In Focus: Park Rapids Couple Saw The Sign

From Betty Boop collectables to gas station signs and more, the Toys for Boys shop in Park Rapids has it all. For this week’s In Focus, Mal Meyer took a stroll down memory lane to look at Americana culture.

Dick and Nancy Rutherford have seen the sign- a lot of them. It started when they bought a trailer full of Betty Boop shirts over two decades ago.

Now people far and wide come and drop in to see what they have.

The couple went to a Las Vegas trade show for more of the cartoon character shirts and ended up expanding their collection.They opened the store in 1997.

The signs on the exterior of the building are authentic and many on the inside are as well. Upstairs are were most of the hanging American artifacts which lay waiting until someone picks them up.

Dick says from time to time he’ll research how much some of the items are worth based on their age, style and condition.

Sometimes, they’ll get lucky.

For Nancy, her favorite is hanging in the store, but as she says, she couldn’t possibly put a price on it.

But even if some of the more pricey pieces are out of reach, the trip down memory lane might be worth it.

Contact the Author Mal Meyer

mmeyer@lptv.org