On the Move
Longtime La Grange, Ky., toy store moving to Madison, Ind., Main Street
The Treasured Child to open
in former Mercantile location
(August 2019) – La Grange, Ky.-based toy store, The Treasured Child, will be moving to a new location in Madison, Ind., at 220 W. Main St., beginning in September. The store has been a La Grange landmark since April 1997 when it was first opened by Rick and Trish Garlock. It has been owned by Randy and Ellie Troutman, and their daughter, Tayler Rinehart, of La Grange since spring 2012.
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Photo provided The Treasured Child toy store has been a mainstay on La Grange, Ky.’s Main Street since 1997. |
“We were shoppers for a long time and loved the store,” said Troutman. The Troutmans also bought properties at 225 E. Main St. and 612 W. Main St. One property is rented to the store Razzmatazz. The property at 612 W. Main St. is under construction, but the Troutmans have no plans for the property at this time, she said.
The process of moving to Madison started a year ago. “Some Madison locals reached out to us about the potential of relocating,” said Troutman. “They invited us to come over and do some tours. It was honestly a fantastic group of people.”
Troutman said that the decision to close the store in La Grange was “not a decision we took lightly. This is a huge undertaking for us,” she said. “We really feel like we’re good for Madison, and that Madison will be good for us.”
Troutman and Rinehart had conversations with the Madison Area Chamber of Commerce, the Madison Main Street Program, and VisitMadison Inc. tourism office before making their decision. “It really showed that everyone had the town and tourism in the best interest. It was the most cohesive group that I had seen,” said Troutman.
After meeting with city officials off and on for the entire year, Troutman and Rinehart made the decision to move the business to Madison.
“We really tried to think about what the town was missing and what had disappeared,” she said. Troutman mentioned that a common thread among the individuals she and Rinehart spoke with was the lack of a toy store, especially with the closing of longtime Madison business, Rock-a-bye Lady. “We own several retail stores, and The Treasured Child was the one that really sparked their interest and seemed to be the greatest fit for Madison,” said Troutman.
Troutman said that she and Rinehart have learned many of the ups and downs of owning a business over the past several years, which has prepared them for this move.
“Collectively, we’re ready to grow.” The store will be manned by Troutman and Rinehart but will also look to hire local employees. They are also partnering with an internship program through Hanover College. “We’ll be very hands-on,” she said. “Tayler is really the backbone of the business and provides a lot of the creativity.”
Troutman and Rinehart will be doing all of the store’s design and building. “We’re really transforming the store. We’re moving to 8.000 square feet from 1,500-2,000 square feet, so it’s going to be a huge, magical transformation,” she said.
Troutman said that one of the unique aspects of The Treasured Child is its destination-like experience. “This is a store for all ages, not simply children or infants,” she said. “It’s really for anyone who’s a fan of toys, whether you like superheroes or collecting dolls or teddy bears.” Troutman said that the store’s selection will span every age group. “It’s great for window shopping and looking. It’s really has that nostalgic feel that appeals to multiple generations,” she said. Troutman said that the store will also contain home décor and well-loved character memorabilia, as well as children’s books.