Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop – Berkley Review – The Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop on 12 Mile Rd in Berkley, Michigan is a toy store with a story and loads of history.
The Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley began as a doll hospital back in 1948. Kay Parish (or “Dr. Kay” as she was known) was a business woman way ahead of her time. She convinced her husband to invest in a floundering doll repair shop in Detroit, learned the business, and then moved the business to Berkley where it still stands today.
The Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley business became a family business as Kay passed the torch on to her oldest son, Jack. Jack added the words “& Toy Soldier Shop” to the business name, and worked quickly to expand the store with a large new showroom devoted to specialty toys of all kinds.
Expansion after expansion led to a small doll repair shop evolving into a one-stop toy shop that carries quality toys for infants and toddlers, including dolls and buggies, puzzles, backyard playhouses, arts and crafts, toys for special needs children, and a parent and teacher resource center.
The Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop is revolutionary. They were the first in the area to sell backyard playhouses and have now sold them longer than anyone around. They only offer quality toys and are very familiar with the manufacturers practices. 8-9% of the toys offered are specialty toys which are better quality and come from a more responsible toy manufacuter than mass market. They also started up http://www.reallygreattoys.com/ to sell an extensive collection of their products online.
Probably most impressive are the efforts and intentions made by the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop to steer clear of the video and TV games. They strongly promote creativity, imaginative play, and good old classic toys that build childhood memories. They have even expanded certain areas of their store to better display their construction toys such as Legos, Kinex, Erector Sets and more. Read more about these intentions in an interview with Jack Zagrodski of the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley here.
The Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop sells Papo and Schleich which are very popular for imaginative play. And, Playmobil fans will be happy to hear that the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop is North America’s largest dealer of Playmobil products. They offer more than anybody else. They are also a “gold dealer” for Lego. It’s quite apparent that they “have it all.”
The most recent expansion at the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop brought about the birth of one of South East Michigan’s top Teacher Stores – the Parent Teacher Resource Center. The PTRC carries all of the Pre-K through Middle School educational learning tools and supplies sought after by parents and teachers. You will find everything from a teachers planning guide to room decorations, summer bridge activity books (my kids love these), and so much more I could not even begin to list it all here.
One other nice touch about the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop is that the staff is made up of moms and grandmas who have “been there and done that” and are always helping and willing to lend an opinion. You will never hear an “I don’t know.” These are experienced, family employees.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for at the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop, they may be able to special order it for you. They have many connections with manufacturers and will look into all special requests and do what they can to fill them.
Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop
3947 W. 12 Mile Rd.
Berkley, Michigan
248-543-3115
website
reallygreattoys.com