Ground Floor: Vintage toys, collectibles sold at new Cedar Rapids store

For two guys who never outgrew their toys, business ownership is more play than work.

Adam Secor and Zach Douglas are longtime friends and avid toy collectors who recently opened A to Z Toys and Collectibles in Cedar Rapids' NewBo neighborhood.

'It's a blast,” Douglas said of the new business. 'It's a dream come true to open this place.”

A to Z Toys and Collectibles deals in vintage toy lines like Star Wars, Secor's favorite, and GI Joe, which Douglas prefers. The store also carries Transformers, Masters of the Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and other 1980s and early 1990s pop culture collectibles.

'We carry anything we're interested in,” Douglas said. 'It's our store.”

'That's the truth of the matter,” Secor added.

Secor and Douglas met while working at Lindale Mall during high school. They bonded over a shared interest in video games, and have been the best friends ever since.

'We were nerds at an early age,” Secor said.

About three years ago, with their respective toy collections growing, they started dealing in toys online and at local toy shows and flea markets. They also held once-a-month garage sales that people were driving hours to attend.

'One person drove from three hours away for a really rare Masters of the Universe play set that we posted online,” Douglas recalled.

In November, fresh off the heels of their garage sale successes, Secor and Douglas learned of a retail space opening above NewBo Alehouse. They jumped at the opportunity and opened up shop on Black Friday.

'It's the perfect location,” Secor said. 'It's got a good demographic, a hipster scene, lots of traffic. It's still a work in progress, but the response so far has been really good.”

The store's inventory ranges from loose action figures priced around five dollars to mint-in-the-package Star Wars merchandise priced in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

'We try to have something in stock for everyone, including the little kids,” Douglas said. 'But our customers are mostly big kids.”

Because both owners work other jobs, the shop is only open on Fridays and Saturdays and by appointment the rest of the week. The arrangement has worked well, and in-store sales have been steady.

'A small shop works great for us,” Secor said. 'It's low overhead and low stress.”

Although roughly 75 percent of the business's sales are made online, Secor said he prefers dealing with people in person.

'There are a lot of avid collectors locally,” he said. 'The people we've met and dealt with have been great.”

'For me, it's just fun,” Douglas concurred. 'I love seeing the look on people's faces when they walk into the store.”

' Know a company or manager who has been in business for less than a year that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor”? Contact Francie Williamson at francie.williamson@thegazette.com

At a Glance

' Owners: Adam Secor and Zach Douglas

' Business: A to Z Toys and Collectibles

' Address: 1203 Third Street SE, Cedar Rapids

' Email: atoztoysandcollectibles@gmail.com

' Facebook: www.facebook.com/AToZToysCollectibles