Longtime Local Toy Store in Final Holiday Season

Oversized stuffed teddy bears, dart boards, kites, and a jack-in-the-box fill the window of  Walrus & Carpenter, on East Main Road, in Middletown, making it obvious this is a toy store with a strong sense of traditional toys. Not a video game or electronic device can be seen, and that is the way George Emerson, owner of Walrus & Carpenter likes it.

A changing definition of what constitutes a child’s toy, however, may be one of the factors that is leading Emerson to close his shop at the end of the holiday season. After all, even young children are playing with iPads, electronic LeapFrogs, and smartphones, according to recent studies. 

But the biggest factor in Emerson’s decision is the fact that he is losing his lease due to the expansion of two businesses adjacent to him. “Losing my lease at this time forces me to face the fact that the small, independent toy store is becoming a thing of the past,” stated Emerson, in an announcement about the store closing. “The slow economy, the pervasion of electronics and on-line bargain shopping also helped with the decision.”

Walrus & Carpenter has been located at 909 East Main Road for 25 of its 27 years of existence; Emerson has owned the shop for the last eight years. For many families on the island, it has provided a wealth of traditional toy choices—be it the German-made Playmobil sets that delight a six-year-old boy, the Gund stuffed animals for young and old, the wood chutes for rolling marbles that both a toddler and an engineer can love, or the museum-quality imported dinosaurs for anyone in the midst of a dinosaur fascination.

From now through the end of December, Emerson is offering at least a 15% discount on all in-stock merchandise, which a big red “Sale” banner across the store’s façade announces. Walrus & Carpenter is open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Dec. 24; 909 East Main Road; 849-0012.