The sign outside of Shananigans Toy Shop seems, at first glance, to bear a typo: shouldn’t that first “a” be an “e”?

But the North Baltimore toy store’s name isn’t spelled wrong. Instead, Shananigans combines the first names of Sharon Tufaro and Nancy Cusack, who opened the store on Lawndale Avenue together in 1992.

Over 30 years later, Beth Foxwell and Anne Bev Fuller are building on their predecessors’ legacy at what appears to be the only locally owned toy store in Baltimore.

The duo took over Shananigans this past March from Flora and Barry Stelzer, who ran it for 20 years after Tufaro and Cusack.

“Two friends started it, and then we’re the third generation of it, and we’re two friends,” Fuller said.

Cusack has visited the store and brought the new owners photo albums from its opening. Tufaro died in May; her daughter Jennifer Nolley owns Tiny Easel and Shananigans sells its displayable art kits.

Fuller, 43, and Foxwell, 41, met in 2022. Their sons go to the nearby Gilman School together, and Foxwell’s family was assigned to “host” Fuller’s as they settled into their new school community. The two discovered that their husbands went to high school in Richmond together, years before either family lived in Baltimore.

The shelves are lined with old favorites (MadLibs, Calico Critters, traditional magnetized train sets and dress-up options) and new delights such as NeeDoh and Wigglitz. There’s an adult-friendly section stocked with board games and Warhammer figurines to paint and deploy.

The biggest change over the years may be the store’s evolving logo. Launched with a playful cat tapping the seemingly misplaced “a,” the store is now represented by a robot dog. An octopus mascot is coming after Christmas, as voted on by the shop’s loyalists.

Tell me about each of your connections to Shananigans before you took over, and why you decided to take this project on.

Foxwell: I was a customer before we bought the store. I was looking to go back to work in some capacity and was doing a lot of research on how to go about purchasing a small business. A lot of small-business owners are of the generation that are looking to retire and walk away from long-standing profitable businesses.

Fuller: I was in here one Christmas ... and there was a line, a long line. Everybody was standing there with lots of gifts, and nobody was complaining. Nobody was in a bad mood; nobody was angry that they had to wait. You don’t see that in other places, but it made me realize how special this place is, and how the community really loves it.

So Flora and Barry’s daughter was handing out caramels to us in the line. And I started talking to her and said, “That must be so cool that your parents own a toy store.” And they said, “Well, we have to come here always to see them, because they’re here all the time. You know, anyone want to buy a toy store?” And I said, “Yes.” And so I checked out, ran out the door, hopped in the car and called Beth right away and said, “What about if we buy Shananigans?”

What do you see as the appeal of a small local toy shop versus a big box store, perhaps especially around the holidays?

Foxwell: Coming into this store and seeing our expansive and eclectic mix of things brings joy to everyone that walks through the door.

People come to shop in person for a positive in-store experience, and we provide that nostalgia and experience where you can really feel like you’ve found something special.

We have a wonderful staff that can help find the perfect age-appropriate gift, and we wrap for free, so it is also a service. And you don’t have to deal with those pesky boxes and delivery drivers from Amazon.

Who are some of your favorite customers to see in the store?

Foxwell: When people come back here to see it, because they used to come here when they were a kid.

I’ve had it explained a few times that people, when people think about Shananigans, they describe a place that was a big part of their lives, growing up or raising their children.

You’re a business with a lot of history. What do you think continues to make you stand out?

Fuller: The wrapping paper is iconic.

Foxwell: So Flora and Barry picked up this wrapping paper because Flora said it was very happy. So when we talk about habits, a huge part of our business is birthday parties, obviously. So families come on Saturday, Sunday mornings on their way to a party, and they leave with a wrapped present in Shananigans wrapping paper. So when you then show up to the party, it’s “Oh, you also went to Shananigans.”

Fuller: It’s a gathering place almost before a birthday party. One of the first questions that people asked when they found out that we were taking over is, “You’re not going to change the wrapping paper, are you?”

What are some of your most consistent best sellers? And as far as you can tell, why?

Fuller: Sonny Angels and Smiskis are number one. These are blind box collectibles.

Foxwell: [Sonny Angels] are just like naked baby figurines wearing different hats. And then [Smiskis] are glow-in-the-dark, similar figurines. And they’re blind boxes that are doing different series, so dressing, exercising, moving.

We are one of two retailers in Maryland that sell them. So people drive from far and wide to come get them when we get a restock.

This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.