By Braden Daniello
Lost4Toys comics and collectables shop opened in a new location this fall with an eye on growth. Now located at 267 Nassau Blvd Garden City South, Lost4Toys offers its customers a sea of items, ranging from comic books, trading cards, gaming, action figures plus many more items and collectibles on display. The move from their old spot in West Hempstead was a business decision, relocating to a place where there was more traffic and closer to other stores.
“Our original location didn’t have a lot of other surrounding businesses,” said Cliff Lee, the owner of Lost4Toys. “At this location we have more potential for growth, because of the surrounding area and the other businesses here.”
Since opening in 2001, Lee and his family have collected as many different kinds of items and toys that they could find. As time went on, they would start selling some of their items online and even found themselves traveling the East Coast for toy shows, eventually opening the original Lost4Toys shop in West Hempstead before moving to South Garden City.
The business reopened its doors on October 26, taking advantage of the Garden City Street fair in an effort to maximize both publicity and business.
“It was really amazing,” Lee said. “We had a lot of help. All of our old customers from Hempstead made the trip to come see us and we were also able to meet a lot of new people.”
The relocation has been a massive success so far and so far sales have improved drastically, according to Lee. He credited the recent success of the business to the local crowd, as well as other businesses surrounding the store, which have helped to generate much more walk in business than his former location. While sales are certainly vital to running a successful business, for Lee, making people happy means much more to him as opposed to the profit he might rake in.
“Obviously business is important, but whether someone spends one dollar or thousands of dollars, we appreciate it either way,” Lee said. “It’s fun to see people’s reactions to what we have and understand their passion. That’s what truly makes me happy.”
Since Lost4Toys is a family-run business, his wife, son and daughters all play a crucial role. They help with day-to-day operations, stocking the store and posting items online. They also played a key role in relocating the store to its current location this past fall.
In addition to his focus on making the new location a success, Lee talked about continuing to grow the business.
“I don’t know if there’s ever a point where we’d try to stop growing and be truly satisfied,” he said. “ I think the next step is maybe to try and get a few more stores and then see what comes next after that.”
Braden Daniello is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
Cover photo: Lost4Toys website. All other photos: Braden Daniello.
