Best Old-Fashioned Toy Store

How can a medium-sized, privately owned, downtown toy store compete with giants Toys "R" Us and FAO Schwarz? Jeffrey's Toys succeeds by specializing in timeless classics, such as collapsible push-up puppets, coloring books, yo-yos, Slinkys, and Magic 8 Balls. "We stock ordinary stuff that you just don't find in toy stores anymore -- the things I had as a kid," says owner Mark Luhn, 54. Jeffrey's has the city's largest selection of stuffed toys, and is the only toy shop with a comic book store built into it. Looking for Adam's jokes and tricks, such as rubber chocolates, joy buzzers, squirting flowers, and the immortal whoopee cushion? Jeffrey's has 'em all. Customers will find some trendy items, such as videos and trading cards of current TV characters, but for the latest high-tech gadgets, Jeffrey's invites you to go elsewhere.