Brenda Fisk has built a castle of memories, brick by plastic brick, in her Sewickley toy store.
From being “the first job” of her five children to supplying holiday and birthday gifts for countless Quaker Valley-area families, Fun Buy The Pound Toy Store served as a go-to place for fun and imagination.
Fisk has decided to raise the drawbridge and close up shop after 20 years in the borough.
There was a play policy station, grocery store/bakery, medical center, and a play area in the back where customers could build things and try toy sets out before buying.
The storefront’s windowsill was decorated with everything from dolls to ducks and rabbits, along with other stuffed animals and figurines.
Many of the wall decorations were inspired and created by Fisk’s kids — Amy Kelly, Julie Elraghy, Emily Yaras and Derek and Trevor Fisk. The blue footprints leading to the play area were from her grandchild, Charlie Kelly.
“They all were involved in the business and they all got older and went on their careers,” said Fisk, a Sewickley resident.
“I’ve been everyone’s first job in Quaker Valley. Not just my kids, but their friends. As they got older, I got the next group, and the next group. This last batch of kids are great. I feel bad that we’re not going to be here for them.”
The business launched from an idea she and her husband, Andy, came up with following a family visit to a toy fair in Syracuse, N.Y. They noticed people building things with K’Nex, including their son, Derek.
“After they made them, they threw (the pieces) back in the bucket,” Fisk said. “My son really wanted to keep his because it was pretty cool as far as he was concerned. That’s when my husband and I looked at each other.”
They thought it would be fun if folks could buy building blocks like Lego, K’Nex and Lincoln Logs by the pound, hence the name.
Fisk said her husband was able to lease a space on Walnut Street as he started the business’s foundation. They were able to grow, add more brands and opened new location a few blocks down.
Their Beaver Street location, which closed at the end of March, lasted about 14 years.
The family also had a spot at the Mall in Robinson and a pop-up store at Ross Park Mall for a while.
Fisk launched a retirement sale in January.
“It’s very bittersweet,” said Fisk, 66. “It feels better now that it’s empty, in a weird way. Normally, I’d be buying all my toys this time of year. Now, I’m watching some of them go away, and it was sad.”
Some of the owner’s favorite memories were seeing parents covering their children’s eyes before coming into the store and the look of wonderment when they opened them.
Fisk saved Gus, a plush bear with fluffy hair, as a keepsake.
It sat on the back wall near the checkout counter and by a sign that said, “Employee of the year.”
Fisk’s retirement plans include traveling, spending more time with family and relaunching her plush toy business, making 4-foot-tall creations.
Marin Bishop and his mother, Jane Boise, both of Sewickley, helped with the closure by moving clothes and other merchandise. They both once worked at the shop.
Boise recalled bringing her son to the store and fell in love with the place.
“It was great because they could build things,” Boise said on March 25. “They could play with stuff. It wasn’t that traditional walk around the store, ‘OK. Pick something. Pick something.’”
She became good friends with Fisk while Bishop and his friends played. Bishop got a job there in 2014.
“I’m realizing now that I was asked to clean the door all the time, and all the handprints are below your knee level,” said Bishop, a 2019 Quaker Valley graduate. “It’s funny in hindsight. The parents aren’t putting fingerprints on the door. The little kids don’t have the strength to open it.”
Workers would also reset the pirate ship and castles, and little worlds patrons mixed and matched in the play area for the next day. The back room was converted to more retail space during the covid-19 pandemic.
Boise said Fisk was able to teach a lot of teens about community and responsibility.
Resident Joel Swanson said he bought tons of stocking stuffers and presents from the store over the years.
The staff and owner were always kind and helpful and always created a good experience, he said.
“As soon as you walked in, they’d greet you,” Swanson said. “It’s old school. It’s the toys I grew up with, and they had a selection of everything. Traditional fun toys for kids to play with. Not ‘sit on the couch and watch on a screen.’
“You couldn’t walk out without finding something that somebody you knew would enjoy. … They’ve outlasted every other toy store like them. I wish them the best. I hope they enjoy their next chapter.”
Parts of Fisk’s legacy will remain in Sewickley.
Beanstalk Toys, which is expected to open in a few months directly across the street, has acquired some of her inventory and the doorbell, a real bell that would chime each time the door opened.
Fisk would use tape to get it to stop ringing during busy community events like Light Up Night and the Harvest Festival.
She hopes to be at the new store’s grand opening. An official date has not been announced.