Visitors to Mackinac Island will soon see a familiar site here in town ? Great Turtle Toys is opening its newest location in Independence Township.
‘We were looking around to open another store, when we saw this space ? it’s the right fit for us,? said Jamie Nye-Mengyan, who lives in Clarkston. ‘There’s a need for this ? there are no toy stores in the area.?
Jamie and her brother, Ben Nye, started the business on Mackinac Island 10 years ago, and now have two shops there.
‘It’s been a huge success,? Nye-Mengyan said. ‘We love it. We’re good at it. This is an exciting place to be.?
The shop’s name is inspired by Mackinac Island’s original residents, Ojibwe Indians.
‘They thought the island looked like a turtle sunning itself,” she said.
The newest Great Turtle Toys shares 6160 Dixie Highway with Pete’s Coney Island II restaurant. They moved in three weeks ago, and have been working nonstop to set it up ever since.
One challenge: moving their inventory. To get toys from their Mackinac shops to Clarkston, they first had to cross frozen Lake Huron to St. Ignace on snowmobiles.
‘The cutters come through and cut a channel, so they had to jump the gap,? she said.
They fill their shops with toys that get people moving, active, and creative, such as kites, puppets, and foam-toy launchers.
‘We look for things that aren’t mass marketed,? she said. ‘We go to the Toy Fair in New York City every year, looking for the coolest things.?
The shop includes activity rooms set up with toys, to allow children a chance to play with their products before they buy them.
‘We want people to come in here and have fun,? she said. ‘We sell fun. It’s all fun and games here.?
They celebrated their grand opening March 29 with gift giveaways, face painting, and entertainers.
‘We’re much more than a behind-the-counter shop,? she said. ‘There’s a need for quality toys, a need to get kids off their butts, doing creative, physical activities. We care about kids. We want to keep them active.?
They offer conventional and stunt kites, full-service kite repair shop, and instruction on more complex, dual-line flying.
‘We sell kites of all different types ? box, delta, parafoil, every type you can imagine,? she said. ‘We give you some brief training. We’ll make sure you’re successful.?
Their involvement in the community will include a Kite Festival, planned for July 19 in Clintonwood Park, and marching in parades, with floats featuring lots of toys and a walking turtle.
They also plan to offer classes through Independence Township Parks and Recreation, such as juggling, and arts and crafts.
‘We’re very interested in being part of the community,? she said.
They will also contact school officials, offering their shop for student activities, said Nye-Mengyan, who has lived in Clarkston since 2001.
‘The schools are really good,? she said. ‘The community is great. It’s a really nice community to live in. That’s why this is a great place for this.?
While the Mackinac stores are seasonal, the Clarkston location will be open year-round, something that will help their Internet sales, she said.
‘We’ll have year-round staffing, which we didn’t have in Mackinac,? she said.
Great Turtle Toys is open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 248-625-3200.