Lawyer tries her hand at toy store

By Katie Mills Giorgio, Correspondent

Much of Kim Ten Eick's work may look like child's play. It comes with the territory when you run a toy store.

Intelligent Life Toys - named with Ten Eick's mother in mind, who loved children, science and space opened May 17.

“It's a play on words because you want to raise your kids with good, intelligent toys,” Ten Eick said. “It's not about what the toy can do, it's about what the child can do with the toy.”

She takes pride in offering quality toys with which children have to use their imagination. There are games, puzzles, books and puppets - Ten Eick's favorites - more filling the brightly painted 2,000-square-foot space.

“This is a hands-on store,” she said. “We want kids to interact with our toys.”

Ten Eick is a lawyer by trade, having worked in private practice and in the corporate arena for both AEGON and Rockwell Collins for more than 20 years. A few years ago, she started thinking about her career path.

“I wondered if that was where I wanted to be, to continue on in corporate America,” she recalled.

She decided to follow her dream of owning her own business, ideally before she turned 50, and started looking for a building and a concept in fall 2009.

“I decided it was now or never.”

First off, Ten Eick sold her home - “I knew I wouldn't be able to run a business, a house and a yard. I had to simplify my lifestyle if I wanted to make this work.”

A year ago she closed on a historical building in downtown Marion across from the park. She renovated both the upstairs - a 1,200-square-foot apartment where she lives - and the downstairs toy store space.

“I spent much of the last year on scaffolding, covered with dust and holding sandpaper in my hand,” said Ten Eick of doing most of the renovation work herself.

While she wasn't busy replastering, painting and restoring the tin ceiling, Ten Eick was getting her business plan together.

She also took a job in the Garden Center at Home Depot for 10 months to prepare herself for the retail world.

“I got to test the waters dealing with customers day in and day out because this was going to be really different than what I'd done in the business world,” Ten Eick said.

As for downtown Marion, she said, “This is ideal for a neighborhood toy store. All the shops here are family-owned, quaint, and unique. The owners work in them every day, and that was the environment I was looking for.”

Starting in the fall she plans to host special events, such as free puppet shows, book readings and signings by local authors, story time and family game night.

At the end of the day, Ten Eick says it's about making kids happy.

“The kids come in, they're excited and they squeal,” she said. “It's an honest reaction and it's fun to watch. I like being able to help find the perfect toy.”

Own or manage a Corridor business? To have you and your business considered for “My Biz,” contact business editor Michael Chevy Castranova at michael.castranova@sourcemedia.net.