At the tender age of 12, Brendan Will started working for the family business.
He fondly remembers counting out people’s change behind the counter at Will’s Toy Shop in Cults – and developing an instinct for the toys children want when they come into the store.
Now at the age of 37, Brendan is the fourth generation owner of the popular shop on South Deeside Road and is extremely proud to be part of a 125-year family legacy.
He said: “We are by far the oldest family-owned business in Cults and probably the last on the street.”
Will’s Toy Shop began life as a plumbing business started by Alexander Will in 1898.
Decades later the Will family branched out into toys, opening a shop on North Deeside Road in the 1980s where they produced handmade Balsa wood toys.
Since then the shop has modernised, bringing in Barbies and Action Man in the 1990s and Pokemon and Warhammer through the 2020s.
Brendan said: “Will’s Toy Shop began back more than 40 years ago. I recently remember finding an old game called Knockout which we had in stock and had a trademark date of 1978, so there’s a lot of history here.
“My grandmother started making the toys back in the 70s, so it quite a thing to carry on the legacy.”
‘I have an instinct for knowing what toys children want’
Will’s Toy Shop has amassed a loyal following and Brendan makes sure to cheerfully greet regular customers daily.
While not the largest shop and having to compete for space with the conjoined Post Office, the store has remained a favourite destination for the Cults community.
He keeps the kids smiling as he shows them around the store, with their eyes are full of wonder as they look around the colourful shelves.
Mr Will says that after all the time spent in the shop he has developed an instinct for what kids want when they come into the store.
He said: “We have a lot of people who come in on a regular basis and I have a knack of knowing what they like and knowing what’s new that’s come in, so I mention to them ‘Have you seen these?’
“I know what they are coming in for and so I can guide them.”
He says it’s joyous to see people come in as children and then as teens and then to adults who then come in with their own children.
“It’s really an honour to have that effect on people who want to come back to the shop with their own kids,” he said.
What’s our most popular toy?
The shop sells a wide range of toys, but Mr Will says one of the most popular products they sell is the Steiff Teddy Bears which he says “last a lifetime”.
The bears remain a popular fixture on the shelves as well as other plushies like Ty Babies and Squishmallows.
Sales this year have followed a similar pattern as last year, says Brendan, but he hopes to expand the business to offer events including Pokemon tournaments.
Conversation