Business owner markets toys of his childhood

Everything old is new again at Never Enough Toys.

Aaron Nevers opened the store in May next to Kaufer Co., 907 W. Boone Ave, Suite B. Specializing in retro and vintage toys, the impetus for the store sprang from Nevers’ cherished collection of GI Joes – not that he saved many from childhood.

“I shot a lot of them with a BB gun or blew them up with fireworks,” he said. “But in 1995, I started collecting the ones I had when I was a kid. The White Elephant had the series that started in the ’80s.”

He found more at garage sales and toy shows until he eventually amassed every GI Joe made from 1982-94 – more than 300 in all.

But he also got a lot of toys and action figures that he didn’t need, so he began to sell them online.

“I had thousands of Joes, so started selling them on eBay,” he said.

That’s when he plunged into the world of collectibles.

“Everything (toys) from the ’80s are collectible and the ’90s are coming around,” Nevers said. “Retro is newer things that look old – vintage is actually old.”

With plenty of inventory, the time seemed right to open a brick-and-mortar venue.

“I was bored at work and thought this would be more fun,” he said. “It is!”

The cozy store near the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena is filled with wall-to-wall fun. An older model TV in a corner plays programming suitable for the venue.

“We always have an ’80s cartoon like ‘Thundercats’ playing.”

Nevers stocks retro, vintage and a selection of new toys. Matchbox cars, WWE action figures and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mingle with Cave Club dolls.

What you won’t find? Video games.

A selection of vintage GI Joe action figures fill a case in the front. Many of them have their original accessories.

“The old GI Joes had more accessories than the newer ones, but they’re hard to find, so I’d hoard the weapons and accessories till I found the Joe they fit,” he said.

His wares come in all price ranges. One of the more spendy Joes is a 1982 Bazooka Soldier for $100.

“He still has his thumbs,” Nevers explained.

The older versions’ hands were stiff, making it hard for kids to fit weapons into their grasp, consequently, there are a lot of thumbless GI Joes out there.

Star Wars toys fill a back wall and then some.

Each movie or TV series launches another wave of collectibles.

A 1978 red light saber is priced at $90, no batteries needed. The plastic saber features cut-out holes, and air whooshing through them makes a saberlike sound.

Nerfuls proved to be a big seller. Nevers had 20 cases of the 1986 three-piece colorful figures.

“I’m down to just a handful,” he said.

While older toys may be pricier, he has plenty of items to fit any shopper’s budget.

New Hot Wheels cars sell for a dollar, and a pack of Pokemon cards won’t break a kid’s piggy bank.

And customers of all ages are welcome at Never Enough Toys.

There are plenty of plushies and age-appropriate toys for the younger set mixed with nostalgic items for their parents and grandparents to enjoy.

The store has a buy, sell, or trade policy for those looking to unload vintage toys or swap items to complete a collection.

Though he likes to see children in his store, Nevers said the reality is “kids aren’t playing with toys like they used to.”

He shrugged.

“There’s a reason Toys R Us and KB Toys went out of business.”

For Nevers, the best part of owning the store is his customers.

“I get to see new people every day,” he said. “They come in and talk about the toys they had when they were kids.