With all the new gizmos and gadgets that children are plugging into electrical outlets nowadays, Beth Milley, owner of Chestnut Hill toy store Villavillekula, will have you know that the old school “vintage” toys, like pogo sticks, dart boards, Colorforms, Lite Brite and Spriograph, are still among her establishment’s top selling items.
“I think it’s the parents who love it and are excited about it,” she told the Local on a trip to Villavillekula. “And it’s something they can share with their kids.”
More adult-oriented games like chess, checkers and backgammon have also been popular this year, Milley said. But those are mostly for older kids. For the littler ones, clothing, like pajamas and slippers ``are huge this time of year,” she said. Same goes for capes, light up wands and light sabers.
Sweaters, Milley added, are a popular gift for grandparents to give their grandchildren too. Milley has a wide range of them on sale at her store, located on the 8400 block of Germantown Avenue.
Another fun item was a fishing pole campfire roaster. Kids can attach a pair of marshmallows or a wiener to the hook, and then hold it over a fire to make s’mores or a hot dog. Sleds, and especially luge sleds, are another hot item, which children will be able to use once it begins to snow.
“We also have a ton of stocking stuffers this time of year,” Milley said, including stuffed animals, temporary tattoo sets and other widgets.
Villavillekula, a store which takes its name from a Swedish children’s novel called Pippi Longstocking, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The store also features books, accessories and board games for children.
