Come vote for Mancinetti Pictures at the Plain Dealer’s Cleveland Holiday Movie Contest. I mean he did feature us in his video.

In this short video Steve talks about the importance of buying local and some of the wonderful independent retailers in the Coventry area. Check it out.

Nestled less than an hour away in Cleveland Heights on Coventry Road, Big Fun Toy Store couldn’t have been more appropriately named. Upon entry into Big Fun, customers are transported in a nostalgic time machine back to their childhood.

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With the multitude of inventory Big Fun has to offer, you could find yourself spending hours there remembering all the escapades you got into with your Care Bears as a kid.

Big Fun not only carries new and vintage toys, but also birthday cards, band T-shirts, stickers, old school candy and knickknacks that are sure to bring about a reminiscent reaction.

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If you have half a tank of gas and half a day to spare, Big Fun is a nostalgic adventure worth checking out.

You can review more of some of our stellar press clippings here.

Do you remember playing with G.I. Joes when you were little? How about Treasure Trolls? Lite Brite? Did you ever play with your Rainbow Brite or Teddy Ruxpin while munching on fruity wax soda bottles, candy buttons or candy cigarettes (before they had their name changed to “candy sticks”)? If these kinds of things bring back rushing memories of your childhood, you’ll be thrilled to take a trip down memory lane at Cleveland’s Big Fun Toy Store.

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Named by Playboy as one of the “coolest stores” in all of America, Big Fun has two area locations: the original location on Coventry in Cleveland Heights, and a west side location on Clifton Boulevard. Locally-owned and operated, Big Fun provides an experience that you just can’t get at other local toy stores. Whether you were born in the 30s or the 90s (or even yesterday), you’ll find something at Big Fun that you didn’t know you couldn’t live without.

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Opened in 1990 by owner Steve Presser, Big Fun has been a true Cleveland icon since its humble beginning. When one thinks of Coventry, it goes without saying that they also envision the familiar colorful block lettering of the Big Fun storefront and the memories that come along with it.

Pointing out reasons why people don’t need to cross the Cuyahoga River isn’t our thing. We battle our city’s East Side/West Side divide as much as anyone. But sometimes an idea is too good to be corralled on one side of town. The opening of a West Side Big Fun was one of those instances. The retro toy store is a Cleveland Heights landmark, and its second location along Clifton Boulevard is a spot-on, albeit smaller, version of its namesake. Everything you love about the original is here: vintage Star Wars figures, old-school video game consoles and the big wooden library card catalog packed with quirky trinkets. (We also dug the fresh touch of using offbeat board games as floor tiles.) Soon, the West Side will be returning the favor with its own export.

My husband and I had read about this toy store in a local newspaper and thought it would be fun to see it sometime. It took a while, but we finally decided to make the trek to Cleveland Heights from our rural homestead in Geauga County (realistically, it’s only a 40 minute drive or so). As soon we walked in the door to Big Fun Toy Store we were transported back to childhood. The smiles hit our faces in the first few seconds and did not leave for days afterwards.

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Walking through the store I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. I could not believe it, an authentic Partridge Family lunch box with David Cassidy on the front. My heart fluttered as I remembered the crush I had on him when I was a kid. How could I have forgotten my first true love. The memories, and the joy they bring is what you get at Big Fun Toy Store. Best of all the memories are free of charge!

The goofy nostalgia at this jam-packed vintage toy bazaar is infectious. Whether you’re in search of a gag gift like Chinese finger traps or a device that catapults plastic nuns, or you’re a serious collector on the hunt for vintage Transformers toys or Pee Wee Herman trading cards, Big Fun’s got it all. Bonus points for the endless G.I. Joe tchotckes and old Intellivision game consoles. And don’t miss the Elvis shrine.

Oh, and with all the new and exciting stuff that is happening at Big Fun did we forget to mention we just opened a second store Big Fun Cleveland 11512 Clifton Blvd. Stop by and say hi!