Being in the toy business isn’t always all fun and games. It takes serious know-how and lots of work to make an independent toy and hobby shop not only survive, but thrive for 50 years.
Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy in St. Clair Shores has weathered economic crises that resulted after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the 2008 recession and now, the COVID-19 pandemic. Through it all, husband and wife team Richard and Carol Claggett – and now their three children, Rick Claggett, Julie Everitt and Wendy Bacon – have found a way to continue bringing joy to children’s faces with a huge selection of educational toys, board games, plastic model kits, books, jigsaw puzzles, building blocks, train sets and more.
The secret to their success is simple: Outstanding customer service, quality products and competitive pricing. Through the years, Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy had become a destination spot, a place in the community where neighbors come to gather, chat and make play dates. There’s a train that runs around the ceiling and a hands-on play table where kids play with toys while their parents shop.
“There’s nothing like seeing the faces of kids when they come in and see all the bright colors and all the fun toys,” said Everitt. “It’s all about the experience.”
She described how busy parents come into the store to shop for a birthday party gift for their child’s classmate. They’ll ask for recommendations from staff, who likely already knew the birthday boy and girl and what gifts had already been purchased. They steer the customer in the right direction, let them make a decision and then gift wrap the product and have them on the way to the party in no time.
All products in the store are hands-on; no electronics are available for sale. Bacon orders all the toys and books; Claggett orders the hobby products, science kits, games and puzzles; and Everitt handles the hiring, training and customer service. Bacon’s sons worked in the store when they were teens and continue to work there part-time now. Although retired, Carol comes in to balance the books and Richard likes to talk to customers and keep an eye on the hobby part of the business – the antique collection, at least.
In fact, it was Richard’s love for model trains that started this entire family adventure. In 1970, he was a designer at General Motors who was big into trains. So, the couple opened up a hobby shop and Carol ran it during the day.
The Claggett children all grew up in the store, which they joked about not being nearly as fun as it is now. Back then, the focus was on the hobby portion and Lionel trains.
“This is the only job I’ve ever had. I started when I was 16,” said Claggett. “I never wanted to do anything else.”
With community support, the store has doubled in size twice, once in 1986 when it moved to its current location at 21714 Harper Avenue in St. Clair Shores and then again during an expansion in 1996. Over the years, as interests changed and customer needs evolved, it turned into more of a toy store from strictly a hobby store, although electric trains continue to be a big draw for adults.
Today, some of the big selling toys are Legos, Melissa & Doug wooden toys and Breyer horses.
“We cater to trends lightly and stick with the tried and true toys that people recognize,” said Everitt. “We want to make learning fun.”
With the current COVID-19 pandemic, the family is selling a lot of jigsaw puzzles, art and crafts kits and board games like Settlers of Catan for family game nights at home. Customers are also requesting homeschool supplies and educational games as the school year finishes up at home. The business offered an online shop and curbside pickup during the crisis when customers weren’t allowed in the store.
Claggett predicts that the business will look slightly different in the coming months as restrictions are lifted. Some business practices, like the hands-on play table, will change at least in the near future. The business has also canceled its Play Days throughout the summer.
Although some aspects of operations are bound to change thanks to the pandemic, the Claggett family plans to carry on in many ways as they have in the past with good prices, excellent products and a commitment to customer service.
50th Anniversary Plans
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy with the Claggett family. There will be lots of sale items, giveaways, raffles and more Sept. 24-26 at the store, located at 21714 Harper Avenue in St. Clair Shores. For more information, visit, call (586) 771-6770 or check out their website at Whistle-Stop.com.