How to Start a Vintage Toy Store

Your vintage toy store may offer old, mass-produced toys as well as rare collectibles. You may sell a wide variety of retro toys or focus on a particular niche. Such a business is a great way to help bring your community together by allowing people to rediscover vital parts of their childhood.

You may also be interested in additional unique business ideas.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start a vintage toy store by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Vintage Toy Store
  2. Form your Vintage Toy Store into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Vintage Toy Store for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Vintage Toy Store
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Vintage Toy Store
  7. Get Vintage Toy Store Insurance
  8. Define your Vintage Toy Store Brand
  9. Create your Vintage Toy Store Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your vintage toy store. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Vintage Toy Store Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability

It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a vintage toy store?

You can potentially start this business for about $42,000 dollars. This assumes about $5,000 to pay the security deposit, utilities deposit, and first month’s rent on a lease, though business lease prices in your area will vary. It may cost up to $8,000 to improve the location, including customizing the space, obtaining necessary store fixtures, and hiring a handyman as need be. The amount of stock you buy at the beginning may vary based on the space you have, but it is good to allocate $10,000 to start with a good variety of toys. Allocate about $2,000 for operating expenses, including liability insurance, association fees, and online accounting software payments. You should allocate about $6,000 for various technology costs, including having a professional website designed and hosted, installing telephone and internet, the purchase of a new computer, the purchase of any special POS software needed, and the services of an IT consultant. Allocate about $9,000 for marketing, which includes the design of a logo, production of signage, creation of large signs, and the purchase of various business cards, fliers, and coupons. Finally, you may want to allocate about $2,000 for a grand opening event, which includes catering, special signage, and special advertising.

What are the ongoing expenses for a vintage toy store?

Your ongoing expenses primarily include rent, utilities, buying merchandise, and paying employees. Using our numbers from previously, your rent and utilities each month would be about $2,177. The cost of buying new products will vary (some months, you will buy more than others), but this will typically be $1,000 or less (especially since much of what you find will be very low-price items from garage sales). How much you pay your employees is up to you, as is how many employees you hire: a team of four people that work twenty-five hours a week for ten dollars an hour, for instance, will cost $1,000 a month.

Who is the target market?

While there are collectors of all stripes, some of your best clients will be men in their 30’s. This is because properties from the 80’s and 90’s are currently experiencing a renaissance of remakes (such as Transformers, Power Rangers, Star Wars, and so on), and this demographic is the perfect age to feel nostalgic about such properties.

How does a vintage toy store make money?

A vintage toy store makes money by selling customers older toys and collectibles.

How much can you charge customers?

The exact price of your vintage toys will vary greatly. You may sell an old, opened action figure for five dollars, but you may sell rare video games and game systems for hundreds of dollars. This is why it is important to know the market value of what you are selling.

How much profit can a vintage toy store make?

The exact profit of a vintage toy store can vary greatly. As an industry, hobby and game stores experience a 41.3% gross profit margin on average. As a vintage store, you may have an even greater margin because your model involves buying toys for a very cheap price and then upselling them accordingly.

How can you make your business more profitable?

When you acquire really rare items, consider selling them online via eBay. While fees for eBay and Paypal will cut into your profit, a bidding war can help you net a solid pay day. Consider branching out and selling certain modern hobby supplies such as Magic: The Gathering cards. These are regular hot sellers and give you an opportunity to host local tournaments that bring more customers to your store. Finally, consider letting local collectors sell their items through your ship via a consignment model: this gives you more things to sell while also helping you network with fellow collectors.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your vintage toy store is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your vintage toy store were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a vintage toy store business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Certificate of Occupancy

A vintage toy store business is generally run out of a storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

  • If you plan to lease a location:
    • It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
    • Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a vintage toy store business.
    • After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
  • If you plan to purchase or build a location:
    • You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
    • Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your vintage toy store business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

Find out what types of insurance your Vintage Toy Store needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Vintage Toy Store.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a vintage toy store

As mentioned above, be sure to use traditional advertising such as fliers, coupons, and business cards. Money permitting, you may consider advertising via your local newspaper and radio as well. However, be sure your website is up to date and that you promote your store and services via social media, which is a great way to increase brand awareness and your own accessibility. Don’t be afraid to employ classic retail tricks such as coupons, special sales days, and other events designed to generate word-of-mouth and get customers in the store.

How to keep customers coming back

If your local area has any “Comicon” style conventions, rent a booth and sell some of your items there: many of the visitors will be your ideal customers, and it’s a great way to build awareness of your store.Be sure to ask existing customers to enroll in an email mailing list, which lets you keep your store on their minds and make them aware of new developments they may be interested in. Finally, if you have the space, consider holding various special events such as screening retro movies, holding retro video game tournaments, and so on. This helps situate your business as one that brings your community together.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

This business is perfect for someone who is already a collector of vintage toys. Such a person should have extensive skills in finding and re-selling toys from sources such as thrift shops and eBay. The ultimate goal is to find toys at the lowest prices possible and sell them at rates that net you a profit but do not driver customers away.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a vintage toy store?

In terms of finding toys, you may spend a lot of time visiting area thrift shops and garage sales as well as browsing for deals online. Regarding your store, you will spend time receiving deliveries, stocking shelves, and making everything look clean and presentable. Some type should be allocated to working on your traditional advertising as well as online advertising. Finally, time will be spent helping customers find the items they are looking for.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful vintage toy store?

As mentioned above, having prior skills in finding good deals on rare toys and re-selling them is highly important. It is also important to know the value of these items, which you can learn by studying the market each week or consulting professional guides to toy values. Finally, having an interest in a diverse array of retro toys and collectibles can allow you to have more options for clients (such as selling video games in addition to toys).

What is the growth potential for a vintage toy store?

The growth potential for this business is modest. As an industry, toy stores have experienced a steady decline in the last decade that can primarily be attributed to the rise of online ordering through venues such as Amazon. However, most of the businesses affected are “big box” toy stores of major chains, and there is a lot of room for smaller, niche stores to thrive within your community.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a vintage toy store?

Don’t be afraid to have an online component: sell some of your stock through your website, and consider selling through Facebook and advertising on craigslist as a way of increasing your brand awareness. Capitalize on pop culture trends whenever possible: make sure you have a lot of retro Transformers toys when another Transformers movie comes out, for example, as people are likelier to buy. Finally, consider using some of the rare items from your existing collection to help you get things started while keeping costs down.

How and when to build a team

You will likely want to build a small team right away unless your venue is very small. This means that you can keep your store open longer and more often without giving up on sleep. During busy times, it also ensures that at least one person can stay behind the register while another person helps customers on the sales floor.

Useful Links

Industry Opportunities

Real World Examples

Further Reading