Campus Bike & Toy Center is a well-established Ann Arbor tradition, serving the community with bikes, dolls and games for more than 60 years. The colorful sign hanging outside the downtown store is a reminder of something from the old school, when "bikes were toys," Vickie Plotner said.
Founded in 1933 by Walter Grimston and Bennett French, the shop originated on the corner of E. Liberty and Maynard streets as a bike rental outlet. The store moved twice, eventually ending up in its current location on E. William St., in 1945. French ultimately bought out his partner and after some time, the shop changed hands from French to his half brother Farrell Dewight Plotner II. The store remains a family establishment, owned and operated by the Plotner clan.
The original store was strictly rental and repair, because "during the war you could not get bikes," said Alice Plotner, wife of Farrell.
Entering the store is like walking into a cyclist's haven; the walls are covered with bicycling gear, ranging from clothes to water bottles to tires, and there are rows of bikes in the middle.
Campus Bike & Toy Center carries a selection of bikes directed towards both the student and commuter markets. The store specializes in Schwinn, Trek and Gary Fisher bikes.
"We carry your basic $250 bike to get from class to class. The students mostly want the cheaper bikes," said employee Dave Pratt, an Engineering sophomore.
Campus Bike & Toy's bicycle service center has a reputation for friendliness and experience. The store offers free air and safety checks for bikes. Third-year Law student Jason de Bretteville said, "They are always more than happy to fill my tires and tune up my bike, and I didn't even buy my bike there."
"We give people estimates which we stick to. We also have a 30-day guarantee on all repairs," said employee Andrew Campbell, a Rackham student.
The Plotners have expanded to three other locations: Washtenaw Cycle & Fitness Center in Ann Arbor; Wheels in Motion in Fenton and Bike Haus in Brighton. These other locations focus more on the serious biker, and less on the student and commuter market. These other stores also lack an important element of the main store - toys.
When the shop moved into its present location, something other than bikes was needed to to fill the larger space. Toys became the suitable solution. "Toys and hobbies went along with bikes," said Alice Plotner
"There weren't any other toy shops around at that time, except for the dime stores. The town was a lot smaller then and there was quite a lot of local trade. As the University grew, the store became more student oriented, " said Alice Plotner.
"This store is the only one with toys and is quite unique," present owner,Vickie Plotner said. The toy side of the store resembles a dream play room. One wall is lined with shelves stocked with funny, friendly stuffed animals from frogs to puppies. A sign warns, "Please don't feed the animals."
"The majority of our customers are students, and students want something realistic and natural. I think of this when I buy for the store and don't just stock dressed-up bears. They really like the Gunds," Vickie Plotner said.
There is a Sesame Street bus in one corner, brimming over with fuzzy characters, and there are rows of hobby paint and model cars in another. "We get a lot of students in the toy store. It's Frisbees in the fall and stuffed animals at Christmas," Pratt said.
The toy store carries all varieties of playthings, like Koosh balls, sea monkeys, origami kits and more sophisticated board games like Trivial Pursuit and How to Host a Murder.
A recent rage in toys has been the Beanie Baby, a small, bean-stuffed, animal. Campus Bike & Toy boasts of their expansive selection and low-pricing. "For $4.99, I think we have one of the lowest prices around, and people are buying tons of them," Campbell said.
The store also specializes in Madame Alexander collector dolls, priced from $35 up to $228, This distinguishes the store from its more commercial competitors, as it is one of the only local suppliers. "The Madame Alexander dolls are for the hard core collectors and you can't find them at Meijer or Toys-R-Us," Campbell said.
Although the area around the store has changed dramatically over the past 60 years, Campus Bike & Toys has retained its old-fashioned neighborhood charm.
"I'm sad that most of the old stores have disappeared downtown. Now it is mostly coffee shops. I don't know how long coffee shops will be in vogue, but I think it is the demise of downtown," said Alice Plotner.
JULLY PARK/Daily
Rackham student Andrew Campbell trues a wheel at Campus Bike & Toy.