Editor’s Note: Good Morning. As we all gear up for some holiday travels this week, Comox Valley mom Alix Wilson has a great suggestion for a fun detour on the way to Grandma’s house – or anywhere on the Lower Mainland for that matter. Safe traveling. Happy Winter Solstice and enjoy this lovely week.

As a kid, I loved heading to the big city with my mom, and visiting the big toy stores to check out all the neat gadgets and gizmos available to play with. I still love toys – and toy stores – especially good ones. But, it wasn’t until my eldest was more than two years old that I finally stumbled upon the crème de la crème in this department.

Before we moved to the Valley, we lived in busy White Rock.

One day, while driving through neighboring Langley, I saw the sign. There it was, written in Toy Story-esque block letters, amongst the other bright signs for the complex: Toy Traders. The name immediately piqued my interest – a place to trade toys – how cool! Being an avid consignment clothes shopper for my son since his birth, I knew in that drive-by second that we had to go there. Coincidentally we really were in need of toys.

I’m sure months went by before we headed that way again, but when we did, my husband, W and I made sure Toy Traders was on the to-do list for the excursion. We had no idea that we were about to walk into the coolest Toy Store EVER! I actually exclaimed “How is it that no one has ever told us about this place?!”

When we got out of the car, we could tell the trade-ability factor was definitely there. Like a lot of used kids’ stuff stores, the big items were outside. The span of the stuff surprised us. For about 75 feet of storefront there was laid out all manners of things – bikes, strollers, ride-on toys, slides, playhouses, desks, etc. On the left side of the span was the entrance. On the right hand side was the door for trading.

We were eager to get inside, and right away, right inside the front door, we could tell it was going to be good. But instead of the used toys we were expecting, we stepped into new toy heaven.

There was so much to see, it was hard to choose which way to go first. The store has no windows, and every inch of space is strategically used, with mind boggling displays and dioramas at every turn. Every section is super neat and very organized. The sections are numerous – infant, art, science, music, retro tin and wind-up toys, as well as a “pink” section, so to speak (I apologize for my lack of knowledge when it comes to girl toys).

Eventually you wander into the back, which is where the real awesome-ness starts for us. The doorway leading there is marked by a display case containing life-sized Yoda, C-3P0, and R2-D2 statues. Once we got past the entryway, we looked up, way up, and feasted our eyes on the most incredible display of Star Wars collectibles imaginable.

There are scenes from Hoth, Endor, and Dagobah. Suspended from the ceiling is a huge battle scene, complete with X-wing fighters, TIE fighters and of course, the Death Star. At the rebel base, action figures scramble to get to their stations, each with their role to play in the gigantic diorama. Visit after visit we stand there looking, spying things we’d never noticed before.

Although the Star Wars stuff is what is most prevalent back here (and what we totally dig), you’ll also see other collectible dioramas, such as Spiderman, and Halo set up too. This back corner, which makes up about 25% of the store, is what makes Toy Traders BC’s largest collectibles store.

If you can think of a collectible figure, it’s probably here. In glass case after glass case, one can find GI Joes, Marvel Heroes, Halo, Battlestar Galactica and Lord of the Rings collectibles, to name a few. New Board games live back here too, as well as comic books, both traded and new (they get new issues in weekly).

Finally, in the back right corner, is the jackpot – the traded toys. There are all sorts of baby gear – carseats, playpens, highchairs, exersaucers, carriers, etc. And toys, toys, and more toys!

Again, everything is so organized –there are cars and trucks, board games and puzzles, electronic learning toys, kitchen stuff, Mr. Potato Head parts, Barbies, building toys and tools, the list goes on and on. My two boys are really into Fisher Price’s Rescue Heroes (which are out of production) and Toy Traders always has a big selection of people and their gadgets to choose from. We rarely get out of the store without purchasing something from the back corner. We can spend an hour back there, which is equipped with child friendly washrooms, and a nursing corner.

Toy Traders opened its doors 15 years ago, and started out by only trading used toys. Gradually they started carrying some new toys and 10 years ago moved to the 5500 square foot store they’re in now, which is backed up by a 3000 square foot warehouse. Nowadays about 20% of the store is dedicated to traded toys and baby gear, the rest is new toys, which makes Toy Traders the largest independent toy store in BC.

We love living in the Comox Valley, but we do miss Toy Traders sometimes. A visit there has become part of our Mainland routine. It really is worth the drive to Langley, which isn’t hard to get to from all areas of the Lower Mainland, even if only to gaze at all the displays (you’ll notice I didn’t include a shot of the Star Wars diorama – you’ll have to go there yourself to see it in person – amazing!).

They are just across the Bypass from Willow Brook Mall. So if you happen to be visiting friends or family on the mainland you might just want to stop in. Their website is still a work-in-progress – Check it out HERE. So call ahead for holiday hours 604-532-9516.

Top 5 reasons that Toy Traders is a “must see” during Mainland trips:

1. The Star Wars Stuff. The diorama is outstanding, and you can find anything you’ve ever wanted from the Star Wars universe and even some stuff you couldn’t have imagined even existed. New and used!
2. The large selection of traded toys and gear, all well organized and easy to browse through, at reasonable prices. The care taken in cleaning and organizing the toys is obvious. All the components are included and if they aren’t there, is noted. We have always bought used stuff there with great confidence.
3. They carry the complete line of Playmobil, Thomas the Train and Schleich toys, as well as 70-80% of the Lego line. Other great stuff includes (but not limited to): Quadrilla marble runs, Cozy Critters, Groovy Girls, Mighty World, Infantino toys.
4. Mind Boggling Playmobil displays. Atop all the Playmobil boxes for sale are set ups ranging from town scenes where police and K-9 dogs are after bank robbers, to medival battle scenes where knights are busy loading cannons and scaling castle walls.
5. They take Canadian Tire Money at par!