Special Feature - Osborne's Toy Shop

Osborne’s Toy Shop celebrates 70th anniversary

Osborne’s, which is located in Rushden, Northamptonshire, celebrated its 70th anniversary at the beginning of May in style.

Owner Will Osborne chose the Saturday closest to the day the store originally opened in 1955 to mark the occasion. Talking to Toy World, Will said he was delighted with the response from customers to the event.

“We put a lot of effort into organising a special day, and we sat there at 9am wondering if anyone would turn up. By 9.05, the shop was completely full, and it remained like that until we closed at 5.00pm. We saw so many current and former customers, plus we had former employees, some agents and reps including John Nicholas. Our first Saturday boy even turned up – he started in 1956, so he’s in his 80s now. It was lovely to see him and so many former members of staff. Everyone was swapping stories and reminiscing, sharing their memories of the store.”

The store had originally planned to hold celebrations for its 65th anniversary, but unfortunately that fell right in the middle of Covid. As Will admitted, that limited what could be done at that time, so he decided he would really go for it for the 70th anniversary.

“We wanted to do it properly. We put in a lovely window display, which showcased vintage toys from each decade from the 1950s to the 1990s. We also made up mugs and tote bags, and as well as attracting many local visitors, we made it onto the BBC News website and the About Anglia programme on ITV. “

Will admits that he didn’t actually plan to join the family business, run by his parents Jim and Pamela. “But my dad was a wily person. He persuaded me to help out one Christmas - and I never left! Now, as well as me, my wife, daughter and granddaughter all work in the business – and as well as the four generations of family who have worked here, we’re onto our fourth generation of customers too.”

Like many independent retailers, Will’s passion for the business shines through: “The shop is very much part of our family – it’s a living, breathing entity. The pride you have in your business sustains you through good and hard times. People don’t remember where they bought their first washing machine, but they remember where they got their first Britains animal or Lego set.”

Will is also hugely appreciative of his loyal customer base: “The local community really appreciates us, which gives us a real boost and makes us realise how lucky we are to work in such a fantastic industry. It’s not all about the money – it’s important that you fit into the community and you add something to it. We’re a point of contact in the town for many groups and organisations.”

Will is also optimistic about the future: “We’re a grandparent-heavy business, as they’ve got the disposable income and they’ve spent their life shopping in stores like ours,” he explains. “That said, we’ve noticed recently that we’re getting more younger parents with children coming in. That wasn’t the case 10 years ago. Maybe the cycle is going full circle and there is a new generation that values what a good independent retailer can offer.”

Toy World would like to congratulate all the team at Osborne’s on this momentous milestone.