Ainslee Shaw, of Columbus, shows one of The Toy Chest’ s stuffed horses to Nancy Fletcher, of Greensburg.
Key also knew what she didn’ t know— the toy industry.
The Martinsville native hopped into her car and trekked south in search of the little specialty toy store she occasionally had visited as a child. A month or two after filling out an application, Key received a call back that a weekend position had opened
New owners Danny and Hilary Key. at The Toy Chest. Less than a year later, when the store’ s longtime manager, Joyce Powell, became unable to continue working, Key quickly found herself managing the store and ultimately working toward its purchase.
During the whirlwind move to Brown County, she met fellow Nashville resident Danny Key, a real estate broker and IT coordinator who had been dreaming of someday owning a store in Nashville. The pair married just three days after her purchase of The Toy Chest was complete.
While dating, the couple wasted no time acting on Hilary’ s dreams, by starting an online toy store that allowed customers to donate to children in need. Danny said nearly all clients eagerly chose to give after purchasing their own items. The Keys quickly amassed a stockpile of toys destined, they thought, for children in Africa. But when an onslaught of
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Nov./ Dec. 2014 • Our Brown County 17