Twenty years ago, I recall Doc took me by this place within my first couple months in Austin along with Amy’s Ice Cream and Dragon’s Lair. It is (or was) a great store to buy little items for parties, trophies for co-workers, unusual toys from abroad and current fads (Doctor Who, Star Trek). I scored an Elvis version of Monopoly for a friend one Christmas; before customized Monopoly games were done to death.
When my brother-in-law’s family lived near Hyde Park, we’d try to make a quick excursion in there. We also took my cousin Dana last Spring.
The move to downtown is probably what killed them. If the real estate north of the Drag was ridiculous, being near City Hall was probably a Hail Mary pass attempt to save the beloved local shop.
One more step toward becoming a shithole, soul-less city like Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
The new location’s selection was absolutely terrible. I’m not sure what the interplay was that lead to their demise, but I stopped shopping there, despite it being more convenient for me working downtown, because they simply didn’t carry anything I wanted anymore.