ANDREW WILSON, part owner of Slotcar Junction and the new Fascination Station Toys, races a slot car Wednesday around a new 24-foot track in the store’s new upstairs location at the Tontine Mall in downtown Brunswick. For those who miss the on the checkout counter. chocolate, the new owners keep a small basket of treats dfishell@timesrecord.com
Slotcar Junction, a specialty hobby store located in the Tontine Mall, is relocating from its basement location, but the store is not traveling far.
On Wednesday afternoon, part owners Cathy Piffath and Andrew Wilson prepared their new, expanded upstairs space across from Wild Oats Bakery and Café for a grand opening Saturday and Sunday.
As part of the move, Piffath and Wilson also will open Fascination Station Toys at one end of the space formerly occupied by Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections.
Lunchtime diners at Wild Oats experienced the offerings of the new toy store Wednesday as Wilson piloted a helium-filled, fan-propelled fish blimp through the mall.
Piffath said she experimented with offering toys at the shop’s previous downstairs location, but that the property offered little space for much beyond the 16-foot long slot car track.
“ This opportunity ( to move) came up and we decided there was a real need for a store providing quality toys,” Piffath said.
In July 2010, Red Dragon Toys on Maine Street closed after eight years, citing a decline in business resulting from the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station. Downtown Brunswick has gone without a toy store since then.
With less than a week in the new location, Piffath said that she has already seen increased visibility at the new upstairs location.
“It’s been great visibility so far,” Piffath said.
Wilson said he has noticed that the upstairs portion of the mall generates much more foot traffic.
And while Wilbur’s of Maine moved to the former Day’s News and Variety Shop in October, Piffath said the occasional customer still wanders in surprised at not finding the candy shop there.
Piffath said the store will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The grand opening celebration includes raffles, refreshments and free trial runs on a new 24-foot long slot car track.
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