Irving's Toy & Card Shop

In the time of all the high tech toys and entertainment for kids it is so refreshing to see a toy store that is so down to earth and real. The toys there are real classics, lots of great small gifts and treasures. The store is very small but is overflowing with fun stuff for kids of all ages. Definitely go check it out if you need a break from busy harvard st. shopping and a quick gift or two. more

...that's how you'll feel once you walk in. Even from the outside, the store brims with fun loving goodness. Some of the games/toys in the window look like they've been there forever, but once you walk in you get the sense that the place has brought smiles to many a children's face. They have a lot of small trinkets and toys that are a great little treat for the children in your life! more

Ethel Weiss has run Irving's since 1939. Irving was her husband. Ethel is now at least 94 and she happily wears a button that reads, "I love my customers." Irving's is maybe 10 feet wide and 30 feet deep. Ethel usually sits in a chair next to the counter inside, next to the candy display. She carries lots of candy, including some hard to find items. A small box of jawbreakers costs 15 cents - a carton may be $2. Irving's has small toys and novelty items. In the drawers are cards for almost every occasion, some of them dating back years. Ethel can pull out anything if you ask. In almost any weather, including right after a blizzard, you can pop into Irving's to talk to Ethel. She loves her customers. Irving's is between Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue, in the "Kosher Corner" section of Brookline. more