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Sandcastle notes 11 years in Toyland  Sandcastle Toys has enjoyed eleven years of fun along with Sue Taylor and Bill Taylor who own and operate the magical toy wonderland.
"I had a dream, literally a dream at night, and I woke up and said, 'Bill,we're going to have a toy store,'" Sue said. About eleven years later, Sandcastle Toys began to grow from an original footprint of 300 square feet to a "real toy store."
"I knew we were a real toy store when the kids would come in and look around wide-eyedand say, 'Wow, we're in a REAL toy store," added Bill. "It's not really a place so much as a state of mind," he continued. "A toy store is a happy place. Some people come here to feel good. I think that's something that people appreciate, to be able to come here and relax and just look stuff over."
Bill describes the store as a "slowplace. There's no scanner, I hand write all my receipts. It's really simple, really basic and it's not fast; we try to be an old fashioned kind of store," the kind where folks drop by for a chat or just to browse without pressure from sales clerks.
The vast selection at Sandcastle Toys includes puppets, puzzles and educational toys, model trains, science, pretend play, children's books, games, magic tricks, greetingcards, developmental toys for babies and toddlers, and a famous inventory of tin wind-up toys including new designs and reproductions from a bygone era.
"Every single item in here has been carefully selected and thought about," said Bill, right down to the rolls of Necco wafers, unique art supplies, and plastic knights and dragons.
"Everything in here I believe in, I bought for a reason," said Sue, who handles the majority of buying for thestore. "There's novelty here - there's a whoopie cushion - but there's quality, too."
"I enjoy focusing on the human aspect of the business," said Bill. "It's like inviting people into our home: be sure to say hello and goodbye to everyone who comes into the store, and be sincere. You've got to put your heart into it, that's really it. In 11 years, we've seen a whole generation of kids grow up and move on; some drop by occasionally. It's an enjoyable job, and there's a certain amount of quality of life that's important."
Children of all ages are invited to stop by and Sandcastle Toys from 10:00-6:00 seven days a week. The toy store is located at 255 SW Ninth St. in the vicinityof Newport City Hall and may be reached at 574-1901.
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