MILWAUKEE— Henry Smith Jr. opened the "Toy Dimension" on W. North Ave. in the late 90s. Now, 23 years later, the Milwaukee native is still just as passionate about each rare item on his store’s shelves.

“I wanted to get stuff that you can’t go to Target, or Toys R Us or Walmart, to get. That’s why I started going for older stuff—  stuff that you can’t just go to a shop and go get,” said Smith.

While young shoppers visit occasionally, an overwhelming number of customers at Toy Dimension are actually adults.

“When I see a kid come in and get a [toy] and get a big smile on their face, that’s worth it,” said Smith.

Smith says keeping his collectibles affordable is key, even if that means, at times, yielding to the best bargaining price. It’s the reason, he says, online competition has never been a threat and business remains steady, even in a pandemic. 

Over the years Smith says his customers have become more like family and his toy store, more of a “community hangout spot,” where everyone has something in common: A love for nostalgic childhood toys.

For Smith, giving his own community a pleasant escape through a vintage toy collection has been his greatest mission accomplished.