In Business: “Toys For Boys” Offers Engaging Look Into Nostalgic Memorabilia

Toys For Boys in Park Rapids

Memorabilia can be a powerful thing. For some, it can provide nostalgia for their lives and experiences, while for others, it can provide an insightful view into the past. One shop in Park Rapids, Toys For Boys Collectibles, opens that window with their stock of memorabilia and collectors’ items.

“It’s ’50s, ’60s nostalgia with a street-rod emphasis,” explains Toys For Boys owner Nancy Rutherford. “It’s a business my husband started and now I own it.”

Over the years, the collection within Toys For Boys has grown exponentially to a whopping three rooms full of memorabilia.

“Most of it is for sale,” said Rutherford. “Not quite everything, but most of it is.”

Included in the collection are various icons of the ’50s and ’60s, such as James Dean and Elvis Presley, but perhaps the most prominent personality is Betty Boop, who happens to be the subject of Nancy’s favorite piece in the collection: a Betty Boop doll blanket from the 1930s.

“At the very beginning, I found out that Betty Boop was a good product to have,” explained Rutherford, “She’s a third of my sales of everything I’ve got.”

Toys For Boys has provided Park Rapids a taste of the past since 1970, and hopefully, the collection will be able to continue serving that nostalgia for the future.

Additionally, the store also has a collection of antique gas pumps and signs, which they will purchase from those willing to sell.