Funtime Toys has relocated its business to a larger location, which will provide people with an opportunity to play more games at the store and will also allow people to host events in the new space.
The toy store, which also sells games and cards, has taken over three suites at 303 First St. S. in Yelm.
Heather Ekland, the owner of Funtime Toys, said the new location is around 3,500 square feet and doubles the total square footage of the old location.
“I saw an opportunity. We’ve been at the store down at the other end for what would’ve been four years in June,” Ekland said. “We’ve grown to a point where we were full, and there were things I wanted to do when I originally opened that I couldn’t do because there just wasn’t room.”
Funtime Toys has something for everyone within its store. The shop features a vast selection of Pokemon cards and toys, items from the Briar collection, Funko Pops, play mobiles, sports cards, books and school curriculum.
“I don’t specialize in a single item or toy. I specialize in my customers,” Ekland said. “My Pokemon customers tell me that I am the best Pokemon place to find Pokemon anywhere, and they love to keep it a secret because they don’t want people to know where their stash is.”
Due to the move and expanded location, Ekland said she can start to focus on projects she wasn’t able to do in the past because of limited space.
“The plans are primarily for the gaming section. There’s a lot of Magic the Gathering, DND, Pokemon players in the local area, and there isn’t a lot available for them,” Ekland said. “The Yelm folks identified this as a need and I’m happy to do it. It’s a good beginning.”
She added the store will provide six tables for players to use from “morning to midnight.”
Ekland is also thinking about opening up the game room so it can be used for “small” birthday parties for children, among other uses.
“I have a bunch of different craft kits that were donated by suppliers to give crafts for the kids,” she said. “I’d like to start offering that, as well as stories once a week to support the Yelm homeschooling community.”
The opportunity to move into a larger location in the same strip mall was a dream come true for Ekland. She was told in January the former owners of the current location had plans to move out. The relocation of the business then quickly became a reality.
“I didn’t want to leave this location. I like the people I work with, the tenants, the landlord. I’ve been here for a long time and didn’t want to leave. We were in between a rock and a hard place until we got the opportunity to move here,” Ekland said. “Funtime Toys is intended to be a family place and I want it to be a family place. Having to take your kids to the toy store shouldn’t be a chore, it should be a fun adventure.”
Funtime Toys plans to hold a grand reopening event in partnership with the Yelm Chamber of Commerce. Ekland said the date hasn’t been set yet, but she plans on including fun activities during the event as the weather continues to warm up.
