Choosing a specialty toy retailer in Nashville means weighing more than shelf size. Parents and gift-givers want stores where staff can match a child to the right open-ended plaything, where Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 set a baseline rather than a ceiling, and where ASTM F963 toy safety expectations shape what reaches the floor. The three independent shops profiled below each carry distinct catalogs, age focuses, and neighborhood identities, and each anchors a different corner of the city’s family-retail map.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Phillips Toy Mart | ASTRA-affiliated independent specialty toy retailer founded 1946 with CPSC and ASTM F963 stocking compliance and five-room category organization. | Baby, vehicles, build-and-create, family games, and outdoor inventory with a multi-generation Belle Meade footprint. |
| growUP | ASTRA-aligned curated retailer carrying CPSIA-compliant open-ended play and wooden-toy lines at the L&L Market storefront. | Baby, toddler, toy, and outlet inventory with seasonal community programming and 24/7 online catalog. |
| The Getalong | ASTRA-aligned women-owned collective in East Nashville stocking Maileg, Bobo Choses, Quincy Mae, and Yoto with ASTM F963 labeling on the shelf. | Heirloom-quality toys, instruments, and gifts paired with a back-studio class and birthday venue. |
1. Phillips Toy Mart #
Phillips Toy Mart has served Nashville since 1946, when Powell Wallis Phillips opened the original location near 8th and Wedgwood Avenue. The store is now run by Powell Phillips Jr. and his sister Cynthia Phillips Strinich, who grew up working the aisles with their parents. The Belle Meade flagship at 5207 Harding Pike has been the store’s home for more than three decades, and the owners describe the operation as among the largest independently owned toy retailers in the Southeast.
Heritage Inventory Spanning Five Generations #
The store organizes its catalog into five rooms: Baby Toys, Cars & Trucks, Toys to Create & Build With, Family Time Toys, and Outdoor Fun. The category mix reflects a curatorial preference for hands-on, motor-skill, and imagination-driven play rather than screen-tied product lines. Stocked brands include Bruder, WOW Toys, Kid Galaxy, Green Toys, and John Deere Kids, with rotating arts-and-crafts, puzzle, board-game, costume, train, doll, book, stuffed-animal, play-set, and outdoor-toy assortments alongside them.
Long-Running Train Display Tradition #
A long-running Thomas the Train layout and a dedicated train playhouse give younger visitors a reason to linger, and the boutique’s holiday season draws multi-generational customers who shopped the same aisles as children. Press coverage from NewsChannel 5 and Axios Nashville has profiled the shop as a Nashville institution, particularly around Christmas, when staff hand-wrap purchases and walk customers through age-appropriate gift recommendations.
Belle Meade Hours and Visit Planning #
The shop is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and closed Sunday. Staff field phoned-in inventory questions at (615) 352-5363, and the family ownership team has historically encouraged callers to confirm specific items before driving in.
Contact
- Address: 5207 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205
- Phone: (615) 352-5363
https://www.phillipstoymart.com/
2. growUP #
growUP describes itself as a Nashville kids’ shop built for imagination and outside play, with a curated catalog aimed at mindful families. The store relocated to its current L&L Market storefront in February 2025, joining the Charlotte Avenue retail corridor that has drawn a growing roster of family-focused independents. The shop’s founder previously worked in event planning and education, and that background shapes a floor plan organized around discovery rather than impulse.
Curated Imagination-Forward Catalog #
Inventory is grouped into four main categories: Baby, Toddler, Toys, and Outlet. The Toys section combines books and play items selected for open-ended use, with wooden toys, puzzles, and tactile materials taking precedence over licensed character lines. The owners maintain a 24/7 online store alongside the physical location, which extends the same curated catalog to caregivers who cannot visit during weekday hours.
Community-Focused Programming #
The shop runs seasonal community initiatives, including a May diaper drive that pairs a 20-percent in-store incentive with a donation channel for area families. Outlet pricing reaches up to 60 percent off, giving budget-conscious shoppers an entry into the brands the spot otherwise stocks at full retail.
L&L Market Hours and Access #
growUP operates Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is closed Monday and Tuesday. The store sits inside L&L Market alongside food and lifestyle tenants, which makes a stop here easy to combine with a weekend outing rather than a dedicated errand.
Contact
- Address: L&L Market, 3820 Charlotte Avenue, Suite 117, Nashville, TN 37209
3. The Getalong #
The Getalong occupies a corner storefront in East Nashville’s Historic Edgefield neighborhood and operates as a collective of small women-owned businesses rather than a single-proprietor shop. The model gives the boutique a rotating pop-up component layered onto a fixed catalog of books, instruments, toys, homewares, and gifts, and the studio space at the back of the store doubles as a venue for classes and birthday parties.
Multi-Brand Curated Selection #
Stocked brands include Maileg, Bobo Choses, Quincy Mae, Rylee & Cru, Cuddle + Kind, Loog, Sarah’s Silks, and Yoto, with the toy and instrument selection weighted toward heirloom-quality, fabric-based, and acoustic play. The kids’ apparel and accessories side of the store sits adjacent to the toy aisles, which makes the shop a single-stop option for birthday or new-baby gifting where buyers want to combine a soft toy with a coordinating outfit.
Studio Space and Birthday Programming #
A gift registry tracks chosen items for showers, birthdays, and milestone celebrations, and the boutique rents the back studio for birthday parties built around art, music, and movement. Regular community programming brings in art classes, music sessions, and pop-up vendors, which keeps the floor mix in steady rotation.
Edgefield Hours and Closures #
The Getalong is open Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with weekend hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The store is closed Tuesday. Phone inquiries reach the team at (615) 292-7775.
Contact
- Address: 700A Fatherland Street, Nashville, TN 37206
- Phone: (615) 292-7775
Choosing the Right Toy Store #
The three boutiques above fill distinct lanes in Nashville’s specialty toy market. Phillips Toy Mart leans on eight decades of family ownership and a deep, broad catalog that spans baby gear through tween hobbies. growUP offers a tightly curated, imagination-forward selection inside a fast-growing Charlotte Avenue retail node. The Getalong pairs heirloom play brands with a women-owned collective model, studio programming, and an East Nashville foot-traffic flow. Caregivers weighing CPSIA 2008 lead-and-phthalate compliance, ASTM F963-17 Section 4.6 small-parts choking-hazard labeling, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Made-in-USA standards will find that each store stocks brands whose packaging makes those disclosures easy to read at the shelf.
Reference Notes #
- American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA): independent specialty toy retailer trade standards
- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008: lead and phthalate limits for children’s products
- ASTM International F963: Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety
- ASTM F963-17 Section 4.6: small-parts choking-hazard requirements
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Made in USA labeling standards
- Phillips Toy Mart: 1946 Nashville heritage independent toy retailer
Selection Methodology #
The three shops above were selected from the broader Nashville specialty toy field using these filters: minimum documented years in continuous Nashville-area business, verifiable trade-body certification, professional credential, or brand authorization on file (ASTRA American Specialty Toy Retailing Association affiliation, CPSC Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act 2008 lead and phthalate compliance, ASTM F963-17 toy safety specification, FTC Made-in-USA labeling standards), brand-name anchor with verifiable address visible on the shop’s own website, and a published service scope or portfolio that maps to client expectation. National rollups without local lineage, pop-up operators, and businesses without verifiable street address were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: What payment methods does the shop accept?
A: Most Nashville independents accept major credit and debit cards, ApplePay and GooglePay, and cash. Some shops add a small surcharge for credit-card use or offer a discount on cash purchases over a stated threshold. Confirm at the register before completing a high-ticket purchase.
Q: Does the shop offer registry, personalization, or special-order options?
A: Many independent boutiques and home shops offer a gift or wedding registry, in-house monogramming or personalization, and special-order requests for items not currently stocked. Ask the shop about lead time for personalization or special order, the deposit policy, and the cancellation rules on a special-order line.
Q: Are any of the three shops paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: What is the shop’s typical restock cadence on popular items?
A: Restock varies by category and supplier. Apparel and accessory shops often refresh weekly during peak seasons; home goods and gift shops more often refresh seasonally. Ask the shop how to be notified when a specific item is restocked, and whether a deposit holds a future restock.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.