Brad.

Before opening the shop in 2010, the Brickers were in the same line of business—but sold toys online only.

"Internet sales were always better (than in-house sales)," said Bricker. "They've always been more regular, more reliable."

But amid the news of its closing, there is good news for fans.

"We've already begun uploading the majority of remaining merchandise (from the storefront) onto our website, so whatever our customers need, they'll be able to find online," she said, adding that Brad's online site will continue to operate.

While opening a storefront had always been a dream for the Bricker's, reality didn't pan out as expected.

"If there was an event in Collingswood one month, we had a great month for sales," said Bricker of borough events, citing large crowds generated by the and . "But the in-between times—especially January and February—were especially slow."

Now, the Bricker's business will have merchandise returning to its original location: their home basement.

"Yep, we're back to (operating from) the 'Fortress of Solitude,'" laughed Bricker, of the nickname she gave to her basement, where husband Brad stocked toys and ran his online business.

One thing the family will miss most about having a shop in downtown Collingswood? Their regulars.

"The up side (of running a store) was being able to meet people and maintain friendships with so many locals," she said, adding that Internet sales don't yield any personal repertoire with clients. "We had people who'd come visit us every other day, with their kids or alone, adult-to-adult, just to chat.

"We'd talk about movies, new toys that were coming out; that's what we'll miss the most," said Bricker.

Bricker said she and her husband plan to uphold their borough presence through town events.

"We're absolutely going to maintain our ties (in the borough). We'll have a table at every event," she said. "We're hoping to build up a little more capital, and maintain customer relationships, through events."

If the couple could open their shop all over again—knowing what they know now—Bricker said they would've done some things differently.

"Paper and print advertising really didn't bring in that much revenue," she said of one strategy she wouldn't revisit. "And if we could go back, we would've tried to host more events ourselves. During town events, if we had focused more on simultaneously hosting in-store events—as opposed to focusing on the one, main borough event—I think we would've been better off."

Bricker said loyal customers can still expect to find their favorite merchandise online, including one-of-a-kind, 12-inch G.I. Joe dolls, which are custom-made by a Wildwood-based man for the shop.

"Those dolls—which I liked to call, 'Man Barbies,' because they were each the size of a Barbie—were a huge draw for us, because they were something novel that no one else carried," she said. "They'll still be available online, as will their accessories: the backpacks, machine guns, water canteens, and grenades."

Is there a future for the storefront version of ?

"Absolutely," said Bricker of the notion. "In Collingswood, on Haddon Ave. (After the kinks are worked out), there's definitely a chance for Brad's to come back to Collingswood, as a storefront, in the next five years."

While the shop's final day of operation was a difficult one for Mandi and Brad Bricker, the couple said their effect on Collingswood was evident.

"The day we closed, we had people coming in up until the last possible minute," said Bricker. "It was really sweet. We'll miss seeing our customers—who've become our friends—more than anything else."

To shop online, visit the shop's official website at shopatbrads.com. To read Patch's original story on —which was written a month after the shop opened, and ran on the first day Collingswood Patch launched as a live website—click .