MUNCIE, Ind. — If you have ever been in the heart of Muncie, you may have seen Toys Forever; however, this toy store has an interesting background and is run by two brothers who are trying to put new light into the toy business.
Toys Forever Models and Hobbies was created in 2007 by Brandon Mundell after graduating from Ball State University’s entrepreneurial program, and his goal was to bring playtime back to the community.
“The variety is so amazingly big that it's hard for us to communicate that to people. Some come in and experience, and see if we have something for you, you just may not know it yet,” Brandon explained.
Toys Forever isn't just your average toy store. After a few years, Brandon's brother, Kyle Mundell, joined his team. While the family aspect is important and Kyle gets to work alongside his brother, he also gets to give that happiness back to the community.
Both brothers studied at Ball State University and have stayed close to home for most of their lives. Kyle started working with his brother in college and then went on to pursue other endeavours at one point; however, there was always something pulling him back.
“The work here at the hobby shop, there's a certain fulfillment with working with your hands and being able to fix things and feel the fulfillment of knowing you brought something back to life,” said Kyle, “And knowing you get that joy out of people.”
Although toys are mostly advertised to children, this brother duo is trying to change that, and let everybody know that it is ok to play. In fact, that's their goal, to get every generation interested in toys again.
“Young kids come in here and play games and things, they have much more fluid ability to understand and that creativity and that imagination, and part of the toy store is reawakening that in people who are a little bit older or have gotten more set in their ways,” Kyle said.
Even though there has been talk of expanding in the future, the Mundells agree that, for now, it would be best to just expand right here and grow with the community in Muncie.
If you’re looking to find a new hobby or trying to bring out your inner child, you can find more on their website at
Contact Noah Lyda with comments at noah.lyda@bsu.edu.
