Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

EVERETT — MyMyToystore, a downtown Everett store that stocks action figures, collectibles and games, is closing.

During a cold spell earlier this month, a pipe burst in the 1910-era building and flooded the toy store with water.

It was the last straw for owner Tom Harrison, who’d spent a year turning the interior into a Nerf Blaster play zone.

“I spent days, nights, and weekends laying down carpet, gluing foam, purging furniture and moving inventory,” Harrison said. “In 15 minutes all that work was undone.”

MyMyToystore closes Feb. 4, but Harrison is already on to the next venture. His new event-based business, Planet Mynd Play Lab, debuts in March.

In the past year or two, demand for action figures and collectibles began to wane, Harrison said. Around the same time sales started to slip, he saw an increase in in-person social activity.

That’s when he began to rearrange the store at 1806 Hewitt Ave.

“Creating the play zone was the big pivot,” Harrison said. “It was a great idea at the right time, but in the wrong space.”

Concerned that the hundred-year-old building might suffer another deluge or some other calamity, he opted to close.

Twelve years ago, Harrison, a former attorney, launched MyMyToystore, an online venture, with $400 and fingers crossed. He bought clearance toys and resold them on eBay. In November 2021, he opened the brick-and-mortar location in Everett.

“It’s a Black-owned company that celebrates the imagination, wonder and fun in pop culture,” Harrison told The Daily Herald in 2022.

“I had a good run. And it was a wild ride,” he said of the two years his business occupied the Hewitt avenue store.

Harrison is grateful for the support of his retail neighbors including, Artisans PNW, Petrikor and the city of Everett for its “involvement in supporting downtown businesses.”

Harrison’s “next big adventure,” Planet Mynd Play Lab, will offer birthday and team building parties and Nerf-themed events this spring.

Events will be held at the Snohomish Sports Dome, 511 Maple Ave.

“It’s a wonderfully run, beautiful facility. I’ll be booking space on their calendar,” Harrison said. “I’m looking forward to the new venture. It should be a lot of fun.”

Harrison will hold a free open house at the sports dome from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 2. Visitors can learn about Planet Mynd’s full calendar of league play and mini games, he said.

The Mynd Tag Blaster League season starts April 7. Games are held Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for participants age 18 and up.

Information about Planet Mynd Play Lab and the Mynd Tag Blaster League is available at MyMyToystore.com.

Janice Podsada: 425-339-3097; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @JanicePods.