Toyville - toys, games & puzzles

Aim

Save Toyville, Bristol’s best independent toy shop.

What's this crowdfunder for?

Through a combination of personal savings and a business loan I have scraped together the money to buy Toyville. However, the expected legal costs for the purchase are significantly more expensive than anticipated. Your donation would help fund this, and ensure everyone in Bedminster and beyond still has somewhere local to do their festive shopping this year.

What is Toyville?

Started in 2016 by local couple Lindsay & Joel, Toyville is one of North Street’s gems and is home to the best selection of toys, games and puzzles you’ll find in Bristol. For a decade it’s been saving local parents’ bacon with an impeccable range of last minute gifts for children’s birthday parties. Toyville isn’t just for kids either - make your way to the back and you’ll find an eclectic mix of hobbyist board games suitable for adults.

After years of hard work, Lindsay & Joel have sadly decided it’s time to move on to other things. However since putting the business up for sale, they have had trouble finding the perfect buyer - someone who can offer a fair price to make a sale viable, but is equally committed to keeping the shop going in its current form.

Who am I?

Hopefully, I am that buyer! An ex-employee, I joined Toyville back in 2021 for the opening of its former sister shop, Toyville Games. As a local board game enthusiast it seemed like a no brainer, but I also appreciated the excellent selection of toys for my own young family. In 2024 I “left” for pastures new, but I always kept one foot in the door, and you would still occasionally find me in the shop on a weekend. Fast-forward 2 years, and after coming to the end of my contract at the University of Bristol I’ve decided another office job is not for me when I could be selling toys.

Over the past 5 years I have learned a lot from the way the business is run, and I am very excited to take it on. If you pop in at the moment you’ll often find me either working or doing additional shadowing in preparation, making sure I’ve got my head around the accounts and the shop’s many different suppliers.

I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel. Toyville is a business that works, it just needs someone who is willing to give it the same energy that Lindsay & Joel have given it. I see this as a long term investment, and I fully intend to keep it going for another 10 years or more, stocked with the same variety of quality toys and games you love. In short, if you would like the shop to keep going as it is, look no further!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 1st July 2026 at 12:00am