To wonder why there are no nice toy shops/ departments anymore?!

[StrawberrySkittles]

There used to be so many lovely toy shops/departments about 10 years ago. My DN loves dolls and we wanted to take her to a toy shop / department but we cant find one.

Hamleys in London is not ideal as we couldnt drive to it but all the toy departments like John Lewis, who 10 yeaes ago had a lovely selection of prams and dolls on displsy doesn't anymore, it is all electronic toys.

Toys r us isnt half as good as it used to be. We're in hertfordshire, is there nice toy departments we don't know about??

Ptolemy Toys is a lovely shop, but probably too far away for you.

Petalina is online only, but has a wide range of beautiful dolls and accessories.

Dolly Daydreams is a specialist doll shop in Basingstoke that sounds like a lovely place to visit if it's not too far (sorry we are nowhere near you and I'm hopeless at UK geography).

I live in Edinburgh where we have Toys Galore which I see someone has linked to above - fab shops, I know am very lucky, not in the town centre as well so not a major trek to get to.

If you are looking for nice dolls, these are great www.louellatoys.co.uk/corolle-dolls-collection-corolle-les-cheries-dolls-c-25_30.htmli saw them recommended on here as yes, they can sometimes be found cheaper on Amazon (sorry)...

www.louellatoys.co.uk/corolle-dolls-collection-corolle-les-cheries-dolls-c-25_30.html

www.louellatoys.co.uk/corolle-dolls-collection-corolle-les-cheries-dolls-c-25_30.html

I would rather rip my face off than take the kids to Harrods. As for the revolting and cruel pet area, the sooner it's shut down the better.

DD got an Argos Design a Friend for Christmas and it is lovely. I can't believe it came from Argos.

I don't know if they have any actual stores but www.letterbox.co.uk have some really nice traditional toys.

In York Fenwicks still has a small but decent department. Excellent playmobil selction and quite a lot of traditional stuff.

I believe Daisy and Tom were a chain but were one of those chains who didn't survive the Kaputhing bank going under (and wasn't big enough for someone else to snap them up).

We have a lovely independent one near us, but for wooden/traditional toys you need to look online.

If you're in Yorkshire there's a lovely doll shop in Leeds in the Victoria Quarter, lots and lots of beautiful dolls, some for collectors, some to play with.

There is a delicious toy shop in Hebden Bridge, The Old Treehouse, I think. Absolutely divine.

Fenwick, top floor at Brent Cross in North London has an overpriced reasonable sized toy department as does John Lewis. Haven't been to Hamleys in years but always think of it as crowded nightmare for tourists full of cuddly toys.

My local coop has a lovely toy section. It sells plastic tat but it also sells lovely dolls, prams, puppets, train sets. All the best kinds of toys

www.silvercross.co.uk/Toys/ Proper doll prams and other toys.

Fenwicks in York is pretty good.

There is a lovely toy shop in Ripon-the knowledge magnet I think, it's small but has a fantastic range and knowledgeable friendly staff.

The Rocking Horse in Harrogate is lovely too.

When I was little we always went to Langleys in Norwich, it was like a dream, I notice it's owned by toymaster now, so probably not the same.

I have yet to find a single toyshop in Leeds.

Several nice toy shops/departments in Norwich. Jarrold's and the shop in the Royal Arcade. Kerrison's, too, although it goes across all price ranges, not so plush as others.

My friend ran a small independant toy store, lasted just under 2 years (and tbh, if she hadnt been tied to a lease, would have been shorter).

The problem she found was that Amazon (and Play etc) were selling her items at less than she could buy them wholesale so she just wasnt competitive.

there must be no money in it or they'd be everywhere.

My local John Lewis has a fab toy section .

I agree. And with whoever mentioned Myriad, we've bought lots from there. Pollock's, Nic Nac Noo and Toyella are amongst others we buy from, too.

Otherwise, it's the same old toy shops selling the same old toys everywhere else. We had to do most of our shopping online to find what we needed the last few years.

The doll shop had moved out of the Victoria Quarter last time we were in Leeds, Baah Humbug (I think it's still in Leeds, though not sure where). They did have some lovely, good quality dolls and bears.

Hamleys is just awful. John Lewis is good but just functional. Lego shops are lots of fun, staffed by really keen assistants, and happy to let you play.

Harrods toy department is lovely, and includes a fascinating sweet-making counter - the markup, though noticeable, isn't quite as greedy as Hamleys either. But obviously some people will not be prepared to cross the threshold of a shop that sells pets and real fur.

We have tickety boo nearSus but they carry a much bigger range on their website and the shop is impossible to navigate with even a toddler in a sling.

I buy from myriad or direct from wooden tot manufacturers

Hugoagogo Langleys is still great, I think in Norfolk we are lucky as lots of lovely toy shops in Norwich and Norfolk towns. I may have no taste though as I still love Hamleys!

Those Argos design dolls remind me a little of the American Girls dolls. I bought some mini versions of American Girl for my children's Christmas stockings, they were a real hit and the quality not bad.

If you're anywhere near Winchester there is two lovely indy toy shops called Childhood Dreams and The Toy Cupboard. Both are utterly lovely