Toyshop owners - need advice for starting up. (no competition, am abroad)

[malaleche]

Hi.
I have been in retail for about 12 yrs but would like to change sector and am thinking of opening a toyshop with educational toys, wooden stuff, fun stuff avoiding Disney etc. good quality in general but not too pricey, also some fun silly pocket money toys thrown in. I live in a (Spanish) town of about 300,000 people plus ever-growing suburbs. Am thinking of about 50m2 in the busy centre of town. Rents are about 20-25 quid a sq. metre.
Is this a good business to be in?
Any advice?

bump

I have found the profit margin to be good for toys. Tobar and Out of the Blue . Are both good suppliers of nice wooden toys as well as they tacky novelties I avoid.

I never got as far as a shop but still one of my far off dreams. Someone tried this a while ago in a tiny shop in my town they crammed the place full not just nice toys but ornaments, adult bricabrac, chinadolls etcetcetc. It looked like she went to a trade fair and bought the lot from everyone. The till area was a mess and was right in front of the window, no room for a buggy, lots of breakables on low displays, and felt I was being watche dthe minute we walked in then they opounced on us within 30sec. Loads of things DD might have liked but she went bright red and wanted to leave as the man tried speaking to her and offering her a sweety, ok he was trying to be freindly but we just wanted a look around.

There is a shop lying empty inmy town I would love, it is big with a big side room (for parties), lovely traditional double front, up a cobbled alley but just off the main shopping street opposite the busy bus stops, low rent. Oh I want it sob. But I just don't have the capital to do it properly, well at all really.

Google Papo, Letoyvan and Schleich.

Thanks both, ive got Tobar's catalogue and i'll check those others out.
Skribble, i've had a shop for over 12 yrs and its a pain in the arse sometimes, but at least in Spain we dont have those wopping rates you have in the UK...If you really want to do it tho couldnt you get a loan? Did you sell on the web? What is the mark-up on toys?
I was toying(haha) with the idea of going to the trade fair in Nuremburg but am bf a 4.5 mth old and they dont let kids in so i couldnt...

Anyone else got any advice on having a toyshop?

I have considered a loan but they expect you to contribute about 50% yourself, so other than finacing 50% of it on credit cards its no go, the rates, utilities, maintaning the property etc all eat in to the profit.

I found the mark up on what I was buying was about 100% as in 50% profit. Not sure if thats how you work it out but buy for 50p inc vat and sell for £1. Less for higher priced items.

Bump - anyone else have any experience/advice? Thanks!

bump, anyone else?