Fifty years of play: Fairhope’s Fantasy Island Toys heads toward a milestone birthday
In 1976, Fairhope had a population of about 6,600 people, Fairhope Avenue was where the town did its shopping, and Jeanne Byrd opened a small store selling dolls and dollhouses. Half a century later, the store she founded — now Fantasy Island Toys at 355 Fairhope Avenue — is preparing for its 50th anniversary, still selling educational and developmental toys to a town that has quadrupled in size but kept its downtown.
The store’s history runs through the Byrd family. Daughters Ginger Milligan and Kathie Byrd carried on their mother’s tradition of, as the family put it, guarding childhood. In 2022, Ginger sold the business to sisters Stevi Bell and Amanda Calhoun, who sat down to talk about the handoff at The Pearl, the restaurant run by their sister Erin and brother-in-law Will across the street from the toy store.
Sisters at the helm
“We had always wanted to start a business together, and this was a chance of a lifetime,” Stevi said. “Being part of a downtown business district, especially one that was a community staple, was important to us. Our goal is to keep it the same and help it grow.”
The sisters grew up in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi as children of the oil business, and both graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi — Stevi in interior design, Amanda in business. Amanda’s husband’s job brought the family to Mobile in 2010; Stevi arrived after COVID, by way of New Orleans. Two years apart in age, they describe themselves as close friends who balance each other out. The division of labor, in Stevi’s telling: “I have big dreams and lots of ideas, and Mandy implements the plans.”
A new chapter for an old store
The changes since 2022 have been substantial but true to form: a revamped website, an updated logo, a pop-up shop at the Urban Emporium in Mobile, and an online sales platform staffed by two e-commerce coordinators, with seven other employees working the shop floor. The learning curve was steep at first, the sisters say, but with help from the previous owner and the employees who stayed on, the store hit its stride in 2023.
Both prefer the floor to the back office — managing inventory, buying and bookkeeping behind the scenes. “It is such a happy place, all for kids; it’s the best job ever,” they say.
The NeeDoh phenomenon
Ask about toy trends and the conversation turns immediately to Squish Mania. NeeDoh — the squishy, stretchy stress ball sold in shapes from jellyfish to cakes to cubes — became a run-on-the-store phenomenon, fueled by TikTok influencers filming their hauls. “We get 50 asks a day, and when we had a shipment come in, we had a line out the door and sold 300 pieces in 9 minutes,” the sisters said. During one shortage, they could not even keep one on hand to show a curious reporter. Veterans of the Beanie Baby craze will recognize the pattern.
The 50th anniversary plan
September brings the milestone. Under the theme “50 Years of Play in Downtown Fairhope,” the celebration centers on one simple idea: honoring the generations of families who have grown up with the store. The annual Birthday Sale runs September 18 and 19, with 20 percent off the entire store, a 60-percent-off table and a $5 table, plus door prizes and refreshments.
Other signature moments include a LEGO competition announced in August — three age categories, creations displayed in the store window, winners chosen by community vote in person and on social media, with gift certificates for the victors — and a “50 Giveaways of Play” countdown leading up to the anniversary, capped by a Founder and Legacy Celebration honoring the people who shaped the store’s history.
A storytelling social media campaign invites customers to share their memories of the store, from childhood visits decades ago to bringing in their own children — a living scrapbook of play in Fairhope. Anyone whose grandchildren still arrive announcing a trip to the toy store understands what the sisters are celebrating.
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Fifty years in, Fairhope’s happy place is showing no signs of slowing down.