Toy Shops in the UK
A birthday present for a four-year-old, a board game for the whole family, wooden toys that outlast the plastic, a model kit, a puzzle, or the vintage figure you had as a child: find a local toy shop people love.
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Toy Shops by city
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Finding a good toy shop in the UK
An independent toy shop is the place a present gets chosen well: staff who know which toys a two-year-old can actually use and which a ten-year-old will still play with in a month, wooden and traditional toys, the games and puzzles for the family, the pocket-money shelf, the science kits, the outdoor play, and the brands the supermarkets do not carry. Many gift-wrap, keep a wish list for grandparents, and hold the party-bag fillers and the last-minute present that saves a Saturday.
Specialists sit alongside the generalists: model shops for kits, railways and radio control; game shops for board and card games with tables to play at; and the vintage and collectable dealers for the figures, cars and annuals of every childhood since the fifties, who buy as well as sell. Whoever you buy from, a toy for a child under three must carry the UKCA or CE mark and an age warning, and a good shop checks the age on the box before you get it to the till.
The listings here show each toy shop's reviews, what it specialises in, hours and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who does games, models or vintage, and where parents in your town go.
Toy store and toy shop mean the same thing here — British English says shop, but the choice, the age advice and the gift-wrapping for kids of every age are identical whichever word you search.
What toy shops offer
Toys by age: baby and toddler toys, pre-school wooden and traditional toys, construction sets, dolls, vehicles, dressing up, arts and crafts, science and STEM kits.
Games and puzzles: board and card games, jigsaws from 20 pieces to 2,000, and shops with tables where games are taught and played.
Models and hobbies: plastic kits, model railways, radio control, paints and tools, and the advice to go with them.
Outdoor: bikes and scooters, trampolines, sandpits, water play and garden games in season.
Vintage and collectable: figures, die-cast cars, dolls, annuals and games from every decade, bought, sold and valued.
Choosing toys well
- Tell the shop the child's age and what they are into; the recommendation is the reason to use one.
- Check the age mark and the UKCA or CE mark, and keep small parts away from under-threes.
- For a present that lasts, choose open-ended toys: blocks, figures, art materials, dressing up, a good game.
- Ask about gift-wrapping, wish lists and keeping something aside; most independents do all three.
- For collectables, ask about condition, boxes and provenance, and expect to pay for boxed and complete.
- Support the shop at Christmas early; the popular lines sell out by November.
What toys cost
As a rough guide, pocket-money toys run £1 to £5, a good wooden toy or puzzle £10 to £30, a board game £15 to £45, a construction set £20 to £80, a science kit £15 to £40, a scooter £30 to £120 and a bike £120 to £350. Independents price the same brands at or near the recommended price, sometimes a little above the biggest chains and often below on wooden and specialist ranges, with loyalty schemes. Vintage figures and cars go from a few pounds loose to hundreds boxed.
A shop that knows the toy is worth the pound or two; the wrong present is the expensive one.
How do I find a good toy shop near me?+
Look at the toy shops listed for your town, see what each specialises in and read the reviews from parents. Go in with the child's age and interests and ask; the shop that suggests something you had not thought of is the one to keep using.
Are independent toy shops more expensive?+
On the same branded toy, usually the same recommended price as the chains and sometimes a little more; on wooden, traditional and specialist ranges they are often cheaper, and loyalty schemes close the gap. What you gain is advice, gift-wrapping and a toy the child will actually play with.
What toys are safe for a baby or toddler?+
Toys carrying the UKCA or CE mark and marked suitable for the age, with no small parts, long cords or sharp edges for under-threes, and non-toxic finishes on anything that goes in the mouth. A good shop keeps the under-three range separate and will steer you away from the wrong box.
Do toy shops buy vintage toys?+
Vintage and collectable specialists do: ring first with what you have, and expect a third to a half of resale for what they take. Boxed, complete and in good condition is what carries value, particularly figures, die-cast cars and dolls from the sixties to the nineties; loose and played-with is worth much less.
Can a toy shop order something in?+
Most can order anything their suppliers carry, usually within a week, and will ring when it arrives; ask for it to be put aside. Popular Christmas lines need ordering early.
What makes a good present for a child I don't know well?+
Something open-ended for the age: building blocks or a construction set, art materials, a good jigsaw or board game, dressing up, a classic book, or a gift voucher for the shop so the child chooses. Tell the shop the age and budget and let them suggest.
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