Going Local: Big Fun Cleveland

"A cornucopia of delights, a cathedral of counter-culture, a warehouse of nerdabilia and nostalgia", Big Fun proclaims and I could not have said it better myself. One Saturday morning we packed up the kid and headed to the big city, Cleveland that is. Along the way we did, you know, the normal city things like checked-out a Cleveland city street turned New York demolished-street for the filming of the Avengers movie, ate the bestest, most freshest guacamole ever to be made in the city at 11:00 am (sorry for making you open early) with piping hot tortilla chips that have a tinge of cinnamon (if I'm not mistaken) at El Tango Taqueira. And even with a stroll through the West Side Market, we couldn't help but enjoy our time the most, meandering down memory lane getting back in touch with our childhood memories at a great toy shop called Big Fun Cleveland. 

Old is new, again.

You'll find those toys mom threw away or put in the garage sale at this wonderful shop! And to think, you can own it once again! Only now it's vintage and you'll just have to deal with sticker shock, but can you put a price on a memory? 

Click on the pic!

Click on the pic!

I am absolutely in love with all the antique fixtures holding and displaying all the fun toys from the past. Every drawer you open holds a treasure of nostalgia just waiting to be discovered.

I opened a drawer and there was my old Star Wars Princess Leia action figure staring me right in the face. I wasn't sure if she was saying, "Take me home! We have found each other once again" or perhaps it was "You again? Get lost, I've gotten along fine on my own without you." I'll admit, she was the only female action figure in the entire bin?!?! (Do you see what the movie Toy Story has done to my imagination?)

Search and you shall find.

My son had a blast looking at the old Spiderman comic books. He even bought one for $1 - whew, got off easy! I hope you take the time to take the kiddos to Big Fun Cleveland! It's a great place to hang out and introduce the younglings to the toys of the past that influenced your present. 

WARNING. WARNING. WARNING! Do not, I repeat, do not allow your children to wander through the store without your supervision. At all costs, do not meander to the far right back corner of the store. IT IS NOT FOR CHILDREN and their sign warning you of this is not at all big enough or bright enough to avoid marring innocent eyes of the young and truth be told, of the old, as well. Consider yourself warned. Everything else in the store was A-OK, G-rated.

Big Fun Cleveland is located at 11512 Clifton Blvd., Cleveland, OH, 44102. 216.631.4386
Their other location is located at 1814 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44118. 216.371.4386

What was your favorite childhood toy?