CUSTOMERS ASK 'WHAT HAPPENED?'
O.P. Taylor's Toys open for business in new storefront
Owner John Taylor of O.P. Taylor's Toys shows the Times-News his newly-opened Main Street storefront on March 31.
River Gatz, 7, a customer at the new downtown Hendersonville location of O.P. Taylor's Toys on March 31.
Owner John Taylor of O.P. Taylor's Toys shows the Times-News his newly-opened Main Street storefront on March 31.
The newlyopened downtown Hendersonville location of O.P. Taylor's Toys.
HENDERSONVILLE
ENDERSONVILLE — A bright red awning has replaced the familiar green one of the
H 100-year Main Street institution Sher-man's Sports and Army Store, now the home of O.P. Taylor's Toys.
Owner John Taylor was painting a door in the back of the store on a sunny spring afternoon, atop a child-sized chair, with a multi-colored propeller cap on his head.
The store had been open for around a week, after finishing the move from its previous location down the street, which began in February.
"We're sweeping the floors (of the now-closed space) and people are still sticking their heads in and going, 'What happened?'" in alarm, he told the Times-News on March 31.
"All of this came from our other store, it's just displayed better," he said gesturing around the seemingly full space, which he said was twice as big.
The old space, at 418 N. Main St., is 1,850 square feet and the newly leased corner storefront, at 126 N. Main St., directly across from the Historic Courthouse, is around 3,600 square feet, the Times-News previously reported.
"Twice the size, twice the fun," Taylor said. "There's more room to get around. People come in with a double-wide stroller and a couple of dogs."
O.P. Taylor's opened in Brevard 36 years ago. The flagship store there is 6,000 square feet and was named one of USA TODAY's top-10 toy stores in the country in 2014, the Citizen Times reported. Taylor employs 43 people, seven of them in Hendersonville. He hasn't hired on more staff at the new space but previously told the Times-News that he might in the future.
Taylor made an off er on the previous Hendersonville building when it came up for sale last year but couldn't come to an agreement with its owner, he said.
Rex Banadyga and Becky Sherman Banadyga, the owners of Sherman's Sports, closed when they retired at the end of 2025, the Times-News previously reported.
"As soon as I caught wind of that, I was down here 'camping out,'" looking to hammer out a deal with the Banadygas to rent the space, which they own and warmly welcomed Taylor into, he said.
'Nothing like this'
Taylor showed the Times-News around the new location, playfully winging Ollyballs (essentially heavy-duty, spherical mylar balloons) at unsuspecting customers.
There's "50 feet of Legos" along one wall; Barbies; toy trucks; Brio trains; dress-up costumes; art supplies; Hot Wheels; stuff ed animals and dollhouse-like diorama kits called Book Nooks.
Taylor recalled customers looking for niche items, like a stuff ed possum, which he was happy to say he carries.
"I think it's pretty cool here," River Gatz, 7, told the TimesNews on March 31.
He was on vacation from outside Richmond, Virginia, with his grandmother Cindy Childs, 63, and said he'd never been to a store quite like it.
"Nothing like this," he said, breathlessly, drips of ice cream dotting his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt.
He liked the Rubik's Cubes best, he said.
Ellie Bufalino, 9, said her favorite part was the puppets. "I like the open space, it gives the kids more areas to play and just explore and be kids again, with toys (and) getting away from, electronics," her dad, Chris Bufalino, 47, told the Times-News.
"It's just a warm, welcome, family atmosphere," he said.
'Shop-able'
"We've never had, at the other store, the opportunity to display this much of it all at once," Taylor said.
Having the space to let the merchandise breathe and make it more visible is already making a diff erence for business.
Taylor didn't have any numbers on hand but said that books, puzzles and games, especially, have been selling better in the week or so since reopening.
"At the other store, they're 8 or 9 feet up, on the top shelf, and (people) hate to ask (for help). Now, everything's really shopable," he said.
The large basement isn't open to the public, at least for now, but Taylor said he's considering doing occasional stockroom sales down there.
"It was a bit of growing pains with finding wall space and finding floor space. Once we get more displays and racks and stuff , it'll fill up," Manager Alex Sanderson told the Times-News.
"It's a total work in progress," Taylor said.
O.P. Taylor's Toys is at 126 N. Main St., Hendersonville. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Learn more at OPTaylors.com.
George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at GFRussell@gannett.com. Reporting by George Fabe Russell, Hendersonville Times-Newsv
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