Santa's southern toy shops

Southern Living, Dec 2001 by Thompson, Annette

TRAVEL IN THE SOUTH

Forget the North Pole-make merry this season in our pick of two of the region's best places to buy toys.

Remember the special toys Santa left under the Christmas tree when you were a child? The little train merrily chugging around the floor, the sweet doll with outstretched arms peeking out from under green boughs, the sturdy building sets soaring above elaborately wrapped gifts. The best places to find those great gifts of yesteryear and today are the South's independent mom-and-pop toy stores.

The good news is that you're never too old to play with toys, and whether or not you have children, the holidays are the time to have fun. Here are two favorite emporiums of merrymaking that put the twinkle back in the eyes of gift givers-and recipients.

The Coolest Toy Store on the Plane

At least that's what owner John Taylor calls O.R Taylor's (1-800-500-8697, www.op taylors.com) in Brevard, North Carolina. If his shop is like a freckle-faced kid and its location is like Mayberry of TV fame, then John must be the good sheriff of monkeyshines. After a few minutes here, you'll be enchanted by this town's king of toys, who wears a beanie with a propeller on top to work every day.

O.P. Taylor's is chock-full of trinkets, trifles, and baubles that ignite pleading in youngsters and nostalgia in grown-ups. "We sell toys that stretch imaginations," John says. Yet he's not just talking about children. "It's so much fun that you won't want to bring your kids."

Start your exploration in the jam-packed Hobby Room. There are tiny trains to put under your Christmas tree and larger locomotives to run through your garden. There are stacks of slot cars and scooters, as well as an astounding selection of collectibles by Matchbox, The Franklin Mint, and BMW (including a miniature convertible with leather seats and tiny sunglasses). John smiles smugly and says, "No batteries required here. We don't carry electronics."

Upstairs, girls giggle and whisper in their very own dress-up area. There's even a line of miniature cookware so wonderful that adults use it to make omelets.

All the displays invite interaction. There is a Ferrari pedal car with a child-size polar bear in it (and room to drive it around). The huge Brio section may leave your checkbook empty and shopping bags full. "If you're going to carry a brand name, someone will ask for an odd piece," John says, "so we stock it all."

John has adorned every inch of the store's 8,000 square feet with playthings. "We're like Disney World; you can't see it all in one day," he says. 10.

Welcome to Our Toy Store

That's how John and Maryalice Miner greet visitors to their cottage full of playful gifts in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

It's that sort of friendliness that marks Miner's Doll & Toy Store ([228] 875-8697, www.minerstoy store.com) as a very special place. It's much smaller than O.R Taylor'sthree rooms are filled with a plentiful selection of toys-but size doesn't equate to quality here.

This is readily apparent in their precious collection of dolls. Miner's is one of the largest Madame Alexander dealers in the country. You'll find other dolls, too, from huggable cloth infants to designer beauties. "I fall in love with each of them," Maryalice says. "They just steal my heart if I'm around them long enough" The petite owner admits to taking several of them home with her. "My house is full too," she says.

Back at the store she displays ornate miniature tea sets, furniture, wardrobe cases, bassinets, and shoes and clothes in the doll area. The other rooms hold electronic building sets, unicycles, pogo sticks, lap harps, cowboy hats, and chaps, among thousands of other items. There's an entire room devoted to puzzles, games, books, and creativity. There you will discover clays, easels, origami supplies, and simple lacing books for tots.

You can always count on personal service at Miner's. They know every toy in their shop and are willing to help you find exactly the right gift. In the holiday rush last year, we found John assembling a doll carriage for a woman nervous about getting everything ready before Christmas Eve. Another customer requested a caboose to add to her son's train set. John didn't have one there, but he ran home to get one from his own collection for her.

The Miners haven't always focused on toys. When John retired from shipbuilding in 1987, the couple visited the famed FAO Schwarz in New York. Then they made their sportive decision. "We came home and opened our own store," Maryalice says.

Perhaps more independent-minded moms and pops will do the same.