Cleveland’s Star Pop Vintage + Modern toy store celebrates 10th birthday

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Over the past decade, while Waterloo Road has gone through extensive development projects and arts projects, Star Pop Vintage + Modern has maintained its spot as the neighborhood’s go-to toy store. The shop, at 15813 Waterloo Road, is stocked with nostalgic action figures, board games, collectibles, concert t-shirts, video-game consoles and more from the past and present.

Those years of business culminate this Saturday and Sunday with a weekend-long party to commemorate Star Pop’s 10th birthday.

“It’s a milestone that I never really thought through if I would reach or not,” said owner Troy Schwartz. “It’s a little surprising, and a little exciting.”

Though Star Pop opened a decade ago in 2009, Schwartz has been a toy collector for much of his life, first going to estate sales and flea markets with his dad, an art dealer. Schwartz started collecting stamps, coins and baseball cards and later became interested in toys like Garbage Pail Kids and “Star Wars” trading cards.

He continued collecting through his teen years and while in college at Miami University of Ohio. When he graduated in 2001, Schwartz realized he had to sell off some of his collections that he had accumulated.

“But the more I did that, the more I got instead of the less I got,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz sold toys on eBay and at conventions, creating a small business out of what was once a hobby. Within that, he realized that he preferred interacting with customers at conventions instead of listing items online.

“I really wanted to be able to not only just personally experience and watch other people experience happiness, but also I thought of other businesses that I admired or I had grown up around or helped out at,” Schwartz said. “That face-to-face aspect was an integral part of the community.”

In 2009, Schwartz opened Star Pop just in time for the Waterloo Arts Fest. At that point, just 10% of the store was stocked, Schwartz said.

In the decade that has followed, he has acquired more collectibles, cramming them into the small storefront. Now, Schwartz estimates that Star Pop is about 90% stocked, including older toys from Schwartz’s own childhood, and also modern toys for kids in the Waterloo neighborhood to enjoy. Most items in the store range from $1 to $50, with rarer items occasionally bringing a bigger price tag.

"Star Wars" toys on shelf. — "Star Wars" toys are a common sight at Star Pop. (Photo courtesy Troy Schwartz)

Action figures in the shapes of past wrestlers and old sci-fi shows line the shelves for nostalgic adult shoppers. Newer characters from cartoon shows and action movies are available at the store, too.

The selection ties in to the shop’s full name: Star Pop Vintage + Modern.

“We’ve tried to adapt to both what collectors and families and kids in the neighborhood seem to be interested in,” Schwartz said. “There are no other toy stores in the neighborhood. I really wanted to make sure I was giving that to the community, to the kids.”

Nearly everything sold at Star Pop is previously owned, but about half of the stocked items are still in their packages and unused, bought from previously well-maintained collections. And that makes for a pretty environmentally friendly shop.

“I was trying to figure out how owning a retail store where I sell stuff could also be consistent with my desire to do something that would be good for the planet, and good for the community,” Schwartz said. “It’s as much about sustainability as it is about pop culture, for me. That’s something I try to talk about with customers.”

Schwartz also hopes to host more events at the store, including art shows and Earth Day events.

This weekend, Star Pop will host an event to celebrate its 10th birthday 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. Customers can expect discounts and giveaways all weekend, along with birthday cake and snacks on Saturday.

Find more information about the party at Star Pop’s Facebook event.

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