doing business as
Top Ten Toys
From toddlers to senior citizens,
customers delight in a wide selection
of educational and outside-the-norm
toys at the largest independent toy
store in the Northwest.
founded: 1987
headquarters: Seattle
inside the store: The 9,000-square-foot flagship Top Ten
online sales, the company returned to only selling in person; the
staff find face-to-face sales more enjoyable.
Toys in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood features a laid-back
vibe devoid of logos but awash in exposed wooden beams and
shelves. Hand-lettered signs direct customers to each section of the
store: Music, Games, Animals, Science, Plush, Toddlers, and more.
how’s business? The more the company focuses on its
market niche of healthy toys, the better business is for them. “All
we have to do is do good, and the money comes,” Rickert said.
“Karma’s not always kind in life, but in this case it works out.”
on the shelf: Whenever possible, the store carries toys
invented or manufactured locally. They aim for inventory that
will expose children and adults to the world through play, and
consider this question as they order: “What toys does a well-lived
childhood contain?”
what’s in a name? The store originally aimed to carry
only 10 toys in each category, thus the name Top Ten Toys. But
the business quickly expanded and now has between 35,000 and
45,000 items in its inventory, with everything from science kits
and magnetic tile sets to tiny wool pets made nearby in Kent.
back story: Adelia Rickert, a therapist, founded Top Ten Toys
to sell products that were more traditional and educational, less
violent, more ecological, artistic and multicultural. Her brother,
Allen Rickert, bought the company in 1999. He opened a second,
smaller store in downtown Seattle in 2008. After dabbling in
words of wisdom:
50 association of washington business
Give yourself room to succeed. “I
always slightly over-order. You can’t have a good year if you
order for a bad year. That has served me well every year.”
— Allen Rickert, owner of Top Ten Toys since 1999.
— Brian Mittge